Under Loch and Key

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 have always enjoyed reading paranormal romances, and Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson sounded like a book I would love. It’s a Loch Ness Monster story, which I had never encountered before. Since this was my first book by author Lana Ferguson, I was eager to dive in. Unfortunately, the book didn’t captivate me as I had hoped, and I often found myself putting it down. I did enjoy some aspects of it, especially when it came to learning about the lore of the Loch Ness Monster and the mystery behind breaking the curse.

I appreciated how the FMC, Keyanna, was connecting with her father’s family in Scotland after his death, even though some of them initially treated her poorly. Their behavior stemmed from her father’s sudden departure without explaining his reasons. I loved how she wasn’t going to give up, even when they were being difficult. As they began to open up to her, Key discovered more about her father, and she also found herself a family after her father’s death. 

I liked Lachlan, but I didn’t appreciate how he treated Key at first. He is a grump, but he harbors a secret that eventually comes to light, and he becomes close to Key. However, I wasn’t fully invested in their romantic relationship because it felt more physical than emotional. Even by the end of the book, I still wasn’t completely convinced, despite them figuring out the curse, which felt a bit rushed. Overall, it was an okay read, and I give it three stars. I wish I had enjoyed it more since the Loch Ness lore and the mystery of the curse were intriguing, but it just didn’t capture my attention as much as I hoped.

Single/Dual POV: Dual POV.

Standalone or Part of Series: Standalone.

Would I recommend this book? Although I gave this book a 3-star rating, I would still recommend it because other readers may enjoy it more than I did, especially if they have read Lana Ferguson before.

What to Expect:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Paranormal/Monster Romance
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Enemies to Lovers
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Found Family
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Magic

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FranJessca

Owner/Reviewer at A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog

I guess I should type a bio here. I'm FranJessca, or Fran for short. I'm the owner/reviewer behind A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog. I've been reading and reviewing books on my blog since leaving the Navy in 2011, and I will keep doing it as long as possible. My favorite genres will always be Romance & Fantasy, and I read every subgenre underneath those two genres. (Sorry, not a fan of nonfiction, so don't try to convince me to read it.)
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)

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