Did I laugh? Yes. Do I wish I was going on a trip to Scotland? Yes.

But in the end, this was just a very okay book, and it left me wanting in a lot of areas. I didn't really connect with either of the main characters. The banter between them about anything work related was the same conversation over and over, and I rolled my eyes a lot. It was very insta love-y and at some points Logan is a little too needy, so I also struggled with the romance sometimes.

The setting and Addie getting to reminisce about her mom was really the saving grace of the story. In the end, not every book is for me, and that is okay.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Spicy: PG-13

Perfect if you like:

Hot dudes in kilts (and if you don’t, what is wrong with you)
Scottish accents
Travel but especially travel in Scotland
Little bit of reverse grumpy sunshine
Romances that makes you feel all the feels

Thank you

The Kilt Trip has been all over my booksta so I requested it from NetGalley to see if it would live up to the hype and oh my goodness, did it ever. This was a two sitting romance perfect for my wanderlust soul that has been missing visiting the British Isles. This was like a tour of Scotland complete with the side of romance full of sexual tension.
Addie Macrae is a consultant that travels the world looking for the next adventure while helping troubled travel companies. She might be running from the sadness she feels from the death of her mother and her father’s overwhelming grief. Logan Sutherland runs his family’s Scottish tour company and it is in need of some help. When Logan’s dad hires Addie to assist the company in revamping their tours, she is met with resistance from Logan at every turn. But these two can’t disguise that underneath all that workplace angst lays some serious attraction that they are fighting. Until they just can’t anymore.
This is a wonderful read and highly recommend it but I will say, I love travel and travel books specifically. I certainly enjoyed Logan’s tour monologues and the history that Kiley sprinkles throughout the book but it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Having said that, you can skim those parts because the romance between Addie and Logan is so worth the read. Their vulnerability shows why we call it falling and how scary it is to let someone in.

This one is out Tuesday so go order it from somewhere - Kindle, Libby, Audible, your local library, or grabbing a hard copy. It is the perfect read for the airport - it will transport you immediately.

Thank you also to @canarystreetpress for my advanced e-copy. All opinions are my own.

I didn’t know initially is that the main female character, Addie, is part of the MacRae clan, just like me! It was such a pleasant surprise to read along with her journey to explore MacRae land and learn about her heritage. I’ve been to many of the places the author describes, and the ones I haven’t, I could easily transport myself to through her descriptions.

While I had a personal connection, I think this will also be enjoyed by many. I loved Logan, the tour company operator, and Addie, the American travel consultant hired to help Logan’s family business. There’s a strong elements of family, budding romance, the enemies to lovers/forced proximity/forbidden romance, and growing into yourself, with a side of kilts, clootie dumpling, castles and travel.

This was a fun read that tackled some serious issues but also involved kilts and castles. Addie and Logan both have their baggage. Logan's attempt to change the business went terribly wrong and caused a rift between him and his brothers. Addie lost her mother 13 years ago and her dad has been lost in his grief every since. Addie is in Scotland on a work assignment that means a lot to her boss - to turn around Logan's family tour business. Logan is reluctant to change anything and is quite vocal about it. Much banter ensues.

While there is quite a lot of banter both Logan and Addie are dealing with some hurt feelings and a sense of loss when it comes to their respective families. I liked the moments in between the challenging each other when Logan and Addie were really able to get to know each other. As well, the Scottish countryside was pretty much a character in this book and it was a glorious one with beautiful scenery and fascinating history.

While I did enjoy a lot about this book it did took me awhile to get into it and there were times it felt like the story was dragging a bit. That said, overall, I enjoyed this read and would definitely read the next book I see by this author.

ᴀʀᴄ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ
ᴋɪʟᴛ ᴛʀɪᴘ
ᴀʟᴇxᴀɴᴅʀᴀ ᴋɪʟᴇʏ
4.25/5 💫
🌶️🌶️

•sʟᴏᴡ ʙᴜʀɴ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
•sᴄᴏᴛᴛɪsʜ sᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
•ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇs ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs
•ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ
•ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠ

🍀Need a break and want to travel to Scotland for a couple of days, but don’t have the time or funds? Then please read Kilt Trip 🍀

Thanks to Netgalley for an arc copy of this read. It was quick fun. Not only did this read come with the warm fuzzies, but it is an open letter to the beauty of Scotland. I traveled there a few years ago and this book brought both Edinburgh and some of the highlands realistically to life. I was immersed in the love, culture, history, and overwhelming lure (with lore of course) of the Scots.

My great grandmother emigrated from Scotland and we have a strong tie to the Macpherson clan. Even without the Scottish ancestry, though, one can appreciate the atmospheric descriptions that Kiley evokes throughout the book.

“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭.”

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴

Addie is a travel consultant always on the go since she doesn’t really have a place she calls home. She’s working on a job in Scotland, where her late mother had visited long ago and is working through feelings of grief while simultaneously keeping her feelings walled off. Addie has tons of ideas on how to better market and commercialize the family-owned tour company, but Logan is highly resistant to change. He just wants to stick to traditions and roots and not go with any of the touristy gimmicks that other tours offer. Addie and Logan are constantly disagreeing on their direction, even though they’re highly attracted to each other. They’re both got to deal with all their own emotional roadblocks if they want to get together for real and not just as a temporary affair.

This book gave me all the feels. So ready to read again. I would give it all the stars. So deep and emotional.

Ah where to even begin with how much I loved this delightful love letter to Scotland that sees two complete opposites falling for one another when American globetrotter, Addie arrives to help Logan save his failing Scottish tour business.

The two are constantly at logger heads disagreeing on the direction the company should go in but through a series of mini trips around the country where Logan helps Addie track down the locations from four photos her dead mother saved from her honeymoon trip in Scotland, they eventually give in to the sizzling chemistry that threatens to burn them both up.

Heartfelt, steamy and full of emotional depth, I loved both Addie and Logan and the way they learned to open up their hearts to finding a way to make a life together. Highly, highly recommended especially for anyone dreaming of a Scottish vacation.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and physical copy in exchange for my honest review. This was one of my most anticipated 2024 debut releases and it absolutely did not disappoint! I can't wait to see what Alexandra Kiley writes next!

Steam level: open door

Such a sweet romance that has me itching to pack my bags (and name them) and fly to Scotland.

The only injustice was her Dad, I wished we could have a had a scene where she calls him out for everything and he does some grovelling, or he admits to how much he screwed up.

Definitely looking forward to more books from this author.

ARC Review: 4/5 stars.

This book is for those who experience wanderlust with Scotland (it's a priority on my travel bucket list). I am obsessed with Addie and Logan's story, the found family trope, enemies to lovers, and how Logan was able to connect Addie with her heritage. The way Alexandra Kiley created Addie's character development with taking risks to find her own belonging and healing was done so well. If you're a fan of Outlander and need some Scottish romance, this is a perfect read.

*spoiler alert below*

The ending was perfect with Logan taking Addie to spot of the last photo of her mom and proposing there.

Addie Macrae is a travel consultant on assignment in Scotland tasked with revamping Heart of the Highlands, a family-run tour company. Logan Sutherland takes pride in his tours, focusing on the quaint, hidden gems around Scotland doesn't want some American coming in and pushing tourist destinations. As Addie and Logan butt heads over the future of the company, they also embark on a romantic journey around Scotland as Addie navigates the challenges around processing grief and learning to open up again.

Vibes:
-enemies to lovers
-grumpy/sunshine
-workplace romance
-grief
-forced proximity
-found family

Alex's ability to transport readers to the lush landscape of Scotland through her stunning prose and picturesque descriptions sets this book apart! I enjoyed following Addie's journey with grief as she found a sense of belonging with Logan's family and began to open back up to love and I'm obsessed with Addie and Logan visiting the various spots from the polaroids of Addie's mom (omg-the last picture!!! iykyk). I feel like I need to make an itinerary for Scotland just based on this book as there are so many destinations that I need to see in person now after reading about them. Weaving in traditional Scottish celebrations as well as depictions of the wondrous landscape, Kilt Trip will leave you ready to pack your own "Frank" and jump on the soonest plane to Scotland.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kilt Trip is out March 5, 2024 and be on the lookout for Alexandra Kiley's second novel, Scot and Bothered (coming soon).

This was a solid contemporary romance, with a really vivid setting. Honestly, the best part of this book for me was the Scottish setting and getting to travel around to various sights and locations with Addie and Logan. Unfortunately, the pacing of the book felt off to me, and I wasn't sure if I fully believed the romantic relationship. I'd still be willing to give this author another try, and I do think if you love travel/wanderlust/Scotland, you'll enjoy this book.

I DNF’d this book, I’m sorry! It was so slow and felt like a chore to read. I loved the concept of what the book is about based on the back cover, but it didn’t land for me. I kept putting the book down to go do other things.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I wanted to love this so much, but I have to cut my losses and DNF about halfway through, or I fear I may never read another romance in my life. I thought this would be a win for sure.

The meetcute was fine, but then it took a turn for the worse. This is everything I hate about enemies-to-lovers. They were so mean and rude, and I don't think any healthy adult would be able to fall in love with someone who treated them like this, or whom they treated like this. But these two aren't either healthy or self-aware. This is the beginning of a toxic relationship, and it's rough to read. I didn't connect to either of them, and I didn't care if they ended up together - tbh, I hoped they didn't.

This was one of those books that I really liked but didn’t love. I like the way this book made me feel, and I especially liked the reminder it gave me of my grandfather, who had a great love for Scotland - so much so that the beach house he owned was named after a Scottish town. I think it’s so special that I was able to have that connection, because I know that it wasn’t just the setting of this book but the way the setting was shared that I was able to make that connection. I thought the writing about Scotland was beautiful, and even though I have never been there, I was able to feel how special of a place it is. I liked Addie’s character a lot. It’s so easy to relate to someone that is always running from their problems instead of facing them, and even though the comparison stopped there for me, I enjoyed her development into someone that was able to confront her past so that she no longer needed to run away. I found Logan a bit too broody and insta-lovey for me to really enjoy him as much as I should have. And I’m sorry but I kept using a Shrek voice in my head for him because it’s as close as my brain could come to a Scottish accent. I loved his relationship with his brothers and am glad that they folded Addie in so seamlessly. I do think she and Logan were a good match, even though he seemed to fall for her too quickly. Outside of the brother relationships and the relationship between Addie and Logan, I felt like some relationships weren’t explained in enough detail. I found myself a little confused about some relationships because I missed the connection between people and didn’t feel like looking back to see how people knew each other. Sometimes there were enough clues, but other times I just decided that it didn’t matter enough to the overall story, so I let it go. It all worked out in the end though, and I’m really glad I read this book!

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Kilt Trip is a fun rom-com set in Scotland. We follow Logan, a Scottish tour guide struggling to save the family business, and Addie, a travel consultant hired by Logan's father to do the same. The two are initially rivals, but eventually find common ground at work and with each other.

This was a sweet romance that was overall well handled. I thought that the strongest parts of the book were when we got to read about Addie's connection to her mother, as well as the descriptions of Scotland. The author clearly knows Edinburgh very well, and it shows. Though I'm not usually a fan of third act breakups, I thought that this one was handled well. I do wish that there had been more scenes with the minor characters- they were charming, but we were told a lot more about them than we were shown. There were minor pacing and plot continuity issues, but overall I had a good time with this one.

3.5/5, rounding up to a 4

I connected to Addie in her journey to overcome her grief over losing a parent, but this book felt like it was lacking something in the overall plot. I felt like it took a while for me to get into the book, meaning it took me over a week to read it when I normally finish books within the same day or the next day. I liked some of the dynamic between Addie and Logan, but again I felt that something was missing. Overall a decent read, but I felt like it could’ve been so much more. I did enjoy the Scottish slang, the use of “lass” and the glimpses of history throughout the book!

This is an ode to a travel lover’s heart! Addie and Logan are such sweet and deep characters, and I loved their journey to find love. I really would have loved this better in first person, but it truly was so well written, and an amazing debut!

The talk of Scotland and its scenery was lovely and made me miss it and want to plan a trip back. Everything else was extremely boring and tedious. I felt no connection and finally gave up my slog at 44%. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc. Not for me, but I know others loved it 🤷🏽‍♀️

THE KILT TRIP – Alexandra Kiley
Canary Street Press
ISBN: 978-1-335-00929-6
March 5, 2024
Contemporary Romance

Edinburgh, Scotland – Present Day

Addie Macrae works for a travel company that helps overhaul struggling travel agencies. She is sent to Edinburgh to help another company and while she usually enjoys her trips, this one is personal. Her late mother is from the area and Addie has pictures of her mom at several sites. She wants to go there and see what her mother saw. On Addie’s first night in Edinburgh, she runs into a Scottish man in a kilt in a bar. The two flirt back and forth but he is not why she came here. The next morning when she shows up at the travel office, she learns that her kilted charmer is part owner of the business—and Logan Sutherland is not happy to have an interloper telling them how to run their travel company.

Addie and Logan end up at loggerheads over each other’s vision for the company. But he agrees to take her around the countryside to see the sights. She mentions to him that she is trying to recreate her mother’s photos, so Logan helps her find the locations. Their resentment toward each other soon evaporates—and a mutual attraction develops. But Addie’s time in Scotland will soon end, so can there be a future for them?

It's an emotional trip for Addie in THE KILT TRIP as she struggles with the memories of her mother and seeing her father move on. Her parents spent their honeymoon in Scotland and all Addie has left of her mom are pictures from their trip. She eventually tells Logan about her mom and the pictures that she wants to recreate with her camera, and he agrees to help her. Why not since he’s familiar with the area? They soon grow closer, as do their feelings for each other. He wants her to see the area in his eyes and his vision for the travel tours. She starts to enjoy herself and being around Logan. Things had started rocky between them but now all is well. But both know that she will soon leave to return to Boston—unless he can convince her to stay.

THE KILT TRIP is a cute and engaging tale of a woman experiencing Scotland through the eyes of a kilted knight in shining armor. Logan understands that the company needs a refreshment, but he believes that he knows what the people want. Can he convince Addie about the best way to see Scotland? Their attraction builds slowly in this tale, mostly because there is animosity between them at first. But that soon melts the more they are around each other. Other characters, mostly Logan’s family and coworkers, provide some entertaining scenes and dialogue. But at the center of THE KILT TRIP is the building romance between Addie and Logan.

It’s a dream come true for Addie to visit Scotland even as it brings up memories of her mother. But in THE KILT TRIP, she may end up finding the perfect man for herself. Don’t miss this sizzling tale.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today