I read it as an ebook and listening to the audiobook as re-read was SO GOOOD
The narrators and their accents made the characters so much more real for me and it was so easy imagining them.
The story itself was still great, i loved the slow winnimg over and the fact that community Ken turned into bit more spicy with his black cat - type love interest.
And Juniper with her past trauma made so much sense as she had plenty to work through so ofc it was something that held her back when diving into relationships

4 stars for the story itself! I love the Maccabe brothers, and I love the exs older brother trope!! The banter was great, and I looooooove good scottish MMC.
However, 2.5 stars for the audiobook, the woman that reads for Juniper is awful. Her pacing is off, she stuttered on a few sentences and had awkward pausing. The man that read for Callum, 1 million stars if it was just him. HE WAS GREAT. I could listen to that man read the McDonalds menu and still be swooning.
Also, love the pet name Harpy...I want my man to call me that from now on.

A charming read full of witty banter, second chance romance, and small town vibes with memorable characters!

This story had me hooked from the first chapter and only got better and better with every moment. The chemistry between June and Callum was so well done! I appreciate the pacing of the book and how the relationship between the two main characters didn't feel rushed or flimsy. There is a history between them that I enjoyed learning about throughout the storyline.

The audiobook is narrated by Russ Bain and Rebecca McClay, both of whom did an incredible job. They brought this story alive with their amazing performance.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio for an ALC of this book!

This could easily be retitled The Book of Banter there was so much snappy back and forth, but I was here for it !! This is the second story I’ve read where the MMC is a vet and I think I’m into it. I loved his gentle, supportive nature to balance with Juniper’s more skittish, observant and skeptical nature. Overall, solid story. I was treated to the audio performance of this book, and I think it was well done, though I do wish there was a little more differentiation in the characters, especially from the female narrator. But good performance.

It took a while for me to get into this story. The author’s name as well as an emphasis on how people looked made me think it was written by a man (but it is not). It has a cheesy cover too, but when one listens to an audiobook no one else can see it (except in Goodreads of course!). Despite these flaws it eventually got going and we learn that this McCabe man has always had a thing for Juniper but didn’t act on it as she was engaged to his brother. Now fate has thrown them back together on the island of Skye in scenic Scotland. Bottom line, it’s an eventually steamy romance novel with the Scottish isles as its setting and family drama thrown in for good measure. A good diversion from heavier literature. Two good narrators make semi-distracted listening easier. 3.6 rounded up.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @HarperAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook #ScotchontheRocks for review purposes. Publication date: 8 July 2025.

I adored Whiskey Business, and as a guideline, I try not to anticipate too much from sophomore books in a series, but this one blew me away!

When I say this man has it bad for the lady, he has it baaaaaaad. Holy cow, *the pining* in this book is intense. It also starts off spicier than the previous book, but still manages to not give it all away too soon and let some tension build up.
The writing showed a deep understanding of the characters. The opposite side of that is that sometimes the healing of their hurts or development of their growth sounded a little like a therapy session, but in the end that’s really alright.

The narrators did a great job. The male narrator fit perfectly. I did notice that he would put on a slightly higher tone when voicing a female character, whereas the female narrator would have the same voice no matter who was speaking. Not a bad thing, necessarily, but some of the dialogue did get momentarily confusing when there were no “he said/she said” notations.

Overall, I really liked the story and character development. I’m definitely looking forward to book 3!!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for the ALC!
Rated 4.5 ⭐️ on Storygraph

I loved how the characters teased each other. Buying all twelve oatmeal cookies was diabolical. My favorite employment for an MMC is veterinarian probably because I feel like people who work with and love animals have to have compassion. I also work in veterinary medicine, so I enjoy all of the references. I thought it was sweet when Callum offered Juniper to take her devil cat Shakespeare to his clinic. I thought it was adorable when he was teaching her how to feed a cow. Cows are such gentle giants and are actually my favorite animals. I thought this was such a sweet romantic gesture.

I liked how their relationship grew over time. Callum had to work hard to earn her affection, especially due to her past history with Callum's brother. Callum knew just what to say to calm Juniper down when she got upset about things. I think the chemistry between them was phenomenal, and when they finally let their walls down, sparks flew. I think the narrators did an excellent job! Thank you to Netgalley, HarperAudio Adult, and Elliot Fletcher for an ARC of this audiobook. This review is my own honest opinion.

This book is a great summer spicy read. I love Callum and the narrator did a great job with the accent. From the meet cute on the train to the actual introduction between Callum, Alistair and Juniper the story builds with tension between family loyalty and conflict of emotions. This is my first Elliot Fletcher book so I need to go back and read Whisky Business since I have a few unanswered questions. I think there is a trilogy, so I will read about Alistair’s future when that one comes out. Overall a lot of fun.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio in exchange for my honest review.

ALC Review
The second I seen a Scottish ALC I just knew I had to dive right in.. I mean Scottish accent? Yes please!
The story line of this book was really cute. Bit of a second chance romance if you will. A love at first sight, brothers ex fiancé? We’re in for a wild ride. I absolutely devoured the banter in this one. It was so well done and had me giggling from the start. The tension in this was next level and did I mention the man wears a damn kilt?! The FMC is prickly but she’s lived through so much I can empathize and understand her jaded edges.
I really enjoyed the way the characters are together and the way they made eachother better people.
I do wish there was something that came me a heads up with the character who has Alzheimer’s as I lived a hard time with a close family member who struggled and that did make this a bit hard for me at parts, but it also made me love the MMC so much more. I gained a level of respect for the character that only made me end up loving him more than I thought I would.
The spice in this book was so well done, and hearing it in that accent.. Oofta whole new level of enjoyment for this gal!

Thank you too NetGalley and Harper Audio. My views and opinions are solely my own.

This book was everything! The chemistry was off the charts. I love Shakespeare, the whole cast of characters, and the setting. Sign me up for a stay at the inn on the Isle of Skye any day!

The Macabe Brother Rule Book (according to Juniper Ross):
Don’t look at a Macabe brother
Don’t talk to a Macabe brother
Don’t even think about a Macabe brother

Rules are hard to follow....

This book was decent - I appreciated the dual narration on audio. The Scottish accent was good (although makes it a tad harder to listen at faster speeds) - the plot itself felt familiar (there's now a few Scottish romance reads and the brother's ex trope too) - but it was still overall decent.

I hadn't listened to book 1 before this one - but it felt stand-alone enough to follow.

3.5⭐

I liked the pairing of Callum and Juniper more than the couple from book one. There was a teasing and enemies to lovers vibe, but it came from a place of protecting your heart from what you can’t have. Juniper is dealing with major abandonment issues and doesn’t really trust that anyone could love her forever. Callum wants her but knows he can’t have her, so has settled to be in her life however he can, even if it’s just to bother her. A classic perpetuation of the childhood idea that if a boy tugs on your hair, he must like you.
The story was charming and very Scottish. Both characters had some repairing to do with their own parents, and on Juniper’s family Inn. I liked how gone Callum was for his harpy. He’d do absolutely anything for her, how could she not see he loved her?
The audiobook narrators nailed the Scottish accents and their voice performances really made the story come to life.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this audio ARC.

After reading and loving Whisky Business, I have been looking forward to this book since it was announced!

There’s something about a Scottish man that makes me weak. This book is full of delicious yearning. The banter. Pretty boys on his knees.

A plot line in this story is a parent with dementia. Fletcher handled this subject with such care while still conveying the stress and dread someone may feel when they love someone with the disease.

The narrators did such a good job. Their performances immersed me into the story. Chefs kiss.

Overall, 4 stars, I loved this audiobook, the Scottish accents made this book so much fun to listen to!! This was my first book by Elliot Fletcher and I will definitely be reading the first book in the series Whisky Business about April and Mal. You do not need to read Whisky Business to enjoy this book.

I really enjoyed Juniper (June) and Callum's (Cal) story. The author did an incredible job turning the brother's ex trope into an amazing story. What I really liked about this book was that it was believable. The banter, the timing of the story, June and Cal's background stories, and the supporting characters were also very well written. I loved that Cal was attracted to June right away but fell for her over a longer period of time, their relationship was handled with such care. The only thing that I wanted was a little more depth into June and Cal's background.

He fell first, second chance, and spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️!

Callum fell for Juniper when he first spotted her on a train platform years ago. It was six months too late. She was already in love with his brother. They got one hot night after Juniper’s engagement ended. Six years later, will he finally get his chance?

This book far surpassed any of my expectations. Just do yourself a favor and read it! The characters are well deceloped. The tension! The banter! The spice! I didn’t know this was the second in the series, so of course I had to immediately buy the first one.

I listened to the audiobook, and immediately love in love with the male narrator’s voice. Can he please narrate sleep stories?!

Thank you to HarperAudio Adult, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the advanced audio and e-book copies! I’ve had the first book in this series on my TBR for a while, and now I really wish I had read it sooner—because this one absolutely delivered.

Scotch on the Rocks was such a fun, well-balanced mix of humor, romance, and spice. I was genuinely surprised by how quickly I got into the story and how much I enjoyed both the writing and the audiobook narration. The chemistry between Juniper and Callum was so good—flirty, tension-filled, and heartfelt in just the right ways. Also, bless this book for skipping the dreaded third-act breakup!

This had a little bit of everything I love in a romance: a hint of forced proximity, a soft second-chance vibe, a sprinkle of fake dating if you squint, and a fantastic “dislike-to-love” arc that was really just Callum being obsessed with Juniper from the very start (which I’m always here for).

My only small wish? I would’ve loved to dig just a little deeper into the emotional backstories for both Juniper and Callum. It was there, but I’m greedy—I wanted even more! That’s really just me being picky though.

Now I need to go back and read the first book, and I’m crossing my fingers we get two more installments (hello, other siblings 👀). Can’t wait to see what comes next in this series!

4/5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This adorable and steamy Scottish tale follows Juniper and the oldest Macabe brother, Callum. He’s a veterinarian and she’s taking over responsibility for an Inn. This is the second book in The Macabe Brothers Series. For clarity I have NOT read book #1 “Whiskey Business” but holy hell does this book drag you in from the opening line. The banter is on point and Callum’s inner monologue is an absolute treasure. The Narrator’s were great and felt like a really good match for these characters.

Dual Narration - Russ Bain and Rebecca McClay
New to me narrators and I was not disappointed one bit! These two did the accents perfectly.

Sibling Ex romance
Small Scottish town
Will they won't they

I really enjoyed this story. My first book by this author. I will now be going back and listening to the first book in this series Whisket Business. I have had it on my TBR for some time now.

June and Callum have known each other for some time now. Chance meeting on a train years ago leading to a second meeting when Callum's brother introduced June as his fiance. Callum keeps his feelings to himself over the years even tho his brother calls off the engagement only months after popping the question.

Years later June is back in the small town and Callum is in her orbit. The story gets interesting. Cute and funny and sweet. I really liked the authors writing style.

This is a fun, entertaining read. I enjoyed the romance ant the path it took to get to their HEA. Callum and June are fun to spend time. The family and friends aspects added to the characters and the overall story. The various characters – both human and animal – brought something special to the book. The story is easy to read and get into.

I enjoyed the audio version of this book and the narrators.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I LOVED THIS AUDIOBOOK!!! 4 stars!
It has everything you could want out of a romance book: emotionally mature older man and a quirky independent girl! Like, sign me up!
This is dual narration and both the voice actors were amazing, them having the same accent as the characters was a major bonus.
Callum is so completely in love with Juniper and never once wavers in his commitment and feelings for her. He knows how he feels about her and allows her the time she needs to realize her feelings towards him. He allows her to stay her independent self while also being there for her so that she know she doesn't have to do everything alone. Her loves that she is different from everyone else in their small little village, even though this is something they habitually make fun of her for.
Juniper loves to wear black, runs her family's inn and gives zero shits (or at least that's what she would like for you to believe). I loved her character so much and it was refreshing to read about a non stereotypical FMC.
I really enjoyed the pacing of this book and couldn't stop listening to it, I finished it in less than 24 hours. This is the second book in an interconnected standalone series and can be read independently of the first book in the series (Whisky Business).
Tropes:
-Brother's ex
-age gap
-sunshine x black cat
-small town
-second chance romance
Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the Arc of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.