5 ⭐️ Kilt Trip was written for me and everyone else who’s obsessed with Scotland. And if you're not already obsessed, you will be after you read this book. 🏴💕🫶
"You brought my heart back to life."
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ scotland setting
✨ she's a travel consultant assigned to help out a struggling Highland tour company
✨ he's a guide and the tour company owner's son
✨ insta-lust
✨ slow burn
✨ rivals to lovers
✨ workplace romance
✨ 'forbidden’
✨ he falls first
✨ hilarious banter
✨ so much tension and longing
✨ 2/5 🌶️ (open door but not very graphic)
✨ 3rd act breakup
✨ family drama
✨ found family
✨ beautiful prose
✨ lots of Scottish history
✨ TW: death of parent, estranged parent, grief
My Thoughts:
Kilt Trip is easily one of my favorite books of 2024 and has officially been added to my 'Top 10 Rom-Coms of All Time' list. I absolutely LOVE this book and think if you like heartfelt romances that take place in an absolutely magical place, you will enjoy it too.
There is so much about this story I loved . . .
The Scottish setting. I love Scotland. I've been there three times in the past five years, I have a photo of a Highland Coo next to my bed, and I've cried many times over the fact I do not live there (yet). Let's just be real, my love for Scotland borders on obsession. There's just something about Scotland that calls to my heart. When I'm there, I feel like I’m home. Reading Kilt Trip made me feel like I was back in Scotland, and just for a few hours, I was able to once again lose myself in the beautiful streets of Edinburgh and the magical Highlands.
But I was only able to get sucked into this story thanks to the phenomenal writing. Alexandra Kiley is a fantastic writer who, with her stunning prose and vivid descriptions, is able to make her readers feel like they have been transported inside the book and experience everything the characters do, like setting, romance, conflict, etc.
Addie and Logan. They are realistic, well developed, and extremely lovable characters. Addie is a travel consultant who works non-stop and is afraid of love, while Logan runs his family's tour company and is afraid of change. They both struggle with loneliness and deal with some resentment towards family members: Addie with her dad for neglecting her after her mother's death, and Logan with his brothers for bailing on him when his new idea for the company flopped. I like that Addie and Logan are incredibly strong, yet tenderhearted. They don't want to let anyone down, but first they have to take care of themselves.
I also really enjoyed the secondary characters - pretty much everyone at the office and Logan's family.
The romance and spice. Logan and Addie have incredible chemistry and amazing banter, and the 'rivals to lovers' dynamic created such delicious tension. So when they FINALLY get together, it's explosive! Logan is a consent king and a giver, so LOVED that! And when he calls Addie 'Lass' . . . 🥵 I know the Scottish brogue I've been using in my head is nowhere near as sexy as Logan's, so I am excited for the audiobook! (UPDATE: I just listened to a snippet of it on Alexandra Kiley's Instagram and OMG I'M DYING!!!!! The male narrator does an incredible job!)
There are four-ish open door sex scenes that are explicit but not overly graphic, and one closed door scene. The castle and office scenes. 😮💨 They live in my head rent free.
The way Alexandra Kiley explored grief was beautiful. I really enjoy stories that go deep, and Kilt Trip does this with Addie, who struggles with the death of her mother. It's been years since she passed, but grief isn't something that disappears entirely, and being in a place that meant so much to her mother makes Addie feel closer to her but also bring up difficult feelings like those surrounding her father and his neglect after the fact. I liked how initially Addie was closed off about discussing this topic, but over time opens up to Logan, who is then very supportive. The side plot about finding the locations in Scotland where her mother took polaroid pictures was touching. 🫶
Learning more about Scotland's history and lore. Sharing this type of information can be boring if not done properly. But in Kilt Trip, Logan delivers this info usually during one of his tours, and he's a fantastic story teller. It was easy to imagine I was there on the tour since it was so engaging. Definitely didn't feel like there was any info dumping.
Overall, Kilt Trip is a wonderful, genuine story that captivates you from the start. I'm very impressed with Alexandra Kiley and have added her to my auto-buy list. What a stunning debut novel. Bravo!
Thank you Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.
Favorite Quotes:
She brought a lot of chaos into his life, but also a lot of light.
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"I travel because it costs the same as therapy but it's much more enjoyable."
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Life was a collection of small moments . . . she should never stop searching for the ones that took her breath away.
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"You're a delight to rile up."
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The quiet side of her that revealed her heart so carefully called to him in a way he had no choice but to answer.
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He was the sunset over a lake, mountains scraping the sky, uncharted territory, and endless expanse of wonder.
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Logan couldn't help the wayward thought that while he loved kissing her in dark corners, all he really wanted was to hold her hand in the light.
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"I can't bear the thought of being without you."
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"What if you change your mind?"
"I will never change my mind about us."
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She had once thought Logan predictable. But that wasn't right. He was steady, his love unchanging and enduring.
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"Don't fuck about forever."
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"My life stopped when my mom died. And it restarted somewhere on the banks of Loch Ness."
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"Look at me like you'll love me your whole life through."
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