"Best Laid Plaids," by Ella Stainton
Historical Paranormal MM Romance
1 Smooch ~ Cozy
2 Smooches ~ Warm
3 Smooches ~ Simmering
4 Smooches ~ Red-Hot
5 Smooches ~ Scalding
Book Blurb
In 1920s Scotland, even ghosts wear plaid.
Welcome to a sexy, spooky new paranormal historical series from debut author Ella Stainton.
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 catalogues 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, 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…
My Review
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this book. I am providing a voluntary review. All thoughts and views are my own.
Holy smokes, folx. Best Laid Plaids by Ella Stainton was an utter delight. It combined historical and paranormal—admittedly two of the romance subgenres I struggle the most to connect with—and did so with finesse and ease. While the historical aspects were clearly there, they didn’t overtake the story, which was refreshing. As someone who prefers contemporary, I can sometimes get lost in the weeds of historical fiction when an author gets too hung up on using every scrap of research they did on the era. A little bit can go a long way, and Stainton does a lovely job with that.
As far as the paranormal aspects, I found those to be fun and well handled. They added to the story without causing cringe, and their involvement helped to move the plot forward rather than stagnating it as paranormal elements can often do. Again, like historical, I find many authors in the PNR genre can get distracted by their world-building and forget to tell the story. Stainton stays on track and delivers a page-turning romance with just the right hint of historical and paranormal to keep things interesting.
I would recommend this book to a much wider audience than I might have originally thought. It seems quite niche in appearance, but because Stainton keeps the story focused on the romance—and the steamy smexy scenes!—it will find a much wider audience than it might have if her focus had been shifted even marginally more toward the subgenre specifics. So, if you love romance and, like me, often shy away from historical and/or paranormal, I would highly recommend you give this a read! It’s a unique and enjoyable tale, and a fun divergence from your average contemporary.
Ella Stainton
She/Her
Ella Stainton teaches history's scandals to teenagers near Richmond, Virginia. She's lived in most Mid-Atlantic states where you can catch blue crabs, as well as four years in Sweden, and a year in Scotland (where she visited lots of haunted castles with her scientist father). She doesn't mind eating Ramen all year if it means she can hop on a plane during summer break, and has visited around 30 countries. Which equals a lot of Ramen. Ella has four fur babies and four without fur (or children, as she likes to call them). She particularly likes '80's Eurotrash synth music, glitter eyeshadow, and men in kilts. Even better if they are all three together.
Connect with Ella below!
So, what are you waiting for? Best Laid Plaids is available for your reading pleasure on or after its release date—August 31st, 2020! Get your copy today!! 📖
