Best Laid Plaids

Debut author Stainton kicks off her Kilty Pleasures series with this unique, thoughtful gay romance set in 1920s Scotland. Academic Ainsley Graham falls into disgrace after he says he’s able to hear voices that speak to him from the beyond. Psychologist and WWI veteran Joachim Cockburn arrives at Ainsley’s elegant manor to, as he says, “get a clue about the workings of Graham’s mental instability.” Trouble is, when Joachim arrives, he manifests his own previously unknown talent for clairvoyance (after, amusingly, first being mistaken for a gigolo). Though Joachim fights his attraction to Ainsley, their undeniable chemistry draws the men together as Ainsley works to convince Joachim of the supernatural by taking him on a tour of Scotland’s most haunted sites. Stainton admirably tackles heavy psychological subjects head on—among them anxiety, depression, and survivor’s guilt—but stays true to the time in which her book is set, leading to outdated language and attitudes that will earn the approval of historically minded readers, but may turn off the more sensitive. The lively prose and unusual plot charm, and a solid cast of supporting characters (both alive and dead) bolster the tale. Stainton is sure to win plenty of fans. Agent: Jennifer Grimaldi, Chalberg & Sussman. (Sept.)