Some Like It Scot: A Novel

This book had me actually guffawing at all the misadventures the female protagonist falls into (literally!). And the puns! Oh, my! Yet the story also explores how people grapple with devasting loss in healthy and unhealthy ways. Content considerations: there is some ogling and passionate kissing, but nothing explicit.

“My value wasn’t measured by her behavior. Or my mistakes. It was measured by God’s love. A love I couldn’t out-fail. Ever.”

May I say this quote above made me cry as it is something I need to remember often, when my mind takes me places it doesn’t need to stay. Like Katie, I need to find my ultimate value in God, not what others may have said to me.

Hairy coos, puffins, a few exotic pets, an Edwardian Era adventure, an adorable ten-year-old, an American travel writer in Scotland, and a #hotScot!! Whew!! That’s a lot!! Mix them all up with a touch of faith, dependably but step-by-step guiding the characters through their choices and messes ( this *is* the social media phenomenon known as Miss Adventure for a reason),and we show more have a wonderfully endearing, humorous story that you will be sorry to close the book on.

Scotland, with its nearly constant (as I read it)mist or rain has never been high on my travel list. But Pepper Basham is so talented, that in Some Like it Scot, she could convince the biggest naysayer that Scotland has a rugged beauty that needs to be seen, smelled, and felt! Not to mention meeting the #hotScot! A totally infuriating, standoffish, confusing, and ultimately, just maybe attractive #hotScot !

With a dysfunctional family in her background, our heroine Katie is desperately searching for a sense of belonging and home. A conversation with her brother highlights this. “What if Scotland is the place you’ve been searching for?…Home, Katie. We’re all trying to find it.…Sometimes it’s a place. Sometimes it’s a person. Sometimes it’s both.”
When Katie finally realizes her sense of home, will she accept it, or will she attempt to run? ( We often recreate the familiar, even to our own hurt!)

Fave character? Obviously, the two main characters are the winners here. But Mirren, with her soul-piercing discernment and unconditional love has got to be a close second!! And the Highlander Coo! ( I must say that Moolatté is disappointed in this representation of her adorable breed!) Could it be, that animals, and people, have inward qualities that cannot be judged by outward appearances? Katie can see this as relates to the #hotScot, but she has difficulty understanding how others see her because of who God made her to be. Will she be free to be herself, or will she forever be trapped trying to conform to ghosts of impossible expectations? This is a hilarious, must-read book!!

I received a copy of the book from JustRead Tours via NetGalley. I also bought my own ecopy. ( But I need the pb- this is one for the keeper shelf!!) No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Love lingers long.”- Mirren

“Graeme, it’s not about your hold on God. It’s about His hold on you.”- Greer

“When you know you’re loved, it changes everything.” show less

To say that I adored this novel is an understatement. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that had me smiling so much that my mouth hurt, not only due to the multiple misadventures that transpire, but also to the tenderness and heart I found within this literary adventure.

From the first chapter, I was locked in. Scotland is one of my dream places to visit, and who among us wouldn’t want an Edwardian experience given the opportunity to do so?

Katie’s misadventures are of the tongue-in-cheek variety and had me chuckling with understanding. “Sometimes I wondered if God created me for comic relief.” Man, Katie Campbell, I felt that statement to my core! It’s clear that Katie has finally met her match in Graeme, her show more hot Scot, their interactions oozing with lighthearted and witty banter, making it obvious there is something significant brewing between them.

Among the satire was an underlying message that hit me in a profound way. As I was reading, I was reminded that there is still beauty even in the broken and that we all just want to be accepted. It’s that hope and realization that took my breath away, and it’s a message I personally needed to hear.

Some Like It Scot is absolute perfection in my eyes and came at a time in my life when it’s been hard to smile. Thank you, Pepper Basham, for putting so much of yourself into this book. If you’re looking for a novel that is the perfect blend of truth and humor, I think you’ve met your match.

*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own. show less

"It's not about your hold on God. It's about His hold on you."

Oh, Pepper Basham is the best. Her rom-coms are truly and utterly delightful. I loved Katie's fresh, honest, and fun first person voice and her accident-prone humorous self. She made me laugh until I cried. And Graeme. He was so sigh-worthy. His raw, tender, and steadfast first person voice drew me in from the beginning. He made me swoon and he made me cry especially when he loved on his family and talked about his twin sister. Katie's adventures and misadventures in Scotland were charming and lovely. I've never visited Scotland and now I so want to be there!
Their friendship and romance were incredibly sweet and I really enjoyed meeting Graeme's family members. Faith was show more naturally woven into the storyline and into the characters' lives and backstories. I loved the phrase "love lingers long" and will be pondering this for a while to come. The concept of home was central to Katie finally finding herself and I loved the idea that "sometimes home is a place and sometimes it's a person and sometimes it's both."

One of my favorite books of 2025! I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Thomas Nelson via JustRead Tours and NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own. show less

Oh my heart! This book! I adored Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham! Scottish setting? Check. Handsome, broody Scotsman? Check. A relatable, endearing heroine? Check. Coos & a lovable sheep dog? Check. A swoony romance with all the feels? Check. Check. Check! This book immediately captured my heart & didn’t let go.

I loved Katie Campbell. She’s a talented, beautiful, tall (6’1”) travel writer with a penchant for finding danger. She’s definitely in need of a rescuer & longs for a place to belong. When she takes an assignment to blog about an Edwardian experience on the Island of Mull, Scotland, she doesn’t expect to find a deliciously attractive, surly Scot, or a people who make her feel for the first time like putting down show more roots.

From his first utterance of “lass,” I was sold on Graeme MacKerrow. In the past few years, he’s experienced unimaginable loss. When a charming redhead with a talent for getting herself into scrapes literally lands on top of him, he finds his heart hoping for love again. But, can he win her love & make their totally opposite lives mesh. After all, his home in on Mull & hers is often worlds away.

I adored Graeme & Katie. If you have a chance to listen to the audiobook version, highly recommend it! That glorious Scottish brogue! The narrators did a fabulous job bringing all these lovely characters to life. I enjoyed the dual narration.

This heartwarming, witty, poignant, laugh out loud romance had me grinning from ear to ear. With her characteristic humor, warmth & faith, Pepper Basham delivers another winner! I felt totally immersed in the Scottish countryside & fell in love with not only these characters, but Graeme’s family & all the lovely people on Mull. There’s even a tie in to Skymar!

Highest of recommendations for this amazing inspirational romcom. Hoping for more books set here! I received an advanced copy from the publisher with no expectation of a review. All opinions are completely my own & voluntarily provided. show less

The Queen of Rom-Com has struck again. Whether you call it Grumpy vs Sunshine or Hot Scot vs Miss Adventure, this book is pure comedy gold with a commentary on grief that will feed your soul. It is a tippy-top read and a very favorite by this author until the next one she writes.
With relatable characters who are flawed but show their faith, this story shines with truth to be pondered.
“Sometimes home is a place. Sometimes it’s a person. Sometimes it’s both.”
“Love gives you the strength to leap, and faith gives you the vision to believe that the one you love will be on the other side to catch you.”
I loved how Katie, attending an Edwardian Experience at the estate of the MacKerrows, imagines each participant as a character in show more the game Clue. She is resourceful and uses mishaps as a career booster. Graeme is the Scot who is selfless and caring. But what a not-so-cute-meet they have! And be on the lookout for that signature closet kiss!
I love to read Ms Basham when I need a comedy lift. I could absolutely go back to this setting for more adventures with the MacKerrow family! Hint, hint!
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.* show less

A bookshop, a granny book club, a Scottish manor house, a weasel (both animal and human), a dancing butler, a hairy coo (read the book to find out what this is) and (yes!) a Pepper Basham closet kissing scene…to name a few things I love about this book! This fun romp also has endearing characters and a sense of family I’d want to come home to.

Other things I love about this book? The heroine, a ginger-headed travel writer, Katie Campbell, is larger than life (no pun intended) who can’t live up to her mom’s expectations, is beyond accident prone and in need of a hero to save her in more ways than one.

Enter Graeme MacKerrow, a “handsome but grumpy, barrel-chested, blue-eyed Scot” who is closed off, owing to grief and hurt, when show more Katie “falls” into his life.

This fun story shifts between the two MC’s (first person) POVs, which in my book (ha! pun intended) adds to the fun, thanks to knowing what’s going on in both of their heads! I chuckled a lot and might have even cried at the end (it was stellar!).

This book is suitable for teens and older with no inappropriate intimate scenes and no bad language. I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review. show less