3.75 rounded up!

i liked this more than whisky business. i felt like the banter and tension were extremely well done, and i just couldn't wait for the mcs to get together. big black cat x golden retriever vibes as well as yearning, nicknames, and a fun clan of found family. also kilts! this was so much fun and i can't wait to read more from this author.

once i started reading this i COULD NOT put it down :)

thank you to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for this arc!

Thank you for the opportunity to read Scotch on the Rocks! I was really looking forward to reading the second installment as I loved Whisky Business so much, but ultimately I’m leaving a little disappointed. I did not find myself caring about either character or where their stories went, and the plot of their relationship just didn’t work for me. I still enjoy this author’s writing and plan on reading future installments, but unfortunately this was a miss.

i thought i could read this without reading the 1st book but now i want to go back and read the first book. i liked this!!

This book was the perfect mix of laugh-out-loud funny and seriously steamy. The banter had me grinning like an idiot, and the chemistry between the characters was chef’s kiss. Every interaction crackled with tension, humor, or heart—sometimes all three.

If you love your romance with a good dose of heat and humor, this one absolutely nails it. I devoured it in one sitting and didn’t want it to end.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
* He falls first
* Enemies to lovers
* Brother’s ex-fiancée
* Longing and yearning for years
* Golden retriever x Black cat
* Slooooowwwww burn but it hurts so good 🤭

Thank you to NetGalley, Elliott Fletcher, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

First, I want to love say I ADORE the names of the FMC and MMC. Just their names alone and the setting made me immediately want to read this book. I enjoy the dual POV, especially from Callum’s, as it really adds to the longing he’s had for her for so long.

Their hate flirting and banter back and forth is so hot and I love how they quickly retort each other with wicked burns so often. They infuriate each other with their attraction and that they don’t think they can have what they want together. Their barbs whenever they’re around each other have me giggling and rolling my eyes simultaneously.

When they finally see their genuine selves and give in to their attraction, it is exactly how they’ve been towards each other the whole time. She controls all of his thoughts, and he enjoys it in the bedroom too. She consumes him and he’s utterly infatuated and captivated by her!

The fairy pools was incredibly sweet and steamy and gave me hope that they were going to give it a go together. They explored each other both emotionally and physically after so long ago they almost went all the way. I was so happy to see her enjoy it and want to kiss him more instead of regret it.

Her thoughtful date was so kind and considerate. She is thinking of him now just as much as he’s always thought of her. I liked to see her get softer and more secure in herself as she began to accept her feelings for him, and HIS strong feelings for her.

So when he doesn’t give her a chance to figure things out about Alistair at the party, I still understood why. He’s waited so long for her and his patience just snapped seeing them dancing together. His declaration of adoration for all parts of her were so brutally raw and honest and my pulse was leaping to see how she’d react, hoping she wouldn’t turn him away.

And then when she in turn explained her own truths, and seeing how much it hurt him to hear how much she was hurting? I think Callum is my new book boyfriend and I just wanted to put up a sign saying “Choose Callum” this whole book! That chapter had me in tears because of their open admissions to each other were so heartfelt, so full of emotion and desperation to finally feel loved by each other. He gave her the validation she needed, especially about that night in Glasgow when he turned her down the first opportunity he had with her.

Every time he calls her wee harpy, I melt. I want a dirty talking, kilt wearing Scot like Callum to talk dirty to me like this! Their first time was incredibly detailed and so sexy. I love that she is so in charge, even if it is still a bit of give and take for them both. He’s just such a goner for her. It’s as if they are the perfect example of the invisible string theory. Honestly, their first time together was one of my most favorites that I ever read! I love them together and how well they fit each other. Their wit, their emotional care for their well-being, how observant they are of each other is just couples goals, and I swooned while reading the last half of the book. I love his playful nicknames for her and how she retorts with vicious teasing and bite, while still being so flirty and unserious. Their attraction to each other is so intense and sexy, so their emotional connection makes it even better by the end of the book.

I loved the honesty and care that Fiona gives to her. Juniper needed to hear that love and care for her directly from Fiona, and things just keep clicking into place for her finally. It was so deserved; I really love her character and relate to her as I too have felt this way in the past with my family and friends. That affirmation from both Fiona and Callum at the end of this book that she is loved, valued by them, and that she matters was so beautiful and emotionally poignant.

My only wish for this book was some more flashback to if and when they interacted while Juniper was with Alistair. And maybe explain why it took 5 YEARS after Glasgow for them to get together. That is a long time to wait for someone, and I would have liked to see or hear a little more of that. But thankfully, patience clearly paid off for Callum 😉

Oh, and I cannot wait for Alistair’s book next (I hope! 🤞🏻)

Big thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for a copy of *Scotch on the Rocks* in exchange for an honest review.

As much as I loved Whiskey Business, I LOVED Scotch on the Rocks. The black cat x golden retriever trope was done so well. Callum, literally spots her on a train and falls in love with her and then finds out that she's his brothers fiancée (now ex-fiancée) and was still pining for her. Since the beginning, the banter was so good. Her being in charge, him whimpering, crawling, BEGGING. Callum is the type of man that will literally walk on the cement on the hottest day of summer, barefoot, just to get a glimpse of Juniper. Juniper, who uses sass and snark to hide that she's been hurt, felt unloved, and let down a lot that made her very relatable, to me. I'm glad that her growth (and Callum's) was executed so well. Also, Callum helping Juniper with getting out more and exploring the isle that they live in, made me feel like I was there and even made me want to look into a trip there. I'm glad Mal and April had a big presence in this book along with the rest of family, you can't forget Shakespeare who resembles Juniper so well, I'm glad the relationship between them developed as well. I'm excited to see read what happens with the family in the next book.

Scotch on the Rocks is the second book in the Macabe Brothers series. Jaded Juniper, single after breaking off her engagement years ago with the middle of three Macabe brothers, is tasked with running her family’s bed and breakfast while her foster mother is away on vacation. A plumbing disaster strikes and who is the only man available to help Juniper in her time of need? Her polar opposite, Callum Macabe, the sunshiney, eldest Macabe brother. We learn that the pair have a history of ill-timed attraction but that Callum has faithfully held a torch for her over the course of almost ten years in spite of her history with his brother and their vastly different personalities. The story unfolds as Juniper and Callum work through old wounds and the pair come to terms with their growing feelings for each other.

Overall, I liked this book! My favorite part was that the reader gets full pictures of both Juniper and Callum’s personal histories and present realities. Much of Juniper’s black cat nature comes from parental abandonment as a child and abandonment by her fiance when her foster father died in her adult years. Despite Callum’s “Community Ken” reputation - he has exceptional community relationships and is known for being helpful and friendly to all - Callum’s demanding father is currently suffering through a dementia diagnosis. Callum feels responsibility to care for him as the eldest son and to help his struggling mother, filling his already full plate to overflowing. Knowing these things about the main characters provided richness and depth to a story that could have easily become boring or trite.

I did read the previous book before this one and can say that this novel was leaps and bounds more memorable. I had honestly forgotten that I read the other one. I would recommend this book to romance readers who like black cat/golden retriever, grumpy girl/sunshine boy, or Scottish romances. The book wasn’t necessarily life changing for me, but it was very entertaining. Worth a read, for sure!

After Alistair Macabe broke Juniper's heart by ending their engagement, Juniper created a set of rules. Don't look at a Macabe Brother, Don't talk to a Macabe Brother, Don't even think about a Macabe Brother. What seems like a clear cut set of rules, is impossible to follow. Juniper's best friend is the Macabe Sister, her other best friend is dating a Macabe, and the older brother of her ex? Lives right next door. So I would like to add another rule for Juniper, throw the first 3 rules out the window because Callum Macabe? Girl, he's coming for you and you aren't ready for it.

I absolutely loved Scotch on the Rocks. Elliot Fletcher has a great way of helping you connect and root for each character. Their backstories and development are all things many people can relate to. I for one, related to Juniper feeling as if no one would actually choose her, and related to Callum with having a family member with declining mental cognitive abilities.

Not only was this a wonderful story, but as a bonus the spice is A+

Perfect for fans of Whiskey Business, small town romance books, and who have a thing for Scottish men.

Dare I say Scotch on the rocks is even better than Whisky Business?
I didn't think Elliot Fletcher could be anymore perfect, but this book absolutely blew me away.

Juniper and Callum are electric, the chemistry almost tangible and the banter had me laughing out loud. So loud in fact my husband came to check on me at midnight while I refused to sleep because this book was THAT good. Fletcher is by far one of the funniest writers in the romance genre today, on par with the likes of Emily Henry and Stephanie Archer. More than that she builds a world you can absolutely immerse yourself in, each character both main and supporting are complex and dynamic. The will they won't they between these two was thrilling and the obsession Callum has for Juniper was everything.
Without giving too much away a character in this book is suffering with Alzheimer's disease, the portrayal of both the disease and its effects on the person afflicted, as well as the toll that it takes on the caregivers was spot on. Fletcher does justice to the exhaustion, fear, and unknown that comes from wondering if they will recognize you in that moment or if they are lost in their own mind, it's absolutely devastating, poignant, and heartbreaking. The novel is a lesson in how to balance the pain of life with the joy and sheer beauty of a life filled with the people who choose to love every part of you.

If you enjoy "enemies" to lovers, forced proximity, the banter of all banter, or just a really good freaking book, do yourself a favor and read this book.

this book fell SO FLAT for me! i was really excited for junipers story after meeting her in whisky business and was SO intrigued about her and callum but for some reason i just did not connect to this in the way i wanted to. it was still cute and I'm excited for the next book but this just didn't do it for me sadly.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC.

I happen to wholeheartedly disagree with Juniper's rules when it comes to the Macabe brothers...talk, think and (most importantly) touch allll the Macabe brothers.

I love a MMC who is down bad for a prickly FMC, and this book delivered. Callum gives Juniper all the love he can and always puts her first.

#ex'sbrother
#itsalwaysbeenyou

I did have to Google a few of the Scottish terms in this book, but I did get a nice education on shinty ;)

*trigger warning for child abandonment

Scotch on the Rocks is a dual POV small town enemies to lovers romance. Juniper has list of rules and reasons to avoid the Macabe men, but it’s not working out well with one dating her best friend, another being her ex-fiancé and the third delighting in being a perpetual thorn in her side! Callum has wanted Juniper from afar for years, but shortly after meeting her he discovered she was dating his brother so she’s been off limits. Still, he keeps trying to get a rise out of her, anything to get her attention!

I loved this book! I loved how prickly Juniper could be, and her love/hate relationship with her cat. I adored how head over heels Callum was, and how much effort he put into getting Juniper to give him a chance. I need to go back and read the first in the series, I’m not ready to walk away from these characters!

Read dates: 06/04/2025- 06/05/2025
Goodreads review: 06/05/2025
Instagram review: 06/06/2025
Blog review: 07/08/2025

This was a sweet read. It had a hint of forbidden romance aspect (ex’s brother) to it but in a way they also felt destined to be together. If you like he fell first and harder, you might love this. I do wish I had read the first book in the interconnected standalone series first though just because I feel like I could’ve had glimpses of the other characters and could know them better.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

If anyone believes in love at first sight, it’s Callum, after he met June on a train; the two run into each other a few hours later, but the problem is she is with his brother. Callum cant move on. After June and his brother break up, she and Callum run into each other a few years later. It doesn’t end well, and the two go their separate ways- or as much as they can when they both return to Skye. The story starts years later, and June can’t stand to be around him. When she happens to be in his vicinity, she can’t keep her barbs in. She wants to make some changes to her family’s inn and ends up having to ask Callum for help. He decides it’s been enough time, and he’s ready to act on his feelings for June. Can she let him in and trust that he will stay? What will people in the village think? Callum continues to show up for her, her cat, and everyone else around him. Their story was so well rounded. This is my first book by Elliot Fletcher and won’t be my last: I need to go back and read Whisky Business, but I can’t wait for the next Macabe story.

What a great (and healing!) story!! I came for the spice, and stayed for the long-time-coming relationship between Juniper and Callum. I was worried about the whole “I was engaged to your brother” thing but honestly they were very honorable about it all and it was SO CLEAR how great they fit together!

There’s also a beautiful part of Juniper’s story about her experience in foster homes and her eventual adoption and some of the emotions and trauma that stuck with her. It’s talked about with such care and tenderness and healing but do read with caution.

Definitely recommend these books and I can’t wait for the third!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | A tart, smoky sip of small-town swoon that lingers long after the last page

Elliot Fletcher’s Scotch on the Rocks is everything I crave in a Highlands-set romance: crackling “do not touch” tension, plaid-patterned charm, and a hero whose brogue alone could melt frost off the heather. But what catapults it to instant-favorite status is Juniper Ross—a whip-smart, rule-writing heroine—thrown headlong against the immovable object that is Callum Macabe.

What had me raising my glass:
Opposites-attract fireworks: June’s no-nonsense independence meets Callum’s steady, hometown-hero warmth, and every encounter fizzes like whisky over ice. Their banter veers from playful jabs to soul-deep confessions, making the payoff feel richly earned.

“Macabe Brother Rule Book” gimmick: The tongue-in-cheek list woven through the chapters adds addictive anticipation—each rule broken feels like a celebratory clink of glasses.

Authentic Scottish setting: From mist-swept lochs to village ceilidhs, Fletcher paints atmosphere so vivid you can almost smell the peat fires.

Emotional depth behind the spice: Family expectations, small-town gossip, and Juniper’s fear of repeating old mistakes ground the romance, ensuring the heat never overshadows the heart.

Final toast:
Scotch on the Rocks is a smooth, slow burn with just enough bite—perfect for readers who like their love stories neat, their heroes honorable, and their heroines unafraid to rewrite the rulebook. Five sparkling stars, and a hearty “slàinte mhath!” to Elliot Fletcher for serving up the most deliciously forbidden Highlands fling of the year.

The narrative centers on Juniper Ross, who has established strict personal rules to avoid entanglements with the Macabe brothers—especially after a painful breakup with her ex-fiancé, Alistair Macabe. However, circumstances compel her to collaborate with Callum Macabe, Alistair's younger brother and the town's charming veterinarian, to renovate her family's inn. As they work together, their mutual attraction intensifies, challenging Juniper's resolve and leading to a compelling exploration of love and vulnerability. Has a unique take on the "golden retriever/black cat" dynamic, noting that Callum's warmth complements Juniper's guarded nature, resulting in a relatable and emotionally resonant romance.

I was so excited to return to this world because I absolutely loved Whiskey Business, the first book in the series. I loved Juniper and Callum’s chemistry right away from the start. The two of them have this hate love relationship that is so deliciously hot. Just don’t tell Juniper as she doesn’t believe it yet haha! Callum has always had feelings for Juniper and I loved how he finds a way to get Juniper to spend some time with him. I loved how he was always there for her. One of my favorite things about this book was how when Juniper finally lets down her walls to be with Callum, they’re serious about it and it’s not just some fling. I loved how Callum wanted forever with her. And Juniper wanting to be there for Callum when things were tough with his family was everything since he’s never had anyone in his corner. Gah be still my heart! These two are definitely my favorite couple from the series, I know it!

Read if you like:
Dual POVs
Small town romance
Scottish romance
Enemies to lovers
Brother’s ex fiance
Forced proximity
Hero falls first
Slow burn romance
Black Cat x Golden retriever
Open door romance

A huge thank you to Avon & Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

Scotch on the Rocks by Elliot Fletcher is the second book in the series and picks up where we last left the Macabe brothers, this time following eldest Macabe brother, Callum, and Juniper Ross. We are taken on a tumultuous adventure of emotion, passion, and fire! While this book feels like a warm hug it isn’t because of a cozy, carefree vibe—both Callum and Juniper struggle to overcome their pasts and their insecurities, coming together in such a raw and human way. If you love excellent banter, blushingly spicy scenes, a dash of drama and the privilege of witnessing two damaged, yet extraordinary, people leaving their painful pasts behind them then this is the book for you!

5/5 stars omggggggg.

I don't think there's enough words to describe the way this book made me feel. The moment I read the dedication, I just KNEW that it was going to hit. In the BEST way possible.

Callum and Juniper were the cutest freaking couple. The way he loves her unapologetically, and has loved her for SO LONG... I just couldn't take it. Callum is the definition of golden retriever, and loves to take care of the people he loves. Juniper is definitely a black cat who, on the outside, might be giving resting bitch face, but in reality, is just someone who just wants to be loved without the fear of being left behind. I was personally victimized by her character, so thank you for that Elliot Fletcher lol. I would actually read 1000 pages of Callum and Juniper doing mundane things because their banter and the way he lets her be a bit spicy and mean was just amazing! Like seriously, even when they fought, I could feel the love. I also just want to hug Juniper and be besties with her because I see myself in her and love the representation.

I read Whisky Business not too long ago and was SO grateful to receive an eARC of this book. Fletcher is going down as one of my favorite authors, because her writing seems so effortlessly easy whilst still making me feel real deep feelings. I'll buy every book she writes from now on and YOU SHOULD TOO.

This book is out June 5, and everyone needs to go preorder IMMEDITATELY. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the advanced reader's copy, holding this book very very close to my heart