My Rating: 3.5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: eARC*
Publication Date: June 14, 2022
Author: Alana Oxford
Similar To
Scotsman in the Stacks Blurb
Paige wants two things: to land a full time librarian job and find the man of her dreams. On the cusp of thirty, she finds herself suddenly single and working part-time in a Michigan library. A handsome patron with a delicious accent appears at the reference desk, inadvertently sparking an idea that might help her land the promotion she so desperately needs. But that’s not the only thing he sparks.
James is in town from Glasgow, Scotland, on a summer artist residency. Luckily, the trip got him away from the pressure he feels to take over his uncle’s river tour business. He only wanted to clear his head and make his art in peace, but he wasn’t counting on finding an attractive librarian to fill his days.
With only eight weeks before James goes home to Scotland, Paige knows she should protect her heart. After all, she already wasted years with her commitment phobe ex. But the more she gets to know James, the less she can stick to her plan to just be friends. Is she just wasting her time again, or can they bridge the ocean between them to find a happily ever after of their own?
“Fresh and charming – a heart-warming must read romance.” – Sandy Barker, author of A Sunrise Over Bali.
“Scotsman in the Stacks is a delightfully sweet, cosy romance for book lovers.” – Kiley Dunbar, author of The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday
Scotsman in the Stacks Review
As a quick reminder, here is my rating structure:
- 1 star: Did not finish
- 2 Stars: Finished but I do not recommend
- 3 Stars: Liked but could use some improvements
- 4 Stars: Loved this book!
- 5 Stars: Rare. The unput-down-able, binge read obsession.
My star ratings are also based also genre based. I compare all books with books of the same genre. While I would love to believe that my love of books in general transcends all bias, there are genres I prefer over others.
I’m human.
Example: If I read a mystery novel and think it deserves a 5-star rating, then I have compared it to other mystery books, and determined it to be one of my absolute favorites. The unputdownable mystery.
This will hopefully keep me from comparing Outlander, a personal obsession of mine, with the experience of reading The Hate You Give. Both 5 star books for me, but completely and totally different. I couldn’t even try to rate them against each other, so I don’t. Makes my life easier. 🙂
My Thoughts
Scotsman in the Stacks is a 3.5 star book, which means that it falls somewhere between I liked the book and I loved the book. If I were a straight up love story fan, it probably would have had an even higher rating. Let me explain.
I loved the writing of Scotsman in the Stacks by Alana Oxford. She’s quippy and lighthearted without coming across as flippant. Her main character, Paige was incredibly likable and seemed very real to me. She got herself into situations I could absolutely believe, especially when you are trying to convince yourself that what you have is what you want. Spot on.
My main area of concern is the action within the plot. I wanted more. For instance, there are two group “non-dates” within the first half of the story. Both of these dates, and a lot of these pages, spend time creating a relationship between the main couple but don’t actual involve much plot development.
The cookout is just a cookout where people talk and get to know each other. The book discussion group is just that, a discussion group where they talk about books, but nothing other than character building seems to take place. I could have used some sort of “action” for lack of a better word. Some movement within the story to grab my attention.
The love story itself was sweet, cute, and seemed to build fairly easily. I loved the couple and was rooting for them to be together, which is the point of a romance.
Conclusion
Fans of contemporary romance will enjoy an easy stroll through the pages of Scotsman in the Stacks.
*Special thanks to Alana Oxford, Rachel’s Random Resources, and 8N Publishing for my copy of Scotsman in the Stacks in exchange for an honest review.
Leave a Reply