Thank you to netgalley and the author for allowing me to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Sorry life got busy and the review came a bit late.

This book was a lot of fun to read! I enjoyed the past and present relationship throughout the book between Brooke and Jack! At points I did feel like the story was not engaging me very much so I switched to the audiobook and I really enjoyed listening to the Scottish accent while listening to the audiobook!

Overall this book was a lot of fun hearing how Brooke became a writer and the adventure of them hiking the trail! I really felt like I was in Scotland!

3.5/5⭐️ 2/5🌶️

I absolutely loved this novel. The choice to share the protagonists’ stories through dual perspectives and flashbacks/ present day provided great story development. I felt transported to Scotland and through time based on the vivid imagery that Kiley incorporated throughout. I especially appreciated that the characters came to life with their flaws, heartbreak, struggles, and joy. All the emotions that are presented feel authentic and true to the characters.

Heat Factor: It’s a bit of a slow burn, but he’s got a bit of a slow Scottish burr, so…

Character Chemistry: They’re both dreamers who bring out the best in each other, and their chemistry is pretty dreamy, too.

Plot: Brooke and Jake had a forbidden relationship that blew up both their lives when he was her TA and she was in a competitive masters program in Scotland. Reunited through Jake’s aunt/Brooke’s mentor, they rekindle their relationship on a week-long hike through Scotland and have to decide what they really want for their futures and from each other.

Overall: This book was very brooding and heart-squeezy, and the setting played off of that beautifully.

Ohhhh, to be young and incredibly stupid again.

Jake and Brooke end up dating (when they are fully aware it’s forbidden) and when their relationship is brought to light it completely derails both of their best laid plans. Mhairi is both Jake’s beloved aunt and Brooke’s mentor, and when Mhairi hires Jake to replace the photographer for her biography, Brooke, who is co-writing it, is stuck hiking a trail integral to Mhairi’s life…with Jake.

At first, both Jake and Brooke are tense and reliving the pain from that upheaval, but as the hike progresses they begin to remember the way they fell in love and slowly open up about how their lives have changed because of the choices they made. The narrative flows between present time and flashbacks, illustrating why Brooke has chosen to work as a ghostwriter and give up on her dream of writing under her own name, and why Jake is holding out for having his photography featured in galleries instead of taking on opportunities that would reach more viewers (like vlogging and having his photography sold in quaint little tourist shops).

Mhairi has been keeping a secret from Brooke as well, which puts the newly healed relationship at risk.

This is very much a love story that revolves around mental and emotional intimacy—it’s a slow burn and there’s a lot of tender moments and gentle touches but not a ton of on page heat. I was pretty skeptical of what could have possibly derailed Brooke’s career so badly, but when it unfolds it makes sense—Brooke’s an international student and so her situation is naturally more precarious. As things are unpacked it becomes pretty clear that neither Brooke’s nor Jake’s lives really HAD to fall apart the way they did…it’s almost like they didn’t want the lives they thought they wanted after all, and just weren’t willing to fight for it.

I think that if you like love stories that are thoughtful and heart-heavy, you’ll probably really enjoy this one. The writing is fantastic, the setting is beautiful, and the characters are just the right kind of messy. If you’re looking for high steam, you might find it a bit slow…but I guarantee you’ll at LEAST get a good sigh out of Jake’s adorable Scottish burr.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC! This story of Brooke and Jack told with flashbacks to their university days as well as current day, was poignant and heartbreaking. Their meet cute with mutual friends was so sweet that how could they have known he would end up as her TA and put both of their futures in jeopardy. Cut to seven years in the future, Brooke is called back to their university by her mentor and Jack is surprisingly part of the package deal. Will they won’t they - who knows but learning about their love story along the way was fantastic.

Scot and Bothered
by Alexandra Kiley

Scot and Bothered is a beautiful second chance romance set in Scotland. Brooke has always dreamed of being an Author but after an incident in college she lost her dream. Several years later Brooke is now a ghost writer and hides behind other Author names, but now has the chance to work with her Mentor on Mhairi’s memoir. She must travel Skye Trail to capture the beauty of the story.
Jack is Mhairi’s nephew and the reason why Brooke was kicked out of her program. Jack was stuck in his family tour business, the same family business in Kilt Trip. Jack doesn’t want to be an accountant with his Father, he dreams of being a photographer but can’t seem to say no to his parents. After his Aunt Mhairi hired him to take photos for her memoir, he joins Brooke on a hike of a lifetime.
Brooke must find a way to forgive Jack, and Jack has a secret his Aunt asked him to keep.
I absolutely adored Scot and Bothered. The relationship dynamic between Brooke and Jack was amazing. I enjoyed the chapters of the past, where we got to see Jack and Brooke fall in love for the first time. The descriptions of the Skye Trail made you feel as though you were hiking with them.
Scot and Bothered is connected to Kilt Trip, but it is not necessary to read one before the other.
I give Scot and Bothered 4 stars out of 5.

My favorite quote from the book is: “Don’t diminish it. Starting is the hardest part. And starting again..even harder.”

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read Scot and Bothered!

4/5 ⭐️

This was a great second chance romance and I loved the world building!

I enjoyed going between then and now, but I felt as if I was missing details and getting extra on topics I didn't care as much about. I would have loved more on their lives individually before they met up for the second time.

Brooke Sinclair has dreamt of becoming a published author for years, even attending University of Edinburgh to work with her favorite author. Seven years after her plans were derailed after an expulsion, she writes other people’s stories as a ghost writer. When her college mentor Mhairi McCallister needs a co-writer for her memoir about Scotland’s most challenging trek, Brooke is eager for the opportunity, even though she must hike the rugged Skye Trail for authenticity’s sake. However, she is less thrilled by her company, nature photographer Jack Sutherland, the man who shattered Brooke’s writing career—and her heart.

This is a road trip romance following two main timelines, Brooke and Jack seven years ago, and their present hike along the Skye Trail. With a dual timeline and dual povs, I felt like I sometimes lost the plot, but overall enjoyed the highly reflective story that focuses primarily on our main characters’ obligations and passions. I loved their journey along the trail, and thought the ending was beautiful, but I could have had a few less chapters that focused on their initial conflict from their college days.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for the chance to read and review this book!

My favorite part of reading a story set in Scotland is every beautiful thing I get to google pictures of along the way. It’s so easy to get lost in all of the descriptions along the Isle of Skye. The Mhairi plot was heartbreaking and inspiring. I love who she was to both Jack and Brooke and how their appreciation of her brings them back to each other. I loved the dual timelines for their story. It’s clear that Brooke is still carrying the past with her and can’t let it go so being able to see the full scope of their relationship was important. The one thing that did bother me was the lack of conversation around what happened 7 years ago. I totally get why Brooke was so mad and Jack and honestly, I’m not sure if what he did was forgiveable, or at least not without more to show me why it was. Overall, I loved the journey that I got to go on while reading this one!

A second chance romance set against the beautiful countryside of Scotland on the Skye Trail. I was expecting more descriptions of the beautiful trek the pair took and was a little disappointed with that aspect of the story, I didn't feel like I was transported to the setting.

I found the conflict between Brooke and Jack to be childish and I am always frustrated with miscommunication in a novel, it's 2025 let's go to therapy people 🤦‍♀️

The chemistry could be felt throughout this novel with tension building as the pair hiked the trail together. This is an open door romance with moderate spice (🔥🔥🔥/5).

really enjoyed this romance and how they helped each other and then found love. love that this took place in scotland.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the first book by Alexandra Kiley and so I had high expectations of this book. The first chapter was a little bit slow, but after that I really loved the book!

If you are looking for a funny dual timeline romance with the sweetest punny title set in Scotland, this one is for you! Warning: you will find yourself looking up airfare prices to the Isle of Skye lol

As I mentioned its dual timeline which at times felt laggy and I often wondered if we needed those flashback chapters though I appreciated the vibes of them. The reason for their breakup in the past felt forced but the present day chapters were so fun I pushed through. I think this would be an awesome audiobook read personally just because of the amazing scenery descriptions etc so I’m excited to try that format too

- slow burn, second chance, dual timeline

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫{3.5}
🌶️🫑{1.5}
KU🚫

This one was very cute and heartwarming! I loved the rekindling of their relationship and that it didn’t feel forced at all. The slow burn, especially with the dual timeline, was done very well! Some of the pacing was just a little off for me personally, but overall was mostly good. And while I loved the struggle Brooke was going through in finding her love and courage to be a writer, I felt as though we could have gained a little bit more insight into Jack’s love of photography in the beginning of the book. I just struggled to find a connection with him until I was nearing the end of the book. However, all this being said, I overall enjoyed it! The end had me tearing up with them talking to Mhairi and her advice after they got back from their adventure. I loved the overall theme of the book to go after your dreams and what/who you love! It also low key made me want to go backpacking again!

𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓲𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮:
🥾 only one tent
🌲 second chance romance
🥾 slow burn
🌲 dual timeline
🥾 dual pov
🌲 writer + photographer

𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛, 𝙷𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚗 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝙿𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝙲𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚂𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙽𝚎𝚝𝚐𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝙰𝚁𝙲. 𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚠𝚗.

I dont know if I am the only one who hugely misjudged both the cutesy cover and cheeky title of this book. But the story was far more serious than I was expecting.

Though I can say that I was hooked from the start. It’s told in dual point of view and in two time settings. Brooke and Jack met when they were young and in the University of Scotland, they were in love back then. They are certainly not in love now. But somehow they get thrown in together into an adventure hike where they can’t fail a person they both love.

Cue a bunch of feelings and many uncomfortable situations and you have a great book to pass the time and make you want to book the next plane to Scotland.

I'm unwell. I thought Kilt Trip would be my favorite but my gods Alexandra Kiley outdid herself.

I felt connected to Brooke by chapter 3 and fell in love with Jack immediately. If Kilt Trip was a love letter to Scotland then Scot and Bothered was a love letter to Skye. I need to get myself there post haste.

Hoping for the last Sutherland brother to get a book because I need to be back in their world!

I will literally read any romance book that has to do with Scotland, there is just something so romantic & special about them.

This story was so sweet I was here for the YERNING, genuinely I don’t think I would be able to survive hiking something like that with a past flame.

There was something just so beautiful about the journey our characters took & the way their relationship built as the story went on.

This was one of my first books by this author & I LOVED every moment.

I really loved reading Kilt Trip last year so I knew I was going to enjoy this! Scot and Bothered was the perfect second chance romance with sooooo much tension and angst. Even in their reunion in Mhairi’s office you could feel it and I was like “okay just kiss already PLEASE.”

I really enjoyed the dual POV and dual timeline. Jack was soooo smitten with her that you could see it even from Brooke’s POV. You could definitely tell that the two of them went through a lot of personal growth during their years apart. I thought it was interesting to see the two of them grow in their confidence in themselves and each other from the start to the end of the trail.

There were definitely some slower parts and I was trying to get out of a slump so this took me a bit to get through but I loved it regardless!

Scot and Bothered surprised me in the best way. While it delivers the charming, cozy second-chance romance you'd expect, it's also layered with unexpected depth and emotional resonance.

Alexandra Kiley masterfully navigates the characters' messy past and present, exploring themes of forgiveness and growth against the stunning backdrop of Scotland. The dual timelines effectively reveal the complexities of Brooke and Jack's history, adding layers of angst and pining to their rekindled connection. The chemistry between them is undeniable, fueled by a raw vulnerability as they grapple with past heartache and the possibility of future loss.

This isn't just a cute romance; it's a heartfelt journey of two people finding their way back to each other, making it an addictive and thoroughly satisfying read.

⭐ 4.25
🌶️ 1
🥵 Spicy chapters: 23, 35
📚 Tropes/Themes: second chance, it's always been you, forced proximity, Scottish highlands, photographer x writer, hiking, one tent, slow burn, flashbacks/dual timeline, soulmates
👀 Dual POV 3rd person
🩷 Something I liked: so much 🥹
🧠 Triggers: terminal illness, death
🛍️ Available: Now

💬 This was such a beautiful story. I really loved the way Kiley wrote these big messy feelings they're trying to work through- the past heartache, present feelings and future loss, especially when they are on the trail. The angst and pining were just 👌

I've visited a couple of these places before so it was really meaningful to me reading this book. I felt like I was there with them- the writing was so immersive.

The cover definitely misled me though, because I thought this was going to be more of a light, fluffy rom-com and not such a deep emotional and meaningful story. I guess I should've looked at the extra part of the title but I tend to go into books blind 🤣

I also enjoyed how the story is told in dual timelines so you get to watch Brooke and Jack slowly reunite while following their past up to their breakup in college, and I really love that writing technique (or whatever it's called lol)

Highly recommend this book but I have to mention.... Supine means lying on your back, not prone 🩷

If you are in the mood for a trip to Scotland without leaving the couch, Scot and Bothered is just the ticket! Brimming with the joy of falling in love, the beauty of the Isle of Skye and all of the angst of a second chance romance, this book is perfectly paced and keeps you hooked with alternating moments from then and now. Brooke and Jack are kindred spirits and their seven year separation allowed them to grow and appreciate each other more when they were brought back together. With just the right hits of spice, this book was a dream to read! 4/5 for me, because I loathe miscommunication, but they had one of the best conversations afterwards I’ve read!