What a wonderful, emotional & great story! I have enjoyed each book in the series and was so happy that Charlotte now has her HEA. I was hooked from the story from the beginning. I was curious as to who Mitch was at first but totally loved him & how welcoming his family was to him. Even though his half brothers didn't know about him, it took bravery for him to go meet them. My heart broke for him as he was guarded at first and hesitant to open up but so happy when he finally learned it was o.k. Charlotte is a pretty independent woman but needed some help which is where Mitch came in. Loved how protective Brodie & Jack were of her, treating her like she was their little sister but their love & respect of each other was very clear. When it was apparent that both Charlotte & Mitch were attracted to each other it was heartwarming to see how the family treated them as a couple but still protective of Charlotte. I also loved the animals in this story.

Book 3 in Lori Foster's Road to Love series (Driven to Distraction, Slow Ride) introduces readers to Mitch Crews, the illegitimate half-brother of Brodie and Jake. Mitch has had a rough life, full of neglect and abuse, but has tried to do the right thing throughout. Being a driver once on a deal he thought would protect his addict mother landed him in jail for five years- which honed his self-preservation instincts and left him tough but not cruel. Once out of jail he wants to meet his unknown half-siblings and see if starting a new life might include new people. But he's unprepared for the warm welcome he gets from not only his brothers, but their mother, and their best friend Charlotte as well. He's also unprepared for the instant chemistry he has with Charlotte.

You can always count of Lori Foster to include some adorable animals in her books, but this is the first book I can think of where Mitch's rescue dog, a pit bull mix named Brute, is such a perfect reflection of his person. Both have been abused and neglected since childhood, neither trusts easily or has any idea what to do with unthreatening, non-judgmental acceptance. Both might want love, but don't know how to handle family. And both are willing to take a bite out of anyone who threatens the family they do claim. Mitch might have hoped for a chance to build a relationship with Brodie and Jack, but he never expected the acceptance he gets and has no idea what to do with it. It is both sweet and heartbreaking to see Mitch (and Brute) awkwardly try to work out how to interact with their new family when their expectations were so different. Fortunately, the Crews family is pushy enough not to let Mitch back away once they have him and they teach him just what family is supposed to mean. Mitch's relationship to Charlotte is similar: he's sure he's no where near good enough for her and as much as he wants her he backs away for her sake- and Charlotte isn't willing to let him back off too far.

Above everything, All Fired Up is a book about family. What it can be, what it should be, and how the really good ones are with you through the bad times as well as the good ones. When a drug dealer from Mitch's past threatens him, the entire Crews family steps up and surrounds him, both with love and with support of whatever violence might be necessary to end the threat. Mitch's new family might be a little kooky and a lot pushy, but he's on the road to learning that true family, like true love, is always willing to help you bury the bodies when needed.

Book 3 in a series, All Fired Up doesn't necessarily need to be read in order but could be a stand alone for new readers. The writing isn't as tight as some of Foster's books and drags in a few spots thanks to some repetition, but overall it's full of wonderful chemistry between Mitch and Charlotte, entertaining interactions among the family, and insanely adorable dogs. Grab your furry friend to read alongside you and enjoy!


I received an ARC of this book from BetGalley in exchange for an honest review

What a wonderful way to add to the Crews siblings! Charlotte is the center of the Crews business…keeping them organized and busy. She is bad S in her own way, but also sweet at heart. Mitch has been through such a tough life, thanks to his biological father knocking up his mom, and then helping to finance her demise.

I have really enjoyed this Road to Love series! The Crews family is wonderful! I enjoyed the backstory in this one, a lot. I loved the slow-burn romance, the characters, and the protectiveness of the “brothers”. All Fired Up has some romance, intensity, mystery, and family. Loved this 3rd book in this series! 4.5 stars.

Meh

Thanks to Justine Sha at Harlequin for inviting me to participate in the blog tour, and thanks to Lori Foster, Harlequin, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spoilers

This was a cute story. Not riveting but not terrible either. My overall feeling was an amicable “meh.” A little too cheesy for my taste.

Mitch was a nice guy if rather bland. It felt like he was supposed to come off as a tough-guy bad boy but he really wasn’t. Waaayy too compassionate and patient. Charlotte got on my nerves a little; she felt a bit like a lapdog with a high-pitched yip. She’d bark and growl for attention or to try to intimidate, but there was zero threat to her, and sometimes I just wanted to tell her to sit down and shut up. I did appreciate that she didn’t hesitate to lock herself in her office and call the police, though, even if she felt like she was overreacting. I feel like we got to know Mitch much better than her, but I suppose that’s because it’s largely his story; 95% of the conflict is his.

The supporting characters were pretty much on par with those two. Didn’t dislike any of them. I even liked Ronnie more than the leads; she had more charisma in her pinky finger than the lot of them combined. I wouldn’t have minded if she’d had a larger role.

The baddies were garden variety villains. The one-dimensional I’m-evil-because-the-story-needs-a-bad-guy type. I wouldn’t call them bumbling idiots but they weren’t far off.

If I had any problems with the overall story, I would say the opening scene was unfortunate. Mitch was hiding in the shadows, watching Charlotte struggle first with car trouble, then with a couple of drunk assholes, and all the while he was thinking how hot and sexy she is and what he’d like to do with her. Honestly, I half expected him to whip it out and start jerking off like a fucking creep. It took him way too long to step up and offer her help.

Later, Charlotte said that she never feared him for even a second, and I call all kinds of horse shit on that. She was alone in a parking lot outside a bar late at night, she had a flat tire and was for all intents and purposes stranded, no one she called for help was answering the phone, and two drunk guys were already harassing her and not taking no for an answer. Why she didn’t lock herself in her car or go wait in the bar, I don’t know. She gave some reason for not going back inside, but that was horse shit, too. But then, on top of all that, this hulking, scruffy-looking guy, a stranger, materializes out of the shadows and looks at her like she’s water and he’s dying of thirst, and she’s not even the least bit uncomfortable? I call that too stupid to live. Luckily, though, she made up for it when she hid in her office.

Overall forgettable, but if you want a light romantic suspense set in a small town with a heavy theme of family and redemption, this could hit the spot.

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What I’m Talking About:

All Fired Up is the third book in the Road to Love series by Lori Foster and I believe it's the last one, at least it wrapped up nicely to be the last book in the series about the Crews family. 

Our heroine, Charlotte has been around since book 1, Driven to Distraction. She is like a little sister to Brodie and Jack, the Crews brothers featured in previous books. She works with them as their spunky office manager.

Charlotte is all business when she is at work and she believes she can apply a business-like attitude to finding someone to date and have a future with. She thinks someone plain and normal like her is what she needs and wants. She knows she's not going to be with someone like the Crews boys. They are large, loud and always in trouble. 

Enter Mitch Crews. The brother no one knew about (well dear old dad knew but he didn't bother telling them). Mitch is a great guy who spent five years in prison doing something stupid to help his drug-addicted mother. He did not have the same family life growing up as his half brothers did, but he doesn't have a chip on his shoulder about it. 

For me, the best things about All Fired Up is the fact that the secret about Mitch did not drag out, he met his brothers in chapter one and was upfront with them from the being. Another thing I really liked is the fact that Mitch was a good guy despite his crappy childhood and he didn't want anything from his brothers but to be a part of a family. 

The only thing I wish was a little different was the romance between Charlotte seemed to take a back seat to Mitch getting to know his brothers. Not a bad thing really, but I could have used at least a second smoking love scene with them. LOL 

All Fired Up wrapped things up with Ros, Brodie and Jack's mother and their father which I really enjoyed seeing them get a HEA for now. And as always the added characters with the Brute, Mitch's dog and Howler, Brodie's dog was fun. 

Looking for a slow burn romance between two great people who deserve love in their lives, and a full cast of funny supporting characters try All Fired Up. I think it works best as part of the series so read the previous books to get a full understanding of the secondary characters and their relationships.

This is an opposites attract romance with a bit of suspense thrown in and with a splash of heat or maybe more of a LOT of heat. Charlotte has worked with the Crews brothers and kept them in line for years and watched them find their happy endings. She would like hers but she has certain things she is looking for and bad boys are not part of that, in fact, the more boring the better...or so she thinks. That is until she is stranded on the side of the road and Mitch Crews comes to her rescue. He is definitely not boring and is the definition of bad boy, through and through. Mitch has come to town looking for his family and that did not include getting involved but the heart wants what the heart wants. This story can be read as a standalone but I recommend reading all three as I really enjoyed this one more than the first two but really recommend all three.

**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

I’m a huge Lori Foster fan and I was not disappointed with this book! Lori’s character development allows you to get to know each person intimately. You feel like part of the story and that these people are your family. I don’t write spoilers so you will have to read this 3rd book to find out what happens. There’s family, acceptance, strength and suspense! There’s also some danger and some serious steam! Oh and don’t forget all the animals!! I think is this my favorite of the three! I received an advanced readers copy and this is my honest and unsolicited review.

Mitch has not had an easy life and has made the best of the hand that he was dealt even if some mistakes were made along the way. He is looking for a new beginning and has created a plan to reunite with the family he had never met but rescuing a woman with car trouble becomes a game changer.

When Charlotte experiences car trouble she has help on the way when Mitch comes to offer his assistance. There is no denying the chemistry and connection between them but between his family and his past things are about to get complicated.

There is so much more to Mitch than first appears. Due to his past he isn’t quick to trust others or allow them too close but there is something about Charlotte that breaks through his walls and he soon realizes that she is no fling but his forever.

Fantastic story! The reader gets pulled in from the beginning and it's non stop action and romance from the start. Great family dynamics between the new hero and his newly found family.

All Fired Up by Lori Foster is the third book in her Road to Love series. If you haven't read the previous two, no worries, this one holds up well as a stand alone. Yet, I guarantee after you read it you will want to go read the other two brothers' books.

Mitch has had a rough life growing up and recently out of prison and trying to put the past behind him. Part of moving on is introducing himself to his half brothers who don't know he exists. When he finds them he also finds the woman they consider a sister, Charlotte Parish. She is beautiful, feisty and inexperienced when it comes to men, but she holds her own alongside the brothers. Mitch and his faithful dog Brute go from being alone in the world to surrounded by more family and support than he knows what to do with. Now he just has to make sure the ugly from his past doesn't hurt his new family and his future with Charlotte.

Lori Foster knows how to create great characters. All the different personalities' mange to work well and I never once found myself bored. Mitch is stand-offish and has his guard up but his new family chips away at his armor. Especially Charlotte who he has an instant connection with, she makes him feel peace. Their relationship is fast paced on even though they spend the first half of the book avoiding the sexual tension. When they come together it's not just a physical connection but an emotional experience as well.

All Fired Up an enjoyable read and Mitch and Brute are probably my favorite man/dog pair up of the three brothers. I highly recommend this series for romance readers who like their stories with a side of lovable animals and a bit of suspense.

Another great book!!! I love anything Lori Foster writes! She never disappoints me. Her storytelling astounds me!! Can't wait for her next book!!

The Crews family has raised Charlotte since her parents died. Now they have a surprise when Mitch their half brother steps into the scene and there is instant attraction with Charlotte. Third in a series. ARC from NetGalley.

Unpredictable gives irresistible a run for it's money. All Fired Up puts the mystery back in romance. Charlotte and Mitch give dangerous a bad name. Foster sets bookshelves ablaze with a whole lot of drama, wrapped inside a handful of suspense, that puts the senses on high alert. Be still my beating heart. This one's a scorcher.

This is such a great series! Lori Foster has been a favorite author of mine for a while, and I'm really enjoying the fantastic characters in this series. The Crews family is a close knit bunch of truly unique personalities with equally unique pets. Mitch was a perfect addition to the family though he had trouble seeing himself that way. Charlotte had been longing for a relationship, but until Mitch, she had not found anyone she connected with. With Mitch, connection was instant. Mitch just wants a chance at having a family and an opportunity to start over after a difficult past. When he finds exactly that, he knows it's too good to be true. He's right because trouble has followed him. If there is any good thing about this past, it's made him more than capable of protecting what's his, and this family, especially Charlotte, is his.

Net Galley provided an ARC for review.

Lori Foster brings all of her best writing traits to the table in All Fired Up; a bad boy hero who is really a great man, a feisty heroine who proves she is so much stronger than most give her credit for, a tantalizing plot filled with family secrets, love, and a bit of suspense to keep everyone on their toes.
Charlotte Parrish wants nothing more than to find a man who will treat her right and be by her side through good times and bad someone like her pseudo brothers who she works for in the family business. When Mitch Crews steps in to help her with a problem, she is instantly intrigued and then finding out he is the half brother of her bosses, she knows she definitely doesn’t have any brotherly feelings towards him. But, Mitch has a past that’s not so pretty and he feels that Charlotte deserves more than an ex-con in her life, but her acceptance of him throws him for a loop and soon he begins to see that she is a very special woman indeed.
I loved everything about this book and yes the romance was huge, it played out perfectly for this couple but this was about so much more than just them. This book was about family, acceptance, and people being kind, decent human beings. Mitch is thrown into confession almost at the start of this book that he is the product of an affair that Brodie and Jack’s dad had with his mom, but what he didn’t expect was the outright acceptance into their lives and into their mother’s life. Roz, I can’t say enough about momma Roz, because she is an amazing woman who raised amazing men and took in Charlotte when her mother passed away, but when she fully and completely accepted Mitch as part of the family I wanted to weep.
While yes Mitch is an ex-con the circumstances in what happened were not wholly his own fault and it was easy to see that he was a good man. Unfortunately the man his mother had been involved with and the man that got him sent to prison was not a good guy and wants nothing more than to get to Mitch for a bit of payback.
There are a few surprises in this book that intrigued me and I have to say I loved the way this family rolled with the various things thrown at them throughout this story, it just goes to prove that together they can work through anything.
From start to finish I was thoroughly engaged and immersed in All Fired Up making it impossible to put down and one I know I will enjoy again and again.

I’m a huge book fan of Lori Foster and she never disappoints! This story reminded me of an old fashion love story, slow-paced and getting to know someone before moving to the next step. You have to love the Crew family as they are loyal to each other and accept you for who you are! Hope to see more of these characters in the future. Great work, Lori!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy.

These books are way too long. There is so much time spent on inner dialogue. The premise of this was interesting but way too unbelievable how everything went so perfectly. They just welcome an ex-con with open arms because he looks similar and drives a mustang!? I would have liked to get to know the heroine a bit more. She was reduced to damsel in distress.

All Fired Up is the third book in the Road to Love series by Lori Foster and while it is part of the series, it can be read as a stand alone. I actually haven't read the first two in the series myself but liked this one enough that I would go back and read them.

The book revolves around Mitch Crews who is on a mission to meet his half brothers, Jack and Brodie Crews. While he's never met either, he knows about them from their father but they don't even know he exists. He hasn't had an easy life, growing up with a drug addicted mother, an absent father, and his mother's boyfriend/dealer. Having just been released from prison a year ago, the one thing he wanted was to get his life in order and meet his family. So it's sweet to that when he finally does, they are so accepting of him, even Jack and Brodie's mom, Rosalyn. They embrace him with open arms, even when he opens up about his past. He also never thought that he'd find a woman like Charlotte Parrish when he meets them. While she isn't related to the gang, they consider her a younger sister and are very protective of her. But Charlotte knows her own mind and she likes what she sees when it comes to Mitch.

Mitch is very wary when it comes to his new family. He's not used to being part of one and all the intricacies of having others care about you. He's so used to being on his own that when Mitch's past catches up with him, his immediate instinct is to deal with it himself but his family is not having any of it. They are going to make him realize that he's stuck with them, whether he likes it or not and Charlotte feels the same.I liked the story as a whole. I love the family aspect, the immediate acceptance into the fold and trying to get it into Mitch's stubborn head that he is now one of them. I loved how Ros, even though she was not blood related, was so happy that her son's had another brother and was angry at their father for never letting them know. I did feel like the romance was very light in this and I didn't entirely buy the feelings between the two. I would have liked to see more of them as a couple because I didn't feel like I got enough. The whole build up with the bad guys was also weak. They didn't feel that threatening, but more of a nuisance really. The story was entertaining and the family dynamic was really what kept me reading the story and loving the characters.

This is the 3rd book in the Road to Love Series. While I loved the other 2 books I definitely feel this is my favorite book. There were so many raw and heartfelt emotions, loveable characters you wanted to cheer for and past characters you were able to connect with.
I highly recommend this 5 star story. While it can be read as a stand alone, I feel it would be best if read in order.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to express my own and honest opinion of this story.

You guys- seriously, I didn't know what to expect going in to 'All Fired Up'; and to be honest, the first few paragraphs of Mitch's inner dialogue scared me a little. I was like is he going to help this girl? Attack her? Throw her over his shoulder and drag her to his cave?
What I ended up with, without giving too much away, was a rare find in the romance world- tough, vibrant characters who are all heart and a very compelling story that wasn't pat formula, nor was it all a straight boring line to happily ever after. Lori Foster, thank you for such a fun read! You have a reader for life; I am only sorry for taking so long to get here!
'All Fired Up' drops November 19th and is available for preorder.
Do not miss it!