~ENGLISH/ESPAÑOL~

~ENGLISH~

The ARC for this novel was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ever since Ainsley Graham, a young scholar with unparalleled charm, publicly confessed that he spoke to ghosts, he has been seen by everyone as eccentric and some as mad. He has lost his reputation, his job, two years have passed since that horrible event and Ainsley doesn't know if he will get a job like that again or if people will forget the scandal that was created around him.

He knows he's not crazy. For years he has been able to talk to ghosts, although he has never been able to see them, and he is sure that he is completely sane. But when Joachim Cockburn, a psychology student seeking his Ph.D., shows up at his doorstep asking to interview him for his study of formerly sane people who have lost themselves in their delusions, Ainsley realizes that he is facing a great opportunity or a great danger.

Joachim is a war veteran, a student who seeks the logic of the situation and represents Ainsley's opportunity to regain his job and his reputation. To do this, Ainsley must prove to Joachim that ghosts are real and put a barrier between himself and the attractive student. One week they will stay together and in that time Ainsley and Joachim will find in each other the most interesting and sexy creature in the world.

This story really surprised me when I started it. In the first chapters I was speechless at the interaction between Ainsley and Joachim and when I understood what was happening I couldn't help but laugh because WHAT A START!
I found the first meeting of the two very charming and funny, full of flirtation and intelligent and seductive comments, and from there I realized that this was going to be a very entertaining and incredible read.

I loved the characters, Ainsley is the type of guy who doesn't stay still and who always has something in his head, reading the parts where he narrated gave me an idea of ​​how the line of thought of a person with ADHD passes (because as I understood Per the author's notes, showing Ainsley that way was completely intentional and it was amazing!) I loved that detail about Ainsley, and the fact that he, Joachim and the author claimed, with every part where our beautiful lead appeared, that it only made him more charming left me screaming with excitement. Ainsley is one of the most tender people in history. He is extremely flirtatious and intelligent and although he is easily distracted and he is very clear about what he wants and what not, and he does not hesitate to say it. His little heart is precious and divine, I absolutely adored him.

Then we have Joachim Cockburn who is the complete opposite of Ainsley. From the moment Joachim meets Ainsley and comes to an understanding with him, we can see how their two personalities can play and complement each other.
While Ainsley is the confident guy who can't stand still and charms people with his comments, Joachim is the definition of quiet. He is sweet and focused, and extremely respectful, but he carries with him many painful and terrifying memories of the war. His wound continues to hurt, there are things that it hurts to remember, and he is determined to assert his life now that he has a second chance to live it. Although he does not believe in ghosts, he relies on Ainsley to show him what he believes in and the more and more they interact, the more it shows how perfect they are for each other.

Like I said, I loved the couple too much, their interactions and comments and how well they got along. Especially that level of respect they felt for each other without neglecting the passion and desire they felt.

There are very explicit scenes here and also very sexy and in them we can also see how their personalities play to make the perfect team. I really enjoyed the romance plot, also the moments of jealousy (when there was) and the ghost hunt.

Still, I feel like I would have liked the story more if the author had developed the ghost plot further. They did come out and they were an important part of the story but I would have liked to see more of the development of that plot, it was very interesting to see the scenes where ghosts appeared but if those same scenes had exploded more it would have been even better.

~ESPAÑOL~

El ARC de esta novela fue proporcionado por la editorial a través de NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta.

Desde que Ainsley Graham, un joven académico con un encanto sin igual, confesó públicamente que hablaba con fantasmas, todos lo ven como un excéntrico y algunos como un loco. Ha perdido su reputación, su trabajo, han pasado dos años desde aquel horrible suceso y Ainsley no sabe si volverá a conseguir un trabajo como aquel o si las personas olvidarán el escándalo que se creó a su alrededor.

Él sabe que no está loco. Desde hace años ha podido hablar con los fantasmas, aunque nunca ha sido capaz de verlos, y está seguro de que está completamente cuerdo. Pero cuando Joachim Cockburn, un estudiante de psicología que busca conseguir su doctorado, se presenta a su puerta pidiendo entrevistarlo para el estudio que realiza sobre personas anteriormente cuerdas que se han perdido en sus delirios, Ainsley se da cuenta que está frente a una gran oportunidad o un gran peligro.

Joachim es un veterano de guerra, un estudiante que busca lo lógico de la situación y que representa la oportunidad de Ainsley de volver a recuperar su trabajo y su reputación. Para ello, Ainsley debe demostrarle a Joachim que los fantasmas son reales y poner una barrera entre el atractivo estudiante y él. Una semana permanecerán juntos y en ese tiempo Ainsley y Joachim encontrarán en el otro la criatura más interesante y sexy del mundo.

Esta historia me sorprendió muchísimo cuando la inicié. En los primeros capítulos quedé boquiabierta la interacción entre Ainsley y Joachim y cuando comprendí lo que estaba pasando no pude evitar soltar una carcajada porque QUÉ INICIO!
El primer encuentro de los dos me pareció muy encantador y gracioso, lleno de coqueteo y comentarios inteligentes y seductores, y desde ahí me di cuenta que esta iba a ser una lectura muy entretenida e increíble.

Amé a los personajes, Ainsley es el tipo de chico que no se mantiene quieto y que siempre tiene algo en la cabeza, leer las partes donde narraba me dio una idea de cómo pasa la linea de pensamiento de una persona con ADHD (porque según entendí por las notas de la autora, mostrar a Ainsley de esa manera fue completamente intencional). Me encantó ese detalle de Ainsley, y el hecho de que afirmara, con cada parte donde nuestro hermoso protagonista aparecía, que eso sólo lo hacía más encantador me dejó gritando de emoción. Ainsley es uno de los personas que más ternura me dio en la historia. Es sumamente coqueto e inteligente y aunque se distrae con facilidad y tiene muy en claro qué es lo que quiere y qué no, y no duda en decirlo, su corazoncito es precioso y divino, lo adoré por completo.

Luego tenemos a Joachim Cockburn que es todo lo opuesto a Ainsley. Desde el momento en que Joachim se encuentra con Ainsley y llega a un entendimiento con él podemos ver cómo sus dos personalidades pueden jugar y complementarse mutuamente.
Mientras Ainsley es el chico confiado que no puede mantenerse quieto y llena de encanto a las personas con sus comentarios, Joachim es la definición de tranquilidad. Es dulce y centrado, y sumamente respetuoso pero guarda consigo muchos recuerdos dolorosos y aterradores de la guerra. Su herida sigue doliendo, hay cosas que le duele recordar, y está decidido a hacer valer su vida ahora que tiene una segunda oportunidad de vivirla. Aunque él no cree en los fantasmas, confía en Ainsley para que le muestre en lo que cree y mientras más y más interactúan, más se nota lo perfectos que son uno para el otro.

Como dije, adoré demasiado la pareja, sus interacciones y comentarios y lo bien que se llevaron. Especialmente ese nivel de respeto que sentían por el otro sin dejar de lado la pasión y deseo que sentían.

Hay escenas muy explícitas aquí y también muy sexys y en ellas también podemos ver cómo sus personalidades juegan para hacer el equipo perfecto. Disfruté demasiado el plot del romance, también los momentos de celos (cuando había) y la búsqueda de los fantasmas.

Aún así, siento que me habría gustado más la historia si hubieran desarrollado aún más el plot de los fantasmas. Sí salían y sí eran parte importante de la historia pero me habría gustado ver más el desarrollo de ese plot, era muy interesante ver las escenas donde salían fantasmas pero si hubieran explotado más esas mismas escenas habría sido aún mejor.

4.25⭐️*
Tropes: best friend’s sibling; road trip
Q: what historical time period do you think is sexiest? I love 19th century Britain but I also get really excited about books set in the Gilded Age & 1920s!

There are parts of Ella Stainton’s Best Laid Plaids I devoured. Set in 1928 & revolving around the first World War’s ghosts, BLP is the steamy story of two academics who set out on a supernatural quest—one of them a believer in ghosts & one of them skeptical.

PhD student Joachim Cockburn travels to the home of discredited folklorist & academic Ainsley Graham in the hopes of convincing Ainsley to guide him to his favorite haunting sites.

Ainsley’s professional reputation is in tatters after it got out that he thinks he communicates with ghosts. But who better to accompany Joachim on his research trip?, because Joachim doesn’t believe in ghosts & his research in psychology will study places that have become famous for their supposed specters.

I loved so much about this romance: the atmospheric setting, the ghost stories (yes!!!), the steam between Ainsley & Graham (double yes!!!), the engrossing family drama, the way Graham helps Ainsley with his anxiety and “brain fidgets,” the academia angle, the humor. Sign me up for all of it!

What worked less for me: some of my questions didn’t seem answered & the frequent incorporation of lovers’s nicknames that I wasn’t a huge fan of in the narration itself made me feel a little uncomfortable in that secondhand embarrassment kinda way.

Overall, though, Best Laid Plaids is a sizzling, thrilling read & Ella Stainton’s a talent that I’m excited to read more of. I really enjoyed my time with this one!


I read & rated this romance before doing away with my .25 rating.

​Best Laid Plaids is out on 08/31. Thanks to Netgalley & Carina Press for my complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

I had a difficult time getting in to this book. I wanted to love it, the summary grabbed my attention right away, and I was prepared for something awesome.

It just didn't work for me. If you're looking for a book heavy with sex scenes then you'll enjoy it.

When I read historical fiction, I expect more than the physical relationship and that's all I got from this one.

I came for the paranormal elements just as much as the romance. Perspective bounces between the two protagonists throughout the book, including the sex scenes (allowing you to see how they see each other during the encounters). The sex was heated, and consisted a lot of being bossed around, light bondage, and features some climax denial.

Ainsley reputation was destroyed after he presented on being able to talk to ghost, now he just cultivates a reputation as an eccentric, when his brother sends Joachim to him for his research, neither Ainsley or Joachim expect that tension that brews between them.

Ainsley is not only eccentric in his beliefs that he can talk to ghost, he is also a pretty lewd guy and will stop at nothing to get Joachim to sleep with him once, since Ainsley only does once. Joachim doesn't want to believe in ghost and will do anything to convince himself he hasn't seen or talked to ghost. While the two men travel Scotland, going to from haunting location to haunting location, they start not only a friendship but also start to fall for one another no matter how much neither of them want to fall.

I loved Ainsley, he was such a fun character and the conversations he has with his mother's ghost were fun. Joachim was interesting and it was nice to see him start to relax and not be so uptight the further into the story you get. There are a few misunderstandings that help the two men realize their feelings for each other. The secondary characters were fun, especially Ainsley sister.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this book. I am providing a voluntary review. All thoughts and views are my own.

Holy smokes, folx. Best Laid Plaids by Ella Stainton was an utter delight. It combined historical and paranormal—admittedly two of the romance subgenres I struggle the most to connect with—and did so with finesse and ease. While the historical aspects were clearly there, they didn’t overtake the story, which was refreshing. As someone who prefers contemporary, I can sometimes get lost in the weeds of historical fiction when an author gets too hung up on using every scrap of research they did on the era. A little bit can go a long way, and Stainton does a lovely job with that.

As far as the paranormal aspects, I found those to be fun and well handled. They added to the story without causing cringe, and their involvement helped to move the plot forward rather than stagnating it as paranormal elements can often do. Again, like historical, I find many authors in the PNR genre can get distracted by their world-building and forget to tell the story. Stainton stays on track and delivers a page-turning romance with just the right hint of historical and paranormal to keep things interesting.

I would recommend this book to a much wider audience than I might have originally thought. It seems quite niche in appearance, but because Stainton keeps the story focused on the romance—and the steamy smexy scenes!—it will find a much wider audience than it might have if her focus had been shifted even marginally more toward the subgenre specifics. So, if you love romance and, like me, often shy away from historical and/or paranormal, I would highly recommend you give this a read! It’s a unique and enjoyable tale, and a fun divergence from your average contemporary.

Best Laid Plaids had me dreaming of fall with all of its plaid and sweaters. The book is set in the 1920’s Scottish highlands where Joachim sets out to finish his psychology PhD research on delusions by spending time interviewing Dr Ainsley Graham who famously ruined his respected academic career by claiming to see ghosts. When Ainsley is more charming than Joachim was prepared for he winds up agreeing to go ghost hunting to prove the Dr right. His whole is turned upside down, not just by the revelation that spirits are real but also by his feelings for Ainsley.
.
I was kind of torn on how to review this book, it wasnt bad but it didnt blow me away either. There were good things, the 1920’s is my all time favorite historical fiction/romance period and I loved how this book tackled the trauma that WW1 caused on a generation. I also liked some of the disability rep both physical with Joachim’s injured leg and non physical with Ainsley’s ADHD. However I felt like this book fell into the trap of the conflict being driven mostly by misunderstandings and characters not talking to each other about their feelings. I guess when there are so many mlm romances out there I feel like one has to be particularly great to stand out from the pack if that makes sense?
.
*I was gifted this as an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*

I abandoned the book at 1/3 because I didn't really find my way into the story.
The idea of the shunned ex-academic who sees ghosts initially hooked me and I was enthusiastic to read a good M/M romance ghost story but the execution was far from my expectations. Neither of the main characters I could warm up to and Ainsley acted weird in his best moments (e.g. stripping naked in front of Joachim for no apparent reason). Maybe it can be attributed to him being eccentric and provocative but for me it was always a little off.

4.25 /5

Quelle très bonne surprise ! J’ai vraiment accroché avec l’écriture de l’autrice qui signe là un bien joli premier roman. Elle parvient à jongler avec des émotions très différentes grâce à l’alternance de passages drôles, sensuels et plus légers alterne avec d’autres plus mélancoliques ; à des petits quiproquos très plaisants (ou agaçants !).

Le cadre du roman a de quoi faire rêver puisque ce livre nous propulse dans l’Écosse mystérieuse des années 1920. Et justement, l'Écosse sans ses fantômes ne serait pas l’Écosse ! Autant dire qu’ici nous sommes bien servis et là encore, cet élément fantastique est un atout supplémentaire qui rend l’histoire encore plus attrayante.

Le couple Joachim Cockburn et Ainsley Graham est une réussite. Et cela commence par leur rencontre, un vrai régal ! Quand un Anglais, ancien soldat de la guerre 14-18, doté d’un esprit rationnel et scientifique rencontre un Écossais excentrique affirmant parler aux fantômes …cela nous promet de grands moments et effectivement, le couple formé par Joachim et Ainsley est une réussite et cela commence dès leur rencontre, délectable et si drôle !
Ainsley aura à cœur de prouver à Joachim qu’il n’est pas le fou que tout le monde croit, et il l’entraînera dans un périple qui sera bien plus qu’une simple « chasse aux fantômes » mais qui signera un nouveau départ pour les deux hommes, avec son lot d’embûches à surmonter et de remises en question.
Les deux héros ont de multiples facettes qu’ils dévoileront au fil du roman et la vulnérabilité qui émane d’eux lors de certains passages est bien souvent bouleversante. Et puis, ils ne sont pas parfaits et j’ai souvent eu envie de les secouer, mais finalement cela leur va si bien ! Autre point à souligner ( je ne sais pas pourquoi mais je ne m’y attendais pas…) : ce livre contient de nombreuses scènes lascives et sensuelles (surprenantes aussi, mais dans le bon sens du terme) et lors de ces passages j’avoue que la compatibilité entre les deux hommes est démentielle ! Cerise sur le gâteau : la plupart du temps, Ainsley porte un kilt et quoi de plus sexy qu’un homme en Kilt ? RIEN ! C'est d'ailleurs dommage que ce détail n'apparaisse pas sur la couverture 😭

Des héros que j’ai donc beaucoup aimés et il en va de même pour les personnages secondaires qui sont bien travaillés et qui apportent vraiment à l’histoire. Trixie est géniale, la sœur d’Ainsley est très moderne, extravertie, avec un petit brin de folie hyper rafraîchissant. Et mon cher Alec, oh que je l’ai aimé cet homme, sa sensibilité m’a vraiment touchée et j’espère vraiment qu’il aura droit à son histoire ! J’ai fondu aussi pour l’adorable Violet, si fidèle et précieuse pour Ainsley.

"Best Laid Plaids" a été une lecture particulièrement agréable, de celles qui vous entraînent dans une bulle en compagnie de personnages délicieux. Vivement la suite ❤❤❤

Just couldn’t get into the voice or the initial meeting. Which is a shame, because the paranormal aspect sounded perfect.

Maybe the horniest book I've read in a long time, and shockingly, I mostly didn't mind it, which is huge for someone like me.

Really fun romp! It has post WW1 roadtrip across Scotland to prove whether ghosts are real, all the while the heroes attempt to not jump each other's bones. Or rather, they attempt to attempt that, but give up pretty fast. Like I said, horny.

I really liked the characters, especially Ainsley, who is a darling gremlin. He's also dealing with some severe undiagnosed ADHD, which, combined with his ability to sense and hear, makes his life really hard. I just wanted to scoop him up in a hug, honestly.

My one big gripe is that they never really... talk about what Joachim is doing? They don't really discuss until really late into the book the consequences his paper on Ainsley's mental state would have on his reputation? And then it of course it blows up in their face. I just fish they stopped fucking for five minutes to actually talk about their issues.

I liked how it ended and am excited for the sequel, but it really needs more communication.

Great debut book! The romance had plenty of heat, and I enjoyed the historical background. The ghosts were fun, too, providing humor in an unexpected way. For high heat romance and ghostly mystery to escape the everyday, check out this book.

Note:
I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5⭐
Best Laid Plaids piqued my interest the moment I read the synopsis. 1920's Scotland setting, a kilt wearing ginger, a war vet, and the ability to speak with ghosts. I was excited for those things and couldn't wait to dive in.

This book has a lot of great ratings and I can see why readers loved it but for me I really didn't enjoy the author's writing itself. I look for a certain something when I go into a historical romance whether it be MM or MF and this missed the mark. There was no slow build of the couples relationship it was right away all about the physical. Plus it was an intense type of sexual relationship where Joachim took on a dominant role over Ainsley. Not that the sexual scenes were bad but the book relied heavily on them. By the halfway point I was over them and just wanted Ainsley and Joachim connecting on more levels than the physical. I did get my wish thankfully and by the end I was bit enamored with the couple. However, I do not see myself reading anymore in this series because it really just wasn't for me.

Had to DNF early on. There’s a scene where one hero pushes sexual boundaries (way too close to harassment with the level of flirtation) and it made me uncomfortable because of how reluctant the other hero was. Not for me.

I found this book incredibly boring. I appreciated the Scottish historical setting and liked one of the heroes, tragic, taciturn, grad student and injured war veteran Joachim. He’s studying ghosts for his dissertation and enlists the help of a wealthy friend’s brother, eccentric ghost scientist Ainsley. I hated Ainsley. He’s “overbearing”, used to getting his way, sexually harasses Joachim for an Excruciatingly long opening scene, and is prone to long and repetitive internal monologues about nothing. I found him very unlikable and didn’t want to see the two of them together. Because Joachim is dependent on Ainsley to get his professorship, I their “flirtatious” dynamic felt creepy to me. Especially since it seemed to make Joachim so uncomfortable. This book did not handle the legality or stigma of queerness in a remotely believable way, but perhaps it gets better later on.

The ghosts are the best part of this book, they were amusing and not really scary.

Best Laid Plaids is such a fun book. The chemistry between Ainsley and Joachim sizzles from the beginning, and their strong, amazing friendship develops naturally over the course of their travels across Scotland as they visit various haunts. The paranormal aspect of this book is a delight. The hilarious recurrent ghosts make for fantastic secondary characters. The entire cast of friends and family from Barley to Trixie add so much to enrich this story. Sexy, swoony, and fast-pasted. Fans of Cat Sebastian and KJ Charles will absolutely love this one.

I cannot believe this book is a debut, it was so well written and paced that it felt like a well established author's work. Everything about this book was delightful from the spooky setting to the steamy romance between the two MC's. I literally devoured this book and will be eagerly awaiting the next in the series.

A charming, slightly frenetic romance with two very likeable main characters. Their antics across Scotland with ghosts in tow can't help but charm the reader. Well, it charmed this reader. A delightful bit of escapism even if the writing style is somewhat choppy.

Best Laid Plaids is set in 1920's Scotland, and the best part, there are ghosts involved, kilts too😊!!!! This paranormal romance is spooky without being scary and deliciously sexy.

Ainsley and Joachim are bloody charming, and the wicked things they do get up to will leave you a bit bothered😊😊🥰🥰. I also loved how every character that was introduced had their own identity and didn't just pop in and out without substance. The book also didn't shy away from LGBTQA topics and how it was handled i the very real environment of the 1920's. It however didn't rely on creating a conflict based on how these two men can be together in such trying times. I love the writing, the wit and all the charm, I will be following this series. I absolutely adore every aspect of this book and recommend you add it to your 2020 reads.

Best Laid Plaids by Ella Stainton

In 1928, Joachim Cockburn travels to Scotland to meet Ainsley Graham, his colleague’s younger brother. Ainsley Graham was laughed out of academia when he insisted that ghosts were real; Joachim studies delusional thinking, and intends to prove that ghosts are most certainly not real.

The effervescent Ainsley offers to drive Joachim around Scotland to various haunted places, and while I don’t want to give too much away, I will say that Joachim’s hypothesis is wrong and that he finds it difficult to resist Ainsley’s charms.

This book had me hooked from Joachim and Ainsley’s disastrous meet cute—during which Ainsley attempts to seduce Joachim, but only because he thought he was someone else. Joachim is stoic and reserved, so he’s the perfect foil for the puckish Ainsley.

Yes, that’s right: Dr. Ainsley Graham is an unrepentant goblin, whose carefree nature hides a surprisingly sensitive facet to his larger-than-life personality. And yes, Ainsley talks to ghosts. He can’t see them, but he knows they’re there, and he’d rather putter around the family manse up in Scotland than admit that he was wrong about the ghosts.

Needless to say, Joachim is surprised by the ghosts. Again, I won’t say too much on the subject of the ghosts, but I will say that the ghost parts were very well done and that they added an interesting angle to an already-spectacular historical romance.

Ainsley and Joachim have amazing chemistry. There’s a bit of a sunshine/grump vibe going, and there’s a bit of an age gap. Also Joachim tends to be stern with Ainsley, which—yes, please, more of that—is one of my favorite dynamics.

One aspect that I particularly appreciated was that Ainsley has ADHD. Of course, it’s not diagnosed as such, but it’s fairly clear from his interactions and some of his personality quirks. I also have ADHD, so I appreciated the inclusion of a character who was like me in a romance.

Best Laid Plaids is a delightful queer historical romance, and a stunning debut, and I would absolutely recommend it to others. Ella Stainton has already earned a place on my list of favorite authors. I am already looking forward to reading Joachim and Ainsley’s next adventure.

I received a copy of this book from Carina Press/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.