this book is truly for the monster romance girlies!!🦕🙂‍↕️ i loved it so much and especially appreciated its unique spin on the genre!
(side note: i also think this book would be perfect for those that are curious and want to dip their toe (get it? loch ness monster reference hehe) into the monster romance genre!)

the mystery was fun and intriguing, the banter and chemistry between lachlan and keyanna was off the charts, and the found family aspect will absolutely make your heart squeeze.
i already can’t wait to reread via the audiobook!

read if you love:
🦕 a little mystery
🗝️ family dynamics and complex history
🌊 enemies (a la romeo and juliet) to allies to lovers
🦕 open door spice with chemistry 🥵
🗝️ found family
🌊 monster romance
🦕 scottish heroes with dimples (the brogue!! it melted me🫠)

only keep reading if you want a mini spoiler!! you’ve been warned.

i only have one other thing to say and it is said in mourning. RIP to the ridged 🍆. i was really hoping that would stick around!

thank you, Berkley and Netgalley, for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!!

This paranormal romance was also a good mystery. The characters were likable and had chemistry. The Scotland setting was appealing. It had just the right amount of spice. It was a fast, fun read!

Thank you for the chance to read this one early. I read The Fake Mate and enjoyed it but sadly this one really wasn't for me. I really wanted to love it and the setting was awesome. For some reason though I struggled to connect to the characters or the romance. I just never could get really invested. I think others will love it but for me it wasn't one I was eager to read. This one had all the elements I love but just missed the mark for me personally.

3.7/5⭐️ - this is going to be very hit or miss with people.

Very different than a typical Lana Ferguson book! I thought this was a fun time. It’s not my favorite book of hers, but I did enjoy the humor, banter, and the spice!

I do find myself comparing this to her other two books I’ve read that I LOVED! So because of that, this one fell a little short for me and I found myself not as engaged as I typically am in a Lana Ferguson book.

I still think it’s worth a read because I did have an overall fun time reading this, but I also think I discovered that maybe I’m not a monster romance gal. But for those who love those kinds of books, I think this will hit all the right notes for you!

Tropes:

🐉 monster romance
🐉 magic & mystery
🐉 one barn
🐉 enemies to lovers
🐉 Scotsman X American girl

Thank you to Berkley Romance and Net galley for the digital ARC!

3.5 Stars!

Under Loch and Key is a super cute mythical/paranormal/magical realism romance. I loved the characters, the setting, and the hate-to-lovers vibes. I found myself thoroughly entertained. My only complaint is that the pacing was a bit slower than I would have liked. Thankfully, the pacing picked by the second part of the book.

Overall, this was a fun read to spend my day getting swept up in.

5 ⭐
2.5 🌶️

Brb, moving to Scotland to find my own Lachlan Greer...!! Under Loch and Key is another wonderful tale from Lana Ferguson!

Under Loch and Key is a perfect book for readers who want a splash of paranormal with their romance (pun intended), and it'll make you wish you had a loch of your own to take a dip in to cool off. Because Lachlan and Keyanna are hot hot hot.

Fantastic side characters, Scottish charm and wit, and a story that will tug on your heartstrings at times and make you blush at others.

A bit predictable? Yes. But a perfect, quick little romance snack nonetheless.

--

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley, and Lana Ferguson for a copy of Under Loch and Key and the opportunity to leave my honest, voluntary review! All thoughts and opinions are my own <3

I will never not beg for a Lana love story! 😍 and this one has a Scot in a kilt?! AND he’s a monster?? yes please. I had such a good time watching this unlikely couple fall for each other. it’s laced with intrigue and tension and suspense. and the twists had me squealing and excited to turn the next page! I want anything Lana writes!

This was SO FUN!!!! The mystery! The angst! The family dynamics! The romance! I loved reading this. It was sexy and wild and I will never complain about a cryptid book.

I am now ready to devour ANYTHING that Lana Ferguson writes!! I loved this so much - I have never been anywhere in the UK, but I really felt like I was at Key's family's farm when I was reading this, and I just loved the character development so much. This was really fun, and I will absolutely be recommending it!

I did not realize I would be seeing some monster dick in this book, but I was not disappointed. If that's not for you, skip certain parts in the book LOL.

This book had classic Lana banter between our MCs. I am obsessed with Nessie as a sexy, brooding Scottish man stuck in the grasp of a family curse only to be broken by Key MacKay. Their chemistry was off the charts! I'm not normally open to human x monster romance, but this one worked for me.

Thank you so much to @berkleyromance for giving me the chance to read this anticipated new release by Lana Ferguson!

I was enamored with Under Loch and Key immediately after its announcement. I mean it’s genuinely MEANT for me. It had the makings of being one of my favorite books this year and it did not disappoint! I loved the dynamic between Lachlan and Key! Their banter was so incredible and did a wonderful job of building up the tension between until they finally gave in to the mutual feelings between them. The romance was fully developed and it had so much to offer!

I thoroughly loved being able to spend time in Scotland, the atmosphere was incredible. Being able to watch Key and Lachlan work together to try and break the curse. The way the mystery was interwoven with the romance was actually so great.

I had so much fun reading this one! I mean seriously, who would’ve thought the Loch Ness Monster could be so hot?! 🥵

Thank you to Berkely and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for a review!

I was really excited to be approved for this title, and I was intrigued by the plot, setting, and characters. The writing style had me hooked, and I breezed through the first half. Unfortunately, the book was a bit too spicy for me and I had a hard time picking it up for the back half. I'm sure this book will be well loved and find its audience upon its release, but it wasn't for me.

Under Loch and Key was a fun time! It wasn’t exactly what I expected, but Lana Ferguson has once again written a captivating book.

I couldn’t tell you exactly why I didn’t love this book more. The writing was great, the magic made sense, the plot was cohesive, and I liked the characters. But I don’t think all of those things added up to the romance I wanted. Lochlan and Keyanna have chemistry, but it doesn’t feel earned to me.

That being said, I still had a great time! Read this book if you love
🩶 monster romance
🩵 family mysteries
🩶 Scottish folklore
🩵 “enemies” to lovers

3.5 stars. I’ve enjoyed Lana Ferguson’s previous books, but this one wasn’t my favorite. Despite the fun premise—the Loch Ness monster is actually a cursed (hot) man—it just didn’t hold together as well as I might have hoped. The mystery is convoluted and the pacing is off. The main characters have scorching (sometimes literally) chemistry, but it wasn’t enough to sustain the book.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I could not put this book down! Every tike I had to take a break, I found my mind drifting to the world of Loch and Key. This story is fun and with the splash of something fresh that kept me hooked. I’m so glad I read this because now I’m obsessed with paranormal romance.

Keyanna was so strong yet vulnerable that I connected to her. Lachlan has to be the hottest monster/Scottish man ever and his monologues and things he said to Key were positively swoon-worthy (and also him being an ass which we love). I think the plot was executed perfectly, and it kept me interested all the way through. I did think the part where she breaks the curse could have been more monumental since they worked toward it the entire book. Still loved how it was done with a sweet moment but it fell a bit flat. Other than that Brodie being a little crazy checked out and I loved Rhona’s character.

The epilogue was adorable! Lachlan holding a mini key is actually everything. Seeing them finally be together as a big family was the perfect end.

I am BEYOND grateful for NetGalley and Berkley Romance for granting me this phenomenal opportunity.

LET ME TELL YA'LL this book is beyond words amazing. I fell in love with Lana Fergusons writing when I read 'The Nanny' and ever since then each book is a 5 ⭐️! IF YOU THOUGHT you loved her paranormal romance in 'The Fake Mate' ... 'Under Loch and Key' will literally blow your mind.

Keyanna (Key)MacKay and Lachlan Greer start off rocky... (literally though, they meet in a cave) and the tension is STRONG right off the bat. As much as Lachlan tries to avoid Key to keep his secrets his... he can't seem to keep his eyes off her. The problem? She's the last lass he wants to grow attached to based on passed events between their families.

This book has a lot of "Hear me out" moments & I absolutley love that for me & all the other paranormal lovers who read this masterpiece. This book had me blushing, giggling, screaming, and holding my chest in anticipation for what was to come! It's true what they say; sometimes love can be a real loch-mess.

Lana Ferguson switching effortlessly between monsters and regular old guys in her romances is certainly a talent! I loved her last book, THE GAME CHANGER, that came out earlier this year, and was exceptionally pleased with her follow up, UNDER LOCH AND KEY. Perfect for fans of Katee Roberts and DO YOUR WORST by Rosie Danan, Ferguson offers up a fun and quick romp through Scotland.

enjoyed this so much more than i thought!!! this is one of my first paranormal romances and i love every twist and turn

Please read! It was excellent. Love Lana Ferguson's supernatural romances so far. Love the teasing and banter between the main characters.

This was okay. I'm beginning to see that Lana Ferguson just isn't for me.

I was drawn in by the Scottish accents and the kilt (Jamie Fraser lover here) and of course the Loch ness monster, skeptical as to why it was a male but creators choice. I would have loved to see if it had been Key who was the monster but---alas---maybe another story. The back story for both of them was interesting, but the romance was just... meh. They hate each other, then ofc they realize how attractive the other is, and suddenly, they don't hate each other. Which yes is most romance books but it's so blaringly obvious in Ferguson's work the pattern it chases. I personally hate when in a character's chapter they just start talking about the other for no reason, just to acknowledge whatever happened the chapter before (which was nothing). The self-awareness is too much and takes away from the tension, IMO. I also hate when the side characters' sole purpose is to meddle. They exist for nobody and nothing aside from to drive their relationship along, and, welll... there needs to be better development on that front. For a fourth novel, I expected a little bit more.