I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out what to say about Scott and Bothered and truthfully remain unsure as to how I feel. There were moments that felt profound, that made me think and re-evaluate things in my own life, and I loved that aspect. And there were others that made me want to take a break from reading or to skim a paragraph or two, and those aspects are the ones I’m struggling to articulate. My two theories are that my dissatisfaction boiled down to repetition and my lack of faith in the relationship. Repetition: most learned life lessons mentioned in the book were repeated many times, which led to the story feeling unnecessarily long and redundant. Lack of faith in characters: when I was about 75% through, I started to get frustrated that the characters seemed to flip toward and away from each other on a whim. I understand that betrayal can lead to issues with trust, but I’m of the belief that trust is integral to true love, making it difficult for me to reconcile the idea that the characters were somehow in love and also so very…changeable. They never truly dug into what led to their falling out in the first place and although I believe that second chance love is possible, I don’t believe it can last unless the past is fully addressed. So. This is all to say, Scot and Bothered was well written (I have a feeling I would love to sit down and chat with Alexandra Kiley about life and philosophy and general beliefs and perspectives) but the story itself ultimately fell flat for me.

Brooke agrees to hike the sky trail in Scotland with her mentor Mhairi and nature photographer Jack.. she wants to help write a book on Mhairi 's life and he wants to hike the trail to make it more authentic. good story.

I enjoyed this book! I felt like the ending was a bit rushed after all of the build up through the rest of the story - but overall I enjoyed! The relationship building, the banter - it was well done!

I genuinely enjoyed this book overall with the second chance trope being an absolute favorite. It’s so amazing to get to see people fall in love all over again. Brooke is such a relatable female main character with her fears of being stuck and unsure of where she sees herself going in the future and Jack is most certainly relatable in terms of coming from a smaller community where it’s normally expected to carry on in a family business. Getting to read and watch them find not just each other but also themselves again during this journey was an amazing thing to read and I definitely look forward to reading more books from this author!

Brooke has always wanted to be a writer. When she achieves this dream as a ghost writer, she figures, it's better than not writing. She is given the opportunity to write her mentors memoir but told it doesn't have heart.

Brooke proposes a hike to the home land the made her mentor who she is. However, her mentor can't go with her. Instead she proposes her nephew Jack, to which Brooke adamantly says no. With history between them, Brooke doesn't have a choice.

Can they survive spending time together again? Will they rekindle their relationship?

Honestly, the story moved very slow and was difficult to get into. Abandoned after about 25%

I finished this book at 11:54 PM and immediately had to get up out of bed and write this review. This book is that good. I first saw Jessica Joyce recommend this book on her social media. I went straight to NetGalley and requested it for myself. I'm so glad I did.

Alexandra Kiley's writing is like a mix of B.K. Borison and Jessica Joyce. Beautiful imagery, soft and tender relationships. I couldn't get enough. I adored Jack and loved the growth each of the MCs had. Especially Brooke's growth, being able to forgive Jack and realize he was trying to protect her and wasn't out for himself.

I didn't realize that this was an interconnected book. I *really* appreciated that. So many times, one reads an interconnected stand alone and you feel like you're on the outside of a friend group. You don't understand the inside jokes and you realize the side characters are being spoken of intimately, but you barely know them. It wasn't until 90% of the way through Scot and Bothered and Logan and Jack were discussing Addie that I realized there MIGHT be another book. I am so grateful for that. It was a small blip and at no point did I feel like I was missing a deep part of the story.

The celebration of life had me in my feels and my eyes were profusely watering. So beautifully written.

I also really loved the ending and epilogue. So often we're given the happily ever after of engagements and babies. But what we got was even better, dreams that came true.

4.5/5 When I saw that there was going to be a story for Logan’s brother, Jack, I knew I wanted to check this one out.

I really enjoyed this second chance romance between Jack, a photographer, and Brooke, a writer. They’re both stuck in their careers, not really getting to do what they’d envisioned.

Written in a dual timeline to watch Jack and Brooke fall in love during university in a forbidden situation and seven years later when they are to accompany one another on a hike that his aunt and her mentor established. I couldn’t put this book down, flying through the pages to see if they can reconcile their past while on the hiking trip and what caused the breakup years ago. I loved the tension in the then and now.

Their hiking trip was filled with adventure through companions met on the trail, rain storms, one tent, and both feeling inspired again.

Jack’s aunt and Brooke’s mentor, Mhairi health is declining and plays a role throughout. While this brought tension and upped the stakes on their story, I wanted a bit more of the romance towards the end.

Overall, it was inspiring and heartwarming and wonderful if there could be another story down the line for the youngest brother, Reid?

Scot and Bothered is the follow up novel to Kilt Trip. I enjoyed Kilt Trip and would recommend reading it first as the importance of Jack’s family business is the main focus in the first book and provides context for this one.

There are two encounters and lots of built up tension.

I received an advance reader copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book was just ok in my opinion. I wish there had been more descriptive details about Scotland. I listened to the audiobook and read the book and both were entertaining -- especially together. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc/alc.

Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley is a captivating second chance story filled with humor, passion, and redemption. I was completely engrossed in the soul-stirring yearning of the characters, feeling as though I could almost sense the chill of the Scottish breeze on my cheeks with each turn of the page.

📗Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley

⭐️ One Tent
⭐️ Then & Now
⭐️ Second Chance
⭐️ Spicy

This book blew me away! I had the preconceived idea that it was going to be a fluffy and fun spicy romance in Scotland and I was very wrong. This book had so much heart, deep love, adventure and some of my favorite tropes!

Brooke and Jack have a past relationship that ended badly. They get thrown together on a hiking adventure in Scotland that will either bring them back together or tear them apart for good.

I love the back and forth timeline explaining how things unfolded! And I’m always a sucker for a second chance romance. I would put this in the Emily Henry/Carley Fortune/Jessica Joyce category of good! I can not wait to go back and read Kilt Trip and literally anything else Alexandra Kiley writes!

Thank you to HTP Books, Alexandra Kiley and Net Galley for this ARC! 💚

While this ended up not being for me, if you really second chance romances you may feel differently. I felt the story got bogged down a little to much with the backstory and reminders of the career pressures of these two characters. I would have liked to see this story unfold in a different, more organic way. I would recommend this one to anyone that's been to or has deep ties to Scotland and the history of the country.

3.5 ⭐️
2 🌶️

Brooke and Jack take us on the journey of their past vs present relationship. It’s a story full of emotion, misunderstandings/communications, and longing. They both choose to hike the Skye Trail to assist Mhairi in her memoir. As they find their way back to each other, they uncover what they each want most out of life and develop the courage to go for it.

The writing in Scot and Bothered is so picturesque and visceral. I felt like I was booking a trip to walk the Skye Trail and visit places throughout Scotland. I was meeting Cat and Nat, hugging Mhairi, and reliving the past with Brooke and Jack.

There’s only two aspects of the book that I didn’t completely love. The third-act conflict seemed very short lived and essentially unnecessary. It read as more of an afterthought to me as opposed to an integral part of the story. The chapters flipping back and forth between then and now took me out of the moment more often than not. This is my first book with time jumps being such a prevalent part, that maybe it’s just not a style that’s for me but I like the idea of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC copy of Scot and Bothered in exchange for my honest review.

SCOT AND BOTHERED – Alexandra Kiley
Canary Street Press
ISBN: 978-1-335-58008-5
March 4, 2025
Contemporary Romance

Scotland – Present Day

Brooke Sinclair’s dream of being a published author derailed when she was expelled from the University of Edinburgh seven years ago after her romantic relationship with Jack Sutherland was revealed to the school chancellor. Brooke was a student, and Jack was a teaching assistant, though he wasn’t working with her. It was a bitter pill for her to swallow, though she is now a ghostwriter and dreams of being published for herself someday if she can get over the hump. Jack’s aunt, Mhairi, mentored her and she greatly respects the woman. Brooke is offered the chance to ghostwrite Mhairi’s memoir but there is a catch. She has to hike the rugged Skye Trail for authenticity’s sake—and Jack must accompany her as her guide and videographer.

Jack never let on what happened during his meeting with the chancellor at the University of Edinburgh and has let Brooke believe that he ratted out (and destroyed) their relationship and her schooling. Brooke accepts the assignment to work with Jack, and they start the hike. Things are awkward at first with her ignoring him at times. But the harder the hike is, the more they begin to open up to each other. Will Brooke soon see Jack in a new light? Will the trip be successful? Will Jack tell her a secret about Mhairi that could devastate Brooke?

SCOT AND BOTHERED is a thoughtful tale as Brooke and Jack get the chance to reconnect after their brief romance ended acrimoniously when she was booted from the university. They both knew when it started the rules frowned upon romances between students and faculty, but they felt because he didn’t work with her that it would be okay. They kept it a secret anyway—but unfortunately, Mhairi found out. After university, Brooke sort of floated around trying to find her footing in the writing world. Her writing is good, though she hasn’t yet submitted and published anything on her own. Ghostwriting is her job, and that is why Mhairi asks her to do her memoir.

Each day of the hike is hard and treacherous, but it seems to build confidence and trust between Brooke and Jack. It also rekindles the sparks of their long-ago romance. Readers suspect that in SCOT AND BOTHERED they will soon find the time to make love. It’s clear they have a connection, though their breakup still causes a wedge between them. Can they make up? Will Jack finally reveal what happened during his meeting with the chancellor? The hike seems to bring out the creativity in Brooke as she is soon writing away in her notebook after they stop for the night. Meanwhile, Jack is videotaping memories of their trip. But is it just for his aunt, or is it also for memories of this time with Brooke?

SCOT AND BOTHERED is an emotional tale and one you won’t want to miss.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

Thank you to @HTPBooks and NetGalley for the arc of Scot and Bothered. This was a surprisingly deep and heartfelt book. I really enjoyed the characters growth. The author did an amazing job of describing the depth of love and impact Mhairi had on most of the characters of this book. The setting was obviously dreamy. At times the language was a little too “purple”/descriptive for my tastes. The second half of the book is definitely where she hit her stride it felt much more dynamic and real. The spice scenes were lovely! Love a tub scene 💕Overall, I’m very happy to have read this book. Thanks again for the opportunity.

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

5/5 stars

I love books about Scotland. And I love dual timelines. This one flashes back to current times and Brooke and Jack’s relationship 7 years ago, and how it all went wrong.

This book is also special because it also explores Brooke’s and Jack’s relationships with Mhairi. Both have a separate relationship with her that is forged independently of their relationship and grows over the years, and is one of my favorite parts of the book.

Read if you love second chance romance, one bed (or… tent?), and dual timelines. TW: cancer.

This was a solid three star for me. I enjoyed the book, but not enough to reread.

I think the immersive setting was the best part of the book! You truly felt like you were in Scotland in the book! Unfortunately the characters felt a bit flat for me which just kept me from enjoying the book more!

I am still so grateful for the arc and chance to read the book! 📖

Brooke likes Jack and Jack likes Brooke. They have a quick and passionate romance that ends badly. Seven years later, Brooke is co-writing her mentor’s memoir who just so happens to be Jack’s Aunt. Oh, did she not mention her nephew was taking the photos for the book? To complete the memoir Brooke and Jack must hike the Skye Trail together and overcome the rocky terrain (both literally and metaphorically). If you love duel timelines, second chances, and Jude Law in The Holiday-glasses-wearing MMCs this story is for you.

I loved Kiley’s first book and had no idea this was in the same universe. Just like the first book she describes Scotland beautifully and there are little pockets of swoony moments between Jack and Brooke that affirm her romance writing. But overall the story did not keep my attention like Kilt Trip. The conflicts didn’t really feel a serious as the tone tried to make them seem and I think it lost me. Still looking forward for more from this author. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley!

Huge thanks to Alexandra Kiley, Canary Street Press, and HTP Hive for this ARC! 💕

Enemies-to-lovers ✅
Second chance romance ✅
Forced proximity ✅
🏴 All set against the breathtaking Scottish backdrop? YES, PLEASE!

📖 What stood out?
From page one, I was hooked. The writing is compelling, the plot is immersive, and the dual POV + dual timeline format makes this a rollercoaster of first love, heartbreak, and second chances. 💔 It’s emotional, beautifully written, and packed with tension—all while transporting you to the stunning Isle of Skye. 🌊

🔥 What to Expect:
✔️ Second-chance romance ❤️
✔️ Dual POV 👀
✔️ TA x student (past timeline) 📚
✔️ Third-act breakup 💔
✔️ Multiple timelines 🕰️
✔️ Open-door scenes🔥

💞 How was the romance?
Second-chance romance can be hit or miss for me, but when it’s done right, it’s magic ✨. Alexandra Kiley nails it—weaving the trope seamlessly into the plot while giving us flashbacks and deep character development. You can’t help but root for Jack & Brooke as they fight through their past to find their way back to each other.

⭐ Final Thoughts:
I devoured this book. The dual POV made me feel fully connected to the characters, and the emotional depth kept me flipping pages late into the night. If you love forced proximity, emotional tension, and a romance that makes your heart ache in the best way—grab “Scot and Bothered” ASAP! 📖💞

🤍Book review 🤍

Scot and Bothered
by Alexandra Kiley



This was a sweet and atmospheric second-chance romance set against the stunning backdrop of the Isle of Skye. The descriptions of the landscape were so vivid that I felt like I was right there, hiking alongside the characters. The dual timeline worked well, weaving past and present together to show how Brooke and Jack’s relationship unraveled and how they found their way back to each other.
I really enjoyed the career struggles both characters faced—it felt relatable and added depth to their story. The chemistry between them was strong, and there were some really great romantic moments, especially the bathtub scene! Mhairi was such a memorable character, and the final line of the book truly got me emotional.
While it wasn’t my favorite in the series, it was still a beautiful read. If you love books with a strong sense of place and a touch of nostalgia, I’d recommend it!
NetGalley arc

The second book in this series just happened to be a second chance romance that takes us back to Scotland but in the Isle of Skye. Having visited Skye before, I had no idea that there is an 80 mile trail that you could hike! I loved the author’s description of the area and the beauty of that region is presented so well.

What I loved in this book:

📖 The career uncertainties that the main characters faced was relatable. I remember being that age and facing similar struggles

📖 I loved seeing Scotland through the eyes of a photographer and the descriptions of him capturing light and the elements in a beautiful way.

📖 The chemistry between the two characters was so cute yet forbidden. I was anxious with them sneaking around, knowing that what it would lead to.

📖 I really liked Mhairi’s character, who is Jack’s aunt. No spoilers but the very last sentence in the book made me tear up.

Overall, this was a cute book. Not my favorite, but when you bring me to Scotland in a book, it’s hard to go wrong.