Best Laid Plaids

Audio Review: Overall – 5 Performance – 5 Story – 5 Great characters, great narration. Best Laid Plaids is the first book I've read by Ella Stainton and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I started out reading this book but then I found a copy of the audiobook in my library's digital catalog so I decided to listen to it. I believe that it's also the first book I've listened to by Cornell Collins (although I do have others by him in my Audible library). I want to start out by saying that I really loved what the author says after the dedication to her grandmother but before the actual text of the book starts. You can see it if you use the "look inside" feature available at some online book sellers. The story was so good. It's an early 1900's historical with just a twist of paranormal – there are ghosts involved. But it really is just a love story between two men who constantly seem to fight their feelings for each other. They don't communicate all that well except when they are getting it on (if you know what I mean). Both of them have unresolved issues in their pasts that have caused them to feel tremendous guilt. I loved the two main characters of Ainsley, who can hear ghosts, and Joachim who is out to prove that ghosts don't exist. The rich cast of secondary characters, including the ghosts, made this a very interesting story. It held my attention right from the beginning and I hated when real life intervened and I had to put it aside without finishing it in one go. Cornell Collins did a fantastic job with his performance of the audio. He used voices for the various characters that were easy to understand and easy to distinguish who was speaking. I will definitely be listening to more of his work. I am also looking forward to reading the next book in this series, Where There's a Kilt, There's a Way, which should be available sometime in the first quarter of 2021. A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

Witty and poignant, and sexy as hell, Ella Stainton’s debut novel Best Laid Plaids is the most fun I’ve had in ages! With a racy courtship, several spectral family members, and a whole lot of Roaring 20s charm, Joachim and Ainsley explore some of Scotland’s haunted places, and find way more than just spooks and spirits along the way. On a quest for research material for his PhD thesis, Joachim Cockburn heads out to investigate Ainsley Graham’s claim he can speak with ghosts. Widely regarded as eccentric, Ainsley is a respected author and folklorist, but his career as a university professor ended abruptly once he began inviting ghosts into his classroom. The last thing Joachim expects when he arrives at Ainsley’s home is to be propositioned by a luscious hunk of Scottish goodness, fully decked out in a kilt. Joachim rebuffs the forthright come-on (after all, this is illegal in 1928!). But Ainsley is quite persistent and it doesn’t take long for Joachim’s resolve to crumble. Their dance of woo is flirty and sassy, and the fun is just getting started when these two find their way to the bedroom. Ella Stainton writes a gorgeous love scene, and I adore what happens to these two men as their intimacy grows. Feeling free to explore their inner desires, aspects of their characters emerge to reveal a natural D/s connection. Joachim revels in dominating as thoroughly as Ainsley finds peace in submission, and the result is erotic and truly lovely. These characters are so likable and real, and their idiosyncrasies add so much to enhance the story. I couldn’t help but adore them both, but my heart really went out to Joachim. Learning to cope with the physical handicap of his war injury is devastating, and he’s also battling loneliness and depression. A true romantic soul, Joachim has long since dismissed his dream of a lifelong companion. I found the emotions he shows while processing his intimate relationship with Ainsley to be very moving. A captivating blend of ghost story and erotic romance, I couldn’t put this novel down for a minute. Ella Stainton’s writing style is thoroughly engaging, and the characters are complex and interesting. Ms. Stainton is truly outstanding when she brings out Ainsley’s Scots mannerisms and explores the depths of that sensual man whom Joachim hides under his buttoned-up façade. I love historical romances where the characters find a way to be together, and Ainsley and Joachim do it one better in Best Laid Plaids. With the support of their family and friends, these two special guys can revel in their well-deserved happily ever after. Well, at least until their next adventure, Where There’s a Kilt, There’s a Way, which is anticipated for March, 2021. I can hardly wait for this Kilty Pleasures series to continue!

Enjoyed the story, excellent narration!