another super cute book by Ms. Kiley. I loved Kilt Trip, so reading this one was a no Brainerd. Scot and bothered was a slower paced novel, but I absolutely loved it! I love second chance romance books, I wanted to know Setser-Pfleger happened between Jack and Brooke, I figured it out before the reveal. i kind of wished it happened slightly sooner. this book has all of the emotions, humor, tears, awe moments. I can't wait to read more by Ms. Kiley.

Seven years after heartbreak, Brooke and Jack are forced to hike eighty miles together. Sometimes unequipped to handle the elements, and definitely ill-prepared for the lingering emotional (and sexual) tension, Brooke and Jack must confront what broke them apart and consider whether anything they have now is worth fighting for.

I really loved the narrators of this audiobook. My only request might’ve been to have the actors speak the dialogue even when from the other’s point of view.

The setting for this—at the University of Edinburgh and hiking the Isle of Skye—was so vivid and gorgeous. I really loved how visually descriptive it was, especially since the main characters are so artistic.

I love reading dual timelines, and this story was no different. The mutual pining, in past and present, beautifully built the tension, and we were rewarded in both timelines perfectly. It used dramatic irony to keep me captivated, waiting for the moment when secrets were revealed, or when we’d see what happened finally play out. It was a second-chance romance done right.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this ARC of the audio book.

Seven years ago, Brooke had her dreams and heart shattered by Jack. She now has to hike 80 miles along the wild Highlands of Scotland with Jack. She is helping her mentor, Mhairi, write her memoirs, and Jack is Mhairi’s nephew, who is taking the photos for her book. The two have to work together and spend hours and miles together, giving them time to talk about their past and learn about their current lives.

This book is a great example of how to do a second-chance romance. The chemistry builds through the book with all touches, glances, and inside information. This made me want to go explore the Scottish Highlands. I would even consider going on a SHORT hike. I liked the dual timeline of this book. I don’t really know a true Scottish accent, but the narrators were great.

I really wanted to like this one and in some parts I thought it was cute but I couldn’t connect with the characters. Usually I do enjoy second chance romances but unfortunately it wasn’t it for me. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me leave an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the audiobook copy!

It seems like lately all the books I've been excited for have disappointed me and this was another title to add to the list. The synopsis had all the things I like in romance. It's the execution that annoyed me the most. I did not think this book needed to jump from past to present as it kind of muddled the story. I also found the characters to be annoying which brought down the story for me. I ultimately ended up DNF'ing this about halfway through and will not be picking back up.

I adored the first book in this series, and this book was just as incredible! Alexandra Kiley is masterful at dragging you into Edinburgh and enveloping you in this lovely, scenic landscape. I love the forced proximity trope and Jack and Brooke were the perfect characters to pull off this second chance happily ever after!

This was generally okay and I liked the characters but like many books, the conflicts and miscommunications made me frustrated rather than rooting for them

Back to Scotland we go with Alexandra Kiley's latest book, Scot and Bothered! This time, we're following Jack's quest for a second chance with Brooke, featuring only one tent and a whole lot of longing. What more could you ask for?

This dual POV and dual timeline romance is a masterclass in tension. The past timeline unfolds with Brooke as a student and Jack in grad school. They're not supposed to date since Jack is TA for a class Brooke is taking (but not her TA). In the past timeline, we see their forbidden romance and eventual breakup.

In the present, we have a front row seat to Brooke's lingering resentment toward Jack for derailing her dreams of becoming an author. The suspense around the exact cause of their breakup builds beautifully.

In the present, Brooke and Jack must navigate the Skye Trail together, collaborating on a book for Mhairi, Jack's aunt and Brooke's mentor. Their chemistry is electric, and Jack's determination to make amends and his feelings shine through. They both learn things about themselves as during the two week trek.

Audiobook Narration
I did an immersive read, experienced this story through both the audiobook and ebook formats, and let me tell you, Jack's Scottish brogue is pure perfection. I highly recommend the audio! You don't want to miss out on hearing Jack's chapters.

I really liked the premise of this second chance romance. In Scot and Bothered, Brooke reunites with her college boyfriend to hike the arduous Skye Trail. After his betrayal resulted in her leaving the University of Edinburgh without a degree, she has nursed the pain of their breakup for years. And Brooke is a writer! I love stories about writers and publishing.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t live up to my expectations. I listened to the audiobook and toward the end I struggled with boredom. At first, I couldn’t put my finger on why. Eventually I realized that I simply wasn’t interested in the characters. And when the reason for their college breakup was revealed, I was annoyed with their choices.

I don’t think was the fault of the narration. I enjoyed listening to the story. In fact, I suspect I would’ve lost interest earlier if I had been reading the book in print.

I struggled to get into Scot and Bothered. The writing, the characters, the story, even the narrator just weren’t quite my speed.

Thank you Alexandra Kiley, Harlequin Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have never read anything by this author, but I will be looking out for other books they write in the future. I really enjoyed the story as well as the pacing of the story.

3.5 I guess. Idk why i just wasn’t finding myself hooked on this book. I did enjoy it though and the narrators were great!

I really enjoyed this second chance romance. Hot AF accents aside, this was right up my alley with all of the outdoor elements, miscommunications, and longing. I don’t want to give too much away, but this hit me in all of the feels. I’m also a huge fan of dual POV and back and forth time line

The setting was superb. I'm in love with Edinburgh after listening to this. I love how the author kept the suspense of how the hike went. I love the scenery. I loved Jack and Brooke. Loved it all!

It was tough to keep up with the time aspect, and that's mainly because I didn't want to keep going to the beginning of chapters.

The narrators were really good. Accents on point, all of the small things and sighs and breaths worked perfectly!

This audio book was a pure delight! Having visited several of the locales described in the book, I was magically transported back to my wonderful holiday in Scotland. I was cheering for both of the main characters throughout the book. While second chance romances are not always my favorites, both main characters were richly drawn and likeable. I was cheering for them all along the way!

I will continue recommending this book to customers who are looking for a great romance with a chance for some armchair travel.

I'm a sucker for any Scotland based story. 🤗
Thank you Alexandra Kiley and NetGalley For sending me a copy of the audiobook for review.

I didn't realize this was the second in a series (and immediately went to check out the first upon completion). I can see where there was a slight crossover, but not enough that it took away from the enjoyment of this book.

I spent the majority of my childhood as a girl scout, and out of doors is so near and dear to my heart. I felt like I was living a dream reading this book. The FMC and MMC hiked a historic trail through Scotland the beautiful natural landscape of Scotland, documenting through prose and photographs for an upcoming book. The nod to Avon Skin So Soft being the only solution to Ward off fighting insects had me chuckling, because it is absolute truth!

Of course the 2 have history, meeting and falling for one another when she was an American student running to Scotland for a new life, and he was a TA in one of her classes. Of course things get complicated, and life begrudgingly since then in two different directions.

Watching them try to get back what they lost, and get back on the paths towards what they were actually dreaming of back in college is heartwarming.

I definitely recommend listening to the audiobook, with this. spoon-worthy Scottish accents. 😉

Loved this audio, the Scottish brogue is music to my ears. This second chance romance was an emotional read. Jack and Brooke met at University in Edinburgh and had a secret romance since he was a teacher assistant in the same program. With an erupt breakup, they have not seen each other in over seven years. Now Brooke is back in Edinburgh to help write her beloved mentor's memoir who happens to be Jack's aunt. Jack and Brooke will be working on his aunt's memoir together and go on a hiking trail that his aunt discovered. During this hike, they both try to hold back their feelings and hide the fact they are still in love with each other. The dual timeline gives a glimpse of their past.

I am soo sorry to say that this one was just not my cup of tea. It’s clear from reading other reviews this is a me problem, but there were a lot of things that just didn’t work for me. The initial conflict surrounding their breakup was handled so poorly and the miscommunication was hard for me to stand, and a lot of the other problems in their relationship fell into the miscommunication category which really irked me. I also just didn’t really like either of the characters that much. I did however love the setting and the male narrator really brought the story to life with his Scottish accent. Sadly, the female narrator had a very distracting pronunciation of the word ‘against’ which was apparently used 60,000 times throughout the book because I could hardly focus on anything else.

Liked it (rounded up)

Second chance romances are always hit or miss for me. They tend to rely heavily on dual timelines, which I usually enjoy—but in this case, it felt like the reveal of the original breakup was overly drawn out. We find out early on that the relationship was a forbidden one (TA x student), so it’s not exactly a shocking twist. Since it’s a familiar trope, I think the story would’ve benefitted from revealing that upfront so we could dive into the healing, angst, and reconnection sooner.

That said, I really liked the emotional push and pull between Brooke and Jack. Her resistance, his regret and persistence—it was sweet, even when messy. Jack's efforts to fix things often backfired, which made for some great tension, and Brooke’s internal conflict as she starts to thaw was well done. Their chemistry still sparks after all that time, and that simmering angst was definitely the highlight.

The Scottish setting was vivid and immersive. I loved the atmosphere, and the narrators really brought it to life with the accents. The subplot with Mhairi (Jack's aunt and Brooke’s mentor/friend) was a nice break from the romance and added some warmth.

My biggest critique: I wish we got more insight into their individual lives during the seven-year gap. Their bond could’ve used a bit more depth, and a few lingering questions were left unanswered. Still, it was an enjoyable listen and a solid emotional ride.

There were for sure some very swoony moments that I wrote down and took note of:

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

"ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ," 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝒶𝒾𝒹 𝑜𝓃 𝒶 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝓈𝓅𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓅𝓊𝓈𝒽𝑒𝒹 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒽𝒶𝒾𝓇 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝑒𝓎𝑒𝓈. "ɪ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ʜᴀᴠᴇ."
𝒜 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓁𝑒 𝓉𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓀𝑒𝒹 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝑒𝓎𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒥𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝒷𝓇𝓊𝓈𝒽𝑒𝒹 𝒾𝓉 𝒶𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝒶𝒹 𝑜𝒻 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝓊𝓂𝒷. "ɪ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜱᴛᴏᴘᴘᴇᴅ."

𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚, 𝑩𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒆. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆, 𝒕𝒐𝒐.

Angus King and Savannah Davies are new to me (I believe) and I loved them a lot. They did a great job and I want to listen to more of them.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ALC.

I did not finish at 72% (audio and reading digital) . I was really excited for this book and really enjoyed the first one in the series. But this book just kept going on and not giving me much.
The two POVs and the time switches were too much. The author should have just picked one.
I really liked Jack in the last book so, he was the only reason I hung on for so long. But he and Brooke just weren't clicking. If she was still so upset about what happened all those years ago why was she even thinking about reconciliation.
I was starting to get so annoyed at the characters that the female narrator started bugging me. But I was probably just tired of Brooke. Lol I'm so disappointed.