Early Book Review: Best Laid Plaids (Kilty Pleasures) by Ella Stainton

Best Laid Plaids is the first book in the Kilty Pleasures series by Ella Stainton and is currently scheduled for release on August 31 2020. In Scotland, 1928, Dr. Ainsley Graham is cultivating a reputation as an eccentric. Two years ago, he catastrophically ended his academic career by publicly claiming to talk to ghosts. When Joachim Cockburn, a WWI veteran studying the power of delusional thinking, arrives at his door, Ainsley quickly catalogs him as yet another tiresome Englishman determined to mock his life’s work. But Joachim is tenacious and open-hearted, and Ainsley’s intrigued despite himself. He agrees to motor his handsome new friend around to Scotland’s most unmistakable hauntings. If he can convince Joachim, Ainsley might be able to win back his good name and then some. He knows he’s not crazy-- he just needs someone else to know it, too. Joachim is one thesis away from realizing his dream of becoming a psychology professor, and he’s not going to let anyone stop him, not even an enchanting ginger with a penchant for tartan and lewd jokes. But as the two travel across Scotland’s lovely-- and definitely, definitely haunted-- landscape, Joachim’s resolve starts to melt. And he’s beginning to think that an empty teaching post without the charming Dr. Graham would make a very poor consolation prize indeed. 

Best Laid Plaids is a book that left me with mixed feelings. I really liked the set up, the characters, and much of how everything happened. I thought that Ainsley's character was very well done, and I liked how open and directly neuro diversity was handled. I was equally pleased with Joachim's character and the way he dealt with the aftermath of war and trying to figure out his future. I liked that consent was covered, and how honestly the mistakes, concerns, and fears the two of them had were dealt with. I liked the secondary characters as well, and think the balance of personalities was well done. However, for some reason this felt like a very slow read for me. I liked it, but was fully able to put the book down and delay getting back to it without feeling that drive to see what happened next. I am not sure what it was about the style that just did not capture me, because all of the actual story elements worked. It was something in the voice or writing style that I could not connect with, but I cannot put my finger on what it was. I did like the read, it just did not capture me the way I expected it to. 

Best Laid Plaids is a solid romance with several layers to the love story. It had a number of great elements, but never grabbed my attention completely.