i really enjoyed this!! i love second chance and this was such a unique take on it. i loved the setting (duh), the academia vibes of some then chapters, and i loveee a self discovery/hike journey with forced proximity!!!!! i just think the dual pov with then/now chapters made the audiobook harder to follow (especially when the then/now happens one after the other with the same POV). i still thoroughly enjoyed this💞🪻

A romance set in Scotland? At the University of Edinburgh no less? Sign me up or so I thought! Jack was too problematic of a hero for me to enjoy this romance. Brooke deserved better.

I hate to say it, but this book was a big disappointment — there was just nothing compelling about the relationship between the two characters that made me want to root for them. The build-up to the betrayal in the past was long and drawn out, and the dual-POV became really tedious when paired with the dual timelines. I wish the author had chosen one narrative structure (either swapping POVs or switching between timelines) instead of cramming both in.

The setting was appealing, but unfortunately that just couldn’t make up for the monotony of the plot. The insta-love at the beginning of the relationship was also kind of cringey, and the couple’s behavior just silly (oh gosh, we just can’t keep our hands off each other for a semester!). Overall, I was really let down by this story, even though I’d been delighted to get the ALC.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the chance to listen to this ALC and provide an honest review.

This started very promising, but I couldn't feel anything towards the end.

I loved their meeting, the dual POV, and how the author portrayed the characters' feelings towards each other, life, success, failure, and all. But I felt like the couple from their college/grad school years weren't the same people in the present year. I understand the author wanted to change them to show there was a big time jump and the characters matured during those years but it felt like they were entirely different people.

My biggest problem was not understanding why they got back together. I think their reason for a breakup was very solid, and we never get answers about the years they weren't together. There's a seven-year gap that feels like an ocean distance between the characters, and the little time they spend together wasn't enough for them to forgive each other and get back together.

I felt really disconnected from both main characters and didn't understand them, which made it so hard for me to enjoy the second half of the book. The characters lost their chemistry after that, and I lost interest.

Overall, it is an enjoyable read, but I felt like it had so much more potential than this.

This book made me want to hop on a plane to Scotland and face the Bad Step! Such a fun light hearted romance that was the perfect spring time book!

I don’t know what to say about this book. I listened to 40% of the audiobook and I couldn’t even tell you what I listened to. There was no plot. The narrator wasn’t very engaging but that could be a function of the plot…

I listened to this audiobook of Scot and Bothered and was super enticed by the title, cover, Scottish vibes, dual POV, slow burn, and forced proximity.

Sometimes when I read (in this case listen) to a book - it just gets that middle of the road feeling. This was how this book was for me. It is not a bad read, by any means, but it didn't put me in a chokehold either. The characters are good overall, but sadly they are not taking up rent free space in my brain. The back and forth timeline sometimes fell flat for me and for some reason just didn't love it. Again, this book was not bad and I'm sure if you've been to Scotland or love that second change romance vibe you may actually truly enjoy it!

3.25-3.5⭐

This was a good palette cleaner book!
Sweet story of two people who found each other again after previously trying to make a relationship work at the wrong time.
While it has a bit of a sad premise (pancreatic cancer representation), the story is so sweet.
A second chance romance. Finding yourself and finding love.
Love that the FMC is a writer and the MMC gave me all the cozy teddy bear vibes.
Scottland as the backdrop!
Plot is well written in both places of time. Pace is done well throughout.
Characters are well developed.
Quick read!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

Story about second chances; not just in love, but in yourself and following your dreams. Learning that sometimes you just have to take the risk and travel the journey, even if you go a little off course. Listened to the auto book, narrators did well with going between voices. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the chance to listen to this story.

Rating: 4 Stars

Narrators: Angus King and Savannah Davies

I enjoyed this book. It is more Women's Fiction than Romance, but it was still pretty good. It follows an American who is working on becoming a writer and has some hiccups along the way and fell into ghost writing and a Scottish trail photographer. This books jumps back and forth between now and 7 years ago and shows the relationship between Brooke and Jack as they get a second chance while working on Mhairi's Memoir.

The narrators both did really well narrating Scot and Bothered.

Text-
Duel timeline and duel POV

I’m not a huge fan of second chance romance but this has pretty good. The reason they broken up in the past, and that whole scenario, was really frustrating. I felt like it really could have used some groveling.

You get some nice character growth but they probably both could have done with some therapy. I did get a little emotional there at the end with one of the side characters.

I’m not outdoorsy so the hiking/camping aspect didn’t speak to me but the setting was nice. It really makes you want to go to Scotland experience it.

Overall I didn’t hate it but it wasn’t a 5 star read for me. I probably wouldn’t do a re-read but I would read the author again.

Audiobook-
I love when you get two narrators for a duel POV book. You got a bit more acting with them. And the MMC accent was pretty good.

I really enjoyed this book. I listened to it on audio and the two narrators brought this story to life. This story flows between time periods that slowly unravel the relationship between or two main characters. The authors writings transports you to the Scottish highlands making you feel like you are the one on this epic once in a life time adventure.

I loved this audiobook. It did have a slow start for me. I really liked how the narrators made it feel like we were hiking the trails with them in the way they described the scenery and views. It felt almost magical hearing some of the descriptions. I loved the barter between the fmc and mmc as they started to work through some of their past troubles. I love a second chance romance and this was well done. I did keep finding myself wanting more of the now and less of the past at times because I was so caught up in their current story. I see why we needed both views though so as a reader/listener we could have the whole picture which I loved. I also truly enjoyed that not only was this a second chance romance but a journey for both main characters finding out about their own path and what they want from life. Learning and growing as they worked to overcome their issues and hurt from the past was something that is very relatable. I think the narration brought the story to life! I loved getting to see little bits and pieces of characters from Kilt trip as well and seeing more of the family dynamic carrying over from that book. I really enjoyed finally finding out who was the great love of jacks! I do wish that this book would show as book 2 in the series or related to the first book as an interconnected stand alone grouping so that others who may not have read kilt trip can fully enjoy the cross over moments and follow all the brothers stories! Over all I truly enjoyed this audiobook.

I plan on posting a review on Goodreads, and Amazon. as well as TikTok within the next few days!

This was such a good book! I love the second-chance romance and the heartfelt family vibes in the story. I also really liked that the second chance wasn't so dramatic like they sometimes can be. Maybe I am too forgiving, but I hate when a character is trying to make up for a mistake and the other character is not having it. So I really appreciated that the characters didn't have such a dramatic getting back together story. There was the perfect amount of tension. I also loved the dual timeline.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the audio ARC!

🎧AUDIOBOOK REVIEW🎧

3 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

For the audio I loved the narrators. I am sucker for dual narration so this made me happy. Both narrators did a great job at embodied the characters and it flowed nicely.

The story super cute! It made me wanna hop on a plane to Ireland! I love second chance romance stories so of course this one had me invested. Brooke and Jack are adorable and I loved them!

I listened to a third of this, and I do not know what is going on. I am not sure if it is the accent or the story, but I have not been able to connect with the story.

I haven't gotten around to reading Kilt Trip yet, but I definitely need to now that I have finished Scot and Bothered! This was such a sweet second chance romance, and I loved the way Alexandra Kiley brought Scotland (especially Skye) to life. While I don’t want to hike this rugged trail she talked about, it did bring a wonderful sense of wanderlust to the story and made me more anxious than ever to plan a trip to Scotland! I was rooting for Brooke and Jack to get back together, and I really liked the way Kiley handled the two timelines in this book. We have our current one with Jack and Brooke hiking the trail as well as when they went out the first time and what made it end so badly that they broke up.

I enjoyed the audiobook performances of Angus King & Savannah Davies, and there is nothing I love more than a Scottish accent, so I was pretty smitten with King. I will say I wish I wouldn’t have been able to hear Davies swallowing at times (these are the issues I really hate in audiobooks), but besides that I thought her narration was great. We have some excellent forced proximity throughout as well as an ‘only one tent’ which made for a fun only-one-bed situation at one point. There is a little bit of spice, but it is written in a way that wasn’t overly descriptive, so it doesn’t come across as all that spicy. I also loved the ghostwriting aspect! It was my second time recently reading a book with an MC who had that for a job, but I loved that this was being done for someone as amazing as Mhairi’s character.

Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Spice Rating: 🌶️

This was so well done! I will say, I initially went into the book looking for a silly rom com with highland cows and did not find that. Instead, Scot and Bothered is much more serious and thought provoking than Alexandra Kiley's last book. The writing is improved and the story has so much more depth. I enjoyed Kilt Trip, but this is a very different story.

I'm no expert on Scottish accents, but I thought the narration was so good! It brought so much life to this story!

Yes Yes, Yes!
I laughed, I cheered, I cried, I sobbed,...
I was so invested in Brooke and Jack and their second chance, but also wanted to learn more of what happened that tore them apart and their relationships with Mhairi.
These narrators were so much fun - and the Scottish accents.... Mmmm hmmmmm....
I loved the dual timelines - seeing how their relationship began.... and the present, and wondering if they would have a second chance.....

There was some tension, there was some pining, there was some forced proximity.... I found myself sitting in the car longer than I needed just to hear more!!

The story started off a bit slow but picked up pace the farther you went along. The narrators did a great job with the audiobook. Once you connected to the characters, you began rooting for Brooke and Jack. It's a great combination of second chance and forced proximity that will keep you motivated to read just a little bit more. I would love to walk parts of the Skye Trail and see all the sites in Scotland.