Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley

5 reviews

jrae_miller's review

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emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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zydecovivo's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I saw this book in my StoryGraph, but the description made it sound more hokey than I usually like for my romance books. I only put it on my TBR list for the StoryGraph Onboarding Challenge prompt to read a book that starts with the same letter as your name. After feeling pretty melancholy during April, I wanted to read more lighthearted fiction and romance has always been comforting to me. When I was finally off my library’s waitlist for it, I knew it was time to read Kilt Trip. 

Despite the description, the book was the right amount of hokey for a contemporary romance novel. Our main couple starts with an instant attraction that turns into a battle of wits and pranks when Logan (the male lead) discovers Addie (aka Heather aka the female lead) is the travel consultant his father hired to save their dying tour business. The conflict is between Logan’s deep love for his people and culture, which manifests as resistance to change, and Addie’s fierce dedication to creating marketable and profitable solutions for both her company and Logan’s. Logan is an open book who loves to share, while Addie is closed off and has seemingly forgotten what connections to other people look like. This is due to the death of her mother and the seeming abandonment of her father. I found both characters interesting, helped by the shifting of perspectives between the two throughout the book. In the arguments, I don’t think either is completely right or wrong. There is a third-act break-up, but I think it was necessary in this case. Or else the couple would’ve wondered if they had been able to complete their respective journeys by themselves. I found the business solution obvious by halfway in, so the fact that it didn’t get figured out until ~80% through was a bit annoying. Otherwise, I loved the chemistry of the couple, the storyline, the side characters, and the contemporary-made-magical setting of Scotland. 


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amberlfaris's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

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readingwithjessica_w's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Writing a review is a bit of a backwards experience. Typically I remember the end (since it’s the most fresh in my mind) and this is the case with Alexandra Kiley’s debut because SWOON! THAT ENDING! THAT EPILOGUE! It could not have been more perfect. 
I think Kiley is an author who really knows her characters and knows who they are and how they’d act. Nothing ever seems out of character, even the third act breakup felt plausible to me. Having fully realized MCs coupled with a book that is very much plot driven as well made me feel like I knew and understood Logan and Addie.
Addie is an escapist. When things are tough she can just hop on a plane and has never taken much stock in making connections with people ever since the loss of her mother and subsequent loss of her father (to grief). So to be the point person for a travel consulting firm is the perfect job for her where she can immerse herself in others’ needs. But what makes this a love story is that Addie never expects Logan. Logan is such a caretaker and thoughtful about every move he makes with Addie. He is the epitome of “hot Highlander”, and yet he very easily becomes tuned in to Addie as she works with his travel tour company. I loved how intuitive he was with Addie, even when they initially didn’t get along, he was still very aware of her. 
It seems that I read very few romances where the FMC is assertive (without being a b$tch), and take charge (without steamrolling) in the bedroom and I loved Addie vocalizing her wants. Even still, as aggressive in the workplace and bedroom that Addie seems, she is afraid of emotions and being vulnerable. We see her bravely living out her mom’s photos but afraid to make lasting connections to Logan. And through it all he is patient, sensitive, and uses storytelling to help her open up to him.
This book has a great meet-cute that helps spark Addie and Logan’s attraction. The first half really felt like it was setting up the story, which is important, but the romance doesn’t kick in until the second half of the book. In that respect I’d deem it a slowburn. Once it did I was all in and especially loved Logan’s trip for Addie. I cannot wait to see what Alexandra Kiley will write next and sure wouldn’t mind seeing Logan’s brother Jack get his own HEA. Thank you to Canary Street Press and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Book: Kilt Trip
Author Alexandra Kiley
🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🪭🪭 (but that desk bang though…🥵)

Plot poorly told through Emojis
🏃‍♀️⌛️🧭🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🧔🏻‍♂️📋👱🏻‍♀️🤨🚍⛰️🏰👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨💥👔💥💙🗺️📍👑📸👩‍👧😢🏃‍♀️💨🤳🪨❤️📸😭👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨📞👨🏼❤️‍🩹📈📝😩💻🛣️💔🥃✈️📈👯🍻👨‍👦📧👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨💗

CWs: death of a parent, abandonment of a parent, alcohol use 
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jcreads85's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was my first NetGalley book and I’m so glad I loved it. It had some of my favorite elements - dual point of view, enemies to lovers, international setting - so I would have been both shocked and doubly disappointed otherwise.

After signing up I saw the cover (super cute) and had a bit of nostalgia so had to put in the ask. I visited Scotland for my year anniversary (delayed honeymoon) and my time there always brings about the fondest memories. This book did the same. 

Scotland is both the setting and a character all in one. The atmosphere of this book and the story it tells would not be the same if set elsewhere (especially given my own personal connection). Logan, his family, and the company wouldn’t feel so real and grounded. Our author really did the country justice - at least from an American tourist perspective. 

In a twist, I preferred Logan’s POV for most of the tale as opposed to Addie’s chapters. At least initially…I began to welcome her story midway through and appreciated the dual POV even more at the end as they both lived out the drama. And I think this was due to my own history of being over worked and living with the mindset that work was what meant you were successful and defined your worth. So nothing the author did wrong. In fact, I’d say she wrote too well. That element of Addie’s life felt a little too real. 

I will warn this is a slow burn. It teases for half the book before you even get a kiss. Literally, progress said I was 50% of the way through. And then it’s a beautiful union of two worlds before the dramas. I loved the characters together. It was great banter, a good enemies to lovers story. I appreciated how they both began acknowledging how cumbersome a rivals situation was and that it was just exhausting them both. 

Character development as a whole was well written. While they were initially smitten, the actual relationship build up took place over at least a month - it might have been longer but it was only mentioned sparingly. 

And the supporting characters were diverse, though I wouldn’t say I felt enough of a history or connection to them that I’d label this a found-family story, though I could see where some may do so. They weren’t flat, but most of them didn’t have much of their own growth. But, the story would have felt less than  without them. 

I’ll be reading from this author again. And if she continues this as a series with those supporting characters to find love, I’ll welcome a return to the Highlands. 


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