"All Stirred Up" by Brianne Moore had the potential to be a tantalizing blend of romance and culinary exploration. While it certainly had its moments, overall, the book left me wanting more.

The premise of the story, featuring a talented chef and a charismatic food critic, promised an intriguing dynamic. The author's descriptions of food and cooking were vivid and mouthwatering, showcasing their knowledge and passion for the culinary arts. The culinary aspects were undoubtedly the highlight of the book, making it a treat for food enthusiasts.

However, where "All Stirred Up" fell short was in the execution of its romantic plotline. The chemistry between the main characters felt forced and lacked the depth and authenticity needed to truly captivate readers. Their interactions often felt contrived, and the progression of their relationship felt rushed and predictable. I found myself craving more emotional depth and complexity, which would have elevated the romance to a more satisfying level.

Additionally, the pacing of the story was inconsistent. At times, the narrative dragged on, dwelling too much on trivial details and diverting from the main storyline. On the other hand, some significant events were brushed over too quickly, leaving me wanting more exploration and development. This imbalance affected the overall flow of the book, making it harder to fully immerse myself in the story.

Despite its shortcomings, "All Stirred Up" had its redeeming qualities. The author's prose was engaging, and the culinary aspects were undoubtedly the book's strongest suit. The supporting characters added depth and complexity to the story, bringing a touch of authenticity and variety.

In conclusion, while "All Stirred Up" by Brianne Moore had its moments of culinary delight and engaging prose, it ultimately fell short in delivering a truly captivating romance. With more attention to character development and a better-balanced pacing, this book could have achieved the perfect blend of romance and culinary enchantment.

A story about Edinburgh and the cooking industry which were interesting to learn and read about. Honestly, this part of the story was what made me keep on reading. The romance angle just wasn’t there. Like, literally….not there.
Overall, a ok read for me.

All stirred up By Brianne Moore

Susan returns to her home city of Edinburgh to save her family’s flagship restaurant started by her grandfather that is on the edge of financial ruin.
On her return she discovers her ex boyfriend and grandfather’s protege is returning to the capital to open his own restaurant after years of success as a chef in New York and as tv celebrity.

It promised to be have all the components of a great story but alas if fell short. It’s is very slow tough going . I had great expectations but alas it fell short. Annoying characters and no real romance to speak of. Very disappointing.

Fun characters and a fabulous setting! All Stirred Up was exact what I wanted and what I was expecting. Actually no it was far more visual than I had expected! I can see someone who has never been to Edinburgh being able to picture every setting!

The conflict was well done considering communication issues often are not. This felt realistic!

definitely the type of book for people who love second chances and settings that act as a character!

This was a good second chance story between Susan and Chris. Add on some crazy family members and the stress of the restaurant business and will these two work out their problems? I loved the Edinburgh setting!

I'm so sorry, but this was a DNF for me. While I use to finish all books I start, I found it would be a great disservice to the author and her time spent on this book if I forced myself to finish knowing it wouldn't be a review that would encourage readers to pick it up.

A woman goes back now to her grandparent's restaurant with the hope of making it grand again, she finds out though that her former boyfriend and her grandfather's protege are opening his own restaurant as well in the same area. He made a name for himself in New York and now she does not know if what she is planning is the right plan. I thought this was going to be a good book but I found it to be slow and sometimes hard to follow. This is just me I am sure.

This was a cute second-chance romance. Light, funny and add in some serious moments and this was an easy read to get through.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Brianne Moore and Alcove Press for providing me with an eARC of this publication which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

I got this one from Netgalley quite a long time ago, now. And I was all excited to read this Persuasion retelling (as that's my favorite Austen) when I just got so behind on my reviews! 

So, I was really pleased to get to start this one in the beginning of this year! 

But, oh the disappointment! This one fell flat for me. I didn't hate, but, I definitely didn't love it, either. 

This book was Persuasion's boring cousin. And, that sounds terrible, but it's true. If you are wanting a story like this, but better--please, just pick up the original.

Thank you so much to @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 08 September 2020)

SYNOPSIS | Susan is taking over her grandfathers restaurant in Edinburgh & with the goal of fixing it up & returning it to its former glory. The only problem is that Chris (who previously worked as a chef at her grandfathers London location) is opening up a competing restaurant in Edinburgh too.

WHAT I LIKED:
- the premise of a culinary romance

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- the MC & love interest didn't even interact until after 50% way through the book
- I found myself bored by the vast descriptions of food, Edinburgh landmarks & the restaurant remodel
- there are A LOT of side characters
- this wasn't really a romance & instead should have been classified as a contemporary fiction

I got 20% into this book and I realized that this book just wasn't for me. I loved second chance romances and so I thought I would really enjoy this one one but I had a hard time following a lot with this story. I really want to start prioritizing books I actually want to read therefore I dnfed this book. Maybe i'll pick it up another time but right not it just isn't a priority.

I started reading the book, but was not drawn in & decided not to continue reading. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book, but it unfortunately just didn't work for me to continue with it.

Really cute romance! I read this one in a single sitting. I love any book centered around food, and of course adding a romance in the mix made this a great book for me. Definitely recommend!

This was an adorable book and I really enjoyed it. I like the romance aspects of it and the storyline was really great too.

Foodie fiction, with a bit of romance, and lots of lovely Scottish Edinburgh scenes. Susan has one last chance to rescue her family's restaurant. It's much worse than she thought and then it gets worse when her former boyfriend, Chris, opens a rival restaurant.

All Stirred Up was a fun read that I enjoyed for the most part.

What I liked:
-Susan’s passion and commitment to Elliot’s - and her grandfather’s legacy. Likewise, Chris’s passion and commitment to his own restaurant, and his desire to be known for more than his stint on reality TV.
-The descriptions of Edinburgh. Scotland is at the top of my travel wishlist, and I really enjoyed visiting vicariously.
-The eclectic and eccentric cast of characters. Susan and her two sisters were so different, and they were all believably flawed. Some of the characters and situations were over the top, but in an entertaining way.

What I didn’t like:
-The romance...or lack of it. As I was reading, I mentioned this to a friend who had read and enjoyed the book and she said it was because it’s a retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Well, I’ve never read Persuasion, and while I’m all for a slow burn, it took way too long for Susan and Chris to get together. Then when they finally did, despite being a second-chance romance and their previous relationship being established, it felt way too insta-lovey. They knew each other ten years ago as early twenty-somethings and then they spent all that time apart with hard feelings between them. When they were reunited, they spent hardly any time together, most of their interactions were rife with misunderstandings, and they didn’t get to know each other for who they were now (I’m certainly not the same person I was ten years ago), but that didn’t stop them from falling in love. I wish we’d seen them together more - and with fewer misunderstandings - and had seen them getting to know each other and not just reminiscing about the past.
-The food talk bordered on too much. I’m a total foodie. I love to cook and I love to eat. I even enjoy reading about characters who are chefs or bakers. But these two spent far more time in the kitchen than they did together, and it was a bit much.

Overall, despite my issues, I did enjoy this book. I found it entertaining, I liked the characters, and I loved the setting.

I was so very excited to read this book, The blurb was absolutely adorable, it sounded just like everything I wanted it to be. It was overall cute and lighthearted. I did enjoy the characters but I found the overall plot to be quite boring. There was a lot less romance than I thought there would be, instead the focus was more so on the family drama, which would have been fine if the book had been pitched as such. I was left disappointed with what could have been a great story.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a free copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Jane Austen. In fact, one of my arms has given a large amount of space to a tattoo that is inspired by that love. Persuasion in particular is one of my two favourites, and I was really looking forward to reading another take on the story I love so much. I love a sweet, chill read like this.

That said, this one fell a bit flat for me. I was tempted to DNF but I knew it would be quick so I kept going, and frankly I have no strong feelings one way or the other about that decision. The characters were a little irritating at times which bothered me since I had been so long forward to them, and I found myself feeling like I was reading an early draft of a Sophie Kinsella book, one which could have done with another few rounds of edits.

That said, it's not that serious, and anyone looking for a cute, quick read that doesn't take up too much emotional real estate will enjoy this just fine. No major gripes, but not much to praise either.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Felt very tempted to DNF within the first chapter - how annoying could those characters be? Then glad I pushed through because those same annoying characters become background noise after a while. And it's written in present tense, which is a huge pain for me personally.
Minus the First Person POV and the hero's POV, this read a lot like the 'recent years' Sophie Kinsella books in that it centered on a flawed heroine amid a chaotic family and she's coming to grips with love. I would not categorize this as a romance, though, because there isn't much romantic in there. More the chick-lit verging on women's fiction/family vibe, and if you approach it this way, then you'll enjoy this story.
The food descriptions were definitely there, which helped, and I commend the author for trying to make Edinburgh come alive, though the descriptions felt like they were parachuted in (and could be removed with no effect on the story)
It's a nice enough read...but don't expect romance, or love, or romantic angst and the like. This is a family's story first and for all, to be honest

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.