MAY BOOK CLUB: ALEXANDRA KILEY'S 'SCOT AND BOTHERED'

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Image: Harper Collins Publishers Australia.

Our May Book Club pick is Alexandra Kiley’s Scot and Bothered.

I was so excited to read Scot and Bothered this month. Alexandra Kiley’s previous book Kilt Trip has stayed with me, and had ignited my hopes for Jack’s story. I’m happy to report Scot and Bothered, Jack’s story, lived up to those expectations. Kiley’s ability to transport you not just into the scene but a scenario is quite something. That’s one thing, but to then make you feel like you’ve known these characters for a lifetime, just by the way she describes them. It’s something else. I find that from all my favourite authors, this is what makes the reading experience so natural, it doesn’t feel like a chore having to make your way through a certain description or part of the book, especially as a travelling technique in order to get to the next part flawlessly. 

Her skill to just captivate and capture the scene, the moment, the person, the feeling, is pure talent. These characters, Brooke and Jack had my heart. Second chance love and duel time lines aren’t usually my cup of tea, however, when done well, such as in Scot and  Bothered, it can truly sing. The chemistry between the two is so palpable. I remember thinking early on, ‘this is a recipe of all my favourite little things’, done in a way that feels fresh and new. Adding to that, the scenes in both timelines support each other in such a way that makes it truly scintillating. 

It’s so eloquent and heartwarming the way that Kiley gives a powerful voice to her characters. Even in moments where they are lost and trying to find themselves. You just can’t help but be drawn in. It’s so warm and inviting. Particularly when it comes to the emotion behind each character and their interactions with each other. These moments are so real. These are situations many of us have encountered and faced. And for me, I found reading about it could be quite a healing experience.

I found Scot and Bothered to almost be a master class on how to write scenes that evoke such emotion that make them just so physically there. It’s so vivid so real. There’s magic in these lines as well as deep meaning that stays with you. I now realised why I liked Alexandra Kylie‘s writing so much. She’s like the author form of Taylor Swift. Some of the lines are just pure magic, they just capture an intensity, a moment of feeling that’s so tangible. Much like her first book, Kilt Trip, you have moments that you remember, moments that will remain with you.

Alexandra Kiley’s Scot and Bothered is available through Harper Collins Publishers Australia.