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!

This was such a cute little story. I love a good second chance romance, and the idea of this being about the scenery and love of Scotland really made me feel like I was in another place. This was great!

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book was so close to being 5 stars for me. It was a second chance, dual-timeline romance and both times that these two fell in love were delicious. The first time, they have a forbidden aspect to their relationship because he is a TA for one of her college classes. Seven years later, after things ended poorly for them the first time, there is a forced proximity storyline where they are backpacking in the wilderness together for work. The book flips back and forth between the two timelines which was SO fun.

However, the last 20% was kind of a let down for me. The final "conflict" that they faced was disappointing after I absolutely loved the whole journey of getting there.

Thanks to netgalley and harlequin for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review

This was just okay for me. The premise was promising, winter in Scotland, touring the Isle of Skye for a book with a l landscape photographer that happens to be an ex, shenanigans ensue. I just wanted a little more intensity, both from the characters and the story. Maybe just not in the right mood? Released March 4.

I really enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of Edinburgh and the Isle of Skye. As someone who has visited Scotland, I felt it embodied so much of what I love about the country. While I liked the flashbacks, the revelation of what separated the couple took a while to get to. It made part of the end feel rushed.

2.75! I liked the overall plot - I love a second chance romance. I just didn’t believe the connection between the two main characters. They never truly have a conversation or have it all out in the air about what happened before/talk through it. There are a few times it’s lightly discussed but I wanted a larger confrontation so we could truly move past it - it never felt like there was closure for that. It also went from I hate him to I’ve loved him the whole time a bit too quickly for me. It felt like too big of a switch up especially with there being no resolution of their past. I also didn’t care for the third act breakup?

Thanks Netgalley and HTP books for the arc in exchange for a honest review!

Do you like dual timeline romances? Second chance? Only one tent? If the answer to these questions is yes (and even if it isn’t) then I have a recommendation for you!

Alex’s writing is so lovely, and I soaked up this book like someone trying to savor every drop of olive oil using fresh-baked, crunchy bread. The setting is sublime, the burn is slow, the proximity is forced, and I was so here for it all.

Read for:
⛺️ Only one tent
⛺️ Dual timeline
⛺️ Second chance
⛺️ Photographer x Writer
⛺️ Hiking
⛺️ ANGST
⛺️ Beautiful writing

Thank you to @canarystreetpress and @akileybooks for the #gifted copy to use as a traveling book. All thoughts are my own.