Lana Ferguson's writing is imaginative, sweet, and spicy. It grabbed my attention and was a wonderful world to escape into. The banter and bittering with the two main characters had me laughing throughout the story. The author did an amazing job with the Scottish town setting, found family, opposites attract, monster romcom. While this is the first novel I've read by this author, it has sealed the deal and I can't wait to read her other books and see what she writes next.

After her father's death all Key wants to do is reconnect with her remaining family... and if that means traveling all the way to Scotland to find her grandmother and possible fall in love with a Loch ness monster/very grumpy Scotsman, so be it! Keyanna "Key" MacKay has grown up with secrets all her life, especially with a single father who never talked about his past. Yet when he dies she is determined to find out and so she travels to Scotland to connect with her only known remaining family, her grandmother. Yet while there she finds herself repeating her father's mistakes and being rescued by an angry Scotsman who may or may not be related to all the stories her father told her growing up about being rescued by a loch ness monster. Lachlan Greer does not need Keyanna in his business, especially when his great secret is that he is a Loch Ness creature and that he's been cursed... his entire family has and the only answer to breaking the curse comes from the MacKay family. Yet the more time Key and Lachlan spend together the more they are beginning to realize just how entwined their families and their fates are... and that they'll need each other if they want to break the centuries curse before it's too late and Lachlan is permanently turned. Romance, adventure, and family secrets, this was a delightful read! I loved the romance between Key and Lachlan and their dynamic was just adorable. They love to tease and banter with one another and it just made such a cute relationship to read. The story had me getting ready to pack my own bags to go visit Scotland in hopes of meeting a Loch Ness creature myself haha. I've been a long time fan of Lana's books and this one was an absolutely delightful read and I can't wait to read what she comes out with next.

Release Date: December 3,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Under Loch & Key by Lana Ferguson is an incredibly intriguing & interesting monster romcom set in Scotland. Lana Ferguson writes exceptionally imaginative & wonderfully emotionally romances that combine sweet with the spice & enough sarcastic banter to amuse any reader. This novel also adds in the charm of Scotland, the mysterious & magical elements along with the familial rivalry to create a one of its kind story.

This is the third book I’ve read by this author & I’ve enjoyed them all. They are all incredibly different but I think that’s also really neat & speaks to the cleverness & creativity of this author.

Under Loch & Key is great for those looking to read..
🩷 Monster Romcom
🩷 Enemies to Lovers
🩷 Magic & Mystery
🩷 Close Proximity
🩷 Only One Barn

I ended up reading this in 2 days because I was so curious to see where this was going. I didn’t have a Loch Ness monster romance on my bingo card but I enjoyed every page of this read!

After reading & loving three of this author’s stories, I cannot wait to see/read what they are writing next!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

Under Loch and key was so cute and funny! I was giggling and kicking my feet. It truly just read like a romcom/contemporary romance but with a little monster twist. I think it’s a perfect gateway for those who want to get into monster romance but isn’t quite ready for the real thing!

Well this was a fun and lighthearted story with excellent tropes and characters. I was hooked from the dedication, and loved how the story came together. The mystery and curse, while predictable, was still fun to watch unfold. There’s a bit of a third act breakup/fight that felt out of character and unnecessary, but overall it was well done.

Lana Ferguson’s books are so fun! She can definitely write a range of romance and I love it! This was a good one and I was excited to read it! 3.5 stars from me, rounded up to 4.

Thanks NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this arc!

4/5 stars

This was fun, sweet, cute, and predictable, just what I needed! It started to veer too far into the monster romance territory in the end but thankfully it didn't go too far PHEW 😂😭 I reallynliked all the family dynamics and character growth that went on, for the main and secondary characters! I'd love a spinoff book about the twins finding love next tbh, they're so funny!

Starting off my December reads with a splash! I absolutely adored this book. Sarcasm as flirting is one of my favorite things in books and it was done so well here. I thought this was such a cute and interesting take on the story of the loch-ness monster. I loved the characters, the story, the banter and of course the spice (it was actually a lot spicer than I expected it to be, definitely not complaining🤭)!
Highly recommend to anyone looking for a lighter monster romance!

I really enjoyed the Fake Mate. i like a contemporary setting with a paranormal creature just inserted. I find is so fun since where did all these beasts go. I like the spin and the folklore around the loch ness monster and kelpies. The feuding families and the missing histories there were always new questions that were uncovered. And the romance between Keyanna (Key) and Lachlan was very enemies to lovers. And love how their names are basically the title of the book. The monster part of the romance was a freaking delight.
Definitely a fun ride!

Tropes:
🌿 enemies to lovers
🌊 grump X sunshine
🌿 monster romance
🌊 found family
🌿 dual POV
🌊 solving a mystery

Thank you berkley romance for the gifted copy.

I wanted to like it. It left me just kind of meh. The paranormal components just didn't come together for me. Key's personality was bubbly to the point of annoyance. Everything about it was just pretty basic and average.

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 4.75/5
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) I bump up for public places/outdoor spaces and monster parts.

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 These narrators, Samantha Summers and Flint Park, in duet are everything—beautiful voices and perfectly cast!
🤩 I love these MCs so much, and the narrators make me adore them even more.
🤩 Paranormal romance with some magical realism.
🤩 Scotland/Scottish Highlands/Loch Ness/Nessie lovers—you need to try this one!
🤩 Fabulous enemies-to-lovers vibes between these two amazing MCs, Keyanna & Lachlan.
🤩 Secret pining while hating—the funniest LOL hate lust thoughts.
🤩 The family mystery makes such a captivating plot, with that need to know.
🤩 That first scrumptious kiss in the old Greer castle
🤩 Oh, wow, the monster hotness! It’s so hot and wild and intimate at the same time.
🤩 I’m a sucker for a little jealousy.
🤩 All the feels, some big feels. Caution if you’re sensitive to characters talking about having lost a parent.
🤩 I bawled over the journal and family love.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 Sweet ending, but I would have loved a more detailed steamy scene after the drama/changes.

Thank you NetGalley , Berkeley and Lana Ferguson for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson is a romantic suspense set in the Scottish Highlands. Key heads to her ancestral home in Scotland, to find out more about her late father’s family, she uncovers dark family secrets and mysterious events. Drawn to sworn enemy Lachlan, a brooding local with a troubled past, she must navigate both their growing connection and the sinister forces lurking about.

I loved this so much! Finally, a story with mature characters who don’t act childish. I was kicking my feet and giggling the entire time! This was my first monster romance, and it was so well done. I can’t wait to dive into the rest of Lana Ferguson’s backlist. Key and Lachlan were such a cute couple with amazing chemistry, and I adored Key’s fiery, loving family. Plus, props for finally having a tall couple—I loved that!

Read this if you enjoy monster romances with open-door scenes and a funny Scottish family!!

honestly I ate this up and left no crumbs. this was campy, unhinged (complimentary!!), fun, and so so so steamy. I had a great time.

the premise was so fun, I loved the adventure-mystery like plot, and the setting made you feel like you were there. Key & Lachlan had such a fun dislike to love dynamic and their banter was 10/10. Lachlan had me at princess.

thank you Berkley for the ARC!! can't wait to read more of Lana's work!!

I am a huge fan of author Lana Ferguson, and if you think she went there with The Fake Mate, wait until you read Under Loch and Key, which is a monster romance... maybe?! If this was my first official monster romance, give me 14 of them STAT!

After the death of her father, Keyanna- known as Key- travels to Scotland to meet the family she has never known. The greeting she receives is less welcoming than what she expected and she butts heads with the cutie living on the property, Lachlan. Things are not as they seem, however, when the legend of the Loch Ness monster turns out not to be a legend after all...

This book is Outlander meets urban legends meets Beauty and the Beast. I loved how the book played on not just the history of Scotland, but the lore and brought in magical elements as well. To add, the romance is forced proximity and enemies to lovers and the spice is extra 🔥 (If the audiobook has a narrator with a Scottish accent, I would read this book via audibook just for that!)

I love a book with a lot of heart and this one was full of it. Key's overly emotional grandfather Finlay is the gem of this novel and must be protected at all costs 😭

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for my earc!

I’ve struggled to connect with Ferguson’s contemporary works in the past, so I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this one! I think the monster romance angle made it extra fun and gave the plot some extra oomf. It's exciting to see an author explore different styles, just like Hazelwood did with 'Bride' earlier this year. I did feel that it was a tad long (seems like many books are these days which could honestly require it's own post lol), but I still had a great time with it! I'm so happy to see more monster romance making its way into traditional publishing!

Under Loch and Key is a small town romance following a woman determined to find closure for herself and her late father as she returns to his hometown, only to find that her dad's recount of the Loch Ness monster may not just be a bedtime story but instead a happening of magic, curses, and adventure. This romance was so unique and charming, I loved the Scottish setting and tone, not to mention all the fun banter between Lachlan and Key! The hate-to-love trope is one of my favorites, and they played it out so well together, their chemistry was unmatched. The plot was very engaging and I loved the lore and history behind the story and magic. I think this would be a perfect beginner monster romance for anyone wanting something a little light and fun with the added bonus of some monster smut!

Read if you like:
💦Grumpy x Sunshine💦
💦Forced Proximity💦
💦Dual POV💦
💦Ancient Curses💦
💦Scottish Lore and Magic💦
💦Monster Steam💦
💦Enemies to Lovers💦

I received an ARC from Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own

This is the first Lana Ferguson book I've read, so I can't compare this one to any of her other novels.

This was a solid read. I found the beginning to be a little slow, but I enjoyed the setting and getting to know the characters.

4.5 STARS!

I absolutely adored this book! Lana catapulted us to the beautiful Highlands of Scotland, a place I've wanted to visit for a while. So, thanks for the trip! *wink* I was mesmerized and drawn in instantly. Also, it was such a genius take to the story of Loch Ness Monster 🤭.

Keyanna MacKay ends up in Scotland after the death of her father. Trying to connect to her estranged family, she finds so much more than she bargains for as she constantly butts heads with Lachlan Greer, the grumpy farmhand. He's got a tangled past with the MacKays, which involves magic and old family secrets. Keyanna is the key to his salvation, for he is cursed to become the Loch Ness Monster.

Under Loch and Key was a sexy, monster romance with a brooding Scot and sunshine-y American with elements of magic and mystery. I truly enjoyed this gem so much!!

Under Loch and Key is a fun paranormal monster romance featuring the loch Ness monster. Keyanna arrives in Scotland after losing her dad in order to meet her estranged grandparents. Key meets Lachlan and it's instant dislike or is it?

While a few parts of the story were over the top, I really enjoyed this one. It's told in dual POV with family secrets, mystery, a curse and supernatural powers plus lots of steam. Key and Lachlan made a great team after they stopped being prickly with each other and admitted their feelings. The epilogue was great!

Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

This paranormal monster romance was just an absolute delight. Lana always knows how to hit with the funny banter, the fun storylines and the originality. I recently discovered her and just fell in love with her writing. There's also some emotional moments thrown in, and just the whole message of the story was beautiful. Truly loved it.