Spice: 3.5🌶️
Rating: 4 ⭐️

This was such an adorable read!! Not only was the author spot on in terms of describing the scenes of Scotland (so much so that I felt that I was right back there myself) but that the characters were quick to joke about it not being sunshine and all about Outlander (without taking the piss which was nice).

The spice was tasteful, not in your face or aggressive like a fair few books I've read lately but the love story was also very sweet and wholesome. I'm also a huge sucker for the "he fell first" trope.

My only major criticism is that the chapters didn't have the name of whose character was the main POV so I'd get halfway down the page and realize it wasn't the FMC, but the MMC so I'd have to go re-read it for that context.

A stellar debut - I'm excited to see what else this author might churn out in the near future!!

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

I loved this book! I devoured it in only a few sittings and wish there was more to read. The story line was paced very well and the characters were easy to love!

Holy kilts, does this book make me want to go to Scotland and never come home. I have been a couple of times, but it's just one of those places that are full of magic and unicorns and all the faeries. Alex took me right back - her imagery is perfection.
Addie has the perfect job that leaves her with no strings to attach. She sweeps in, does her job, has fun with her clients, satisfies her travel lust, and sweeps right back out. With her familial ties to Scotland, she wants nothing more than to whiz through this next project out of Edinburgh, but the magic of a Swoony kilt-wearing man and the mysteries of her mother's photographs get under her skin.
I felt for Addie, swooned for Logan, and dreamed of Scotland. Alex's debut is not one to miss and I'm incredibly eager for her next book.
Thank you to HTP Books and Netgalley for the arc. All thoughts are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of Kilt Trip, to be published March 5, 2024.
I cannot say enough good things about this charming tale that follows Addie, American consultant to travel companies, and Logan, head guide for Heart of Scotland Tours. As Addie works for a new company with something to prove, she can’t afford to take any risks - or any guff - when her boss sends her to Scotland to help revamp the tour itineraries of the company of an old friend. But when Addie meets stubborn Logan (who’s not just the best tour guide for The Heart, but also next in line to own the business), will she be caught between a loch and a hard place?
Witty, about and full of heart, Kilt Trip playfully blends the beauty of Scotland into a supporting character in the book and readers will find themselves on a gorgeous tour of both the castles and the wild as they get to know Addie and Logan and all the wonderful people who work for The Heart. Scottish history, myth, and tradition is effortlessly woven into this modern day love story.
My personal favorite part of the story, without being too spoilerific, was Addie’s simultaneous journey through Scotland recreating family moments, and how Logan was able to help make that happen.
There’s a playful buildup to the spice in this book, which is well written and does not fade to black.
This book will make you want to pack a bag and your passport and book your own personalized tour of the Highlands.

This is a charming, slow-burn romance from debut author Alexandra Kiley. As someone who has never visited Scotland but wants to this book was the next best thing—full of vivid, lush setting details. They're the kind of descriptions that make you want to linger on the page a little longer, yet I
simultaneously wanted to tear through them to see how the FMC, Addie, and the MMC, Logan, get together. And can I just say, when they do, it's *chef’s kiss*

I am so excited to see what Alexandra Kiley writes next!

3.75/5 stars
An adorable slow-burn romance straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie for fans of Outlander! Kilt Trip provided the same warm feelings that Hallmark tries to imbue into their stories. The storyline followed the predictable pattern of the aforementioned movies and many romance books, but this did not detract from the story at all.

Pros:
The descriptions of Scotland were written with care and love. While I’ve unfortunately never had the chance to visit, I was able to picture it clearly without needing to see images or videos. I also have an increased desire (and need) to visit one day!

Addie and Logan are easy characters to like (and their banter *chiefs kiss*). Logan in particular has many of the characteristics I liked in Jamie Fraser (Outlander). He is amiable and kind-hearted. Additionally, his emotional intelligence is obvious. Both have very human and realistic struggles that they begin to heal from by the end of the book. Their personal journies were beautiful to see and I loved being able to see about how they helped each other grow.


Cons:
It took me a minute to fully be immersed and there were a few areas in the story that could have been shortened. Throughout, I found myself skimming small sections that didn’t hold my attention.

I wish we got to spend more time with side characters. I especially wish there were more interactions between Addie and her father towards the end, as their initial relationship deeply affected Addie.


*Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, I enjoyed this one.

Closed off, business oriented Addie has something to prove when she is assigned to a tour agency in Edinburgh, Scotland. Send to help a personal friend of friend of her boss, by advising a family-owned tour company, this job is much needed to keep their start-up going. There is an instant attraction when she meets Logan, and the sparks do fly. When she founds out he is dead set against changes the push and pull between them is entertaining.

The antics of the office, how welcoming his family is, and the beauty of Scotland all pulled me into the book. A little bit of angst and miscommunication, but not too much to put me off. I loved reading Addie fall in love not just with Logan, but with his family and with Scotland. Her issues with her dad were not fly resolved, but I was ok with that. It may bother some.

Suggested for people who like workplace rivals, found family, and are not offput by conversations dealing with the death of a parent.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

First of all, or should I say last of all, what is up with the very last line of the book??? I re-read it about 5 times to see if I got it. Not sure I did but it was weirdly disappointing.

Now for the book itself. Sadly, more disappointment. It started out great and I thought for sure it was going to be at least 4 stars. Then something happened and it took a turn. I wanted more of the best friend, of the roommate situation with Jack, of Addie actually doing some work with Logan (which was the point of her being in Scotland). And the timeline was strange - all of a sudden it was a week or a month later yet I never knew "when" they were. I'm all for insta-love but I didn't buy it here. Why did Logan even like Addie? She was awful to him most of the time and I'm surprised he didn't get whiplash from her emotions. I didn't get a good feel for her at all, all the way through the story. My favorite parts were when Logan was with his family, and the actual tour guiding around Scotland. Having been there several times, I could picture it from the author's descriptions.

Not a badly written book but I felt like it didn't deliver. Lots of better reviews so maybe just a miss for me. Can't say I'd recommend it though. 3 lukewarm stars.

I'm so excited that I had the opportunity to read Alexandra Kiley's debut romance Kilt Trip. This one was so fun and really like a travel adventure through Scotland!

Read this for:
- Workplace
- A little enemies to lovers
- A little mistaken identity
- Forced proximity
- Found family
- He is GONE FOR HER
- ALL the Scotland things! (including Kilts!!)

Get ready to go to Scotland with Addie as she travels there to help improve a struggling tour business. Unfortunately, Logan, the son of the owner who will be taking over the business one day does not want to implement any changes.

As Addie and Logan are forced to be together, they start to unravel and can't help but exposing their true selves to one another. They find that they can't escape their chemistry, and maybe there is a way for them to work together and compromise. Or is there?

This was definitely a love letter to Scotland and the research and dedication to making all the history known really showed. There was also a deep thread running through around grief and how that impacts not only an individual, but a family. The contrast between Addie and Logan's family helped to really showcase the differences they had.

I really appreciated how much Logan tried to show Addie he was a safe place to land and was someone she could trust. Logan is a true hero gone for his girl, and I loved everything about him being so in love with Addie.

If you want a story that takes you on a journey through the lands of Scotland that have meaning to the characters, then this book is for you. It's also for you if you want to see the growth and healing a character can go through to really accept the love she deserves. Also, if you want some funny moments, Scottish accents, hot after hours in the workplace then this book is also for you!

I can't wait to see what Alexandra writes next!

Thank you to Canary Street Press and NetGalley for the eARC and to the author Alexandra for the physical ARC.

Such a fun read!

Kilt Trip is everything a RomCom should be: the banter, the light spice, and of course Scottish men in kilts. What’s not love!

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for providing me a free copy of this book for an honest review.

Actual rating is 2.5 stars but I can't justify to myself a round up on the stars.

If you like details of places, particularly in Scotland, this might be the book for you. Just be prepared for bickering and such. I will admit to skimming some pages. Because this book felt longer than it actually is, to me personally. I know a lot of people who will absolutely love this book. It just didn’t fully click with me.

So…

Addie is a travel consultant who travel around the world helping travel guide companies be more successful with their tours. Logan is a guide for his family’s tour company. He enjoys showing tourists the ‘hidden gems’ of Scotland. Unfortunately, the business isn’t doing so well…so his dad hired Addie, who took the job in order to keep her job.

Sadly, I struggled to get into this book a bit. It ended up being one of those “read a page or two while waiting to go in for an appointment” type books. I read it while waiting for chiro, waiting in the grocery line, waiting for a pickup, waiting for the dog…whenever I had a few minutes and not a lot more. Why? Cause I could totally put this book down and not think about it until I had a little bit of time to pick it up again.

I guess it’s because I couldn’t really connect with the characters and as a result a lot of the repartee felt a bit flat to me. Particularly Addie. Also, they have almost like an insta-attraction to each other, yet the office conflict just threw off the whole feeling for me. How can two people bicker/fight at work and yet be so…intimate at other times? Maybe I, as a person, just struggle with the idea because I’m not like that. Conflict is conflict and I need it resolved before I can fully switch modes.

Logan’s side of things kinda makes sense because he’s all about Scotland, it’s hidden treasures, and not really caring about the bottom line just so long as he does his country justice with his representation of it via his tours. Addie, admittedly, is mostly trying to save her own job and continue to be professional-ish at work, but it was just a bit too much for me. (and how long it took for them to get to the work solution) I couldn’t argue with someone like that one minute and be fine the next. You know? So that whole situation just helped make the relationship harder to believe.

I did like Logan far more than I liked Addie though. Yeah, in his head he fell hard and fast, but as a person, Logan is a good guy….in a kilt to boot. Logan was a pretty decent listener and supportive, which are two traits I really appreciate in a guy. The near insta-love, I could do without. But it was Logan who helped Addie more so than the other way around. The irony considering she’s there to try and ‘save’ the family business.

Addie was difficult to like. I feel like the author did such a good job with her defenses against other people that it actually negatively affected my reading experience…which is something I have never said before, so wow, good job on that! Apparently, it was super believable for me. But seriously, Addie was just so walled off. Yeah, Scotland brings up old emotions. Yeah, her dad really sucks…speaking of her dad.

Little side peeve I had was that Addie and her father issues were never actually resolved. I don’t know if this is because the author has plans for some sort of spin off from here (I hope it’s with her smart and wise friend), but I didn’t like it much without some sort of explanation given. You can’t constantly mention this dysfunctional relationship that directly influences the character’s decisions and actions towards her own personal relationships and not have some sort of resolution or serious discussion about it.

Anyhow, I did really enjoy how the author depicted Scotland and some of its treasures. I have never been, but it has always been on my bucket list of places I want to go if I travel. This book kind of catered further to me ‘reasons to go.’ I do wish the author went into a little more detail of the how/why of some cultural things, but that’s not a biggie for me.

Alexandra Kiley has woven the most tender, beautiful love story that had me laughing, crying, and looking to book an immediate flight out to Scotland. Addie and Logan were so easy to root for both as individuals and as a couple, and their hard fought HEA is worth the wait. Bonus points for the sweeping descriptions of Scotland and Logan supporting Addie as she grapples with the loss of her mom. And of course, the kilts!

Addie is a lone wolf. Committed to a life on the road as a travel agency/tour consultant, all she needs to be happy are her best up suitcase and trusty gps. The novel begins when Addie is sent to Edinburgh to advise a local tour company (the Heart of the Heartland) struggling to make ends meet. Despite initial attraction, she finds herself immediately butting heads with Logan, head honcho at the tour company. Where Addie is pushing Heart of the Heartland to reorient themselves to cater towards tourist attractions, Logan staunchly insists on showing off the beaten path attractions. While their rivalry and their attraction to each other heats up, Addie is also on a journey to reconnect with her late mother by visiting all of her mother’s favorite spots in town. With her time in Scotland quickly coming to an end, Addie must decide between her past and her future.

This book includes:
- hot men in kilts
- dual POV
- themes of grief and forgiveness
- fun office banter
- rivals to lovers
- big city business girl goes to far away town to find the real meaning of family hallmark movie type trope
- small bits of actual Scottish history

I really enjoyed this romcom. It was light and easy while also incorporating some deeper themes like grief. The dynamic and chemistry between Logan and Addie in “Kilt Trip” was also fun, and I enjoyed reading a book where the MMC is more emotionally available than the FMC.

For some reason, every time an f was used a random space was also added; for example the word “after” was written “af ter”. It got pretty distracting. There were also a few other spelling or editing issues, but not enough to make me want to DNF. Logan also called Addie “lass” a few times, which I know most people don’t actually say, so that was odd.

This book was fun, touching, breath of fresh air. I will be back to read more of Kiley’s work and will be recommending this book to romance and romcom readers.

I received this ebook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Alexandra Kiley, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this story. This review has been posted to my goodreads.

A romantic debut masterpiece. Captivating, enthralling, and written with such vulnerability and compassion.

It's a slow-burn romance between a Scottish, kilt-wearing tour guide MMC (Logan) and a witty, grief-stricken travel consultant FMC (Addie) in this workplace romance filled with gorgeous prose. Alexandra Kiley's writing is so immersive it's as if Scotland itself is a literal character in this escapist romance.

Logan's family is charming and each distinguished with quippy writing that makes you fall in love with each one of them (sequels books for the brothers please!!). I related so much to Addie and her need to keep DOING and GOING in hopes of stiff-arming her grief and swallowing feelings, but we all know that with a lead like Logan, those walls are coming down.

Alexandra Kiley is a new auto-buy author for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my candid thoughts.

I have really tried to read this book - several times but I just can't get into it. I got further in it the second time than the first time. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy. #NetGalley #KiltTrip

4.5⭐️

A beautiful melding of adventure, history, traditions, and new beginnings, Kiley’s debut novel is romantic, charming, and so very cozy. In writing about tradition and history, Kilt Trip speaks to finding your roots, family and home - and not necessarily the home you grew up in or your blood family, but the family you choose, one forged from friendship.

There’s no doubt you’ll swoon over
Addie and Logan, but you will be utterly charmed by the side characters! Truly a testament to Kiley’s writing being so clever that even the side characters, some with only a handful of lines, are memorable and endearing. Sign me up for a book club with Gertie, Birdie, and Elyse so we can not read and discuss the books but instead be privy to all the hot goss and their unfiltered conversations.

Now the romance! The vulnerability and trust between Logan and Addie as they bared their souls, sharing the deepest parts of themselves was beyond beautiful and so deeply intimate. There was an ethereal quality to their connection and their intimacy felt poetic, which left me breathless and slightly teary.

I loved how Logan gave Addie space to navigate her grief and loss, providing her with support and a safe place to feel and connect with her mother’s memory. Likewise, Addie was a source of strength and encouragement to Logan as he opened his heart to taking a chance on his dreams, while also working through past conflict and seeking resolution with family. While Logan and Addie delivered some delectable banter, they deeply human characters with relatable struggles and fear, and their growth was tender and hopeful.

Kiley’s storytelling was so cozy and immersive - she expertly captured and delivered the sights and wonder of the Scottish Highlands and takes you on a heartwarming journey you won’t soon forget. For anyone who loves an adventure off the beaten path, believes Twizzlers are the superior road trip snack (🙋🏼‍♀️), loves a memorable cast of characters, or who longs for a book that feels like home, Kilt Trip is a moving, immersive story that will give your heart a place of belonging and wrap you in a hug.

This is a sweet, sexy enemies to lovers set in beautiful, modern Scotland. Addie and Logan are both great protagonists who grow beautifully throughout the story. I loved Addie, and it was so great watching her grow from keeling people at a distance to finding her home and friends.

This book makes me want to book a trip to Scotland right this very minute. I loved the story telling, the amazing descriptions of Scotland. I loved the family and the side characters. I adored Addie our FMC and her struggle with grief was touching to me having lost a love one as well. It was beautifully written. Logan is now a top book boyfriend and I could not get enough of their banter and how in tune he was with making her feel loved and fine a her connection with Scotland. Also it didn't hurt that he was a hot kilt wearing tour guide!! I really enjoyed their love story and hope we get two more books about the two brothers!!

A huge thank you to Alaxandra Kiley, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the arc!!

This sweet romance follows a travel agency advisor who goes to Scotland to give advice to a local tourism company on how to better themselves. The advisor and the son of the owner forge a connection as they explore Scotland together and work to save this business. It was sweet and heartfelt.