Some Like it Kilted

The Ravenscraig Legacy #4

by Allie Mackay

View our feature on Allie Mackay’s Some Like it Kilted.

A woman's heart needs a loving home--

Even if it's a little bit haunted.

Mindy Menlove lives in a castle that was transported stone-by-stone from Scotland. But when her fiancé dies in scandal and Mindy decides to sell the gloomy estate, her plans unravel. She must travel to the Hebrides, where she's confronted by the castle's original builder-who happens to be maddeningly irresistible and seven hundred years young.

Bran of Barra was a legendary chieftain. Since then he's enjoyed his ghostly pleasures, until Mindy's appearance disrupts them. Now, if the roguish Bran doesn't change Mindy's mind about his bonny homeland-and himself-neither of them will ever find any peace.

Genres: Romance, Time Travel, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Historical Romance, Fantasy, Historical

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 22, 2009

About the author

Sue-Ellen MacDuffie Welfonder
aka
Sue-Ellen Welfonder & Allie Mackay

Allie Mackay is the alter ego of USA Today bestselling author, Sue-Ellen Welfonder, who writes Scottish medieval romances www.welfonder.com. A former flight attendant of Scottish descent, she spent fifteen years living in Europe and still makes annual visits to Scotland. Most inspired by the wild places of Scotland’s far north, she is also fascinated by the paranormal, Scottish folklore and Highland tradition. In addition to her great love of Scotland, her other main interests are medieval history, hill walking, and dogs. Proud of her own Scottish ancestry, she belongs to two clan societies: The MacFie Clan Society and the Clan MacAlpine Society. She currently resides in Florida with her husband, Manfred, and her Jack Russell Terrier, Em. Allergic to flash and brass, she enjoys living quietly and spends her time writing her books and counting the minutes until she can board that next Glasgow-bound plane.

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Allie Mackay's Highlanders! Each and every one of them! This whole series has made me want to sell all I own and hop the first plane to Scotland and find my own "Highlander of my dreams".. What a wonderful fantasy these books offer, and the romance is almost to much to bear! I know that from now on I would take a "melt your panties off" Scottish burr over any other accent in the world! I already have the next book, Haunted Warrior, all though I don't think it is part of this series, she ties this book in just as wonderfully. And I am sad & anxious all at once to finish it!

[Nicole Pelcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest I picked this up solely because it has ghost Highlanders. And I love a good ghost romance.

I really liked the atmosphere put into this story. It was practically an ode to what the author loves about Scotland. The details were gorgeous and I wish I could be there experiencing Scotland for myself.

As a romance it unfortunately didn't really work for me. And no its not cause the spice was low... though I guess that's part of it. I just didn't get why they fell in love. It felt so sudden and it still felt like they didn't know each other.

My fav part? The whacky ghosts 👻

⭐⭐⭐.5/5 Stars

[Night · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually enjoy any romance novel, be it modern day, Victorian, Scot or whatever, but this book is the first to take me 3-4 days to read--even considering putting it down.

The first chapter is interesting though. All ghostly MacNeil chieftans in the castle are planning to haunt Mindy, our heroine and the current owner of their castle, unless she changes her plan for Hawaii and have the castle shipped stone-by-stone to its original site.

Among these ghosts, Bran of Barra from 14th century is the only one who has nothing to do with modern-day business, until he keeps seeing Mindy in both his and her realm and got all the signs from his sword, the Heartbreaker.

Quite a hook for a start, but then all sparks gone. I've got to read Mindy griping repetitively how she is against anything Scottish--weather and MacNeils. Bran of Barra, aroused by Mindy lass as he is, is determined not to be swayed by Americans like his other ghostly friends. (I guess they're from other books I never read.)

But, suddenly, Whoops! She is in Scotland and they are in love and she now see all the good and glory in Scot people and land. Though I highly suspect her love is lust-driven coz she seems to elaborate all his goodness (in pages) from a few encounters that I surely didn't see any good traits there--but good physical? yes.

Plus, I never understand why she has to be there. Wouldn't wiring the money for the shipping and reconstruction is enough? She was a flight attendant, not that she can help supervise the work or anything there.

So, the main characters and storyline panned out flat and too convenient. No romance, but lust mostly. No touching moments that will make me believe they're in love. Well, with the theme of love across-the-dimension like this, I expect more powerful feelings than this all-of-the-sudden love here.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but....I wish there were more emotion between the h and H. The story took awhile to get going. I thought the best part of it was the 3 ghosts that blackmailed Mindy into moving the castle stone by stone back to Scotland from Pennsylvania. I wanted to cheer with them when they saw her coming to the isle.

[Willow Salix · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book... Well, it had promise. But then I kept waiting for something to happen, some dramatic conflict, some action, some... Anything. And then I realised that I was about ten pages from the end, nothing of note had happened and the ending was a rushed affair that made little to no sense and didn't leave me feeling satisfied at all. The writing was mediocre at best and not really worth my time, I had to force myself to finish it. I ordered two more at the same time, so at some point, when I'm desperate, I may read them, but since I bought them 4 years ago, it hasn't happened yet, but they are on the list.

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a Great Great Story!

I just loved the characters and storyline so much. I was actually thinking that Silvanus stayed for Margo. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ I thought he’d take her to her sister. Mindy and Bran made a great pair. I’m off to finish a book I started this morning and then I’ll be reading the last 2 Ravenscraig Stories. 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰😊😊😊😊😊😊💜💜💜💜💜💜

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series. The romance and sense of humour makes for a wonderful read.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved

What a fantastic book. I love a good ghost story. I also love a good romance. Terrific characters and plot

[Louise E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quiero un Bran en mi vida !!!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hmmmmm....what did I think of this book? Well, a ghostie who is simply a ghost, not a cursed man who will easily find his way back to humanity (like any of them do) finds his true love 700 years after his death. I guess you'd call it a bit of a challenge. ;-) Now add to this that the woman destined for his heart was treated a bit brutally by one of his descendants before he too pased on which has definitely put her a bit off of his entire bloodline and anything to do with it - including his entire country.

Mindie fell for a lout, not much more to say about him than that. His lilting Scottish burr my have captured her heart and made a fool of her, but her eyes are wide open now and she'll not have any more to do with anything to do with him - thank you very much. She has her sites set for sunny Hawaii just as soon as she can take care of this problematic castle that was left to her by her late fiance. Just goes to show that even in death he can continue to ruin her hopes and dreams, only now its by way of his ancestors from the 15th & 16th centuries. After demanding she have the castle moved & restored back to its rightful place they continue to make themselves known just in case she should change her mind. So much for her dreams of relaxing in sunny Hawaii, looks like she'll go back to work once all is said and done with the castle and she can officially say goodbye to Scotland and all associated with it.

Mindie doesn't count on the magic of Scotland though or the uninvited help of an observer who sees straight to the heart of the matter, that no matter what the century true love simply will not be denied.

Loved, loved, loved this book. Fun, entertaining, and a chemistry that simmered all the way through it.

[Virginia Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Allie Mackay provided me with a delightful treat of a read in "Some Like it Kilted"! Written with sexy supernatural style and great humor, this book made me smile from the first page to the very end. Who could resist a big, brawny and boldly beautiful Highland hunk such as Bran of Barra! I couldn't--and neither could the spirited heroine, Mindy Menlove! With his auburn hair, blue eyes, and unabashedly potent masculinity, Bran made us both his conquests. Never mind that he is a seven hundred years old ghost! When Mindy's faithless fiance dies, she unexpectedly inherits his estate, an ancient Scottish castle that was dismantled in Scotland and reconstructed in Pennsylvania. Mindy's plans to sell the castle are thwarted by an angry clan of Highland haunts who want their home restored to its rightful setting. Persuaded by their threats to make her life miserable with their ghostly visitations, Mindy agrees to restore the castle to the Scottish shores. When she meets the most disturbing spirit of all, Bran of Barra, he is not a nightmare. He is a passionate dream come true--in the flesh! Bran has the ability to materialize in human form, and the feelings he stirs in Mindy are out of this world! Can this medieval chieftain, who has long presided over his own ghostly realm, and this modern-day, all-too-human woman find a way to live and love together? Allie Mackay will charm you into believing anything is possible! I look forward to the reading the sequel, "Must Love Kilts" which features the story of Mindy's sister, Margo. I know that I am in store for another reader's treat!

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this story in it's previous print addition (in Dec. 2011) and it graces my keeper shelves. Allie Mackay has re-issued it in all it's original glory. I'm not a writer and I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to take something that I wrote from the soul and have it broken to pieces during editing. This version has new bits that were not in the original print and I can tell you true that it reads the better for having those parts put back in. Reading this re-issued addition brought back to me why this has always been one of my favorite stories, Oh, the laughter throughout, and the happy tears at the end!

From the moment Mindy meets three hilarious ghosts who help her in the decision of returning the stones of a medieval castle back to it's original home, I knew I was in love with this book. I even fell a little head over heels for Saor, Bran's best friend, and oh my goodness at the sweetest of all beasties.... Bran's dog, Gibbie. Mindy and Bran's story will pull at your heart until the very end when an old friend with red plaid shoe-strings help them find their heart's desire with a little nudging in the right direction. Scotland at it's finest with the mist and magick. If you love to laugh out loud, fall in love, and reach for what you desire, this book is for you!

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Premise: A woman's dead fiance leaves her his family's authentic Scottish castle which happens to be located in New Hope, PA. Included in this castle are oil paintings of several generations of the fiance's ancestors who all were lairds back in their homeland - Scotland. Some of these ancestors (the 15th & 16th C.) haunt her (Mindy) in a goofy and somewhat non-threatening way while trying to convince her to move every last stone & possession of the castle back to it's rightful place on the isle of Barra, Scotland. If that isn't odd in itself, Mindy totally has the hots for one of the ancestors - the one from the 14th century. These "ghosties" (the book's word not mine) all make their presence known to her but no one else.

Likes: Scotland & small amount of Scottish culture and history that is included.

Dislikes:
**The story is a bit corny & cheesy .. a live person has the hots for a ghost whom she constantly fantasizes about, makes out with and dry humps his leg for the most fantastic-out-of-this-world-best-orgasm-in-the-history-of-man-ever.
**Anyone who has a family history going back to Scotland or just enjoys the history & research of Scotland is given the name "Scotophile". While at first I thought this was funny, after a few mentions, I found it a bit off-putting and slightly derogatory. It's almost like the "stupid Americans" are barely tolerated.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

what a bad take on a great premise. it seems like a badly-planned installment in a series, where nothing important is explained to satisfaction, and the author's ideas on what ghosts can do are mind-boggling. much of the dialogue, and all of the characters' internal dialogue, is not only cliche but repetitive.
and the ending was no better. i felt marginally better about the author's version of ghost abilities when I realized that, in fact, the previous heroes, who are mentioned a lot but go totally unnamed, weren't actually "real" ghosts, but men cursed to live in a ghost-like state until a curse was broken. until 4/5 of the way through i thought ghosts could just up and decide to be alive again. however, the ending wasn't much better than that.
mostly, i was really, really bothered by the unexplained mechanics of how generations noble handsome lairds die completely unattached at the age of thirty, but still somehow have heirs to whom they pass on their titles.

[Ann Lorz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Allie Mackay's books are always a good read for me. I enjoy them but I do have to admit they don't rock my world. Now, that said, I will still keep reading her because she's more like a comfort read. If you like ghost (ghost that happen to be highlanders) then you'll enjoy this book. The story offers you a few chuckles through out it and a couple sad moments too. Mindy Menlove (yes, the author did use that last name) wants to be anywhere warm. Hawaii is her first choice but anywhere warm will do. All she has to do is sell her castle in Pennsylvania. In steps in a couple ghost to make sure she doesn't sell it and instead ships it to Scotland. From there the party begins. Add Bran of Barra and his side kick Gibbie to the mix and she soon falling in love with a cold, windy Scotland.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book #29 of 2010

I really like Allie Mackay's earlier books, but this one fell kind of flat for me. I'm not sure what did it exactly, but I just couldn't really get into it. And then HEA just HAD to take place in the past and make me all sad for her contemporary family...

I'm sure I'll read Mackay's next one though, because it really wasn't as bad as other books I've read, and I feel the problem is more that I wanted something steamier / deeper and this didn't fit the bill.

But it still qualifies as the letter "S" in the Read the Season challenge!

[Aim · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fourth book...... I told myself after #3 I wouldn't read any more of these. I'd love some humor but all the women are idiots! NOT FUNNY.
It was an improvment on Tall, Dark and Kilted, but just barely.
Magic was so-so and no chemistry between Bran and whats her face. should have been funnier with that name!
blah blah blah, the only thing thing interesting was the preview of Margo's book.>>>>>>>
"Must Love Kilts" may be the last one for me! I will not go out of my way to find it either.Luckliy I picked the others up used.
Forgot to mention the cover art- really?????? Bran of Barra doesn't even look like the model on cover!
I'll stick to Moning's Highlanders!!!!

[Barbara ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was grabbed right from the start with the feuding kilt-wearing ghosts and Mindy Menlove (gotta love that name!) who hates everything cold and kilted. I couldn't wait to read of her eventual fall and to a ghost no less. On the other hand, Bran loves his ghostly existence and hates American Scotophiles.

The push and pull between Bran and Mindy is amusing and entertaining. It's fun to watch the sceptic (Mindy) entranced by Bran and watch Bran fall for the hated American. Another great time travel tale of rugged Highlanders and 20th century women.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars... I really enjoyed this book. It was the first I've read by Alli Mackay and I will definitely pick up more by her.

The characters were loveable from the first time I met them. At one point I actually cried when tragedy struck. There were a lot of humorous moments amongst the pages. I have to say that the thing I loved very most about this book was the 'tame' sexual situations. There were only a few of them, of actual sex and they were tastefully written. There was a ton of sexual tension that was hot!

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some Like it Kilted by Sue-Ellen Welfonder☆☆☆

This is my first read from this author. A hurt love finds the woman in possession of a castle in Pennsylvania. But memories of her failed relationship makes wanting to get rid of it. However all attempts are blocked by the ghost of its former lairds. An agreement is made between them to have the castle restored back in Scotland. Upon landing in Scotland, Mindy begin her journey to find her true love. Kind of the Ghost and Mrs. Muir!!!!

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but somewhat irritating. The main female character didn't like Scotland and griped about it 2/3rds of the way through. Then lo and behold, after failing to ignore the hunky Scottish ghost, she falls in love and admits how gorgeous Scotland is. Would have been a better story if she had griped less.

[GregandRobin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!! Could not put it down!!! Mindy and her sister Margo are great!!! Margo reminds me of myself!! comical Ghosts!!! Gotta love them!!!
Bran was awesome!!! Who would not fall in love with him!! Strong, imposing, and very sexy!! Plus he has the love of his dog!!! AWWW
I cried and laughed while reading the book!!

[Tammy Nitschke Sokol · Rating 5 out of 5]

so wish there were more in the series!!!

Omg, I so loved this series!! I wanted there to be more and more books!! I loved them all and love this author's style if humor, dry wit and very descriptive scenery writing in details. It really makes you feel like you were there!!

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

I absolutely adore this series & this story to boot! I hate seeing each book end... Love the characters as always, the wittiness, the romance, the steamy bits, the location EVERYTHING! I do hope there is more? Give this series a chance if you come apon it!

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked a lot but not quite as much as her others.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

ridiculous. the scottish ghosts speak in dialect.

[Betty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gah! I couldn't even finish this book. Too dang silly....

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long build up and short conclusion but over all a good book

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!