3.5 stars.

"Scot and Bothered" by Alexandra Kiley isn't quite as amazing as "Kilt Trip," but it's still a really good follow-up! This second-chance, forced-proximity, forbidden (college T.A./student), past-versus-present, only-one-tent/bed romance set in Scotland will certainly make you want to drop everything and fly over to the land of the Gaels. The Scottish setting plays an important role in this book, too. You can almost feel the mist hitting you in the face as it rolls off the moors, sense the squishing of mud at your feet, and feel the wind whipping in your hair as you read this novel. You can see craggy rocks, uncharted paths, and trees and mountains galore. As for the main characters, Brooke and Jack do have excellent banter with one another, though I wasn't totally sold on their romance until about halfway through reading this book. I could have used a bit more chemistry between them beyond the physical. There is also an emotional undercurrent running through their story as Jack's aunt Mhairi wants Brooke to ghostwrite her memoir and seems to be on a tight and quick timeline to get it done. Brooke doesn't exactly know why, but Jack does, leading to a lot of conflicted emotions for him as they trapse across Scotland taking pictures and writing, respectively.. The story also has a lot to say about legacy and what you leave behind when you're gone. This story is very similar to "Kilt Trip" in many ways, but without a lot of the emotional punch and chemistry between leads. Still, this story is definitely worth reading. I did like the dual audiobook narration by Angus King and Savannah Davies. Angus King, in particular, makes this story shine with his voiceover work.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alexandra Kiley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Canary Street Press for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Ok when the title is a play on “hot and bothered” I go in with expectations of spicy scenes, hijinks, and hopefully some good descriptive Scottish landscapes. I got so so much more than that with this book. I oscillated between wanting to burn through the story as quick as my eyes could carry me and wanting to slow down and savor it so I wouldn’t have to finish it and say goodbye to the characters. I was definitely wondering how on earth Jack was ever going to be worthy of a second chance initially but the slow build of the backstory showing some of the development and how things unfolded was perfectly balanced in my opinion. The best part of this story for me wasn’t even Brooke and Jack’s romance (although I loved that too), but Brooke rediscovering herself and her ambition. I think there are a lot of times when you feel like you just need to stop and recalibrate yourself when you feel you’re going in the wrong direction and this was like the ideal of what would happen if we gave in to that desire. Her switch over to ghostwriting made perfect sense to her character and her situation, but her courage to step outside of her self-imposed box after being burned on being adventurous in the past was admirable. Her and Jack’s connection to Mhairi and how that affected their interactions both with each other and with the trail was beautiful as well. I didn’t realize initially that there was a standalone prequel of sorts but I will be reading that ASAP as well!

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Review to be cross posted on Goodreads and StoryGraph applications.

Thank you to @canarystreetpress for my eARC and thank you to @bookswithnopictures and @just_talking_to_my_shelf for including me in this traveling ARC!!

I loved @akileybooks “Kilt Trip” last year and was so excited to be included in this #travelingarc
Jack and Brooke were an item at university in Edinburgh with Brooke dreaming of being a writer. Their twin flames burned bright but an incident got Brooke expelled with Jack part of that incident. Since then, she has worked hard to still write and has started a career as a ghostwriter. Brooke is asked to write her mentor’s memoir about the Skye Trail but needs to visit to make the book more authentic. And Jack just happens to be the photographer assigned to the project.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Read for:
-Dual timeline
-Vivid imagery of the Skye Trail (swipe for a picture- my brother hiked part of it a few years ago)
-Second chance romance
-Soulmates
-Heartfelt and, at times, heavier content

CW: themes of fatal illness in a loved one, cancer, spice (but it’s skippable if that’s not your thing). I wasn’t expecting all the feels so FYI going in!

I loved this book, it was such a warm and fun read. It had some of the tropes that I love but without it being predictable.

Hi there and welcome to another video. Today, we’re reviewing Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley.

If you’re thinking about checking out Scot and Bothered yourself, you don’t have to worry about spoilers in this video. The first half of my videos are always spoiler-free, so you can see if this book is your cup of tea.

After a quick summary and a basic review, I’ll give a clear spoiler warning before I do a deep dive into my thoughts and opinions on the book.

Here’s a quick content warning for Scot and Bothered:

- Cancer
- Death
- Family stress
- Explicit intimacy

Scot and Bothered is a second-chance love story, told partially from the past, and partially from the present as Brooke and Logan are forced on a hike together. Mhairi, Logan’s aunt and Brooke’s mentor, tasks them with helping her finish her memoir. Brook is a writer, and Jack is taking the photos.

Throughout the hike, we see them tackle their own creative issues, discover their strength, and kindle a relationship from college they realize they never should have let go.

Before I give you my review for Scot and Bothered, let’s do a quick run through of my rating system.

- One star means that I could not finish the book.
- Two stars means that I struggled to finish, but I did.
- Three stars means I enjoyed it, it was okay.
- Four stars means I really liked it and I would recommend it to a friend.
- And five stars, which is my highest honor, means I would read the book again.

Scot and Bothered gets a four-star rating from me because I enjoyed it and would recommend it to a friend, but I probably wouldn’t read it again. If you’re a fan of travel or adventure in romance, you might enjoy this one—imagery from the trail and a pressing sense of urgency really helped to up the stakes in this one.

The characters are fairly likeable, have good chemistry, and I really found myself rooting for them—despite their pitfalls—throughout the book.

If you read Scot and Bothered and enjoyed it, these are some other titles you may enjoy:

### Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley

If you liked Scot and Bothered, it only makes sense that you’re going to like Kilt Trip. This one keeps it in the family, being about Jack’s brother, Logan, and a travel consultant who arrives just in time to help them re-vamp their family touring business. It shows you more of Scotland and has the same touch of workplace and enemies to lovers as Scot and Bothered.

### Beach Read by Emily Henry

In Scot and Bothered, Brooke struggles with her writing career, and works together with Jack to create a stunning memoir for his aunt. If you liked that aspect, you may also enjoy Beach Read, in which the characters swap genres for the summer, and writing is a central theme of the book. This one is also enemies-to-lovers.

### Wanderlust by Elle Everhart

Wanderlust tells the story of a disgruntled journalist who enters a giveaway for a trip around the world, all expenses paid. The only catch is that she has to take the trip with a random contact from her phone—who turns out to be a guy she ghosted. This one has all the same themes of travel and forced proximity we get with Scot and Bothered, with a much lesser second chance element.

We are now entering the spoiler-filled part of the video. If you like the sound of this book and want to read it, click away from the video, go read it, and come back for the deep dive.

Scot and Bothered tells Brooke and Jack’s story both from the present and the past, starting out with their current situation—broken up, and Brooke really not liking Jack for something he’s done—and sprinkling in scenes of the past, showing how they got together in the first place.

Brooke is working as a ghostwriter, and is helping Mhairi, her mentor, put together a memoir about the hiking trail she developed in your youth. Brooke isn’t happy about being a ghostwriter—would prefer to create her own stuff—but has gotten stuck in a kind of rut.

Upon delivering the first draft of the memoir, Brooke gets feedback from the editor that the writing is a bit flat, and they need something to breathe life into the book.

That thing, apparently, is for Brook to go on the hike herself. But it’s dangerous to go alone, and Mhairi is already sending a photographer to capture the scenery. It just so happens that photographer turns out to be Jack.

At first, Brooke doesn’t want to go, but, caring more about the book, decides she can deal with Jack if it means going on the hike with him.

Through flashes to the past, we see Brooke and Jack meeting at a party, getting to know one another, and sharing several mutual friends. Their budding relationship comes to a halt when they enter the new semester and realize Jack is the TA for one of Brooke’s classes.

Despite the unfortunate situation, the two decide to continue their friendship, exploring the city together, hanging out with their friends, and generally getting to know one another better.

In the present, they arrive at the trail, and begin hiking with some of the other visitors. Brooke is hostile toward Jack, avoiding his attempts to talk to her and generally making it clear she wants nothing to do with him during the hike.

But the hike puts them in dangerous situations—crossing high, rocky paths along the edge, swarms of bugs descending on them—and they grow closer through the trials.

Jack apologizes to her for what he did in the past (which we’re still not fully clued into) and they agree that they need to at least be on good speaking terms in order to hike the path safely.

They talk about some of Mhairi’s past exploits—the fact that she helped to form the trail, and how she’d helped the local people get around tolls for the bridge. We can already see that Brooke is reforming her work for the memoir, improve the life and color in the writing.

In the past, we see their first kiss, which they immediately agree shouldn’t have happened, and how difficult it is for them to stay away from one another. Brooke appreciates Jack’s love of photography more than anyone, and it gives him confidence. We also see that Brooke is trying for an writing fellowship after graduation with Mhairi, and it’s very important to her.

Back in the present, Jack and Brooke are stuck in a windstorm. And, of course, Jack’s tent is whipped away in the wind, leaving them with a one-bed situation. Brooke realizes she’s getting closer and closer to him, and they try to find a hotel or somewhere else to stay, but there’s nothing on such short notice.

That night, her fear of thunderstorms gets her back into Jack’s arms, where she wakes up the next morning after them cuddling together all night. Seeing some of the other hikers from the start of her trip, she gets them to come along with them as a way to create some distance between her and Jack.

When she wakes up the following night, she finds Jack awake and taking pictures, and they talk about their passions, futures, and discuss which way they’ll be taking on the trail.

We see flashes of the past, where the two of them have fallen into an intense secret relationship, hiding the truth from their friends and everyone else. That is, until Rohan—their friend and another TA for the class—walks in and finds them together. He insists that they have to end the relationship, and stay away from each other for a while so nobody will find out.

They decide to be more careful and to keep it a secret.

In the present, through Jack’s perspective, we know that there’s a reason Mhairi wants this memoir done now—she’s ill, and won’t make it much longer. Jack knows this, but Brooke doesn’t.

They continue making their way along the trail, and Jack and Brooke break apart from the others again, going on alone. Finding a little rest area, they spend time with others and get to sleep in a bed together—but in a room full of other people.

Brooke starts to write for herself again, but also gets news about an opportunity to ghostwrite a memoir for a huge celebrity. We see her torn between stability and what she knows, and going for writing her own stuff to truly follow her dreams.

In their memories once more, we see Jack bringing Brooke home to meet his parents. Jack and his parents get into a dificult conversation about him coming back to the family company—even though it’s clear he’d much rather do photography. right in the middle of all that, Mhairi walks in.

As a professor of the school, she’s immediately appalled by the knowledge that they’re together. Mhairi is required to disclose their relationship to the school. So Jack makes his own decision, and decides to disclose it himself, first.

When he does this, the Dean takes Brooke out of the class, which means she won’t graduate, which means she won’t be able to do the writing fellowship that summer.

Back in the present, Brooke and Jack reach a cabin, where they finally fall into each other after so much time resisting it. When Brooke finds out about Mhairi, she’s upset that Jack kept the secret from her, but realizes it wasn’t his secret to tell. For a second, we think this might be leading to the third act breakup, but it’s not.

Instead, Brooke takes the news hard, and she thinks she won’t be able to write her own stuff without Mhairi’s support. So she’s considering taking the ghostwriting gig—and inviting Jack to come with her to Los Angeles. He insists that she’s running away from her dreams, and they decide to split again.

When Brooke talks to Mhairi, Mhairi tells her she picked Brooke to write for her because of her skill, and she didn’t tell her she was sick because she didn’t want her memoir to read like a memorial.

One of Jack’s photographs gets into a gallery, and when he tells his family, he finally has a heart-to-heart with his dad about his career and not working for the family business. It’s through this conversation that Jack realizes he doesn’t want to let Brooke get away again.

They have a celebration of life for Mhairi, which she is in attendance for, and Jack does a presentation showing all the photos he took while he and Brooke were hiking together.

After their respective speeches at Mhairi’s service, they come together again, each apologizing for the way they acted.

All in all, I really enjoyed Scot and Bothered. I thought the characters were well-balanced, and I was genuinely rooting for them. I also felt the conflict in their past hit that sweet spot between believable as a reason to break up, and something not-too-terrible that they could over-come as adults.

I gave this one a four-star rating because I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to a friend, but I would not read it again.

I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this book, but I ended up really enjoying it! I love a second-chance romance. Reading Brooke and Jack's story was so sweet, and I liked the two timelines to better understand their backstory.

4.25⭐
Scotland proves to be as much of a character as Jack and Brooke in this lovely second chance story. And the lyrical and evocative descriptions of it elevated my enjoyment. I could feel the wind whipping, the scent of the sea and the impossibly beautiful landscape. After the disastrous end of their graduate school relationship, Jack and Brooke have gone their separate ways. However, his beloved aunt, Mharari, and her writing mentor needs them work together on her memoir. Brooke will co-author while Jack takes the photos as they trek the trail that Mharari established. And will it lead them back to each other.

Thank you for the eArc! This is a second chance romance set in Scotland between our FMC Brooke and MMC Jake. The story has dual timelines, alternating between the past and present. The past highlights when Brooke and Jake were first together in a forbidden relationship that ultimately ended. While the present, focuses on how they are forced to be back together as partners on a project that involves a writing and a hiking experience. I really liked the atmosphere and setting for the book. It made me want to go to Scotland ASAP! The timelines really highlighted the angst and tension from Brooke and Jake's past. Though the two were definitely conflicted and had issues communicating, I felt like the yearning and chemistry was there all along. It's a good read for those that like rom-coms, second chance romance, and UK setting.

I loved this!! Everything except the third-act breakup was perfection. The dual timeline was fun. It was pretty clean for language and spice.

A second chance romance, an atmospheric setting, themes of grief, a dual timeline, and self discovery.

Seven years after breaking each other’s hearts, Brooke Sinclair and Jack Sutherland are thrust back together to work on a project together that requires them to hike through the highlands.

Alexandra Kiley did such an incredible job bringing the story to life with her vivid descriptions of Scotland. It made it easy to feel immersed in the plot.

I enjoyed getting to know Brooke and Jack in both the past where they first fall for one another to the present where they struggle to be around each other again after the fall out. But I do wish we explored their connection a bit more.

The stand out parts of the book to me were definitely the characters personal journeys. How they pursued their dreams and started truly living a life worth documenting.

Overall this was a good story! Thank you to the author and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for the ARC!

“Maybe it wasn’t so easy to edit in real life, to delete and revise and correct, but she was so grateful for the grace to fail and make mistakes and still find a happy ending”

Thank you Canary Street Press and HTPHive for the free book! #hive #htppartner All opinions are my own.

Scot and Bothered is a beautifully told story filled with longing and carefully crafted discussions of grief and second chances.

I was lucky enough to have been gifted both an audio and digital copy of the story and enjoyed both immensely. Angus King and Savannah Davies were flawless in their dual narration so if you are an audiobook listener then this is one that I would highly recommend!

Brooke is a ghostwriter who is afraid to step into the spotlight after being expelled from the University of Edinburgh seven years before. But when her college mentor needs a co-writer for her memoir about the Skye Trail, Scotland’s most challenging trek, she has no choice but to lace up her hiking boots and set out to experience the trail for herself. Unfortunately she soon learns that she will be hiking alongside the man who destroyed her writing career all those years before and left her brokenhearted. Brooke isn’t sure that she can face the hurt she has felt for years in order to open herself up to a second chance to live her dreams but she is willing to try and find common ground.

I am a big fan of second chance romances and I loved how the author wove together Jack and Brooke’s points of view. There is heartache and plenty of messy moments but in the end their love for one another holds true. I will also note that while their love story was beautiful, my favorite part of the book is the messages of grace and the importance of finding the confidence within yourself to fully chase your dreams and find your happy.

The immersive atmosphere and all things Scotland is also a huge plus so if you are fan of travel romance and enjoy emotional stories filled with love and second chances then this is a perfect pick!

Scot and Bothered is available now

Read if you like:

Dual POV
Dual Timeline
Slow burn
Forced Proximity
Travel Romance
Second Chance
Some Spice

The hairy coo on the cover drew me in, but the love story made my stay🥰

I have nothing but great things to say about Scot and Bothered. The way Kiley weaved such vivid descriptions made me feel as if I was actually immersed in the hills of the Highlands! I studied abroad in Scotland at the University of Glasgow, and one of the few things I didn't do while I was there was take the trek to the Isle of Skye. After reading Scot and Bothered, I felt like I was truly there, hiking along with Jack & Brooke. I could feel the soft, squishy, boggy soil beneath my feet; could hear the soft buzz of the serenity that is Scotland. I could almost taste the briny ocean, and I certainly felt the angry pelter of the tumultuous rain (that I always tended to get caught in unknowingly myself when I ran to the library!). Kiley really brought Scotland & the relationship of Jack and Brooke to life on the pages.

This second chance romance, split between past and present POVs, really tugged at my heartstrings. Jack and Brooke were each trying to overcome the past, overcome the fears of what had happened and what could still happen. And that celebration at the end? It was the perfect way to complete this book❤️ I would recommend this to anyone who loves reading about characters chasing their dreams!

If broody Scotsmen, second-chance romance, and a healthy dose of forced proximity are your thing, Scot and Bothered is here to deliver.

Alexandra Kiley takes us straight into the heart of the Scottish Highlands, where ghostwriter Brooke and photographer Jack are thrown together for an adventure neither of them is emotionally prepared for. Their history? Messy. Their chemistry? Still very much alive. Their accommodations? One tent. You see where this is going, and it happens in dual timelines with a ton of juicy detail.

Between the rugged landscapes, the small-town charm, and the spot-on Scottish accents (seriously, reading them was half the fun), this book was a win. I loved Mhairi—Jack’s aunt and Brooke’s mentor—she steals every scene she’s in. She’s the wise, stubborn, hiking-obsessed battle-axe that is the center of gravity in this novel.

There’s a good bit of angst, some grief,some well-earned swoon, and the kind of romance that makes you want to book a one-way ticket to Scotland. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for the e-copy—this one was a delight!

Scottish and Bothered by Alexandra Riley is an adventurous stay away story that is quirky ans charming. This book has the feel of a 2000s rom com for sure!

Scot and Bothered

An emotional second chance romance set in Scotland! Told in alternating chapters between 'Then' when Brooke and Jack were at University together, and 'Now', seven years later, when they are forced together on a hiking adventure. There is so much tension between them - before, when their relationship was against university policy because Jack was a TA for Brooke's class, and now, with the simmering tension of how their lives turned out after they got expelled.

Honestly, this one was heavy. It was hard to feel the chemistry and romance between Brooke and Jack because of the intense tension and secrets. This one was ultimately not for me but I think it could be great for someone looking for:

- Second Chance Romance
- Scottish outdoorsy adventure
- Emotional, pining romance

Thank you to Canary Street Press for the ARC! My opinions are my own.

Take a journey to Scotland and traverse the renowned Skye Trail with Jack & Brooke. Alexandra Kiley once again transports readers directly into the vast landscape of Scotland. I felt like I was journeying alongside characters seeing all the sites so expertly described. This is what truly sets Kiley’s stories apart, the connection to the land and to the heart. I adored Jack & Brooke’s story and revisiting the Sutherland family. The family bond here is strong and knowing how lost Jack felt within his family, it was wonderful seeing his connection to Mhairi and how she understood him. We all need that family member who sees past what we put out in the world, that sees the truth beneath the carefully crafted facade. Mhairi truly became a huge character, not just in her person but in the lasting impressions and guidance she left. Watching Jack’s vlog videos throughout the journey, my heart squeezed every time he started. Aching for the loneliness and loss he was feeling. I truly appreciated the back and forth in timeline, to be able to see into Jack & Brooke’s past in real time allowed us to connect to their troubles and mistakes and built a hope for their future. This story is packed with with heart, some lasting life truths and a journey of discovery between two people who thought they’d lost their chance. In the end finding that timing is everything and sometimes we have to live that old adage, “If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it was meant to be.”

𝙎𝙘𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙖 𝙆𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙮
Thank you, Canary Street Press, for the free advanced copy. This is out now!

Heartfelt, adventurous, and filled with a hope that instantly draws you in 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 is a perfect second chance romance.

Jack Sutherland and Brooke Sinclair are instantly drawn to each other in university, but like most young people, they fall apart.

Years later, they remain connected through their connection to Mhairi McCallister, Jack’s aunt and Brooke’s mentor. Mhairi taps the two to capture her memoir and sends them on a trek through the Scottish Isles.

Jack and Brooke's perfect blend of yearning and tension tugged the reader through the story. I needed a second chance to be angsty, and this slow burn really delivered.

Told in dual timelines, I adored witnessing their beginning and their reunion. The anger and hurt on both sides felt believable, yet the flitters of love were palatable in both timelines.

I so appreciated the way Kiley weaved the past into the present. My favorite thing about a second chance is when the reckoning (to borrow from the great Eli Mora) seems inevitable. Both Jack and Brooke had grown and matured in between, yet they both harbored a lot of hurt. I felt the past moments helped to cement why they were so taken by each other yet set up a believable conflict!

It is my first of her books (I will be back to read more about Logan), and I instantly fell for her writing. Descriptive without being fluffy, I truly felt I was experiencing the Skye Trail right along with them.
While mostly off-page, Mhairi is an influential secondary character, and her wisdom shapes both Jack and Brooke.

Finally, I loved how Jack and Brooke blamed each other for their career struggles when, in fact, both feared taking risks. I found this highly relatable; growth is scary!

I truly enjoyed this second chance tale!

I liked this book! Light, frothy, and DEFINITELY makes me excited for my upcoming trip to the UK! I related so much to the heroine’s struggle, and I loved the voice, but ultimately it was a little forgetful of a book for me. I would recommend to a friend looking for an escapist romance.

Scot and Bothered is guaranteed to give you the travel bug.

Two exes must hike a trail on the Isle of Skye as they partner together on a project, writing and taking photographs for a mutual loved one’s memoir. Along the way, we get glimpses into their past together and see them both strive to prove themselves in the present.

Once upon a time, giving into their chemistry was off-limits. Now many years after breaking each other’s hearts, can they withstand those sparks still sizzling under the surface?

At a glance:
- Dual POV
- Second chance
- Dual Timeline
- Forced proximity
- Travel Romance
- Forbidden / off-limits romance
- Only one tent
- Only one bunk

This book is dripping in want. Want in the past. Want in the present. Brooke and Jack know how to yearn, y’all.

I received an advance copy of the ebook from Harlequin Trade Publishing and HTP Hive. All review opinions are my own.

Brooke is an American expat writer living in Edinburgh who has lost her own story and has been hiding behind ghostwriting gigs for the last several years. She is currently working on a memoir for her mentor, a full-of-life English professor who once helped create a rugged hiking trail through a remote island off the cost of Scotland. In order to bring this story to life, Brooke decides to hike the entire trail herself. Unfortunately, she must accompany the photographer for the memoir - Jack, who broke her heart 7 years ago and crushed her desire to write her own stories. As they battle nature and themselves on this harrowing trek, they find that they cannot escape their shared history, and that there may be a future for them after all. There is delicious yearning and tension set against a beautiful backdrop of Scottish scenery. Their journey through the cliffs is broken up by flashbacks to their burgeoning romance, where it is clear that their love, then and now, is inevitable. Thank you for an ARC of this gorgeously written book!