This charming royal rom-com follows Lady Alice, who is sent to Balmoral Castle as punishment for her reckless behavior. There, she meets Fraser, a ruggedly charming bagpiper, and falls for both him and the breathtaking Scottish Highlands.

Their love is tender and genuine—Fraser sees the real Alice beneath her carefully crafted facade, allowing her to embrace her true self. Her journey of self-discovery is deeply moving, particularly as she struggles with the weight of expectations and battles depression. The raw and heartfelt portrayal of her mental health feels authentic and deeply resonant.

Scotland’s stunning landscapes provide a beautiful backdrop for Alice’s transformation, offering her a sense of freedom and peace. Her experience of real friendship and emotional intimacy for the first time makes her character arc even more compelling.

This warm and uplifting rom-com is filled with romantic tension, humor, and heartfelt moments. With its rich setting, lovable characters, and meaningful mental health representation, it’s a must-read for romance fans.

I went into “Kilted Lovers” (or “Regally Blonde”) thinking it was going to be a cute, feel-good romance; it was so much more than that. This was a story filled with abundant lessons of learning to let people in to see the parts you hide from others, coming to terms that those who don’t hold your best interests at heart aren’t worth bending over backwards for their approval, and accepting the truth that you are never too hard to be loved by those who matter most to you ♥️

”Using my own sadness, my hatred of myself and my life as an excuse to sabotage the happiness of everyone else, I didn’t stop once to realize just what I do have. I have been loved this whole time, and not once did I allow myself to see it.”

Lady Alice Walpole may not be easily relatable as most rom-com heroines, but I saw so much of myself in her. She comes off as a superficial socialite with royal relatives but discovers who she truly is in the Balmoral countryside of Scotland. My heart hurt reading of her internal conflict of being forced to hide her lingering feelings of loneliness and worthlessness because I find myself in the same place as her more often than not. Throughout the book, she struggles immensely with her self-esteem and in turn, influences how worthy she sees herself as someone who deserves to be loved unconditionally. She spends so much time trying to make others happy that she doesn’t take the time to realize that she too, deserves happiness.

Depression is not a pretty sight to see sometimes and it’s not always the feeling of not wanting to get out of bed, which is described so perfectly through Alice in this story. It’s so important that it shows Alice, this noble lady with all the luxury she could ever want in London, as a lost girl who knows that she’s privileged but also deserves to be allowed to grieve and break down as every normal human being should be able to. The mental health themes and awareness in this have been my favourite representation that I’ve read in contemporary romance so far 🧠

Throughout the novel, we are introduced to a number of lovable characters that truly highlight the beauty of found family in this. Mrs. Mary Buchanan with her stern love, Jimmy Campbell with his compassionate manner, and Sophie with her selflessness. Through them, Alice learns that she isn’t hard to love as everyone else in her life has made her out to be. They are all positive influences in her life despite her being very reluctant to let them in her life. They’re all so heartwarming with their own easy-to-love and distinct personalities that it almost makes you feel that they’re comforting you and Alice at the same time.

Alice’s friendship with Sophie Chorley, one of the maids at Balmoral Castle, was particularly very precious to read. Although Alice and Sophie come from completely different worlds, they welcome each other with open arms and never judge the other for not having the same opportunities in life. Sophie taking care of Alice constantly as a concerned friend and not as an employed servant, especially during her rock bottom moments, was such a great symbol to how they were there for each other and learned to trust the other so quickly 💞

This contemporary romance wouldn’t be complete with our MMC, Fraser Bell. A hardworking pipe major to the sovereign of the UK and a humble stable hand at the castle, Fraser challenges Alice to see things from a different perspective. He was a very healthy MMC; he respected her boundaries, only ever acted in her best interests even if it left him heartbroken, and loved her from afar even though he knew it was likely she might not ever feel the same. Even if he and Alice were apart, he never stopped worrying about her until he knew she was safe. I thought it was so refreshing to see someone sensitive like Fraser being able to show his emotions and cry without having the need to apologize for not being manly enough or inadequate for Alice. He was secure in his own identity and only wished the best for Alice without pushing her to change or adapt into his world.

“There is no such thing as the perfect time, or the perfect circumstance… If you want something, you make room for it, you make it work, and every struggle to get there will be the most rewarding thing you’ve ever done.”

The greatest strengths I believe in “Kilted Lovers” are the beautiful storytelling and descriptions as well as the well-rounded character development of Alice. The ending was so satisfying because I really did feel like it tied up all her loose ends in a way that she didn’t have to fit into the mold that society and her parents want her to be in. Depression is a part of her, but it doesn’t dictate the selfless and hopeful person she is on the inside. Love doesn’t automatically solve her problems; she finds the courage inside all of her insecurities to carve out the life she wants for herself. I feel so grateful to have found this book and been given the opportunity to read it. I’m not the only one that feels the same as Alice does and that in itself gives me so much comfort that there is hope for a happily ever after past the storm ☀️

”Falling in love isn’t going to miraculously fix everything. Take your time, to heal, to get to know yourself, your own mind. If your love is meant to be, it will wait.”

Tropes:
- Noble-lady FMC x pipe major/stable hand MMC 👑 🐎
- Coming-of-age romance
- Mental health rep: depression 🧠
- Found family 🏠
- Clean/closed-door romance 🚪
- English and Scottish history 🏰
- Small town countryside 🌾

Thank you to Megan Clawson, Avon Books UK, and NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love Megan Clawson books, I used to follow her TikTok’s and I absolutely love her books. I love the royal / army / family connections.
This is her third book and this one, in my opinion is the best so far. You can really see how she has evolved with the storytelling and each one goes more in depth than the last.
I absolutely loved the self healing journey the FMC goes on, I loved the little cameos by the King and Queen, I LOVE the Balmoral staff and how much they just uplifted the book to another level.
I read this alongside a thriller as my light read and it was perfect as that! I laughed, cried and cringed and most of all related to Lady Alice in so many ways but sadly not the royaltie part!
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Release Date - 27th March 2025

A lovely light hearted full of laughs following Lady Alice Walpole a young minor royal she is sent to Balmoral by her parents after getting drunk at a party. Alice is used to tiaras and parties so the quiet of the castle is something she finds hard to adapt to especially when Fraser Bell the piper to the King starts to play his bagpipes early in the morning.
Loved the description of the castle and its surrounding countryside and the characters plus a romance a perfect romantic funny book full priase to Megan Clawson.
Highly recommend for a light hearted enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon booms for providing this eARC for review.
This was fun, I enjoyed the Royal family aspects and the Scottish setting, I wish there was a bit more exploring of the castle but the descriptions of various places in the grounds were a lot of fun and I really liked the characters.
I felt that the pacing was a little off towards the beginning, I think the Atticus arc would've felt a bit more impactful if we had seen a little more of their month together rather than just the first meeting and then the night out, a few dates in between to get a better feel for the dynamic and his personality would've worked better. Instead there was just a lot of telling rather than showing so we were told she was terribly in love with him without ever seeing that on the page, and when she goes back to London for the first time we're told how much she misses Scotland and everything she did at the castle without actually being shown that much actually going on at the castle besides a few conversations with Sophie and Fraser. It picks up once she's back in Scotland again and we see slightly more going on but I just felt that something was missing that would've made this better.
Overall, a solid 3.25 stars 🌟

I picked up this book, expecting to read a few chapters before bed, but ended up not being able to put it down! Megan Clawson is a new author for me but I'll be going back and reader her previous books because I absolutely loved Alice and Fraser and all of the side characters too. It was such a heart warming read and I really appreciated the acknowledgement of Alice's mental health struggles along the way. It made her so relatable as a character. I do wish there had been some redeeming qualities in her parents, especially as we dove into their past, but can understand the decision to leave them where they are, which is honestly a much more realistic ending for them. I can't wait to recommend this to everyone because I absolutely LOVED this book <3

Where to start?
I am not one for contemporary romances, but I chose this one because it’s in Scotland.

When the story first starts I was worried about how Alice’s mental health would be portrayed. I wasn’t disappointed. It wasn’t linear, it wasn’t “she’s in love so she’s healed”. It was beautifully written and explained.

I enjoyed Fraser, a man not afraid of his emotions. It was refreshing to read.

4 stars.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I love this author! A sad and lonely Royal is sent to Balmoral by her parents to avoid the spotlight and learn a lesson. While there, she befriends a maid and the Pipe Major/stablehand. Throw in a little Emma action and she tried to match make but it ends up sideways. The lead character has depression so that is explored a bit in this book.

💙 Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the early copy!

A rebellious royal, a broody Scottish bagpiper, and the breathtaking beauty of the Highlands—Kilted Lovers is a charming and swoon-worthy rom-com that blends humor, heart, and just the right amount of slow-burn romance. If you love royalty-meets-commoner, grumpy/sunshine tension, and all things Scotland, this book is a must-read!

👑 THE STORY:
Lady Alice Walpole is tired of disastrous dates and a love life under the scrutiny of the press. But when a scandalous night out with a royal beau lands her in hot water, her father ships her off to Balmoral to clean up her act—far from London’s glittering parties and prying eyes.

Fraser Bell, the ruggedly handsome Piper to the Sovereign, wants nothing more than to be left alone. He prefers tartan to tuxedos, horses to high society, and definitely doesn’t have time to babysit a rebellious aristocrat. But waking Alice up every morning with bagpipes? That’s his new job.

At first, Alice and Fraser clash like a royal in stilettos on the Scottish moors. But as the weeks pass, Alice starts to fall for the stunning Highland landscape—and maybe even for the gruff, kilt-wearing piper himself. The question is: Can a tiara-wearing London socialite and a duty-bound Scotsman ever find a happily ever after?

🔥 TROPES:
✔ Grumpy x Sunshine – She’s a royal rebel; he’s a broody, bagpipe-playing Scot. The tension is delicious.
✔ Forced Proximity – Stuck together at Balmoral? Plenty of opportunity for sparks to fly.
✔ Opposites Attract – High society meets Highlander in the best way.
✔ Slow Burn – The romance builds, making every stolen glance and moment count.
✔ Fish-Out-of-Water – Alice navigating Scottish traditions is both hilarious and endearing.

✨ WHAT I LOVED:
🏰 The Scottish Setting – Balmoral, sweeping landscapes, and cozy countryside charm—it’s a love letter to Scotland.
😂 Witty Banter – Alice and Fraser’s sharp-tongued exchanges had me grinning from start to finish.
💖 Emotional Depth – Beneath the humor, both characters struggle with expectations, identity, and what they truly want in life.
🔥 Slow-Burn Chemistry – The way Fraser reluctantly falls for Alice is chef’s kiss.

💙 FINAL THOUGHTS:
Megan Clawson delivers another royally delightful rom-com filled with charm, humor, and all the kilted swoon-worthy moments. If you love enemies-to-lovers tension, royalty-meets-commoner romance, and grumpy Scottish heroes, Kilted Lovers will steal your heart!

3.75 stars

“I trust him blindly. I could follow him to the ends of the earth and it would be no more effort than falling asleep”

This was a fun, slow burn, royal romance about a woman sent to Scotland after causing too many scandals back home.

What I liked:
-the mental health rep. I liked that alice’s depression was never treated as a flaw, but rather as a part of her and that by the end of the book she wasn’t magically “fixed”. I also liked how she spoke out about it and helped raise awareness after being raised her whole life to think that her depression was some shameful secret
-Alice’s character development. She realized very early on that she didn’t like who she was becoming and she put in the work to change. While she wasn’t always perfect she tried her best and had such good intentions
-Sophie. Sophie was such a good friend to Alice and was so fun and sweet
-Fraser. I loved how Fraser was this very stoic, quiet man but he really opened up around Alice. Their relationship was so sweet and he was always so caring and gentle.

What’s didn’t really like:
-the pacing. This book is both slow and fast paced. Not a whole lot happens but a lot of time passes. I wished we could have gotten a little more something to make the book feel less like a series of montages
-Fraser’s backstory. While we get to know a little about Fraser, I felt like he was kind of underdeveloped as a character. I just wanted to know more about him.
-the relationship. I loved the relationship between Fraser and Alice but would have loved to see more buildup to it. It felt like there wasn’t a lot of getting to know you between the two of them and I would’ve like more of that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!!

Megan Clawson is getting better. Her first book was fun, but not perfect and I thought, here and there, a little muddled. Her second, I loved. It was as if she'd been let off a lead to do what she wanted and with more heart. This one, is better still. Really well worked out plot, really rounded characters and an easy to read, and deeply moving story. It made me cry in places, and laugh in others.

Not sure what more I can say - a really good read. Loved it.

This is the first book that I’ve read from author Megan Clawson and she did not disappoint. This book is great, I love the slow burn 🔥

Another amazing book by Megan Clawson!
I loved that this book was set in Scotland, and Megan's writing painted a beautiful picture in my mind while reading. I could easily relate to Alice and the turmoil of her life. I felt the relationships that developed during her time at Balmoral were genuine. Alice's character arc was relatable as well, and her friendship with Sophie reminded me of some of my friendships.
I would definitely recommend this cute story to all my friends and family! Cant wait to see/read what Megan writes next!

Having enjoyed the previous two novels from Megan Clawson, I was delighted to receive an ARC of her third novel.

The novel begins with Lady Alice living her best and wild life in London amongst other young aristocrats and royals. Lady Alice's family eventually have enough of her antics and decide that a cooling off period is required and so she is packed off to the remote Scottish Highlands in the hopes that some rural living will tame her wild self.
Adjusting to life in Scotland is difficult for Lady Alice, new rules, early mornings awakened by bagpipes and a less than amiable housekeeper to contend with Lady Alice is miserable. Her fate however changes when she finds a friend in Sophie one of the staff and adapts more to a slower pace of life and finds out the true meaning of friendship.
Lady Alice of course still longs for her life in London and is desperately itching to get back to her boyfriend, she makes a break for it and travels back to London and is met with some unpleasant news which sends her running back to Scotland as quick as she can and pondering whether she really does miss life as she knew it in London.

This was so good. I loved Falling Hard but wasn't as big of a fan of Love at First Knight so I wasn't sure what I would think of this one but I very quickly became obsessed with this book and the characters. I found myself stood crying while waiting for my bus during the Inverness parts and laughing at other parts. The characters were lovely and seeing Mrs B come to Alice's rescue and show her softer side made me so happy. Will definitely be recommending this and buying a copy when it's released!

DNF at 20%

Unfortunately I cannot push past the bad editing. No indents on paragraphs, multiple characters speaking without a break in paragraph to know who is speaking, paragraphs that last multiple pages on my kindle. It’s an editing nightmare!

When the book started, it was reading as a regency era novel, and suddenly characters were talking about their iPhones. I get their supposed to be modern era royalty, but the characterization just seemed incredibly scattered.

I regret that I can’t give this a better chance, but I tried my best.

I was totally immersed in this story from start to finish. A great rom com not to be missed.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

As soon as I seen the kilt on this cover I knew I had to read it and I knew I would love it!

This is a slow burn romance book and we follow Lady Alice and Fraser who are pretty much the opposite of each other and fate has them meeting at one of her family's home in Balmoral, Scotland! This book is cute, funny, romantic and heartbreaking all at the same time. Our girl Alice just doesn't fit in with the royal's and as a sort of punishment she is sent to Scotland and that could be exactly what she needs to find that happiness that she is craving!

The friendships and finding that belonging in this book was perfect! And I really enjoyed the mental health representation in this book! I really enjoyed reading it!

In this heartwarming royal rom-com, our main character, Lady Alice, finds herself living at Balmoral Castle as a punishment for her reckless and improper behaviour in London's polite society. There, she meets the bagpiper Fraser and is swept up by his rough Scottish charm. As well as falling for him, she finds herself falling for the rugged and beautiful landscape surrounding her, and the quiet and more intentional living of the Scottish Highlands.

Their love was so soft and honest. Fraser saw the real Alice and not the facade she presented to the world. For the first time, she found herself being able to be just her, and to discover who she really was.

Alice was such a real character. I loved the complexities to her and her battles with her mental health. It was great to see such a raw representation of depression. I felt seen and really saw myself in her character. The way her depression was described connected me to the author as well, as it felt clear to me that the author was writing from her own heart.

Alice was crushed under the weight of expectations and had lost her excitement for life, unsure of what her purpose was. Her time in the Highlands of Scotland had her feeling free and weightless. I loved all of the descriptions of the beautiful environments she explored. The stunning beauty of the open hills and landscapes in Scotland is breathtaking; and being my home, it is wonderful to read about Alice's character experiencing the relaxation that I too find here.

Alice experiencing true friendships and intimacy for the first time in her life was also so heartwarming and sweet to read. Her character arc is a beautiful one, and I was really rooting for her.

I would highly recommend this fun and heartfelt royalty themed rom-com to any romance lovers. It was so cosy and full of exciting romantic tension, delightful friendships, and funny moments too. It was the perfect rom-com in my opinion, and the mental health representation was amazing to see!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this!

*I received this book as an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) for free in exchange for an honest review*

‘Kilted Lovers’ by Megan Clawson is such a good read. The book is the epitome of what an opposites attract love story should be, and I was disappointed to have finished it!

There is really good character development throughout, particularly that of the FMC, Alice. We see her go from a privileged wild child to a conscientious young woman, determined to be a better friend. I really enjoyed the coming of age aspect of the book and found it complimented the romance plot.

Two of my favourite romance tropes are slow-burn and forbidden love, and ‘Kilted Lovers’ delivered. The slow-burn element was well-paced in relation to the rest of the plot, which kept it exciting and made me want to read more so I could see what happened next. As for the forbidden love… who doesn’t want to see a Royal and a Piper to the Sovereign fall in love?

I would like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.