4.25 stars

I love a second chance romance and this one did not disappoint. These exes were thrust together on a week long hike to finish working on a memoir for their shared connection. On this trip is where they come to terms with their past and find hope in their future. The yearning (especially from Jack) is top tier throughout the book. I loved the dual timeline aspect so we could see how their love started and where it went wrong. Should he have talked to her before the “betrayal”? 100% because it was very stupid not to but I get why it happened and why Brooke felt betrayed. The only thing I had trouble with was it felt like the getting back together on the trip was a bit sudden (yet understandable). And the 3rd act conflict also made sense given the situation but again that resolution also was very quick in the writing if not in the timeline.

The narrators were great and I felt did the accents well. I did feel at times the acting wasn’t as good as it could be during dialogue.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC!

3.75 rounded 🌟
Spice: open door

While I found this one cute enough to keep listening, but several things about it just didn't work for me. The dual timeline was a major flaw for me. I didn't feel much of their chemistry in the present, so jumping to the past so much really pulled me out of the story. I just found myself not caring.
This book is also 3rd person, so it was just hard in general for me to connect to the story. I don't mind 3rd person, but it has to be executed in a way that draws me in. This book didn't do that.
The end was a huge downer, too, with what was happening, so it took away from their HEA.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the alc in exchange for an honest review.

🎧 Audiobook +📗eBook: Scot and Bothered

✍🏾 Author: Alexandra Kiley, I read Kilt Trip & gave it 4 ⭐

📅Publication date: 3/4/25 | Read: 3/3/25

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fic

Tropes: travel, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, 2nd chance romance, 1-tent, forbidden romance, workplace romance

🗣️Narrator: Angus King and Savannah Davies voice all the characters with standouts from Brooke, Jake, and Mhairi. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrators worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrators paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.

🏃🏾‍➡️Run Time: 10:11

🌎 Setting: Edinburgh, Scotland

👆🏾POV: 3rd person dual-Brooke and Jack & 2 timelines "Then" and "Now"

⚠️TW: cancer-not H/h, grief

Summary: Brooke is asked to co-write her mentor Dr. Mhairi's memoir about Scotland’s most challenging trip, Skye Trail. She agrees to hike the rugged trail and is surprised to find Jack is the nature photographer. He's Dr. Mhairi's nephew and the man who broke her heart and ruined her writing career.

👩🏾 Heroine: Brooke Sinclair-an aspiring author turned ghostwriter after being expelled from University of Edinburgh

👨🏾 Hero: Jack Sutherland-a photographer whose family expected him to join the family tour-guide business

🎭 Other Characters:
*Mhairi McCallister-Brooke's mentor/college professor and Jack's aunt
*Logan-Jack's brother co-owner and lead tour guide at family's business The Heart of the Highlands.
*Jack's parents-Gemma and Neil and another brother Reid
*Rohan-Jack's roommate
*Charlotte-Brooke's editor

🤔 My Thoughts: I loved the accents and descriptions of Scotland itself. Jack did some serious groveling and pining for Brooke, while she tried to resist falling for him again. Their careers were important as Brooke wanted to write her own stories and Jack to shoot his photography without approval from his family.

Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice level 4/5🔥🔥🔥🔥

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press, Harlequin Audio, and Alexandra Kiley for this ARC and ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

Whooo boy this book made me very emotional. Jack and Brooke have both found it difficult to believe in themselves and take the risk on an artistic career (photography for him and writing for her). As someone who also has a passion for art I felt very seen by their individual journeys and found it so healing to see them support and believe in each other whole-heartedly. Putting pieces of your soul out into the world for strangers to evaluate is such a vulnerable thing. I totally related to Brooke's hesitation to be truly herself. It was so sweet to see Jack be so unbelievably tender with Brooke in her anxiety and self-doubt. I had a great time with this story and I recommend it to anyone looking for a soft, emotional romance.

For fans of Scottish accents you gotta pick up the audio!! Both narrators bring the setting to life with their vocal talents. Savannah Davies in particular had a lovely voice and I was thrilled to listen to her chapters. Angus King didn't quite fit my image of the character so I preferred to read Jack's chapters with my eyes. But if Scottish accents are your thing you definitely won't want to miss his performance because he really committed!

Brooke and Jack were secret lovers in college due to him being a TA which was against school rules. They had a bad falling out and are reunited several years later when Brooke is cowriting his aunts memoir. This book does second chance really well. Jackson messed up badly several years ago when he was young and stupid and wants a chance to show Brooke he's not that guy anymore. Brooke has been jaded by time and we get to see him chip at her and soften heredges. It is sweet and emotional. It has great scenery as well. I do wish the transitions from then and now were more clear as well. I found my self lost at times trying to figure out where we were in the story. The audio book narrators did a nice job though the accents did get a little hard to understand at moments for the most part it was a really enjoyable listen.

Scot and Bothered is a touching second chance romance brimming with emotion. Told in past/present timelines, the novel follows American Brooke Sinclair, a professional ghostwriter in Scotland, tasked with co-writing the memoir of her college mentor — the founder of one of the Highland’s most daring hiking treks. To get a feel for the story, Brooke agrees to hike the trail alongside the memoir’s photographer, only to discover that the man in question is her ex-boyfriend Jack Sutherland. The two haven’t seen each other since their illicit relationship derailed both of their academic careers and now they must come to terms with old hurts and lingering feelings as they careen through the sweeping Scottish setting.

I personally love when dual POV books have two narrators and thought Angus King and Savannah Davies’ performances were delightful. King’s Scottish accent was perfect for the dreamy Jack and Davies’ Brooke was full of the character’s charm. I also liked how Davies put on her own Scottish accent when reading dialogue spoken by Scottish characters. It kept me imbedded in the story and setting.

Because this book is told in the past and present, the dual narrators also helped me keep these perspectives and timelines in order. The narrators clearly portrayed Brooke and Jack’s vulnerabilities and allowed the heart of the story to shine. I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and would recommend readers experience this beautiful writing with King and Davies’ expert narrations.

Thank you Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 - I really wanted to like this, but unfortunately I lost interest in this so quickly. I just didn’t connect with or care about any of these characters.

Second chance with dual timelines and a TA/student taboo adjacent romance that was very insta-love in the past. Their relationship basically ruined the FMC’s career and her chance at a fellowship, but she forgave the MMC so fast. The best part was probably the male narrator with the Scottish accent.

*I didn’t read Kilt Trip, but honestly don’t think that would have added anything to this for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

SCOT AND BOTHERED is a triumph of spirit! A wild adventure of the heart (and hiking boots!) that takes us into the halls of the University of Edinburgh and through the crags and heather of Scotland, this book is as sexy and swoony as it is heartfelt and thoughtful. Kiley deftly explores the stories we tell about our families, our home, our careers, and more importantly, ourselves. LOVED IT!

Consider me a believer in a second chance at love…Brooke and Jack made mistakes and will most likely continue to make them, but perhaps they’d get a chance to do that together. How sweet is that?! After having to divert her dream seven years ago, Brooke finds herself back in Scotland as a ghostwriter. Her old flame, Jack, is the photographer for the memoir Brooke is helping write. Told in a then and now format with both PoV, their hard earned journey to a second chance at romance is full of truths revealed and trust regained, a bit of spice, heartache and healing, all with a beautiful setting.
I experienced this book in both formats-starting with the ebook but finishing on audio. I couldn’t resist the Scottish brogue of the male narrator, Angus King…so dreamy! Savannah Davies also did a great job with her inflections.

I got to a little more than halfway and realized that I still had no idea what was going on. I couldn’t for the life of me tell you what the main characters names are. It just didn’t seem to hook me the way that I wanted it to. I feel guilty DNF’ing but it just wasn’t hooking me the way I was hoping it would. I did enjoy the narrators though! They did a good job trying to bring the book to life, loved the accents!!

The writing was so good! The vulnerability of the MCs was heartwarming. This was a very well done second chance romance set in Scotland, I loved a Scottish setting. The duet narration was fantastic.

I feel like it's 1-2 edits away from being a 5 star book for me.

I didn’t even really mind the reason for their breakup, I minded the timing of it. I think if the author revealed it to us at the start of the hike and gave us a few more chapters from Jack's POV it would've worked a lot better. The “why” happened so late and then the additional conflict happened, it felt like a piling on instead of resolutions. I left this feeling like the story wasn’t truly settled.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

3.5 stars

as i get closer to my upcoming trip, i find that i keep stumbling upon romances taking place in scotland… definitely not complaining, especially with dual narrators with accents 😉

despite guessing where this was going, i still enjoyed the read! as for the alc, i always love a dual narration

This book was so cute!! You knowwww I love a second chance romance! But a SCOTTISH second chance romance????
😍🥰❤️😍☺️😊🥳🤩🥰

I loved the dual timelines and POVs. It really helped build the tension! The audio is well done and Angus King’s Scottish accent 😮‍💨 I LIVEEEDDD for the pain they felt for their original breakup. AK always throws in a couple funny one-liners too, huge fan of those.

“Jack in a kilt? Damn, who knew that was on my bucket list.” 🤣

This was a beautiful 4⭐️ for me!!

Read if you loved: You, With a View, PS: I Hate You, Wanderlust, and/or A Thousand Miles.

Thank you to Harlequin Books for the ALC! It was fantastically done!

ARC BOOK REVIEW

Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley

Thank you, @HTPbooks @thehive @canarystreetbooks and Harlequin Audio, for the #free eARC and audiobook of this one! I’m so grateful to be a member of The Hive! #hiveinfluencer #HTPpartner #htpbooks #htphive #canarystreetpress #ScotandBothered

SYNOPSIS: “Brooke Sinclair’s dream of being a published author derailed when she was expelled from the University of Edinburgh seven years ago. Now a ghostwriter, she sticks to other people’s stories. But when her college mentor Mhairi McCallister needs a co-writer for her memoir about Scotland’s most challenging trek, Brooke would do anything for the opportunity—including agreeing to hike the rugged Skye Trail for authenticity’s sake... not knowing the nature photographer who’ll join her is Jack Sutherland, the man who shattered Brooke’s writing career—and her heart.

Between getting sacked from the University and walking away from his family’s tour-guiding business to follow his photography dreams, Jack is desperate to prove he didn’t disappoint his family for nothing. And he can’t ignore his Aunt Mhairi’s final wishes for her memoir. Even if it means acting as guide and storyteller for the one who got away. Even if it means keeping secrets about Mhairi’s health.

As Jack and Brooke head into the solitude of the sweeping Scottish landscape, they’re forced to confront old feelings that haven’t disappeared with time. But can two weeks and eighty miles heal years of unspoken hurt and offer a second chance at the end of the trail?”

REVIEW: Romantic tension. Second chances. Idyllic locations. Long hikes with your ex. I’m here for every single romance set in the Scottish Highlands!

Brooke and Jack have had an ELECTRIC connection from the beginning, and that is no different when they see each other again. However, Brooke cannot stand Jack and never imagined seeing him again. But now that they two are forced into a week-long hike together, tensions get super high. One bed? Try ONE TENT!

I really loved these characters! They are so very tender together, and I loved watching their journey…from the beginning to seven years later.

I was lucky enough to get the audiobook of this one, and it was such a delight to listen to. Angus King as Jack and Savannah Davies as Brooke do such an amazing job bringing the characters (and their accents) to life!

Publisher: Canary Street Press
Pub date: 3/4/25

This was a beautiful story about finding yourself and finding love! I loved the journey that both Brooke and Jack make both physical and emotional on an eighty mile hike in Scotland!

This book is told from both Jack and Brooke's point of views in a mixture of timelines between the past and the present. I really enjoyed seeing both point of views of the highs and lows of their relationship.

I listened to the audiobook and absolutely loved the dual narration by Angus King and Savannah Davies!

This book was just ok in my opinion. I wish there had been more descriptive details about Scotland. I listened to the audiobook and read the book and both were entertaining -- especially together. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc/alc.

I was so excited to read this book. I love European settings. The scenery was not discussed ….it was assumed we knew what Edinburgh is like. I understand the story does not have anything to do with the scenery and the characters were the main focus. The characters were developed and relatable. I was rooting for them to get back together. The book is predictable and very much a slow burn. Scot and Bothered was a sweet and cozy love story through the ages unfortunately parts of the story will not be memorable to me.

A second-chance romance full of emotion, adventure, and tension. Brooke agrees to ghostwrite a memoir and go on a tough hike with Jack, a broody Scottish nature photographer—who also happens to be her ex. He knows a secret about her mentor’s illness but can’t tell her.

Instead of one-bed, we get one-tent for them to share. Old feelings resurface as they navigate the hike and their past. Spicy, 🌶️ 🌶️

A heartfelt story of love, forgiveness, and second chances.

Read this if you like:
•only one tent
•second chance
•Scotland

This is dual POV and also past/present timelines. I enjoyed learning what happened years ago as well as seeing the current day play out. The descriptions of the island and their hikes were beautiful. This book WILL make you want to go to Scotland asap. Thank you Harlequin for ALC