I can not vibe with a main character who believes having a part time job is okay because she thinks her boyfriend is going to propose and then she can rely on him.
And then to complain she didn't want to be going about it alone at this stage of her life. It doesn't seem to me that she has an interest in love but an interest in someone taking care of her.
It is a hard pass for me.

Scotsman in the Stacks by Alana Oxford should have been a charming beach read but it’s a slog through dark, dank, pond water that’s probably full of leeches and water snakes and maybe alligators. Bored alligators that probably can’t be bothered to eat you … but do you want to chance it?

Paige, our librarian protagonist, really wants to be married. She wants to be married so much that she … hold onto your seats, readers … she’s going to … GASP … ask her boyfriend of six years to marry her. I know, I know. What’s next? Are these forward young ladies going to start wearing trousers? Soon they’ll be wanting bank accounts and regular employment.

Paige is shocked, shocked by how bold she’s being but the poor girl just can’t wait any longer. She has to get married so she can have children. Those eggs aren’t getting any fresher, if you know what I mean. It’s not like she could just have a child without getting married. Is that even legal? Who would support her?

Okay, enough misogyny. Let’s move on. There are other really terrible aspects of this book for us to discuss.

Unfortunately, the author leans into the really troubling practice of describing unlikable people as physically unattractive. I mean, has she ever heard of Ted Bundy? Appearance doesn’t determine character. That’s a laughably bad trope. Period. She also describes the male love interest’s teeth – and I refuse to say anything more about that.

Finally, and possibly worst of all, the author, apparently to remind us that the male protagonist is Scottish, has written some – but not much – of his dialogue phonetically. This is also bad and authors should not do it, especially if they picked up their (inaccurate) understanding of the Scottish Burr from binge-watching Outlander.

There are a surprising number of errors that seem unlikely to be caught or corrected (because the author likely doesn’t see them as errors). Yes, that is a problem but I can’t really expand on this because I read an ARC. Quotes from an ARC are a big no-no. If you’re curious, you’ll just have to read the book.

The pacing is ludicrous. We spend a lot of time early in the book learning about a relationship collapse that literally has no impact on the entire rest of the story. We could learn in one sentence that Paige just got out of a long relationship (there I did it for you, author). We didn’t need an entire chapter on it.

Then, because our HEA couple gets together far too early in the story (one kiss and BOOM), there is no build up to HEA, no pining, no suspense. Nothing. Instead, the author treats us to a weirdly self-indulgent tour of all her favorite places in Michigan. I’ve been there. It’s nice but we don’t need to read page after page of descriptions of places that aren’t relevant to the story.

The author also shares the minute details of her characters’ lives. We know that Paige brought sweats to the beach for when it gets cold and why she brought sweats to the beach, even though she doesn’t think she’ll look cute.

Oh, and she also brought blankets but they had to walk all the way back to the car to get the blankets so they could sit on the beach to watch the fireworks. And that’s a snippet of how the entire book is written. Read this book if you want to join Paige on her trips to the grocer to buy her best friend ice cream.

We also learn a lot about how cold Lake Michigan is. Do you want to know how we know that Lake Michigan is cold? Because the author tells us three times in the same paragraph. So, yeah, if you decide to travel to one of the Great Lakes this summer (I recommend Lake Erie – Presque Isle is remarkable and there are 11 beaches to visit.), you’ll find the water pretty chilly until August.

So, yeah, the water is cold; beware if you decide to wade into it.

I received a digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Paige is a part-time librarian who feels stuck. She’s nearing 30, still works part time, and just dumped her boyfriend of over 6 years. Then, she meets a Scotsman who is visiting for the summer and is intrigued. But Paige wants something serious, and a summer fling is not what she is looking for.

While I love a Scottish accent as much as the next girl, this was no Outlander.
I didn’t love the writing style. It felt very juvenile and fake.

Paige’s breakup at the very beginning almost made me put this book down because it seemed so forced.

Maybe I’ve read too many spicy books lately, but this did not hit the mark for me.

Thanks for the ARC, Netgalley!

Thank you to Netgalley and 8N publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book and review.

I gave this book 3.5 stars! It was such a light and fluffy romance and I am always here for that type of book! It was a quick read and I read it in one sitting. The title is originally what intrigued me about this book - I have scottish family so when I see something referencing scotland I am all in, and this did not disappoint.

While the insta-love trope is not usually my thing - I am more of a slow burn reader - I did enjoy the relationship between James and Paige and I would recommend this book to friends for a lighthearted fluffy romance read.

Overall it was a very easy and enjoyable read. Not one that I'd pick up again and again but I enjoyed reading it and the story. I also liked how there wasn't unnecessary drama between the characters just to fuel another plot line. It felt like natural progression, even despite the fast moving relationship.

This was a sweet book. I enjoyed it, but it was a little more insta-love than I prefer.

Paige is a part-time librarian who meets an artist from Scotland and feels connected to him quickly. She is hesitant to be anything more than friends since she’s coming out of a long-term relationship, and James is only in town for the summer before he is returning to Scotland.

She continues to spend time with James and they begin a relationship. After a family emergency takes James home to Scotland prematurely, Paige starts to question some of her choices and begins to take some control back in her life.

After James returns to America, he surprises her with a plan to stay longer and give them a chance for a long term relationship. It was cute and sweet and an easy read.

A light and fluffy cute romance. I’m all for accents and when i found out James was from Scotland… i was all here for it. I thought the relationship between the two blossomed extremely fast but, it kinda has to when he’s only there for the summer.

Overall, it was a good book. it was slow at parts but it picked back up again. Very little drama between James and Paige. But a very easy read.

Thank you to 8N Publishing & Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a light, cute, & fluffy read! The cover & title initially caught my attention, and I'm glad I read this one.

Paige finds herself single after ending things with her commitment-phobe boyfriend. She's nearing thirty and is just generally feeling lost.

Six months into being single, James walks into the library where Paige works. They strike up a conversation which leads to a friendship.

James is from Glasgow and is only in the area for the summer, doing an art internship. Paige finds herself torn between liking him and wanting a long-term relationship.

Overall, this was such a light & easy read. Very very little drama, closed-door, and virtually no steam.

The side characters - Paige's two best friends - were wonderful.

James' Scottish accent was shown on page with words spelled / pronounced differently, which felt accurate.

Personally, I would have preferred more conflict - especially with cultural differences and the fact he was only in the area for a short time but she wanted long-term. But that's just me!

Thank you to 8N Publishing & Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Paige is a 29 year old librarian who feels the plan for her life slowly slipping away before she meets Scot, James in the library. I loved the comedy and Paige’s ability to make any situation awkward by blurting out sentences before she can think. James’s Scottish accent was written perfectly in his dialog and it was like I could hear his accent as I read. Such a cute story, would definitely recommend!

A special thank you to 8N Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review the digital ARC of Scotsman in the Stacks.

The title really caught me attention! I mean who doesn't want to meet a Scotsman anywhere? but in the books stacks - OMG! I love a good rom-com. We meet Paige fresh off a break up that was very shocking. She is ready to move on with hopes of gaining a full time position as a librarian in her Michigan home town. With her broken heart still on the men, she is caught a bit off guard with a handsome new man that is from Glasgow. James is smitten with Paige from the get go but unfortunately he's only in Michigan for 2 months. This cheeky rom-com has great chemistry and will warm your heart! Don't expect super spicy but do expect to enjoy it!

Looking forward to reading more by Alana Oxford

A sweet romance. Paige, a library worker, finds herself falling for James, from Scotland. She has recently broken off with her commitment phobe boyfriend. A light easy romance to read.

First off I want to say that I wish there were 1/2 stars because I want to give another 1/2 star. I enjoyed this book. It was cute, fun, and fluffy read that I didn’t realize I needed.

Paige is a part time librarian who is hoping to get promoted but also is looking for the her forever love. She broke up with her long time boyfriend because he did not want to commit to her. I was actually proud of the way she realized that and decided she was no placeholder. Then in walks James. I did really like how their relationship developed. There wasn’t any real huge conflict and I was okay with that, but there was also nothing that really tugged at my heart either.

I enjoyed all the characters and especially loved the best friendship with Kayla. It is hard to find friends who you truly have that best friendship relationship like they do and it was wonderful to read about.

I will say I am glad I read this book and will recommend it. It was exactly what I needed, something light, fluffy, and fun.

Thank you NetGalley, Alana Oxford, and the publisher, and for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. The MC was incredibly aggravating and it was far too difficult to read and comprehend the Scottish man's words. This book began to feel like a chore the moment he opened his mouth, and reading should be for pleasure.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Loved it, great book. Highly recommend it.

Scotsman in the Stacks
Author: Alana Oxford
Genre: Romance
Rate: 8/10

Summary: Paige’s life is falling apart, she is now single after breaking up with her boyfriend of six years, her rent is going up and her chance of having a happily ever after seems to be slipping away until a new and attractive stranger comes to her desk to apply for a library card. James is from Scotland and in town for six weeks on an art residency and the two of them have an instant connection, will this connection be enough to make Paige change her mind and give James a chance despite pending heartbreak, or will their connection change James’ plan.

Thoughts: This is super cute my only hangup with this how obvious everyone is with his accent! Everyone thinks this is cute to obsess over accents but fails to acknowledge that the American also has one and it's weird. That being said the story is still really cute and I did like it. Paige and James are very cute together and I like that both of them really didn't have a clue about how their lives were going to go. I did love the library setting and Paige’s friends and her relationship with her coworkers. I also loved that she also how she mentioned what makes working retail and customer service so awful. I also liked that there was limited drama the timeline was the main issue for Paige and I liked that it was settled rather quickly and without any drama or miscommunication. There was a grand gesture at the end but just to show how much he loved her rather than to get Paige to remember and forgive him it was more of a just because rather than I am sorry so that was a fun little twist and I liked it a lot. Overall it's a super cute rom-com that had a fun little road trip that had me questioning if I should go to Michigan and if I should be a librarian.

This is not a bad book; it's just a book that didn't resonate for me. I'm glad that I read it, though, because it helped me solidify my thoughts on what I do really like in this genre, which will help me make reading choices that will align more with my personal preferences. So don't let this put you off from this book as I think it definitely will appeal to many readers.

This book caught my attention for two reasons: the main character is a librarian and the love interest is from Scotland. I like Outlander and Jamie Fraser, and the love interest in this book, James, very much feels modeled upon Jamie (red hair, blue eyes), almost like a contemporary version of him.

The relationship in this book is "instalove" which I've realized just doesn't work for me. I much prefer more of a slow burn and lead up with the characters not getting together until toward the end of the book. But if you like seeing characters get together early on and watch their relationship progress, you might like this book.

I found the book to have a lack of tension. The main obstacle the couple faces is that James is in the States for only 8 weeks for an art residency and will be returning to Scotland after that. And although Paige at first hesitates to get involved since she knows he'll be leaving, that gets pushed aside. And she remembers it every now and then but decides to not worry about it then. There's one event that heightens this obstacle, but it doesn't ever really feel like it's big enough to keep them apart. I like knowing that the couple will get together in the end (definitely want my HEA), but I want a lot more tension and will they, won't they through the book so it seems like there might be a real possibility it won't end happily. However, if you need a nice, relaxing book where the tension is light, this could be a good book for you.

I'm not a fan of super spicy books, but I don't mind a little spice. I've realized I like to have one spicy scene once the couple gets together. You won't find that here. It's all fade to black. Actually, it's not clear at all whether James and Paige actually had sex. So depending on how you feel about spice, that might be a point in this book's favor for you.

This book has such a fun premise! Librarian Paige has been with her boyfriend forever and he refuses to become her fiance. Finally, she realizes that the two of them just don’t want the same things in life and she breaks up with him, determined to not make the same mistake again.

Less than a year later, an attractive young man, James, walks into the library where Paige works and she is immediately drawn to him. When he opens his mouth and a Scottish accent spills out, well, Paige is sold. Except he’s not in the area for long. Definitely a problem for a girl who needs a long term commitment.

I thought that initial conflict and set up was done quite well. There were some areas I would have liked to see a little more drama or intrigue but overall the book flowed well in delivering an initial premise that was interesting and had enough complexity to keep me reading. But once the two got together, I felt like the conflict almost fully evaporated and morphed into the cutest scenes where these two were doting on each other.

I personally wanted to see some differences of opinion or her taking him somewhere that accidentally reminded him or something negative or, due to their cultural differences, even a mild miscommunication that caused a problem. I would have also liked to see more tension surrounding his return to Scotland. I won’t spoil anyone, but I felt that the worry about whether they would end up together was gone too early in the story for my personal tastes.

If you are looking for a light, fun read that will definitely not make you want to throw the book at the wall, this one might be for you. The two leads are genuine and kind to each other in a way you’d like to see from a real world couple in love, and the library patrons are at times exceptionally entertaining. Overall, this is a light, fun read that I finished quickly and there were a lot of cute moments throughout, I just like my books with a little more conflict.

Paige is a librarian who has just broken up with her long term boyfriend. With 30 right around the corner she wants more than anything to get married, settled down and start a family. It doesn’t help that all of her friends seem to be doing just that. Finally when she’s accepted her fate of being a future cat lady the most handsome man comes into the library while she’s at work and the best part of it is he looks to be her age! After a second chance encounter she learns his name is James, he’s from Scotland and he’s only in the US for 8 weeks. Just her luck! But there is just something about this Scottish man that she can’t walk away from.

I am not sure how to feel about this book. I thought it was a cute story and I get where the author was trying to go but it fell a little flat for me. Paige was likable enough but very one dimensional and I felt that her only goal was to be married because that’s what her friends were doing. James was a cute character I wouldn’t classify him as my next book boyfriend but he was sweet and cared for Paige very much. This story was very predictable which is ok for me in the romance genre but I also felt their relationship was just flat and felt like there was not as much passion as I typically look for. In the end, I’m glad I read the book but I probably won’t reach for it to read again.

A big thanks to #netgalley and #8npublishing for the chance to read this eARC

Really this book was the perfect storm for me! Hunky Scottish guy and a library? Yes please. A book about book lovers with Scottish accents… I mean, YES! I know I just said the same thing in two different ways, but I need people to know that it was awesome!

I love reading books where the main character unapologetically loves where they live even when it isn’t one of the major cities in the world. It adds a certain charm to a character and I love getting to see different locations through their eyes. It’s a massive complement to the character and obviously the author when I want to book a trip to the UP of Michigan after finishing this.

This will make a great summer read, it was heartfelt and beautiful. And filled with all great characters!

Great book. I love a romance book but o also love a book that lets me get a feel of the places they live and describe.

I feel I’ve finished the book and want to see the bridge in Michigan and to go and visit Glasgow.

It’s hard to transport a reader and you did.

This was a cute and gunny romance book, very light and quick

Paige is a librarian looking for the love of her life, I loved her friendship with Kayla they were an amazing duo, it reminds me of my bestie and I. They were so relatable.

James, the scotsman, was amazing, sweet, caring and the absolute personification of prince charming, or I assume that because some words use I couldn’t quite grasp their meaning 😅