Her Scottish Mistake

Perfect Escape #1

by Michele de Winton

"Adorable and sexy! An exotic vacation and a feel-good chick flick rolled into one." - Tawna Fenske, USA Today bestselling author.

Aspiring blogger Janie Milan is finally on her dream trip to Thailand. But when an unfortunate piña colada incident lands her in the path of a hot Scotsman, Janie finds herself dying to find out what's under his kilt. Only the frustratingly sexy man isn't who he's pretending to be…

After cutting a deal to keep his brother safe, Scottish heartthrob Blaine Galloway is hiding from the press. But his secret identity starts to slip the second he meets small-town blogger, Janie.
Now the press is hot on their heels and Blaine’s life is tumbling into a tabloid-sponsored hell. Coincidence? He’s not so sure.

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Summer, Contemporary Romance, Travel, Adult

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 10, 2017

About the author

I've been known to be an all round arty type so it's no wonder my first romance has a little sparkle of the stage tucked into its pages. Being a writer was not was I was supposed to be when I ‘grew up' but then neither was being a dancer. Sometimes my performing past jumps into of the dress up box and requires attention. But most of the time I'm content to stay in my PJs. All day. And I also thinks that chocolate can solve pretty much everything. You can get in touch on
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/michele.dewinton
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/MicheledeWinton
Drop her a line or post a comment on her blog through http://www.micheledewinton.com

Reviews

[Nissa | Of Pens and Pages Book Blog]

Not finishing this book is an "it's not you, it's me" case. I've been trying to read this book for a few weeks now, but I just can't seem to go past the 15% mark. I might try picking it up again in the future, but for now, I'll have to let it go.

*ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

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[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Wow, that was fun! I really enjoyed this fun and sexy read.

Janie is on vacation in Thailand to get away from exes, boyfriend and best friend, and their wedding day. She's mortified when spills her Pina Colada on Blaine and just wants to help him clean up when she invites him to her room near the pool. Blaine is a Scottish TV heartthrob hiding away from from the paparazzi so he gives Janie a fake name and is hesitant to take her up on her offer to clean his shirt and shorts. But Janie is sincere and has no idea who he is so Blaine is thrilled to meet someone so genuine who for once isn't looking to exploit him. There are lots of laugh out loud moments and a great building romance. Of course there are some misunderstandings but not too much angst. Their adventures and descriptions of Thailand really added to the story too.

This was my first Michelle De Winton book and I'll definitely check out her other books.

[Liina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars

Janie went on her dream trip after her boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend. Janie's enjoying the stay in Thailand, when she accidentally bumps into Blaine and pours a drink all over his clothes. That little accident brought together two singles in a couple's resort. To take advantage of the current situation, they decide to spend their holiday together. There wouldn't be nothing wrong in it, but Blaine is keeping a secret from Janie and when things start to come out, events take unexpected turn. Do the secrets and doubts ruin the relationship between Janie and Blaine or will they make it work?

I have to say I really enjoyed the setting and the turn of events, but I didn't really feel the connection between the main characters, it happened at the end of the book, when Blaine acted like a real gentleman. Overall it was a fun book and I'd like to continue on with the series.

[Emily (Mrs B's Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

**My thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC, for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

Janie is on holiday as her ex is getting married to her former best friend where she accidentally bumps into Blaine Galloway.

Janie gets flustered, but does not know who Blaine is which is something Blaine is not used too and finds very refreshing.

Both keep little secrets but are otherwise themselves and find themselves find the best out of their current situations.

We do of course get our happy ending when Blaine realises that he has been an idiot and decides he wants to fight for her.

It good writing and you get a good sense of what Thailand can be like and the beauty there along with the fascinating places to see.

It's certainly a fun read and Janie says some things that had me laughing out loud. I would certainly read this again.

[Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

After her boyfriend cheated on her and then became engaged to her best friend, Janie Milan needed to escape her hometown for a little while. So, she decided to travel to Thailand where she was going to have the trip of a lifetime, which she does when she meets Blaine Galloway. Except he's in Thailand hiding from the press and when she finds he's lied to her about his identity, will she continue to spend time with him or will they go their separate ways due to press harassment and lose their chance at happy ever after?

What a fun, sexy read Ms. De Winton has penned in this story, encompassing a heroine on the trip of a lifetime to avoid a wedding she was invited to but has no intention of attending and a hero trying to avoid attracting attention from the paparazzi because of a deal he made to keep his brother safe. The way this story started had me sympathizing with the hero due to the deal he made to keep his brother out of trouble; a deal he had no choice but to make because he would do anything for his brother. Yet, what I liked most about the first chapter is the moment where the hero and heroine meet. Poor Blaine with what Janie does to him and then trying to fend off her wandering hands.

The dialogue was intense due to the main characters back stories and all that happens on their journey to happy ever after, especially with what the paparazzi does to them. However, there were also some really amusing light-hearted moments where the heroine compares things to items back home such as pop's tractor or her job working with snakes. Then there's also the playful dialogue between the main characters that had me smiling. Janie wants an adventure, and she certainly gets one with everything she goes through with Blaine.

Janie has every reason not to trust men after what her ex did, but still there's something about Blaine that she can't resist, even when he's lying to her. She's also strong and brave by going on her dream adventure and the way she isn't afraid to voice her opinion to those that are determined to make her out to be some sort of bad choice for Blaine when certain things are revealed about her by people she thought she could trust. In fact, I really liked that she didn't run away when her life got turned upside down and instead faced it head on courageously.

While Blaine, I could understand why he'd do anything for his brother after everything they went through growing up. He was his brother's protector back then and still is now. Also, I felt sorry for him when it came to the paparazzi. They'd do anything for a story, and so would anyone who wanted an opportunity to make money. But most of all, I liked how charming and confident the hero was when it came to winning people over and when it came to career advancement.

Overall, this was a wonderful book filled with plenty of moments that made me smile; where the secondary characters gave really good advice to the main characters, so they didn't let their chance at happy ever after slip away; and where the romance kept me entertained, because the heroine was so unsure of herself when it came to the hero and whether he could see her as more than just someone he met and could spend time with without them having ulterior motives. The way this story ended was delightful, as Blaine went to great lengths to make things right with Janie by declaring his feelings and apologizing to her in a very public manner. What a guy! I would recommend Her Scottish Mistake by Michele De Winton, if you enjoy the opposites attract trope or the mistaken identity trope.

[Jennifer Pierson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Janie Milian is a small town girl from Texas, who takes care of her dad, and brothers. But on the side, she loves science so she takes care of snakes part time, and an aspiring blogger. After her ex humiliates her, she finally does something for herself, and goes off to Thailand. While she's there, she spills her drink on the hottest man she's ever seen. Blaine Galloway is in Thailand to get out of the spotlight, as in order to keep his brother safe, he has to play fake finance to a women that isn't really helping his image as the Scottish heartthrob. But when he meets a sweet girl from Texas, who doesn't recognize him, it makes him want to explore what could be there. However, when the press finds him, and all signs point to Janie trying to get her minute of fame, he doesn't react well. This story was sweet, and I did enjoy it. Janie is who she is, and drool worthy Blaine loves just being normal. Michele de Winton has a talented writing style, as her characters were original, and I was caught up from the beginning. With a few twists, and some well placed humor, I dropped f-bombs in some places, and laughed in others. My biggest issue is that it seemed too rushed, especially the ending, so I wasn't as emotionally invested as I like to be. But I'm intrigued by this new to me author, so I'm definitely reading more by her. And since I love a yummy Scotsman, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ok ready. There was nothing particularly memorable about this story but it was fun in the moment. The plot was good and the characters were nice. I did like Janie Milan because she wasn't afraid to stand up for herself even with a lot of blows to her self esteem. She was probably the main reason I wanted to read the whole book.
I would recommend this book if you are looking for a quick read to just take your mind off what is going on around you. Or if you just want to relax after a hard day at work.
~A Book Obsessed Review Team Selection.

[Isha Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found my pocket full of sunshine with Her Scottish Mistake. Ms. De Winton piles on the laughs with this ideal opposites attract barrel of joy. On the run from her worst mistake, Janie decides to take a little break. An exotic location, a sexy stranger and surprises are on the agenda when she meets Blaine. Blaine and Janie find adventure and romance as they work through messy lives and secrets that could spell the end for their storybook romance before it's even begun. A fantastic, fantasy.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read for when you're in the mood for a book that you don't have to think to much while reading, just about enjoying it.

Two characters both hiding for different reasons.
Great descriptions of Thailand and a different location for a fun romantic comedy.
This is a first book for me by this author and I will be keeping an eye out to see what else she comes up with.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

One part spicy, one part sweet and a whole lot of fun! "Her Scottish Mistake" takes romantic comedy up a notch by adding a distinct touch of humor and involves characters who I found myself constantly cheering on.

This is the story of Blaine and Janie, from opposite sides of the world, and who ended up in the same singles resort in Thailand. As you can predict, this is where the fun ensues. In the beginning, Janie does not know that Blaine is a well-known personality in his home country, but once this is discovered, the true adventures begin. I don't want to spoil it by telling you more, but I was surprised when she found out so early in the book. The fact that I was still completely engaged in the story by the twists and turns after Janie finds out attests to the great writing by the author. It might not win a Pulitzer Prize but the fact I couldn't put it down means something...plus, I can't recall the last time I read a book in one sitting!

"Her Scottish Mistake" doesn’t follow the typical ‘problem-solution’ plot, which made me enjoy it even more. Throughout the story, there were several times where I thought one thing would happen and I was caught off guard by the next development. And Janie is truly delightful with her southern charm and accent. I fell in love with her from the start.

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a story that will make you laugh. I couldn’t wait to see what happened and ended up reading the whole thing!

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another miss for me on the reading front. There was too many things that I found odd to enjoy this book. Like how neither Blaine nor Janie didnt know this was a couple's resort BEFORE they got to the resort. Or how 2 people end up in Thailand for vacation. Like too many coincidences for me.

It didnt click for me. I thought it was a cute premise, but didnt work for me.

[Romantically Inclined Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was copied from my romance novel review blog: romanticallyinclinedreviews.blogspot.com

Are you heading on a vacation soon and need a funny novel to keep you entertained while you’re doing all your relaxing? Then look no further. Her Scottish Mistake by Michele de Winton is a delightful romantic comedy that will having you chuckling and wondering if maybe your life wouldn’t be better if you had a hot Scot in your life, too.

Romantic comedies aren’t really my go-to sub-genre of romance novels, but every once in awhile it’s nice to read something that’s got more laughs than drama. I’m so used to reading romance novels with murder, mayhem, and mystery in them that it was enjoyable to read something that was more on the innocent side as far as problems go. There will be no ‘edge of your seat’ moments or scenes that have you wanting to reach through the book and pummel a character (my personal favorite). But I acknowledge that many people don’t like that type of novel. Those people should read Her Scottish Mistake.

The book was an easy-breezy read which, in light of everyone going on in the world and on television and in our newspapers, was a delightful change of pace. It’s the sort of book you could finish in one sitting if you had a couple hours and have a pleasant smile on your face the entire time (unless smiling during a book is something you prefer not to do, in which case look elsewhere).

I did feel that de Winton did a great job creating her characters and building their emotions, desires, and motivations. Blaine and Janie are nicely rounded characters with positive and negative qualities. This is good because who wants the perfect character inside their novel? I always hate when there’s not a single thing about a character that has you groaning because there’s not a person out there without some irredeemable quality. Plus, de Winton adds some fun quirks to the characters that really had them jumping off the page.

If happy-go-lucky beach reads are what delight you, then I think this is a book you should add to your shelf or Kindle. I feel like there should honestly be a sub-genre of romance novels called “Plane Reads” and this would be top of that list! Michele de Winton definitely has talent when it comes to creating stories and devilishly handsome characters. For comparison, this book was like reading Debbie Macomber with wayyyyy more sex (like a lot).

Note: I received an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

[B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you can buy the premise of a sexy Scottish TV star and girl from a small Texas rural community meeting up at a couples resort in Thailand and falling for each other over a few days, then this is a fun and light book.

Hunky Blaine Galloway is hiding from the paparazzi in Thailand where he meets Janie Milan from Texas. She’s fled her small town for 10 days for the trip of a lifetime while her ex-boyfriend marries her best friend. Blaine and Janie meet cute, he gives her a false name because he’s suspicious of everyone, and they proceed to have a lot of fun together touring beautiful spots in Thailand. They fall for each other and, predictably, the media find them. They have the misunderstandings that the reader knew were coming from the very beginning with him suspecting her motives for being with him and her getting hurt.

Janie is a little too good to be true. Somehow in her small Texas town that she says has nothing but beet farms, she has a job at a small petting zoo where she handles snakes. Really? There’s enough demand in this tiny town that is miles from anywhere for such a place? I found that unlikely, but I could go with it. I also found it irritating how many times Janie thought about her ovaries exploding while she was around Blaine. After a while a different metaphor would have been nice. What made her fun were her Texasisms when she was talking with him. Surely, someone who could come up with the funniest metaphors could come up with something else.

There were some time lapses in the plot and Blaine, for someone who hadn’t planned at all to be touring around Thailand is suddenly able to arrange the best touring experiences for himself and Janie, all while she’s looking out the window of the car or something else right in front of her. And then his agent, from London, is able to whisk them away to a very private resort. Why didn’t he send Blaine there in the first place if the goal was to hide

Those small quibbles aside, the book was cute and light. The reader will be pulling for this unlikely couple to make a true go of their romance.

I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Scottish actor Blaine Galloway’s in Thailand temporarily escaping a fake engagement he arranged to help save his gambling brother from the violent men he owes money to.

Small town girl Janie Milan, an aspiring science writer, spills her drink on him and when she asks him his name, he lies and says Bevan. Bevan/Blaine’s not supposed to do anything about the attraction he feels for Janie but the more time they spend together, the more it seems like a good idea.

What could possibly go wrong?

Regularly peppering her speech with colloquialisms and showing how much she’s infatuated with what she sees in Thailand, Janie’s the real small-town deal. I appreciated how De Winton portrays Janie’s close relationship with her family and town but also her desire to shake loose of family obligations that have become a bit stifling. Janie’s into snakes & National Geographic and also has some great internal quips about men and confidence. She’s a little quirky and I really appreciated it—just like I appreciated how she doesn’t make it easy for Blaine to grovel.

But the colloquialisms are sometimes a bit much and her secret nickname for her vagina embarrassed me. Also, while I understood her ambition for her blog, her reaction to his foster story is pretty mercenary.

Blaine’s charming and makes his lack-of-relationship expectations clear before they have sex but what he says about her to his agent isn’t very romantic.

All things considered, I like the unusual heroine, the exotic locale, and the novelty of a Scottish actor who wants to take on Hollywood in Her Scottish Mistake, but I didn’t warm to the style of the book itself and I wanted a little more romance.

2.5⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley for my complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

[Crystal Yawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

First the good: the story line is awesome 5+ stars., it's very witty with some sexy added in. The characters are well developed and you really get a good feel for them. Blain is a great hero with a good sense of family and doing what's right. He's also all about making the day special for his girl and it comes across very well.
When Janie is not talking about her home town, I'll get to that in a minute, she comes across very intelligent, somewhat ditsy, a strong sense of family and home and reserved. It's great to see her open up to Blaine and live a little.
I very much enjoyed the story line and rooted for the happily ever after

Now for the 3 stars.
1. Janie's hometown. A small little town in Texas. The descriptions of the town and the way Janie's character comes across when she's portraying the town is very dumbed down and backwoods. It does not shed a favorable light on her hometown. Instead it comes across as the type of place you are afraid to break down in. The town is featured in the start and finish of the book. I might have overlooked it if it was just at the start because the heart of the story was that good, but when it was brought back to life at the end, it hurt the ending for me. It comes across as trying to hard to hit a stereotype, pushing it towards offensive.

2. Miss Muffin.... once would have probably been funny, but a million times was eye rolling bad.

3. Trying to add in the story line of Tina was forced. Janie and Tina's meetings do not come away smooth and would have been better if it was just girl chatter. I can't go into more detail without spoilers.

Something I would like to see more of- you have a Scottish born mans and a Texan born Female, I would love for their each unique brogue to come out more in their dialogue so you get a better feel for their differences.

[Samantha Bilodeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 Stars Rounded Up

This is a fantastic read for reading while on a flight or lounging by the pool. It's got a lot of fun scenes and lots of adventure (that oftentimes doesn't go as Blaine or Janie expect).

Blaine is a Scottish soap opera star trying to take a break from everything, who finds himself bumping into Janie, a small-town USA, wannabe-travel blogger looking for adventure and to shake things up after a horrible breakup.

The exotic locale of Thailand was really a treat and I absolutely loved the cultural immersion.

There were a few hitches in the story that made this less than a 4-star read for me. I was enjoying this for exactly what I expected it to be and then came the inevitable wrench in their story... Which somehow turns into Blaine being the only one in the wrong and needing to grovel for Janie's forgiveness, despite the fact that she did some pretty foolish things herself.

The small town Southern girl trope was in full force around that same point and it was just a bit too much at times. The townspeople were caricatures and stereotypes, and Blaine also seemed to turn more into a stereotypical Scot.

This was great for an indulgent romance though, and one I would recommend to anyone looking for something on the lighter, fluffier side.

[Viper Spaulding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janie’s vacation turns into the romance of a lifetime with a wild Scotsman harboring secrets and hiding from the world. When Janie’s ovaries melted, so did mine. I love the inner monologues of these characters – the writing is beyond witty and keeps the story moving along. Blaine, the “hottest hottentotty” is all that and lots more as he tries to maintain his privacy while invading Janie’s inner thoughts and private spaces. This author does a wonderful job of mixing sexual tension and emotional investment, giving us all the feels and making us sigh as the hard-sought-after HEA is finally realized. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Danielle (Danniegurl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

What to say about this book? Well, it had some good things going for it. Famous Scottish H, Tropical location, Resort, Vacation. Those are the selling points, but some things I didn't like? Naming your vagina Miss Muffin lol. It's funny but in some of the context was down right silly, and during sex scenes or build up to sex scenes was distracting.

It's supposed to be a comedy, and some things I did find chuckle inducing but I wasn't a barrel of laughs either. This book took entirely too long for me to have enjoyed myself. My main issue was with Blaine being famous and not mentioning it to Janie. Completely understandable but after spending time with her he should have told her sooner. The other issue I took with was that Janie was thinking about using Blaine as her meal ticket for her blog, which doesn't really make sense if she was writing about snakes. Yea, she's a part time snake handler for a petting zoo when she's home. I just didn't like how the book wasn't cohesive. There were several points where I was like how the hell did we get here. In one I particularly remember, in the previous chapter we had Blaine's POV which a week has passed and he's home in Scotland, in the next chapter we get Janie still in Thailand, and then the chapter after that she's suddenly home. It didn't make sense. Not only that but the way that Janie explained her hometown made it seem...worse than it was and that her family was overbearing. When we do finally get to meet her brothers and father that appears to be far from the case.

I just didn't really completely enjoy this book. I wanted to DNF it several times. It just was slow and the romance was just ok.

I want to thank the publisher, author and NetGalley for providing me with this book free for an open honest review. All opinions in this review are mine and mine alone

[Katrina Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hounded by the press, Blaine secrets away to a beautiful resort in Thailand waiting for matters to blow over. Pool-side, Janie crashes into him, dousing him with her Pina Colada, as she also runs from some real-life unpleasantness. Realizing Janie is unaware of his true identity, Blaine becomes “Bevan” and finds how wonderful it really is to just relax, be yourself, liked for who you truly are and not just the celebrity persona one has. The truth though always finds its way to the surface though and in the meantime as we wait for that shoe to fall, we are taken on a fast and fun ride with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and some wicked sexy times that will keep you entertained. There were a couple times where I found the comedic moments were over-the-top, distracting and just didn’t fit the mood, like say a sex scene lol. Overall, this was a nice read and I totally enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more from Ms. de Winton.

Please note that an ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review of which this is both honest and completely voluntary.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is exactly what it advertises: a perfect escape (something I really needed after reading some heartbreaking works of non-fiction (cough *Sherman Alexie & Roxane Gay* cough).
When Janie, a small town food blogger, takes a trip of lifetime to Thailand, she is running away from her trash of an ex. Upon arrival, she is surprised to be thrown into activities with a Scottish hunk. Sparks fly and fun ensues!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Rae Latte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gambling debt, an engagement and two people looking to find a little peace on an island away from prying eyes.

A holiday adventure with monkeys, a sexy Scotsman and the deep blue sea! A menu of fruity drinks, grilled fish and a sweet coconut dessert would compliment this holiday excursion.

Don't miss this must read story. I can't wait to read the next release from this fabulous author!

[Mrs. Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

unfortunately,

i lost interest halfway through the book. It started promising & then along the way I started to not-really-like Janie and then the story fell flat.

[Courtney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to get into this book, but for some reason the two main characters just did nothing for me to grab my interest. Maybe someday I'll revisit, but for now it's in my DNF pile.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to netgalley.com for the ARC of this book.
Really enjoyed certain aspects of this book. The beginning really brought the reader into the story and then once you were hooked you were just waiting for the bomb to drop about who he really is. The trip in Thailand was so well written I just want to hop on a plane and go on vacation there. Now we get to the end or final 3 chapters and it just felt disjointed from the rest of the book.

[Linda Quick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. In it, Janie is on the vacation of a lifetime in Thailand where she meets an attractive man who quickly rushes to her rescue. But while she is honest about herself, Blaine isn't even honest about his name.

I loved the way their romance developed and loved even more the majesty of Thailand that the author brought to life. She painted a picture with her words that felt so real that it was as though I was seeing it through her eyes.

Reading about Blaine and Janie's romance as it developed was a delight that made me smile. Fans of the genre will love this book and it should be at the top of their TBR. I'm adding the author to my must read authors' list.

[Bernie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her Scottish Mistake is A Perfect Escape romantic comedy written by author Michele de Winton. Very funny. This would be a great audible book. Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing/ Lovestruck for the advance copy.

[Heather andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blaine sometimes needs to clear up what he means, “I didn’t mean your *** stuck out. I meant your skirt makes me want to look at it, to run my hands over it.” As he spoke he put his words into action as he stayed seated on the couch..." I really liked this book, Janie didn't play games, the girl gave it to Blaine straight.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost abandoned this one, but decided to try to finish it -- "Miss Muffin"? Seriously?

[etoile1996 · Rating 3 out of 5]

when janie milan spills her fruity cocktail all over a super hot guy on her once-in-a-lifetime trip to thailand, she pretty much only expects utter mortification. instead, in her scottish mistake, she gets more than she bargained for. the scotsman who introduces himself as bevan macgregor is actually up-and-coming actor blaine galloway.

blaine is currently hiding out from a fake, tabloid-friendly relationship that he's stuck in because he needs to bail his irresponsible younger brother out of yet another jam. he's supposed to be laying low and staying faithful to the fake fiancée, but since his encounter with janie this proves difficult.

at first he's taken with janie because she has no idea who he is. later, when she's figured it out and he's convinced her to forgive him for lying it's harder to say why he can't stay away. when he's with her, he doesn't feel oppressed by responsibilities, he's not stressing about his career and making the wrong move, and best of all, he doesn't have to pretend to be someone he's not. he can be regular old blaine galloway who thinks the reptile wrangler from texas is crazy cute and sexy.

and when they kiss and things get a little wild, it's hard to see how being with janie is a mistake. except somehow the paparazzi keep finding them. and when everything blows up, it's not just blaine's career that's at stake. it's his brother's life. and janie ends up as collateral damage.

fixing it will take some doing on blaine's part, but he is up to the challenge. the only niggling concern i had after reading this is that i'm still not sure who or what janie means when she refers to miss muffin. it might be her vagina? or an anastasia steele-like inner goddess? every time it came up i wondered if i had missed some explanation, but i couldn't bring myself to hunt for it. especially since it just served to pull me out of the moment and got me thinking about little miss muffet. curds and whey are not conducive to sexy.

do women regularly name their vaginas? or inner goddesses? i didn't think so, but maybe it is a thing.

**her scottish mistake will publish on april 10, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (lovestruck) in exchange for an honest review.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scottish TV star Blaine Galloway is incognito in Thailand, far from the British tabloids. His brother Hamish has got himself in serious hot water: he owes a loan shark money, and the condition is that Blaine pretends to be engaged to Stephanie Johns, the loan shark’s wannabe TV reality star. Blaine wants to make it in Hollywood, and he wants no scandal to tarnish his reputation. One of the conditions of Blaine’s fake engagement is that he doesn’t go near another woman. All his carefully laid plans go out the window, when a lovely lass spills her cocktail on him. Janie Milan then offers Blaine to take him home to repair the damage. Janie is on a vacation to forget her cheating ex, she’s open to a fling: what happens in Thailand stays in Thailand, right? Until it doesn’t…

Janie is an appealing and modern character: a reptile handler, an accountant and she has a tiny blog; you can see where this is going, right? No, you don’t, because Michele de Winton has given the fake engagement trope a fresh spin, and the book gets stronger as you go along. Blaine has given Janie a fake name – sort of a fake name – and I was expecting the usual never-ending misunderstanding, and this is where Ms. De Winton shines: she handled the confusion masterfully! Usually this is my least favourite part of this sort of book, and in HER SCOTTISH MISTAKE, it was my favourite because the characters demonstrated their strengths, and the conflicts were beautifully dealt with, and when Janie puts on her big girl panties, they fit like a glove. However, I could have done with fewer mentions of ovaries exploding, melting, and flip-flopping however; it’s a notion that I can’t quite comprehend, and it got on my nerves. On the same subject, the sex scenes were beautifully done and tasteful. Both Janie and Blaine have solid backstories; they’re both very engaging characters; the pace is steady throughout, and the descriptions of Thailand are breathtaking: even if it does feel a bit of a travelogue at times, I didn’t mind one bit, because I felt I was along on that magical trip, and it made me want to visit! HER SCOTTISH MISTAKE is a light, enjoyable story with great dialogues, fun banter, and smooth, evocative writing.



I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.