Music has always been important to me, but it took on a whole new meaning when I became a romance author. I can’t write a single chapter without music playing in the background. Seriously—no character playlist, no words.
Music sets the tone, helps me dig into what my characters are feeling and sometimes, can drag and entire scene out of nowhere that has me rushing to my notes app to get the dialogue down.
SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS is a pretty messy love story, that, at its core, is about meeting the right person at the wrong time and being willing to wait until the stars align. So, I thought I’d share a few songs with you that helped me learn my characters and dig into those emotions.
Black Magic Woman by Fleetwood Mac
This is the first song I added to the SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS playlist, so it has to be the first song I talk about. Callum has been yearning for Juniper for several years and mentions this song on the page when he thinks of her. Just like Callum, it’s a song about a man so enraptured with his love he feels he must me under a spell but doesn’t ever want it to end.
Got a black magic woman
Got a black magic woman
I’ve got a black magic woman
Got me so blind, I can’t see
That she’s a black magic woman
She’s trying to make a devil outta me
The Grudge by Olivia Rodriogo
While keeping spoilers to a minimum, Juniper’s character arc heavily revolves around learning she shouldn’t attach her self-worth to how others treat her. A lot of people have abandoned Juniper in her life and as a result, she’s become mistrustful. Quick to push people from her life before they can do the same to her. This song really helped me understand how Juniper would have felt the first time she had her heart shattered and knew she had to protect herself, because love had become something to fear
And I doubt you ever think about the damage that you did
But I hold onto every detail like my life depends on it
My undying love, now I hold it like a grudge
And I hear your voice every time that I think I'm not enough
And I try to be tough, but I wanna scream
How could anybody do the things you did so easily?
And I say I don't care, I say that I'm fine
But you know I can't let it go, I've tried, I've tried, I've tried for so long
It takes strength to forgive, but I don't feel strong
I Could Be a Florist by Olivia Dean
The second I heard this song I just knew it needed to be on the playlist. Callum is a caretaker at heart. He’s the eldest brother of four siblings, all of whom he feels responsible to protect even in adulthood. A veterinarian who also helps to care for his ailing father, and an important member of the community. But even with his many responsibilities, he yearns to take care of Juniper too. I like to think that this song is about promises he would make to her in exchange for her trust.
I could be a florist
'Round the corner from Rye Lane
I'll be giving daisies to crazies
But, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe
Oh, I can give you flowers
At the end of every day
For the centre of your table or rainbow
In case you have people 'round to stay
Oh, I could be a florist
Put some life up in your space
That little somethin' missin', I'll fix it, can't miss it
I'm open every day
High by Stephen Sanchez
I just love that this song encapsulated all of the on-page tension of SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS. It’s sultry, unapologetically sexy and a little bit forbidden, ‘Is it wrong for me to want this? But, baby, all I do is want it.’ – this line in particular perfectly captures how both Callum and Juniper know they may never get to be together, but knowing doesn’t stop the wanting.
Pull you underneath the slumber
Into the light before the thunder
Tell me, is there any wonder about where we stand?
Little Honey, in the summer
Fell in love with Hunter
Oh, I can't have it
I'm gonna get you so high
It's gonna send you reeling
Baby, gonna feel it
Baby, gonna feel it
Gonna go down all night
It's gonna get you kneeling
Baby, can you feel this?
Everywhere, Everything by Noah Kahan & Gracie Abrams
If I had to limit SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS and Callum and Junipers relationship to a single song, it would be this one. The folky acoustic ballad fits the setting of the Scottish Highlands so well, I could imagine this blaring out of a car window on a twisting mountain road.
It’s one of my favorite songs, by two artists I adore, that is devastating while somehow managing to be deeply romantic. The song is about living and loving in the moment and learning to accept impermanence, that everything in life must come to an end except for love because that’s the only force that can endure.
And because Juniper has a morbid little heart, I could imagine her and Callum dancing to this at their wedding, whispering the lyrics in one another’s ear as their friends and family watch on.
Would we survive in a horror movie?
I doubt it, we're too slow moving
We trust everyone we meet
Two bodies riddled with scars from our preteens
Intertwine in a car's dirty backseat
Stare at a drive-in screen
We didn't know that the sun was collapsing
'Til the seas rose and the buildings came crashing
We cried, "Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh"
Everywhere, everything
I wanna love you 'til we're food for the worms to eat
'Til our fingers decompose
Keep my hand in yours
Opposites attract in this sexy Scottish romance between a young woman and the man who is completely off-limits, from the author of Whisky Business.
The Macabe Brother Rule Book (according to Juniper Ross):
- Don’t look at a Macabe brother
- Don’t talk to a Macabe brother
- Don’t even think about a Macabe brother
It’s pretty tough for June to follow her own rules, considering one brother is in love with her best friend, one is her ex-fiancé, and one … well, one is super-hot, small-town hero Callum Macabe.
But when Callum seems to be popping up everywhere, especially when Juniper is at her most vulnerable, it’s hard not to imagine just how good breaking a rule might feel.
Romance Comedy | Romance Small Town [Avon, On Sale: July 8, 2025, Paperback / e-Book , ISBN: 9780063386730 / ]
Elliot Fletcher is a long time lover of all things romance, HEA are a must! She resides in Edinburgh, Scotland with her husband, dog and cat.
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