Georgia Beers can hardly do any wrong with me....I love getting my hands on her books as soon as they come out. I love the dialogue, the sweetness of the romance, it's just a perfect romantic getaway on my couch.
This second one about the Martini family focuses on Vanessa who's a teacher, the universe keeps placing her in the vicinity of Grace who happens to be the newly divorced mom of the problem child, Oliver, in her class.
I followed their road to happily ever after and closed the book once again very satisfied. As long as she keeps writing, I will keep reading.
One tiny point of critique: Oliver's storyline was set up like it was a big part of the story, but faded to the background rather quickly. That part could have been a bit stronger.

***Thank you for giving me the opportunity to write a review based on this ARC. ***

This is the second book in Georgia Beers’s Swizzle Stick trilogy. I’d recommend reading book one prior to this but you won’t feel too left out if you don’t. Vanessa and Grace met at a parent-teacher conference and sparks immediately flew. Naturally they kept bumping into one another after that first rocky meeting and Vanessa’s cousins seemed to think this was fate. Their relationship progressed slowly and when they finally got together, t was hot! Good for them! Obviously, Vanessa being Grace’s son’s teacher was caused some major hiccups for Vanessa. This was a super sweet read and readers were able to become better acquainted with all our friends from book 1. I can’t wait for Amelia’s turn!

I did not read the first book in this Swizzle Stick Romance series but didn’t feel like I was that far behind understanding cousin Vanessa’s story without reading Julia’s story first. The three Martini cousins act as a support system for each other and have Julia’s bar to celebrate and commiserate together as needs arise. Grace Chapman is not so fortunate. A newly divorced single parent, Grace has to juggle an inflexible boss at work, a son who is acting out at school and a mother who blames her for “not trying hard enough” to keep her marriage together. You can feel the pressure Grace lives with on the day to day. When Oliver’s school calls Grace at work to say he has been in a fight and will be expelled your heart goes out to Grace. Her first meeting with his judgy teacher Vanessa doesn’t improve Grace’s mood.

I loved this setup for the romance to come and Georgia Beers succeeds once again in turning sour grapes into sweet wine. Several meet cutes later along with a clear attraction for one another we get to watch Vanessa and Grace fall in love and yes, there is lots of steam in this book so enjoy the ride. When I read the blurb for the book I assumed Grace was straight so was pleased to see her bisexuality not being a factor at all in their budding relationship. I did worry about the parent/teacher relationship and this was a complicating factor in their HEA. I went in thinking this would be Vanessa’s story but found I was team Grace, cheering for her happiness and not happy with Vanessa’s behaviour when trouble began brewing in romancelandia.

This is a fairly low angst read where the romance overshadows the dark times and like many Beers books we’ve enjoyed, a lot of light hearted warm and fuzzy moments. A nice December read to get you in the holiday spirit. Time for me to read the first book in the series, Shaken or Stirred before the third book is released. I’m looking forward to Amelia’s book not just for her new business but as an older lesbian, I’m excited to see who she will meet and (hopefully) fall in love.

4.5 stars

An ecopy of this book was received with thanks from the publisher via NetGalley for review.

Vanessa Martini has strict rules about who she allows herself to date but when she keeps running into Grace Chapman she finds those rules matter a little bit less each time they see each other. Grace has just gotten a divorce and is having a hard time with everyone’s judgement on the state of her life. When she runs into Ms. Martini, her son’s teacher who can’t seem to hide what she thinks of Grace’s parenting skills, she is inexplicably drawn to the stern teacher. As they spend more time running into each other around town they find themselves edging closer to a relationship but aren’t sure if they can really make it work with all the obstacles in their way.
Georgia Beers is consistently one of the best and this one is no exception. I love series like this where we get to see family members falling in love, but as Georgia says in the foreword, it just isn’t realistic to have sisters all be WLW, so this series with a large Italian family that includes these three cousins was an excellent substitute. These three are hilarious together, I loved the first in the series and equally liked this one but I truly can’t wait for Amelia’s turn in the next one so I hope Georgia is writing quickly! This is a series and I would recommend reading them in order, they could be read independently but I don’t think you’d really want to miss all the fun in book 1. Overall great read, can’t wait to get my hands on the next one!

Swoooooon! This is the book you stay up late and get up early to read every day until it's completely consumed. When you start getting close to completion you monitor the page numbers because you really won't be ready to let the story end quite yet. Its not enemies to lovers, more like acquaintances that get to fall in love on a healthy timeline and not a whirlwind where you are wondering who drove the U-haul. The supporting characters are absolutely lovable and lend a wonderful dynamic to the story that makes you appreciate your family and besties in your own life just a little harder. The moment of angst is bearable, no tumultuous roller coaster, just a wonderful warm happy heart feeling by the end. So many funny quotes and laughable moments- a real pleasure to read.

This is the second installment of the Martini cousins series revolving around Vanessa Martini The cousin/ blest friend dynamic works well as a nice backdrop to the love story installments.

This story revolves around Vanessa meeting the recently separated mother of one of her students. The connection isn’t instant but the attraction is realized over several coincidental run ins

The characters felt authentic and fallible but work together. The two characters work through their hang ups of having to deal with dating with the baggage of their past and challenges of their current circumstances to find their way together.

Looking forward to reading the third cousin find her way to romance.

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I love this book. We back again with the three cousins/best friends.

This time the story is about Vanessa she a teacher who vow never date a straight woman or parent of one of her students. When she meets one of her students Oliver mother Grace because her son been acting out she quick to judge her despite the immediate attraction she feels toward Grace.

Grace is going through a divorce something she didn’t want despite knowing her marriage wasn’t going well she struggles with her son and people judging her especially her son teacher who she is attracted to. I like that Grace has supporting friends which in my opinion her mother should’ve been more supportive then judging her.

Vanessa and Grace seems to be bumping into each other which escalated their attraction and they give in. I love all the characters it was nice to see Julia Savannah Amelia I love that they called each other out. I was little annoyed by Vanessa with her judging Grace without even knowing what’s going in her life and being the one creating angst because of what someone said when no one else was worried about a teacher dating a student parent. I like Grace putting her foot down with her ex Michael about giving their son rules I actually like him he good dad and actually a good friend to Grace the only thing I kinda wish they sat down with Oliver and talk to him because as much I love kids in books he annoyed me. I can’t wait for Amelia story.


I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

This book has quickly risen on my list of favourite Georgia Beers books.

On the Rocks is book number 2 in Beers' Swizzle Stick Romance series. This one follows Vanessa Martini, the cousin of our protagonist from book one, as she finds herself falling for a student's parent. The parent in question is Grace Chapman. Grace is going through a divorce and is sick and tired of everyone judging her, including her son. Said son starts misbehaving in school prompting Vanessa to call in Grace and soon enough Vanessa is seeing her everywhere.

I've always admired the way Georgia Beers makes the most entertaining stories out of the most basic plots and this book is a prime example. The perfect amount of angst, romance, humor and drama. Vanessa is a bit of a stubborn character but very considerate and caring. Grace is kind of a mess but a good character either way. Together they made a hot couple. I especially like how even though Grace was getting divorced from a man, her sexuality was not a problem. It's refreshing when the book just slides into it without the whole dramatic queer realization.

The writing in this book is easy flowing, I can see this being a casual read on a busy day. Just a regular feel good romance.

If I had to sneak in a critique here it would be the underwhelming solution that Grace came to with her son. Struggling with his parents divorce, Oliver, has become to poster problem child. Random fits of anger and disrespect to his mom, he becomes a pain in the ass. The solution to this was Grace having a talk with his dad but I can't help but feel like the book was missing her having a talk with Oliver himself. No where in this book did she ask him how he felt.

All in all, I do recommend this book as much as I recommend almost every Georgia Beers book.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publishers in exchanged for a honest review.

In the second book of Georgia Beers’ swizzle stick romance series, we have Vanessa Martini taking centre stage. The synopsis was a big draw for me - who can resist a book that has characters who are opposites, at different stages in their lives, have everything against them yet see them fall helplessly in love?

Vanessa Martini draws her lines clearly, she is disciplined, cautious with commitment and always in touch with her feelings. Everything is true of her until she meets the mother of her troubled second grade student. Grace Chapman is barely getting by, she is losing grips with her life, her son Oliver is acting out over her divorce and she really does not need anyone more, let alone her son’s teacher judge her.

The book is big on love. No matter the circumstances, differences, love just finds you. Georgia Beers has this tenderness that is evident in all her characters. She made an unlikely pair with surmounting challenges work. The camaraderie of the cousins’ and their partners were really warming as well. I do wish to see more of this pair in the next book as some loose ends still have to be tied up. On to the next, Amelia Martini!

I just reviewed On The Rocks by Georgia Beers. Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC.

4/5 stars

I was so excited when I saw that Georgia Beers was releasing another book following a Martini cousin, this time the youngest cousin Vanessa. Beers is definitely one of my go-to authors, and coming back to her romance stories truly feels like a warm hug. I am truly glad she is such a prolific writer because it helps feed my growing addiction to her character-driven and chemistry-filled stories. Earlier this year I read and enjoyed her first book in the Swizzle Stick series, although I admit that it isn't my favourite from Beers. Despite this, I fell in love with the characters, a so I was very excited to jump back into their lives. I especially loved the cameos that we got from some old favourites, like Savannah, Julia and Amelia. It added a certain warmth to the story, making it feel like I was coming home and joining in with a group of my friends. Her loveable side characters, especially the Martini cousins, means that I am looking forward to reading all the books in the series.

This book was full of instant and steamy attraction between our main characters, flirty banter, and a fair few heartwarming moments. Grace, a recently-divorced mother of her young son Oliver, is sick of feeling judged by others as she tries to handle parenting the best she can. Vanessa, Oliver's teacher, feels that his recent bad behaviour in class might be because of his mother's inability to handle her divorce and its impact on her son. The poor footing that these characters start off on is immediately contradicted by the intense attraction that they feel for each other. Their dislike for each other at the start of the novel and the frowned-upon nature of parent-teacher relationships added a great deal of tension and intrigue to their relationship. The almost 'forbidden' and reluctant nature of their attraction for each other just emphasised the immediate chemistry and tension in the earlier interactions of our characters. This grew exponentially throughout the novel, with chemistry and sparks that seemed to fly of the page, and only grow as the book progressed. I think this is one of the reasons why I loved this book so much, the chemistry between Vanessa and Grace, despite their circumstances, was just so tangible. It was also a lot steamier than some of Beers other novels, which was a pleasant surprise.

Overall, I fell in love with the chemistry and the romance first and foremost in this book, but also stuck around for the fun and loveable side characters. I am not surprised that I once again love a Georgia Beers books, but as always I am looking forward to reading more from her.

I’ll have another Martini! ‘On the Rocks’ is the second book in Georgia Beers’ Swizzle Stick trilogy and it is as welcome as autumn. This is Vanessa’s story. She teaches at an elementary school, she gets a dog, she has a parent conference, she kisses the mother of one of her students, she… She did what?

If you read the first book (and you should) you know that Vanessa is the effervescent girl-next-door type. She is warm, friendly, and very compassionate, but not one to behave recklessly. She knows getting involved with a parent is a no-go. Yet is pulled towards Grace like iron to a magnet.

Grace is going through a complicated time. She’s getting divorced, she’s working as a florist, taking care of her son, and she just kissed his teacher. Her life just became more complicated. What is she going to tell her son? Should she even bother? What about her soon-to-be ex-husband? Complications or not she really wants to see where a relationship with Vanessa could go.

The other two Martini cousins (and Savannah) are there to give hugs and advice. So is a typical seven-year-old boy named Oliver and a senior dog called Delilah. It all comes together to make ‘On the Rocks’ the perfect holiday book.

𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻.

We have the queer cousins of the Martini family again and after Julia's story, we now have Vanessa's. Vanessa is a second grade teacher and Grace is the mother of one of her students, Oliver. There is a lot of focus on Grace in this one as she faces a lot of judgement for her recent divorce and stress for having a son with behavioural issues. And I like the premise. Mostly because I recognise those behavioural issues in a real life kid whom I know even though his circumstances are different from Oliver's. And Beers never disapoints when it comes to romance. I love the flirting between teacher and parent. The sex scenes are fantastic and there are some sex against the wall / countertop passionate ones.

But I hate that Vanessa pulls away at the first signs of trouble, especially when I didn't realise that she even had that flaw to begin with until things happened. And I also wish that there had been a better resolution to things like Grace's relationship with her parents and with Oliver, all of which seemed like important issues at the start. Particularly Oliver, who was literally at the centre at one point but seemed to fade into the background after a while.

This is the second book of A Swizzle Stick Romance. I love what the couple have romantically a lot but I'm less in love with some of the other stuff.

I enjoyed this book so much I want to read everything this author has ever written and will write.
I am now a big fan and can't wait for the next book is this series.

Many thanks to NetGalley/publisher/author for an advanced copy of this book!

This is another great read from Georgia and her happy little characters!

On the Rocks, is a nice fun read that should definitely have a follow-on book! The characters are relatable and likable and I really enjoyed reading about them all, especially as they all had "problems" you could genuinely relate to!

I would recommened this book!

Another great read from this author. Vanessa is a second grade teacher with a problem child. The child’s mother, Grace is juggling her demanding job, her divorce and the mood changes in her child while being judged at every corner, including her own mother. Their initial meet is not exactly something either of them wants to repeat but they keep running into each other in different and the chemistry between them is undeniable. This is a fun, sweet, steamy in places, read that will keep you entertained from start to finish. Can’t wait from the next one.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for sending an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beers is a great writer and this book does not disappoint. It is a quick, happy read and I am looking forward to reading the next in the series. I would like to see some of the characters from other books to make a cameo appearance, but that is more me rather than a mark on the book. I would recommend.

Reading a Georgia Beers book is like grabbing a hot chocolate and snuggling into your couch with your favorite plush throw and just going “mmmm”. You know you’re going to get a nice mushy story, MCs that have issues that they need to get over, nice flirty banter and some downright sappy “aww” moments. With “On the rocks” Georgia Beers certainly doesn’t disappoint on all those fronts.

This book is obviously part of a series and I missed reading the first book when it came out and some of the earlier characters do make a fun appearance - so much so it actually made me go and purchase the prior one (just for continuity sake you understand :) ) but really this can be read on its own. One difference I did notice was this seriously had way more steam than I’ve read in any other book by Georgia Beers. Don’t know whether it’s characteristic of the series - but it was a welcome surprise.

I liked Grace’s character, very relatable and I liked how her persona evolved as the story went on. I think Vanessa’s character could have been fleshed out a little more - it feels like that maybe some of that may gotten edited out perhaps? This book did feel shorter - I was just getting invested and then before I knew it “epilogue” which was a bummer I could have hung around for a few more chapters.

I liked this series and the end signaled the premise of the next one - which I will definitely wait for. Highly recommend a read 4.5 stars!!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for sending an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Georgia Beers, I give you my heart in each new book and you give it back to me shattered and in love with a new character
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Vanessa Martini, she has my heart as many times as she wants. Any of the Martini cousins ​​can take it away. I never tire of reading about them and although I enjoy every conversation they have, I love reading each love story
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This is the second book in the series Swizzle Stick Romances
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Vanessa Martini has rules, no straight women, no parents of students, nobody under thirty-five, she has rules for a very good reason, when she falls in love she does it completely and without respite. With her world under control, no love in sight, just mesured new things and her best friends, everything fine without counting the eyes of her troublesome student's mother.
Grace fills in all the boxes of her No-No but still fate and her body says otherwise
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This is a beautiful love story between an elementary school teacher who tries to balance her life without risking too much and a recently divorced woman who tries to take control of her life again.
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They both have incredible chemistry and no one handles slow burn among womens like Georgia Beers, one moment it's flames and in the next you're surrounded by emotions so heartwarming that you're going to need tissues
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Thanks to Georgia Beers and Bold Stroke Books for give me another beautiful love story to read in exchange for my honest opinion

I really enjoyed reading this. The story is told in alternating perspectives of Grace Chapman and Vanessa Martini. Grace is in the process of divorcing her husband and is raising her son Oliver on her own. Vanessa as Oliver's teacher, calls in Mrs. Chapman because her son has been acting out in school. Thus begins the tension-filled encounters. Vanessa thinks Grace is a mess and Grace doesn't appreciate the silent judgment. The chemistry between the characters is well-written and felt natural. The pacing is great and never gets boring. I love the Martini cousins and not just because they all love women. The conflict between the characters and within themselves were realistic and not overdone. Overall a great read.

I love the Martini cousins series because they are really cute together. It’s. Georgia Beers book so you know that the story is going to keep you riveted, the dialogue will flow, and it will be professionally edited. Vanessa right now is probably my favorite Martina, just like Julia was, but I already know that I’ll love Amelia just as much! Great series.