Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson Published by Berkley on December 3, 2024
Genres: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
Pages: 415
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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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.
I really wanted to like this one (Look at that cute cover) but no. I couldn’t take it.
Keyanna ”Key” MacKay has come to Scotland for two reasons to meet the only family she has left and spread her father’s ashes in the Loch her father always talked about where he insists he was once saved by the Loch Ness monster.
While she didn’t know what to expect by her surprise arrival, she didn’t expects the strong animosity from her grandmother, or oddly even more hatred coming from the annoyingly handsome farmhand, Lochlain Greer.
Key has had enough of the hate but before she returns to America, she finally takes the opportunity to spread her father’s ashes, only to be knocked into the cold and murky water and saved by the infamous monster herself—a monster who turns into one annoyingly handsome farmhand.
They think she is going to leave now, they have no idea just how large Key’s curiosity truly is.
Thoughts
Another example of judging a book by its cover. I anticipated a fun little read and was sorely disappointed.
For the first 25 percent, the book dragged with poor Key being treated poorly by the grandmother she came to meet and Loch, who was angry at her from the start with no real reason or explanation.
I understand the idea of creating anticipation for all the secrets (one of which we know from the cover and description) but here, I might have had more sympathy for Loch if we had more information at the beginning and could be on his side
I had started skimming (which I never do) to see if the story would pick up which it does around 30 percent in but even halfway through the story, I had no connection with any of the characters, not even Key.
When I stop reading to go do housework, then your story has flaws. Once I realized I was only reading to check the story off my list, I knew it was time to abandon it for something else on the TBR.
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