#Review: A Midsummer Night's Romp by Katie MacAlister - 4.5 Wine Glasses

Title: A Midsummer Night's Romp
Series: Ainslie Brothers #2
Author: Katie MacAlister
Format: Paperback, 352 pages
Published: May 5th 2015 by Signet
ISBN: 0451471385
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source:Library
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Wine Glasses

Lorina Liddel is terrified of embarrassing herself on national TV as the face of Dig Britain!, a new archeological reality show. Lorina would much rather keep her head down and her hands in the dirt underneath Ainslie Castle, but her on-screen partner is proving to be a major distraction.

Brother to the castle’s current lord, privileged, perfectly sculpted Gunner Ainslie is a sure bet to keep viewers glued to their screens. Lorina intends to keep the ladies’ man focused on the job at hand, but Gunner is confident he’ll soon have the beauty falling into his bed.

When an unexpected find turns the academic dig into an all-out treasure hunt, Lorina and Gunner get swept up in the excitement. But when their steamy tryst is caught on camera, it’ll take more than an award-winning performance to get them out of the hole they’re in…

Linda's Thoughts:
“I'm sure nothing more exciting will happen beyond finding some Roman ruins beneath the pasture," Gunner predicted, an excellent example of why he would never be called psychic in any understanding of the word.”

A MID-SUMMER NIGHT'S ROMP by Katie MacAlister is a darling contemporary romance with an archaeological storyline. I found it to be laugh-out-loud funny and reminiscent of Katie's Dark Ones series which I dearly love. I'm so glad that Gunner, who was introduced in the first book, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ALICE got his own story told in this installment! I enjoyed the first book, but I do believe Gunner's  has stolen my heart! Old Ainslie castle is a perfect backdrop for this tale.

Even though this is the second book in Katie's Matchmaker in Wonderland Romance/Ainslie Brothers series, it can be easily enjoyed as a standalone since the romantic relationship and the plot development are fully contained within this novel.

I love both the hero and the heroine. Lorina has come to the archaeological dig at Gunner's castle on a rather serious mission. Even though her cause is a good one, it has required her to obtain her position under false pretenses. She and Gunner have chemistry from the get-go, but Lorina is fully committed to completing her quest and she refuses to acknowledge her attraction to him - which is quite frustrating for Gunner. But... her body and heart keep betraying her.

Whereas Eliot, the former book's hero, was a bit on the staid side, Gunner is an ooh la la sex-on-a-stick treat! My kind of hero! Gunner has an archaeological degree but works as a photographer. He's a new-age minister on the side and drives a motorcycle. As the story opens, he's sporting a cast from his last photographic assignment when he fell off a ledge. He's hell on wheels in his electric wheelchair. He could run me over anytime - as his victims seem to end up in his lap!

Following please find a few of my favorite quotes from this read:

“I have to say that you're the last person I'd have expected would have a seventeen-year-old daughter. You're so..." Alice stopped, suddenly looking guilty.
"Dashing?" Gunner supplied. "Debonair?"
"A bit of a dawg, actually.”
---

“Are you one of those fifty-shades-of-bondage people? I haven't been into that in the past, but I might be willing to try with you. Although I would want to be the one to do the bondaging, while you would have to be the bondagee.”
---

“I have a bra on," I said helpfully.
"I noticed. Might I remove that, too?"
"Gunner," I said sternly, or as sternly as a person could while she stood in a man's castle, her hands full of his ass. "You've got your hands on my boobs, and your tongue down my cleavage. At this point if I'm not yelling for the police, you can probably take it for granted that you have my consent to remove my bra."
"I like to make sure," he said, pulling his head out of my breasts for a moment. "Some women have limits.”
---

“He flashed a grin over his shoulder at me. "Ready to be astounded?"
I eyed him. "You're not going to drop your trousers and demand I admire your gorgeous testicles, are you?"
"Not after you disparaged their beauty.”

I have to mention two favorite scenes. One steamy scene occurred in the kitchen - I've included a bra quote from it in my favorite quotes above. I can only describe my other fav as a discovered-under-the-castle-in-a-compromising-position scene. Just thinking about them both still makes me giggle.

I enjoyed the appearance of the hero and heroine from the first book in this series,. Even the hilarious parrot merited a mention!

“Stop lusting after my brother, wife." Elliott said without looking up from where a laptop sat on a large desk. "Else I'll have to get the parrot out.”

Gunner's high-energy, uncoordinated daughter and her insightful grandmother are both delightful supporting characters too! I can't not mention that his daughter is horse crazy and quite the accomplished blackmailer. LOL! Will her insane scheming be rewarded with a horse at Ainslie castle in the future?

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S ROMP is a delightful book with a plethora of Katie's quirky humor that she's known for. There a wealth of zany one-liners, sarcasm, witty charm, and hilarious scenes to relish! The story is solid from start to finish. I highly recommend A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S ROMP to anyone who enjoys fun, light romances! I can't wait to find out which character will get their story told next in this highly entertaining series!


Suggested Reading Order: 
The Importance of Being Alice (Ainsley Brothers, #1) - Review | Purchase
A Midsummer Night's Romp (Ainslie Brothers, #2)