A Swoony and Magical Enemies to Lovers Romance with Nessie in the Scottish Highlands (iykyk)
Under Loch and Key
Paranormal Romance, Romantic Comedy
Berkley
December 3, 2024
ebook, paperback, audiobook
415
A woman discovers that not all monsters are her enemy—the opposite, in fact—in this new paranormal romance by Lana Ferguson, author of The Fake Mate.
Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.
Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.
When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.
What is it about Lachlan Greer that makes me act like a twelve-year-old?
It should come as no surprise that a romantic comedy featuring a Loch Ness Monster shifter and his enemies to lovers love interest checked every single one of my boxes. I have yet to meet a novel by Lana Ferguson that I didn’t immediately adore, and Under Loch and Key is no different. Keyanna and Lachlan’s romance starts off as enemies to lover’s but quickly turns into the swooniest and romantic romance in the Highlands. When there’s a curse that has lasted hundreds of years, can it withstand a love that is seemingly destiny?
Photo by Léon McGregor on Unsplash
Readers start Under Loch and Key by meeting our FMC Keyanna, aka Key. After the death of her father, Key is determined to fulfill his dying wish: to have his ashes sprinkled in the cove where he claims he came face to face with the Loch Ness Monster as a young man. This also means that Key surprises a family that she’s been estranged from since birth. An American in a small Scottish Highland town doesn’t necessarily mesh well.
“So have you always been…” She waves her hand in a circle as if searching for the word. “A monster?”
“No,” I answer dryly. “A witch gave me a magic apple after I pissed in her roses.”
Loch Ness Monster gif via Tenor
Key’s welcome is less than warm. Her grandmother has as much bite as unaged Highland whisky, while her grandfather is a bit warmer in her welcome. Their farm helper, Lachlan makes his feelings well known to her, and even the local pub gives her the run around when she looks for help. It’s only when Key has her own run-in with the Loch Ness Monster that her standoff with Lachlan eases into a partnership determined to break a curse.
As fun as Under Loch and Key is, there is also a more serious aspect to it as well. The theme of grief is a big undertone and there is a suspenseful storyline as well. Altogether Under Loch and Key is fast-paced, full of banter that made my heart so happy, and spicy scenes for which Lana Ferguson has become known.
I hate how fucking lovely she looks when she’s being a pain in my arse.
If you loved The Fake Mate, there is no doubt in my mind that you will adore Under Loch and Key as well. Full of fun, so swoony, and finished with a heartfelt HEA, Under Loch and Key will be your next favorite read.
Jes is a self-proclaimed bookworm, who recently moved from the PNW back to the Midwest. When her nose isn’t in a book, she’s spending time with her husband, two kids, and her three fur babies, or exploring the globe. She also firmly believes that you should start the day with coffee, and end the day in bed with a good book.
