I waffled between 4 and 5 stars for this book. First of all, the initial book I this series started off strong for me, but Peter’s out a bit in the end. This one? I loved. The author showed a lot of growth a maturity in her writing. I could envision the scenery as easily as I could the ardency of the characters’ feelings. It was vivid and poignant and heart rending. I’ve read a lot of romance, and this one hits the mark, for something beyond smut and tropes (although those are there if you’re seeking them).

Brooke Sinclair is a college student studying writing under noted professor Mhairi McCallister wen she suddenly finds herself expelled from school and having to ghostwrite for other authors. When Mhairi decides to write her memoirs about her life in Scotland, she hires Brooke to write it for her and decides to send her off on adventure to Skye to learn about it herself. She then mentions that her nephew Jack Sutherland will be accompanying her for the photography. Brooke and Jack have history and he was the reason she was expelled from school.

They’re forced together along the hiking trail founded by Mhairi through the Scottish highlands for two full weeks. Can they keep old feelings away and stay away from each other?

This was a cute book full of wonderfully descriptive writing. I definitely enjoyed the second half more than the first half. The first half felt a little slow but the second half picked up and kept me interested. I didn’t really feel connected to the characters in the first half but it does get better. The two main characters are meh but the descriptive writing of the Scottish countryside is so beautifully written that it makes up for a lot of the slower parts.

Slow to start. I didn’t feel really connected to the characters. I had higher hopes for this with the story and location.

I LOVED Alexandra's "Kilt Trip" so much that I was beyond excited to get early access to Scot and Bothered. Lets be honest, I will read anything set in Scotland/Ireland ... I mean, I can't write... but can someone please send me to Scotland to help check out the scenery with a super hot nature photographer?! Brooke is so lucky! Can't wait for my preordered copy to arrive in March!

I loved this second-chance romance. Brooke and Jack are thrown together for a book project seven years after a life-altering breakup. The setting is so nice and atmospheric, and the tropes are great (one tent, anyone?). I loved this sweet book that had the perfect amount of steam.

This book was a mixed bag for me. I didn’t hate it and I didn’t love it. It had some really good things going for it, but I also didn’t appreciate a few things. The biggest draw back was the story felt over dramatized. There was just so much drama it was distracting. I also felt that the characters weren’t a good match and they just didn’t work together for me. However, individually they were both great and I enjoyed them. The chemistry between them just needed to have more for me to enjoy it wholly. However, the ending of this one is one that I am glad I pushed through the not so good parts to get to. It was just so fantastic and satisfying. I also really enjoyed the setting, it was wonderful. And I greatly enjoyed that this was told via dual pov.

If you’re looking for a fun romcom with a great ending, and want it set in Scotland, then check this one out.


3.5 stars rounded up

Wow. Kiley has done it again! I loved Kilt Trip and I always get nervous for a second book of a series but this was pure magic! I am absolutely smitten with Jack and Brooke and hope one day to find a love that makes me feel safe, and so utterly supported. You always read about butterflies and nerves in romance but this couple made you feel grounded and special like you were in on a special secret with them. The description of Scotland makes me want to book a plane ticket and go tomorrow! The family in this book made me nostalgic for being close to home with a loving family and I think everyone should have an Auntie like the one in this story and her ending made me choke up hard because I loved her just as much as the characters. What’s a beautiful story of love and grief and love again. I could not recommend this book more!! Thank you for writing this, please keep this series going forever!

I felt conflicted while reading it. I didn’t really love either character. I didn’t feel connected to Brooke at all and didn’t really buy how she could still stay in the country..? Jack was fine. I did really love the descriptions of Scotland though. Very beautifully told but more character development would’ve sold me completely.

DNF
I’m about 50% into this book and I don’t know if it’s just the timing of when I picked this book up (too many distractions for me) or the pacing of the story that is not keeping my attention. The story goes back and forth between before and after in this couples relationship and we are able to gather that he was her TA at the University and they are not supposed to have a physical relationship. It apparently does evolve into one ( that hasn’t taken place yet in the story but the FMC eludes to this as the reason she leaves school) I normally love a flashback timeline but it slowed the pacing down and I didn’t feel their connection. Sorry. This one wasn’t for me.

I finished this book a few days ago, and as I’m sitting here ready to write the review I’m struggling to remember any emotions I was feeling about the plot or it’s characters. I like the general idea of following along with the two characters (Jack and Brooke) as they trek through the Scottish hillsides and find their way back to one another. Kiley did a great job of telling you how passionate the characters were about their dreams, even though they still feared taking the leap to jumpstart those careers. Even though the main narrator (Brooke) doesn’t find out about Mhairi’s sickness until the end of the book, she did a fine enough job portraying that grief and how that in turn caused her anxiety about starting out her own writing projects with her mentor no longer going to be around.
Overall the 2.75 rating is mostly because these characters didn’t stand out enough for me - they were simply two ideas on a page, never feeling fully flushed out enough for me to be rooting for them and dying to read the next chapter. Which is something that’s important to me, especially when you have a largely character driven book. There was just nothing that made me intensely passionate about this book.

I was so excited to read Scot and Bothered, but it fell short in my opinion. I was not invested in the leads because every few chapters it would go back in time, knowing there was a bad split between the two. I think if the book was written chronologically I would have liked their relationship better.

I know this might seem petty, but how on earth did Brooke get to stay in Scotland after she no longer qualified for a student visa? This kept niggling at my brain and I couldn't take the rest of the book seriously. If there was a sentence or a paragraph on how hard it was to get a work visa for the UK after losing her student visa, I would have accepted that.

The characters did not make wise decisions and pretty much wanted to get caught. Who takes their girlfriend to see their parents, knowing that their relationship is not allowed and knowing that their aunt is her professor? Then he decides that is the perfect time to announce to the family that he doesnt want to work for the family business, causing a bunch of awkwardness. Jack was constantly warning her that she could get in major trouble and she always brushed it aside. Then she doesnt even get expelled. She is forced to drop out of the class that she could have been cheating in, which is a fair punishment. She decided to drop out and blamed it all on him.

Overall, I felt like the main characters had lust for each other and they wouldnt last forever. They made really bad decisions so it was hard to root for their relationship.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Scot and Bothered in exchange for an honest review.

I fell in love with Scotland all over again in Kilt Trip, and Alexandra Kiley’s Scot and Bothered took that love and expanded it beautifully. This second-chance romance is a perfect blend of everything I crave in a story: romance, heartbreak, rediscovery, reflection, grief, and plenty of sweet banter. Kiley really nails the emotional depth of the characters, making their journey feel genuine and heartfelt.

What impressed me most was how Kiley balanced the dual points of view and timelines. It wasn’t just a clever narrative choice—it deepened the emotional impact and allowed for a richer understanding of the characters’ pasts and presents. The way the story unfolds feels seamless, with each layer of the plot adding to the complexity of the relationship.

The characters themselves are wonderfully real and relatable, making this one of the most grounded and realistic romance novels I’ve read. It’s a perfect choice for anyone looking for a love story that’s not only sweet but also full of emotional depth and complexity. Highly recommend!

Scot and Bothered is the 2nd Alexandra Kiley book I've had the opportunity to read & I'm hooked. Scot and Bothered is a stand-alone book, but some additional background info can be found if you read Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley first.
Brooke & Jack have some amazing & unfortunate history together. Now they get kinda forced to spend time together again while hiking in beautiful Scotland on a joint project they're both working together on. As expected, sparks rekindle & they're able to build each other enough to follow their dreams as well as learn from their pasts.
Thank you, #NetGalley, I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own, but do yourself a favor & read this lovely story. The characters are well written, the scenery descriptions are beautiful, & it's overall a fun story that you'll enjoy reading.

Two exes hiking a trail together… what could go wrong?

When Brooke’s mentor asks her to co-write her memoir, Brooke jumps at the opportunity. In order to fully capture the nature of the book, she needs to hike the Scottish Skye Trail with her mentor’s nephew, Jack. Jack is the photographer for the memoir, but he is also the one who got away for Brooke.

Forced proximity! Beautiful Scottish scenery! Secrets discovered over a story told in dual timelines! This book was perfect. I loved the story of Brooke and Jack, told in “now” and “then” format. The characters are extremely well developed, and the plot is captivating. I started to feel like I was the one hiking the Skye Trail, sleeping in a windy tent and cooking by campfire. Brooke’s quest to find herself and determine the best course for her future was honest and reflective.

This book was the second story in a standalone series about the Sutherland brothers, and I really hope there is a plan to write about the third brother!

**
I posted a review for this on 12/22 on GoodReads (link below) and Instagram: @TackleTheTBR

"Scot and Bothered" by Alexandra Kiley takes you on a stunning journey through the Scottish Highlands. The descriptions of the Scottish landscape are breathtaking, transporting you to the rugged beauty of the Skye Trail. The exploration of both Brooke and Jack's struggles to find their place and pursue their passions resonated deeply with me. Mhairi, Brooke's mentor, was a fantastic character, adding a layer of warmth and wisdom to the story.

The story itself is intriguing and I was hooked wanting to know what Jack did to Brooke. The flashbacks, while meant to provide context, felt a bit jarring at times, disrupting the flow of the present day narrative.

Ultimately, "Scot and Bothered" is a bittersweet journey with a satisfying, if slightly predictable, ending. It's a reminder that second chances can be messy, but sometimes, the rewards are worth the climb.

I enjoyed this book. It was slow to start but the characters developed well. Very nice enjoyable read. The characters are well developed and the author does a good job of making the reader invested in them and their story.

This was such an unbelievably easy read. I knew I would like it because I was obsessed with Alexandra Kiley’s first book Kilt Trip, but I absolutely fell in love with this story and these characters. This was a second chance romance and I loved the chapter jumps between Then and Now with Brooke and Jacks romance. One thing with second chance romance is I like to be rooting for the couple from day one and I truly was. I was rooting for this couple the whole time no matter what. The ups and downs and emotions of being young and in love but then coming together when you’re older and that love still burning bright was so beautiful. I love her writing so much and I loved traveling back to Scotland in this book! Easy 5 stars.

I would put this in the RomCom file because of the punny title and the cover alone. But then you open it and start reading it and honestly, it's not a RomCom. It has steam, but no swoon. It has the terrible RomCom trope of miscommunication (JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!!!!!!). I found it hard to really understand both of the main characters. I thought of the MMC as a golden retriever with puppy dog eyes mooning over this girl that I'm pretty sure he could have gotten back if only they'd just TALKED TO EACH OTHER! And the FMC was not appealing either. I feel so bad, because I was genuinely rooting for them, but they did nothing for me. And the MMC's parents - ugh, they were the worst. They loved him, but they were forcing their dreams on him and again if he would just SPEAK UP, he could have staved off seven years of feeling like he was not able to do what he wanted to do with his life. I wanted to like this more than I did, but it just didn't do anything for me.

I absolutely adore the Highlands, especially Skye, so when I saw this book I knew I had to read it. Alexandra takes you on an emotional journey of second chances in life and love, as well as painting a beautiful picture of Skye and its many breath-taking terrains. The book is dual POV, which lets you truly experience the emotional conflict both MC’s experience. I particularly enjoyed how she chose to tell the story by using flashbacks and present day to explain emotions and events as they unfolded. If you enjoy romance, a cinnamon roll MMC, and a determined and independent FMC this book is for you!

This newest novel from Alexandra Kiley is a sweepingly beautiful look at life and the choices we make. What would you do when your second chance, your most important work, and the opportunity of a lifetime all descend upon you at once? Jacks career and adulthood is preplanned for him by well meaning family, and Brookes has her mind toward one goal and can only run at Olympic pace straight towards it - all other wants be damned. There is a WEALTH of knowledge to take away from this book, and Alexandra Kiley has woven the most important life lessons into this book in the most masterful of ways. She writes characters that bring out the best in each other in all the ways that truly count, intensely real situations that each of us can face in our real lives, and creating the most VIVID landscape for my mind to walk through with the characters. This is so much more than a romance, or a love story, its a map back to our innermost selves and a guide for living authentically.

"Like a camera, up here he zoomed out and the perspective shifted, bringing different details into focus"