From Scotland with Love by Kelli Ireland

After her boyfriend runs off to a Buddhist monastery, Molly is stuck with an extra ticket for a bed-and-breakfast trip through the Scottish Highlands. Not wanting to waste the fare, she sells it in an online auction...where it's bought by a man from her past. Now she's stuck rooming with the guy who broke her heart - someone she's never been able to forget.

 

When Alex arrives in Scotland and discovers that he unknowingly purchased a romantic getaway with his ex-girlfriend, he knows he should walk away. Spending two weeks at a bed-and-breakfast in the Scottish Highlands with his beautiful, spirited ex is a terrible idea. He came to Scotland with one goal in mind - to win an elite photojournalism competition - and Molly is a distraction he can't afford.

 

But as the stunning Scottish Highlands weaves its magic, Alex's and Molly's hearts begin to open once again. Can they let go of their past for the second shot of a lifetime?

 

Publisher: Audible Studios | Narrator: Ava Erickson | Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins | Genre: Contemporary Romance | Source: Publisher | Ratings: 3.5 Cups

A funny and heartfelt second chance romance set in Scotland? Yes, please, and thank you!

 

Here’s what’s going on. When Molly’s boyfriend up and sells off the contents of their flat, dons a curtain panel and runs off to become a monk, Molly is desperate to find someone willing to buy the other half of her trip to the Scottish Highlands. So desperate, in fact, she sells the other half of her trip on an online auction. And because the universe has a wicked sense of humor, it’s purchased by Alex, the guy who broke her heart.

 

While Alex isn’t thrilled to learn he’s going to be spending the next two weeks with his ex-girlfriend, he doesn’t really have a choice. He needs to win the photojournalism competition and to do so he’s going to have to convince Molly to partner with him. The problem is, he professionally betrayed her in the past and ended up breaking her heart in the process. If he could convince her that he’s a changed man who regrets what he did maybe he’ll have another shot both professionally and personally.

 

Okay, so the title of this one grabbed me but I nearly passed over it because both characters are journalist/photojournalist and I normally can’t get behind characters with that profession but I’m so glad I gave this one a go.

 

I really liked both Molly and Alex. They are both these amazing people who are better together rather than apart. Alex did do a very wanker-ish thing in the past but he’s truly regretful and has since changed his ways. He’s a good guy who made a bad choice. Molly’s career imploded after the fallout with Alex but she’s doing her best to claw her way back up and still has a fiery passion that hasn’t been extinguished. While she’s leery of letting Alex back in, she doesn’t throw the past up in his face.

 

The romance between Molly and Alex was so believable. The chemistry and attraction was still there but there was also an air of caution. One of the things that sold me on this one was the fact that rather than having them falling back into bed, they took their time getting to know—and trust—each other again.

 

While this one definitely had all the feels, it had amazing humor in it. I found myself cracking up several times as Molly got herself into some funny situations.

 

Another thing that I loved about this one was the secondary characters. They brought the Scottish Highlands to life and added an extra something to this book.

 

I did have a bit of a problem with this one near the end. Something happens with Alex and I was a little put off by Molly’s actions—or lack thereof. I just found the way she handled it odd. I think someone in that situation would do more to find out what happened.

 

This was my first time listening to Ava Erickson and she took a bit of getting used to. She’s a bit robotic at the start. I’m not sure if she evened out as the story progressed or if I just got used to the robotic style. There was also a bit of a problem with her Scottish accent—it came off more Irish, which was a bit of a letdown. She wasn’t one of my favorite narrators but I was able to get through the story, which was good seeing as this one is only available as an audiobook at the moment.

 

Overall, this one was such a fun story. It’s a bit short—and it goes by in the blink of an eye—but it was a worthy listen with the right amount of heat, fluff, heart, and humor that had me smiling.

     

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