This book was so delightful and hit all the Scottish cravings I’ve been needing. I love the grumpy Scot Graeme and his brogue. I fell in love with Katie and her penchant for needing to be rescued. This is a great book to Coorie up with and can’t recommend it enough.

A Sweet Scottish Journey with Some Bumps Along the Way
"An Edwardian Experience in Scotland" promised a light romantic novel but delivers a more nuanced story with strengths and weaknesses.

Pros:
● Stunning Scottish setting: the author paints breathtaking landscapes and offers authentic glimpses of Highlands life
● Well-developed secondary characters, especially Mrs. Lennox, Graeme's mother, who provides genuinely funny moments
● Deep themes of belonging, family, and healing from grief

Cons:
● Extremely slow pace, with an almost non-existent romantic storyline
● Strong religious references that might feel alienating
● Romance is more women's fiction and less love story

Who will love it:
● Readers who appreciate personal growth stories
● Scotland and landscape enthusiasts
● Those seeking a sweet, low-heat romance

Who might get bored:
● Readers wanting a fast-paced, passionate love story
● Those uncomfortable with religious undertones
● People expecting intense romantic scenes

A nice but forgettable book, perfect for a casual coffee break read.

I was delighted to receive an advance copy of this book by an author who I really enjoy. This was a fun book. Katie's misadventures were so funny. The Edwardian house party was an interesting storyline, though the stories of the locals were what really shined. The setting was beautifully described, and local culture and legends well incorporated. Both the main characters and the secondary characters were delightful. There was even a brief nod to this author's Skymar series, which was a nice touch. But at the same time, it had a deeper storyline. It deals with grief, family, acceptance, faith, and finding a home. The relationship between Katie and Graeme was delightful.

I received this book from NetGalley for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Katie Campbell is a travel journalist who spends her life running away from her feelings, chasing adventures, and blogging about her misadventures in a humorous way. Her exploration of Scotland is one of the most anticipated of the trips she has on her list due to heritage and the seemingly strange "Edwardian experience" her manager has her booked for on the Isle of Mull. In her first 5 minutes in the estate, her moniker of Miss Adventure holds true and she meets a grumpy Scotsman who catches her when she falls from the second story after a troublesome macaw rushes at her face and forces her to lose her footing. Will the handsome, grumpy, Scot soften his edges to the clumsy southern American journalist? Only time, and many many many misadventures will tell.

I'm sure this book has an audience, I am just not it. I found the plot way too chaotic - Katie was fighting with 3 different job struggles that were dropped at various points in the plot and picked up again. She was struggling with various aspects of grief (which was valid) but at times felt too much with the other plot points, especially considering there was a huge plot point around Graeme (MMC) and his grief (also on various fronts). Also, they hardly talked to each other. The majority of this book was them talking to other people about each other and barely spending time together and if I'm reading a romance I enjoy the quality time together - I think focusing so much on the chaos of everything else, the COUPLE got lost. Also it was supposed to be set in an "Edwardian Experience" and I feel like we hardly saw that because again - the chaos of all the additional plot points made this get lost. I think half of the "extra" needed to be cut and pare down and focused. It was too much.

I hope it finds its audience but not for me, and I find it disappointing - I love a book that's got Appalachian representation and Scottish representation.

Some Like it Scot by Pepper Basham

4 Stars

Overview: Katie has the best job - travels the world and gets to write about all her adventures or misadventures! But this job can't distract her from her lack of ""home"". Her most recent job takes her to Scotland where her grandparents are from. There she meets a Scot who might not only save her from her misadventures but help her find what she has been longing for: home!

Our Thoughts: Found Family. Love. Grief. Adventure. This book beautifully ties those tropes together. Though some of the Scottish words tripped us up, we loved learning about culture and language! Katie is a fun FMC and you can't help but laugh at her humor and misfortunes!
#ScotToTheRescue

Perfect if you like ...
Adventure
Found Family
Learning Cultural Differences

Thank you for the advance read. We appreciate the chance to bring honest opinion to our book reviews!

#SomeLikeItScot #NetGalley #adventure #foundfamily #book #series #bookrecs #bookrecommendations #bookreviews #readwithushm #sisterswhoread

Loved this book! I wasn’t sure I would enjoy the format of going back and forth between the main characters, but I did. The characters were engaging and the story caught my attention with its humor along with serious moments that were teaching us some things. I h@ve read some historicals by this author and enjoyed those as well. I am going to go and read some more. Though contemporary it bordered on historical also. Go read it and see what I mean! I was given this book for review and it turned out to be one I really enjoyed it.

2/5 stars! This is a "not for me" situation. I read a lot of contemporary romance, but do not read Christian romance. I went into this story not realizing religion would be central to the storytelling, which gave me the ick. It just felt like what started as a cute romcom got more and more religiously-motivated as the story went on. This felt disingenuous to how Christian people I know and interact with in real life act.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

This was a fun wee read.

It was a bit slow to get into, but it lived upto its description very well and we're given lots of misadventures from an American travel writer known for her inability to keep herself out of bother.

I liked the deeper themes of this book - of home and belonging, of love and faith. I enjoyed the way the author gave both characters losses and grief so that they would each be able to see how the other was shaped though it: one formed closer bonds with family while the other became more isolated. Having these two characters work together to get their own feelings in order before they could work on their feelings for each other was quite nice to read - in a very weird way.

I liked dipping in and out of the Edwardian Experience - that was nice to see glimpses into, but not overtaking the whole story. And glimpses into Scottish island life, too - the knitting/book club, the walks, the sights etc. Well rounded in content.

And a happy ever after eventually, but I was on the end of my seat wondering how and when. It made it enjoyable - not to early, but almost questionable!

Dnf after 43%

This book wasn't for me, unfortunately. I didn't fell for the story, the characters... I didn't bother at all...

Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham is a charming, if somewhat predictable, historical romance set against the picturesque backdrop of the Scottish Highlands. The chemistry between the protagonists, Ivy and Logan, is palpable, and their witty banter adds a delightful spark to the story. However, the plot often relies on familiar tropes, which, while comforting for fans of the genre, can feel formulaic and lack the deeper emotional stakes needed to elevate it. The pacing also falters in places, with the middle portion dragging before the story regains momentum. Overall, while the book delivers a satisfying romantic escape, it doesn’t break new ground, and its reliance on clichés may leave readers wanting something more original.

•𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰•

“𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐.”

{𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗜𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁}

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Release date: April 8, 2025 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
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Surprisingly enough, this was my first ever read by Pepper Basham and it certainly did not disappoint! As soon as I started reading, I could tell that I loved her writing style. It instantly pulled me into the story and kept me highly entertained until the end! Pepper’s talent with descriptive writing painted such a vivid picture of beautiful Scotland in my mind’s eye.

This book had some of my favorite tropes including a grumpy/sunshine trope that was absolute perfection! I loved that the FMC was not your average, petite character but rather 6’ tall and “well-built” 🤭 The fact that Graeme was able to make her feel small was the best! The meet-cute was one of the best meet-cutes I’ve read in a while; it really showed off the main character’s personalities to a T 😂

Katie didn’t have a place she considered home and traveling the world for a job certainly didn’t help matters. When she arrives in Scotland and falls instantly in love with the raw beauty of the country and possibly a local Scotsman, could she possibly begin to consider setting down roots? Katie’s life has had its fair share of pain and quite a bit more than its fair share of mishaps, or misadventures as she dubs them. Can she finally find peace and healing in the beautiful country of Scotland? Can she possibly trust someone enough with her brokenness and choose to stay with them?

Graeme was the perfect counterpart for vivacious Katie, with all of her wildness and misadventures. His was a calm and easygoing life now made a bit more wild by a certain redheaded American, but he was able to be that strong and secure presence she needed in her life. Graeme had his fair share of hurts and pain over the years as well and I love that they were able to finally find some semblance of healing together ♥️

This book showed such real and raw relationships of people with God. It’s one of those stories you can easily relate to because you’ve been through similar struggles. I love how the characters made such an effort to truly seek God and make Him an active part of their lives.

This book was breathtakingly beautiful ♥️ It gave off Tea With Elephants by Robin Jones Gunn vibes 🥹 I highlighted so many beautiful quotes in this book!

I received a complimentary arc of this book from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction. All opinions listed are purely my own.

This book has it all! Hilarious moments and lines, a hot Scot(🥰), and a wonderfully written main character searching for her place to belong. This is easily one of the best books I have read this year. Pepper’s books never disappoint! I will be preordering a copy for my keeper shelf stat!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

2.5⭐️
Katie is a travel writer who's latest assignment take her to the Scottish Highlands, staying at Craighill House for a full "Edwardian Experience." Think Austenland, the movie. Here she meets Graeme, who's family actually recently bought back Craighill, as it's their ancestral home. I found it hard to sink into this one and connect, it felt like it was trying to do too many things at once

This was a slow slowburn, and really wasn't even at the forefront of the story. It felt more focused on Katie's growth as a writer, and then her faith? TBH I didn't realize this was a christian book, and probably wouldn't have picked it up if I had

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was great! I loved the story so much and I could not put this book down. The romance and banter was so fun!

Kilts. Macaws. Edwardian experiences. I knew it was going to be so good and so quirky. And being a Pepper Basham book, so full of feelings and sweet romance. This book had me from the very beginning.

Basham gives us great characters in this story. Katie has one misadventure after another. Is this another one? Graeme is grumpy and oh so Scottish. Can he ever loosen up? And then there are several secondary characters that will draw you in as well. They’re fabulous and I’m sure I need a trip to Scotland to meet them all.

I also love the faith thread that was throughout Some Like It Scot. It wouldn’t be a Basham book without it. She is unabashedly a faith writer.

If you want a rom com with faith, feelings, and laughter you’ll enjoy this story of finding where you belong. I highly recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

Travel writer Katie Campbell doesn’t stay in one place for too long. Cause when you stay, you get attached, and if there’s one thing Katie doesn’t need, it’s getting attached to a place or people. But staying at Craighill House and meeting Graeme McKerrow threatens all of that. The misadventure of Miss Adventure land her in the lives of Graeme and his family, and for the first time in a long time, Katie begins to learn what it means when for home to be a place and a person.

So here’s the thing. I loved Authentically, Izzy and Positively, Penelope. Like, really loved them. This book completely blew them out of the water. I cannot begin to tell you when the last time was I laughed to hard reading a book. As funny as this book was though, it was also filled with so much heart. At its heart, this book is really about finding where you belong, and I feel like Pepper Basham perfectly wove the faith element through that theme. And don’t even get me started on how much I loved the setting of this book! Scotland? Check. Downton Abbey-esque house with plenty of Downton Abbey references? Check. Check. The whole book from start to finish was just an absolute pleasure to read!

I cannot recommend this book enough if you’re looking for a good wholesome rom-com filled with some really great faith elements!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

REVIEW-Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham

Filled with all the feel-good, romantic high points! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you like a story which provides a virtual visit to a charming isle in Scotland, the warmth of a tight knit community, and a ruggedly handsome kilt-wearing hero, this is a book for you!

Such fun happens when the travel-writing heroine, Katie Campbell, finds herself attending a three-week reenactment of the Edwardian time period at an impressive manor house on an old estate. During the experience, she encounters various “misadventures” where, Graeme MacKerrow, the Hot Scot, truly comes to her rescue.

I enjoyed the development of the grumpy/sweet romance between two different personalities who reluctantly realized they were meant for each other. The slow burn is delicious as the attraction between the couple heats. Be still, my Scottish-loving heart!

Plus a story with a cute bookshop which serves tea and scones is definitely my kind of happy place. I truly found this story, with its sweet thread of hope and faith, a delight! Author Pepper Basham skillfully creates a touching romance and a charming community filled with heartwarming characters I’ll long remember.

Favorite quotes:
“It’s one of the comforts in losing a loved one, ye ken? The love lingers long.”
“It’s not about your hold on God. It’s about His hold on you.”

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#netgalley #thomasnelsonfiction

This is a very popular rom-com author, so I had high expectations. There was a lot of repetition, and the clumsy girl angle got to be a bit too much. Some parts came to a resolution way too quickly. The writing felt a bit disjointed and the ending seemed rushed. This wasn't necessarily a bad book. I am just not the target market.

Me! I like it Scot! No surprise, Pepper Basham's latest is a delight. The Scottish setting is magical. Katie's journey to finding a place to belong, and people to belong with, is so relatable. As is her difficulty in resisting the #hotscot in her life. Graeme is definitely swoon-worthy, what with his heroic tendencies and his accent. I adored Graeme's family, specifically his mom, Mirren, and his little nephew, Lachlan. They added a sweet family vibe to the story, giving Katie a sense of home and family that had been sorely missing in her life.

Katie's misadventures and love of puns adds a laugh-out-loud humor to the story. She ends up with several run-ins with wildlife native to the islands, most notably highland cows and puffins. And the Edwardian experience adds plenty of opportunity for hijinks.

If you love the grumpy/sunshine romance trope, gorgeous settings, a fancy manor home, adorable kids, and interactions with local wildlife, Some Like it Scot is for you!

Love, love, love this book!! Captivating storyline, enduring characters, and breathtaking scenery, what more could you want? This story is good for the heart and had me smiling and sometimes laughing out loud as I read it. Expertly written in such detail the words come to life in your imagination from the gorgeous views of Scotland, the funny antics Katie finds herself in not to mention the hot Scot, Graeme.

Katie Campbell is a traveling journalist and podcaster who mishaps always follow. Her funny antics showcase her great sense of humor and adventure. Traveling to her ancestral homeland of Scotland will prove to challenge her thinking of herself, family, home, and her own story. I love the sense of humor, kindness, and genuineness of her character!

Graeme MacKerrow is a traditional Scotsman who loves his family and homeland above all. His fight to save his family home leads him to lent it to out to bring in money causing his path to collide with American Katie Campbell. Although from different worlds, can these two discover things are not always as different as they seem and perhaps discover more about their own story?

This book is a must read! It is humorous, romantic, entertaining, and yet thought provoking. I had a difficult time putting it down and was sad to see it end!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions expressed are completely my own.