Thank you so much to Alexandra Kiley for the gifted finished copy of Scot and Bothered, and for HTP/Canary Street Press for the eARC via NetGalley! These are my honest thoughts!

I'm obsessed with this universe + the scenery + adventure makes me want to hop on a plan to head to the Scottish highlands, stat.

I've loved returning to Jack's family, and this second chance/dual timeline romance has the perfect balance of reveal + tension to keep me coming back for more. Just like Kilt Trip, this book ripped my heart out. There's some seriously deep emotional turmoil that happens between these two characters. Jack and Brooke had an epic ending back in college, and in the years since, both have regretted how things went down. The slow way they fell in love the second time, reminiscent of adventures from the first time, made me fall head over heels for their love story. The echoes and callbacks between timelines was well-written, and when the tension finally released, I was both relieved and still worried for their future, which is the BEST kind of slow burn!

Read if you love:
- HE FALLS FIRST
- dual timeline
- second chance
- photography x writer
- travel
- only one tent ;)
- Scotland
- hiking adventure on the Skye Trail
- forced proximity
- reconcile the past
- re-discovering yourself + what you want
- caring and grieving for people who are SUPER important to you

LOVED this story. Hoping we get a third book from the Sutherland boys!

For many, times feel rather troubled. Sometimes, in that situation, a bit of escapist fun is called for. That is what this title offers.

The glue in the story is a woman named Mhairi. She brings together the book’s protagonists. They are Brooke and Mhairi’s nephew Jack. Both have had some bumps along the road. Brooke was expelled from university while Jack, who was also forced to leave university, has turned his back on a family business. The two are brought together when they hike the Skye Trail at Mhairi’s request for her memoir.

These two have some past history. The question now is what will their future hold?

I loved visiting Skye with this couple. Readers will want things to work out for them.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Canary Street Press and Harlequin Audio for the gifted copies of Scot and Bothered!

I listened to this on a whim without even reading Kilt Trip first and OMGGGGGG you guys, this book is SO good. You cannot read this book and tell them this author isn’t an expert at her craft. The writing, the romance, the character development — it’s all executed flawlessly. Chef’s kiss. Perfection.

Set mostly on the Isle of Skye during a hiking trip, Scot and Bothered is highly atmospheric and will make you feel like you’re in Scotland! The scenery is so vividly described that it engages all five senses, completely immersing you in the setting. The author also uses dual timelines to set the scene, alternating between present day and eight (I think) years ago, when the characters first met and fell in love. I don’t usually enjoy books set in college, but this one nails the balance between then and now, giving us just enough history to establish their past without making it feel like a “college romance.”

But the best part of this book is Jack and Brooke’s relationship. If you’ve ever read a review where someone said the chemistry was off the charts, this is what they meant. It’s not about steam, it’s about how perfect they are for each other. Their love feels fated in a way that’s rooted in deep emotional connection, not just lust. From their forbidden romance in college where they try (and fail) to stay away from each other, to their present day reunion, still grappling with the hurt from years ago, every part of their journey felt real. Rom com writers should study these two. Readers, prepare to kick your feet with giddy delight.

Read for:
Second chance romance
Atmospheric setting (Scotland!)
Books about writers
Forced proximity
Well-developed characters on a journey

I really enjoyed this second chance romance. The setting is Scotland and the author does a fantastic job of bringing it to life with her words. Her descriptions of it made me feel as though I was there. I really enjoyed the alternating timelines as well. The conflict of the book was a little frustrating as it could have been so easily solved with a little communication but that is often the case in these types of books. I have previously never read anything by this author but will definitely check out her other stuff now. I am so thankful for a chance to read this arc.

Second chance romance set along a beautiful Scottish hiking trail. Brooke and Jack met and fell in love when she was a student and he was a TA. The forbidden romance crumbled and caused a scandal. Now they are forced together as she ghost writes goes aunt’s memoir and he takes photos for the book. Lots more tropes, forced proximity, just one tent, etc. The way it was written made me want to hike though Scotland.

A second-chance romance between an American writer and a Scottish photographer as they hike the Isle of Skye.

What’s to love...
- Second chance romance
- Scotland setting (hiking the Isle of Skye)
- dual timeline
- only one tent
- slow burn
- themes of grief & self-discovery
- bookish book (writer FMC)
- detailed atmosphere and descriptions of the landscape

What I didn't love…
- I am personally not a fan of dual timeline so that was a negative for me - but I know lots of ppl enjoy it!
- Also not a huge fan of overly descriptive travel scenery so that was a miss for me - but again, I know some ppl enjoy it!
- overall I felt like it lacked tension and banter, the whole book just felt “fine” - certainly not a bad book but not one I'll be itching to reread soon.

Thank you NetGalley and HTP Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I approached this book thinking "oo, a romance novel in Scotland." And perhaps that is all it is and all the author wants it to be and I should not be looking for more. But as I read, I wanted more. The story happens because the MC is ghostwriting a book on the Skye Trail and she gets sent out to walk it because she doesn't bring the soul of the trail into it. And the same can be said about the book. The backstory is dull and lame and who cares. There's another note on the Skye Trail book that says sometimes a book need a preface that quickly summarizes the back story- that could have been done here as well, The back story is so unbelievable and like all things, once you start picking, you make it worse and it's just totally ugh.
But the present story is good. If she had brough in more of the trail. The book could have happened anywhere- she gives you no sense of the majesty At the end of the Bad Step section, I, like I'm assuming many readers will, googled Bad Step Skey and watched some videos and OMG!
I've done long distance trails in Scotland and they are magical. Like she says in the book, they bring you back to yourself and allow you to reach who you are and who you want to be. She touches that, but more would have been nice. There's a scene in a bothy where you get the connection hikers make on the trail, the depth of comradery. I had to put the book down to cry because of that love, remembering the friends I've met, the absolute warmth you feel for complete strangers who have had the same pain you did. I remember having dinner the night we finished the West Highland Wat and someone said "did anyone else stop at the praying stone and pray this would be over," One of the best laughs of my life that only comes from that experience and comradery.
But back to the book, I wanted more of the way such walks touch and affect your soul. I wanted her to get out of her one track mind and realize the power she holds in the world, whether or not the guy loves her. She is so young in the flashback sections and she has done nothing in the intervening 7 years? Is she ready for this great love she thinks she's getting? I hate hate hate the book Wild, but there she finds the trip a way to find herself and grow. I don't think this character grows much (is that really the purpose of a romance I guess) This character finds the trail a way to refind old love and because of that she feels she can grow, I don't predict long, everlasting love coming out of this

Clearly I wanted a different book than the one that was written. And perhaps I would not pick up that other book, cause I wanted to read a nice romance book that takes place in Scotland and bonus, it's on a trail. But she gives me just enough of that other to want that more than what she gives me. And brings the heart that I cried solidly for the last 20 minutes. I'm happy she brought me to Skye, even if it made me forget I was happy I was reading a romance novel.

Scot and Bothered is an emotional second chance romance between a writer and photographer who are collaborating on a memoir. The cover and title are so fun and cute, but, like an Emily Henry book, the story is deep and focuses on the characters' growth as much as the romance. Kiley's descriptions of the Scottish landscape are beautiful and immersive- Skye sounds like an incredible place.

Scotland's beautiful landscape, in all its glory.

I loved being a part of Alex's Street Team and I loved immersing myself into Brooke and Jack's lives and their trip along the Skye Trail, with all the authenticity of the incredible scenery, as the pair are thrown together once again, as they hike their way along, taking incredible photographs and writing up their travels as they go.

Told in two timelines, then, (seven years ago) and now. We flip between the two with 'then' explaining just what happened between the two of them and in my opinion, the mistake Jack made, all those years ago when he broke Brooke's heart. But now they get a second chance at the love they had for each other, but only time will tell if Brooke can put the past behind her.

Scot and Bothered is another enjoyable read from Alex, and her love and passion for Scotland and all things Scottish is evident through her writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alexandra Kiley for the opportunity to read and review Scot and Bothered.

4.5⭐️ Who doesn’t love a Scottish MMC. Loved the second chance romance and forced proximity. I’ve read a couple books with ghost writers now, I’m so intrigued to know more about the process.

Brooke is working hard to earn a fellowship with her hero, Mhairi McCallister. Little did she know that one party would begin a forbidden relationship with a TA. Despite the fact Jack isn’t her TA, it’s still a big no no. Will this ruin her opportunity of a life time.

Jack is head over heels for Brooke. The only problem. She’s a student. But he can’t help himself. While he can’t say the L word yet, this is real and big. But what will it mean for him and the expectation his family has for him.

Years later, their paths are still blended. Will it be together or apart.

Thank you @netgalley @akileybooks and @harlequinbooks for the advanced reader copy. #scotandbothered #netgalley #romancereader #arcreview #romance

3.75 Sweet & sexy second chance romance. Brooke Sinclair is a successful ghostwriter, having given up her dream of writing her own stories. Jack Sutherland is trying to live his dream of being a photographer. They have to come together to work on the memoir of Brooke’s mentor & Jack’s aunt. The problem is their shared history & the betrayal that ended their relationship. As they trek through the Isle of Skye, they have to learn to trust each other again. And maybe learn to trust themselves.

3.5-4⭐️

I enjoyed this one overall, but I did have a few issues with it. I’ll start with the positive:

What I liked:

The author’s vivid descriptions about Scotland completely sweep you away and make you feel like you are walking the streets of Edinburgh or hiking the trail on the Isle of Skye with our MCs. It was so atmospheric and immersive!

I am a sucker for a second chance romance and thought this one was well-done! The tension, the piningggg, the yearninggggg, the stolen glances, forbidden touches, etc. 😍 The hopefulness and passion of their initial love story, the heartbreak of their split, the pain and regret in their time apart, the struggle to overcome the hurt from their past while fighting their lingering feelings, the joy and peace of repairing old wounds and unexpectedly rediscovering their love.

I also enjoyed the fact that we got both POVs so we could understand both sides of the story and saw both of their vulnerabilities, insecurities, struggles, and hopes in pursuing their dreams as well as love. I loved how they supported and encouraged each other’s dreams and brought out the best in each other! I thought that the element of grief added some nice depth to the story as well.

I really enjoyed the Dual Timeline storytelling format as a way to show how they fell for each other, how they lost a good thing and lost a bit of themselves too, and how they came to to forgive and fall in love again. I thought the past chapters were perfectly juxtaposed with the present chapters to highlight the little moments from the past that are reflected in the present to show that, while many things have changed for them, some things never changed between them. 😍

✨“I’m a ghost. This faded version of myself.” “You’re still so bright to me.”

✨ “Sometimes we have to f*ck it all up to know how to do it right.”

✨“ I have your history, Brooke. I want your future, too.”

✨ “I want to be your lover and your partner and your best friend.”

✨“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.”

————————————————————————————-
What didn’t work quite as well for me:
(potentially mild spoilers)

I was not entirely convinced by their romance. It was a bit instalovey in the past chapters and the snippets of their past that we got in those chapters weren’t enough to convince me of the forever-love they seemed so sure of. It felt more like infatuation than love to me. I also thought things seemed forgiven/resolved way too easily in the present without any enough discussion to process through it. I thought that the present relationship was mostly driven by lust and lingering feelings. They struggled with communication issues both in the past and present which made it hard to believe they would last.

I feel like we were missing info from their time apart—for example, how did Brooke stay in Scotland (without a student visa or work visa—this feels a little unrealistic without any explanation)? Did they date other people? How did she land on ghostwriting as her career path? How did Brooke get closer to Mhairi and become her mentee after everything that happened? Did Mhairi ever acknowledge to Brooke her part in her and Jack’s break up? I feel like we got more of Jack’s backstory than Brooke’s so I was left with more questions about her side of things.

One thing I sometimes struggle with In Second chance romances is when there is a long gap apart (in this case 7 years). I find it difficult to believe that neither of them would’ve reached out or run into each other especially if they both still had feelings AND shared a common person in their life who could’ve helped encourage them to bridge their gap (Mhairi). I feel like 2-3 years would’ve been more believable for them to have still have lingering feelings that were so easily rekindled. I feel like I had to suspend disbelief a bit in this story.

I’m not a huge fan of the professor-student forbidden romance trope so this may just be a personal issue, but it was a little hard to root for them in the past chapters with the inappropriate TA-student relationship. They really were not very discreet for people who knew they were not supposed to be seen together…Also, beyond the romance, the amount she was hanging out with him (and his friends) outside of class was inappropriate anyway even if it was just a friendship. The dual relationship would still be problematic even if it wasn’t romantic as a friendship could still interfere with the academic integrity (for Rohan too).🤷‍♀️

Thank you to Alexandra Kiley, NetGalley, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you so much, Netgalley and Harlequin Romance for the ebook and audio ARC of Scot and Bothered! My favorite thing about this book was the setting. I felt like I was transported to Scotland and loved hearing about each adventure. I loved the aspect of forbidden love and then the enemies to lovers in the later timeline. The one bed trope being one tent was great as well!

Overall, a fun quick read! The audiobook is dual narration, not duet. But it had a male narrator with a Scottish accent which was great!

I read this on my lunch breaks in the office, and beware it’ll make you look up flights to Scotland, searching up Isle of Skye, and long for fresh air and hikes - which I am not a camping girl but I’m here for the one tent trope!!

Brooke and Jack’s second chance romance was so sweet and moving and had me tearing up and constantly rooting for them. Plus I usually hate dual timelines like flashbacks, but it worked here! And as always I adore Alexandra’s writing and characters - especially Mhairi. I loved learning about her life!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

First, thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for a copy of this ARC.

I was fortunate to get an ARC of Kilt Trip, Kiley’s first book. What was a smooth transition of the story in KT did not translate to Scot and Bothered. The landscape descriptions were missing just a little extra something.

The romance between Jack and Brooke just wasn’t believable enough for me. I think it was lost in so much of the flashbacks.
There was more potential in a storyline between her college mentor Mhairi than there was her supposed love interest.
I would still seek out Kiley’s books in the future regardless, as there’s definitely potential from what I’ve read so far.

2.5 ⭐️ 1.5 🌶️

Ok Alexandra Riley is new to me and um immediately downloading the first book in this series because Scot and Bothered SUCKED ME IN, I couldn’t stop reading!!

In college, Brooke and Jack dated in secret until it blew up their lives and Brooke was forced to drop out. In the seven years since, she’s given up on her writing dreams and settled for ghost writing, but has never felt good about it. And now, in her first co-authorship, she and Jack are thrown back together in a tight situation - a week long hiking trip on the Isle of Skye. Can they ever forgive each other and reconnect? Or is their fear gonna get in the way?

THE ABSOLUTE YEARNING IN THIS???!!!!! So so good. Sometimes with second chance romances, it’s like they broke up for a good reason and shouldn’t get back together, but with this one it was youth and mistakes and I loved the rekindling as full adults. There were chapters that were flashbacks to their first relationship and it was so sweet. And Jack! What a hottie!!! He just wanted to be known and I loved that their love for each other was this… just knowing each other truly.

This is for you if you love:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Scotland
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿found family
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿explorations of grief
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿second chance romance
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿rediscovering your dreams
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿ONLY ONE TENT
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿forced proximity
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿hairy coos

Anyway I loved it and also love the opportunity to show off my Scotland pics. Go read it especially if you need a good cry with your romance novel!!

The latest slow build up, second chance romance where the feelings never left.

Brooke moved to scotland to attend university of edinburgh in chase of her favorite author (and professors) articulate perspective of the scotland landscape.
Jack is an edinburgh native and just so happens, that professor and author is his aunt. They meet at a party from jacks roommate who was friends with brooke and her trio and they quickly form a connection that night, but once school starts he realizes she’s in the course he’s a TA for.

Forbidden love, second chance, soulmates and betrayal. They were apart for 7 years somehow never crossing paths, so can they move past this boulder for them to embark on a week long trip so he can photograph and Brooke can connect deeper with Mhirari’s experience to be able write his aunts precious biography of her time on Skye mountain/ forging the trail herself? will they find their way back together once the trip is over?

warning: it does have a 3rd act breakup

If this is Alexandra Kiley’s second book, I cannot wait to see what else she has for us. Second chance romance can be hit or miss for me and this was a big hit. From the moment they’re in the same room, there is a spark between Jack and Brooke. The tension and build up in this book is impeccable. The story is written in alternate timelines that coincide with Jack and Brooke reaching the pinnacle of their flirting in the present and the root of their fallout from the past. You can FEEL the history and it is so worth the wait to read it in pieces that combust under the right circumstances.

This is a forced proximity hiking on the Isle of Skye travel romance. Jack’s aunt Mhairi is dying of pancreatic cancer and he’s been tasked with photographing her book while Brooke, her former University student is tasked with co-writing her memoir. Jack and Brooke haven’t seen each other in years and the reasons for the disintegration of their relationship and the animosity Brooke feels becomes apparent as they have to hike the Isle of Skye trail Mhairi founded. The yearning to be seen and to be known is so strong in this book and Jack and Brooke have never been able to get away from the fact that they understand each other. This book excellently simmers with heated glances and the knowledge that comes from once being intimate with someone—I found Brooke and Jack to have the type of chemistry that almost comes from fated mates. Even though it’s somewhat of a slow burn, this book is full of heat and sexual tension and I loved every minute of it.

The third character in this romance is The Isle of Skye. It’s a love story written to hiking across Scotland and to nature lovers and explorers. Any time I find myself Googling locations on a map because I want to experience what the characters are experiencing, is a really successful book in my opinion. I felt like I was hiking with Brooke and Jack and I’ve never wanted to be somewhere more than on that trail with them, even with the crazy winds! This book is perfect for anyone looking for beautiful scenic imagery combined with the energy of two people who are so deeply right for one another. Scotland is definitely on my bucket list of places to visit after reading Scot and Bothered and this is the perfect book to take with you on a spring break or summer trip. I received an early copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Steam: 🪭🪭.5
Gave me the travel bug: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Swooniness: 💯

As much as I wanted to love this, I had to DNF because of the non-user friendly format that ended up on my kindle. The formatting was so messy it was distracting and overpowered the story. I’ll try this again as it’s now in print.

I read Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley last year (thank you again NetGalley and Canary Street Press), and it was such a fun read in the lead-up to a trip to Scotland. But thinking back on it, it was really broody and the communication between the MCs ranged from mediocre to nonexistent. Scot and Bothered was the same way, and it got in the way of my enjoying the book.

Brooke and Jack have history, and they end up hiking the Isle of Skye together. The story is told in chapters of now and then, but the communication between them in bad throughout. In the then chapters, Brooke and Jack meet at a party, because Jack is roommates with one of Brooke's friends, and sparks fly, but the relationship is forbidden because Jack is a TA for a class that Brooke is taking. Mind you, Brooke's friend is also a TA for that class. And he's her TA. And I know why that is different than a romantic relationship between Jack and Brooke, but for her friend to be her TA just feels like an ethical dilemma that is overlooked in the book. In the now chapters, Brooke and Jack go from avoiding each other to, oops!, only one tent. But they never really talk through any of their history. They kind of talk around it, and then they succumb to the sexual tension. And then, the third act break-up is avoidable and dumb -- because they don't communicate.

At around 66% I almost dnf'ed this, because I couldn't take the not-communicating. I'm not sad I finished it, because I'm glad I could read the ending, and the book wasn't bad... but dnf'ing might have been the right choice.