Where There's a Kilt, There's a Way (Kilty Pleasures #2)

Title: Where There's a Kilt, There's a Way (Kilty Pleasures #2)

Author: Ella Stainton

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date:  March 23, 2021

Genre(s): M/M Murder/Mystery, Paranormal, Historical

Page Count: 265

Rating: 3 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

Well .... I loved the first book in this series - "Best Laid Plaids" - and as I started this book, I enjoyed catching up with Ainsley and Joachim two years into their relationship. There's a new cast of secondary characters here which, personally, were a bit confusing since we get alternating chapters of Ainsley and Joachim and their respective adventures, and I kept forgetting who was who. 

Once Ainsley and Joachim are finally reunited (around 2/3rd of the way through the book) and realize they are both involved in the same murder / mystery, things start coming into clearer focus. 

But, for me, the folklore aspects of the tale (A ghostly moose? Nissa? Trolls? Enchanted treasure chests? Why, yes please!) were much more interesting than the shadowy murder/mystery. And while there is a wide range of characters here, many are very lightly fleshed-out and as a result the murder/mystery seemed undeveloped as well. 

Surprisingly, what didn't click for me was the relationship between Ainsley and Joachim. The sizzling sexual dynamic between Ainsley and Joachim is an integral part of their relationship and in this book there are only a few scenes that really demonstrate why they are perfect for one another. Instead, each seems very willing to assume the worst of the other and there are plenty of moments where rampant miscommunication and misunderstandings lead to chaos. 

3 stars for "Where's There a Kilt, There's a Way" but I do look forward to the next book in this series.

I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.