𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌

𝙎𝙘𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙
by Alexandra Kiley
332 pages
@canarystreetpress
Out March 4, 2025

𝒮𝓎𝓃𝑜𝓅𝓈𝒾𝓈
Brooke Sinclair’s dream of being a published author derailed when she was expelled from the University of Edinburgh seven years ago. Now a ghostwriter, she sticks to other people’s stories. But when her college mentor Mhairi McCallister needs a co-writer for her memoir about Scotland’s most challenging trek, Brooke would do anything for the opportunity—including agreeing to hike the rugged Skye Trail for authenticity’s sake... not knowing the nature photographer who’ll join her is Jack Sutherland, the man who shattered Brooke’s writing career—and her heart.

Between getting sacked from the University and walking away from his family’s tour-guiding business to follow his photography dreams, Jack is desperate to prove he didn’t disappoint his family for nothing. And he can’t ignore his Aunt Mhairi’s final wishes for her memoir. Even if it means acting as guide and storyteller for the one who got away. Even if it means keeping secrets about Mhairi’s health.

I absolutely loved 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙡𝙩 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙥 by Alexandra Kiley, and I’ve been anxious to read the next installment. I really liked this novel, but it was more of an achingly slow burn so be prepared. It was still steamy, satisfying and had the added authenticity of dealing with losing a loved one and how to celebrate that person’s life.

💕 Second Chance Romance
🚪Open Door
🏕️Close proximity
⏳Makes use of flashback to reveal the past between the MCs
❤️‍🔥Slow Burn
🌶️ Steam and spice and everything nice
⛰️Love letter to Scotland- on my bucket list!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚If you enjoy B.K. Borison, Lyla Sage or Sarah Adams romance series, please check this series out. I think you will enjoy it!
Thank you to the author, tagged publisher and @netgalley for allowing me to read this before it is published in exchange for my review.

❓QOTD: Scotland is one of my bucket list destinations to travel to - what’s one place you’d like to visit?

#romancebooks #arcreading #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #scotandbothered #thekilttrip #alexandrakileybooks

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley. We've covered this newly published sophomore selection from the author of Kilt Trip for our podcast. The book had potential but quickly ran off track for us.

The Pros
- Love letter to the Scottish countryside and culture
- Brooke doesn't let Jack back in too quickly
- Kiley is an excellent writer

The Cons
- The conflict was manufactured and not very impactful when you think about it logically
- Emotional manipulation all around - for the characters and the readers
- The flashback.
- The pacing
- The characters weren't compelling

We loved Kilt Trip so much that this was a letdown. We'd recommend it for series completists and those who love to read descriptions of the gorgeous wilds of Scotland.

⅘ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Scot and Bothered
Author: Alexandra Kiley

Thank you so much @htpbooks for this copy of @akileys newest release! I was honored to have been given an arc of her other book Kilt Trip which I absolutely adored. This one was just as cute if not even more! Brooke is a ghost writer, and her college mentor asks her to help her write her book on a memoir of a beautiful trail in Scotland called the Skye Trail. They end up deciding that it would be best for Brooke to actually hike the trail, to really be able to bring the book to life and be able to make it even more realistic. Of course, the photographer going with her is her ex fling Jack, and it’s safe to say things did not end well between them at all. So this book ends up throwing in forced proximity, second chance romance, Scottish setting, and my favorite part was that they were hiking and in nature for the majority of the read. This book also bounces between past and present so we really get a good understanding of Brooke and Jacks relationship and why she pretty much loathes him in the beginning. I really recommend this read, AND Kilt Trip if you haven’t read it yet either. Can’t wait for Alexandra Riley to bring us more!

I read the first book in this duology, Kilt Trip, last year on a trip to Scotland and turned it into a huge part of the trip itself (including a full “scavenger hunt” visiting locations and restaurants mentioned throughout the book). I was SO excited to get a chance to read an early copy of Scot and Bothered, and immediately wished I was back in Scotland reading this one - although in an interesting twist, I did happen to be on another vacation while reading this one, except this time it was Mexico!

I adored Jack just as much as I loved Logan, except maybe even a tiny bit more?? I wanted to protect his sweet, misunderstood, black-sheep-of-the-family self SO badly, and I loved Brooke’s instant chemistry with him. The story could’ve been just a touch tighter/clearer for me, but by the end I feel like I got exactly the ending I wanted - and honestly, Scotland is one of my favorite places in the world and anything describing its beauty and history is an automatic yes in my eyes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for this eARC!

(I copied the incorrect link the first time I am so sorry)
I wasn’t a fan of this. I really cannot read second chance romances, but I especially can’t read the ones with multiple timelines. I think that’s a personal thing for me, it has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the book itself. I will absolutely continue to read this authors work, but unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me.

𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘶𝘱 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘭, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵 - 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦. I absolutely adored this slow-burn, second-chance romance, with its picturesque Scottish scenery (I definitely spent a lot of time looking up the many locations described). The book was wonderfully written with “then” and “now” POVs, which added layers, mystery, and ultimately explanations to how Brooke and Jack’s story started and how they fell apart. I truly didn’t expect to find myself reading such a beautiful, yet messy love story with heartbreak, healing, and amazing character growth.

“His eyes were like the fairy pools, vast & endlessly deep. Like if she fell into them, she’d never come out again—& she was very ready to fall.”

4 ⭐️

Brooke & Jack met at the University of Edinburgh feeling an immediate connection.

But because Jack was T.A. their relationship was forbidden, resulting in an unforgiving disaster.

Now, many years later, as Brooke sets out on a journey in hopes of finishing a memoir, Jack shows up to photograph the trip.

Even trying to keep their distance, their history quickly resurfaces & they cannot deny their feelings any longer.

What to expect:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland setting
🐑 Second chance romance
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Forced proximity
🐑 One tent
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Off limits romance
🐑 Self- discovery

Thoughts:
I left a huge piece of my heart in Scotland so it was so fun to read about these places I went to. With dual timelines, we get to see the main characters’ falling in love & rekindling their relationship.

I love a second chance romance, and I love a Scottish man even more, so naturally I loved this. This book has a dual timeline switching between Jack and Brooke’s past and then seven years later when they reconnect in the present. Their story starts off as a forbidden student/TA relationship and leaves you in suspense about how things ended for most of the book. In the present, they’re forced back together on a week long hiking trip for a project they’re both working on.

I adored the outdoor setting and all of the nature descriptions. I swear every time I read about Scotland it makes me want to visit even more. It was so sweet seeing Jack and Brooke reconnect, and all of the forced proximity was delicious (only one bed AND only one tent). The book also gets quite sad due to an illness in the family and brought several tears to my eyes, but ultimately ends on a happy note. This was my first book of Alexandra’s but I might have to go back and read Kilt Trip!

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Scot and Bothered scratched my itch for a story that takes place in Scotland, but it felt lacking. It was kinda slow and I think the bouncing back and forth between the past and present took away from both story lines. I almost wish it was “then” as the first half and then “now” as part 2. Overall, the story was cute and the characters were so likable. The scenery of Scotland was awesome to read through though.

Scot and Bothered || Alexandra Kiley

"She used to think of them as star-crossed, and maybe it was all the same in the end, but under the heavy blanket of night, she thought they might be destined."

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This is a novel, somewhat linked to Alexandra Kiley's book "Kilt Trip", but instead of Logan, this book follows his brother Jack.

Jack is an aspiring photographer, but has been stuck with the expectation of working for his family's guiding business. He is in grad school when he meets Brooke, an aspiring author. They fall into a forbidden relationship (as he's a TA and she's a student), and unfortunately, everything blows up for the both of them.

Seven years later, Brooke is a somewhat established ghostwriter, but her dream is to have her name on books. She is ghostwriting a memoir for her favorite professor Mhairi, who also happens to be Jack's aunt. When her first draft falls flat, Mhairi and her editor encourage her to follow the trail Mhairi created in the Scottish Isles for inspiration. The catch? Jack is also invited to take photos for the book.

This story takes the reader on a journey through the not on the Skye Trail, but also the journey Brooke and Jack took 7 years prior, falling in love and then exploding apart. I didn't expect there to be such a strong theme of grief in this book and readers should be aware of that. Whereas Alexandra Kiley's first book was more playful and heavier on Scottish landmarks, this one is a deeper and more interpersonal story.

-contemporary romance
-second chances
-forbidden romance (TA and student)
-grief and loss
-dual timeline
-dual POV
-3rd person POV

spice 4/5

I fell in love with @akileybooks writing when I read her debut, KILT TRIP, and I was thrilled to once again be part of her Street Team for SCOT AND BOTHERED ! 😍

I loved Jack as a side character in Kilt Trip, so I was excited for his love story. I am a sucker for second chance romance, and she did a great job at weaving in the dual timelines and POVs. Jack & Brooke’s chemistry was palpable, and you will be rooting for them right from the start. 💕

But it’s more than a love story - it’s also a story of finding your passion, daring to dream, and being brave enough to lead the life you want to live. It also weaves in themes of grief - which was both heartbreaking and life-affirming.

This was once again a love letter to Scotland, and I found myself looking up the locations and dreaming of travelling to visit them myself. Though I definitely would not be brave enough to cross the Big Step 🤣

I am now even more obsessed with her stories and will read anything she writes… which hopefully will be Reid’s story next 😉

This is an interesting story about two young people; Brooke an American girl on a scholarship to University in Edinburgh Scotland and Jack a local boy also at University. This story is told from differing points of view of these characters and changes between past and present. This is a very well written story and gives the reader a little glimpse at some of the Scottish countryside with a well-known hiking trail. These characters have a lot of depth to them; even some of the secondary ones too. I found this story easy to read and enjoyable.

These two young adults meet at a party and have an instant attraction and connection. Then things become difficult when Jack becomes a TA in one of Brooke's classes. There overwhelming attraction to each other becomes unbearable and they break the rules in order to be together. This sets off a chain of events that hurl them to ultimate disaster. They are too young and immature when they decided to "buck the system" and engage in a relationship. This is a story about their growth and development as people and adults and if they can ever find their way back to friendship.

The was a cute, heartwarming romcom. I enjoyed the premise and it had all the fun tropes: forbidden romance, forced back together, one room in the inn (or in this case tent). I would definitely read something by Alexandra Kiley again!

A classic second chance romance set in idyllic Scotland. A great read for anyone who has fallen in love with the Scottish Highlands or who daydreams about traveling there one day.

The longing and anticipation from the protagonists' connection woven with the themes of ambition, grief, and anxiety for the future made for such a compelling and bingeable read. Would recommend!

3.5 stars, 1 spice

I like this one a little bit more than Kilt Trip (It didn’t click before starting that this was the next in that series), I did love the aesthetic, but overall felt it lacked with the characters.

Even though this is a second chance romance, I felt like both their original romance and the second chance were insta love. With that, I felt like I was missing information on each of them as individuals (in both the past and present). I felt like I knew more about the people they met on the trail than the actual main characters. Rather than spending time getting to know them as people then vs. now, I felt we spent the whole time dancing around the big break up moment.

I did love all the imagery around Scotland. Mentioning all the different areas on the Isle of Skye really makes me want to visit there. I just know it has to be even more stunning in person.

I also appreciated the depth and love that was developed for Mhairi. I love seeing her character being one that lived a full life, with a huge impact on others, that leaves an amazing legacy that is not based around having her own kids. I did feel emotions for her in the end.

Also, for being the second in a series of interconnected standalones it also feels a bit repetitive to have another story with them just traveling around Scotland, and having a theme of grief.?

Thank you to Harlequin Audio and Canary Street Press for the audio and ebook advanced copies.

3.25⭐️ rounded down

As much as I wanted to love Scot and Bothered just as much as I loved Kilt Trip there was just something missing from the second installment to this series.

I found myself losing interest or having to figure out exactly what timeline we were in for a vast majority of the book, which really destroyed the continuity for me. The dual POV and timeline combined just seemed a bit much at times.

Much like Kilt Trip, though, the grief aspects of this story were what really made it for me.

I’ll be back for what I hope is Reid’s story!

Thank you to NetGalley and HTP Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley
Contemporary romance, multi time-lines. Second chance troupe for both romance and life dreams.
Brooke Sinclair returns to Scotland and the University of Edinburgh to ghost write her mentor’s memoir. Only after she agrees to actually hike the rugged Skye Trail across Scotland does she find out that her photographer will be her lost love from eight years ago. She and Jack fell in love during university but life goals and conflicts ended up with them going their separate directions. Hiking the trail now, they have to hash things out, settle their differences and deal with feelings that linger.

Reconnecting means they need to talk about the past, the present and the future. Life goals and reconsidering career goals is so hard. On top of feelings of love in the middle and a life well lived brings it all front and center. You do need to pay attention to the time changes in each chapter from now and then.
Absorbing, tears, and love valued.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

He’d been the one person she’d trusted with her dreams and he’d single-handedly unraveled them.

Scot and Bothered was a second chance story told in alternating Then and Now chapters, that pretty much last throughout the whole book. Brooke is an American who is studying at the University of Edinburgh in their English program, she has the dream of being a writer. Jack is a Scotsman who is in the MBA program, he supposed to help with his family's tour guide business when he graduates. When they meet at a party, they're both instantly drawn to each other, until Brooke shows up to class one day and Jack is one of the T.A.s in the class. They know they shouldn't start anything but they can't help themselves and when Jack feels like his hand is forced and makes a decision without telling Brooke, they both feel the consequences. It's not until seven years later that these two are forced together to collaborate on Jack's aunt's memoir, Brooke's mentor, that old wounds are finally healed.

It was easier to slip into someone else’s story, someone else’s voice, than to admit she’d lost her own.

I'm not a strict linear reader, so I don't mind alternating timelines that are simultaneously showing our characters in present time and pushing the story forward while also going back in time to show how they got where they are and why they are the way they are. However, I usually like the past timeline to be wrapped up around midway point, having gotten the foundational information needed to understand but then fully in the present so the characters have time to work out what they need to and fall in love again. The alternating timelines kept up until, almost the very end of the book and I was left feeling like Brooke and Jack didn't spend that great gritty time working out what they needed. When Brooke and Jack are forced together, Brooke's writing her mentor's memoir, while Jack's taking the photos for his aunt's book, Brooke is still extremely angry over how everything went down seven years ago. She does not take her foot off his neck for awhile but it seemingly takes one, I'm finally getting angry line, from Jack and she kind of lets it go. It's an apology of sorts but I still felt she let that strong anger go kind of quickly.

“I feel bound to a life I didn’t pick. I have never felt free.”
The anguish in his voice broke her heart in two. And spoke to something she never felt allowed to voice.

Considering the set-up of Jack being not her specific T.A. but a T.A. in her class, I'm not sure I felt the desperate “we must be together” even though we could wait and there would be no consequences. I could see Jack caving but Brooke's character is described as very by-the-book and she's there on scholarship and talks a lot about how important this all is to her. I know she's in love for the first time and likes how Jack brings out her adventurous side but it still felt a betrayal to some of her characterization, because they wouldn't have to stay away forever, just for the semester or even two. I spent more of the Then chapters shaking my head and thinking the big blow up coming could be easily avoided. How unromantic of me, but there it is.

“I fucked up. So badly . I wish more than anything I could take it back. I know I broke your trust and it’s unforgivable.”

Around 30% is when Brooke loses her red mist of anger and they start to talk. They're hiking the Skye Trail in Scotland, the mentor/aunt founded the trail and the memoir is focused on that. If you read the first in this series, you'll remember the amazing way the author incorporated aspects of Scotland, geography, historical facts, and legends. We mostly get geography here and while I didn't find it as encompassing as the first, I still enjoyed how the setting, the land and trail, added atmosphere to the story. We get some secondary characters that are hiking and a little bit of Jack's family, what connects the series, but mostly this was focused on Brooke and Jack.

It wasn’t the look of someone who’d never cared. It was the look of someone who still cared.

Around 70% Brooke is ready to try with Jack again and like I said, I never felt like there was much working out the emotional problem in the Now chapters, Brooke felt like she just kind of mellowed and their instant connection from the Then chapters was what I felt left with to explain and feel why they were giving in to this second chance. It felt odd that Brooke's over what happened in the past before readers even find out how everything blew-up, which is revealed around 80%. How could I the reader move on with her if I didn't even know what happened yet?

“Sometimes we have to fuck it all up to know how to do it right.”

The alternating timeline chapters went on too long for me and I didn't get the knuckle down and work it out for this second chance romance, it felt like it came too easily (lower angst readers would enjoy more). The Skye Trail descriptions gave good setting but the pace dragged in the later second half as I felt the characters were stagnating because the Then chapters were still behind where the Now Brooke and Jack seemed to emotionally be. There was a brief upset moment to add late second drama but gotten over quickly and a two years in the future epilogue to cement the HEA. This didn't quite hit like the first for me but I'll definitely be returning to the series for the third brother's romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for an ARC of "Scot and Bothered" by Alexandra Kiley, out now!

I loved Alexandra's first book so much and I was so excited to read this one. It was just as good! If you love second chance romances this one is for you! It also jumps between past and present so make sure you're paying attention so you don't get confused!

Overall I really liked the book and the characters and I recommend you checking it out!

Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley is a Scottish romance and the story of Brooke and Jack.
 
Brooke’s dream is to be a published author but after her university career was destroyed, her dream died a bit as well. She’s a ghostwriter now and it was really interesting to learn more about that. I needed a lot of time to warm up to Brooke because sometimes she’s rather reserved and a tad bitter and she sometimes forgets that a different path still can lead to her dreams.
 
Jack is a nature photographer and he’s trying to prove himself to his family. He kept a lot of secrets and was also the reason Brooke was expelled from the university and therefore I wasn’t fond of him for a lot of the book.
 
My favorite part of the book was the setting in Scotland, and they hike the Skye Trail, and I had total wanderlust and wanted to travel back to Scotland immediately. The romance was very slow and so much was between them that the redemption took almost too long. There were some nice moments but overall, I couldn’t fully feel this romance.
 
If you like romances set in Scotland, you might also like this book. 3 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)