This was simply a sweet, good time. Our MC’s banter is *chef’s kiss*, and scenery is described so perfectly you will feel like you’re there, and the best part? The emotion you didn’t see coming based on the book’s blurb. I expected a quick, easy romcom, bouncing around Scotland with a cute man in a kilt, but wow- Alexandra Kiley really surprised me with the depth and honesty she fleshed out. Especially since Addie, our heroine, drove me nuts for the first few chapters. But the whole Scottish vibe was simply too good to stop, and in the end I was so pleased with this romance. 3.75 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley & the to the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my unbiased review!

Not only was this a super sweet romance but it is a ringing endorsement for a trip to Scotland. Rivals to lovers set in a beautiful landscape. It is sweet and funny and beautifully descriptive.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my hones opinion.

I was so excited to receive this arc early from NetGalley. This was a very cute travel romance. Addie is a travel consultant who travels to Scotland to work with Logan and his family to try and revamp their Tour Company, Heart Tours. Addie is actually searching for her family heritage and a connection to her Mother who passed away suddenly. Addie has photos of her Mother in different spots in Scotland that Logan helps her find, and also winds up falling in love with not only Scotland but Logan as well. I really liked the Touristy aspect of this read. The details that are given on the the locations they visit are so very detailed and lifelike. I also enjoyed the family aspect of this story. This was my first Alexandra Kiely read, but it will not be my last.

I have mixed feelings about this book. There were many quotes I enjoyed and felt were such beautiful prose, and I loved Logan so much. Addie, on the other hand, I completely despised. I understand grief takes a hold on you like a vice grip, but the things she did and said to Logan were unfair. She was constantly hypocritical, saying how much she loved Logan, yet running away because she wasn't ready to let him in yet. All he did was wait patiently for her, never pushed, only wanted her to love him, and she left, and then cried that he "didn't want her", when all he ever did was want her. Honestly at the point their "third act breakup" came about, I was ready to be done with the entire book. I was sort of glad I stuck around and didn't DNF, if only to see her jarring awakening of how badly she hurt Logan, but also at that point if that were me, I would not have forgiven her no matter how much I loved her, if I were Logan. I think he deserved way better, and her character as a whole kind of ticked me off. The history was a bit treated like you were meant to know things about it, until about 40% of the way in, when traditions and history were finally explained the slightest bit. I felt lost a lot, and that's even knowing someone who lives in Scotland and talks about his home a lot. A bit more depth in the history would've been nice.

This is a satisfying slow burn by a debut author has real depth. Plus you can’t go wrong with a sexy man in a kilt or traipsing around Scotland with proximity on long bus rides, alcoves in medieval castles and enemies to lovers.
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Addie has baggage, [of course she does—she’s traveling around the world for her job, never mind that the airport lost it], this baggage follows her wherever she goes. The loss of her mother and her father’s grief has weighed on her for years. She has pictures of her mom in Scotland and Addie is determined to find each location. If only the insufferable tour guide Logan would help her instead of delay her project.
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A deal, some highland coos and sheep later they agree to work together.
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Alexandra Kiley has such beautiful prose that kept my interest, makes me want to pack my own bags and travel to Scotland and see all the sights. I learned lots about Scottish history and culture through Logan’s snippets.
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Thanks to the author and publisher for the traveling arc. It was fun to see others’s highlights and comments inside. This book releases the beginning of March. I can’t wait to read more by this author.
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Can be a trigger: emotional abandonment by a parent, loss of a parent, grief, open door scenes, mild language but a few F-words, adults drinking

Unfortunately this one fell flat for me & no one is more bummed than me. I ended up DNF-ing at 30%. I think a lot of people will really enjoy this one, but sadly for me there just wasn't enough happening to make me want to keep reading.

This book will make you want to board a plane Scotland just to participate in guided tour with a Gaelic speaking, kilt wearing, charismatic tour guide. The author does a wonderful job at describing the Scottish atmosphere, dialogue/slang, and traditions.

I loved the main characters, Addie and Logan. This book has it all...

Rivals
Close proximity
Laughter
Banter
Found Family
Push and Pull
Undeniable chemistry
Slow Burn
Character growth
Love

I felt all the emotions while reading this book. It made me feel emotions that I myself had buried deep. This was the first time I've read a book by this author, and I definitely will read more by her!

If you'd like to take a trip to Scotland and feel all the feels, grab Kilt Trip and enjoy!

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early digital copy of Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley. Do you ever read a book that makes you want to immediately pack your bags and go on a trip? Because that is exactly what this book did for me. I have always wanted to visit Scotland, so it was definitely fun living vicariously through Addie. Even though I am happily married, Kilt Trip made me want to go to Scotland and find a nice Scot man to marry (hehe, don't tell my husband), or at least become a travel consultant so that I could travel more. In my current season of life with a new baby and two other kids, it is kind of hard to get away, so I always appreciate when a book can really transport me from my current setting into a world with its imagery and description, and that's exactly what Kilt Trip did for me. I think now I can safely say I want to visit Scotland even more, and this is definitely one that I will be recommending to friends!

Thank you Netgallery and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the arc of Kilt Trip! This was a cute read with such a unique foundation. For a debut novel, Alexandra gave it her all and it truly was incredibly written. If it weren’t for my reading slump, this definitely would’ve been a 4/5 star read for me! It just wasn’t the right time for my brain, but it definitely was written beautifully. This follows Addie, a travel consultant from the US, traveling over to Scotland to help Logan’s family’s business improve. They discuss topics like a loved one’s death and feeling so helpless and wanting to do more. Logan was 100% stubborn and did not want to hear about Addie’s ideas, but he did show his love so beautifully and learned to compromise. Addie has a hard time with not having control, so taking charge and traveling, not allowing her brain to settle is most ideal, but Logan ruins her brain’s way of dealing. This did include a third act breakup if that’s your thing!

Such a fun read when to meet over the tourism trade in Ireland. Funny, romantic, and a swoonwortjy romance to fall in love with!

I enjoyed this book so much! Silvylinings on Instagram said it best, this book is a love letter to Scotland and I could not agree more! I don't know if it's because I was in Scotland a few months ago so everything is still so fresh in my brain but the stories, the history, the legends that are in this book are all the same ones I heard during my time there. There truly is magic in Scotland that makes you want to put down roots and explore everything it has to offer.

Not only is the setting of this book magical, but you will also fall in love with the characters. Addie's struggles with opening up to others because of her past are so relatable and I loved how patient Logan and his family were with her. Addie's and Logan's development was great to read and loved their slow burn. Some moments were super frustrating in terms of pacing but overall I enjoyed it!

*Adds Scotland to top of travel bucket list* The Scottish setting was the perfect backdrop for this heartwarming Rom-Com, I loved the nuggets of history and culture sprinkled throughout. This story had everything I wanted — Great banter, beautiful imagery, emotional depth and undeniable chemistry between Addie and Logan. My biggest con is that the 3rd person back and forth between the two was a little confusing at times, I think the book would have benefited from a dual POV.
3.75/5

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

it took about 175 pages to say it but i loved this book. the beginning is so boring but i guess you have to world build to get it right. the writing itself and describing everything about scotland were my favorite parts about the story. the one thing i did dislike was the hatred to the insta-love over the course of a few days or even less sometimes. if there was more distance or more time in between meeting and falling in love, it would be much better (in any book, not just this one).

Wow, this book was not what I expected. In the best way, though.
4.25⭐️, 1.5🌶️

Addie was such a complicated FMC, and as many times as I wanted her to pull her head out of her you know, I could also completely understand where her hesitation and insecurities came from.

We meet Addie and Logan mid-tour in Edinburgh, with Addie using her mother's name as a way to sneak onto a tour and gather some intel prior to her first consultation with the family running the Heart of the Highlands tours. Little does she know, Logan is part of that family, and her sneakiness sets them up for some great rivals-to-lovers banter and chemistry.

Logan is a wonderful MMC. He has his own insecurities and personal failings to work through, but he is such a wide open book when it comes to his feelings for Addie. It is always lovely to read about men who can experience and connect to their emotions so readily, and I honestly hurt for him when he struggled to get Addie to let her walls down.

Addie had so many valid reasons for her emotional road blocks. As frustrating as it was to watch her push away someone who clearly wanted to care for and love every last piece of her, she had her own journey to complete, and she had to do the work to be able to see what was right in front of her. Unfortunately for Logan and the reader, that meant a lot of back and forth until we got to the thankfully inevitable HEA.

There were many more tear jerking moments than I expected to have in this book, and I really appreciated the depths the author had us going into Addie's grief with her. It helped round out what would have been just an annoying, frustrating, get-it-together-already FMC in any other story. We needed to feel deeply for all of her losses to understand why she was the way she was.

There was some slow pacing throughout the book that knocked my rating down a bit, and I found my eyes getting a little glazed over a few times at the overly descriptive wording and inner monologuing. It wasn't enough to pull me out of the story, but it could've been shortened a little and not suffered for it.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes:

-Scottish setting
-Kilts
-Travel/wanderlust
-Found family
- Banter
- Small town
- Rivals-to-lovers
- Slow burn
- Cinnamon roll MMC

CW: Grief, emotional neglect by a parent

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book made me want to book a trip to Scotland immediately!!! It had everything, the beautiful setting, a beautiful man, and a swoony romance. what more could you ask for?!

This was not just a romance it included the depth of grief and loss as well. I loved reading about Logan and Rosie’s journey.

The emotional journey that Rosie took in this book was touching. The way that she connected with Scotland through her late mother was so special. It was huge seeing her work through those feelings and take steps in forgiving her father. All of it done as she worked on herself with Logan by her side.

Some other great aspects of this book was the way Logan’s family welcomed Rosie in with no questions asked. The beautiful way the country is described. I’d love to go visit the castles they talked about! Not to mention the accents. (I’m sure I did a terrible job imagining how Logan spoke… going to have to go watch a Gerald Butler movie now 😂)

Read if you like:
🍀Enemies/Rivals to lovers
🍀Found Family
🍀Men in Kilts
🍀Dual POV

Thank you @htp_hive and @netgalley for this advanced readers copy!

If I hadn't already been dreaming of exploring Scotland, charming Logan with his sexy brogue and love of his native land would have done the trick. Not to mention the kilt. The man wears a kilt. I mean, how am I supposed to be immune to gray eyes, broad shoulders, dimples, and a kilt? Addie sure isn't. Until she discovers exactly who Logan is and that their plans for his family's company don't exactly mesh. Then all bets are off.

I enjoyed Addie's and Logan's journey. It's filled with humor, charm, great banter, swoony romance, self-discovery, and a surprising amount of emotional depth. The author takes her time with both main characters, unveiling their layers while at the same time exploring the hidden treasures of Scotland. The sense of place is strong in this book. By the time I finished, I felt like I too had taken one of Logan's guided heritage tours to the out of the way places that make Scotland special.

In addition to the romantic journey, there are also complicated family dynamics at play in this story (on both sides). The author uses those relationships to bring forth facets of Addie's and Logan's personalities, vulnerabilities, strengths, fears, and flaws in helping them grow individually and as a couple. I was curious when the "black moment" arrived how she would go about bringing them back together. It seemed pretty hopeless. Ultimately, it was accomplished in a satisfying manner that left me confident in this couple and their happily ever after. And, even though he's taken, I still want to go on one of Logan's tours.

This adversaries-to-lovers romcom is Alexandra Kiley's debut novel. Based on how much fun I had exploring Scotland with Addie and Logan, I'll be keeping my eyes open for more stories from this new author.

4.5 stars
ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
Fair and unbiased review

Alexandra Kiley's debut romance, Kilt Trip, was so freaking cute. As I'm currently eye-ball deep in planning my own trip to Scotland this summer, it was the perfect romance to pick up this week.

Addie Macrae travels the world for her job, and this is her first time visiting Scotland. She's there to help a struggling tour company refresh their brand and update their tours, but she's also there to connect with the memory of her late mother. Her parents honeymooned in Scotland, and Addie has some photographs from that trip--so in her spare time, she tracks down the locations of the photos, in an attempt to feel close to her mom. Meanwhile, Logan--tour guide extraordinaire and handsome wearer of kilts--catches Addie's eye from their first meeting. He is opposed to any updates or changes to their tours, so professionally they butt heads at every turn, but he's just as smitten with Addie as she is with him, and during a tour of the highlands, sparks fly. But can their fiery passion survive, or will it just turn into a highland fling?

It was so much fun reading about all the locations I've been researching for my own trip. It really added a lot to the experience because I was able to picture all the places they go and "see" in my mind's eye what they were seeing.

Her debut romance--swoony, romantic and utterly charming--is a solid 5-star read, so I can't wait to see what she writes next! Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for my advance review copy.

3 Stars

If you need to reach me for the foreseeable future, I will be in Scotland.

This was a nice spring read! I really enjoyed the relationship between Addie and Logan and how their relationship progressed throughout the book. I loved the setting of the Scottish Highlands with its history and clan heritage.

I did think this book was a bit wordy and a tad long. Some chapters could have been consolidated or left out for pacing.

Overall it was a fun, charming read. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to travel, enjoys learning about new places, or simply has a love for Scotland and hairy coos. If you love Outlander, this book is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sending this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒕 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒑 🏰💚

author: alexandra kiley
publication date: 3/5/24
pages: 336
rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
spice: 🌶️🌶️

𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚜 ♡:

🐑 travel consultant & tour guide
🐑 rivals to lovers
🐑 forced proximity
🐑 set in scottish highlands
🐑 men in kilts
🐑 found family

𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍 ♡:

this was such a wholesome & charming debut novel following addie who is a travel consultant tasked on an assignment in scotland & a kilt wearing tour guide named logan. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

i loved addie’s journey as she deals with the loss/grief over her mother’s death 13 years prior. logan decides to accept addie’s help in revamping his tour guide company & along the way the two form an unlikely friendship that soon turns into something more. 🥰

the spice was nice but it wasn’t over the top! it felt right & natural between the two and didn’t feel forced or fake at all. addie & logan had a lot of chemistry and flirty banter that just made the book so enjoyable to read! when logan took addie to all the places that her mom talked about growing up i SWOONED!!! 📸

seriously everything about this book was done incredibly well!! and the epilogue was absolute PERFECTION!!! 🤌🏼

𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚚𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎 ♡:

જ⁀➴“𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙚’𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚.”

𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 ♡:

one of the things i truly loved about this book was learning so much about scotland and their traditions. i highly recommended if you are a fan of outlander, sheep & men in kilts this book is for you!

thank @harlequinbooks & @netgalley for allowing me to receive an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 🫶🏻