After Key's father dies, Key travels to his family's land in Scotland to spread his ashes in the loch that featured in his greatest bedtime story. Besides the mythical loch where her father was supposedly saved by a monster in the lake, he never spoke about or to his family. The country and his family are a giant mystery to Key. Key has never spoken to her father's family, but hopes to forge a connection with his estranged mother and father.

However, before she can accomplish her task, an angry man, Lachlan, calls her stupid and chases her away from the loch. He does help her out by driving her to her family's farm, but the man is infuriating despite his good looks. Key isn't exactly welcomed with open arms, but she is determined to stay in Scotland and figure out why her father left on such poor terms.

Lachlan doesn't trust Key, but he can't deny that she's gorgeous. Key and Lachlan become closer, reluctantly at first, but they each may hold the answers the other is seeking. Time is running out, and the two must work together to figure out a fix for an ancient curse.

I had such a fun time reading this book. It really hits you in the feels in regards to the various parent-child relationships. Lachlan is a giant dick at first, but when he starts falling for Key, their chemistry is obvious. The fact that Keyanna had magic really surprised me for some reason, but the supernatural slant to the book was a lot of fun.

My library has already purchased a copy of this book, and I can't wait to recommend it during readers' advisory.

Honestly this was so much fun but dare I say, too much spice?

I know that's kind of sacrilegious to say; however, I feel like it took away from the plot at times and took me out of the story.

I did enjoy the plot and I loved how creative the premise was. Keyanna and Lachlan were a fun mix of dislike to lovers, working together to help break the curse that their families have suffered through for ages. I liked the historical elements and the dialogue was a blast.

I listened to this on audio and I was so enamored with the audio narrators throughout!!! The Scottish narration had me OBSESSED and it brought a fantastic authenticity to this story.

Overall a fun, sexy time with an interesting premise and fantastic audio narration.

Thank you Berkley Publishing, Lana Ferguson, and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

“There will always be things in this world that remain unknown to me, but one thing I can know for sure is the way I feel about her. And I know that whenever I’m unable to find my way, she’ll be there with an outstretched hand, ready to show me.”

I’ve really enjoyed Lana Ferguson’s other books so I was excited to get to this one. Admittedly, paranormal romances aren’t something I generally seek out, but I was into this story from the beginning.

I loved the dynamic between Keyanna and Lachlan. There is a lot of development that happens in their relationship that feels genuine and realistic, despite the paranormal aspects of the story. Key is searching for the history of her family after being estranged from them for her entire life, and her overall journey is fun to read. It's satisfying to see her discover her heritage while connecting with her grandparents. It adds a really heartwarming layer to the story, especially with the paranormal romance aspect and helps the story stay rooted in reality.

Lachlan is such a swoon. He is a little gruff at the beginning and the tension he has with Key is off the charts. Their banter is written so well and the build up of their relationship works perfectly. It also feels well-balanced against the mystery Lachlan’s family curse and the animosity between their families. It feels like two complete plot lines that complement each other really well. It just feels a tad long, but the payoff at the end and the epilogue make it worth it.

Cute story once I got past the shape changer concept. Too many questions filtered through my mind about how that relationship would work. But the basic story was well done.: historic family feuds, small communities, and girl meets boy who needs saving.

This was just the quirky and unique read I needed. It was sexy, fun, and such a great twist on the story of the Loch Ness Monster.

Things to expect:
- a curse and mystery
- magic
- family reunions
- forced proximity
- grumpy sunshine
- a sexy Scotsman with a secret
- ridges and a forked tongue ;)

Lana Ferguson always brings the heat and this was no exception. These sexy times nearly melted my earbuds! Fans of monster romance will be happy and if you’re new to the genre, these scenes will give you an idea of what you’ve been missing ;)

The story did meander in the middle, which made the book feel a bit too long. Some of the magic and tangled family history also got a little confusing, but I liked how the story came full circle in the end. The epilogue was so sweet and I loved getting that peek into the future.

The audio was narrated superbly by Samantha Summers and Flint Park. I loved that the heroine was always voiced by Samantha Summers and the hero always by Flint Park. So while not quite a traditional duet narration, it still achieved a similar effect. Do yourself a favor and check this one out on audio!

Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 3.5-4 stars

CW: grief, death of parent, parent with Alzheimer’s, bites/injuries, parental abandonment, kidnapping, fighting/stabbing, mentions of past imprisonment (secondary character)

*I voluntarily read and listened to a review copy of this book*

If you thought Lana turned up the heat with knotting in The Fake Mate, you don’t know what you’re in for with Lachlan as Nessie!

I loved how Lana returned to paranormal romance with this one and explored the concept - what if the Loch Ness monster all this time was really a man cursed to become a dinosaur-like figure from sundown to sun up? Can’t say that this idea ever crossed my mind but I was all for it, especially since it revolves around a Scottish hero with the best Scottish brogue. Swoon!

Keyanna is an American who travels to Scotland with the goal of dispersing her father’s ashes in the place where he grew up and the place where he supposedly was rescued by the Loch Ness monster many years ago before fleeing his homeland after an altercation with his family.

Arriving unannounced, Key is not received with the warmest of welcomes from her grandmother or the grumpy neighbor staying in the guesthouse. She’s grieving the loss of her dad and looking for family and answers about his past and is about to throw in the towel given her cold reception until she meets Nessie himself.

Lachlan is a Scottish hero who is totally book boyfriend worthy. He’s a man with a curse and completely comes off as a jerk but has his reasons for giving Key the cold shoulder. You never have to twist my arm to read about a hot Scotsman, and I loved how Lana threw in her version of Scottish games with Lachlan in a kilt. LOVED IT.

And Lana – girl you can write some serious dirty talk. But writing dirty talk in a Scottish brogue just about set me on fire! What I wouldn’t give to have Lachlan whisper to me “That’s a good lass. Feels so good inside you. You’re going to take everything I give you, yeah?” OMG!!!!
I adored the scene where Key comes to realize that he’s Nessie and how it bonds them together.

Another fun aspect to this paranormal romance that was a surprise is that Key discovers that she’s developing supernatural powers—like opening windows without touching them, stopping rain, and creating fire from her hands. Realizing she can possibly help Lachlan break the family curse, was empowering and yet she realized she must also confront the risk of losing her heart to him as well.

As I said, if you loved The Fake Mate and its knotting scenes, then you’ll love Key discovering that she’s turned on by Lachlan’s monster characteristics. Is it super spicy? I don’t think overly so but Lana does make sure Key enjoys a bit of the monster before the book is over. 😊
I highly recommend this to all the paranormal romance, monster romance and shapeshifter romance lovers out there and especially those readers who have been reluctant to try those romance categories. This is the perfect entry book!

I'm a big fan of Lana Ferguson's other publications and I was really looking forward to this book.
It had some of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, grumpy v. sunshine, Scotsman.
I can't wait to re-read when the audiobook comes out. Maybe the accent will help bump my rating up a star with all the Scottish brogues.
Unfortunately, it wasn't everything I hoped it to be. While it was an interesting take on the Nessy legend, I thought the conflict around the story could have been done better rather than the slow build up and lack luster conclusion. I also hate the poor communication trope (even experienced btw the FMC and her grandmother). The family conflict didn't make too much sense for me and I found it annoying and frustrating. While it's probably my least favorite books from the author, it was a pleasant enough book to enter into the monster romance space.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced copy.

I didn't think I'd ever be swooning over a Loch Ness Monster, but here we are. 😍 It's certainly the first Loch Ness romance I've read, and I really enjoyed it! Lachlan and Key meet, and it's almost instant dislike, especially when Lachlan discovers they're from centuries old feuding families. However, he's also her families farm hand and on the hunt for answers, just like Key. The two end up working together to learn the answers to their family history. This was full of adventure, the perfect combination of banter, flirting, spice, and, of course, magic. Now, can we take a second to swoon over the Scottish lingo? 💗

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩:
➼ Monster Romance
➼ Paranormal Romance
➼ Magic & Mystery
➼ Enemies to Lovers
➼ Grumpy x Sunshine
➼ Only One Barn
➼ Touch Him and 💀
➼ Close Proximity
➼ Scottish Folklore

📍 𝑺’𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍.

📍 𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑰 𝒎𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖.

📍 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌?

📍 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆.

Enemies to Lovers
Grumpy x Sunshine
Urban Legend - Loch ness Monster
Scottish Mythology
Monster Romance

Under Lock and Key is one HOT, STEAMY, heartwarming romance novel. Lachlan Greer, a monster in disguise, is tall, muscled, and often found working shirtless on the farm. He is also harboring a secret that has ruined his life, and wants to keep hidden from Keyanna "Key" MacKay.

Kay is in Scotland to fulfill her late father's wishes of having his ashes spread in the lake where a monster resides that saved his life. This story is one that was told to her from the young age of bedtime tales. While in Scotland, Kay undercover powers, and finds that these maybe key to helping Lachlan break his family curse.

What a fun magical tale! This book is a MONSTER SMASH

Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley

Well, here we are. The review for baby bookstagrammer’s first monster romance 👹

Spoiler Alert: I loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

The story centers on Keyanna as she travels back to Scotland in the wake of her father’s death to meet the extended family she never new she had. She gets more than she bargained for when he meets Lachland, the surly farmhand on her grandparents’ farm that might have more than a few secrets up his sleeves… (If this intrigues you I highly recommend not reading anymore synopsis as I think it gives too much away! It was way more fun to go in pretty blind!)

I truly did not realize I was going to eat up a LOCH NESS MONSTER ROMCOM like this, but I did. It somehow balances an outrageously fun plot with heart as Key works through her grief while uncovering the mystery that surrounds her family. Spice and banter are front and center. I never felt like the story took itself too seriously. The characters were lovable, I laughed out loud a multiple times, and the ACCENTS were 👌🏼😍

This book feels like it’s in the same category as Bride by Ali Hazelwood (intro to Paranormal Romance, maybe?) So if you liked that one, I would suggest checking this out as well!

Under Loch and Key is out December 3rd, thanks to NetGalley, Berkley, and Lana Ferguson for the eARC, I already have my physical copy pre-ordered!

These writers I love, they really have me going outside of my comfort zone these days and Lana Ferguson is no different. I really loved The Nanny and The Game Changer so anytime she publishes something, I jump on it. This time she's got me reading and imagining a romance with a Lochness Monster and a woman named Key. Here's what I appreciate about the way Ferguson does it: she sets things in a real place, with characters you can easily imagine being 'real', and she injects it all with humor and love and all of the other pathological things that romance requires. Then, and only then, does she nudge us into the direction of monsters.

So while monster romance is really not my thing, I still found myself having fun with Lachlan and Key and their tension and history and all of the things that made them click. Admittedly, I did not always have the patience for their narrative, so sometimes I felt the urge to skim and I'm not really sure where or why that always happened, but there were places that just felt long. If you asked me now, which parts they were, I couldn't tell you, but as I was reading, I didn't always find it to be as consuming as I wanted it to be. That being noted, I still had fun reading it and felt satisfied when I put it down, so a solid 3.5 read for me.

"Under Loch and Key" is Lana Ferguson's latest foray into paranormal romance and it's so fun!

We meet Key as she's traveling to Scotland to learn about the family history her father kept away from her. She immediately has a not-so-cute meeting with Lachlan. Sparks fly—in a biting banter kind of way.

The premise suggests that they both have secrets that they can help each other with, and the reader is on that journey with them as they learn to find a middle ground and help each other and themselves.

It's your classic enemies to friends to lovers to curse breakers?

It's a lot of fun with twists and turns and that classic Lana Ferguson spice. Very fun read!!

Even if you're not into paranormal romance this one is a good mix with your more traditional romcom.

This was such a fun read!! I love watching Lana's writing evolve with every book. Only she could make the Loch Ness Monster hot lmao.

This story had a lot of cool mythology and Key & Lachlan had amazing banter and chemistry, but also had a lot of heart. The spice/plot/emotion felt very balanced, and with so many things going on that's tough to accomplish! I'd recommend this to anyone interested in dipping their toe into the Loch of monster romance.

Oh my goodness, I LOVED this book! This story has everything, fierce love, a centuries old curse, tons of chemistry, and I never wanted to put it down! I loved the Scottish setting, and I absolutely loved Lachlan and Keyanna’s enemies to lovers journey and the steam!! The audiobook is also incredible if you prefer listening.

Overall this was fine and fairly enjoyable but I found it to be too long and too predictable. I like the increase in paranormal romances that have been getting traditionally published, but in the grand scheme of things I don't think this will be one that sticks with me or gets recommended.

⭐️: 4/5

I’ve really enjoyed almost everything Lana Ferguson has written, but I especially found myself surprised to like her previous foray into paranormal romance, The Fake Mate. I’m glad she is continuing the theme with this Loch Ness Monster romance, which sounds really weird when you put it that way, but it ended up being such a fun, sweet, and spicy story!

In this re-imagining of the Loch Ness Monster, Nessie is actually a man, or a male lineage of a family that has been cursed to turn into a monster every night. I thought it was a really fun take, because it just didn’t take itself too seriously, which is great when it comes to lighthearted paranormal romances. I want to have fun with it, not get bogged down in too many semantics. This book didn’t just have romance and spice, it also had some action scenes and mystery elements!

Any rom-com that has dual POV is a winner too, and it was executed really well in this one. The side characters and side themes of finding a place to belong were also much appreciated, and really added to the book as a whole.

I can confidently say that I’ll read any paranormal romance that Lana writes, but I’ll be a little more hesitant about the more contemporary ones.

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Lana Ferguson is the queen of spice! I had so much fun with Lachlan and Keyanna in Scotland in this whimsical, yet grounded novel. Lana is my gateway into speculative romance and monster romance, and I'm so glad. Definitely recommend this novel!

After the death of her father, Keyana Mackay travels to Scotland to inform his estranged family, and also to scatter his ashes at his favourite place in the world, the loch where he grew up. When Key almost ends up in the loch herself, she is saved by a gorgeous Scotsman. But this Scot is not very happy to see her. Lachlan Greer has been working for the Mackay's in order to uncover a family secret. He was not expecting to have to deal with their long lost granddaughter to boot. Lachlan and Key discover the that the best way to uncover their respective family secrets may be by helping each other. But Lachlan has another secret, a big secret, that he won;t be able to find from Key for long,

Under Loch and Key is a delightful monster romance set in bonnie Scotland, I really enjoyed this story.

Love this author and will read anything she releases. I'm so glad i found her. This is my first "monster" romance for a lack of a better term.

I loved Keyanna and Lachlan so much and their journey was believable and truly touching. I did she a small discrepancy in the epilogue.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the advance reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Okay, so this one had me in my feels in a way that I simply never expected from a monster romance.

Key (Keyanna) visits Scotland to meet the last of her family, the MacKays. Little does she know that she is the daughter of MacKay foretold in a legendary curse. But Lachlan realizes that as soon as he meets her.

This book incorporated a beautiful balance of fun and mythology with devastating grief. Key is mourning the loss of her father. And her reminiscences went straight to my heart. But simultaneously, this was a hilarious romp that played with all sorts of legends and secrets.

I loved Lachlan and Key. And I absolutely believed they could find their way through the curse. The punny names were a bit too on-the-nose for me. But mostly, I just found their antics delightful. And rather steamy, too.

Samantha Summers and Flint Park performed incredible duet narration. This audiobook was next level.

4.5 stars rounded up