Did I look up tickets to Scotland after just a few chapters? Sure did. This was such a heartwarming story. I loved the characters and all of their background and baggage that they came with. Addie and Logan felt very real. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future!

I truly love anything romantic with Scots. They are so swoonworthy and this one hit all the spots! It was super funny, whimsy, serious when it needed to be but just very cute!

I enjoy reading romances that have settings that are in different areas and customs. This couple 'battling' over the tours service that she came to help make changes were fun to see them change. The back and forth between the two were funny and gave me a couple of ideas in case I need them! ;-) I now have an urge to travel overseas! I received a free copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for my personal honest thoughts on the read.

Addie thinks she has her life together. She has a job she loves, co-workers she calls friends, and she gets to travel the world as a consultant. If the downfall is having many acquaintances and few meaningful relationships, well that’s just par for the course. Addie doesn’t realize how much losing her mother at a young age and her father to grief has impacted her choices.
 
Addie arrives in Scotland ready to tackle her next assignment and move on until she meets the Sutherland family. Their tour company is in trouble. They need to make changes to keep their business afloat, but Logan is afraid of making those changes.
 
 Logan is in many ways her exact opposite. He has a deep connection with his family and homeland. Logan tries to help her connection with her mother through her Scottish heritage. Addie tries to help Logan by pushing him to take chances with his struggling family business, while still holding on to what he loves about being a tour guide.  Both characters find themselves at a crossroad.
 
The inclusion of folklore and the Scottish history throughout the book added to the atmospheric feel of this beautiful country, which I have been lucky enough to visit a few times. While some of the descriptions of locations didn’t exactly line up with how I remembered them being that just means I have an excuse to travel back to Scotland to double check.
 
The characters showed growth throughout this book. They each had struggles to deal with and overcome. It delves into sorrow, family roots and the ability to adapt to life’s circumstances.  In the end, “[h]e hadn’t just given her pieces of her family back; he’d given her his as well.”

Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley is a charming romp through Scotland. Addie is a travel consultant sent to a family-owned and operated Scottish tour company. Logan is the son hoping to take over the running of the tour company. He is frustrated by his father's decision to hire outside help and immediately resists Addie's work often through immature means. Addie usually breezes in and out of her tourist destinations, enjoying seeing the world without really connecting. This time, however, is special. Her late mother was of Scottish ancestry and Addie has photos from her parents' trip to Scotland. When her mother died, her father closed himself off, and Addie effectively lost all her family leaving her with scars. Kilt Trip explores the attraction between Logan and Addie as well as Addie's grief.

I would have enjoyed a bit more of Logan's background as he didn't feel quite as flushed out.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Canary Street Press for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Loved this book! I am a sucker for books set in Scotland and this one really delivered. The grumpy/sunshine/enemies to lovers was great. It was a little different twist on the genre with the consultant angle and I can’t wait to read more by this author.

I have read many romance novels lately, but this one was particularly special. I’m not sure if my heart has been touched so quickly while reading before. My heart broke for Addie over the loss of her mother. I can’t imagine my life without mine, but the author truly made me FEEL Addie’s pain. I cried multiple times with my heart aching alongside the main characters. As someone with Scottish heritage, it also awakened a desire in me to reconnect with ancestral ties. I cannot recommend this book enough and am so thankful to have received an arc from netgalley in order to devour it as fast as I possibly could. I eagerly await this author’s next book!

Posted on: @kjbookreview on instagram
Post date: 2/10/24

Kilt Trip 4.5⭐️

Book blurb:
Addie travels to different countries to consult for companies to create tours for visitors. But she’s always a visitor herself. She has always avoided Scotland because of the connection to her mother. She is always moving and it’s what she wants, or is it?

Logan is a kilt wearing tour guide who knows everything there is to know about Scotland. He doesn’t want to be any regular tour. He wants to help people connect to Scotland and their own heritage.

Review:
Addie and Logan come together in teasing and banter. I loved that Logan always seemed to be able to sense what kind of support Addie needed and gave it. He is definitely swoon worthy, especially in his kilt as Addie would say. Addie was able to find her home and as a reader it brought me so much joy. There is nothing better than having a main character find not only love, but a family. And Alexandra did an excellent job with that for Addie. I would definitely recommend this one!
#kilttrip #contemporaryromance #bookreview #netgalley #bookstagram

I LOVE a story set in Scotland, and Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities in the world, so to say I was excited about this is an understatement.

The chemistry between Logan and Addie was top notch right from the start. This is a bit of a slow burn, and I love the tension between them and all of the witty banter and prank playing.

I enjoyed the actual story, however the writing style wasn't for me. Alexandra is super descriptive, in a very poetic way, and it was just a bit much. I found myself skimming quite a few times, and it took me ages to slog through this when normally I'm a book-a-day kind of gal. I wish the pace was a bit faster, as it moved a bit too slow to keep my focus.

🔥🔥
⭐⭐⭐

4.5⭐️
I might just come back and change this to a 5 star rating because I truly did love it. Only reason I didn’t give it a full 5 stars was because it just didn’t quite give me *that* 5 star feeling, you know?

However, I absolutely adored this book. I will 100% be buying it once it’s released. I feel like I’ve been searching for a long time for this specific type of book based in Scotland. As someone of Scottish descent and with a deep love for the country, Alexandria Kiley really allowed me to feel immersed into the story. I adored the history she wrote into the story and I could really just picture the hills of the highlands and the waters of Loch Ness. Also as someone who has braved driving the roads of the highlands, I was really able to connect with Addie on how stressful it is!

I also loved the chemistry between Addie and Logan. From their first meeting I could tell this was a couple I was going to be rooting for. I highly recommend this novel - especially if you have a thing for Scottish, kilt-wearing men!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel!

Overall, this was a lovely book! Besides for the romance, it touched on themes of losing a parent, guilt, resentment, and grief. This is the first romance book I’ve read that is set in Scotland so it was VERY fun imagining all the banter in a sexy Scottish accent.

The plot overall was super fun and I liked the idea of them meeting initially on a tour before figuring out who the other is. The simultaneous growing sense of competition and attraction led to lots of funny banter but also some spice! The office scene had me SQUEALING and KICKING MY FEET 🤭. The MMC was giving sexy, self-confident, kind, gentle, caring, supportive, KING!!!!! The FMC was giving HBIC, world traveler, QUEEN but also trying to heal and figure out what she needs from the people in her life.

I felt like the writing was way more detailed with describing the different castles and locations than it needed to be, so much so that it took my attention away from the underlying romantic feeling between the main characters and left me confused trying to piece together a mental image of where I was. Also, I felt like some characters were super flat and sprinkled in with no other reason than to explain plot holes that couldn’t be filled otherwise (Reid being the reason behind Logan wanting to start the whisky tour but only being physically in two chapters; Marc being this omnipresent character that was described in a likable manner but took a villainous turn; Damien (Marc’s husband) again brought up in passing but served no real purpose, in my opinion and never physically showed up; Gemma was relevant until New Years and then is basically never seen or heard from again).

I think there was a pretty good opportunity to turn this into a trilogy, a book for each brother, and possibly tying in Elyse as a love interest would have been fun since she was such an enjoyable character.

I had positive and negative feelings to this book but I would 100% read another Alexandra Kiley book! Before I was approved for an ARC, I requested my local library to buy some copies so I could read it when it came out so I was OVER THE MOON when I got approved AND when I saw my library has 4 copies on order so other people in my area can read it too!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this opportunity!

Addie heads to Scotland for work and finds a deep connection with her deceased mom and an unexpected sense of belonging. Oh, and a handsome Scotsman too, of course. 😂 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

3.5 ⭐️ It took me a solid 50% to really get into this one and feel the chemistry between our main characters, Addie and Logan, but as a debut, I can overlook that. I liked that Addie’s mom passed away years ago and the book focused on the impact of that on her life, even though it happened so long ago. I loved the old photos Addie had of her mom and the subplot of trying to find the locations they were taken at. Doing something like this just to feel a small connection to someone you’ve loved and lost really resonated with me. The Scottish setting was a lot of fun too, and it seemed obvious that the author has a connection to the country based on all the tiny details included throughout the book. A solid debut and I’d definitely read more by this author in the future!

My thanks to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for a complimentary advance copy of this eBook, out 3/5/2024.

Travel consultant, Addie Macrae heads to Scotland to help a family-run Highland tour company. She is met by some welcoming and not so welcoming family members. Her main barrier to success in this project and in keeping her bosses happy? Logan Sutherland. As Addie encourages the family business to focus their tours around famous attractions you’d see in travel guides, Logan pushes back, reminding her that sometimes less travelled paths can be just as impactful, especially when you have sentimental attachment to the off path locations. Because they can’t seem to agree on where the family business should focus their tours, they wager who can deliver the best tours of the Highlands. Mutual attractions become undeniable but is it something either of them can afford to choose over their careers.

This was such a cute wholesome read with the dreamy scenery of the Highlands. There was fun banter and competition but also depth to the characters who both had unresolved family issues that they work through as the story progresses. I found the “𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬” and “𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭“ trope to be done in a really cute manner via the dual POVs. Also precious that even with Addie trying to change the family business completely, Logan, the NOT hot tour guide in kilt, does his best to create a meaningful tour that Addie will come to cherish.

I really enjoyed this book! Scotland has always been on my travel bucket list and I loved getting to read about the culture and landscapes. I appreciated the found family aspect of this book and Elyse provided some laugh out loud moments for me! The connection between Logan and Addie was really sweet and I really loved how they came together in the end!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!!

I absolutely loved this book! The setting is absolutely incredible, I was completely captivated by all the descriptions of Scotland, it made me want to go there immediately! I also loved both Addie and Logan. Their personal journeys were so rich and realistic, and their chemistry was off the charts! I loved watching them fall in love!

If I see mention of a Scotland setting, I need to read it. And though this ultimately wasn’t for me, if you’re looking for a heavy sense of wanderlust, this will quickly immerse you into the dreamy landscape and history!

Travel consultant Addie Macrae is tasked with revamping a struggling family-owned tour company in the Highlands. An easy enough task, yet an instant attraction between her and tour guide Logan Sutherland is further complicated by his refusal to change. The animosity between them as they explore the nooks and crannies of Scotland seemed promising!

But this took me AGES to read, and not because it was physically long. I liked the idea of this story, especially the grief-healing scavenger hunt for Addie, but overall this felt so … overwritten? Wordy? Tedious? As hard as I tried, it really struggled to hold my attention at times. Womp womp!

Globe trotting travel consultant Addie Macrae is sent to Edinburgh to improve failing family tour company and finds herself in entagled with Logan, son of the owner.

Alexandra Kiley has a beautiful way of writing about Scotland and the way travel can open our minds, its definitely a bit of a love letter to the country. The descriptions of the places and the added history and folklore were one of the highlights of this book, along with her sensitive handling of Addie’s unresolved grief.

Which is why I'm pained that I found this book a slog and took me ages to finish because I couldn't get invested in the characters or the plot. I also didn't feel any chemistry between the two, just told they were in love. This also happens within a month while she’s supposed to be doing her job.

It felt like too many tropes blended together: insta-lust/love then enemies to lovers. It was a bit of a whiplash cycling between lust and spicy scenes and then Addie remaining closed off with Logan constantly pissed off at her for being that way (including the third act break up which was a bit of a crappy ultimatum).

A subplot over her distance relationship with her father is resolved terribly. At no time does she confront him properly about her anger (or get grief counselling). I think this book just had too many competing things and would’ve been much better as women’s fiction focusing on her grief and her relationship with her dad going on a Scottish tour.

I REALLY wanted to like this because I do think Alexandra Kiley is a talented writer and this doesn’t put me off reading her next book. Alas, I'll instead just feel a bit guilty that I didn't like this book.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing/Canary Street Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

4.25 stars!!

There's a feeling you get deep in your bones when you return to your ancestral lands, where you feel like you're nostalgic for a place you've never been before but it feels like home. That's a feeling I'm familiar with, and so is the main character of Kilt Trip!!

Addie is a traevl agency consultant who travels the world, helping local tourism groups find out how to better sell their experiences. She's been putting off a trip to Scotland because she never got the chance to go with her mother before she passed, but she's finally making it there! On her first day, she meets a handsome, kilt-wearing, brogue-sounding Scot named Logan- who just so happens to be the son of the man she's been hired to help- and he does NOT want her help fixing the company, he can do it on his own, thank you very much. Of course, the two end up on trips around Scotland together, filled with a connection they can't seem to escape, while they both work on their futures and take journeys of self-discovery for what they really need in life. I love how this story was really rooted in understanding more of Scottish culture and history, and especially loved how those were woven into this absolutely adorable romcom!

Thank you so much to Alexandra Kiley and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review. Kilt Trip comes out on March 5, 2024!

Addie has used her wanderlust to see the world and build a career as a travel consultant, but will an assignment in Scotland convince her to slow down? Logan guides tours for his family's struggling tour company, Heart of the Highlands. His off-the-beaten-path tours don't fit with Addie's company's tour model, but he's certain he can make her fall in love with his Scotland and keep his tours running.

Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley was a slow build, but the payoff was worth the wait. Her descriptions of the locations in Scotland had me ready to book my flight and go looking for my own kilted tour guide. Addie and Logan's stories were beautifully written and thoughtfully crafted. I thoroughly enjoyed this enemies-to-lovers/office romance. Kiley's debut novel hit all the marks, and I can't wait to read more from her!

(Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader!)

Book: Kilt Trip
Author: Alexandra Kiley
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Canary Street Press, for sending me ARC. I thought this was a fun read, but it may not have been the book for me. That’s okay. It’s not a bad book, but it just wasn’t the one for me.

In this one, we follow Addie, who is a travel consultant. She spends her time traveling the world and helping travel companies better themselves. Even since her mother died, things have not been okay. She has thrown herself into her work. Expect now, her job is in danger and this is her chance to save it. She finds herself being sent to Scotland to save this small tour company-expect Logan, the owner’s son, is providing to be a problem. Logan prefers to take tourist off the beaten path and thinks that nothing needs to change. The company is losing money, but he will not listen to an American, who never leaves the desk and doesn’t experience the country. Then, he discovers that she has a connection to Scotland. He tries to make her see the beauty of the land and to get her to open up. However, time is not on her side and she may have to make some different choices.

I enjoyed the setting and set up. We have these main characters who both need each other, but will not admit it. Addie needs this trip to reconnect with what she has lost and just rediscover herself. Logan needs someone to tell him that it okay to make changes and still hold onto his core values. Both just almost need each other to see that there is more out than what they think, if they are willing to accept it. Using Scotland, the connection the characters have to the land as the setting added so much to the character’s journey. I don’t know what it was about it, but it added almost a magical touch.

I will admit that I found going back and forth between the two characters to be a little bit jarring. I do like that we got to see the story from both of their point of views. It did give us a lot more insight into their thoughts and feelings. Yet, I almost feel like it took away from the overall narrative. I feel like the story could have been more if the story had only had one point of view. It could have given the story a much stronger storyline.

Following Logan and Addie around was fun. I enjoyed getting to see Logan’s passion for his country and wanting to share that. I thought they had great chemistry and watching them slowly start to develop into a little bit more was great. I thought they were great leads.

Overall, I don’t think this was a bad book, but may not have been for me.
This book comes out on March 5, 2024.