A second-chance, forced proximity romance - the MCs do a difficult hiking trail together for work. If you liked People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, you'll like this one too!

The good -
I loved the emotional journey the MCs took to figure out what they wanted in life versus what held them back all these years.

The not so good, for me -
It was a dual past/present narration, and the purpose of the past chapters was to show their initial spark + what caused the breakup. The problem for me was that, the cause of the breakup was pretty clear right at the start, and it was borderline agony waiting for that "past" chapter to come up -- this distracted me from enjoying the actual romance between the characters. To be fair, not everyone will have this problem, it's probably specific to people with anxiety like me?

TWs - terminal illness of a loved one

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I absolutely adored Scot & Bothered! This was such a great interconnected sequel to Kilt Trip, and I enjoyed this one even more.

Brooke is a ghostwriter, having given up her dreams of writing under her own name seven years ago. She’s co-authoring a memoir of her mentor, Mhairi’s life (and her name will be on the front)! But something isn’t quite right with the book, and to find what’s missing, Brooke hikes the week-long Skye trail that her mentor founded.

The catch? The photographer going with her is Jack, Mhairi’s nephew and the reason she never graduated from the University of Edinburgh.

This novel was the perfect Scottish escape, and I think fans of Jessica Joyce’s You, With a View will especially love it. I love a second chance romance, and the dual timeline was done really well. I loved that most of the present-day timeline took place on the trail, and that the less fun parts about camping (storms, bug bites, no showers) were all part of the experience—it transported me right there with Brooke & Jack.

Scot & Bothered is a love letter to writing, creating, and the family that shapes us, both biological and chosen. I highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Harper Collins for the ARC!

This book had me at hiking. It takes place in Scotland. While reading this I felt like I was actually there. This was an adorable second chance romance. I loved the dual timeline. It was nice to see both main characters and their growth as the story went on. Brooke and Jack are both relatable characters, I just wish we would have seen more of Mharai's friendship with Brooke. It was a fun read.

Thanks for the Arc

Scot and Bothered was a cute book. It's a story about Brooke and Jack. The pair have a connection with Jack's aunt, Mhairi, who is also Brooke's professor. The pair end up on a week long backpacking quest, and at the beginning, they are not happy due to their strained relationship.

I was excited to read a book based in Scotland. They're always a hit for me. I was looking for more dialogue to remind me that we were in Scotland. Although Brooke was American, Jack was not. Every now and then, something would remind me of the accent (I read in the accent in my head - anyone else?) but I read with an American accent throughout.

4.5 stars.

Brooke is a successful ghostwriter, and her current project is cowriting a memoir with her mentor and idol. But when she's forced to hike a trail on the Isle of Skye with the man that broke her heart and seemingly her life, she starts to rediscover not only her love for him, but the passion for writing that she forgot. But is she brave enough to choose either of them or continue on the easy road?
This was such a fantastic book. It had so many big feelings, Kiley doesn't do surface level romance, and I love that. The pacing is perfect, I was never bored, I never felt the conflict was too much or too little. There was no boggy middle. I absolutely fell for Jack, especially since I always adore a character with glasses. I loved Brooke's growth. And the description of the scenery, I'm always planning my next trip to Scotland after reading her books. I loved the little throw backs to Kilt Trip, because of course Jack is Logan's brother! So, go read this. And if you haven't read Kilt Trip, first do that and then read this! (You don't have to read Kilt Trip first but, I highly recommend).

I was pleasantly surprised with this book! Brooke goes on a hiking trip with her former first love. I enjoyed all the detailed descriptions of their hike as well as the side characters. The ending got me in all my feels where they share their connections to Jacks aunt.

This brought up so many feelings for me.
As an American who went to school in Scotland, I loved being there. Even had a few romances. However, the one who got away for me is definitely the country itself. The beauty of Scotland is so hard to describe. One minute you’re in a lush forest almost dripping with dew that you can taste in the air and the next you’re in a desolate alien terrain with nothing but rocks blew and clouds above.
But as for most of the book, I felt let down.
The best parts were on the trail and interactions with hikers.

But as for the mains and the romance? I just didn’t love either character and feel like they wouldn’t last long term.
Brooke was essentially forced to leave Uni for having an inappropriate relationship with Jack, a TA.
I was confused at her still living in Scotland as an American. I know how hard it is to get a resident visa, it would have been damn near impossible for her to go from a revoked student visa (after having to leave school) to being allowed to just live in the UK. You cannot just decide to live there, there are countless and expensive hoops, ones she wouldn’t make it through. Simply being a ghost writer does not cut it to get a visa.
Ignoring that plot hole, a lot of this book tried focused on finding clarity, redemption and forgiveness, but to me it felt like people figuring out how to communicate. A great deal what the two mains pushing each other to go after their dreams, no matter the risks.
Yes, communication with writing and pictures, getting their perspectives across but also just talking to each other seemed rough. The mains seem to severely struggle with communication and what they want/need.
Frankly, they were both adults in Uni, both made the choice to be together despite the very reasonable rules and you can’t blame others for that.
Brooke spent the last 7 years being childish and mad at Jack, when she perused him more than he did her. Even when they are on the trail they struggle to talk.
Plus they both recently had STD tests, so how much did they miss each other????

Miscommunication is just the most annoying trope to me, so maybe I’m biased. I just don’t think it’s unreasonable to hold off dating for the last few months of a year and not ruin your lives or limit your future.
So, it was hard for me to feel for these two characters.

To me, I think I would have liked to see the mains, communicate, really take responsibility for the choices they made, get closure and find love with others on the trail or even just happiness alone.

[Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion]

Brooke Sinclair dreamed of writing her own stories one day, but as a ghostwriter, she's stuck in the background. When her mentor, Mhairi McCallister, offers her the opportunity to co-write her memoir, Brooke is all in. The story is missing something, though, so Brooke agrees to hike Skye Trail, which was founded by Mhairi, only to realize she'll be traveling with Jack Sutherland - Mhairi's nephew and Brooke's former love who she hasn't seen since their breakup seven years ago.

This book's use of a dual timeline is amazing! The transitions are seamless and we get to see Brooke and Jack fall in love in the past while dealing with heartbreak and tension in the present. Their chemistry is still there, but the betrayal and hurt run deep. It's so easy to sympathize with Jack who feels torn between his family's plans for him and his own dreams. And who hasn't felt like Brooke - working hard towards something you want, only to get knocked down and feel lost.
This book has such a strong cast of characters and I wish we had more time with all of them (the way my heart broke for Mhairi).

The Scottish setting feels so real with each reference. Every time I read one of Kiley's books, I start checking flights to Scotland. Kiley just knows how to write about love and loss in a way that hits home. This is a story about self-belief and second chances - such a wonderful read.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for this ARC.

Have you ever read a book that spoke so clearly to your heart that you had to slow down and savor every words of it? For me, this is that book.

This book has so many elements that pulled on my heart strings in the best ways possible: second chance, forbidden love, found family, slow burn, and a beautiful setting.

I loved the way the story unfolded with a compelling dual timeline and an adventure to bring the characters back together. I wish I could go on this journey with Jack and Brooke for the first time all over again. I will definitely be rereading it very soon.

I can't wait to read more of Alexandra Kiley's work!

I LOVED this book. Everything about it was great. The scenery descriptions made me want to visit  Scotland ASAP.
It was full of emotion and felt real.
I can't wait to read more by this author!

I was so excited to receive an ARC of Scot and Bothered! Alexandra Kiley takes us back to Scotland for this beautifully written second-chance romance, and I loved every bit of it. The story follows Brooke and Jack, who had a complicated romance as students and now find themselves working together years later on a memoir project in the beautiful Scottish Highlands (one of my favorite places I've been so it has a special place in my heart!). The setting is so vivid, I honestly wanted to pack pack my bags and hike those trails!

The dual timeline gives us a deep look at their relationship, exploring both the past tension and present-day rekindling. Brooke’s growth really adds layers to the story. Alexandra Kiley captures love, loss, and rediscovery in a way that feels raw and real, making this second-chance romance both heartfelt and refreshing. If you enjoy scenic settings and complex, layered romances, I'm sure you will love this book! :)

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC :)

Five stars! Six stars! All the stars! I typically don’t reach for a second chance romance, but Kilt Trip was so perfect I had to see what made Luke brood so. Boy oh boy was I rewarded. Luke and Brooke yearn and yearn and love and lose and heal and grow and love and yearn and yearn. Did I mention the yearning? It’s perfect.

Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley is a tale of romance and second chances; romance is not my usual genre choice but I am a fan of tales of the Scots and hiking in the Highlands is a dream of mine. I was drawn into the story immediately and enjoyed the duel timeline-that was a bit of a mystery as to what really happened seven years earlier to end Jack and Brooke's relationship so completely. Jack and Brooke as they have been awkwardly thrown together as Brooke is writing Jack's aunt Mhairi's memoir--and Jack will be the photographer.

This was a hard to put down book and I enjoyed Kiley's breathtaking descriptions of hiking the Skye Trail as well as the emotionally charged love scenes. Though the characters were almost too perfect to be true, they were extremely likable and one could not help but hope that they would be able to work things out. This is a tale of the importance of following your dreams and the healing power of nature.

I would recommend this book to fans of romance, interesting plot, great immersive writing, and happy endings. Thank you to Harlequin for providing me with an advance copy.

Alexandra Kiley has done it again! I loved her debut, Kilt Trip, and was so excited for this ARC. It did not disappoint! What sets Alexandra Kiley's writing apart from other contemporary authors is her immersive writing. I was immediately drawn in to Brooke and Jack's love story, and felt like I was hiking the Skye Trail right alongside them. Though the setting was similar to Kilt Trip, I appreciated that the story structure/tropes were different, and I could really see the author's growth as a writer. The second chance romance and dual timeline allowed for excellent character growth and pacing. I was always excited to jump back in time to get more answers, and to then see how things played out in the present timeline. I can't wait to read this author's next book! More hot Scots, please!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

4.5 rounded up!

I really did love this. I cried from like 80% on. I LOVED the trail hiking and the "now" story. So incredibly beautiful. The final cabin scene- it will live in my head forever. So tender and beautiful- obviously I cried.

The "then" conflict felt really messy and still kind of unreslolved...? I just felt like the details of why Jack did what he did were swept under the rug or not talked about. I also wanted to know more about Brooke. I felt like I needed a little more background to add some warmth and likeability to her character.

But, a book that gets me to read with excitement, feel all the feels, and makes me cry- LOVED it. This was a gem and I can't wait to read more of her books as they come out!

This was such a cute read about loss, second chances and learning to follow your dreams. A dual timeline romance following Brooke and Jack on their second chances, hiking through the Scottish wilderness and their first chance and where it went horribly wrong. I had such a good time reading this story and getting to learn who Brooke and Jack are. I wish we got to see more moments of them together now, vs back then. I feel we got more slow moments of them in the past and the foundation for them but I was wanting more of them in the present. The present was very focused on the writing and the joint loss they’re both sharing and I wish we got to see them actually talk about their past more. I all over really enjoyed this story and reading them getting their hard earned happily ever after.

Scot and Bothered is a charming story of an author finding her voice and finding love. It's a beautiful story set in a gorgeous setting. The story flips between narrative of current day and events approximately 7 years prior. While the chapters set in the past did take a bit longer for me to engage with, I overall really enjoyed how the past timeline parallels with the events in the current timeline and add meaning to current day events. This is a very emotional story, and I really loved how the author showed the emotions and tensions, as well as a having a very descriptive writing style for the scenery and landscapes. There is a particular landmark described in the book in vivid detail, which made me curious to look it up. I was quite pleased to find out that it's a real place/monument and looked exactly as a I pictured from reading about it in this story. Overall, I enjoyed this story and look forward to what Alexandra Kiley comes out with next!

This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

One piece I would add specific for the NetGalley review: I did notice some odd formatting issues which I assume will be corrected before the final publication. The strangest one was that every "fl" seemed to have at least one or multiple spaces between the letters. This happened most frequently when those two letters were the first two letters in a word, but it even occurred consistently in "butterf lies". Other examples, "f led", "f light", etc.

Brooke and Jack had a tumultous end to their relationship 7 years ago, altering the course of action for the both of them. However, fate throws the two of them together for his aunt's memoir while hiking the Skye Trail.

I absolutely loved this book. It was a slow start for me, and I initially had some difficulty getting into it. This may be because I'm not the biggest fan of second chance romances. As the book picked up its pace, I was hooked.

I love a good only one bed (or, in this case, tent) trope, and this one was absolutely no exception. There was the perfect amount of spice to the story, adding to its charm.

The dual timelines were well interspersed, and I wanted to keep reading to get the full story. I would, however, have loved more of the past following Brooke after the breakup. I also would have loved to see how the relationship between her and Mhari grew.

Overall, this book was well written and one of the best I've read lately. I became invested in the characters and was emotionally sobbing by the end, which is always my sign of a great book. I'd give it a solid 4.5 stars

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. All views and opinions are my own.

Updated 11/4 to add instagram and storygraph reviews posted today.

This book was so much fun! I felt so immersed in the story and the characters, it was a second change romance that made me frustrated and excited for the characters to reunite.

When Brooke Sinclair is tasked with writing a memoir for her own writing mentor, she learns she will have to work with her ex, the man who got her kicked out of her program. But, when they adventure along the Scottish island where much of the memoir takes place, they find that so much unspoken from the past is bursting to come out.

I love a second chance and this one in this setting was so sweet, it was a quick fun read and I love this author’s writing!

Thank you netgalley and canary street press for the arc!

Everything Alexandra Kiley touches is gold. She needs every award on the planet and I will be a forever fan at this point.