really tried to enjoy this book.

It had some of my favourite elements.

Broody Scot MMC
Travel writer FMC
Scottish Countryside

But it lost me with too many subplots that did not blend well. There is something to be said for keeping the storyline simple and using good writing to keep your reader interesting.

So many books are written from the perspective of the fragile and petite FMC that I was excited for a story when the FMC didn’t fit that mould. Instead, we got a typical Mary Sue whose height was once again, continually remarked upon.

I am sure that this book would be someone else’s cup of tea, but for me the faith was too forced, the romance lacklustre, and the grief was a bit too heavy.

As a side note, is it normal to just let your children run around town unsupervised?

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Audio book: I really liked the narrators and for me that is almost enough to pull the story up; but despite turning the speed up I still felt like reading this book was a chore.

Thank you Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ALC

Thank you to NetGalley, and the publisher for this ARC! This one hit a little close to home, I related to the main character so much I had to pause the audio and take a breather.

This reads as a very funny romcom set in Scotland. Nothing ground breaking goes on, but it’ has a lot of heart. Also, Lachlan is the cutest child side character I’ve read in a very long time. I did not expect the religious overtones, but I wasn’t put off by it. It was pretty subtle. This made me desperate to go back to Scotland.

Adorably quirky and full of heart, this story had me grinning from page one. Katie’s chaos meets Graeme’s calm in the most delightful way, with Scottish charm, slow-burn romance, and a whole lot of heart. Misadventures, kilts, and a macaw—what more could you ask for? A sweet reminder that sometimes home isn’t a place—it’s a person.

This novel is a fun listen with two different narrating voices. It's well done, the storyline flows well, and it wraps up perfectly. The characters are very relatable, touching our grief, loss of siblings, lack of "home".

The one thing I missed when picking up this book, is that it is classified under Christian. There were Evangelical Christianity beliefs thrown throughout the entire book. It didn't add to the book, it was almost more like forced inclusions (isn't that what religion can be though?). So while there is no mention of religion in the book cover and the description of the book, just be warned that it is in it, and if that's a trigger point, avoid this novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Travel writer Katie Campbell is off on another adventure -- or misadventure, if things go as they often do for her. Katie has been tasked to cover a brand new Edwardian experience, where guests can step into life in a manor house as it might have been in the early 1900s. But if trouble can find Katie, it will. Whether that's a stairway railing not quite secure, a territorial Highland cow, or her former flame now turned bitter enemy, Katie faces a new challenge at every turn.

Katie loves her job and it provides relief from a difficult family situation, but her heart longs for home. Among the green hills and humble Scottish folks, not to mention one #HotScot, Katie begins to yearn for what she sees there in the Highlands. I loved the author's use of the words "linger" and "tarry," as Katie mulls over whether love and commitment could frame her new vision of the future.

The novel started off very slowly for me, despite the funny moments, but as we got into the layers of Katie's character I could relate to her more, and as I already mentioned, I really appreciated the themes of this novel.

I listened to the book on audio and very much enjoyed the narrators.

I would recommend this book for those who enjoy humorous adventures, immersive settings, and slow-burn romance.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts in this review are my own.

I just finished Some Like It Scot and honestly, my heart is full. Pepper Basham delivers again with a story brimming with charm, humor, and tenderness. The setting? Gorgeous. The characters? So loveable. The romance? Swoon city.

Katie Campbell is an American travel writer, kind of lost in life and a little clumsy (okay, a lot 😂). She signs up for a 3-week Edwardian immersion in the Scottish Highlands and ends up meeting Graeme MacKerrow—a kilt-wearing, gruff but golden-hearted Scotsman raising his nephew after a tragedy. Cue ALL the feels.

Their connection starts off rocky (and hilarious), but slowly shifts into something deep and meaningful. It’s not just about love—it’s about finding home, healing from grief, and learning to trust again.

There are so many laugh-out-loud moments (Katie + Edwardian corsets = chaos 😂), but also such tender, faith-tinged reflections. Pepper’s note at the end added even more depth knowing how personal this book was for her.

This one is for fans of sweet, heartwarming, slightly quirky romances with a side of brogue and a LOT of heart. Highly recommend curling up with a cuppa and getting swept away to Scotland with Katie and Graeme. 💫🏰💕

A sweet romantic comedy. This is a fun story of beautiful Scotland, Katie - a travel writer who finds herself in many misadventures, and Graham - a grumpy sculptor. A light-hearted story with a great Christian tone running through the love story. The audio book has great, authentic, readers. Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook copy.

3.25 stars

The book had a good premise, a travel writer goes to Scotland and meets a Scot. I think this was suppose to be enemies to lovers, but there wasn't enough tension/ enemy for me. The middle of the book dragged on a bit. It was a cute cozy romance 💕 but a few changes would have elevated it for me. The narrator were not bad but not the best I have heard either.

Katie Campbell is a popular travel writer on her way to Scotland for a three-week "Edwardian experience" in a Scottish manor. It's a mismatched group of attendees including a rival travel writer and an eclectic host family. Katie finds solace in the local community...including handyman Graeme.

While the book had a good premise and I'm a sucker for any book set in Scotland and about a travel writer (my dream job!), I had a hard time with this storyline--it all just took way too long, didn't have enough drama to really bring me in, and I just didn't care too much about the characters and what happened to them.

The narrators were fine for the story. They weren't particularly memorable for being amazing or for being distracting.

I mean, I'll still dream about meeting my own Scotsman, but I'll use my own imagination for it.

Book: Some Like It Scot
Author: Pepper Basham
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Romance, Trravel
Places Featured: Scotland
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️1/2 (rounded up)

Some Like it Scot follows travel writer Katie on assignment to Scotland where she meets Graeme, a local in the small town she is visiting. The story follows their adventures and misadventures while Katie is on assignment. Katie and Graeme while on the outside are complete opposites find common threads both in their beliefs and in their past experiences.

The Audiobook is presented in dual narration, the book is written in dual point of view so each narrator takes on the narration for their character's chapters. Both narrators had a good flow through their chapters. They brought the character's to life. I enjoyed meeting the minor characters that rounded out the quaint little Scottish town that Katie was exploring. Even the town animals, Seamus and Wedge, had their own little special spirit.

I really enjoyed this book, I thought it was a sweet cozy read. I thought Graeme and Katie's love story, while not perfect or a fairytale was sweet, modern and something quietly fulfilling.

This book was everything I didn’t know I needed. Some Like It Scot dives into grief, healing from trauma, and the quiet resilience of hope. Even without spice, it delivered so much heart, laughter, and joy.

Katie is absolutely hilarious and so relatable, I laughed, I teared up, and I felt every step of her journey. And Graem? The ultimate grumpy-to-soft guy. Their chemistry was perfection.

I received an ALC (Advanced Listening Copy) from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio, and the narrators were spot on. Their voices fit the characters so well, I could close my eyes and see the story play out in vivid detail.

Highly recommend this emotional, funny, and uplifting read!

#somelikeitscot !!! By @pepperbasham is the audiobook I finished today, and wow it was so lovely!!!! As per usual the comedy in this rom-com did make me laugh with delight in several spots, usually when our leading lass Katie found herself in various predicaments, particularly the one at the dining table #IYKYK !!!!
Travel writer #katiecampbell finally goes to #scotland the homeland of her grandparents, so… for those of us who crave #allthingsscotland this story really both satisfied that longing and made it more pronounced simultaneously! The way the author describes this small town so lovingly and in such detail, really showed her love for the land. I adored all of the characters, their accents, their healthy ways, their adoration of each other. The scene where Katie flees the room being overwhelmed by the beauty and kindness of Graham’s family was especially poignant. For Katie to find another family wading it’s way through immense grief, she sees the differences between how her mother coped (denial/refusal to talk of her deceased daughter, the constant push to her surviving daughter to mimic the one gone) and Graham’s mother: keeping the remembrance of her daughters life and love alive by mentioning her often, not using the memory to blame hurt or diminish those left behind…. Was just such an eye opener for Katie. She becomes so close with this family, not just for the fact that Graham is known by her online travel blog readers as “the hot Scot” but because how open and caring and sweet they all are. I think I fell in love with graham and his family along with her. All of the characters felt alive and real to me, the dialogue fun and poignant in turns, and the land of #scotland and its people came alive for me as well.
The authors note at the end made me cry, because she mentioned that while writing this story, she lost her brother. It’s no wonder that this story has the theme of loss throughout it, as both Graham and Katie deal with trying to cope with the loss of their siblings. I’m so sorry for your loss @pepperbasham. The note at the end about finding one’s place really made me sob, “may your heart and soul find where it belongs.” Thank you 🥰

Some like it Scot is the charming tale of Katie and Graham. Katie is an American travel writer who is in Scotland to explore an Edwardian immersive experience. Graham is a Scotsman, through and through, who ends up being thrown into Katie‘s path.

Although I love this charming story, I found the book a little bit disjointed. The second half of the book starts taking on some religious elements that were not present in the first half of the book. The author’s notes at the end of the book talk about how the author started the book and then lost her brother and stopped writing. When she picked up writing the book again, she picked it up with a renewed sense of faith in her life. Unfortunately, at this section in the book, it appears a bit disjointed, and I found that the spiritual element being introduced so late in the book was more of a distraction than an enhancement.

All that said, I did find the story of Katie and Graham, quite charming, and I would highly recommend it, even with the added religious element midway through.

Thank you to NetGalley, and the publisher for this capital ARC in exchange for an honest review

Some Like It Scott is probably the best contemporary romance I ever listened to. It hooked me almost immediately because the heroine, Katie, is very likable, despite being clumsy and well over average height and weight. The secondary characters are just as warm and welcoming and make Katie feel “at home” - someplace she hasn’t felt since her grandparents died - despite being in a foreign country. While listening to the audiobook, expectedly narrated by Joshua Manning and Stina Nielsen, I was engaged emotionally - something very rare these days - and I even teared up near the end. I cannot recommend this audiobook enough!!

And all at once, you’re all I want, I’ll never let you go ✈️

Taylor song: King of My Heart

This was such a fun read! I thought both of the MCs’ backstories were really fleshed out and tied in seamlessly with the story at hand. I thought Katie in particular was really well written - she was a clumsy, “quirky” character that somehow avoided the “not like other girls” vibe completely. With this book being dual POV, I loved watching both of the characters grow and develop before (and while they are) falling in love.

The audio narrators were both top notch - I would definitely search out other books narrated by them!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson, Zondervan Fiction Audio, and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange of an honest review!

A sweet, feel-good romance with just the right balance of humor and heart. The audiobook narration—with those swoon-worthy Scottish accents—makes it even more enjoyable. Pepper Basham’s writing is charming, easy to read, and full of warmth. A perfect cozy read for anyone who loves a little sunshine-and-grump dynamic and a touch of Scotland.

Thankyou Netgalley and Publisher for this ALC.
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I found Some Like It Scot obviously different than other rom-coms. I am not a big fan of this genre but sometimes to lighten the mood i do try listening/reading them. Like always i thought it must be the same cliche plot with characters with some traumas and third-act break up. To be honest, it had some of those things but what's most important is, it didn't feel like the others. It was so calming and healing to listen all the stories, myths and traditions of Scotland that it made me add those cities on my bucket list. The pace was not rushed even though it was like 11 hours long? which is actually a long book for me (for romance genre) and i thought whattt?? but when i start listening to it, I didn't feel like that.
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I enjoyed reading about Katie so much. i could relate to her thoughts, ambitions and future goals. I loved how much she wasn't actually looking for relationship but when she found one it felt like home to her. I adored her interactions with all residents of craighill especially.... i forgot the name of red haired freckle boy with dog named wedge 😭😭😭.
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The romance in this book was slow-burn which is my fav!! so everytime the main characters interacted my heart went jumping. it was soo cute.

Overall an alright story, just felt a bit dragging at times. I feel like the Edwardian Experience got a huge backseat and was almost not necessary to the story itself. Also I felt like the religious undertones appeared very suddenly about halfway through and then were constantly thrown in. The narrators were good except having family from Waynesville North Carolina exactly I can tell you they all pronounce Appalachia Apple-Latch-Uh not Apple-lay-shuh. It’s a very regional thing from the mountains there in North Carolina and Tennessee, so that stuck out to me more than it should!

If you love any and all things Scotland, adorable bookshops, grumpy/sunshine, uplifting your faith, feel good sweet romance, then you are definitely gonna love this book. I loved the banter, the Scottish lore. Pepper Basham does a fantastic job bringing her characters to life. You feel as if you know them personally, it’s almost as if you’re a part of the story with them.

This book is an absolute five star.

I adored the narration. The narrators nailed this performance. The accents, the chemistry, the banter it all felt so fluid and real. 5⭐️ narration as well.

I went into this book expecting something different than it was. First, I was unaware of how Christian based the story would be. While I am fine with zero spice or closed door romance, the constant mention of God and church took me out of the story, often.
The narrator’s were great and I appreciated the Scottish accents!