Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley: What starts as a fun travel-mishap rom-com slowly evolves into a deeply heartfelt story of the search for family and connection in this beautiful story that is, at its core, a love letter to Scotland.

Addie Macrae has the perfect job - as a travel consultant, she gets to see the world, have big adventures, and help businesses...but she never has to unpack the emotional baggage that keeps her from putting down roots. Assigned to help a family-owned tour company in Edinburgh, she knows this job will be different. Armed with a handful of photos of her late mother from her parent’s honeymoon decades ago, she craves connecting with a place her mother loved. Her clients, the Sutherland family, are at a business crossroads as the patriarch is retiring, and his son Logan Sutherland is poised to take the reigns in the future. At odds from the start, Addie’s goal of increasing the bottom line contradicts Logan’s desire to share the hidden gems of Scotland. From office hijinks to conference room battles, their conflict is preventing progress. Then Addie relents and agrees to go on one of Logan’s tours. As he shares his love of Scotland, Addie can’t help but fall in love with the country and the man. But can globetrotting Boston-based Addie and tied-to-Scotland Logan be anything more than temporary?

I loved how this book evolved from something light to a profound book about connection, home, and family. Addie and Logan are both multifaceted characters surrounded by secondary characters you care for and want to learn more about (I’m hoping this is the first in a series). What shines brightest is the writing in the second half of the book. As Addie and Logan travel Scotland, Kiley beautifully describes the scenery and growing connection between the characters in a way that had me highlighting whole paragraphs.

Thanks to @netgalley @htpbooks and @akileybooks for the opportunity to read this sweet, steamy, rivals-to-lovers, slow burn romance.

*Addie's job - didn't come across realistically,
*the outright stubborn lack of communication from Addie,
*the title and cover made me think I was getting into a light romance but abiding grief is a large part of Addie's character (if parental loss and the grief that follows that is a sensitivity, approach this one cautiously),
*cliche laden
*the last 100 or so pages

I did enjoy reading about Logan's family, and the descriptions of Scotland. But I felt like this could have been shorter and better. I'll definitely try future titles by the author, but overall, I wanted to like this one more than I did.



Thank you to Canary Street Press and NetGalley for the DRC

I received a copy of this for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this story! Our FMC works as a consultant for yours, and gets sent to Scotland, the one country she has avoided since the death of her mother 13 years ago. When she arrives she sneaks onto a tour to get a feeling of how they operate, in comes our MMC, handsome, in a kilt and the Scottish brogue that melts everything. They have an instant connection, but when she goes into the office the next day to get down to business she finds he isn't just a guide, but the son of the owner and who she needs to convince to change his tours in order to be profitable. He's stubborn about what he wants, and she won't open up a out her past, but they make a deal to try each others tour to see if they can come to a compromise. Will they be able to bridge their gap or will they end up with a wedge the size of Loch Ness in between them.

I have to say this was a story that touched my heart in many ways. But it’s also a story that was fun, humorous, sexy, and well executed.

One thing I love about the story is the character development was so well done. The characters were strong, yet had soft parts that really touched your own heart. The secondary crew is fun and fabulous and adds much to the story.

There are some very emotional parts in this book, especially because it brought back many memories of my mother while reliving some of her experiences. If you are missing your mom, be prepared to shed a few tears!

Exploring Scotland is a massive plus in Kilt Trip, but what really catches you are the unique twists to the landmarks. The author writes with a passionate voice that shows up in the beautiful way Logan views and loves his country through sharing history and lush landscape that paints a serene, magical picture for the reader.

Addie is a complex character with hidden grief. She does her job well to escape emotion and ties until she meets Logan and sees Scotland through his eyes and her mother’s.

Together the two find their path, but not until after we get a few hiccups, end of story drama, and the great happily ever after.

Kilt Trip is a delightful, swoony, and sexy read that will make you want to book your excursion to find your own delicious kilt-wearing Scot! It gave me all the feels with its deep and emotional message. So much love for this book!

Alexandra knocks this out of the park with KILT TRIP. By the midpoint, you are screaming for Addie & Logan to just shut up and make out already because there is amazing chemistry and tension. Once they do, the fireworks and insecurities to overcome are grounded and earned. You want to be part of the adventure, and they leave you wanting to know they're still happy and together in the 70s.

I loved this. Sometimes with contemporary romance I have a hard time staying invested, but this one kept my attention. It was gentle, cozy, and I loved their dynamic.

4 out of 5 stars. Immensely romantic, beautifully evocative. The writing was as magical as the scenery it paints. I will definitely be following Alexandra Kiley from now on!

The cover art is a bit misleading I think —it’s more whimsical than the book really is. Don’t get me wrong, there’s humor and mirth in this story and the cover art portrays that. There’s just much more to the story than the cover tells.

Thank you to the publisher and the author for allowing me to review this advanced copy.

From the title and cover, I was very interested in reading this book. The setting descriptions are so detailed that you feel like you’re with the characters in Scotland. I really enjoyed the friendships/side characters in this story. The author does a great job creating a homey-family atmosphere in the scenes with the side characters throughout Scotland. I wish we got to see more Devika!

I found the book to be a bit too long and I had a hard time connecting to Addie throughout the book. I found a lot of what she did to be a bit unbelievable - particularly the plot line with her father. I was waiting for her to work through what happened to their relationship but was left with nothing. Her character also made her relationship with Logan hard to buy into.

Overall, this was a three star read. Alexandra Kiley excels at setting a scene to make the reader feel like they are with the characters and paints a magical picture of Scotland.

Thank you NetGalley and Canary Street Publishing for a digital ARC of this book.

This was such a cheery and wholesome read (yes, cheery, because even in the face of all the trauma and sadness the two MCs have, the book balances the light and the sad really well, with a lot of wonderful banter and vulnerable healing conversations!).

The third act breakup had me crying 🥲

The final resolution was >>>>

TWs - dead parent + the grief, mentally absent parent, (unintended) professional betrayal

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

SO GOOD. i've had my eye on this book for so long and it did not disappoint. there are so many emotions in this book and the imagery is pure perfection. also!! the epilogue!!! do yourself a favor and read this book asap

thank you so so much to netgalley and HTP for the arc. now excuse me while i run away to scotland and never look back

highly recommend putting this on your 2024 TBR list.

First, it's a love letter to Scotland and has bumped Scotland up much higher on my travel list. I went for a week in college but that was a long time ago- I want to go back. Soon.

And the romance... big swoony satisfied sigh with lots of smiles and some tears as Addie's journey touched my heart. I adored Addie and Logan. An instant connection- possibility- that almost immediately transformed into almost enemies to lovers/ definitely workplace rivals with sparks and pranks and gorgeous Scottish backdrop.

The romance was wonderful, but Addie's personal journey was just as moving. No spoilers, but I was definitely connected to and rooting for her. ❤️ Read it!

Thanks to the publisher for also sharing a digital archive.

The Title? Kilt Trip? So good. This story is about Addie, a travel consultant who travels to Scotland on a work trip to help a struggling family-run tour company in the Highlands. Logan is a handsome yet stubborn, kilt wearing Scot that has his mind set on how his business should run and thinks he knows best. Addie and Logan butt heads over the future of the business and along the way, end up enchanted by one another. The banter is wonderful, the spicy scenes were great, the beautiful descriptions of Scotland will want you to pack up your own "Frank" and jump on a plane.

There was a lot of soul searching and character growth that adds to the story and doesn't detract. The found family was also a wonderful add. Overall I'm happy to say this book was a wonderful rom-com that I was delighted to read.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press and Alexandra Kiley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ADORABLE. This book really fed my wanderlust and made me want to travel to Scotland even more than I already want to. Addie and Logan are a perfect match, with fabulous banter, instant chemistry, and real conversations that help them learn about each other and grow closer. I loved learning about different things to see and do in Scotland as well as a peek into the tourism business.
The imagery is absolutely beautiful and I cannot wait to see it all for myself someday! This is one rom-com you definitely don't want to miss!

*2 open door scenes, strong language including f-words

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my complimentary e-arc of this book. All opinions here are my own.

Ooch. If you don’t already love Scotland, read this book. The Romance is between Addie and Logan. She is an American travel consultant. He is with a struggling Scottish tour company. She is brought in and is making changes he is not happy about. The banter between them is top notch. And they are both wonderfully layered and complex. Of course you know there is an HEA, but their obstacles ring true. The emotional journey they go on is so moving. Loved them. Also, I do happen to love Scotland and the way Alexandra Kiley writes about it., I may need to book a trip soon. (I received an ARC)

Kiley's debut had me smitten from the beginning! I loved this read, how atmospheric it was and how you just didn't want to let the characters go. I'd recommend this to any romance reader.

This was a fun read with quick banter, Scottish slang, and a wee bit of heartache thrown in.

Kilt Trip follows a travel consultant Addie Macrae to Scotland. While she's there to help a tour company, the son of the owner is also the kilt-wielding tour guide.
What starts out as a mutual attraction gets down to a typical, 'I want to like her, but she's here to wreck everything with her new ideas' kind of trope. As much as that trope can sometimes seem repetitive to me, Alexandra Kiley made the Scotland tour guide idea so much fun. There's all kinds of historical factoids throughout. As someone that loves to read about Scottish history, these sprinkled throughout the book were just what it needed to set it apart for me.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to leave this review.

Yeah, this just didn’t do it for me. I was so excited to read the Scotland setting, but it wasn’t enough. Addie was obnoxious and Logan was meh. And the sex scenes were… awkward. Just not what I expected and not something I’d recommend.

Thank you Canary Street Press for my advanced copy of Kilt Trip! All thoughts are my own!

Addie is an advisor/consultant for travel companies and arrives in Scotland. She joins a tour for the company she is supposed to audit and is immediately intrigued by the kilt wearing tour guide, Logan. They flirt a little and go their separate ways, The next day they are both shocked to find that he is the owner's son and she is there to change things up. Logan makes things difficult for Addie but they very slowly form an alliance on improving the company. Logan starts to fall for the closed off Addie, who slowly reveals that her mother was Scottish, died years before, and was emotionally abandoned by her dad afterwards. Logan tries to help Addie open her heart to him by taking her to places around Scotland her mother went, but old habits die hard and they both need to grow to be able to fully commit to the other.

Read if you love:
-Rivals to More
-Scotland
-Instant Attraction
-Growth in MMC and FMC
-Found Family themes

A sweet romance about learning to let people in and about voicing your dreams.

Addie's mother died unexpectedly when she was a teenager and her father pulled away from everything in his grief. Addie settling into her wanderlust and became a travel agent consultant helping travel agencies become more profitable. Her latest assignment is in Scotland - where her mother and she were going to travel when she graduated high school and where she has some heritage due to her mother's last name of Macrae . Sneaking onto a tour with a fake name, she meets kilt-wearing tour guide, Logan Sutherland. The attraction is instant but when he finds out that she was hired by his father to overhaul the travel agency, sparks fly.

Both Logan and Addie have trauma -- Addie from her mother's dead and her father's overwhelming grief and Logan from his whiskey tour mistake that may have caused his brothers to leave the travel agency. The story does a great job of showing how these two heal each other as they begin to let each other in.

I loved the punny title but I wasn't expecting the emotions and struggle of the characters. This book is sort of lighthearted but definitely tugs on your heartstrings as the characters evolve on the pages.

Thank you to Canary Street Press for providing me with an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Travel consultant and globetrotter Addie shows up to help a family-run tour company in Scotland where she meets Logan, part-owner and tour guide of said company who is resistant to Addie's ideas of change. The book is scattered with stories and descriptions of Scotland, mostly Edinburgh, which are lovely if you're interested in that but may be too much for some readers. This book is as much an ode to love of Scotland as it is to the characters. Overall a solid but frankly average debut novel for Kiley.