Romance Review – UNDER LOCH AND KEY by Lana Ferguson @berkleyromance
Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson Also by this author: The Fake Mate
Published by Berkley Romance on December 3, 2024
Genres: Paranormal, Romance
Pages: 415
Source: Netgalley
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FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I’ve been loving paranormal romances lately and Lana Ferguson really delivers with her latest novel, Under Loch and Key. The idea of cryptids, particularly the Loch Ness Monster, has always fascinated me, so the concept of this book, where the Loch Ness Monster is actually a young man who is the victim of a generations-long curse just really called to me.
What called to me even more though is that this paranormal romance features two of my favorite tropes, enemies-to-lovers and grumpy-sunshine. So not only is the Loch Ness Monster really a hot young man named Lachlan Greer, who turns into Nessie at night, but he’s also bit of a grump who has a grudge against the MacKay family and is more than happy to let Keyanna MacKay know about it when they first cross paths and he has to rescue her before she falls into the dangerous loch.
I loved watching the sparks fly between Keyanna and Lachlan when they first meet, but both of their stories just tugged at my heartstrings once I got to know more about them. Keyanna’s story was especially heartbreaking, as she has come to Scotland to spread her father’s ashes. He was the only family she had and she is just lost without him and hoping to connect with his estranged family in Scotland. Things don’t go well when she first arrives and then she has an angry confrontation with Lachlan so my heart just went out to her. But then as soon as I learned about the curse and all that Lachlan has had to deal with that wasn’t of his own making, my heart went out to him as well.
When Keyanna discovers Lachlan’s secret and starts to develop strange powers of her own and realizes that she might be able to help Lachlan, I loved that the two of them learn to trust each other enough to put aside their differences and work together to try to break this curse. I was really rooting for the two of them in every possible way.
If you enjoy paranormal, enemies to lovers romances, Scottish settings and lore, and heartwarming family stories, you can’t go wrong with Under Loch and Key.
Thanks so much to Kristin Cipolla for the invitiation to participate in the blog tour. Under Loch and Key is available now!
About Lana Ferguson
Lana Ferguson is a sex-positive nerd whose works never shy from spice or sass.
When she isn’t writing—you can find her randomly singing show tunes, arguing over which Batman is superior, and subjecting her friends to the extended editions of Lord of the Rings.
Lana lives mostly in her own head, but can sometimes be found chasing her corgi through the coppice of the great American outdoors.
Lana hopes to give the world all sorts of sexy stories between two dummies sharing a single brain cell—but until then: practice safe text, use commas.
Lana is represented by actual angel and anxiety-wrangling aficionado, Jessica Watterson at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.
Lana’s profile art was designed by mooncrabdesigns.
Can’t Wait Wednesday: FIRST-TIME CALLER by B.K. Borison
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about. It is a meme that I have loved participating in since I first started blogging, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.
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My selection for this week is FIRST-TIME CALLER by B.K. Borison. I loved this author’s Lovelight Farms series so I’m excited to see that she has a new series coming out early next year and I love that the first installment is inspired by Sleepless in Seattle!
FIRST-TIME CALLER by B.K. Borison
by Berkley
Publication Date: February 11, 2025
A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.
Aiden Valentine has a secret: he’s fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore’s romance hotline, that’s a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.
Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—she begins to question if she’s as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending… even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.
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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂
Romance Review – HER KNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM by Bryn Donovan @berkleyromance
Her Knight at the Museum by Bryn Donovan 
Published by Berkley Books on November 12, 2024
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 352
Source: the Publisher
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FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via the Publisher. All opinions are my own.
If you are looking for an entertaining romcom that will help you escape reality for a while, look no further than Her Knight at the Museum!
The story follows Emily Porter, a recently divorced conservator at the Art Institute of Chicago. Emily has been tasked with restoring a statue of a medieval English knight for an upcoming exhibit. As she begins her task, she keeps imagining that she hears the knight speaking to her, which is crazy, right? Well, when Emily gives in to the voice she’s hearing and kisses the knight, imagine her surprise when he actually comes to life!
It turns out that Sir Griffin de Beauford really is, in fact, a medieval English knight, who was presumed dead in the late 1400s, but who was actually cursed by a ruthless enchanter and turned into a statue. For all of these years, he has been able to see, hear, and think, but has been unable to move or speak. Emily’s kiss has apparently broken the curse and now Sir Griffin must learn how to navigate the challenges of 21st century America, with Emily’s help, of course.
Oh my goodness, this was just so fun and so cute! You definitely have to suspend disbelief and just go with the flow since the concept is a little out there, but once you do that, it’s just such a good time and the chemistry between Sir Griffin and Emily is just perfect! Their interactions have the perfect blend of knightly chivalry and spice, and I couldn’t resist rooting both for Sir Griffin to find a way to successfully live in modern society of course for he and Emily to find their way to a happily ever after.
If you enjoy movies like A Night at the Museum or Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, this book would be a great choice for you!
Thanks so much to Stephanie Felty at Berkley for the blog tour invite!
About Bryn Donovan
Bryn Donovan is the author of several romance novels, including Sunrise Cabin, a Publishers Weekly bestseller. She’s also written nonfiction books and the story treatments for two Hallmark Channel movies. Her work has appeared in McSweeney’s, Writer’s Digest, and many literary journals. A former executive editor in publishing, she earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. She’s a voracious reader, a rescue dog lover, and a hopeless romantic who lives in the Chicago area and blogs about writing and positivity.