I guess I’m in my monster romance era?! I actually really liked Lana Ferguson’s THE FAKE MATE, so when I got this arc I was so excited. Then I realized the loch ness monster was going to be the broody mc and I was flabbergasted but utterly intrigued (also that dedication was absolutely hysterical, I was giggling so hard).

This was just such a silly yet entertaining read. An absolute delight after the longest reading slump of my life. Lana Ferguson knows how to write a slightly unhinged but fun story and somehow make it deep and meaningful.

There’s a touch of mystery in this with magic, curses, adventure, and yes of course there is some spice. Trust me, you aren’t ready for Lachlan.

As unserious as the premise sounds, I swear this book is a rollercoaster of emotions and most importantly fun. Hop on board because Lana Ferguson is about to give you guys the ride of your lives!

I thoroughly enjoyed this Scottish fantastical romance from Lana Ferguson. I read The Fake Mate earlier in the year and thought the blend of the real-world with magical creatures was so fascinating. This book was no different. Following the tales of the Loch Ness Monster, Ferguson manages to create an entire love story AND incredible family lore all in 300 pages. I adored the two main characters, Key and Lachlan. Their dynamic reminded me a lot of Luke and Lorelai from Gilmore Girls -- the classic grumpy/sunshine trope. I also am such a sucker for found family, which this laid into heavily in the back half. My only complaints were that the third act conflict between the couple felt a bit thrown in and rushed through, but the actual over-arching conflict in the plot was done wonderfully. Thank you for giving me the chance to review this story, I will continue to love whatever Lana Ferguson puts out!

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson is a captivating and steamy romance novel that had me yearning for a refreshing dip in the nearest loch. Her books are a delightful escape that I find myself reaching for time and time again.

Content warning: loss of a parent

Keyanna "Key" MacKay loses her father and decides to return to his Scottish hometown. Her grandmother is angry instead of being overjoyed to meet her granddaughter for the first time, but Key is able to win over the rest of her family. The biggest thorn in her side isn't her grandmother though -- it's the man living on their property who's surreptitiously looking for answers about his family's curse.

Lachlan is one of generations of Greer men who are cursed to turn into the Loch Ness Monster every evening, and the MacKays are the key to undoing the curse. Keyanna is the prophesized "daughter of MacKay" who may be the key (pun intended?) he needs to break his family's curse for good.

Recommended for fans of paranormal romances like Ferguson's The Fake Mate.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. In the beginning I was totally hooked. This story has elements of contemporary fantasy, mystery, magic, and monsters.

Unfortunately, I didn’t feel very connected to the characters and as time when on, the plot was super cool, but the pacing was too slow for me.

Overall the book has a fun feel of hallmark romance movie meets Scottish fantasy lore, so definitely give it a shot if you enjoy those elements.

Any romance set in Scotland I am going to read. I'm a fan. This one did not disappoint. I loved watching the "enemies" to lovers unfold and the family unit come together. To follow along as they unraveled this decades old curse and all the mysteries tying their two families together was intriguing. The secret that I can't reveal and the cliff scene right before sunset 😁. There was even a traitor. I kind of figured it would unfold like that but I didn't know ALL of it.

I enjoyed it. Lachlan and Key were rather fun to get to know.

Lana Ferguson once again killed it with Under Loch and Key. The Scottish setting was amazing, and I loved the plot that had a tinge of mystery to it. I thought the chemistry between the MCs was well done, and I also appreciated how Key was able to reunite with her family.

Lana Ferguson write the best entry level monster romance! Lachlan and Key were so much fun to read about, and a romance with a touch of mystery is something I will eat up every time.

Perfect blend of mystery and romance. This was my first paranormal romance and I LOVED it! Who can resist the cast of charachters in this charming Scottish novel? Pair that with a tall Scottish hunk who just happens to be cursed every night with turning into the Loch Ness Monster... perfection. Tropes include enemies to lovers and only one barn.

Lana Ferguson can do no wrong in my eyes. Whether it’s contemporary, or paranormal romance, or honestly just random musings in her broadcast channel, I’m going to read whatever she puts out. Everything is entertaining and engaging, but each book doubles down on how good it can be.

Under Loch and Key is a paranormal romance because it for sure does have some monster smash, but it’s also unexpectedly emotional and gut wrenching. I did not anticipate being weepy over family drama and secrets.

I loved this book. I loved how flirty and sexy some scenes were, but also how it never got in the way of the plot. If I could have made one minor recommendation, it would have had the transition from enemies to allies/lovers go a bit deeper. It felt a bit light-switch-ish for me, and there was opportunity to build trust and build tension that felt missed. All in all though that’s a minor suggestion/complaint and it’s great as it is!

I never thoughtI liked monster romance, then I read this book. Lachlan and Key meet and it is hate at first sight. Key came to Scotland to spread her father's ashes and finally meet her grandparents. What she finds when she gets there is not what she planned. The only one who is happy to see her is her grandpa and the guy who works for her grandparents seems to hate her and she has no idea why.
Lachlan knows he needs to stay away from Key, his family is cursed because of her, but he just can't seem to leave her alone and maybe, just maybe she is the key to breaking the curse. The more time they spend together, the more secrets they uncover and the closer they come to finding the truth of what happened so many years ago.
I thought this was so sweet. I enjoyed there was mystery and fate all intertwined. It was such a fun read and I am more than a little obsessed with Lachlan and his Loch Ness side, if you know what I mean. 4.5 stars.
Thank you to Berkley, Lana Ferguson and Netgalley for an early copy.

This book was surprisingly cute. I honestly expected a little more “monster”, but ended up loving it for exactly what it is. The back and forth between Key and Lachlan was entertaining and felt genuine. This is definitely my favorite Lana Ferguson I have read!

I wasn't familiar with Lana Ferguson prior to Under Loch and Key but I am a sucker for a romance set in Scotland or Ireland, and I find a fun touch of paranormal never leads you astray in love stories. I was so excited to get the chance to read this advance copy.

Key heads to her ancestral homeland to spread her father's ashes. Meeting her long lost family doesn't go quite as expected however, and Key suddenly finds herself at odds with Lachlan, the farmhand on her grandmother's land.

Key and Lachlan have excellent chemistry though I do wish that it had been drawn out slightly longer. It would have kept the pacing better towards the end of the story. The enemies to lovers vibes were immaculate.

Altogether, I felt this was equal parts funny, mysterious, romantic, engaging, and touching. I can't wait to check out other titles by Ferguson.

I did not expect to get approved for an ARC of this book but I had just finished The Game Changer by Lana Ferguson and thought why not give it a shot, when I got the approved email I was so excited!!! I devoured it in three short days! I think this has to be one of my favourites of Lana’s if not my favourite and that’s probably because the atmospheric setting of the Scottish Highlands was so beautiful and magical! She put some great thought and detail into verbally painting the story's backdrop because the land and the history have an important part to play for our characters. I also have to note that although the Scottish people’s dialogue wasn’t written phonetically she did capture some common Scottish colloquialisms this helped even more with the immersion into the Scottish backdrop.

The characters were lovely from our mains to our seconds. I adored Lachlan, he was the perfect grumpy Scottish man, who doesn’t want people to know how much he clings to hope, and he was wonderful for our main girl Keyanna, who was also just the most wonderful female character, I loved her reliance and her desire to help those who need it. Their romance was a central part of the story and was interwoven with a journey to solve a centuries-long problem that Lachlan has been desperate to answer. Their romance blooms as they work together and they both grow as characters through their romantic relationship in healthy ways and that was great to read.

I have to say that Lana Ferguson is one of the top spicy contemporary romance writers that I have read! Her scenes are hot and steamy and she writes them so well, you’ll be flushed. This story definitely had some unique intimate scenes and she pulled them off wonderfully, she doesn’t just throw them in there to have them, they feel like important parts of the story especially in terms of our character's relationship development.

If you’re looking for that next great romance read with a wonderful atmosphere and great main characters as well as side characters I would highly recommend you check out this new book. You’ll maybe even start to question if the Loch Ness Monster really is real and if he’s available!

Under Loch and Key is a new Berkley paranormal romance release that will have you wrapped up in so many elements that are intrinsically interesting: family secrets, Celtic mythology, cryptids, curses, a generations-old family feud... Then you add in some really well executed romance 'ingredients', and you've got yourself a damn good book.

Keyanna MacKay travels to her father's homeland of Scotland to spread his ashes and to meet her family on his side for the first time. A falling-out occurred when he moved to America before Key was born, so she isn't sure what to expect. What she finds is a grumpy farmhand who calls her stupid two-seconds after meeting her (when he saves her from falling into the loch) and an unwelcoming grandmother. Key is all but ready to give up on her hope of connecting with her family when she does fall in the loch, and discovers an ancient, impossible secret about both herself, and the hunky farmhand, Lachlan. After that, she can't leave until she gets to the bottom of the generations-old mystery.

First of all, bravo to the title. What a play on words while directly including the names of the two main characters. Color me impressed. There's something special about a good title, and this one has it.

Let's start with the romance.

Keyanna and Lachlan don't get off to the best start (see above). And with their constant run-ins and a harmless prank, it gets close to EtL (enemies to lovers) territory. And ladies and gentlemen, these two have chemistry! Steamy, sexy chemistry. The force pulling them together is kinetic and so satisfying. Be forewarned that it does creep a little over the line into monster porn (lol) in two of the scenes, but the rest of them are everything, so I can forgive ;-)

What about the plot?

Behind the romance is a mystery. We know Lachlan is hiding something early on through his POV chapters, but we don't find out what it is until Keyanna does. Layers unfold just enough at a time to keep us readers tantalized with new facets to the story. There are secrets being kept on all sides, and Key is...you guessed it, the key to fitting all the pieces together (see what I mean about word play?). This is so much more than a romance, it's a family saga, a mystery, and a literal legend.

If you're looking for a new romance to escape into, this one is well worth your time!

Under Loch and Key is the second book I've read by Lana Ferguson. Just like The Fake Mate, I found myself getting tired of the book by the 60% mark. Once Key and Lachlan got together, I wasn't as interested in the book. I wish the tension and slow burn were drawn out more. I thought Key and Lachlan had good chemistry. I liked the "you're my enemy" tension at the beginning of the book. I enjoyed the way Key was written. Ferguson did an incredible job developing Key and creating an empathetic storyline. The side characters were fine! I liked the layer the grandparents brought to the story. Although some of the plot points were predictable, I found the whole curse storyline interesting. I did find some of the steamier scenes cringey. I skimmed through those passages. Overall, this wasn't my favorite read. Although her stuff isn't bad, I don't think Lana Ferguson is for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

“You’re a real ray of sunshine, you know that?”
“That is what people say about me. Yes”

Who knew that the Loch Ness monster was so hot!! I absolutely adored this book! From start to finish Lana Ferguson created the sweetest most heartwarming story. It is without a doubt my favorite of her books and Keyanna and Lachlan will live in my heart for a long time to come!

After her father’s death Keyanna travels to Scotland to scatter his ashes and reconnect with the family she has never known. But she is not greeted with warmth or open arms and when her attempt to spread her father’s ashes results in her needing to be saved by the rugged but infinitely rude Lachlan Greer, Key is ready to give up and return home. Lachlan's distrust is deeply rooted in their families’ history but when Key discovers his biggest secret and vows to help rather than use it against him he begins to trust and care for her more than he ever thought he could. Together they must unravel the mystery behind the centuries old curse or risk losing each other forever.

I love when a book starts off as an enemies to lovers and ends up being so much more. The way that this story combines family history with magical elements is remarkable. It is smart, funny and filled with the perfect amount of spice. I am a sucker for a well written dual pov and loved that so many of my favorite tropes found their way into this book. Most of all though, I loved that the relationship between Key and Lachlan is incredibly sweet and so full of love.

If you are a fan of paranormal/magical romance then this is a must read!!

Full review on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFE3mwVU/
Fmc: 3/5 stars
Mmc: 4.75/5 stars
Story: 3.75/5 stars
Setting: 4/5 stars
Spice level: 3/5
Spice quality: 4.5/5
Mystery: 3/5

This book was pretty good but the ending fell really flat for me. I loved the complicated family dynamics, the banter between the love interests in the beginning was great but they got together too quickly in my opinion. The sudden switch from hate to absolute love and adoration was like whiplash. Also the cousin being the bad guy was SO predictable it was painful. The big finale fight dialogue was kind of painful to read. Overall it was a good story with interesting folklore interwoven in but the story fell flat by the end.

This was so fun! I’m a sucker for monster romance and I simply could not pass up the opportunity to read a Loch Ness Monster romance.

It was an opposites attract romance set in gorgeous Scotland, about a sunshiney woman who is trying to connect with her recently deceased father’s family, and the grumpy farmhand with a secret who thinks she is part of his family’s curse.

There’s magic and mystery as their secrets start to come out, and they have to learn to work together to try to save Lachlan and his family before it’s too late.

I enjoyed the uniqueness of the story, there’s a good amount of steam, and the setting was fun.