Love on the Scottish Spring Isle by Beatrice Bradshaw Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Runaway bride

➮ Dual POV

➮ International romance

➮ Travel romance

➮ Forced proximity

Synopsis

April is a runaway bride who escapes to a Scottish Isle. When she is there she runs into Euan MacLeod, a Scottish surf instructor, bartender, and infamous womanizer with a long streak of one-night-stands. Yearning for a chance at freedom April wants one of his one-night-stands. But Euan has to risk more than his beloved camper van. Will their vacation fling become an anchoring love?

Best Quote From the Book

“He kissed her hair. It was the color of  Saorsa's sand, her eyes the color of the ocean. She looked and tasted as if she were made of this isle. The place he loved most in all the world."

LGBTQ+ Representation

4/5 🌈

This book has a lot of wonderful LGBTQ+ representation sprinkled throughout the end portion of the book. I noticed a non-binary best friend, an advertisement with two fathers, and an old lesbian couple. All of these instances of representation were brought up casually and positively. 

My Thoughts

This book has an absolutely beautiful setting! I want to visit that island and see all of the amazing scenery in the book. I am impressed with how well Bradshaw wove the scenery seamlessly into the story. She is linguistically talented for this reason alone. 

My second favorite part of this book after the setting is how this book allows both main characters to grow on their own. In so many romance books the love interests only grow in the presence of the other person or do not grow at all. April and Euan learn and decide how they want their lives to proceed separately from one another. I want to see more of this!

There was one part that I did find a tad bit cringy. This is a personal grievance/ick of mine that I did not realize I had until now. April referred to Euan's butt as his peach emoji. I feel like especially in a book with spice, we are all adults here and can call body parts by their proper names.

The nicknames they both gave each other were so fun and clever. It reminded me of all of the various nicknames I have given my friends over the years. Their banter overall was quite good and funny to read.

During my reading experience, I was reading this book with a thunderstorm outside as I got to the scene with a thunderstorm. I can say this highly elevated my reading journey. It was so vibey and cool to feel extra connected to the book. I already felt connected to the setting through the writing, this just took it to another level. If you happen to be able to have the same experience, you will understand. 

I will note this book has multiple explicit sex scenes. The author has stated that she is a big advocate for sexual liberation and conveys such in her books. That said, these scenes can be skipped without missing too much plot if spicy scenes are not your cup of tea.  There is also a spicy bonus chapter available for anyone who enjoys that content. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The setting is immersive and gorgeous above all else. April and Euan's banter is amusing and flows well. Both April and Euan grow on their own which adds a lot of value to their commitment. I cannot wait to dive into future books by Beatrice Bradshaw. 

I received this book as an arc from Book Sirens. My review is honest and voluntary