Although I did receive this ARC in exchange for an honest review, my review is not swayed by this in any way.

This book is so good!!! I read it in two sittings. There’s a foul mouthed African Gray parrot. I mean, how can you not love that?! The drama this little guy causes is hilarious.

Seriously though, Zander is such a dream boyfriend! He’s sweet, thoughtful, kind, compassionate, fun, and knows what he wants (Imani). Sign me up for having him pine after me! Yes, please!!

Imani and her relationship with her Gigi reminds me of the relationship with mine. They would do anything for each other and are always there for each other. Although, this Gigi has a bit more sass than mine does. Read it, and you’ll know what I mean.

The steam level is open door and man is it hot up in here!

Don’t miss out on this one! I can’t wait to go back and read Dylan’s other book, How Sweet It Is, about one of the other brothers in this novel.

All Fired Up is my first book by author Dylan Newton.

I read almost this entire book in one sitting and it was so fun! This author was likened to Abby Jimenez and I can see why- such relatable characters, friendship, a sweet romance, and lots of subtle life lessons. I enjoyed this sweet and fun romance and the reminder of living in the moment being my favorite storyline.

I was also excited to see the announcement of a sequel - I’ll definitely be back to see where the author takes these characters next!

All Fired Up was sweet and charming, a great follow-up to How Sweet It Is. For readers who miss Drake and Kate, it's fun to see bits and pieces of their life in this story while keeping up with Imani and Zander.

I really enjoyed how Imani and Zander are so strong and have great personalities as individual people. Zander is written in a way that you fall in love with him only physically, but even more through his actions and who he is as a brother, son, friend, and possible boyfriend... Imani is a girlboss and definitely a strong, independent woman who doesn't need a man. However, when they come together it's even better because their chemistry is undeniable!

The story felt like a backward romcom since they did all the bases backward, but it made for so many sweet memories and you can see Imani and Zander learn more about each other and grow as better people for each other through each chapter. It's cool to see how what seems like opposites attract at first glance may bring together two people who may not be so different at all. Not only is there a great romance, but the book covers topics like mental health and the importance of learning to face them whether it's finding a healthy way to cope or talking with others. Overall, the book followed a nice pace and was an enjoyable read for sure.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it! This light and flirty rom-com features Imani, a book publicist who is back in her hometown to care for her ailing grandmother and reconnects with a former fling. Imani is Type A and organized, while her former fling Zander Matthews flits through life without a care in the world. Needless to say, this drives Imani crazy, and as much as she wants to be with Zander, she can’t see herself as the kind of person who can be without structure or her ever present planner. The characters are likable and their antics are believable yet hilarious and keep the story moving quickly. I especially liked Imani’s grandmother, who was always ready with good advice and a quick wit! After finishing this book, I learned it’s the second book in a series. I can’t wait to read more about the Matthews brothers and will be picking up the first book ASAP! This book was hard to put down and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a fast paced romance!

Many thanks to Forever and Net Galley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

LOVE LOVE LOVE! This book was amazing! I absolutely loved Imani. I felt like I connected with her on so many levels. She is type A to the max and I couldn’t relate more to that. I too carry my own Mary Poppins bag.

The relationship Imani has with her Gigi was heartwarming. It reminded me very much of my relationship my grandma and I had. Her Gigi’s dirty comments had me cracking up!

Don’t even get me started on Zander! Ugh I just loved him! His love for Imani had me melting. I absolutely loved this book! The ending wrapped it all up in a pretty bow! Highly recommend!

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

Alright. Let's start this out by saying. I loved How Sweet it Is by Dylan Newton. Loved it. Like so many sophomore titles in a series....this one was just ok. I'm not sure what I wanted from these characters....but I definitely did not achieve it. The entire beginning of the book I spent all, and I mean all my time trying to remember what I missed in How Sweet it Is. To the point, I pulled out my copy and skimmed. You know what I found out? I missed nothing. Dylan choose to write the beginning of this novel like we (as the reader) should remember what happened. Until I pulled out the copy and confirmed...I was hella confused. So much that I missed a big part of this story.

As we moved into the story and I became a little more comfortable with the characters...I still needed more. The chemistry was great....but the dialogue was tiresome. We get it. You don't want a relationship with Zander....but Zander wants a relationship with you.

The conflict was predictable and of course the happily ever after was happy.

Overall. I would not recommend this title....EXCEPT...it is a series. This is one you get through to get to the next story. Sorry. Not sorry. I liked it. Did not love it. If I had not fallen in love in book one this would have been a dnf for me.

All Fired Up by Dylan Newton

As a successful book publicist, Imani Lewis works night and day to promote her authors. It’s her dream job, but she’s become a total workaholic. So when her grandmother invites her to stay for the summer as she recovers from surgery, Imani happily agrees. But being back in the same small town as her one-night stand may not be quite the relaxing break she envisioned…

Zander Matthews wakes up every day determined to enjoy the present because he knows from his time in the Marines that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. But he’s never gotten over the beautiful woman who blew through town a year ago, then disappeared. And he doesn’t want to be hurt again. So they agree to a deal: he’ll help Imani fix up her grandmother’s house as long as they stay firmly in the friend zone.

Whether it’s repairing tiles in his ceramics studio, dodging nosy neighbors, or soothing the most obnoxious parrot ever, Zander never fails to make Imani laugh. And soon their friendly banter is turning ever flirtier. But since Imani’s stay is temporary and Zander can’t be tied to anything beyond the most tenuous plans, will she be able to handle it when things get all fired up?

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Thank you to NetGalley and Forever books for the ARC of All Fired Up! This book was a light and breezy read. I literally loved Zander’s character and how he pursued Imani.. like I need to take notes from Zander for my “dream man” list. Anyways.. this book was so great. I loved how it wove grief and healing into it as well. I want to read the first book in the series, and I can’t wait for more!
4 ⭐️

I stumbled upon How Sweet It Is about 6 months ago and devoured it in one night. I have been looking forward to All Fired Up ever since, and it did not disappoint!

While still getting to peek into Kate and Drake’s life, we now get to learn more about opposites attracting with Imani and Zander. Imani , who seems to take life too seriously and Zander, who is very laid back have not seen each other since their two night stand almost a year ago.

Imani is coming home for the summer in Wellsville to help take care of her Gigi who is having knee surgery, and for Kate’s baby shower. Gigi is a hilarious (and dirty minded) grandma who has a very dirty mouthed parrot named Lancelot who adds lots of laughs to the story.

Zander, who has lived in Wellsville most of his life, takes things as they come and lives in the moment. He’s not one to typical get into a serious relationship, but would really like to try with Imani. He is there whenever Imani needs help while she keeps him at arms length.

Will Imani & Zander find a way to make it work, or will their differences be to much to overcome?

I loved How sweet it is (book one) but this second book in the Matthews' brothers' series just hit me in all the feels in the most perfect way. I couldn't put this dual perspective, second chance at love, interracial romance down!

Imani is Kate's best friend and Drake's publicist, an overachieving type A personality who comes to Wellsville to spend the summer with her grandmother. Right from the start this book had me laughing so hard. When Imani and Zander are awkwardly reunited, the hilarious pink glitter crop top Zander wears in order to give Imani his own shirt. Zander himself is a fun loving guy who doesn't like to take things too seriously but he is very serious about finding out whether he and Imani can make a relationship work.

I thought Zander and Imani complemented one another so well. Zander helps Imani learn to slow down and appreciate the now, while also opening her up to the possibility of a different future than the one she thought she always wanted. They both also have experience with survivor's guilt and trauma from losing loved ones unexpectedly. Imani in particular is dealing with mental health issues and finally becomes brave enough to seek professional help.

Highlights: all the quirky side characters, including Gigi, and a fowl-mouthed parrot. The friendly small town vibes and the overall swoony nature of Zander as a hero. Highly recommend this series!!
Much thanks to NetGalley and Forever for my advance review copy!

Steam level: a couple open door scenes, fairly PG overall though

Imani Lewis is a successful publisher, which is her dream job. But when her grandmother asks her to come stay with her for the summer as she recovers from surgery, she takes a haitus from work and heads to Wellsville.

Despite Wellsville being a small town, Imani plans to avoid Zander Matthews at all cost. This summer is about relaxing, and running into her one-night stand after her best friend’s wedding is not on the agenda. But fate, and Zander, have other plans.

I really enjoyed the sparks and banter between Imani and Zander. I loved meeting Imani in How Sweet It Is, and I was so excited for her story.

I really liked how Kate and Drake were a big part of this story while not overshadowing Imani and Zander. I imagine it’s difficult to incorporate a couple who was previously center stage as prominent side characters, but Dylan pulled it off brilliantly.

One of my favorite relationships in this story was between Zander and his brother Ryker. They have some strong similarities - both served in the military - but their temperaments and quite different. I can’t wait to see more of these two in Ryker’s book.

I thought the conflicts in All Fired Up were very believable! I won’t spoil any of the plot, but I thought it moved very naturally and I was very happy with the story’s resolution.

All Fired Up was an absolute home run for me, and I am so excited to read Ryker’s story next year. Dylan has cemented herself as an auto-buy author for me!

Thank you to Forever Pub and Dylan Newton for the opportunity to read the physical ARC and to NetGalley and Forever Pub for the gifted eARC in exchange for my thoughts. My opinions are my own.

All Fired Up is a cute rom-com that follows Imani and Zander as they go from fling to friend zone to more. It has many sweet and funny moments and tackles some deeper issues as well related to physical and mental health. This is a good romance for readers who don't like a lot of spicy scenes and want a more heartfelt story.

I am super sad to be writing this review. I adored How Sweet It Is last year and have been anxiously awaiting this book. However after reading 40%, I have found myself not excited to read it or wanting to pick it up. I’m not a fan of the way people talk about Zander. I also don’t think I was prepared for the heaviness of Imani’s story line and am not in the mental space to be reading about depression right now. I can’t wait to hopefully revisit this someday when I’m in a place to read this.

This is the first book I read by this author, so I walked into it completely unsure of what to expect. So when I tell you it hit the spot in February, I mean it!

I loved the story, and it reminds me of so many tropes of friends who make a deal to help each other out, and then catch feelings for one another. (I don’t want that to be a spoiler, but we all knew that’s what would happen, right?)

At any rate, the friendzone deal between Zander and Imani sets the stage for an adorable story full of laughs and sweet moments in their developing friendship. Zander is so many male leads, afraid of getting hurt again. And Imani is the most relatable workaholic yet. It took me back to the days when I was a 20-something hyper-focused on my career, before marriage, before kids. And I found myself wishing Imani would take a risk as the flirty banter began.

All in all, I loved this book and want to go back and read the first book now!

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for the ARC!

All Fired Up is a sweet, heartfelt opposites-attract rom com, written in a similar lighthearted prose as Newton’s How Sweet It Is. I loved reading Zander and Imani’s funny banter, but the true comedic award goes for Lancelot the vocalizing parrot who has a knack for perfect timing. This is also one of the most hilariously accurate literary depictions of labor and delivery, and I was rolling with laughter through the end. Recommended!

This was such a cute book, and exactly what I needed to read in February! I loved being able to go back and read about Zander and Imani’s story, and to continue Kate/Drake’s story from How Sweet It Is. I really like the one-night stand trope/second-chance romance in this book. This book is great for those who don’t like too much spice, but still want some in a contemporary rom-com. The mental health aspect in this book with panic attacks/ PTSD was written really well, and I love how it’s being written into so many romcoms. ​​​​​​​​
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The only reason why I didn’t give this 5 stars is that there were so many fancy words used in the book that I had to look up to understand the meaning! I love learning new words while reading, but this one had so many so I switched halfway through from the physical book to my kindle since it’s easier to just click the word for the definition! ​​​​​​​​
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I can’t wait for book 3 to read about Ryker’s love story! If you haven’t read How Sweet It Is yet, read that and pre-order All Fired Up!

A delightful story that had me swooning over the chemistry between the main characters. I can’t wait for the next story about another Matthews brother!

All Fired Up is the perfect romcom for those who enjoy a cleaner romance (one that's not completely about sex but rather the relationship). I devoured this book by Dylan Newton and know that after reading this one I'm going to be a fan for years to come! This is a wonderful read and I read it in nearly one sitting! Highly recommended!

I love a sweet romance where the guy falls first and this new release gave me just that! The female MC is struggling with what she wants for her future, keeping all the parts of her life under neat control, and resisting the guy she met at her best friend’s wedding… all at the same time! So something is bound to go awry… I couldn’t get enough of the funny banter between to two main characters and seeing all the amazingly helpful things a guy will do to support the girl he’s fallen for makes my heart skip a beat! If you need a cheerful, fun, funny romance definitely check out this book when it releases May 17, 2022!

Probably closer to a 2.5, since I usually reserve a 2 for books that I plain don't enjoy, but I can't bring myself to round up.

For me, this was a very flat book. I felt like the story didn't pull me in much at all, it was kind of forgettable, and I didn't really feel connected to either character or believe the chemistry between them. Yes, there were a few cute scenes here or there that I enjoyed, but overall, not at all my book.

Also, that hot-air balloon on the cover was literally one chapter of the book - very misleading as to what the book's about.

This is a sweet romance book. I didn't realize it's the 2nd in a series, I will definitely be looking up the first. Imani and Zander have great chemistry, and there are some cute romantic debacles - lots of spilling on shirts and having to trade clothes. It's a quick read, and definitely has some tough moments with physical and mental health issues, but is overall a feel good book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for allowing me to read and review this book.