4.5 stars rounded up! Let me start by saying these are some of the most well developed main characters I’ve ever read about before. Addie and Logan could have their own novels written about them and their backstories alone. I felt like I got to know each of them so intimately, and to see their intimacy go beyond physical romance was everything. We saw them let each other in to their most hurt places. It made me so giddy to see how Logan could read Addie like a book.

Grief is so present in this storyline in a way that makes it very in touch with reality. There is a (past) physical death and “emotional” death that a character attempts to recover from and it’s clear that both “deaths” hurt in their own way. The comedic relief was perfectly timed and kept the book lighthearted.

Romance and wonderful plot aside, I feel like I could plan my own trip to Scotland now! If you look at my Google Search history during anytime I was reading this book, you’ll see things like “Ben Nevis” and “is whiskey really better in Scotland?” I even learned words like “lass” and “aye” and the contexts that they’re used in. It was fun to travel in this way. :)

I enjoyed that the characters were as “in the moment” as they could be. They enjoyed their days together knowing that their nights would be reminders of their time soon coming to an end. The perfect amount of reminders of “this can’t last forever unless you make some life altering changes”

The third act conflict was so justified and well done. It wasn’t forced at all. I could see where both sides were coming from and a certain characters frustration was justified given their patience throughout.

The ending had me giggly and kicking my feet. I loved reading this book and enjoyed how interactive the travel piece was. Alexandra Kiley did her research!

I will be posting this review on Goodreads, Tiktok, and Instagram.

Wow, what a debut novel! Kilt Trip had so many lovely things in it: a bit of wanderlust, a health dose of vulnerability, and a nice heaping of love in its varying forms. This book took me on an emotional roller coaster in all the right ways.

It’s always nice when a book offers you a more unique perspective, and we get this both with Addie’s job as a travel consultant (jealous!) and the wonderful backdrop of Scotland. The descriptions of some of the different places got me fiending to visit, so Scotland Tourism Bureau? You might have to send Ms. Kiley some coin.

Though the description makes it seem like this is really Enemies to Lovers, and while they’re definitely a little antagonistic, Addie and Logan didn’t really feel like enemies to me, and I actually appreciated that. Their relationship was more petty with each other and it was a nice foundation for some tension to blossom. Both Addie and Logan felt real to me, and I enjoyed reading how they grew and changed throughout the novel.

I read romance primarily because I love a little light and fluffy injected into my day to day. I wouldn’t necessarily characterize this novel as light and fluffy because it works through a lot of tough feelings like grief and loneliness. Because of this, it took me longer than it typically would to read, but it was a nice journey. I felt that the emotions I was feeling were balanced. I ached for the characters and for myself and for all of us. I also like that in this book, some relationships weren’t completely polished and put in a bow. It felt a lot more like real life and pulled at my heart.

This book has more than romance (though it has that too!). There’s elements that range from finding yourself to finding your people and all the hard human things that come with that. We see love of all kinds: romantic, friendly, and family, and the breakdowns that can come when you care for another person so deeply. We also see what can happen when you take a chance, and I think that’s a story we all need to hear.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars
Book review

This was a pretty cute enemies-to-lovers vibes romcom set in Scottland. Fans of leap year movie may like this one.

This was such a cute book that has me ITCHING to visit Scotland like no other! I enjoyed the dual POV and overall writing by this new-to-me author. At first I wasn’t sure I what to expect since I went into the book blind but was happily surprised by the storyline. It had a great balance of lol moments and heartwarming moments!

Fun book! The characters were likable from the start and definitely leaves you wanting to visit Scotland!

I really wanted to love this book but it was a bit of a miss for me. I’m not sure if it was the chemistry between the MCs, the pacing, or that it was written in 3rd person/dual POV but I struggled through the entire read. I did enjoy the setting and that is mostly what had me picking it back up and keep trying. I will definitely give the authors next book a read. I am in the minority here as most of my friends who have similar reading tastes absolutely loved this one.

I was not able to finish this book in the time allotted, but what I did read I enjoyed. It's a fun romance with an endearing set-up.

I wrote a piece about the novel's release for Celtic Life International.

This was a cute book that honestly gave me so much added knowledge of Scotland! I loved the traveling vibe and yes, I really wanna visit this country now.

The romance in this book was cute! I loved the workplace, enemies to lovers we get when Addie and Logan are both trying to prove they know best for Logan’s families tour agency. The romance wasn’t electric for me, but I still liked the battle they have. Then the added depth with Addie’s family history. Overall this was a really cute book and while yes, it was Scotland, it was still fun to listen to around St. Patrick’s Day!

Final review: 4⭐️, 2🌶️

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Mild spoilers!

Kilt Trip was everything I wanted it to be. the beautiful setting that is Scotland made the perfect backdrop for Addie and Logan’s story to unfold.

Addie’s journey through Scotland, and simultaneously through the grief she holds for her mother, felt so realistic. She strong and independent while maintaining tenderness. Logan complimented her perfectly, never pushing her to speak on her grief but always being quiet available. He also brought a different aspect to Addies pre-existing sense of adventure that nudged her gently outside of her usual comfort zone. I did find the pacing a little slow around the 3/4 mark, but the ending was worth pushing through for.

While at times a little sad, I found Kilt Trip to be an overall heartwarming read. It had the perfect amount of spice, not too much nor too graphic, but also open door enough to feel the connection between the two of them. The romance was tangible, the initial rivalry was delectable, and the setting just drew all of those things together.

We all need a reluctant-to-change tour guide to call us lass, right?!

Congratulations to Alexandra Kiley on such a lovely debut, and thank you to the publishing team for proving an E-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an eARC of Kilt Trip in exchange for my honest review!

I must say, I had a decent time with this Scottish contemporary romance, but I wish I could have vibed more strongly with it. Sometimes, I just wasn't feeling the chemistry clicking between the leads, and it doesn't help that the pacing can drag out a lot of the time. This really could have been significantly shorter. That being said, there are some good-sized chunks where I find the central love story to be charming, where the heavy parts of the story stir some emotions, where the backdrop of Scotland is fleshed-out enough to stand as its own vivid character. These are elements that leave me on a positive note once the book is over, even while I want to have more love for it.

Overall, I'm officially rating Kilt Trip three out of five stars, and I'll keep an eye out for more of Alexandra Kiley's work.

A fun adventure through Ireland with lots of culture along the way. Loved the colorful, believable characters, the humor, and the taste of Irish culture, food, and history learned along the way.

I’ve seen so many people raving about this book!

Listen, I’ve been an Outlander fan for over a decade, so I love anything related to Scotland. Love the idea behind this.

Addie takes a consulting job for a small travel agency in Scotland where she has deep family ties. But she does not receives a less than warm welcome from head tour guide Logan, who believes the true beauty of Scotland lies beyond popular tourist destinations. Regardless of their clashing ideals, sparks fly between Logan and Addie. Slowly Logan convinces Addie there is true value to the lesser known parts of Scotland while she helps him see the relevance of popular destinations. Logan takes Addie on an adventure throughout Scotland to follow in her late mother’s footsteps. Will they be able to save the travel agency in a way both Logan and Addie are happy with? Or is their romance destined for disaster?

I enjoyed this book for many reasons. Scotland and the locations mentioned were wonderfully detailed and makes me want to visit there even more! The main characters deal with some deep emotions, such as grief and familial obligation making them very relatable. Lastly, the supporting characters bring in some hilarious Scottish humor that you can’t help but laugh at! What a wonderful debut!

Heat Factor: It’s a slower burn, that’s for sure

Character Chemistry: Both of them are a bit stubborn with some simmering past pain that makes them a little emotionally clumsy

Plot: Addie works as a travel consultant who has been hired to overhaul Logan’s family business of providing heartful tours of Scotland. She wants to overhaul it based on data and analytics and he wants to keep everything exactly the way it was. Much bumping up against one another verbally and then finally physically…

Overall: It was slower and more plodding than I anticipated but it wasn’t a dud by any means

I have gone through many reading phases. There was the “cranky lord meets squishy lady” phase, then the “I have too much money, and I only want you” phase. Now I find myself in a phase I’d like to lovingly call “he’s an emotionally constipated kilt wearer.” So when I saw this little number show up on NetGalley, I snagged it.

I will say this: it took at least 54% of the book for me to get into it. Addie and Logan start off really strong, but then while their enemies phase is building it’s almost like there’s a complete vacuum of chemistry. The setting is well-developed and Addie’s backstory is fully established, but while Logan is setting up pranks in their office and Addie is trying to avoid facing the emotional baggage of losing her Scottish-born mother, there’s just flat out nothing happening between the two of them.

Also, (and this is probably the most important part of this review) some people get REALLY feisty about the rules regarding an enemies to lovers book. Some people really want the characters to be sworn enemies and for the hate to be palpable. You won’t find that here. Logan is, at best, childish in his efforts to drive Addie off, and Addie’s stance is so practical it’s hard to find fault with it. You don’t actually get any insight as to WHY Logan is being so resistant until about halfway through the book, so unfortunately he looks kind of silly, which isn’t something I usually consider very attractive.

The book really starts cooking when Addie and Logan go on his tour of Scotland (so that Logan can change Addie’s mind about how the tours should be revamped) and Addie decides to ask for Logan’s help in finding the locations of the photos she has of her late mother. And again, that’s halfway through the book.

It’s not like the plot isn’t interesting, or the characters aren’t engaging—they are. I think the plot flow is just too stretched where it needs to move and the tension is lacking a little bit.

This book would be best for readers who love falling into a scenery, especially if that scenery is ethereal Scotland, and readers who like their books to meander. Also, I did well up with emotion more times than I could count because of how beautifully the author depicts Addie’s grief at the loss of her mother and the little moments of longing for family and a home. It really was beautifully done. (But again, there’s parent loss in this book and it’s a huge part of the plot, so definitely don’t read it if that’s something that will derail your week and mental health.)

I certainly didn’t lose my taste for highlanders though, and I hope to have more kilt-wearing heroes for you soon.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

This made me want to visit Scotland. The whole plot was about trying to bring in tourists, and if this were a real company, I’d be there! All joking aside, this was super fun to read! I loved the combination of exploring the Highlands and watching Addie and Logan explore their feelings for each other. I love when a couple isn’t expecting to develop real feelings. I also love when there’s a combo of great tension and banter, both of which this book has in spades!
This book also balances some heavier topics like grief and abandonment very well, which made the characters feel very real.
I highly recommend anyone picking up this book!

This book was adorable! Between the book making me feel like I’m on a trip through Scotland too and the really cute romance between Addie and Logan, this book was so much fun!

There was so much heart and chemistry between Addie and Logan! I loved how they had instant chemistry on that first tour, which would devolve into fun pranks and a great love story!

I also loved each of the main characters’ backstory. Addie’s story with her mom and connection to Scotland made the feel more special and unique, like I could sense the special journey Addie was on. I enjoyed watching Logan change his mind on his family business, learning that Addie’s ideas could be special and unique too.

I didn’t really love how the book wrapped up too easily, with some things like the business’s financial situation and Addie’s dad were not fully discussed, but I guess that’s kind of how life works?

I kept seeing this book get a lot of love leading up to its release and for good reason! I was stoked when I was finally able to get this sent to me.

Kilt Trip is a love letter to the beautiful settings of Scotland as we follow Addie, a globetrotting travel consultant in town for her next gig. Addie has made it so her life has no attachments and she likes it that way. In Edinburgh, she meets a handsome, kilt-wearing tour guide named Logan and sparks fly. However, once Logan learns that Addie is in town to turn his father’s failing tour business upside down, they butt heads on what path is the direction towards success.

I really liked this! As someone with Scottish lineage, I appreciated this book in how well researched and vivid the details were with the places, people and sights Addie encountered during her time in Edinburgh. The chemistry between these two was fantastic and I loved the banter at times. But a romance is also great when there is some fantastic character growth and I loved that Logan and Addie just wanted to support each other’s dreams and well-being. This was a well-rounded romance and a great debut for Alexandra that makes me excited to see what she comes out with in the future.

Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for this arc! All thoughts are my own.

This was an enjoyable read, quite predictable, but nice with Scotland as the backdrop for the story. Enjoyed the descriptions of places and the historical elements of the guided tours. The love story was okay, but feels like it lacks something to make it a real page turner.

4⭐️
1.5🌶️

The title and cover sold me. Addie is a travel consulted sent to revamp the business of a family-run tour company in Scotland. Addie is there for business, with the secondary goal of possibly learning about her mother since Scotland is one of the places her late mother loved. When dealing with business, she meets the owner's son, Logan, who is not enthused to have Addie changing things.

This story tackles grief of losing a parent as well as running from depression. It was an emotional tale that was interwoven with the budding romance. I really enjoyed the concept of Addie helping the business and becoming invested in it for her own reasons. Falling in love with Scotland much like her mother did, with Logan's help.

I loved the setting and scenery, I need to go to Scotland, but the author's imagery helps to envision these sites, castles, kilts and coos. Despite never seeing them in person, I felt the energy they put off in the story. I think that was honestly the reason I kept reading on because of the feelings of wanderlust it gave off. I will admit, the romance itself was a hard sell for me. I didn't see the chemistry between Logan and Addie. They weren't initially looking for the same thing, which put me off when Logan kept trying to ask for more and expected Addie to "give into her feelings" and realize she wanted him too.

💚 wanderlust at its heart
💚 men in kilts
💚 opposites attract
💚 he falls first
💚 Scotland setting
💚 contemporary romance
💚 delightful & swoonworthy

CW: grief, mentions of death of a parent, depression

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing & Canary Street Press for the eARC of Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley.

*4.5⭐️
Do you love and miss Outlander? Do you wish to picture Sam Heughan for most romance books that you read? Well then READ THIS BOOK!

This book was so much fun! Addie and Luke had AMAZING banter, especially when they were in their pranking stage of their strangers with attraction to hate to love relationship! They also had really good chemistry and once they got together, they just felt so right together!

I also loved their backstories. Addie’s story of following in her mom’s literal footsteps in Scotland was both sad and heartwarming. I didn’t really love how her story with her dad was never really given closure (yes, it’s in the epilogue, but that didn’t seem like enough for me), but I guess life doesn’t always have closure. It just really annoyed me (on behalf of Addie) that her dad never takes accountability.

I really liked the side characters in this book! I’m really hoping that we get to see more of this family with Luke’s brother getting books!