Tag Archives: Kinloch Series

Book Review: Musical Games (Kinloch Series, #4) by Evie Alexander

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Musical Games (Kinloch Series, #4) by Evie Alexander

A Comedic Romance Novel published by Emlin Press (01/27/23)

Summary:

Sam wants more. Bigger roles. Better roles. Making up an excuse to leave behind her life as a small-time soap opera star for a week, she heads to Scotland to meet Hollywood’s big star Brad. She meets Jamie instead, a homebody who still loves with his mother, and works at his dead-end electrician’s job day in and day out. Jamie has never left Scotland and is perfectly content to continue living with his mother, even in his late twenties. Sam’s arrival shakes up his routine and he can’t stop thinking about her. Sam can’t stop thinking about Jamie but is determined to use Brad to get ahead in her career. Will she get sidetracked by Jamie or will he be the best thing to ever happen to her life?

Keywords:

Romance, Contemporary, Standalone, HEA, Scotland, Sweet, Sex Scenes, Humor, Opposites Attract, Hollywood, Scotland, Scottish

My Review:

Another book set in the Kinloch series! I love that the author brings us a new story and new depth to characters from the other books of the series. Jamie is sweet and broody while Sam is career and future-focused. This book felt like a gender role reversal where the man is the good-looking yet sexually inexperienced main character while the woman is the lively and hot breadwinner. 

While Jamie is the hunky male hero, you’ll have to go along with the fact that he is a sex God virgin. Don’t roll your eyes but everything he learned, he learned from reading raunchy romance novels. Jamie has never had a girlfriend, never been kissed, and never had sex before. He is also poor at communicating, assumes that Sam will see how much he has fallen for her without actually saying anything, and also believes she’s too good for him and won’t want to slow down her life to accommodate him in it. I thought the relationship aspects of Jamie and how he approached his infatuation with Sam as so believable. Of course, someone who was never in a romantic relationship before wouldn’t know how to communicate with their partner! Apparently, Jamie didn’t learn how to talk to Sam about his feelings from those same raunchy romance novels. This is the kind of book and the kind of relationship-inexperienced character that makes you want to yell, “just tell her how you feel, man!” 

The idea and main plot, just like the previous books in the series, were well-executed, simple, and clean yet there’s always something going on.

I am very drawn to the romance, the writing style, and the intriguing plot of the Kinloch Series.

If you love over-the-top dreamy protagonists – even flawed they seem so unattainable in their perfection – you will absolutely enjoy this book and this series.

I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

This novel will be published by Emlin Press on 01/27/2023 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

Author Bio:

Evie Alexander is the award-winning author of best-selling sexy romantic comedies with a very British sense of humor. She takes a method approach to her work, believing her capacity to repeatedly fail at life and love is what has given her such a rich supply of material for her writing.

Her interests include reading, eating, saving the world, and fantasizing about people who only exist between the pages of her books. She lives in the West country with her family.

Links for more information:

Book Review: Kissing Games (Kinloch Series, #3) by Evie Alexander

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Kissing Games (Kinloch Series, #3) by Evie Alexander

A Comedic Romance Novel published by Emlin Press (09/22/22)

Summary:

Valentina has worked her whole life as an actress – taking small parts and demoralizing roles alike – so she will have enough money set aside for her dream. Charlie is a bodyguard fed up with almost everyone, especially the nitwits he sometimes works for. He takes a job to protect Kinloch from the crazy Hollywood crew, meeting Valentina on the way. Opposites attract, but will that be enough to overcome Hollywood and disaster?

Keywords:

Romance, Contemporary, Standalone, HEA, Scotland, Castle, Sweet, Sex Scenes, Humor, Opposites Attract, Hollywood

My Review:

I was pleasantly surprised that this third book in the series is almost a companion novel to the second book, Hollywood Games, and some of the plot points match up between the books. I absolutely love seeing some scenes and characters and action from this new book and a new point of view. Even getting to know the main characters and side characters from book two through Valentina and Charlie in book three was delightful!

This third book doesn’t let up with the fast-paced plot and steamy scenes. The idea and main plot, just like the previous books in the series, was well-executed, simple, and clean yet there’s always something going on.

I am very drawn to the romance, the writing style, and the intriguing plot of the Kinloch Series.

If you love over-the-top dreamy protagonists – even flawed they seem so unattainable in their perfection – you will absolutely enjoy this book and this series.

This novel was published by Emlin Press on 09/22/2022 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

Author Bio:

Evie Alexander is the award-winning author of best-selling sexy romantic comedies with a very British sense of humor. She takes a method approach to her work, believing her capacity to repeatedly fail at life and love is what has given her such a rich supply of material for her writing.

Her interests include reading, eating, saving the world, and fantasizing about people who only exist between the pages of her books. She lives in the West country with her family.

Links for more information:

Book Review: Hollywood Games (Kinloch Series, #2) by Evie Alexander

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Hollywood Games (Kinloch Series, #2) by Evie Alexander

A Comedic Romance Novel published by Emlin Press (04/04/22)

Summary:

Kinloch Castle is in desperate need of money and every day there seems to be something new to fix. On top of those worries, Rory isn’t sure Zoe feels the same about him and of course, Rory’s mother still doesn’t like her. Zoe wants to help Kinloch and the perfect luck of an opportunity presents itself when Hollywood star Brad wants to film his next movie at the castle. The only problem is that Zoe’s had a crush on Brad since she was a teen and the man is an insufferable Hollywood star. Can Rory put up with the man and his entourage long enough to save the castle or will his temper get the best of him?

Keywords:

British Humor, Comedy, Romance, Scotland, Castle, Earl, Sex Scenes, Steamy, Cabin, Family, happy Ending, Dual POV, Hollywood, Star, Movie, Braveheart

My Review:

I read this book as fast as the first one in the series. Even though the two main characters had fallen from enemies to lovers in the previous book, the author does an excellent job of keeping up tension between the two romantic leads. Much like the first book, the author has the romance beat structure down solid and the pacing is still excellent. Every scene was satisfying from beginning to end. The climax felt real and well integrated into the plot of the story and the ending was very satisfying.

Hollywood Games is even more absurd and laugh-out-loud than the first book. The idea and main plot are well-executed, simple, and clean yet there’s always something going on. It’s a fast-paced book where the slowest parts are the steamy scenes!

I loved all the characters from the first book and enjoyed reading about the new characters that Brad brings with him to Kinloch. The Hollywood people seem ridiculous but very realistically Hollywood!

This novel was published by Emlin Press on 04/04/2022 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

Author Bio:

Evie Alexander is the author of sexy romantic comedies with a very British sense of humor. She takes a method-approach to her work, believing her capacity to repeatedly fail at life and love is what has given her such a rich supply of material for her writing.

Her interests include reading, eating, saving the world, and fantasizing about people who only exist between the pages of her books. She lives in the West Country with her family.

Links for more information:

Book Review: Highland Games (Kinloch Series, #1) by Evie Alexander

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Highland Games (Kinloch Series, #1) by Evie Alexander

A Comedic Romance Novel published by Emlin Press (10/15/21)

Summary:

“Zoe had never seen such perfection before. He was made by mountains, forged by fire, washed by oceans and blessed by the gods.” (Kindle Edition, 31%).

Zoe suddenly inherits a cabin in the woods near a small town in the Scottish Highlands when her great-Uncle dies. Without hesitation, Zoe leaves behind her safe life as an accountant in London as soon as her lease is up. Her childhood summer with her Great Uncle was the greatest, happiest time of her life. But the cabin isn’t the same as it was back then. It’s in less habitable shape than she remembered, with no electricity, water, and no toilet. Not to be deterred, Zoe won’t let anything or anyone get in her way of fixing it up. Rory thought the cabin would be his and his plans to fix it up before the end of the year come to a halt when he finds a surprise city woman claiming it as her own. What can he do to get her to leave?

Keywords:

British Humor, Comedy, Romance, Scotland, Castle, Earl, Sex Scenes, Steamy, Renovation, Cabin, Family, Enemies-to-Lovers, happy Ending, Dual POV

My Review:

I love books where the heroine is out of place, new, and facing a big project when she unintentionally meets the love interest in a surprising meet-cute. The odds are stacked against her succeeding and problems seem to crop up right and left (along with the handsome hunk). Highland Games really delivers exceptionally on some tried and true rom-com tropes such as Fantasy Location, Monetary Leaps of Faith, Kindly Townspeople, Shirtless Hero, Almost Losing it All, and the Central Project is a Metaphor for Their Love. This book reminded me of the Netflix movie rom-com Falling Inn Love. It’s a steamy feel-good casual beach read.

The romantic element is what makes this book so good, especially the slow buildup of the enemies-to-lovers romance that makes the eventual romance so very satisfying. After at least half the book waiting in suspense for the first kiss, the first touch, you will be rewarded with quite a few steamy sex scenes. These scenes were well written and held my attention throughout (I’m known to skim through sex scenes).

The author has the romance beat structure down solid and the pacing is excellent. Every scene was satisfying from beginning to end. The climax felt real and well integrated into the plot of the story and the ending was very satisfying.

I loved all the characters. They were all so well written. The main characters, Zoe and Rory, seemed like such amazing people, but still relatable as humans. I couldn’t get enough of both Rory’s POV and Zoe’s POV and I really enjoyed the switching POV between Rory and Zoe as they each told their side of the story. The way Zoe describes Rory, especially at first, is hilarious.

Both Zoe and Rory have a purpose outside of the slowly building romance. They each also had their own backstory that made them very compelling. I really liked how both main characters were completely independent people and didn’t need the other to complete themselves, which made their love even more compelling.

This novel was published by Emlin Press on 10/15/2021 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

Author Bio:

Evie Alexander is the author of sexy romantic comedies with a very British sense of humor. She takes a method-approach to her work, believing her capacity to repeatedly fail at life and love is what has given her such a rich supply of material for her writing.

Her interests include reading, eating, saving the world, and fantasizing about people who only exist between the pages of her books. She lives in the West Country with her family.

Links for more information: