Irresistible in a Kilt

This was a second chance for Catriona and Alex. They had loved each other but Alex kept too much hidden from her. Alex realized he still loved Catriona and was willing to try whatever it took, though he still wanted to keep his past a secret. Catriona was so strong and determined to continue hating Alex, but her heart knew better. Their interactions were entertaining and steamy, and I loved how the truth came out and brought them closer together with all the threats and danger around Alex. The narration by Elle Newlands and Shane East kept me listening to the story, bringing to life Catriona and Alex as well as all the secondary characters all around them. Together, they enhanced this story. I bought this story on Chirp, and this is my unsolicited review.

Alex and Cat have a passionate history! For these two archaeology professors, history is everything, and no history is more important than facing what broke them up more than a decade ago. Cat knows Alex isn't telling her the whole truth, which Alex just can't bring himself to do, no matter the cost. Not only is he not in touch with his feelings, he's actively trying to outrun them. I enjoyed the fireworks at the beginning while these two were still navigating their misdirected passion, and I loved the way the author took us through both Cat's and Alex's POV so we could see every step of their rekindled love story. Once all the secrets were out, however, I felt a bit letdown because the reasons for keeping the secrets ended up not being an issue at all, which only made Alex look selfish and petty for not telling her sooner. The book really takes off when Cat's brothers and cousins get involved, and I had a lot of fun with the events back at Rory's castle. There were a few inconsistencies that left some questions hanging, but they were minor and didn't affect the plot at all. The author also brilliantly connects these characters to those in another of her series and hinted at another romance ahead. I loved the HEA, and enjoyed the way it segued into an introduction to the next MacTaggart love story. The author graciously provided the audiobook file along with the ebook ARC, and let me tell ya, if you love accents of any kind, you're going to want to listen to this book! Both narrators do a wonderful job with the various accents (Scottish, English, American) and the listener is never at a loss as to who is speaking. I'm not a regular connoisseur of audiobooks, but this one truly stands out as a winner.

The author has given us characters we can care about. We are pulled into the lives of Cat and Alex and hope that their secrets will not keep them from having a happily ever after. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.