This author is new to me, but I will be keeping an eye out for anything else they publish. I loved the story and the characters. The pacing of the story was great and the characters were relatable.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers, Thomas Nelson Fiction, for the ARC of this book.

Some like it Scot is about Katie Campbell, an American travel writer who hasn't been able to define her meaning of home for some time, and Graeme MacKerrow, a reclusive Scot.

Expect:
- Found Family
- Grief/Loss
- Christian Fiction
- Romance - ZERO spice/ clean
- Dual POV

A cute, easy read.

Cute! It took me a little bit to get into the story but once I did I really liked it. Love the setting and MMC!

I love a scottish book - but was not expecting a closed door / quite heavily religious book. Should be mentioned beforehand. I was the wrong reader for this one, I am sure it will be loved by the target audience.

A globe-trotting travel writer joins a three-week Edwardian experience in the Scottish Highlands and unexpectedly finds a sense of home—and maybe love—with a reclusive, charming Scot tied to the estate. Amid corsets, candlelight, and heartfelt connections, she begins to wonder if her rootless life has finally led her to where she truly belongs.

Once you start reading this book, it really flows easily—but it took me a while to actually begin. I kept putting it off and just couldn’t seem to finish it. It’s truly sweet, slow-paced, and a slow-burn romance. Throughout the whole book, the characters are very well-developed, and the character growth is portrayed beautifully with a great pace to their personal journeys.

Katie is an interesting main character who constantly ends up in life-threatening trouble. From the start, those situations were fun and entertaining to read, though that element faded a bit until the very end. Graeme is a hot Scot who caught her attention on day one—a true grump. I found it really interesting how his Scottish accent was written and how charming the relationship with his family is, especially with Lachlan.

I gave it a 4-star rating because I felt like something was missing from the story overall. Still, I enjoyed the portrayal of the “Edwardian lifestyle” that Katie becomes part of. At times, the fact that Katie and Graeme had such similar backstories didn’t quite sit right with me. Regardless, I definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a clean romance, slow-paced and lighthearted, with moments that’ll make you smile and unwind.

2.5⭐️
Some Like it Scot had a lot going for it! I love books about writers and about hot men with accents but I didn’t realize this book would be so overtly religious. The first half of the book it wasn’t as bad but the second half had a reference to church or god or prayer or His Plan on every page. It got excessive for a book that wasn’t advertised as such.

I enjoyed the two main characters (though Katie seemed to sometimes veer into a caricature of a clumsy, awkward woman). I really loved Mirren and Lachlan. They were the stars of this book for me and I think helped with Katie’s character development more than anyone else.


Thanks NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital advanced copy of this book!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

American travel writer Katie Campbell lands in Scotland for her most recent assignment. She is known as "Miss Adventure" for her inadvertent ability to engage in adventures that lead to calamity and, sometimes, near-death experiences.

Those misadventures lead her to island native Graeme MacKerrow. Katie, who doesn't really feel at home anywhere, begins to feel at home in Scotland with Graeme and his family.

Will she fall in love with the MacKerrows AND Scotland and is that love great enough to stay?

Pepper Basham is so talented in writing books with likeable main characters, some humor, cultural themes, and en engaging plot. This quirky and cute book kept me turning the pages! I loved this one!

If you live a clean romance set in Scotland then this one is for you. Katie is a travel writer who travels to Scotland for an Edwardian experience. She feels that she has never found her place that she feels she belongs. I loved Katie and that she is not the “perfect” heroine we find in a lot of books. She is clumsy and funny. This was a great read.

This was just very meh for me. Katie had no idea what she was doing half the time, even when it came to basic life skills. Why would a grandparent leave a farm to one sibling? Seems quite unfair. Graeme was even worse really. His attitude was annoying at best. Not much romance here but a lot of church talk and bringing up God/Jesus so if that’s your thing this might work well for you. Enjoyed reading about the locals but ultimately found the book too trite for my taste.

This one was not for me, as I'm definitely not the demographic. I'm normally pretty good at catching closed door romance, Christian romances, religious heavy books before delving in but apparently I missed this one. I guess that's on me but I wish something to that effect would've been included more in the marketing?

Katie Campbell, a travel writer used to keeping her assignments brief and her emotions at arm's length, finds herself on a three-week Edwardian Experience in the Scottish Highlands — the longest she’s ever stayed in one place for work. It suits her just fine. As long as she’s far from her overbearing mother and the ghosts of her past, she’s content to keep moving forward.

What she doesn’t expect is a 6'7" Scotsman to turn her carefully controlled world upside down.
While Katie and her love interest share a sweet chemistry, their emotional connection sometimes feels surface-level, especially considering their respective losses. Conversations between them often skimmed the deeper waters of grief and healing, choosing instead to linger on physical traits rather than meaningful growth. I realize that looks count, but by the end of the novel I expected more depth.

Surprisingly, it’s the secondary characters who shine brightest — particularly Graeme’s mother, who radiates warmth, kindness, and the unconditional acceptance we all crave. Her presence is a true highlight to the story.

If you enjoy contemporary romcoms that steer clear of heavy drama and lean into quirky charm, this book may be your cup of tea. Katie’s eccentric energy will resonate with many readers. However, the Edwardian Experience — while unique — feels more like a distraction from the central romance than a meaningful addition to the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and of course the author Pepper Basham for the advanced copy of the book. Some Like it Scot is out now. All opinions are my own.

Im a big fan of a Downton Abbey, so reading about someone who steps into an Edwardian experience for 3 weeks was so fun! I’m giving this book all the stars. The character growth was phenomenal, especially for Katie, our travel writer who spends 3 weeks in Scotland to participate in the Edwardian experience. I listened to the book on audio, and hearing the Scottish accented narrators tell the story made me want to visit Scotland ASAP!

I highly recommend this book. It’s full of misadventure, learning to love, and finding a family. Also a hairy coo makes an appearance which brings on a good laugh and a bit of anxiety for one character. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary book. A review was not required.

Super sweet story! I have a soft spot for anything Scotland, as well as the grumpy-sunshine trope, so this one hit all the right notes. "Some Like It Scot" was more of a single-minded romcom than what I typically read. If Hallmark Movies were books ... this one would start out the series. It's an adorable beach-read fluff piece .. pure, entertaining escapism.

Katie has experienced substantial emotional hardship over the years. When her sister was killed by a drunk driver, her mom attempted to turn Katie into her sibling to fill that void. Katie enters the story demoralized. She knows she is not enough, and she will never be good for anyone - including a life partner. She's clumsy, clutzy, and constantly experiences death-chases-this-woman levels of misadventure. She's turned this into her brand, and she takes joy in sharing her bizarre experiences with her followers.

Graeme adores his home more than just about anything. When his twin sister became terminally ill, his fiancé backed out of their relationship, leaving him reeling and further wounded. When Katie meets him, he's a gruff shell of himself.

Both the male and female main characters have somber backstories, but the book's backdrop counterbalances this, taking on the role of comedic sidekick. Katie's participating in an "Edwardian Experience" as part of her "Miss Adventure" social media persona, and it's Chaos Incarnate. Seriously. We meet a thieving macaw, a sneaky weasel, and a bunch of eccentric humans. Combine that with the lively residents of Mull, a vindictive Coo, and ... you have all the elements needed for a fun little romcom.

TW: distant family, sibling death x 2 // terminal illness // death by drunk driver (all in the past).
Relationships: Caps out at mildly-descriptive kisses. Protagonist frequently talks about her figure as a cello ("top half of my cello", etc.). Lots of mild longing, appreciation of the male character's fitness (yes, we get a shirtless abs scene), comments about "sexy knees" (😂), etc.
Language: Nothing to mention.
Content: Definitely a Christian romance, with light references to God and salvation/eternity/hope/etc. Not sanctimonious or overly preachy - just shown as a part of both characters' lives.

Thank you, author and publisher, for an advance copy of this book! All opinions expressed are my own.

I am very grateful to have received a compliantly copy of this book!

Some Like It Scot is a cozy read when you need something quick and easy to get out of a book rut! The main character, Katie is so relatable and quirky with a deeper side to her. Watching her fall in love with Scotland (and maybe even a Scottish love interest?!) was a fun journey that makes you want to root for happiness.

Look, I wanted to love this. A clumsy American travel writer and a grumpy Scotsman? Sign me up. But the book ended up feeling ... technically fine, but not quite my cup of tea.

What I liked: The setting is gorgeous. Basham paints Scotland so well that I was googling flights. Katie’s misadventures are usually charming (if a little over-the-top), and Graeme has his moments—especially when he’s scowling in a kilt.

But I was not comfortable with the amount of religious content. And there is just a lot of talking vs. things actually happening. And while the jealous co-worker and snooty hosts were set up as obstacles, they weren't really villains. Missed opportunity for drama!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. No kilts were harmed in the writing of this review.

This is a lot of fun and like most Basham books I read it with a big smile on my face. Graeme and Katie's story is lovely to read. She is the clumsy person who is forever getting into some sort of misadventure and often requires her to be rescued. Graeme, is the chivalrous white knight (he does have a white horse BTW) who delights in being the rescuer. They're drawn together through their humour; their puns bounce off each other very easily.

Like all good romances, they both have backstories that require discovering as they provide a depth to the characters and through the other, enable acceptance and healing. Basham weaves the serious elements of these backstories through their budding acquaintance and I appreciated the tenderness by which she managed them. I suspect one of them may have been drawn from her own story of recent loss of a much loved sibling and it was lovely how Graeme's sister was such a positive presence within his family.

Little Lachlan and Wedge, his four-legged companion were delights. Katie's interactions with them were very special as was Graeme's gentleness towards his 'adopted' son.

And Scotland! Wow. We got a real sense of the place, and Basham did a great job with the dialect as much of the dialogue used the Scottish vernacular.

Like other reviewers have written, I didn't really want this story to end. Katie and Graeme are such a fun couple and I expect their 'forever after' will be as hilarious, generous and magical as the season experienced in this story.

I feel blessed to have received an advance ebook copy from the publisher via NetGalley. However, this has had no bearing on my review.

I think I might have been the wrong reader for this. To me, it felt far too slow, and I was very put off by how unexpectedly and weirdly religious it was. I also felt as though several of the core storylines set up in the first half didn’t get any real resolution (the social media award conflict, the whole Edwardian experience, the way the people leading the castle were kind of horrible and disrespected the locals, the daughter hungry for a husband, etc.). Not for me, but your mileage may vary.

2.5 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Some Like It Scot and stayed up way too late finishing it this morning!! I love Scotland and have some Scottish ancestry so that made the book more special for me. My heart went out to Katie who has never felt like she fit in with her parents' life. Pepper Basham is one of my favorite authors and did a wonderful job writing Some Like It Scot! I may have shed some tears as well as having a few chuckles as Katie, a travel writer and podcaster, visits Scotland and encounters "a hot Scot"! You will not want to miss this book! I received a complimentary advance e-book from the author and NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

Full of wit, adventure, romance, and of course Scotland, this book is a heart warming and funny love story that you will want to read again and again!

Some Like it Scot by Pepper Basham
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Thank you @netgalley @thomasnelson for the complimentary ebook! Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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This was such a fun read! I’ll admit it took me a bit to get into (a me problem, not a book problem) but once I did I adored this story! Katie is a clutzy travel writer chronicling her adventures across the globe who meets her match in Graeme, a Scottish woodworker who has his own reasons for sticking close to home. I loved how this book explored each character’s grappling with grief and how that impacts their choices in both life and love.
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This book is full of sweet moments and lots of humor. The misadventures turned Katie into quite the American damsel and I loved how those mishaps led to her connection with Graeme. It felt immersive and I want to visit this village and have tea with all the side characters! This would make a great summer read if you’re wanting a bookish escape to Scotland and to meet characters exploring their own growth along the way 🏴