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"

3.5 ⭐s, rounding up soley for the last 30% of the book.

Scot and Bothered is a thoughtfully written second chance romance with immersive atmospheric writing that will transport you to scenic Scotland.

I think what I enjoyed most about this book was the self journey these two characters went on, more than the romance aspect, which was a nice bonus to me. I love the reflective hikes and the whole thought provoking nature of it all—the subplots, the setting, second chances.

The Now Scenes (told in then/now timeline)—the hiking scenes—were so beautifully written. I just wish the romance aspect was just as strong. I needed to feel a stronger pull to make their getting back together feel inevitable and undeniable.

I still recommend this book for when you’re looking for a reflective read.

Thank you for the ARC.

CW: loved one diagnosed with terminal illness (cancer).

I received this novel as an advanced reader copy for net. Kelly in exchange for an honest review. The chemistry between the two main characters was fabulous and the setting of Scotland, is gorgeous especially the Isle of Skye. I recommend this as a quick, romantic read.

Scot and Bothered
By Alexandra Kiley

I was really excited for this book because I love a good romance abroad and I just went to Edinburgh with my husband a few weeks ago. Anyways a few things didn’t work for me, especially the writing style. I don’t mind books written in third person but the POV here was just not doing it, the style of writing and the voices of each character in past and present were hard to follow. The changes in time (past/present) and in character pov changed every chapter so there wasn't much time to settle into either story. I feel like everything was just told to me instead of shown. One of the reasons I was motivated to finish was that I related to both MCs in that they felt their careers were unfilled/unfinished and were trying to find themselves. Other than that connection to them, there wasn’t much that I enjoyed aside from the recognizable Edinburgh references. I felt the romance lacking a bit, the focus was so much on the past and on fighting pure physical attraction that the romantic connection wasn't explored much.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this gifted arc!

I really enjoyed this one and don't believe anything I can write will do the story justice.
I am happy with stories of redemption and second chance romance and this was done well. Flashbacks provided great insight into where they love began and where it went so wrong. Of course, the wrong could have probably been fixed with a simple conversation, but I will give that they were young passionate college students rather than rational adults.
The description of the wilds of Scotland really paint an amazing picture and the struggles these two face to complete their trek, not only physically but emotionally as well, is felt. I fought back tears more than once which is rare for me.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Scot and Bothered was a cute love story about Brooke and Jack as they reconnected on a trail through the Scottish Highlands.

This book had as much pining as it had descriptions of the scenic Scottish setting/trail. It was truly a love story to the location as much the characters.

I don’t typically like second chance romances but I think this book did a good job of traversing the issues of the past and the ripple effects into the present without being too repetitive or simplistic. The dual timeline definitely helped as we got to learn about the past and the characters took to the trail in the present. It was also fun to see the characters up to their college shenanigans as a contrast to where they are now as adults.

The grief each character is processing added to the deep emotional nature. But it didn’t overpower the story.

And who doesn’t love some Highland coos?

Tropes: second chance, dual POV, dual timeline, only one tent, grief

In this love letter to Scotland and second chances, readers follow native Jack Sutherland and American Brooke Sinclair as they travel the literal trail across an island and the figurative trail across their failed relationship of nearly a decade ago.

Back then Brooke was poised to have it all: graduating from university in Scotland, the chance at a prestigious writing seminar with her idol, and a once in a lifetime love affair with Jack.

Except not.

When we meet Brooke now, she’s a ghost of her previous self. Literally. A college drop out, she’s making a living as a ghost writer, alone, and without a dream for better.

She’s still working with her idol who is now her mentor, Mhairi, helping craft her memoir. When the work is criticized as missing a spark, Brooke is encouraged to trace the trail Mhairi trekked across the Isle of Skye. Except Mhairi is also Jack’s aunt and she’s asked him to tag along, too, to photography the journey.

As they traverse dangerous terrain both professionally and personally, we learn of their past and present, and the events that tore them apart. As days pass and the trail and weather challenge them, Brooke’s anger toward Jack and their past begins to soften and they find the connection they forged as students remains.

This book is the epitome of second chance told effortlessly with dual POV and dual timelines. It’s an emotional rollercoaster both in their reckless past and their guarded present. This is a story of love, loss, ambition, grief, and rediscovery. Often second chance books lack adequate insight into their first chance at love, but this excels. It’s a must read love story.

Plus Jack has both abs and glasses, so no notes.

☆☆☆☆
4 out of 5 Stars

This book really made me want to visit Scotland, even more so than the book before it, Kilt Trip.

I enjoyed reading this story, but surprisingly I think the parts about being outdoors in Scotland will stick with me more than the romance. There were details and themes from each timeline that informed each other, but there were times when I think it made the book feel a little long

•Second Chance
•Dual Timeline
•Camping in Scenic Scotland
•Forced Proximity
•Dual POV (third person)
•Open Door Spice (mild)

Thank you NetGalley for giving me access to an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My goal is to reread this when the final version releases since the arc felt unstructured, It might have been how it downloaded to my Kindle.
Time jumps- sometimes my brain has a hard time with time jumps, but I was ok with the ones in this story.
The scenery was vivid and immersive—I felt like I was there with the characters, and now I want to add visiting Scotland to my bucket list!
The romance had great tension, and the characters kept me rooting for them. Overall, I enjoyed this book and the storyline.

I’ll post a full review on Goodreads once the final version is released and I complete my reread. Thank you, NetGalley, and Alexandra Kiley for the opportunity to read Scot and Bothered.