Brooke and Jack are truly fated. But one misunderstanding 7yrs ago made Brooke question, doubt anything that requires risk is it even worth doing, when the safe route had served her well even though it’s soul crushing.

Reuniting, Jack thinks maybe they can at least be friends? But Mari (Jack’s aunt/Brooke’s mentor) has other ideas. She is terminally ill and want Brooke to write her memoir, except the draft is not to her liking and sent Brooke & Jack out on a 7 day hike. You have them, nature, occasionally other hikers and bad weather, what else can go wrong?

The story is cute second chance kinda story. The flashback flip worked in some spots, dragged on in others. Ultimately, the pacing stalled in some spots but you can still feel their tension.

I got the audio, and both of the narrators did a great job. Both voices joined together nicely to create the suppoetive frame Brooke & Jack has. Great job!

Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin audio for the ARC.

I’m really on the fence with this one. On one hand, I liked the premise and the plot, but I got the ARC as an audiobook and I feel like that somehow is the reason I rated it how I did. I kept getting confused if what was happening in the book was present day or if it was in the past. Also, I didn’t feel any sort of connection with the MC’s, and I had a hard time feeling the MC’s connection too. It was more of an insta-love than anything meaningful. It all just felt very forced and not really believable.

The idea behind this book is really sweet. Brooke and Jack fell in love during their college days in Scotland, got their hearts broken, and then decided to go on a week-long hike in the Isle of Skye to find trust and love again. I really wanted to love it, but there's something I just can't quite put my finger on. Sometimes, it feels a bit too wordy and drawn out, and the characters seem overly dramatic, which messed with the flow for me. I liked Jack, but Brooke got on my nerves sometimes. I don't get why they didn't just talk things out back in college—people who are that in love don't just ignore each other. But the way Scotland and the Isle of Skye are described is beautiful. I am ready to fly to Scotland and explore.

The narration was great and I thoroughly enjoyed the accents! Overall, I would recommend this book as it had some amazing qualities. Being a mood reader sometimes, I am just not in the right mindset and would definitely read Alexandra Kiley again!

I decided to try something different—took a break from my usual routine of speed-reviewing every book the second I finished it. Just let myself read without the pressure of slapping words together right away. Trying to kick that weird anxiety that pops up when I sit on a review for more than five seconds. And, yeah, the break was nice. But I missed rambling about the books I’m devouring, so here I am—back at it, this time with way less stress and zero pressure.

So, this book? Total surprise in the best way. I went in expecting a light, fluffy second-chance romance—something cute and easy, you know? But turns out, it’s way more than that. Sure, it’s got all the charm and feel-good vibes you’d hope for, but there’s this sneaky depth woven into the story that hits way harder than you’d think. The author somehow nailed that perfect blend of humor and heartbreak, and it just works.

The chemistry between the main characters? Absolute fire. But the real hook is how messy and complicated their history is. There’s all this raw tension and vulnerability as they try to sort through their past while still being pulled toward each other like magnets. Watching them try to juggle all their baggage while figuring out how to make it work? It’s addictive.

This book isn’t just a romance—it’s a whole rollercoaster of forgiveness, growth, and taking another shot at something real. I couldn’t put it down, and honestly, I loved every single second of watching these characters stumble their way back to each other.

Hollywood take note, this would make for a very cute, rom-com! Scot and Bothered is a second-chance romance with time jumps from our lead couple's history to present day. We get to see how things unfolded in the past to separate them while watching them get to know each other again. I am not crazy about miscommunication as a break-up trope, but in this case it made sense especially for the age Brooke and Jack were when they met the first time in college. The couple comes back together to hike the Skye Trail on the Isle of Skye and oh, boy will it have you Googling and maybe even booking your own stay on Skye. I love to hike and knew next to nothing about this trail, but now it's a bucket list item for sure! A couple of romance trope things I really liked in this: there is a big reveal of a secret kept, but after the initially reactive feelings around the news, the couple actually communicates well about the situation and with understanding. That said there is a 3rd act break-up, but it is done well too and leads to a very satisfying conclusion. There is dual narration on the audiobook and I will never say no to a good Scottish accent! This was my first Alexandra Kiley novel and now I'm off to read about Jack's brother, Logan!

Thank you to HTP Hive, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for the advance reader copy and to Harlequin Audio for the advance listener copy. These opinions are my own.

I had been so intrigued by who Jack's great love was when I read Kilt Trip. Scot and Bothered is their story and a second chance romance.

In this book, Jack and Brooke get thrown together into forced proximity for a hike along the Skye Trail on the Isle of Skye. And their journey becomes both literal and metaphorical.

I appreciated all of the themes about going after dreams and who gets to make the choices that shape your life. I found the book deeply emotional, in part because of its plot and in part because of where I'm coming from. It handles a storyline about grief and loss incredibly authentically. I cried a bunch while reading it, but in a good and cathartic way. I highly recommend the story.

Angus King and Savannah Davies made listening to this audiobook a delight. I was completely enthralled by their performances.

4.25 stars

This was super sweet and so unexpectedly tender. Loved. The narrators were fantastic and really brought the characters to life. I only wish that they exclusively voiced the dialogues of their characters!

Well first off this book has me dreaming (and planning) a trip to Scotland asap. It was such a fun read and I loved how descriptive it was of the scenery. Beyond the scenery, I went back and forth between physical and audio and the narrators were perfectly casted.
I was a big fan of the time jumps with the build up to the betrayal that led the Brooke's expulsion. I'm a sucker for a second chance romance so obviously this checked all the boxes. Both in the present and in the past Brooke and Jack had amazing chemistry and it made it seem like the story just flew by.
Highly recommend picking this one up!

Brooke Sinclair has always dreamed about being an author. After her dreams were derailed, she focused on writing other people's stories as a ghostwriter. When her mentor offers her the opportunity to co-write her memoir, Brooke knows she has to get this right, even if that means hiking the Skye Trail with the one person who destroyed her dreams and her heart. Can the adventure of a lifetime bring these two back together?

I love second chance romances and the blend of romance with the adventure of the Skye Trail made this a great story to listen to. Brooke and Jack's chemistry was perfect in both present day as they travel the Skye Trail and when Brooke first met Jack at the University of Edinburgh. I enjoyed how they each pushed the other to pursue their dreams while rediscovering their love and trust in each other. This was a very enjoyable read, and I am excited to go back and listen to the first book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trading Publishing and Harlequin Audio for the opportunity to review Scot and Bothered. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

while the premise of this was super cute and i LOVED the cover - i just didn’t feel drawn into the story. i found myself forcing myself to pick it up. i will say i did enjoy the scottish setting and the chemistry between brooke and jack

i will say- loved the scottish accents from the narrator though. that made the experience for me!

Brooke Sinclair is a ghostwriter, but her dreams of becoming a recognized author might have a chance when her mentor Mhairi McCallister asks her to co-write her memoir. In order to add authenticity to the book, Brooke agrees to hike the Skye Trail before she realizes the photographer who will be accompanying her is her ex, Jack Sutherland, the man who broke her heart and got her expelled from the University of Edinburgh seven years prior.

I'm a sucker for a good second chance romance, and this one delivered! The story is told through a dual timeline, jumping between the present and the past, slowly revealing the events that led to Brooke and Jack's relationship forming, ending, and ultimately, her expulsion from the university.

When the two are reunited, it's clear they both still harbor lingering feelings for each other, but there's also pain and betrayal that needs to be addressed. I appreciated that Kiley took the time to let them air their grievances and get to know each other a little bit again before throwing them straight back into a physical relationship.

I listened to this one on audio, and loved that it was dual-narrated by Savannah Davies and Angus King. They both did an excellent job portraying not only their own characters, but the rest of the small cast as well. And come on, who doesn't love a good Scottish brogue?

Read if you like:
Dual-POV
Second chance romance
Forced proximity
Only one tent
Dual timeline
Scottish MMC

I really enjoyed this audio and the accents. It was such a cute rom com, super enjoyable and the characters were very likable. I didnt want this to end.

Oh my goodness, this was SUCH a cute and sweet story! I really loved this audio, it was exactly what I needed! It was my first by the author and definitely won’t be my last!

A great quick romance read. 4.25/5 not super 🌶, mostly fade . I consider this more cozy romance. Would have been much better as a duet narration instead of dual.

If you love second-chance romance, dual-timeline, and only one bed (or one tent in this case) you will definitely enjoy this book! Thank you so much @akileybooks and @htpbooks @htp_hive for a copy of this ALC! Angus King and Savannah Davies did such an amazing job at narrating! I loved hearing Jack and Brooke's story blossom. I really enjoyed the dual timelines and didn't feel confused like I usually do with books that have this trope. I'd definitely recommend this book to any romance lover!

Choosing to DNF this one 50%. Thank you Canary Street Press for the free eARC and ALC. I started this book reading the physical copy and couldn’t quite get into it so decided to tandem read with the audio which I quite liked! I love a dual narration in an audiobook because it makes it very clear to me on whose chapter we are listening to. I also loved that we had a Scottish male narrator and American female narrator which fit our characters!

Where I personally struggled with this book is I just couldn’t quite get into it. I feel like I didn’t know much about our characters and felt I was told not shown about their relationship. For me second chance romances are a fine line and I feel what Jack did crossed a line for me in what is forgivable. Between the lack of insights into our characters and the nature of the conflict that separated them in the first place this one is a miss for me.

I loved the narration but the book was so slow and I really struggled to finish it. The dual timelines didn’t work for me and I’m not a fan of the miscommunication trope. I do think a lot of people will enjoy this even though I didn’t.

Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley was a solid read with some truly standout elements.

First, the narrators? FABULOUS. The male narrator’s Scottish accent was absolute perfection, and the performance really elevated the story. On top of that, Kiley’s descriptive prose is beautifully vivid—she knows how to paint a scene with words.

I don’t love the miscommunication trope but the writing was undeniably well done, and the characters had actual depth. They weren’t just cardboard cutouts tossed into a romance plot; they had layers and complexity. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

This was such an enjoyable second chance romance! The dual timelines worked really well and I just fell in love with the setting! Talk about wanderlust! I alternated between formats, though the audiobook performances were especially great! 4⭐️

Oh I loved this!!!

I am honestly not a fan of a second chance romance but I absolutely adored this!! I felt that the back and forth between the past and present really sent the action forward and did a great job of getting to the core of Brooke and Jack's relationship.

THE ACCENTS IN THIS AUDIOBOOK!!! The narration was truly perfection and transported me into the world of the book. It really helped solidify Jack's character and I personally loved him.

I truly had such a good time reading this one and I highly recommend the audiobook!!!

Thank you Alexandra Kiley and HTP Publishing for this early copy in exchange for my honest review.