CAWPILE Rating: 3.5 Stars

Plot - Addie is a consultant who helps touring companies; Logan is a tour guide for his family's tour company. Logan thinks Addie's improvement suggestions remove the personal and unique aspects of his tours, so he takes her on various Scottish adventures to sway her to see the country the way he does.

The Good: The atmosphere of Scotland was lovingly described and helped build the mood. The plot had a good amount of tension between the two having professional disagreement, but personal connection. The romance aspects were fun and a good level of steamy.

The Wasn't For Me: The characters were hit and miss. Logan's whole personality seemed to be "being Scottish" and Addie was frustrating at times when she would not communicate her feelings/motives.

Overall, this was a book with great atmosphere, a good plot, but weaker on the character side.

Such a fun cute book! Loved the plot, Addie was such a wonderful female lead. Logan had a heart of gold in this book and all the side characters were wonderful, but the main character of Scotland was by far the best. A wonderful Must read

I need to move to Scotland ASAP!!! Kilt Trip had me googling the castles and sites they explored and dreaming up a trip! I really enjoyed Alexandra's writing as it had me laughing out loud and then tearing up. I appreciated the deeper themes that Addie dealt with by exploring her Mom's pictures and her relationship with her Dad. I do wish we had more of a on page reconciliation on page with her Dad but didn't miss that too much. Overall I loved Addie, Logan, and all the side characters and really hope Alexandra writes more about Logan's brother and especially Elyse! Plus the romance had me swooning!!

Thank you to Net Galley and Canary Street Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Ugh I cried yall. This was so cute and amazing and Scottish. Definitely made me want to jump on the first flight to Scotland. Addie & Logan were just.. perfectly imperfect. Really loved their story and seeing them both heal from their family stuff was so well done.

With an upcoming trip to Scotland I just had to read Kilt Trip.

Addie is a travel consultant hired by Neil to help over haul The Heart of the Highlands tour company. His son Logan has other ideas about someone coming in & changing the tours that he puts his all into even if their books show the full scope of how the business is failing.

Logan butts heads with Addie even as she's tilts his world on its axis. Addie has herself completely closed off even as Logan helps her connect with her Mother that she loved dearly & lost so long ago.

Can these two put aside their differences & see that sometimes you gotta get a little lost & lose yourself in order to find your place & be found.

This was such a lovely read and I'm hoping Logan's brother's get their own stories.

**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed.**

I loved this book and got Hallmark movies/romcom vibes from the start, but it quickly delved deeper than what those stories typically go. There’s not anything that I didn’t get from the story or wanted differently. I consumed this book and only set it down because it also made me want to plan a bucket list trip to Scotland. This was such a sweet and emotional story and while I’m not an emotional person, this one did get me a few times.

The sub plot focuses on the FMC processing her grief from the death of her mom, 13 years prior. Her father shut down following his wife’s death which has left the FMC without anyone to depend on and has left a rift between father and daughter. The author also did a great job of not letting it too heavy, with plenty of laughable moments and endearing side characters. The MMC is so patient and kind once he overcomes his hurt feelings from the deception at the beginning.

There are two open door, detailed encounters, plus a few other insinuated scenes. They hit it off first thing but turns into a slow burn once the MMC finds out who she is.

I received an advance ecopy of this book from Harlequin Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This one wasn't for me. The setting and travel aspects were detailed and fantastic. However, the characters fell short, and I didn't connect with them or want to root for their relationship. Readers looking for a quick and light destination read will likely love this book.

5 ⭐️ Kilt Trip was written for me and everyone else who’s obsessed with Scotland. And if you're not already obsessed, you will be after you read this book. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿💕🫶


"You brought my heart back to life."


WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ scotland setting
✨ she's a travel consultant assigned to help out a struggling Highland tour company
✨ he's a guide and the tour company owner's son
✨ insta-lust
✨ slow burn
✨ rivals to lovers
✨ 'forbidden' romance
✨ he falls first
✨ hilarious banter
✨ so much tension and longing
✨ 2/5 🌶️ (open door but not very graphic)
✨ 3rd act breakup
✨ family drama
✨ beautiful prose
✨ lots of Scottish history
✨ TW: death of parent, estranged parent, grief


My Thoughts:

Kilt Trip is easily one of my favorite books of 2024 and has officially been added to my 'Top 10 Rom-Coms of All Time' list. I absolutely LOVE this book and think if you like heartfelt romances that take place in an absolutely magical place, you will enjoy it too.

There is so much about this story I loved . . .

The Scottish setting. I love Scotland. I've been there three times in the past five years, I have a photo of a Highland Coo next to my bed, and I've cried many times over the fact I do not live there (yet). Let's just be real, my love for Scotland borders on obsession. There's just something about Scotland that calls to my heart. When I'm there, I feel like I’m home. Reading Kilt Trip made me feel like I was back in Scotland, and just for a few hours, I was able to once again lose myself in the beautiful streets of Edinburgh and the magical Highlands.

But I was only able to get sucked into this story thanks to the phenomenal writing. Alexandra Kiley is a fantastic writer who, with her stunning prose and vivid descriptions, is able to make her readers feel like they have been transported inside the book and experience everything the characters do, like setting, romance, conflict, etc.

Addie and Logan. They are realistic, well developed, and extremely lovable characters. Addie is a travel consultant who works non-stop and is afraid of love, while Logan runs his family's tour company and is afraid of change. They both struggle with loneliness and deal with some resentment towards family members: Addie with her dad for neglecting her after her mother's death, and Logan with his brothers for bailing on him when his new idea for the company flopped. I like that Addie and Logan are incredibly strong, yet tenderhearted. They don't want to let anyone down, but first they have to take care of themselves.

I also really enjoyed the secondary characters - pretty much everyone at the office and Logan's family.

The romance and spice. Logan and Addie have incredible chemistry and amazing banter, and the 'rivals to lovers' dynamic created such delicious tension. So when they FINALLY get together, it's explosive! Logan is a consent king and a giver, so LOVED that! And when he calls Addie 'Lass' . . . 🥵 I know the Scottish brogue I've been using in my head is nowhere near as sexy as Logan's, so I am excited for the audiobook! (UPDATE: I just listened to a snippet of it on Alexandra Kiley's Instagram and OMG I'M DYING!!!!! The male narrator does an incredible job!)

There are four-ish open door sex scenes that are explicit but not overly graphic, and one closed door scene. The castle and office scenes. 😮‍💨 They live in my head rent free.

The way Alexandra Kiley explored grief was beautiful. I really enjoy stories that go deep, and Kilt Trip does this with Addie, who struggles with the death of her mother. It's been years since she passed, but grief isn't something that disappears entirely, and being in a place that meant so much to her mother makes Addie feel closer to her but also bring up difficult feelings like those surrounding her father and his neglect after the fact. I liked how initially Addie was closed off about discussing this topic, but over time opens up to Logan, who is then very supportive. The side plot about finding the locations in Scotland where her mother took polaroid pictures was touching. 🫶

Learning more about Scotland's history and lore. Sharing this type of information can be boring if not done properly. But in Kilt Trip, Logan delivers this info usually during one of his tours, and he's a fantastic story teller. It was easy to imagine I was there on the tour since it was so engaging. Definitely didn't feel like there was any info dumping.


Overall, Kilt Trip is a wonderful, genuine story that captivates you from the start. I'm very impressed with Alexandra Kiley and have added her to my auto-buy list. What a stunning debut novel. Bravo!

This is my absolute favorite romance of the year so far!! Scotland, Scottish men in Kilts, enemies to lovers! Yes, yes, yes please!!! I loved this book so much I have to get a physical copy to keep and so I'm able to reread it again and again! It is that good!! This is a must read romance!
I just reviewed Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley. #KiltTrip #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

3.5 stars!

An enemies to lovers rom com about an American travel consultant who is sent to Scotland to help revitalize a family tour company in Scotland. One of the family owners (Logan) is passionate about his travel tours and is less than thrilled with the consultant's (Addie's) interference in the traditions of his company tours. Logan is a stubborn Scot with a big heart and Addie is grieving the loss of her mother. He falls first and she is very reluctant to trust, fearful of loss.

A fun and engaging debut for this author. A good balance of sweet romance, funny banter, some spice and likeable characters with believable baggage. Loved the setting (who doesn't love Scotland and men in kilts...) and the relationship between the two main characters, Logan and Addie.

The middle was a little slow for me, which is why it didn't make a 4, but I would certainly read more by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Canary Street Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I really liked the book. It was face paced, kept me hooked the entire time, and had an enjoyable storyline. I wish there were more of the side characters but overall 4 stars.

Addie has every Sagittarius’s dream job: jetting around the world to consult for local tourism and travel companies to help them improve. When tasked with a tour guide leader reluctant to change in a country full of emotional connections she’s been avoiding, Addie isn’t sure she can let her guard down enough to get the job done. Logan is as stubborn as he is sexy and he’ll do anything to show Addie the heart of Scotland, even if it means risking his heart too.

I’m a sucker for a book set in Scotland and I know there’s a lot of ladiew out there just like! There’s just some thing about putting us into Edinburgh or the highlands and we get cozy and enjoy! Kilt Trip is the story of Addie a travel consultant who is scared of commitment and staying in one place and Logan, the Scotsman, who is attached to his family‘s business and has deep deep roots. Instantly sparks fly between the two, but I like in any good romance novel they have to overcome some struggles before they can find their HEA. This was exactly the type of hallmark book. I wanted to read on a Sunday afternoon.

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book on @netgalley simply because the title made me giggle. I was expecting this to just be a silly little treat of a book but it was so much more than that! I did not expect to cry or the immediate need to book a trip to Scotland. If you love Emily Henry, Rebecca Serle, or even like watching Bar Rescue, you will absolutely love this book!

Kilt Trip tells the story of Addie, a travel consultant who is never in one spot too long, while she is helping Logan’s family-run tour company in Scotland’s Highlands become more profitable. Addie and Logan disagree on how to move the business forward, but through the magic of Scotland, sparks fly between them.

Many reviews have mentioned how this book reads a lot like an Emily Henry book (which is true!) but it actually really reminds me of One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle. One Italian Summer is one of my favorite books because of how she describes Positano and the journey we have of Katy working through her grief. Kilt Trip gave me the same thing! Hearing the descriptions of the Highlands, plus Logan’s fun historical facts, had me looking up pictures and ready to start making a trip itinerary. I even found the menu of one of the places they went to eat!

One thing I did struggle with while reading was keeping track of the timeline and whose POV I was reading. For the timeline, I would have appreciated the first sentence of the chapter saying something like “4 weeks later” to let me know how much time had passed when there was a longer chunk of time.

This started out as a meet cute turned rivals/enemies to lovers. Addie was emotionally constipated and Logan was terrible at communicating effectively. They’d both been hurt by their families in unintentional ways, although Addie was much more alone in the world than Logan was.
The story was pretty hallmark-esque with lots of cozy vibes and low stakes issues that revolved around finding the meaning of love and all that. It delved into Addie’s long lived grief for the loss of her mother and her father’s ensuing grief-fueled depression. It delved into Logan’s unwillingness to take risks and suggestions from an outside source. It was cute.

Spice: 3/5

Triggers: grief, depression (off page, not MC), death of parent, neglectful parent

I've always been interested in Scotland which had me wanting to read this book! I love how it has you feeling like you are really there with the details. The banter had me laughing. I love the character development and Addie and Logans relationship growth.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me am eARC of this book!

Addie is sent on assignment to help a struggling family-run tour company in the Highlands—and save her own job—Addie packs away her emotional baggage and turns on the professional charm. Rugged as the land he loves, Logan's greatest joy is sharing the beauty of Scotland’s hidden gems. The last thing Logan wants is some American “expert” pushing tourist traps.

This book will heighten your Wanderlust senses to the max. Set in gorgeous Scotland, I loved the idea of helping one another in the time of need.

Addie & Logan's relationship was a rollercoaster; sometimes flirty, sometimes snappy. I really enjoyed how they worked together to save the tour company along with discovering the places Addie's mom had been.
This book reminded me of one of my favorite movies, "Leap Year." I could totally imagine the picturesque scenes being shown on a screen.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

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

Addie’s next work trip is a place where she can no longer avoid. In a beautiful prose of finding her way back “home,” Addie navigates more than just the beautiful Highland hills. With the help of our handsome tour guide in a kilt, they take a trip along a path of rediscovering connections- to land, to people, to the past. Cozy up with this yummy romance filled with castles, hairy coos & Logan’s mom’s shortbread!

Themes in the book:
a tad bit of office romance
slow burn
close proximity
wanderlust
found family
healing

This book was everything and more- such a perfect blend of wanderlust and romance. I immediately added celebrating Hogmanay in Scotland on my bucket list! The writing was so descriptive and immersive, that I truly felt like I was a part of the tour group roadtripping around the Highlands. I also appreciate how pieces of history and storytelling were sprinkled around without dragging the story down and making it too “discovery channel-y”. It was just enough to capture the wonder of the scenery without taking away from the main characters.

You can feel the emotion and the vulnerability of the MCs, and I found the book was so well paced. I felt like every single part of the book was needed to truly capture Addie and Logan’s love story. What an absolutely wonderful [kilt] trip!
See you all in Scotland!!

TW: parent death, partner death (not MC), abandonment, grief

*Thank you NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.*

UGH! This book was the perfect mix of romance, comedy, grief, and history, all with a little spice sprinkled in. The cover immediately drew me in, and every time Logan wore a kilt had me swooning (and possibly wanting to change my dating profile location to Scotland immediately ????)

I loved how relatable both Logan and Addie’s struggles and character development felt. I think many readers (including myself) can really identify with their journeys to follow their passions while dealing with their past trauma and pain, and wanted to stay true to themselves.

You could absolutely feel Alexandra Kiley’s passion for Scotland come through the pages of this book. I was really impressed with how seamlessly she included fascinating tidbits of the country’s history…all while still making them somehow sexy?! Like hello who doesn’t want to make out in the dark nooks and corners of a Scottish castle?!

Definitely suggest this book if you’re looking for a fun romance, with some history and personal growth all mixed together!

Thank you NetGalley and Canary Street Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

I was instantly intrigued by this book because I love all things Scotland and I wasn’t disappointed. There were several laugh out loud moments and also a few weepy scenes. I felt transported as if I was actually in Scotland and I didn’t want to leave. Great read!