Instead of a third act breakup, she has to find her missing cat, Shakespeare. MMC is down bad and the FMC is spicy! This was so fun and I really want the next book to see what happens with the other brother.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for this ARC. All words are my own.

REVIEW
Unfortunately this did not hit for me due to the tropes. I was so excited to see this arc on Netgalley because I had LOVED the first book in the series that I immediately requested. Well I probably should've checked what the tropes were, lol.

Okay, let me back up and say that this story is good. Don't get me wrong. The writing is good, the banter between the two MCs is A+, the setting is A+ for me too. Especially the scene where they <i> do things </i> in the fairy pools that I'm literally going to be visiting in a few months made it hit even better!

Where I just struggled with this story is the whole "reverse" grumpy/sunshine trope. We have a black cat and major golden retriever mix up with a dom-fmc and I just was not feeling it. Black cats (not real ones I love all cats lol) are a hit or miss for me. I think the reason why our FMC was such a miss for me was mostly my own fault by not being aware she was that <i> grumpy </i>. I say it like that because it felt like most of the times that she was it was honestly for no good reason.

Overall I would say it's a good story for those that enjoy a reverse grumpy/sunshine with an emphasis on the FMC being a black cat whose a bit dom and a golden retriever MMC. I would definitely recommend it for that specific CR trope.

3/5

I love this author and this series. Can’t wait for the next book!! Loved the characters, their chemistry, growth, and the plot.

This one just didn't really work for me personally, the whole trying to steal a girl from his brother, then dating the ex fiancee of the brother was just a hurdle I couldn't get past.

Elliot Fletcher’s *Scotch in the Rocks* swept me off my feet and took me straight to the breathtaking Isle of Skye. This book is the perfect mix of heartache, humor, and second chances.

Juniper is the kind of heroine you can’t help but root for—strong, determined, and deeply human with scars that make her even more real. When her family inn faces a catastrophe, she’s forced to lean on Callum Macabe, the one person she’d rather avoid. Callum isn’t just her ex-fiancé’s brother; he’s also her enemy, which makes their partnership all the more exciting to watch. And oh, the tension between them!

Callum is Kinleith’s golden boy, but his charm hides a vulnerable truth: he’s been secretly in love with Juniper for years. Seeing these two navigate their shared history and unresolved feelings made for such a gripping read. Fletcher masterfully balances the emotional weight of their past with the hope of a brighter future.

The vivid descriptions of the Isle of Skye and the beautifully flawed characters brought everything to life. You’ll feel like you’re right there, surrounded by misty hills and the pull of old secrets. This story is all about resilience, forgiveness, and the courage it takes to open your heart again.

If you love romance with depth and characters that stay with you long after the last page, *Scotch in the Rocks* is a must-read. It’s a book I’ll gladly return to whenever I need a little hope and a lot of love.

Thank you so much Harper Collins and Netgalley for letting me review the eARC of one of my most anticipated romance reads of the year!

“The people who are meant to be in your life won’t reject you for not being perfect, Juniper. If they do, they were never your people.”

The banter in this book was utter perfection. I’m not going to lie, I was a little worried about one of the tropes (brothers ex), it’s not a typical favorite of mine, but, you have no idea how well it was done, I have zero complaints. It was one of those books where you’d get really annoyed that you have real responsibilities and you have to stop reading. I don’t know, but the emotional depth, the yearning, the tension and vulnerability, the reminder, that you don’t need to be perfect to be loved, gave me life. I am so smitten with the oldest Macabe brother, I just love a protective cinnamon roll. June was so unapologetically herself that, I kinda fell in love a little, I was rooting for her since the very beginning. I’m so giddy with happiness. It was for sure a rollercoaster tho, I cried, I stressed, I laughed and most importantly I loved every single second of reading this book.

✨THINGS ✨
•Brothers ex
•Silver Fox veterinarian
•Age gap
•Adoption rep
•Simón the Bunny
•Shakespeare the devil cat
•Trading secrets
•He’s obsessed with her.

Scotch on the Rocks is a charming, steamy romance that follows Juniper Ross as she struggles to stick to her own rules about avoiding the irresistible Macabe brothers—especially Callum, the small-town hero who keeps showing up when she needs him most.

With witty dialogue, sizzling chemistry, and relatable characters, Elliot Fletcher delivers a heartwarming story about breaking rules and taking chances. June’s internal conflict and Callum’s undeniable charm make this a compelling, feel-good read that romance fans will devour.

This is the cutest (also spicy) ex’s brother love story. Love at first sight that was never meant to be until much later. I legit ugly cried in the beginning and laughed by the end of it. 10/10 recommend for someone looking into a fluffy love story full of angst and Scottish accents 🥰

Never in my life would I have expected to love a book in which the FMC ends up with her ex-boyfriend's older brother, but boy, did I love this one—the tension between Juniper and Callum was palpable and worth every second we had to wait to see it through. The pacing was done so nicely, although we don't really know much about Juniper's relationship with Alister, it did not feel like she ran from one to the other or like she had been harboring feelings for Callum the entire time. We are told this is how Callum felt, but again, it was not something that was a "real" issue whilst Alister and Juniper were together. I do wish we could've seen a little bit more about Juniper's relationship with her parents. LOVE LOVE LOVE Mal and Heather's involvement in this book, especially Mal having to know things about Callum against his will.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the eARC.

I adored Whisky Business and was so happy that this is right on par with that first book. Black cat/golden retriever is a trope I don’t typically enjoy but this was so wonderfully done. I just couldn’t get enough of their dynamic and banter. It did feel a tad banter heavy at times, where things could have been cut but it doesn’t take away from how well written and fun it is. I truly loved this so much and I can’t wait to see what the third book brings!

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was a fantastic second installment of The Macabe Brothers. I loved Juniper and felt such a strong connection to her character. The love story between Juniper and Callum may be unconventional, but the way it was written was so beautiful and emotional at times. I love the family and found family dynamics in this series as well. I give this four stars because I truly believe it could’ve been a little shorter and it was repetitive at times.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were relatable, the plot was interesting, and the story was great! I would definitely recommend!

“still hate me, sweetheart?”
“undoubtedly.”
“good. just making sure.”🤭🫠

this series is so FUN! i absolutely could. not. put this book down!!

the tension between Cal & Juniper? the PINING?! the forced proximity because he can’t not help her when the renovations she wants to have done on her bed and breakfast turn into a disaster? the way he lives for the interactions between them?*sigh*🫠
Callum may make the top 3 most down bad book boyfriends to ever book boyfriend.

read if you like:
+ he’s her ex-fiancés brother🙂‍↕️
+ a prickly fmc
+ a man literally so down bad he would get her teeth marks tattooed on his body
+ “sweetheart”
+ banter on banter
+ soulmates😭
+ small Irish towns

thank you thank you to Avon & Netgalley for this gifted arc! it came at the exact time i needed it (for real i cried when i got the notification) 😭🤍

Sinopsis en español:


entre una mujer joven y el hombre que está completamente fuera de los límites, del autor de Whisky Business.

Libro de reglas del hermano macabo (según Juniper Ross):

No mires a un hermano macabe
No hables con un hermano macabe
Ni siquiera pienses en un hermano macabe
Es bastante difícil para June seguir sus propias reglas, teniendo en cuenta que un hermano está enamorado de su mejor amiga, uno es su ex prometido y otro... bueno, uno es el héroe súper caliente de un pueblo pequeño Callum Macabe.

Pero cuando Callum parece estar apareciendo en todas partes, especialmente cuando Juniper está en su punto más vulnerable, es difícil no imaginar lo bien que podría sentirse romper una regla.






Reseña:


Es el segundo libro de la serie The Macabe brothers, en donde Callum se enamoró a primera vista de Juniper, pero para su mala fortuna ella está saliendo con su hermano, entonces intentó esconder sus sentimientos hasta que ella y el hermano terminaron. Después de esto intentó por años alejarse porque no quería traicionar a su hermano, ambos lo intentaron. Jun también empezó a desarrolla sentimientos por Callum, pero como se vería si ella saliera con otro Macabe. Iniciaron un juego del gato y el ratón hasta que ya no pudieron más y actuaron en consecuencia a su enamoramiento.

Por lo regular esta clase de trama no me gusta porque siento que es una traición a ala familia, pero aquí siento que se manejó bien; sobretodo porque Callum fue y dijo “él tuvo su oportunidad y la desaprovechó, ahora Jun es mía”.


Gracias NetGalley por el ARC, lo disfruté.

4.5 ⭐️ Oh, this was so fun! I really enjoyed being back with the Macabe brothers. Juniper and Callum's relationship was beautiful and playful and so sweet. I'm not sure I loved it as much as the first book but I really really enjoyed it - and I still want to move to Scotland. 😂

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!!

3.5 stars

I think that whiskey business was always going to be a very tough act to follow, and as much as I wanted to love this book.... I didn't, I'm so sorry. I LIKED it a great deal, but it came nowhere near to Whiskey Business for me.

Here's what worked for me:

June was such a wonderfully fleshed out character, and I like that the author didn't shy away from giving her insecurities and self doubt.

The sex scenes were well written and plentiful

The family dynamics in this book actually ended up being my favourite part.

Alistair.....What are you hiding? I'll definitely be picking his book up too if I can.

Here's what didn't:

The banter felt very.... juvenile, I had a hard time believing that a 40 year old man would unironically call someone "stinkerbelle". There was no wit to their exchanges, it was just on par with saying "your mom" "nuh uh YOUR mom" for a good 50% of the book. I felt like I was reading about a frat boy and an emo teen.

In fleshing out June, I feel as though Callum was sorely neglected as a character. He felt more as a prop for June's journey than a full fleged character in his own right because his entire personality was just being in love with June.

The central conflict just seemed like a rehash of Whiskey Business with one MC concerned that they weren't good enough for the other MC.

Some stuff that I didn't love, but these are things that are more preferance than objective criticisms (All that to say that these are me problems as opposed to narrative issues):

Love at first sight works best for me when there is a defining moment in which one MC sees the other do something that speaks volumes about their personality/values etc so him being in love with her for years after seeing her on the train just doesn't spark any feelings for me

I don't particularly enjoy books where one MC has been mooning after the other for years and does nothing about it or even attempt to get over it (again very heavily preference based, not an objective critique)

Callum intentionally checking her out to get a rise out of her gave me the severest ick. I know it was meant to come off as sexy, but it just felt creepy to me.

If you’re looking for a black cat and a golden retriever, you’ve come to the right place. Despite the HOT beginning (and the crushing cold shower), this slow burn was just delicious.

Juniper Ross has sworn off the Macabe brothers, but Callum—ex-soldier, town vet, and all-around golden retriever of a man—makes that promise hard to keep. Their chemistry crackles, their banter is sharp, and their past is messy.

While Callum’s jealousy threw me off at times, and Juniper was a tad unlikable to me at first, the depth of emotion, especially around family and personal growth, kept me hooked. If you love complicated love stories set against a stunning backdrop, this one’s worth a read.

**Thank you very much to NetGalley and Avon for the eARC, in exchange for a genuine review! All opinions are my own.**

SWOON!! Holy moley was that adorable. Juniper and Callum are precious and this book was everything that I had hoped it would be. It had all the vibes one is looking for in a romantic book. It was well written, but didn't drone on, making it feel fast paced. I didn't want to put it down and finished it in 2 days. This was my first book in this series, but it makes me want to go back and read the first one (as it is technically the second book). Has all the makings of a vacation reading book, it was so easy to escape in this! Juniper is the black cat heroine and Callum the brooding golden retriever. The spice was definitely hot, but very appropriate during the instances it occurred. The Scottish setting was well described, and I would love to visit this place if it was real to see the coffee shop, vet office, and local hotel. So freaking cute. Not to be missed or overlooked if you are in the mood for a swoon-worthy Scottish romance! Well done Elliot Fletcher, well done.

Thank you Netgalley and HapperCollins for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

4.5 stars. Callum Macabe is quite possibly the most pathetically boy obsessed MMC I’ve ever read and I LOVE HIM. We’re talking *years* of pining and being desperate for any scrap of Juniper’s attention he can get, often reverting to schoolyard poking — but never in a mean way and June gives it right back to him. There is so much underlying tension between the two that’s been simmering between them for years with the added layer of June being Callum’s brother’s ex-fiancée. I usually struggle with the sibling’s ex idea but it was done so, so well here.

Aside from their undeniable attraction to each other, Callum and Juniper have so many similarities in the way they present themselves to the people around them. They’re complete opposites in the actual presentation but the motivation for their choices are deeply emotional responses to their pasts. Callum is full golden retriever energy, charming everyone around him and always taking care of others while silently carrying the weight of the world on his own shoulders. June projects her independence and keeps a safe emotional distance after a childhood of being left and fear of taking up too much space or being too needy. June may be a different Macabe’s ex, but it’s clearly for a reason because she and Callum are exactly who the other needs.

I loved getting to know Callum and Juniper on such a deeper level in this book. Thank you to Avon via NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.