My first ever monster romance and it was fun!! I liked the background and the romance but felt they were a little too in their heads and lacked communicating at times. Listened to the audiobook for parts and enjoyed the duet narration!

Another fun romp from Lana Ferguson with the heart and heat I've come to expect from her work and a genuinely fun and intriguing way to bring about the Loch Ness Monster as a romantic monster companion

This was my first read from this author. I love a book that doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's what was provided here. There were moments where the plot died down a bit and provided more of a cozy vibe than I expected, but it wasn't necessarily slow. The lore was interesting and I found myself wondering which parts are historically true and which were made up for this new take - sparking interest is always a win! It's not the be all and all of monster romance, but if you're looking for a chiller vibe, this may be up your alley.

🐍Book Review🐍
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Summary- Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland..

Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitelydoesn’t find wildly attractive.

When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his.
*
Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️
*
My thoughts- This was quite a book, I did not know this was a monster romance. 🤣call me surprised when that happened, lol. But it started off really strong before it really just slowed down. I was super into it and couldn’t wait to see what happened even with the monster twist. Unfortunately it was way too long, it was hard to follow towards the end. They were acting like what was happening was super high stakes but it ended up just falling flat. It was unique and steamy, but really just crawled to the ending with this one.
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QOTD- if you could turn into a monster or cryptid who or what would you turn into and why ?! I think the Loch Ness monster or Moth Man would be super fun. 🤣

This book is so fun! I lowkey love a paranormal romance and I truly have been eating up Lana’s books!! I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

5✨

A Loch Ness monster romance about a man who’s cursed and a bright eyed red head who’s the key to help him? Like literally THE key cause her name is Keyanna. I was soooooo obsessed with everything this book had to offer. Like I was almost down in the trenches cause I was so hooked on every single second of this monster romance.

You can definitely tell that Lana really enjoyed writing this book since her enthusiasm and passion shined through the story. Keyanna and Lachlan (or should I say Princess and Nessie 🤭) had the best chemistry ever and the chemistry only grew as the book went on. The “pretending to be enemies” banter was just full on goodness for me and when they finally acted on all that pinned up sexual tension? I was floored by how spicy the spice was! I love a good chunk of monster smut, it just hits every single time. The split tongue… 🫢 IYKYK.

The mystery of the story about Lachlan and Key trying to beat the curse that Lachlan was under was just so interesting and I was on the edge of my seat reading every single clue we were getting. One of my favorite parts of the book was also Key’s relationship with her grandparents. First off how cute and sweet her grandpa was and then the emotional part of it she had with her grandma. I feel like Key’s dad would be so proud to see who Key became while in Scotland. And the epilogue? I was tearing up for sure.

Just such a feel good romance with a lot of top notch spice and a mystery that leaves you wanting more and more. This is definitely Lana’s best work to date!!!

🦕 What to expect:
— loch ness monster romance
— enemies to lovers
— magic and mystery
— forced proximity
— only one barn
— small town in scotland
— he calls her princess
— she calls him nessie
— sarcasm as flirting
— grumpy scotsmand
— split tongue action
— touch him and DIE

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC!

*3.5* This was another fun read from Lana Ferguson! I loved the breaking the curse/family history subplot!! There were really strong characters in this one, too! I was really looking forward to the enemies to lovers trope between Key & Lachlan, but I was disappointed with how quickly they became lovers. It felt a little rushed, especially since there was so much story left once they got together. Overall, a good read that I would recommend to anyone looking for a lighthearted paranormal romance!

I enjoyed this title so much! I was almost sad when the curse was broken, if only because Key seemed into it, but I'm sure it's fine. The story flowed and every beat in the book was on point. At no point did it feel like the plot was dragging. The attraction and between the romantic leads was wonderful and believable. Even through their animosity you were rooting for them.

I've been obsessed with Lana Ferguson books lately and this one hit it out of the park. A really unique story, Scottish setting, little bit of monster romance (a category I never thought I'd read, but Lana is great at introducing new romance genres to me), and a sweet family story as well. The beginning felt really sad to me, and a little unexpected for a romance, but I think it was necessary to build up the character. All in all, a great story.

I loved this book so much! Just the right mix of contemporary, fantasy, and monster romance. Lachlan and Key have such a cute relationship once they go from enemies to lovers (though I don't really think it is a true enemies to lovers romance). True, her family of Selkie magic did curse his family to become the Loch Ness monster but the two meet hundreds of years down the line. It's more the unavoidable attraction that makes the two frustrated with each other.

The two team up to unravel the curse before the time clock runs out. Will love win out in the end?

This book was a fun, spicy escape with an intriguing premise and plenty of steam. The mystery element added a unique layer, though at times the urgency and tension felt a bit forced. The miscommunication trope didn’t always land for me, and the FMC’s frustration over secrets felt a little over the top considering how little time the characters had actually known each other.

That said, the story was still entertaining, and the spice definitely delivered. While it lacked some of the emotional depth I was hoping for, it’s a light, engaging read that doesn’t take itself too seriously. If you’re in the mood for something steamy and escapist, this one’s worth checking out.

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
I first need to thank my friend Dara (@booksgardenhappiness) for pushing me to read this book. I wasn’t sure if paranormal romance was totally my thing, but I ended up getting really invested in this story. Who knew the Lochness Monster could be such a swoon worthy MMC?! The only thing I couldn’t get behind was the constant use of the word “c*nt.” I’m not sure why, but that word just gives me the ick. Besides that, this book was the perfect mix of mystery and romance. I loved the atmospheric descriptions of Scotland and I’m ready to hop on a plane to go visit! If you’re like me and unsure if paranormal romance is for you, give this one a try and you might be pleasantly surprised.

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
⚔️Rivals to lovers
☀️Grumpy x sunshine
❌Family curse
🔎Mystery
🪄A touch of magic
🦕The Lochness monster
🌶️Steamy
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Scotland
🗣️Dual POV

⚠️ 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: death of a parent

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💕Q U O T E: “𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂; 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝒽𝑜𝑜𝓈𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝑔𝑜.”

🙏 I was lucky enough to have the eARC and the finished signed copy from @aardvarkbookclub. Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Romance, and Lana Ferguson for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. 💕 #BerkleyPartner

Did I think I was going to read a romance about the Loch Ness monster? No. Did I read it because Lana wrote it? Yes. Was it amazing and now I want more cryptid romances? Also, yes. 
 
There are very few books that I reread as quickly as Lana's - and I read this one three times before it even came out. There's just something about Lana's writing that is so immersive and engaging - it's so easy to get invested in her characters and the stories she tells (and stay up way too late to finish them). In particular, I really loved the mystery / curse element of this book - it kept me guessing right until the reveal. 
 
If you're an audiobook girlie - I highly recommend listening to this one - it's performed in duet and has two really great narrators!! And who doesn't want to listen to a Scottish accent for a few hours?  
 
Enemies to lovers will always be a favourite trope of mine and this rendition was delicious - right off the bat Key and Lachlan were butting heads - and getting dual POV added a lot of dimension to their conflicts (and the chemistry during them). Their banter was also top notch - it had me giggling and kicking my feet (once again, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook - banter WITH AN ACCENT).  
 
Both leads were so interesting and complex - Key was dealing with the grief of losing her father and the hope of connecting with newfound family, while Lachlan was also dealing with grief and the strain of handling a multigenerational curse all on his own. Together they had insane chemistry (I am still not over some of the scenes on the shore of the loch) - even when they were at odds, I was rooting for them to just kiss already. As always, the steam was impeccable. 
 
Whether you're a seasoned paranomal romance reader or if this is your first dip into the genre - I cannot recommend Under Loch and Key highly enough! It has it all - an engaging mystery, excellent banter, fun side characters, and chemistry and steam for days! I loved this one, and I can't wait for whatever Lana writes next!! 
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

I’ve been loving paranormal romances lately and Lana Ferguson really delivers with her latest novel, Under Loch and Key. The idea of cryptids, particularly the Loch Ness Monster, has always fascinated me, so the concept of this book, where the Loch Ness Monster is actually a young man who is the victim of a generations-long curse just really called to me.

What called to me even more though is that this paranormal romance features two of my favorite tropes, enemies-to-lovers and grumpy-sunshine. So not only is the Loch Ness Monster really a hot young man named Lachlan Greer, who turns into Nessie at night, but he’s also bit of a grump who has a grudge against the MacKay family and is more than happy to let Keyanna MacKay know about it when they first cross paths and he has to rescue her before she falls into the dangerous loch.

I loved watching the sparks fly between Keyanna and Lachlan when they first meet, but both of their stories just tugged at my heartstrings once I got to know more about them. Keyanna’s story was especially heartbreaking, as she has come to Scotland to spread her father’s ashes. He was the only family she had and she is hoping to connect with his estranged family in Scotland.

When Keyanna discovers Lachlan’s secret and starts to develop strange powers of her own and realizes that she might be able to help Lachlan, I loved that the two of them learn to trust each other enough to put aside their differences and work together to try to break this curse. I was really rooting for the two of them in every possible way.

If you enjoy paranormal, enemies to lovers romances, Scottish settings and lore, and heartwarming family stories, you can’t go wrong with Under Loch and Key.

I did a lot of travelling this year around the UK and this book brought back all of the vibes for me. Lana Ferguson is such an easy author to dip into and her books have always gotten me out of a reading slump. This book had perfect banter and the setting was just tot die for.

3 Stars
I didn't really care for the mystery in this and I wish we got a bit more insight on Keyanna's magic but I still found this story to be a lot of fun to follow. I liked these characters but I wasn't as invested in their romance compared to past books I've read by this author. I really enjoyed the lore and the setting of this and though it was a bit slower paced for me, I still found myself engaged enough in the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC!

I was really excited about this cause I loved Fake Mate by Lana. I just really didn’t connect with these characters and struggled to get through the book. It sounded like a really cool plot but I think it was just drawn out too much. First 30% was too many secrets between characters and even kept from the reader.

Oh how I loved this book! Such a unique read and I loved the lore and family dynamics that played out. Lochlan and Key were just so good together. The verbal sparring that started out less friendly but continued even once they realized they wanted each was top notch. The way Key supported Lochlan in trying to help him break his curse and their chemistry...it was all just too good!

Under Loch and Key is a enemies to lovers paranormal romance set in the beauty of Scotland. "Key"anna is an American who comes to the famous Loch Ness to spread her dad's ashes and find some closure with the family she never met she meets "Lach"lan, a hand who has some deep resentment towards her family. After saving her from drowning in the Loch, the tension between the two just gets worse. But both have secrets that are connected and keep forcing them into proximity with the other.

I enjoyed this one, but honestly I expected to like it more than I did, The characters were just a bit too cookie cutter and immature for me so instead of finding the banter funny I found it more silly. And that was before Lachland's big secret is revealed! There is a lot of suspension of disbelief needed for this one, and I couldn't quite get my head in the right space to make it work. It is also well over 400 pages and I felt that! The pacing just seemed to slow and meander at times. A shorter story would likely have been better. Even so if you like paranormal romance with a good bit of spice, this will likely be an enjoyable read for you. I just wish there had been a bit more depth to the characters and a bit less of the silliness that kept me from fully investing in the story.

I unfortunately did not like this book. The characters were all insufferable and had the emotional maturity of a goldfish. I disliked the main guy the most. He was so rude and grumpy and hated Kay for no good reason. I didn't appreciate the extra drama. It was a little too much for me. The characters just weren't very lovable and hard to relate to. I didn't like this one at all.