✨ "She burned and shivered at the same time, an unsettling fever of recognition. Of rightness." ✨
SOME SPOILER-FREE THOUGHTS: I knew I was going to love this book simply because it takes place in Scotland, but I did not plan to get as emotionally invested as I did. While this is a love story, it went so much deeper into the many different ways love can exist, how it affects people differently, and the importance of letting all those types of love in. My heart was beating in rhythm with the pages as the characters experienced every emotion. I felt like I was right there with them taking in the Highlands.
Finished: april 14, 2024
Reading Method: paperback
Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐
Spice Rating: 4/5 🌶️
What To Expect:
✨ Scotland Adventure
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ He Falls First
✨ Slow Burn
✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨ Lost and Found
✨ Third Act Breakup
✨ Happily Ever After
SPOILERS IN
3...
2...
1...
✨ "Where Addie was a tumbleweed, he was an ancient oak tree, roots deep in the soil, bearing witness to the lives that took comfort from his protection. A tree like that couldn't be transplanted. He would wither and die." ✨
Again, I was very excited to dive into this book because it takes place in Scotland. I love Scotland. I fantasize about Scotland. I romanticize Scotland. So please, Alexandra Kiley, keep writing more books about Scotland. You painted it beautifully and only made me fall in love with it further.
While I thought I would get bored or tired of Addie's continuous push and pull of emotions regarding the loss of her mom and subsequent emotional loss of her father, it was quit the opposite. Kiley has an authentic ability to connect her character's traumas with exact moments in the book that made them not only relevant, but necessary. Learning family recipes from Gemma, standing where her mom stood, finally gaining the courage to call her dad. . .all very important to Addie's character development and eventual revert during the third act breakup.
Don't even get me started on Logan! Book boyfriend of the year! His genuine need to connect Addie not only with her roots, but with his roots to show her that he could be the home she'd felt so lost without was absolutely beautiful. Especially with how hilly their relationship was after her identity was revealed and he felt betrayed, he never stopped believing that she was special and there was a reason she was there. Swoon!
And speaking of swoon, the slow burn was killing me the entire first half of the book, but boy was it worth it! Their inevitable collision in the castle was everything I was waiting for! And as steamy as their physical relationship was, the fact that Logan always paired it by connecting it back to his heart and feelings was the sweetest thing, making even the spice hold more depth than I expected.
Overall, I am definitely adding Kiley to my tried and true authors list and can't wait to pick up all her future titles! So excited that I found her early on and can support her career as it blooms, but also so sad I have to wait until next year to get more of her phenomenal storytelling! (Logan obviously gets his passion from her!)
Highly recommend checking out Alexandra Kiley's debut novel, Kilt Trip, if you love romances that take place in Scotland, slow burns, forced proximity, and/or enemies to lovers! Plus he falls first! What's not to be obsessed with?!
All My Love,
Jane-Anne
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