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Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley Published by Harlequin on March 5, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Family Life / General, Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, Fiction / Women
Pages: 351
Format: ARC, eBook, Paperback
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"Deeply romantic and breathtaking...readers will be swooning and flocking to Scotland long after they’ve turned the last page." —Livy Hart, author of Planes, Trains, and All the Feels
Ready or Scot...
Globetrotter Addie Macrae always follows her wanderlust. As a travel consultant, she jet sets around the world—anywhere but Scotland. But when she’s sent on assignment to help a struggling family-run tour company in the Highlands—and save her own job—Addie packs away her emotional baggage and turns on the professional charm.
Rugged as the land he loves, Logan Sutherland’s greatest joy is sharing the beauty of Scotland’s hidden gems…even if it means a wee bit of red ink on the company’s bottom line. The last thing Logan wants is some American “expert” pushing tourist traps and perpetuating myths about the Loch Ness Monster—especially when Addie never leaves her desk to experience the country for herself.
As they wage an office war, Logan discovers Addie’s secret connection to Scotland: a handful of faded Polaroids of her late mother. Hoping for a truce, he creates a private tour to the places in the pictures to help Addie find closure and appreciate the enchantment in less-traveled destinations, never expecting the off-limits attraction sparking between them. But Addie’s contract is almost up, and magic won’t pay the bills. They can’t afford distractions, but how can Addie do her job if she hasn’t explored all Scotland—and Logan—have to offer?
For anyone who has been to Scotland or has dreams of going, I highly recommend Kilt Trip it is by far one of the best romance books I’ve read set in the country and a favorite book of 2024 for me. ~ Sharon – Simply Love Books
I’ll be upfront and honest, since 2018 I have read numerous romance books set in Scotland and about 90% of the time I’ve been disappointed in them. 2018 was when I began planning a trip to Scotland for 2020 which was postponed to 2022 and I’m currently planning a trip for this August 2024, so I decided to give this one a go and I am so glad that I did. I was completely wowed by Alexandra Kiley’s debut novel, Kilt Trip. This one quote alone, “Sometimes we find a place we’ve never been before, but it feels like coming home.” is exactly how I felt on my first trip to Scotland. Yes, I have family history on both sides and in fact my mother’s side (English) fought my father’s side (Jacobite), and I found pictures of long ago relatives on castle walls while I was there. But for me, it was more than that as, I walked the streets of Edinburgh, traipsed through the ruins of numerous castles and cathedrals, danced in the ballroom at a castle with my husband, and visited “tourist” sites as well as those off the beaten path, it was as the country wrapped me in its arms and I knew when we left we would go back. Kilt Trip featured a local Edinburgh man whose family’s tour service is in trouble and an American woman whose company has been hired to streamline and change the tours to make them appeal to more people. Addie has ties to the country through her late mother and after one short tour with Logan she knows the country will be hard to leave and the man…well, time will tell.
While there were numerous funny moments, there were also many deep and emotional ones, and I found the pacing and development spot on. Both characters were dealing with grief – Addie the loss of her mother when she was a teenager and a father so deep in his grief he forgot he had a daughter and Logan the loss of his brothers continuing to work at the family business after he made a costly mistake and the fact the business is bleeding money. Both work through their grief as they try to one-up each other on the types of tours the company should offer, in addition Logan begins to realize that being so set in his ways about doing the same tours, he has missed some wonderful places his home country has to offer. As he helps Addie find places from photos of her mom and dad’s honeymoon, she begins to work through her feelings and he is there to offer support without trying to manage her grief for her and I loved that.
The biggest reasons for not giving this one 5 stars; I felt at times their bickering was over the top and childish. I hated how set in his ways Logan was and refused to work with Addie to change up his trips. And Addie, she was just so closed off at the start I had a hard time liking her character, but I did feel like we saw great growth throughout this book and I loved that after such a short time in Scotland and with Logan how alone she felt on her own.
As Logan with Addie along drove through many parts of Scotland, I had fond memories of the trip we took with our Edinburgh native guide. Ms. Kiley’s description of the land, the history of the castles, monuments, and Clans were all reminiscent of our time there and so very vivid it gave readers who have never been to Scotland a chance to discover it through her words.
For anyone who has been to Scotland or has dreams of going, I highly recommend Kilt Trip it is by far one of the best romance books I’ve read set in the country and a favorite book of 2024 for me.
About Alexandra Kiley
Alexandra Kiley writes big-hearted romances full of banter, found-family, and deep love. When she’s not writing, you can find her drinking tea, hiking, or gazing adoringly at the mountains of Colorado where she lives with her husband and two kids. Her novels are inspired by her semester in Scotland where she fell in love with not only the lush and magical land, but also the people who invited her into their homes and made her feel like family.