Midwestern set lighthearted and slightly fun book. Piper is not overly likable. I think that she could have been created with more depth and a better personality but overall I really enjoyed the book and the idea of the craft brewing world.

Piper Williams is an ambitious woman in the world of beer brewing and she has a lot to say and a lot going on. Fun story, great, relatable characters will keep readers engaged.

This was a very enjoyable read from the beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the setting in the book.

Fun and engaging romantic comedy with a modern twist. Piper is a female brewer, dedicated to her craft and making her own way in a male dominated industry. Her single minded focus does not allow for dating or romance. That is until Blake, the owner of a new gastropub in town, decides to feature her craft beers on his menu. This book was exactly what I expected: flirty, fun and frought with equal amounts of tension and steam.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy, in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was a cute read. I liked the midwest setting and the conflict was strong right from the start. Unfortunately, the characters felt flat and, as a result, their relationships seemed to lack depth. I enjoyed reading Trouble Brewing and would recommend it to someone wanting a light beach read.

So much to love in this book, but had hoped for a slightly tighter ending. Overall, would recommend this to any girlfriend for a great weekend read.

3.5 Stars! A solid romance. There wasn’t anything that screamed spectacular, but I did like the feminist messages, which bumped the book up from a average 3.

3. 5 stars. I like beer but I wouldn’t call myself a beer aficionado. I like what I like and I enjoy going on brewery tours but I don’t think much about how it gets made or the steps between idea to actual sales. As such, I’ve never thought about it being a male-dominated industry and I was highly intrigued when I learned Trouble Brewing is about Piper, a female brewer, and what she faces on her quest to start her own brewery.

I admired her drive and passion for her work, as well as the frank understanding of the obstacles she faces in addition to the rampant sexism and misogyny in the industry. I didn’t always understand her reasoning, particularly when it came to Blake, but I could empathize with her struggle in wanting to be treated fairly, while also wanting to date the guy she’s interested in.

The sexism she did face felt heavy-handed and I wish this element of the story had been handled with more nuance. It’s a hard critique to make because I really appreciated the way the story didn’t back down from Piper’s roadblocks and how infuriating it is we women are still dealing with this BS. It made me that much grateful Blake understood the double standards Piper faced and that he was supportive of her no matter what.

Even though Piper and Blake have a few things stacked against them, I was really rooting for their relationship once it got started and hoping they’d have a happy ending.

Blake was a magical unicorn in some ways and a conundrum in others. He has an extremely toxic family but he still goes to family dinners. His best friends said really inappropriate things when they first met Piper. I think we’re supposed to see them as lovable goons but I just wanted to tell Blake to find better friends. Blake also has a hard time not trying to fix things for the people he cares for, regardless of what they want. This could be aggravating to watch. He has more growing up to do and while I wish he’d had to grovel more, he does make some big moves that were satisfying to watch.

While I had some nitpicky issues, I really did enjoy reading it. Piper’s foray into brewing and watching her ups and downs was fascinating to me and that’s the real reason to give this one a a try.

Trouble Brewing by Suzanne Baltsar
Source: NetGalley
My Rating: 4½/5 stars

One of my very favorite settings in all of bookdom is the pub/brewery/bar setting. I have always found the setting to one that is ripe for mischief, merriment, and so much romance. I got all of that and more in Suzanne Baltsar’s Trouble Brewing.

Piper Williams is living and working in a man’s world and she is reminded of that fact on a regular basis. As a brewer, a female brewer, Piper’s road isn’t easy, but she is good at her job and determined to have her beer in every bar and pub in the area. As luck would have it, Piper meets Blake Reed, the owner of the Public, Minnesota’s newest gastropub and he wants to stock his bar with Piper’s beer. While Piper is thrilled her beer is finally going public, she’s afraid the other brewers in the close-knit community will see her success as a result of her looks and not her skills. As if to confirm her suspicions, Piper’s old boss pulls aside after seeing her with Blake to warn her of the impression she’s leaving on the brewing community.

Blake Reed is the black sheep in his family. He left his father’s law firm, he has no designs on running for political office, and he certainly isn’t a bigot. What he is, is the proud owner of the Public, a shrewd businessman, and a big fan of Piper Williams and her craft beer. In short order, Blake falls under the spell that is Piper Williams and all he wants, beyond their shared success is to be with Piper. Unfortunately, there are hurdles and obstacles to overcome in order to make that happen.

Like Blake, Piper is smitten, but she lives in fear of being outed as Blake’s girlfriend. Even a hint of scandal, in Piper’s mind, is enough to ruin her career, but Blake seems to be worth the risk. To be fair, many of their dates occur at the Public, and as the name implies, they’re surrounded by a crowd and often able to hide their romance. It isn’t until Blake takes Piper home to meet his parents that everything goes to hell in a hand basket, some nasty truths come to light, and Piper is forced to make the biggest decision of her life.

The Bottom Line: Quite frankly, I don’t completely understand the below four stars rating this book has on Goodreads. I found Trouble Brewing to be a fun read with just the right level of drama, just the right level of romance/heat, and just the right level shenanigans. Blake and Piper are both easily likeable characters, the setting is one of my favorites, and the plot is sufficiently interesting and engaging. I quite enjoyed this read and found myself hoping there will be at least two more books to come. Piper and Blake have friends with their own stories to tell, and I, for one, would be most excited to read those stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise of this book, as well as the smartly tongue in cheek crafted title. Especially since here in California, craft beer has become a cornerstone for social meetups with friends or dates. Almost, though not entirely, eclipsing the old regular coffee shop meet up. So I was very interested in seeing how the author would integrate the hype and the how-to of craft brewing with a romantic story line. This book definitely feels like a cozy, fall read. Almost as if it's easy to get fully immersed into the story if you read it at just the right time of the year. I enjoyed the knowledge of craft beer I learned from this book, but I think you have to be a fan of romance/contemporary romance novels to really enjoy this novel overall.

Aside from the craft brewing aspect, the plot and the characters felt a little basic for me. I liked Piper's character enough to continue reading the book. She was a go-getter and had big dreams, and I love a strong willed protagonist. The dynamics of her character is the real standout in this book for me. Blake was little bland for me at times, like most guys I read about in romance novels. Not a terrible book at all, just not as strong as I think some of it could have been. Definitely recommend for people interested in the world of craft brewery and romance novel lovers. Thank you again to Netgalley and Gallery Books!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this delightful contemporary romance. The story of Piper, a young woman working to build her craft brewery on her on terms in a male-dominated business and Blake, the pub owner to whom she is instantly attracted to. Trouble Brewing is a pretty typical romance - steamy but not graphic - but the realistic dynamics of Piper and Blake's relationship and the complexity of their characters gives the story a believability not always found in romance novels.

This book had a conventional romance plot line. That said, the addition of a different vocation was a welcome change! Often, women are portrayed in softer roles - decorators, designers, writers. The rough and tumble world of brewing - and the main character's challenges in it - made the book much more interesting than your standard "will they or won't they get/stay together" fare.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

My husband is a home brewer and is pretty passionate about craft beer, so when I saw this book that tied together both of our interests together I was pretty excited. There was a couple interesting things I learned about beer from reading this book – I read about the Grisette style of beer, and then the next day we went to a brewery that had the grisette beer! I was super excited, so I tried it and I Loved it! While I loved some of the knowledge I gained from this book, overall the rest of the plot and book were (I would say) just ok for me. I didn’t necessary love Piper’s character, she was a little self-centered for me. I still liked the plot though and the overall story line. I’d be interested to see if this turns into a series (I didn’t see any other books so I listed it as a stand alone, but Blake’s two guy friends seem to be interested in these two girls so we’ll see) and I’d be interested to read the other stories if it does turn into a series. I’d recommend this one, especially for anyone who’s interested in beer and brewing.

I absolutely loved this entertaining, feel great contemporary romance. This was a fun, easy read, perfect for fall afternoon with a cold beer. Piper is a determined brewer, trying to make her way in a male dominated field. Blake had a trust fund, trying to break away from his family expectations and find his own dream.

What a fun book !!!! Interesting story line that keeps you wanting to read, and not put it down. The characters and issues are current and relevant.

Title: Trouble Brewing
Author: Suzanne Baltsar
Genre: Contemporary romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Piper Williams is an anomaly, a woman brewer sticks out in the small craft brew community in Minnesota. But Piper is determined to make it. She wants her beer to be a success—and she’d like to own her own brewery instead of using her garage.

Blake Reed owns the newest gastropub in town, and he’s agreed to stock four of Piper’s brews, so clearly dating him is out of the question. No matter how attractive Piper finds him.

But their attraction is hard to deny, so Piper agrees to date Blake—if two other pubs will stock her beer. She’s on the verge of realizing all her dreams, and she can’t let a man get in the way. Then Piper gest a dream offer—one that will take her away from Minnesota, and Blake. Is living her dreams worth losing Blake?

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The snark between Piper and Blake is fantastic, and the secondary characters are just as enjoyable as they are. I had to resist the impulse to go track down some craft beer as well…

Suzanne Baltsar lives and writes in Pennsylvania. Trouble Brewing is her debut novel.

(Galley provided by Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.)

This was an entertaining, beer-themed romance. I liked the premise of female brew master since it is such a male-dominated field in real life. The one criticism I have of this novel is that although chapters were told from the perspective of both Piper and Blake, the voice used was the same. I don't mind different storytellers in a novel, but since the voice of these two characters was the same I kept having to reread to remind myself of who was telling the story or go back to the beginning of the chapter where the narrator was named. The chapters mostly alternated between the two, but there were several times where the same person told the story for two chapters in a row which made it difficult as well.

The first word that I think of to describe this book is cute. The story is cute. The couple is cute. The ending is cute. That’s not to say there isn’t substance, because this novel really delves into some important topics: feminism, sexual harassment, money, and obviously love and what that looks like for a modern woman trying to have a career in a male dominated field. In the end, though, this is a fun, easy read.

I learned a lot about brewing and now want to try all the varieties Piper makes, especially, a grisette. That French for little grey. I mean, it’s French, so of course I’m interested. She also provides some places in Germany I am adding to my travel booket list. My travel booket list is something I am working on for Blogtober. I am making a list of the places I have read about and now need to see. Think Culloden and the Scottish Highlands because of Outlander. Sorry, I got distracted, back to the review.

The dialogue and description are very well written. The story flows easily and seems to make be paced nicely. I would like to see a little more subtlety in the dramatic portions of the story. For instance, there is a scene with another brewer where literally, the guy says the worst things possible. Not innuendo, just point blank horribleness. Same with a scene with Blake’s family. Not a single bit of that interaction seems realistic. The people involved all behave in a nightmarish fashion. With a little bit of restraint, more verbal condescension instead of transparent rudeness, Baltsar could have created some intricate and more believable scenes.

Before I move on to characters, I have to stop and talk about the Gilmore Girls. Not only did this book literally reference Gilmore Girls (actually talking about specific scenes), but Piper got Blake to watch the series on Netflix. And like most oxygen breathing adults, once you start watching it, you are hooked. The book actually echoes some GG aspects. If you are a fan, and read this book, come back and tell me if you agree.


The Characters...

I probably have the same issue with the characters. Blake was a good guy. Piper was a determined woman. Blake’s family were all horrible without redeeming qualities. I loved seeing a woman working as a brewer, because this concept is so new to me. I just would have liked for the chracters to have more layers, just to keep it a little more interesting.




* Special thanks to Suzanne Baltsar, Gallery Books, and Netgalley for providing a copy of Trouble Brewing in exchange for an honest review.

Loved the title’s play on words; it was the first clue that this was going to be a fun and flirty read. This dreary rainy day could not have been better placed. I curled up and in no time immersed myself in Piper and Blake’s world, reading for hours, enjoying the snappy dialogue and ebb and flow of this easy reading chick lit story.

Piper is an ambitious young woman who is hellbent on making a name for herself in the traditionally all-male brew-making business. When one day out hawking her product, she fatefully meets Blake, a hunk with gorgeous hair who is opening a gastropub. It is a double whammy love at first sight. Enjoyed these two, their banter and the friends they hung out with.

*will post to online venues upon publication.

I’ll be honest, at this point in my life and reviewing career I should know better than to take the advice of publisher blurb-recommendations, but I live in hope and occasionally find a gem. But the comparisons in this blurb don’t connect on any level with the exception of food and drink. And that isn’t to say that this book was horrible, but using a story that contained both depth and emotion, and comparing it to a far lighter and less well developed romantic comedy is a failure- doing a disservice to the author and the story she brought forward.

In this book we meet Piper, a brew master who has just scored a coup – the local gastro-pub is going to stock four of her beers, and the owner, Blake, a guy she finds attractive and is giving her a shot at her dream. Now, moving onward, Blake has made a ‘deal’ with Piper – if she can convince two more pubs to stock her beer – she’ll go out with him. So – not so bad, but a far cry from the depth and solid heroine working for her dream that I hoped for.

And from nearly the first interactions through the last, the humor and Piper’s character were off – ‘carpet matching drapes’ comments are not only in poor taste, but when you first meet Blake’s friends and they talk like that? Seriously? And not only does she miss this infantile behavior as being a giant red flag – but she kisses Blake and then gets all “oh I shouldn’t have’ about it – a total backpedal where things just seemed to be thrown up to push them together or pull them apart, without regard for the actual reason we are there – her touted ‘dream’ of making her own craft brewery work.

I don’t know where the editor was on this one – and if the story was to be about her struggles in breaking into the industry as an anomaly – female brew masters are relatively rare – and then Blake being one of the stones on the path – that’s one thing. But this muddled mess of romance and dream-chasing, with a bit of family drama from Blake’s side being thrown in at random points without really going anywhere – the book was disappointing and lacked a solid plot or identity. Sadly, even as I hoped for something – development in characters, a seriously solid sense of place, the real struggle to move toward capturing a dream, and it never came. There’s a solid story when all of the chaff is blown away here – but it was far too muddled and required an identity, leaving me with no doubt that the blurb and comparing this title to one from Amy Reichert was a huge miss.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-a27/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>