⭐⭐⭐⭐

✨ “And who’s to say that sometimes a hero is exactly what a person needs, not to save a life but to remind them that there are still regular, every day, non-super powered good guys out there in the world?”✨

Summary:
American travel writer who has never found a place to belong and a grumpy Scot who finds himself having to rescue her...alot.

Themes:
Healing, Finding home, Self-discovery & Faith

Thoughts:
I’m late to the party but wow! This book was a breath of fresh air. What a powerful story about sense of belonging and being able to know God loves us in our brokenness because He turns it into beauty. The story blends humor, relatable characters (and side characters) & witty banter into a great read. This was my first read by Pepper Basham, and can I just say... I will be coming back for more. She did such a great job with the writing, and what a beautiful, picturesque setting! I’ve been wanting to go to Scotland SOOO I might have to bump it up higher on my travel list 🤭

TW’S: Grief/ loss of siblings

Thank you NetGalley, Pepper Basham, and Thomas Nelson Fiction for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

WHIT A BRAW READ 💚💚!!! I am overwhelmed with JOY to have found a new favorite author whose words speak straight to my heart!! I went into this book with no idea how much it would mean to me. It became a quiet kind of magic that is gentle, powerful, and unforgettable. I cannot stop thinking about it, and I truly can't recommend it enough!! With unwavering confidence and heartfelt pride, I can say this book has earned its place on my list of favorites for 2025!!

What an utterly delightful and heartwarming Scottish romance! This beautifully written tale had me smiling, swooning, laughing, and even shedding a few tears along the way. The witty banter, the sense of found family, and the presence of a grumpy yet endearing Scot in a kilt made for an unforgettable read.

The story is rich with misadventures of a spirited heroine, tender moments, and swoon-worthy kisses. The inclusion of a delightful boy and his loyal dog 🐶 , Wedge, adds an extra layer of charm. The community's women's knitting club offers both comfort and camaraderie, weaving threads of friendship and faith throughout the story.

This novel is a testament to the idea that sometimes, stepping out of one's comfort zone and embracing the unknown can lead to the most profound discoveries. In addition, the story is about facing one's past, understanding that running away doesn't shield the heart, and the healing journey toward finding where the heart truly belongs. It's a story that lingers, like the echo of bagpipes across the glen, leaving the reader both uplifted and yearning for more. It's a perfect blend of humor, emotion, and romance that stays with you long after the last page.

I wholeheartedly recommend this Scottish romance and it deserves all the stars!! I'm eagerly looking forward to exploring more of Basham's captivating tales.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Some Like it Scot by Pepper Basham

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC and Audiobook!

I mostly listened to the audiobook and really liked the narrators! Typically when accents are involved they can be fake and forced but I really liked these accents and they seemed authentic ☺️

I really wanted to like this one, but unfortunately I was just bored. It wasn’t a bad read but it took me a while to get through it and I just didn’t have the spark to open it. I think this one was just wrong timing for me. I did like the found family aspect and getting back to one’s routes.

If you like:
☀️Grumpy/Sunshine
☯️Opposites Attract
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Found Family
🔥Slow Burn
❤️‍🩹Healing Through Love
🐟Fish out of Water

Give this one a try!

Some Like it Scot is a fun and heartwarming rom-com. Katie, a travel writer famous for her misadventures, spends three weeks in Scotland exploring her roots. She meets Graeme, a serious Scotsman who loves his ancestral home. Their interactions are full of humor and charm. The book's writing is engaging, and Katie is easy to relate to. The quirky townsfolk add depth to the story, making the setting come alive. As Katie and Graeme figure out their differences, the book beautifully touches on themes of home and belonging. It's a great feel-good read for anyone.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the arc.

The most fun thing about this book for me was the setting! It is set on The Isle of Mull, near Duart Castle, in a land full of clan MacLean. This is where my husband’s ancestors came from. It was such a fun surprise!
In this we follow Katie who is a travel blogger. She is traveling to Scotland to join in the inaugural Edwardian Experience. It is three weeks of being fully immersed in the Edwardian culture. We meet Graeme whose family owns the estate where the experience is being held.
What follows is a comically adorable love story. I adored the quirky characters and the small village. I want to join the book club at the local bookstore. Those ladies seem amazing! We get to see Katie fall in love with this village and its inhabitants. We follow her on many a Miss Adventure. Her clumsy antics add plenty of humor. I will just say, sheep and a testy highland cow. We also see both Katie and Graeme dealing with their grief from several losses.
I had a fun time with this, but I do wish that was a bit more to The Edwardian Experience. I felt like we were rushed through it.
I give this 3.5 stars

Slow burns are not my favorite, but I did think that this story was cute. I didn't care for the guilt the FMC had after kissing, but I did enjoy the found family dynamic and various perspectives on grief. That added a lot of heart to the story.

I recommend Pepper Basham’s Some Like It Scot to anyone who enjoys a wonderful faith filled romance with a happy ending. This contemporary romance set in Scotland features Katie Campbell, a travel writer, and Graeme, a Scotsman, as they embark on an Edwardian experience at his family’s castle.
Some Like It Scot is perfect for readers who have enjoyed Basham’s other contemporary romances that feature spunky heroines, a great cast of secondary characters, and witty dialogue. I eagerly await the next contemporary romance by Basham. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Oh my heart! This book! I adored Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham! Scottish setting? Check. Handsome, broody Scotsman? Check. A relatable, endearing heroine? Check. Coos & a lovable sheep dog? Check. A swoony romance with all the feels? Check. Check. Check! This book immediately captured my heart & didn’t let go.

I loved Katie Campbell. She’s a talented, beautiful, tall (6’1”) travel writer with a penchant for finding danger. She’s definitely in need of a rescuer & longs for a place to belong. When she takes an assignment to blog about an Edwardian experience on the Island of Mull, Scotland, she doesn’t expect to find a deliciously attractive, surly Scot, or a people who make her feel for the first time like putting down roots.

From his first utterance of “lass,” I was sold on Graeme MacKerrow. In the past few years, he’s experienced unimaginable loss. When a charming redhead with a talent for getting herself into scrapes literally lands on top of him, he finds his heart hoping for love again. But, can he win her love & make their totally opposite lives mesh. After all, his home in on Mull & hers is often worlds away.

I adored Graeme & Katie. If you have a chance to listen to the audiobook version, highly recommend it! That glorious Scottish brogue! This heartwarming, witty, poignant, laugh out loud romance had me grinning from ear to ear. With her characteristic humor, warmth & faith, Pepper Basham delivers another winner! I felt totally immersed in the Scottish countryside & fell in love with not only these characters, but Graeme’s family & all the lovely people on Mull. There’s even a tie in to Skymar!

Highest of recommendations for this amazing inspirational romcom. Hoping for more books set here! I received an advanced copy from the publisher with no expectation of a review. All opinions are completely my own & voluntarily provided.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for an advanced copy of this book.

Some Like It Scot is a pleasant mixture of cozy romance, humorous travel experiences, and introspective spiritual growth. It's a lovely, clean, slow-burn connection that weaves the Katie and Graeme together through shared experiences as well as different points of view. The faith aspects are handled in such a way that they feel genuine to the characters and their current internal struggles.

While I enjoyed the depth of the characters and could particularly relate to aspects of the MFC's internal struggles regarding balancing wanderlust and the desire for a home and, the pace of the book lagged at times with a *lot* of repetitive thought-monologues that didn't seem completely necessary.

Overall, an enjoyable read, and I'll be interested to follow-up on other books from the author.

really tried to enjoy this book.

It had some of my favourite elements.

Broody Scot MMC
Travel writer FMC
Scottish Countryside

But it lost me with too many subplots that did not blend well. There is something to be said for keeping the storyline simple and using good writing to keep your reader interesting.

So many books are written from the perspective of the fragile and petite FMC that I was excited for a story when the FMC didn’t fit that mould. Instead, we got a typical Mary Sue whose height was once again, continually remarked upon.

I am sure that this book would be someone else’s cup of tea, but for me the faith was too forced, the romance lacklustre, and the grief was a bit too heavy.

As a side note, is it normal to just let your children run around town unsupervised?

Katie’s a girl after my own heart with a love for traveling, fear of sheep, and probably the clumsiest person around, and Graeme is the protective sweetheart reclusive Scotsman— what’s not to love? A beautiful story of finding home where you should’ve always been :’)

Katie and Graeme are definitely sunshine meets grumpy, yet they both have past hurts and insecurities that fuel their general outlooks. Katie, a travel writer whose "Miss Adventure" column/blog/social is growing in popularity, is invited to the Edwardian Experience at Craighill House in Scotland. The country has been one of her must-visit spots, due to her loving grandparents' fondness for and stories of their homeland, so when her company receives an invitation to the historical costumed three-week event, Katie is sent on assignment. She literally runs into broody Scotsman Graeme working on refurbishing and restoring the manor home in which she is staying for the Experience, and they instantly dislike each other. As "dislike" turns to "like" turns to "deeply care" for them both, they must consider what their future holds.

I loved the references to film "Brigadoon," which the general setting really captured, and I felt at times that I was reading a Christian version of the film "Leap Year" set in Scotland, rather than Ireland.

This story was a bit slow and repetitive. It's also written by a Christian author which I wasn't aware of going in & I prefer to avoid such themes/content.

2/5 stars! This is a "not for me" situation. I read a lot of contemporary romance, but do not read Christian romance. I went into this story not realizing religion would be central to the storytelling, which gave me the ick. It just felt like what started as a cute romcom got more and more religiously-motivated as the story went on. This felt disingenuous to how Christian people I know and interact with in real life act.

This story was an inspiring exploration of love, loss, and healing...blending emotional depth with laugh-out-loud moments. I really connected with the physical and emotional journeys the characters went through, and I adored the two main leads and their chemistry. While the faith elements weren’t quite my thing, they were subtle and didn’t take away from the heart of the story. Overall, a heartfelt and surprisingly funny read!
Thank you for the opportunity to review this book!

And all at once, you’re all I want, I’ll never let you go ✈️

Taylor song: King of My Heart

This was such a fun read! I thought both of the MCs’ backstories were really fleshed out and tied in seamlessly with the story at hand. I thought Katie in particular was really well written - she was a clumsy, “quirky” character that somehow avoided the “not like other girls” vibe completely. With this book being dual POV, I loved watching both of the characters grow and develop before (and while they are) falling in love.

Although this is a romance, the book is more about character development with romance being secondary. I enjoyed the “misadventures” and bit of humor. There is definitely religious influence. While the book centered around a feeling of belonging, there were a lot of relationships with secondary characters that never got resolved or even mentioned again. This romance is a no-spice, comfort book.

This was a really fun book that I'm glad I read!!! I was on the fence about requesting it, but I'm so glad that I did. It was funny but still had wonderful character development and depth. The writing was great, the plot was believable and different, and it still made me escape the real world. I highly recommend it!

Katie Campbell is a popular travel writer on her way to Scotland for a three-week "Edwardian experience" in a Scottish manor. It's a mismatched group of attendees including a rival travel writer and an eclectic host family. Katie finds solace in the local community...including handyman Graeme.

While the book had a good premise and I'm a sucker for any book set in Scotland and about a travel writer (my dream job!), I had a hard time with this storyline--it all just took way too long, didn't have enough drama to really bring me in, and I just didn't care too much about the characters and what happened to them.

I mean, I'll still dream about meeting my own Scotsman, but I'll use my own imagination for it.

Book: Some Like It Scot
Author: Pepper Basham
Genre: Romance, Trravel
Places Featured: Scotland
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️1/2 (rounded up)

Katie Campbell is a travel writer and blogger that goes by the moniker Miss Adventure, as she often finds herself in crazy circumstances and misadventures along her travels (don’t get her started on sheep!). Her popularity leads to her being invited to a Scottish manor house for a three week Edwardian Experience! While most of her assignments are much shorter, she is charmed by the Scottish landscape and people in the small town next to the house. As the time passes she wonders if maybe her nomadic lifestyle is missing a true place to call home. A strong, handsome, grumpy Scotsman doesn’t hurt this conclusion either. But can she start a relationship with someone so tethered to home, while still doing what she loves?
This was a fun read! Strong grumpy/sunny vibes with a beautiful backdrop, and some crazy scenario and side characters thrown in! I enjoyed the misadventures Katie found herself in during the three weeks and the more deeper discussions on what “home” means. Growing up with a nomadic childhood (Army Brat), I related with a lot of those sentiments discussed. While there were some serious topics, difficult family relationships and grief, the book as a whole didn’t feel heavy. With the added faith elements it maintained a hopeful outlook and led to a HEA.
Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. I'm behind on reviews, so this one is already available for purchase at your favorite book buying location!
#NetGalley #SomeLikeItScot