Scot and Bothered

Happy book birthday to Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley! This is the followup to Kilt Trip, this time following older brother Jack Sutherland and his second chance with Brooke Sinclair. They connected back in college, but a friendship-turned-romance ended badly. So badly that Brooke’s dreams of being an author have crumbled. Now she’s a ghostwriter but will get her first on-cover writing credit when she finishes a memoir for her favorite author/professor (and Jack’s aunt), Mhairi. But to do that, she needs to go on a weeklong hike with Jack. A chance for professional advancement, overdue apologies… and maybe a rekindling of what they once had.

Why I Chose This Book:

I adored Kilt Trip and was so ready for Jack’s story! Though Brooke would be a new character, I knew this would be a second-chance romance and I was already rooting for Jack’s HEA. I was on the ARC team for the first book last year, and I was thrilled to join in again for Scot and Bothered.

What I Liked:

• Brooke’s dreams of being an author! Her career so far has been ghostwriting memoirs, and now she’s working as a co-writer on her literary idol’s memoir. But Brooke is aiming to get back to fiction and writing her own stories.
• Representation of anxiety, self-doubt, and writer’s block
• Hiking across Scotland! Tough trails, unpredictable weather, bothersome bugs… but also the friends made along the way
• Only one tent!
• Dual timeline: College romance vs. now
• Getting to know Scotland, both when they were students and now as they hike the trail. Seriously, Scotland is so beautiful; take me there!
• Grappling with loss and grief
• Makes me want to tackle my own travel bucket list as well as my dreams of writing. #inspiring

Final Thoughts

Scot and Bothered is a poignant novel that combines romance with themes of self-discovery and bravery. I adore Jack and Brooke and the love story that unfolds here, both in college and now, seven years later. As with Kilt Trip, this book comes with a dose of heavier topics, including grief, loss, and career issues. It also does a magnificent job of transporting readers to Scotland, from the streets of Edinburgh to the nature of the Highlands. This novel captured my heart, and I already can’t wait for Alexandra Kiley’s next book.

Special thanks to Alexandra Kiley, Canary Street Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Scot and Bothered here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley
Series	(#2)
Audience	Adult
Genre	Contemporary Romance
Setting	Scotland
Number of Pages	336
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	March 4, 2025
Publisher	Canary Street Press

Official Summary

Brooke Sinclair’s dream of being a published author derailed when she was expelled from the University of Edinburgh seven years ago. Now a ghostwriter, she sticks to other people’s stories. But when her college mentor Mhairi McCallister needs a co-writer for her memoir about Scotland’s most challenging trek, Brooke would do anything for the opportunity—including agreeing to hike the rugged Skye Trail for authenticity’s sake… not knowing the nature photographer who’ll join her is Jack Sutherland, the man who shattered Brooke’s writing career—and her heart.

Between getting sacked from the University and walking away from his family’s tour-guiding business to follow his photography dreams, Jack is desperate to prove he didn’t disappoint his family for nothing. And he can’t ignore his Aunt Mhairi’s final wishes for her memoir. Even if it means acting as guide and storyteller for the one who got away. Even if it means keeping secrets about Mhairi’s health. 

As Jack and Brooke head into the solitude of the sweeping Scottish landscape, they’re forced to confront old feelings that haven’t disappeared with time. But can two weeks and eighty miles heal years of unspoken hurt and offer a second chance at the end of the trail?