This was my first book by Elliot Fletcher and I’m officially obsessed! I don’t know what she put in this book, but the characters and story consumed me in the best way possible. I had the opportunity to receive the book and audiobook and the narrators really made the story and characters come to life for me! 💕

If there was a book to describe the emotion and utter rawness of the song Silver Springs, this book is definitely it! Black cat and golden retriever energy, that has some of the best banter I’ve ever read. When I tell you this man Callum is obsessed, I mean, the man has been pining for Juniper for 8 years!!!

The whole vibe of this book was perfection and it gave me all the feels! Small town Scottish island, Juniper works at the local Inn, Callum is a vet, and he’s her exes brother. I need to book my trip to Scotland asap, because it truly made me feel as if I were really there!

There were so many teasing moments, (thank you @elliotfletcherwrites for the incredible edging 😂) that when the moment finally happened, I was screaming! The way Juniper took charge and Callum willingly submitted to her every demand had me in a chokehold!🔥

As you can tell, I loved this book and I think everyone should go and read/ listen to this with Fleetwood Mac on repeat! Incredible banter, tension, pining, and spice. Scotch On the Rocks is available now!

Thank you to Avon Books, Harper Voyager, Harper Audio, and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC. I will immediately be going back to read Whiskey Business and patiently waiting for Alistair’s book! ❤️

3.5/5 stars

I didn't love this as much as the first book. I think a lot of that might've come down to the audio narration. The FMC narrator didn't fit Juniper's character imo as someone who is like the "alt" edgy girl. While the banter written in this book was good, the delivery of the quippy/biting lines from Juniper didn't hit with the softer voice. Idk I guess I just wanted her to sound more sassy/sarcastic, so when her walls come down it hits more.

Callum was def a 'down bad' boy. I liked how he barely concealed his love of Juniper. Liked their dynamic and the nickname Harpy. But I also didn't feel like the emotional development of their relationship was as deep as the couple in the first book, so I was expecting more there. I did appreciate that despite their initial connection in the past, once they are back skirting around their feelings the romance was relatively slow burn.

Content Warnings:
Graphic: Sexual content, Dementia, Abandonment
Moderate: Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Violence, Blood, Medical content

Oh my goodness. I didn’t think I could love someone more than our precious boy Mal, but good golly. Callum is such a beautiful character.
I enjoyed his interactions with everyone especially our harpy, Juniper.
She is a hard to love character, but I liked her development and how we grew to know and understand her towards the end of the book.
The audio is so great and the reader for Callum was especially delicious.

Scotch on the Rocks was super cute! I loved the tension between Juniper and Callum and I enjoyed the growth of their relationship. Their banter was great!

The audio was fabulous! The narrators both did a great job, and the accents made the audio super fun to listen to!

•4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️’s
•Reverse grumpy/sunshine
•Age gap, forbidden romance – brother ex fiancé
•Delicious banter, and tension
•Slow-SLOW burn romance
•Dual POV
•Kilt wearing, small town Vet
•🌶️🌶️Spice: Took us some time to get there, but we got there, and LAWD was it WORTH THE WAIT!🥵

This is the second book of the “The Macabe Brothers“ series. It was LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT for Callum when he met Juniper on a train to visit his brother and meet his brother‘s fiancé. Little did he know that the girl sitting next to him, that he became so smitten with, was none other than his brother‘s fiancé that he was on his way to meet.

In a crazy twist of fate, Alistair, Callum‘s brother, and his fiancé Juniper break up!

After years of pining for Juniper, Callum finally takes his chance, BUT there are a lot of issues that this couple need to work out before they live happily ever after. Callum is always putting others first and thinking of everyone else’s happiness above his own causing him not to fight for the ONE THING he wants. Juniper, coming from the foster care system and harboring feelings that she will never fit in and has never been wanted, is wrestling with her inner monologue of unworthiness….feeling unworthy of unconditional love from her adoptive family as well as the men who’ve come and gone throughout her life.

I really enjoyed the narrators of this audiobook I thought they did a great job conveying the emotions behind the words. I loved immersing myself in this small, Scottish town, the characters and their lives, trauma, and ultimately how they overcame it all and finally got “their person!”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🫶🏼The ENDING of their story was ::swoon:: 💕and I can’t wait to continue this series.

Thank you to the Author, Netgalley, & HarperAudio Adult For the ALC 🎧of this book. These are my honest thoughts.

Goodreads review 7/6, Tiktok 7/7

⭐️3.5 🌶️2 🎧4 It took a little bit for me to get into this book, but once I was invested I really enjoyed the story.

Juniper has a bad history with love and relationships in general. Being in the foster system as a child she has a history of people leaving her and that really affects her relationships as an adult. Callum was so sweet and perfect for Juniper. The way he cared for her in just the way he needed was super sweet.

This audiobook was narrated by Russ Bain and Rebecca McClay. They did a good job narrating this story, however I do wish they had more inflection when voicing other characters. Conversations were hard to follow sometimes.

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

Thanks to Elliot Fletcher, my darling, and Avon for letting me read this wonderful and lovely book early. I am on my knees in gratitude!! All thoughts are my own!

Scotch on the Rocks is the second book in Elliot Fletcher’s Macabe Brothers series! I read Whisky Business almost two years ago when it was independently published, and I knew right then that Elliot was going to be one of my forever favorite authors. The way she writes her characters always gets me so invested in them. Her books are so lovely and so special to me. She’s amazing, and I LOVE HER!! I’m so proud of her and all her hard work to share these books with us. This is her first traditionally published book that wasn’t an indie book first, and I’m so emotional watching her accomplish everything.

Juniper is so relatable and wonderful. She’s tall and fierce and so funny. She spends the whole book just waiting for people to leave her because she thinks she’s unloveable. It’s this expectation that she carries with her, and I LOVE HER SO MUCH!! Her growth to knowing that she is loved and that people care about her made me so emotional because it’s such a real feeling. Every relationship she has in this book, even with her cat, was impacted by her shielding herself and waiting for the moment when they decide she’s too much. And yes, it’s a romance, so Callum fought through those walls and showed her how much he loves and cares for her, but Juniper does the work. She talks to her mom. She realizes that friendships don’t have to come with time limits or conditions. She accepts that she is worthy of love with no conditions.

Callum is also so complicated and layered! He’s taking so much on and trying to protect his siblings from seeing how the situation with their dad has developed. He cares for everyone, and he doesn’t realize that he also needs to be cared for. Juniper knew he needed someone to care for him while he was busy thinking about everyone else. Juniper sees him, and he’s so soft with her I COULD CRY. I did, actually, multiple times. They had such good banter and tension, but once they moved more towards being soft and sweet, it was amazing. Once he started asking her questions because he realized he didn’t know her as well as he thought, I WAS DONE FOR! The fact that this man hid his feelings for her because he knew she was happy and his brother was happy was so sad and so sweet. Even when he knew they were done, he was still so understanding of their history. He cared for Juniper so much, and I cried IT’S FINE. He did all these things to support her through the years without telling her just because he loved her.

The tension has me blushing and giggling. The spice is actually so hot, like at 80% they still haven’t had sex, but what they have been doing is so HOT. Callum is immediately going on my list of book partners who love to eat. They had so much chemistry, and every interaction was so charged. SHE LIKES TO BE IN CHARGE, AND HE LOVES BEING TOLD WHAT TO DO!! I’m still thinking about her piercings too cause DAMN.

I really love the way the conflict with Alistair was handled. I was expecting it to cause an issue between Callum and Juniper and a third act breakup, but they communicated like adults and talked about it. I mean they argued and fought, but they worked through it and didn’t keep anything from each other. I LOVE THEM!! WE LOVE TO SEE IT!! I love when there is no third act breakup, especially when it’s coupled with actual communication.

I LOVED SEEING MY ANGEL BABIES MAL AND APRIL AGAIN!! Since Mal is Callum’s brother, and April and Juniper are friends, I knew they’d be in this book a lot. I miss them so much, and I genuinely have to hold myself back from rereading Whisky Business like once a week.

One of my favorite parts of this book happens in the epilogue, so I won’t spoil that for anyone. But just know, that once you see what I’m talking about, you’ll know.

I am so very intrigued for the next book. I will be as patient as I possibly can, but I will also be screaming about Scotch on the Rocks FOREVER!! Avon, if you’re reading this, I need the next book as soon as you have it besties!

Some of my favorite quotes:

“Falling in love with Juniper Ross felt like stepping into oncoming traffic.”

“What colour today, harpy?”

“Still hate me, sweetheart?”
“Undoubtedly.”
“Good. Just making sure.”

“Quit manhandling me unless you want my hands around your throat.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time, sweetheart.”

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for the ALC!

I absolutely loved this!!!
The love at first sight trope gets me every time!
If you want a book where he falls first, and she happens to be his brothers ex fiance!! Then this is for you!
This story was full of perfect banter between the main characters.
The audio versions made this book 10 times better with the accents! I’m a sucker for a good accent!
Such a cute book highly recommend!

Elliot Fletcher's "Scotch on the Rocks" is a vibrant, utterly charming romance that delivers on all fronts: undeniable chemistry, a compelling "forbidden" trope, and a gorgeous Scottish setting. As the second book in The Macabe Brothers series, it effortlessly stands on its own, quickly drawing you into the lives of Juniper Ross and Callum Macabe.

From the first page, the dynamic between our prickly "black cat" FMC, Juniper, and the utterly smitten "golden retriever" MMC, Callum, is pure gold. Their banter is sharp, witty, and incredibly entertaining, building a delicious slow burn tension that keeps you flipping pages late into the night. Callum's blatant adoration for Juniper is incredibly endearing, making him the kind of hero you can't help but fall for, especially as he patiently chips away at Juniper's guarded exterior.

The "ex-fiancé's brother" trope is handled with just the right amount of angst and complication, adding a layer of delicious forbidden fruit to their undeniable connection. Fletcher skillfully navigates the tricky waters of their past, making their journey to a future together feel both earned and incredibly satisfying. The picturesque Isle of Skye serves as a stunning backdrop, with the vivid descriptions transporting you directly to the Scottish Highlands – you can almost smell the heather and taste the whisky.

Beyond the sizzling romance, "Scotch on the Rocks" also touches on deeper themes of abandonment and family dynamics, particularly through Juniper's past and the challenges faced by the Macabe family. These elements add a welcome layer of emotional depth without ever overshadowing the core love story. And for those who appreciate it, the spice is definitely there, well-integrated and adding to the passion between our leads.

While the "will-they, won't-they" could feel a touch drawn out at times, and a few minor character behaviors might raise an eyebrow, these are small quibbles in an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable read. "Scotch on the Rocks" is a standout contemporary romance that will leave you smiling, swooning, and ready to book a trip to Scotland. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a spicy, heartwarming, and beautifully written love story.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. this was such a fun listen.
Absolute gem of forbidden love. and secret longing, I listen to this in one sitting I didnt want to stop listening to it at all.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotch on the Rocks by Elliot Fletcher 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

In this second installment to the Macabe Brothers series, we follow Callum and Juniper. He keeps showing up everywhere she least expects. And above all else, Juniper needs to stay away from him. But that’s easier said than done, right?

This book has everything from yearning to pent up (sexual) frustration to sexy meet ups. The spice level is severely hot.

I was able to read and listen with my ARC and ALC (thanks, @harperaudio @netgalley @elliotfletcherwrites) and it was such a fun time!! I really want to visit Scotland and maybe I could find my own Callum.

As this book is the second book in the series, I don’t think you necessarily need to read the first one, but it is a good introduction as Mal and April show up a lot in this one.

This book is out tomorrow, July 8! Read this is any of this review resonates or sparks any intrigue.

Scotch on the Rocks was fun and spicy with great banter. The remote Scottish small town setting, the enemies to lovers tension, the brothers ex and the golden retriever vs. black cat dynamic between Callum and Juniper is what drew me in to this book. The audiobook narrators were a major highlight. Russ Bain’s Scottish accent truly brought the story to life and made it a super easy listen.

That said, I didn’t fully connect with Juniper and the story lost a bit of steam for me as it went on. It started strong but I found myself less engaged the further I got. I kept waiting to really feel something deeper from the characters but it never quite landed. Still, the spice was great, the banter delivered, and it had enough charm to make it an overall enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and Harquinn audio for the ALC

Well, well, well… this Macabe brother was dreamy. And if I wasn’t already obsessed with a Scottish accent, this listen sealed the deal 🫠🫠🫠

The story follows June and Callum Macabe. A perfect black cat/golden retriever duo. He’s the town’s beloved veterinarian (and her ex-fiancé’s brother, no less), and she’s back in town to renovate her family’s inn.

It’s a “he falls first,” forbidden romance with all the charm and tension you could want. A really fun, feel-good listen!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for this fun Listen

The narrators were amazing! Their Scottish accents kept me immersive in the story from the start!

Callum is obsessed with Juniper. Their tension is thick and hot. Their banter is gold. And when they finally collide, absolutely beautiful!

Scotch on the Rocks by Elliot Fletcher was a fast listen. Juniper Ross wants to avoid all the Macabe brothers. She was engaged to one and one is in love with her best friend. It is just best for her to stay away from them. But when Callum keeps popping up and helping her, it hard to ignore him. Breaking her rule just once won’t be bad.

This the 2nd in the Macabe Brothers series. I have not read the first one. But I want to now! I enjoyed this without the first one. I am not normally a fan of the sibling ex trope but this one was tolerable. It would have been better without it. I enjoyed Juniper and Callum’s story. They had good banter and a believable story.

It is narrated by Russ Bain and Rebecca McClay. They did a nice job. Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for this advanced copy in exchange of my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced audiobook! I loved this continuation of the Macabe brothers series! This book blended steamy moments, laugh out loud situations, and emotional depth really well. I love books that explore both the fmc and mmc point of views and this one did so with success. I recommend!

I should have DNFd this book but I decided to stick it out because I had an ALC. The romance tropes in this (dating ex-fiancés brother & other man/other woman drama) are some of my least favorite to read. It’s just truly not for me at all.

The nail in the coffin for me was when Callum (mmc) told Juniper (fmc) that he overheard her & Alistair (his brother, her ex fiancé) having sex. "I heard the two of you fucking once, did you know that? You sighed his name, over and over and over. I thought I'd go insane from the sound of it." am I supposed to think he’s hot for sharing this information with her? GO INSANE FROM THE SOUND OF SOMEONE FUCKING YOUR BROTHER????

Truly, someone else, many people will probably eat this up and it will be exactly the drama they want to read. But it was so deeply not for me.

Scotch on the Rocks, the second of the Macab Brother series by Elliott Fletcher is a novel that takes you for a ride. Yearning, enemies to lovers, twisted family webs and love falling somewhere in between?

Callum has been fiercely in love with Juniper far longer than he would be willing to admit to any soul. Juniper on the other hand has an extremely strict rule of staying away from any Macab Brother as long as she lives. As their story unfolds, their dynamic becomes Juniper being the more dominant of the pair. Callum is hopelessly devoted and almost at her beck and call.

Elliott Fletcher was able to showcase the characters in this story with the reality of hard relationship choices mixed with the anxieties of everyday issues. Overall a wonderful addition the first book, Whiskey Business featuring one of the other Macab brothers.

This edition was the audiobook narrated by Russ Bain and Rebecca McClay. Russ has an extremely charming baritone accent and Rebecca brings such a sultry calmness to her character. The pair bounced well off each other and carried the story smoothly.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperAudio for the opportunity to review this novel.

This was really enjoyable! A smidge of enemies-to-lovers mixed with a hearty dose of ex’s brother makes for an entertaining read. Juniper - our B&B running, cat fostering, lovable mess of a main female character - is the ex-fiancée of one of the younger Macabe brothers. Unfortunately, a different Macabe, Callum, has secretly had eyes for her for years and finally makes his move nearly six years after Alistair dumps Juniper (zero cheating in this book). There’s light tension and angst, the realities of dealing with aging parents, and a lovely story about two people connecting and falling in love while growing individually as well.

I listened to this and the narrators are excellent! Rebecca McClay and Russ Bain brought the story to life in an engaging way.

Can be read as a standalone - I haven’t read the first one yet but got the audio for Scotch on the Rocks as an advanced copy. I had no problem diving right into the world of the Macabe brothers!

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (0-5)
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) I bump up for public-ish places/outdoor spaces

What I'm Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 Mccabe brothers. Scotland. Brother's ex-fiancée. Do I really need to say anything else?
🤩 These voices and accents are such a treat--beautiful audiobook entertainment from Rebecca McClay & Russ Bain.
🤩 The whole reason Juniper & Callum become enemies, trying to avoid their attraction.
🤩 Because--forbidden!
🤩 I adore how June thinks of Callum in Ken doll characters.
🤩 All the banter and so many antics.
🤩 Scottish village--their jobs are great. He's a vet with a therapy rabbit for a pet and she's runs Ivy House, the inn her adoptive parents own.
🤩 I love a let's make a deal!
🤩 All the adventures, especially the waterfall!
🤩 Isle of Sky Guidebook--cleverly written, so captivating.
🤩 Yeah, these two are hot once they give in.
🤩 It's always been you.
🤩 Beautifully written dementia representation.

What I'm Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 Did I ever figure out the title connection? Maybe to remind us of the rocks by the waterfall?!