Such a fun read when to meet over the tourism trade in Ireland. Funny, romantic, and a swoonwortjy romance to fall in love with!

I enjoyed this book so much! Silvylinings on Instagram said it best, this book is a love letter to Scotland and I could not agree more! I don't know if it's because I was in Scotland a few months ago so everything is still so fresh in my brain but the stories, the history, the legends that are in this book are all the same ones I heard during my time there. There truly is magic in Scotland that makes you want to put down roots and explore everything it has to offer.

Not only is the setting of this book magical, but you will also fall in love with the characters. Addie's struggles with opening up to others because of her past are so relatable and I loved how patient Logan and his family were with her. Addie's and Logan's development was great to read and loved their slow burn. Some moments were super frustrating in terms of pacing but overall I enjoyed it!

*Adds Scotland to top of travel bucket list* The Scottish setting was the perfect backdrop for this heartwarming Rom-Com, I loved the nuggets of history and culture sprinkled throughout. This story had everything I wanted — Great banter, beautiful imagery, emotional depth and undeniable chemistry between Addie and Logan. My biggest con is that the 3rd person back and forth between the two was a little confusing at times, I think the book would have benefited from a dual POV.
3.75/5

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

it took about 175 pages to say it but i loved this book. the beginning is so boring but i guess you have to world build to get it right. the writing itself and describing everything about scotland were my favorite parts about the story. the one thing i did dislike was the hatred to the insta-love over the course of a few days or even less sometimes. if there was more distance or more time in between meeting and falling in love, it would be much better (in any book, not just this one).

Wow, this book was not what I expected. In the best way, though.
4.25⭐️, 1.5🌶️

Addie was such a complicated FMC, and as many times as I wanted her to pull her head out of her you know, I could also completely understand where her hesitation and insecurities came from.

We meet Addie and Logan mid-tour in Edinburgh, with Addie using her mother's name as a way to sneak onto a tour and gather some intel prior to her first consultation with the family running the Heart of the Highlands tours. Little does she know, Logan is part of that family, and her sneakiness sets them up for some great rivals-to-lovers banter and chemistry.

Logan is a wonderful MMC. He has his own insecurities and personal failings to work through, but he is such a wide open book when it comes to his feelings for Addie. It is always lovely to read about men who can experience and connect to their emotions so readily, and I honestly hurt for him when he struggled to get Addie to let her walls down.

Addie had so many valid reasons for her emotional road blocks. As frustrating as it was to watch her push away someone who clearly wanted to care for and love every last piece of her, she had her own journey to complete, and she had to do the work to be able to see what was right in front of her. Unfortunately for Logan and the reader, that meant a lot of back and forth until we got to the thankfully inevitable HEA.

There were many more tear jerking moments than I expected to have in this book, and I really appreciated the depths the author had us going into Addie's grief with her. It helped round out what would have been just an annoying, frustrating, get-it-together-already FMC in any other story. We needed to feel deeply for all of her losses to understand why she was the way she was.

There was some slow pacing throughout the book that knocked my rating down a bit, and I found my eyes getting a little glazed over a few times at the overly descriptive wording and inner monologuing. It wasn't enough to pull me out of the story, but it could've been shortened a little and not suffered for it.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes:

-Scottish setting
-Kilts
-Travel/wanderlust
-Found family
- Banter
- Small town
- Rivals-to-lovers
- Slow burn
- Cinnamon roll MMC

CW: Grief, emotional neglect by a parent

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book made me want to book a trip to Scotland immediately!!! It had everything, the beautiful setting, a beautiful man, and a swoony romance. what more could you ask for?!

This was not just a romance it included the depth of grief and loss as well. I loved reading about Logan and Rosie’s journey.

The emotional journey that Rosie took in this book was touching. The way that she connected with Scotland through her late mother was so special. It was huge seeing her work through those feelings and take steps in forgiving her father. All of it done as she worked on herself with Logan by her side.

Some other great aspects of this book was the way Logan’s family welcomed Rosie in with no questions asked. The beautiful way the country is described. I’d love to go visit the castles they talked about! Not to mention the accents. (I’m sure I did a terrible job imagining how Logan spoke… going to have to go watch a Gerald Butler movie now 😂)

Read if you like:
🍀Enemies/Rivals to lovers
🍀Found Family
🍀Men in Kilts
🍀Dual POV

Thank you @htp_hive and @netgalley for this advanced readers copy!

If I hadn't already been dreaming of exploring Scotland, charming Logan with his sexy brogue and love of his native land would have done the trick. Not to mention the kilt. The man wears a kilt. I mean, how am I supposed to be immune to gray eyes, broad shoulders, dimples, and a kilt? Addie sure isn't. Until she discovers exactly who Logan is and that their plans for his family's company don't exactly mesh. Then all bets are off.

I enjoyed Addie's and Logan's journey. It's filled with humor, charm, great banter, swoony romance, self-discovery, and a surprising amount of emotional depth. The author takes her time with both main characters, unveiling their layers while at the same time exploring the hidden treasures of Scotland. The sense of place is strong in this book. By the time I finished, I felt like I too had taken one of Logan's guided heritage tours to the out of the way places that make Scotland special.

In addition to the romantic journey, there are also complicated family dynamics at play in this story (on both sides). The author uses those relationships to bring forth facets of Addie's and Logan's personalities, vulnerabilities, strengths, fears, and flaws in helping them grow individually and as a couple. I was curious when the "black moment" arrived how she would go about bringing them back together. It seemed pretty hopeless. Ultimately, it was accomplished in a satisfying manner that left me confident in this couple and their happily ever after. And, even though he's taken, I still want to go on one of Logan's tours.

This adversaries-to-lovers romcom is Alexandra Kiley's debut novel. Based on how much fun I had exploring Scotland with Addie and Logan, I'll be keeping my eyes open for more stories from this new author.

4.5 stars
ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
Fair and unbiased review

Alexandra Kiley's debut romance, Kilt Trip, was so freaking cute. As I'm currently eye-ball deep in planning my own trip to Scotland this summer, it was the perfect romance to pick up this week.

Addie Macrae travels the world for her job, and this is her first time visiting Scotland. She's there to help a struggling tour company refresh their brand and update their tours, but she's also there to connect with the memory of her late mother. Her parents honeymooned in Scotland, and Addie has some photographs from that trip--so in her spare time, she tracks down the locations of the photos, in an attempt to feel close to her mom. Meanwhile, Logan--tour guide extraordinaire and handsome wearer of kilts--catches Addie's eye from their first meeting. He is opposed to any updates or changes to their tours, so professionally they butt heads at every turn, but he's just as smitten with Addie as she is with him, and during a tour of the highlands, sparks fly. But can their fiery passion survive, or will it just turn into a highland fling?

It was so much fun reading about all the locations I've been researching for my own trip. It really added a lot to the experience because I was able to picture all the places they go and "see" in my mind's eye what they were seeing.

Her debut romance--swoony, romantic and utterly charming--is a solid 5-star read, so I can't wait to see what she writes next! Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for my advance review copy.

3 Stars

If you need to reach me for the foreseeable future, I will be in Scotland.

This was a nice spring read! I really enjoyed the relationship between Addie and Logan and how their relationship progressed throughout the book. I loved the setting of the Scottish Highlands with its history and clan heritage.

I did think this book was a bit wordy and a tad long. Some chapters could have been consolidated or left out for pacing.

Overall it was a fun, charming read. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to travel, enjoys learning about new places, or simply has a love for Scotland and hairy coos. If you love Outlander, this book is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sending this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒕 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒑 🏰💚

author: alexandra kiley
publication date: 3/5/24
pages: 336
rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
spice: 🌶️🌶️

𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚜 ♡:

🐑 travel consultant & tour guide
🐑 rivals to lovers
🐑 forced proximity
🐑 set in scottish highlands
🐑 men in kilts
🐑 found family

𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍 ♡:

this was such a wholesome & charming debut novel following addie who is a travel consultant tasked on an assignment in scotland & a kilt wearing tour guide named logan. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

i loved addie’s journey as she deals with the loss/grief over her mother’s death 13 years prior. logan decides to accept addie’s help in revamping his tour guide company & along the way the two form an unlikely friendship that soon turns into something more. 🥰

the spice was nice but it wasn’t over the top! it felt right & natural between the two and didn’t feel forced or fake at all. addie & logan had a lot of chemistry and flirty banter that just made the book so enjoyable to read! when logan took addie to all the places that her mom talked about growing up i SWOONED!!! 📸

seriously everything about this book was done incredibly well!! and the epilogue was absolute PERFECTION!!! 🤌🏼

𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚚𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎 ♡:

જ⁀➴“𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙚’𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚.”

𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 ♡:

one of the things i truly loved about this book was learning so much about scotland and their traditions. i highly recommended if you are a fan of outlander, sheep & men in kilts this book is for you!

thank @harlequinbooks & @netgalley for allowing me to receive an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 🫶🏻

4.5 Stars !! This was such a feel good romance book ! I loved that is was set in Scotland, a perfect setting to fall in love. I am ready to travel back to Scotland asap now. This book had the right amount and romance and a little bit of spice. Addie coping with her grief about her mother's passing and tracking down where the photos of her mom were taken was very well written. I loved Logan's character and his whole family. I highly recommend this book if you love anything Scottish and romance !

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing and Canary Street Press for the digital arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

Ugh, this was SO charming! It made me want to drop everything and head to Scotland for a heritage tour and find a dreamboat in a kilt. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sweet, emotional, spicy romance! I loved the descriptions of Scotland; it makes me want to visit! The relationship between the main characters is a trip! I enjoyed how they came to find ways to support one another despite their differences. And the side characters are all lovely! I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun read with some depth, and it's especially perfect as a travel read!

I desperately want to visit Scotland and have since I was younger. Outlander is one of my faves - I read the books as they came out (yes I'm old lol) and I adore the show - and I watched so many Hallmark Christmas movies set in Scotland 🙈 So when I heard about Kilt Trip and the chance to be part of the street team for Alexandra Kiley, I jumped at the chance! American travel company consultant travels to Scotland and meets hot tour guide in a kilt?? Sign me the eff up! 😂

I'm so happy to have been able to read an early copy of this delightful romance. I laughed, I swooned, I cried - literally every emotion ran through my body reading this book! There are some open door scenes, but they are relatively mild, what we used to call "tasteful" (even though it's not my favorite way to describe it). Logan was gaaaahhhhh just gorgeous and swoon worthy!! 😍 I absolutely loved him from jump. Addie is a strong woman, my word she is stubborn, but she's carrying so much grief with her and she's been so hurt that she has walls up for days. Logan may just be the one who can finally do that! Plus there's an amazing family, snooty sheep, adorable hairy coos, and so. Many. Kilts.

Any fan of romance needs to read this one, it's an absolute delight (even when I was crying - thanks Alexandra) and I want everyone to read it and then gush with me about it! Thanks again, Alexandra, for having me on the team!

For someone who traveled light, Addie carried a hell of a lot of baggage.

Addie's mentor has brought her and her bestfriend on the tough ride of starting a new business. Addie's been around the world as a travel consultant but never to Scotland, where her parents honeymooned. After losing her mother in her teens thirteen years ago, Addie also emotionally lost her father as he pulled away from her in his grief. This taught Addie that she needs to protect herself from love, as losing one person can cause someone to lose everything, and why her job is so ideal for her, always moving and making no lasting connections. When she's sent to Scotland to help overhaul a family run tour business, her mom is on her mind even more, as pictures of her mom at Scottish sites from her honeymoon are some of Addie's most prized possessions. Addie can't let emotional issues ruin her business strategies, though, as her mentor is counting on her to streamline this tour business quickly and efficiently to add to their new portfolio. Which makes the chemistry she's feeling with the owner's son, even more dangerous.

It wasn’t just his family conspiring against him. The universe was in on it, too.

Logan can't help but feel betrayed when his father brings in an outsider to help overhaul their tours. He once tried new ideas to revamp their tours and failed miserably, feeling like his lost his two brothers when they then left the business. He's proud of Scotland and doesn't want to lead visitors around just to the gimmicky tourist sites and wants to keep the family and friends feeling to his tours. Which makes fighting Addie's ideas even more imperative, and more complicated as he starts to develop feelings for the trying to be emotionally walled up American.

That spark she’d been trying to smother since she’d first set foot in the office was looking for any opportunity to catch.

Kilt Trip was an immensely enjoyable contemporary romance that felt cozy, emotional, delivered on the setting, and sizzled with some heat. I went to check out this author's back-list immediately after finishing this and was shocked to see this is what looks to be a debut. You all are going to want to pick this book up and then keep this author on your radar; I'd say she's in the Kate Clayborn alike circle. The first half has a pace that I don't want to give the negative connotation of slow but the pace is slower; there's some romance lit fic feeling without the lit fic language, if that makes sense. We get povs from both Addie and Logan, which I love, and the first half has a little more of Addie trying to remain walled up from her developing emotions towards Logan and feeling, thinking about her grief from losing her mother so young, missing her and how it destroyed her relationship with her father. Addie has her mentor and bestfriend but they all three travel and she doesn't have a solid landing place to rest and feel loved, she's lacking deeper connections but also fears them.

He was a dangerous combination of sensitive and challenging, and Addie was having a hell of a time feigning disinterest.

Logan was the perfect other half that she needed, he pokes at her sparking side, they have good teasing and back-and-forth but also knows when to back off a bit to allow her to regain her equilibrium and not scare her away. Logan has his own emotional issues, since his attempt to change the family business almost ruined it and his brothers left the business, he's scared of change and dealing with some abandonment issues with his brothers. I loved Logan's character but there could have been a little more flushing out of him, more conversations with his brothers would have been great and even though I liked how he realized when Addie needed a break, I kind of wanted more gritting out pressing need from him, too.

“If you think I’m delightful when I’m mad, you should see me when I’m not.” He tugged her closer, his fingers slipping below the soft black bow.
Her soft intake of breath sent fire through his veins. She stilled in his arms, wet her lips, and looked up at him through her lashes. “Then, let’s stop fighting.”

The later second half picked up the pace, enough of a not smooth change to make the overall pacing feel a bit disjointed to me, but all of the story's previous developing heat between Addie and Logan lead to, thank-you for including open-door in contemporary romance like the good old days, scenes. These two were cute, scrappy, flirty, and had delightful chemistry that I could read all day. The danger of Addie's job and her and Logan's emotional issues does eventually come to a head, they were great with addressing, talking, and trying to deal with at first when they admit to each other deeper feelings but that third act breakup is a persistent beast and a seen as a betrayal development separates the two. This was left close enough to the end that I thought the eventual HEA development didn't get enough time to give me the depth in it I wanted (here too I wished for Logan's character to have more) but there was an epilogue that jumped a year to show more to readers.

He offered her the one thing she hadn’t been brave enough to admit she wanted: belonging.

I loved how the setting was actually utilized, you'll get some facts, legends, history, and atmosphere feelings of in and around Edinburgh to transport you away and some of that delightful smile inducing back and forth chemistry and building heat tingling that delivers on the promised steaminess. The emotional was there with Addie's grief over her mother and Logan's awareness, ability, and caution to know how to care for Addie. Logan's gone for Addie pretty quickly but was wary of causing her to run away, it was nice to see the guy fall first but Addie's walls want and start to crumble pretty quickly too, so this also delivered with romance aspects. The I love yous maybe developed a little too quickly, missing more foundation there, but like the pace issues I had, ultimately not a deal breaker. If wanting to read a cute, fun, set in Scotland, romance that deals with grief but also delivers on chemistry and heat, you need to pick this one up.

STORY LOVE
❤️❤️❤️❤️

SPICE
🌶️ mild

RECOMMEND
💳 yes

In Alexandra Kiley's debut novel, Kilt Trip, travel consultant Addie Macrae embarks on a dual mission in Scotland: revamp the family-owned Heart of the Highlands tour company and explore her late mother’s cherished places. Along the way, she encounters Logan Sutherland, the company owner’s son, who challenges her tourist-oriented approach. To win the other over on the direction of the company, their alternating tours blend business with pleasure, revealing hidden gems and sparking romance. With an immersive Scottish setting, historical tidbits, and swoon worthy moments, Kilt Trip is a cute read that weaves love, loss, and self-discovery.

If you’re seeking a romance against the stunning backdrop of Scotland, this book is a bonny addition to your reading list!

Thank you for the opportunity to read Kilt Trip in advance.

There are some books that are so heartwarming, with characters so engaging, that when the world gets heavy, you'll gravitate back again and again to the book. Kilt Trip is one of those stories. While it was a romance (with a fair amount of steam), it was also fun and meaningful as we journey with Addy to make peace with the loss of her mom and finally find her home. Logan was absolutely swoon worthy as a lead and while this could have gone to a mere caricature, Logan had equal depth. Plus, who doesn't love Scotland?!? And a travel business as that backdrop was so fun element of the plot. I really loved this story and am excited to see what Kiley writes next!
Thanks to #NetGalley and #Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press for the ARC.

“Sometimes we find a place we've never been before, but it feels like coming home."

✨ Rivals to Lovers
✨ He Falls First
✨ Cinnamon Roll MMC
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ Slow Burn with Banter
✨ All the Wanderlust
⚠ Grief and Healing of Parent's Death

Addie Macrae is a travel consultant who has been hired to help a small family-run travel tour business in Scotland, the one place she has avoided due to ghosts of her past. She needs to just get in and get out of Scotland as fast as she can but Logan Sutherland, the heir to his family's business, makes it difficult at every turn for her.

This book was adorable and makes me want to go back to Scotland so fast! I went to Scotland a couple years ago and this book swept me back. It was so fun to read about places that I have visited! This book accurately captures the spirit of Scotland and the Scottish Highlands and is a must read for anyone who has been or wishes to go!

Logan Sutherland is a complete gem and such a cinnamon roll MMC. Plus, he wears a kilt and fully leans into the Scottish brogue while doing tours. He is passionate about his country and showing tourists the real Scotland, not just the major attractions. He has to convince Addie that these are the tours that people want, even if they aren't an instant money grab.

This book does hit on a heavy issue of grief over a parent's death. Addie lost her mother when she was little and is still grieving her death years later and coming to terms with her father's absenteeism reaction. By going to Scotland, she has to decide whether she wants to let the ghosts of her past consume her or connect with the country that her mother loved so much.

ilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley

If you love Scotland or are interested in it, this is the book for you. A family run Scotland tour company is struggling, and they hire an American tourism expert, Addie, to save the business. Addie is in Scotland for work, but also to connect with her Mom in though a stack of photos of Scotland. This book is rich in Scottish stories and atmosphere, there is a lot of history and landmarks, and men in kilts.

The first part of the book totally captivated me, it had so much potential. The characters had depth and it didn’t seem to be cookie cutter romcom. However, it turned out to be exactly that. Which is fine, it lived up to its cute cover. I just had a bit too high of hopes and it ended up losing me in the details and predictability. It took me several days to get through as I started to be less and less inclined to pick it up - just a bit too wordy and slow moving.

Overall this was still a lovely book, the romance was slow burn but the chemistry was spicy! I loved the setting and I’m not going to lie I did look up flights to Scotland. I’ve been before and it was probably the one place I’ve been to where I could really see myself living. Have you been?

Thanks to @canarystreetpress for my early copy! This one is out tomorrow.