Review & Giveaway - - Under Loch and Key

Under Loch and Key

by Lana Ferguson

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: December 3, 2024

Reviewed by Nancy

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.

Nancy's Thoughts:

Under Loch and Key skillfully weaves family secrets and estrangement with a magical curse and a quest for belonging into an engaging paranormal romance. Key’s determination to scatter her father’s ashes in Loch Ness had me sympathizing with her immediately. Yes, there are signs warning that the rocks around the loch are dangerous, but her reasons for ignoring them are understandable. So is Lachlan’s irritation with her after he keeps her from sliding in the water. They definitely get off on the wrong foot, and their beginning seeds the prickly tone of their dealings going forward. 

In addition to scattering her father’s ashes, Key very much wants a relationship with his family, who’ve never met her and don’t seem to want her. Despite the grudging hospitality her grandmother offers, her grandfather makes her welcome. She stays at their farm and tries to show them she’s someone they could come to care about.

I wasn’t quite so ready to root for Lachlan. While I started out rooting for him, I found the cryptic references to his problem off-putting. He’s staying at the MacKay farm because he’s looking for something. He sneaks into the attic to search it, for a clue to solve his problem. It’s hard to root for him there, though, because he’s being sneaky and breaching hospitality. For me, that requires a compelling reason, but we’re told only that he’s lost a lot and he wants a chance at a normal life. Without knowing what he’s lost, what he’s looking for, why he thinks whatever he’s looking for will help, and why he can’t have a normal life without it, I gradually began to feel less sympathetic toward him. I didn’t know what his problem was or what the stakes were, and without knowing these things, I couldn’t root for him to succeed.

The truth about his problem comes out about a third of the way through the book, and knowing it had me fully on his side again. So if you find cryptic references and the lack of a clear rooting interest as annoying as I do, just be patient and read on. 

Yes, I know I’m being cryptic, too, but I’m trying not to spoil anything!

Learning the truth about Lachlan’s situation wins Key to his side. They begin working together to solve his problem, a quest complicated by the need to keep it secret. The romance is tender, and the love scenes are steamy and well done. My only issue with them is that I strongly dislike the c-word for female anatomy. I realize, though, that not every reader feels this way. 

Supporting characters include Lachlan’s friends Rory and Blair, Key’s cousin Brodie, and her grandparents. Rory and Blair like to tease Lachlan, which leads to a fun Highland games competition. Brodie and Lachlan have known each other since childhood but have never gotten along. Brodie does like Key, though, and he supplies information that turns out to be helpful before his resentment of Brodie comes to a dangerous boil. 

Key’s relationship with her grandparents evolves in a believable and sympathetic way. As the truth about her father’s mysterious departure for the United States comes out, their different reactions to her unexpected arrival become more understandable and even a little sad. 

I had two other issues with the story. First, I don’t quite see how someone standing on rocks above the water gets knocked forward into it by someone in the water. Second, when Lachlan visits Key to tell her the bits of his story he has held back, she seduces him before he can get out more than a few words. Then she accuses him of hiding the truth. He says he was going to tell her but doesn’t point out that he had started to explain when they became distracted. That’s a logical defense, and I didn’t understand why he didn’t use it.

Overall, the characters are engaging, the story moves at a good pace, and the paranormal elements are used beautifully. The Scottish setting, in addition to contributing to the mystery, provides a lovely encounter between Key and a Highland cow. 

Highly recommended. 

4 Stars. 

~ Nancy

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Have you read Lana Ferguson?

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One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM (Eastern), December 7 will receive a print copy of Under Loch and Key. 

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