I wanted to like it. It left me just kind of meh. The paranormal components just didn't come together for me. Key's personality was bubbly to the point of annoyance. Everything about it was just pretty basic and average.

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 4.75/5
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) I bump up for public places/outdoor spaces and monster parts.

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 These narrators, Samantha Summers and Flint Park, in duet are everything—beautiful voices and perfectly cast!
🤩 I love these MCs so much, and the narrators make me adore them even more.
🤩 Paranormal romance with some magical realism.
🤩 Scotland/Scottish Highlands/Loch Ness/Nessie lovers—you need to try this one!
🤩 Fabulous enemies-to-lovers vibes between these two amazing MCs, Keyanna & Lachlan.
🤩 Secret pining while hating—the funniest LOL hate lust thoughts.
🤩 The family mystery makes such a captivating plot, with that need to know.
🤩 That first scrumptious kiss in the old Greer castle
🤩 Oh, wow, the monster hotness! It’s so hot and wild and intimate at the same time.
🤩 I’m a sucker for a little jealousy.
🤩 All the feels, some big feels. Caution if you’re sensitive to characters talking about having lost a parent.
🤩 I bawled over the journal and family love.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 Sweet ending, but I would have loved a more detailed steamy scene after the drama/changes.

Thank you NetGalley , Berkeley and Lana Ferguson for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson is a romantic suspense set in the Scottish Highlands. Key heads to her ancestral home in Scotland, to find out more about her late father’s family, she uncovers dark family secrets and mysterious events. Drawn to sworn enemy Lachlan, a brooding local with a troubled past, she must navigate both their growing connection and the sinister forces lurking about.

I loved this so much! Finally, a story with mature characters who don’t act childish. I was kicking my feet and giggling the entire time! This was my first monster romance, and it was so well done. I can’t wait to dive into the rest of Lana Ferguson’s backlist. Key and Lachlan were such a cute couple with amazing chemistry, and I adored Key’s fiery, loving family. Plus, props for finally having a tall couple—I loved that!

Read this if you enjoy monster romances with open-door scenes and a funny Scottish family!!

honestly I ate this up and left no crumbs. this was campy, unhinged (complimentary!!), fun, and so so so steamy. I had a great time.

the premise was so fun, I loved the adventure-mystery like plot, and the setting made you feel like you were there. Key & Lachlan had such a fun dislike to love dynamic and their banter was 10/10. Lachlan had me at princess.

thank you Berkley for the ARC!! can't wait to read more of Lana's work!!

I am a huge fan of author Lana Ferguson, and if you think she went there with The Fake Mate, wait until you read Under Loch and Key, which is a monster romance... maybe?! If this was my first official monster romance, give me 14 of them STAT!

After the death of her father, Keyanna- known as Key- travels to Scotland to meet the family she has never known. The greeting she receives is less welcoming than what she expected and she butts heads with the cutie living on the property, Lachlan. Things are not as they seem, however, when the legend of the Loch Ness monster turns out not to be a legend after all...

This book is Outlander meets urban legends meets Beauty and the Beast. I loved how the book played on not just the history of Scotland, but the lore and brought in magical elements as well. To add, the romance is forced proximity and enemies to lovers and the spice is extra 🔥 (If the audiobook has a narrator with a Scottish accent, I would read this book via audibook just for that!)

I love a book with a lot of heart and this one was full of it. Key's overly emotional grandfather Finlay is the gem of this novel and must be protected at all costs 😭

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for my earc!

I’ve struggled to connect with Ferguson’s contemporary works in the past, so I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this one! I think the monster romance angle made it extra fun and gave the plot some extra oomf. It's exciting to see an author explore different styles, just like Hazelwood did with 'Bride' earlier this year. I did feel that it was a tad long (seems like many books are these days which could honestly require it's own post lol), but I still had a great time with it! I'm so happy to see more monster romance making its way into traditional publishing!

Under Loch and Key is a small town romance following a woman determined to find closure for herself and her late father as she returns to his hometown, only to find that her dad's recount of the Loch Ness monster may not just be a bedtime story but instead a happening of magic, curses, and adventure. This romance was so unique and charming, I loved the Scottish setting and tone, not to mention all the fun banter between Lachlan and Key! The hate-to-love trope is one of my favorites, and they played it out so well together, their chemistry was unmatched. The plot was very engaging and I loved the lore and history behind the story and magic. I think this would be a perfect beginner monster romance for anyone wanting something a little light and fun with the added bonus of some monster smut!

Read if you like:
💦Grumpy x Sunshine💦
💦Forced Proximity💦
💦Dual POV💦
💦Ancient Curses💦
💦Scottish Lore and Magic💦
💦Monster Steam💦
💦Enemies to Lovers💦

I received an ARC from Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own

This is the first Lana Ferguson book I've read, so I can't compare this one to any of her other novels.

This was a solid read. I found the beginning to be a little slow, but I enjoyed the setting and getting to know the characters.

4.5 STARS!

I absolutely adored this book! Lana catapulted us to the beautiful Highlands of Scotland, a place I've wanted to visit for a while. So, thanks for the trip! *wink* I was mesmerized and drawn in instantly. Also, it was such a genius take to the story of Loch Ness Monster 🤭.

Keyanna MacKay ends up in Scotland after the death of her father. Trying to connect to her estranged family, she finds so much more than she bargains for as she constantly butts heads with Lachlan Greer, the grumpy farmhand. He's got a tangled past with the MacKays, which involves magic and old family secrets. Keyanna is the key to his salvation, for he is cursed to become the Loch Ness Monster.

Under Loch and Key was a sexy, monster romance with a brooding Scot and sunshine-y American with elements of magic and mystery. I truly enjoyed this gem so much!!

Under Loch and Key is a fun paranormal monster romance featuring the loch Ness monster. Keyanna arrives in Scotland after losing her dad in order to meet her estranged grandparents. Key meets Lachlan and it's instant dislike or is it?

While a few parts of the story were over the top, I really enjoyed this one. It's told in dual POV with family secrets, mystery, a curse and supernatural powers plus lots of steam. Key and Lachlan made a great team after they stopped being prickly with each other and admitted their feelings. The epilogue was great!

Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

This paranormal monster romance was just an absolute delight. Lana always knows how to hit with the funny banter, the fun storylines and the originality. I recently discovered her and just fell in love with her writing. There's also some emotional moments thrown in, and just the whole message of the story was beautiful. Truly loved it.

This Scottish paranormal (monster lite? °-) romance is a delight! Packed with hilarious banter, steamy tension, and a fun magical mystery, I flew through this audiobook in a couple of listens. And YES, you've got to tune in to hear narrators Flint Park and Samantha Summers perform (duet style!) this fun rom-com with perfect accent work and emotive energy.
Despite the fun rom-com vibes and steamy on-page scenes, Ferguson delivers a real emotional connection between main characters Keyana and Lachlan, exploring childhood losses, complicated families, and vulnerable intimacy that had me tearing up and cheering for their HEA.
If you've been wanting to dip your toes in paranormal or monster romance, Ferguson is absolutely the author to try first! You'll be adding a forked tongue 2, Loch Ness monster to your Christmas wish list in no time.

Thank you to @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for my #gifted e-ARC and ALC of Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson which releases everywhere today!

3🌟
Okayyy this was my first monster romance and... it was okay! I personally am not a big fan of solving riddles and mysteries within romance books, but I was definitely intrigued in the beginning. However, I think it dragged on too much and I overall lost all interest in solving the lore of it all.
I was hoping that the romance would make up for it, but I didn't connect to either character at all! There were so many points throughout the book where I straight-up cringed. I just couldn't get with all of the Scottish phrases either lol!!! Also, don't even get me started with the smut. I hated it. I never want to hear a man refer to himself as a beast or a monster in the bedroom ever again (I know it's a Lochness monster romance but still).
I really enjoyed The Fake Mate but sadly this was just not it for me.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Romance for the eARC. All thoughts are my own!

In three words: heartwarming, hot and addictive! This book starts off with a really heartfelt scene about a girl who recently lost her father and is trying to connect with family. This is a spicy paranormal romance with a beautiful story about reconnecting to family and your roots. The story is set in Scotland and Lana does such an amazing job and describing the scenes it’s like you’re being transported there! The legend of the Loch Ness monster was such a fun element. The enemies to lovers trope, banter and spicy scenes were done so well. I mean geez 🥵 I listened to a lot of the book on audio and Lachlan’s voice is so hot. I loved hearing all of the accents. I was happy with the ending! Definitely need to read more of Lana’s books.

📣 I want more PNR by this author!

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 what’s one of your Tuesday numbers? Mine are: 1 kid home sick, roughly 4% of a book read, 1 mouth guard impression I just made 😅

Imagine that Nessie is actually a cursed, grumpy Scot who can’t stop thinking about the woman who’s supposedly fated to be his ruination.

Lana Ferguson’s Under Loch & Key is another sizzlin’ story featuring cryptids. In this one, Keyanna travels to Scotland to release her father’s ashes & meet her remaining estranged family. There, she meets said grumpy Scot.

The sparks between Keyanna & Lachlan come across loud & clear, friends. Lana Ferguson doesn’t mess around when it comes to steam & building attraction between the leads. Their love story is adorable—quiet details like Key’s “wee bunny teeth” really got to me. Though the plot kind of gets into the weeds at the end, this story is hope- & sensuality-filled.

4.33 ⭐️, out now!

CWs: curse, imprisonment, betrayal, attempted murder.

[ID: Jess wears a red blazer & multi-colored scarf & holds the ebook.]

4.5 ⭐️ I could not put this one down!!!

I want to thank Berkley Romance for this ARC! I was so excited and honored to get to read it.

This is my first Lana Ferguson book and I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to dive in! As soon as I finished this I was ready to read all of Lana’s other novels. I can’t wait!

This story is sexy, magical, and a lot of fun. The writing is fast paced and it felt easy to put myself into the story. I loved the side characters so much, they were so fun! I adore the grandpa, he is so sweet.

The main couple are so much fun, I really loved reading their dynamic. Key is such a strong woman, I love how bold she is and how she isn’t afraid to speak her mind and get what she wants. Lachlan is so cute and grumpy and easy to love. His povs were so much fun to read!

Seriously such a good read, I am definitely wanting to read more in this genre and more from Lana after this.

Read if you like:
• Paranormal romance
• Grumpy MMC
• Castles
• The Lochness Monster

We have a monster romance with the Loch Ness monster, y’all. From the Queen of Spice herself!

Keyanna packs up her life in the US and moves to Scotland to be connected with her estranged family, who her father left before she was born.

Immediately, she runs into Lachlan, who calls her stupid for going to a dangerous area of Loch Ness.

There’s more to his animosity, though. Their families are old enemies, and Lachlan has Nessie-shaped secrets to keep.

We have a Scottish Highlands-set romance filled with magic, family feuds, monsters, spice, and a slow-burn romance that heats up enough for the pages to burn your hands! (In the best way possible)

I love how well developed the enemies to lovers romance is here, as well as the mystery elements.

Keyanna is so brave - this is 100% a touch him and die!

Grumpy Lachlan is just a big softie, and seeing him fall so hard for Keyanna was so romantic. I love them together!

The story builds so well, and I couldn’t be happier with what it grew into. Is this a reread? Absolutely!

I see so many readers loving this- anyone who likes romance, mystery, or highland magic… pick this up or add this to your holiday wishlist!! Trust me.

Think shirtless Scotsmen in a modern Highland Games…

I give this my highest recommendation, and am so glad I also ordered a signed copy!

Review: UNDER LOCH AND KEY by Lana Ferguson https://bit.ly/4ijTXTq
Publication Date: 12/03/2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Romantic Comedy
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 3.5 Stars

This book was a lighthearted paranormal romance set in Scotland. Full of legends, curses, and mysteries. I enjoyed the different take on the normal paranormal genre. (If you’ve read my reviews, you know I don’t like to give away anything that isn’t on the author’s blurb. So, I may sound vague.) Key is searching for information on her father’s life and why he left Scotland. That coincides with Lachlan searching for clues on his family’s curse. This story is about their collision course. I like how they came to bolster each other’s confidence – once the distrust was rectified.

I didn’t feel the connection between Key and Lachlan. Lust, yes…love? Not until the very end. I liked them but was never truly invested. Perhaps because the book dragged in some areas. More talking about looking for clues rather than fully searching. A large part of the book was also about Key finding her grandparents and forging a relationship. It wasn’t exactly easy, but it was real. The romance part was pretty hot, so not lighthearted like other parts of the book. All in all, it was an interesting story and makes me curious about Lana Ferguson’s other books.

*Review copy provided by Pengiun in exchange for an honest review.

Kindle https://amzn.to/4f5IUdr

Wow, what a hot monster romcom! I never thought I would be reading about a Loch Ness monster romance but anything that Lana Ferguson writes I will devour it.

This slow burn enemies to lovers was such a page turner and kept me reading late into the night. The story line was great and I honestly just love Lana’s non-traditional love stories.

****Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group, Lana Ferguson, and NetGalley for my gifted copy!

I can always count on Lana Ferguson for a fun time, especially with monster romances! I loved the background setting of Scotland and these characters. The banter between Loch and Key was cute, funny, and loving. I loved that Lana managed to add depth and emotional moments to their relationship while still maintaining the fun! If you love paranormal romances, definitely give this one a read!! Overall, a really spicy fun read!

Tropes:
Grumpy x Sunshine
Forced Proximity
Dislike to Love