Best Laid Plaids

Kilty Pleasures, Book 1

De: Ella Stainton

Narrado por: Cornell Collins

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 openhearted, 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 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....

Contains mature themes.

©2020 Ella Stainton (P)2020 Tantor

Very good story, excellent narration!

Really enjoyed the story. Joachim has travelled up to Scotland to meet a and study a disgraced academic. The reason why Ainsley (the academic) is disgraced? He declared that ghosts exist.
Ainsley is a quirky character and soon enough he's seduced Joachim to his ways- both in and out of bed. The story is set after the Great War (I) and made an interesting setting.
Cornell Collins is an excellent performer. I have several books that he's narrated and have loved them all!

Perfection!

Loved the voice and how the narrator made the voices so right in the moments and for the characters.

I really tried, but just could not.

Where to start. What had the potential to be a quirky romance, became convoluted and too complicated from the start. Opening with a mistaken identity attempted seduction, Stainton tries too hard to be clever. I never really believed that Stainton knew the time period as well as she might know a sturdy male leg.

Then there is Collins narration. I thoroughly enjoyed his work in Con Riley's Learning to Love series, as well as the His series. However this one did not click for me. For all he can do with British accents, I felt very lost with the both Ainsley and Joachim, and quite honestly, my mind wandered.

I gave up about midpoint, perhaps to return. If I do, I will update my review. Until then, not recommended.

A new fantastic voice in M/M romance.

The writing is detailed and flows beautifully. The narrator does the work great justice. The romance between the two main characters is cautious and exciting. The book and narration are a real joy. I highly recommend you try it.

Vindication, sweetness & steamy

I love reading historical fiction and this one was absolutely delightful. The story has so much meaning

Mostly porn

Maybe that’s what you’re looking for. I was looking for more story. I don’t need it to be SFW but it’s boring and annoying that I can’t read happy stories about gay people without hearing 1000 synonyms for penis. Cornell Collins is great.

Not a Mystery

it was billed as an LGBTQ+ mystery and it was just soft literary porn. I had it playing on a trip and it's was pages and pages into 2 English guys in the 1930s trying to decide whether to have sex with each other.

it was so tedious that I finally had to pull off the Interstate and cut it off.

it is an example of a problem I have with woman writers trying to sell their knowledge of gay men and sex.

I am disappointed that Audible doesn't allow easy refunds when something is purchased due to false advertising.