Georgia Beers is the real deal. I've been reading her books from the start and she just gets better and better. Beers is a pro at bringing relationships to life - making us laugh and tugging at our heartstrings the whole time.

Having said that, I honestly was not a big fan of this "shaken" series. I'm not sure why - I just couldn't get pulled into the stories. However, this third and last in the series stood apart from the others. I really liked Amelia and Kirby - especially Amelia who had been through so much and was so unsure of herself. This was a joy to read. Although not a book that was impossible to put down, it was one that I looked forward to picking back up each night to read.

Finally the last of the Martini cousins finds her mojo. After a complete change of life - career, marriage, house - Amelia meets someone special. The whole set up of house sitting, with 2 adorable canines, and an attractive decorator works so well. I wish I could see a photo of the rooms as they were transformed. I really like the inclusion of how rubbish the peri-menopause can be and the way self confidence is hammered by the changes in your body, especially the new weight distribution! An excellent end to this series; Amelia deserved to be happy and in love.

This age-gap romance provides some individual perspective into aging and the challenges that can come along with it. This is the third story in the Swizzle Stick Romance. Amelia Martini, divorced, retired, low self-esteem, and kinda looking for a relationship. Kirby Dupree, loves life, keeps herself busy with various activities, has a successful painting business, and is kinda looking for a relationship. When the two meet, Amelia thinks no way is this 30 something interested in her. On the other hand, Kirby finds Amelia beautiful, sexy and interesting. Loss is one thing Kirby and Amelia have in common. I feel for Amelia but I really enjoyed Kirby and how she handled her interaction with Amelia. I also like the cousins Julia and Vanessa, they are so supportive as well as their significant others Savannah and Grace. Entertaining read with a twist.

Loved this book,and the series as a whole. I think this was my favorite, but all three books were awesome. The relationship between Kirby and Amelia was all kinds of cute and sexy at the same time. I liked that this was an age gap Romance, but the age gap didn't factor into the main characters getting together. Kirby to me seemed like an old soul in a young persons body, and Amelia could seem kind of young at times especially with her thinking about her body issues, and life choices. I really liked the relationship between these two, because they balanced each other out. I loved that this book included everyone from the previous books as well. We got to see how life was going for Julia, Vanessa, and their significant others. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family, and I look forward to what this author writes next.

I was in need of a feel go book and With a Twist did the trick. Actually, I thoroughly enjoyed this entire series by Georgia Beers. It was the right mix of family, romance, witty banter, and in the case of this book dogs, body positivity, and excellent relationship communication. I will certainly miss the Martini family and their conversations in the Bar Back, but I feel better knowing that all of the cousins found true love. 4.5 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed reading Georgia Beers' latest series. I am sad to see it end.

With a twist is the 3rd and last in the series of the sizzle stick series. And even tho I'm sad to see it end, it was such an adventure.
With a twist focus on Amelia, the oldest of the martini cousins, and Kirby, we watch how the two overcome life problems and blossom into a couple. Like previous books in the series, there is warmth, fun, laughter and the sparks fly between the pair, in this final book. Georgia Beers has certainly captured a few fans With this series.
If you're looking for a fun, family centred and amusing storyline, I recommend the sizzle stick romance series.

I've given ‘with a twist’ a 4/5

An excellent book to read when you need a feelgood about coming back after a big change in your life.

Pros:
Witty banter
Dogs
Body positivity
Relateable Characters
Warmth
Supportive characters

Con:
-

This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

I am so sad for this trilogy to end...I loved meeting and revisiting these characters so much! I have to say while I enjoyed all of the books, I think this might have been my favorite, mainly because of the older character and how her life is different as she tackles hormonal changes and the acceptance of someone special.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third in the Swizzle Stick series about the Martini cousins, Julia, Vanessa and Amelia.

This one features MC Amelia, who is the oldest of the cousins at 49, and as noted in the previous books, she’s coming off the breakdown of her marriage a few years previous, retired early so has started a new dog walking business, lost her mother a few years back and is also going through menopause. The other MC is Kirby, who was mentioned briefly in both of the first two books, as she was the painter hired to paint Martini’s when Julia took it over. The two also met briefly in book 1 but it didn’t go over too well, with Amelia criticising Kirby’s paint colour choices.

By lucky circumstance, Amelia is dog and house-sitting for Kirby’s latest client, which means they are thrown together a lot. Kirby is absolutely adorable, and just the sweetest thing ever (she’s right up there with Savannah from book 1). Amelia is taken with her, but perpetually shoves her foot in her mouth throughout their initial conversations.

Did I mention that Amelia is GOING THROUGH MENOPAUSE? I emphasise this because it’s harped on endlessly. I’m around the same age as Amelia and also going through this, and I swear to god, if I was as mopey and bogged down by it as Amelia is, I’d totally forgive my family for being as annoyed by me as Amelia’s are with her. Amelia has self-confidence issues relating to being dumped by another woman and the changes to her body bought on by menopause, which is understandable, but her relentless despair about this just baffled me. She seemed to just wallow in this and expect an endless stream of sympathy about her plight, but didn’t seem to be doing anything to actually manage her symptoms or her depression. I appreciate Beers wanting to add some realism to this book regarding what women in this age group are going through, but a little positivity about it would have been welcomed.

Kirby, on the other hand, is a ray of sunshine. Even though she’s 14 years younger than Amelia (something else Amelia is hung up on), she’s been through some terrible stuff in her life, and has a wider perspective based on this. She also chooses to be positive about what life gives her and move through it. She’s also attracted to Amelia (though I couldn’t fathom why, since Amelia is anything but approachable or likeable to start). Once the two actually start talking and spending time together, Kirby gets Amelia to unbend a little, and provides the constant reassurance and sympathy that Amelia craves. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see that Amelia provided any such thing to Kirby. Kirby doesn’t have any family though, so the Martini cousins and the ‘girl group’ they’ve formed with their partners fills a void.

Amelia is dog-sitting two super cute dogs, and Kirby’s painting partner Krog also had some good scenes with her. The cousins share quite a few scenes again in this book, though many of them feature Amelia being bitchy and jabbing at her cousins for not understanding what’s happening to her. There’s also a major drama point towards the end, which is thankfully blessedly free of angst/break up between the MCs and instead strengthens their bond.

The other thing I found difficult to understand in this book was the whole pool sex thing, a one off maybe, but it’s pretty much all they do. There’s so many reasons why I found this hard to believe, not least of all because it can actually cause issues both logistically and physically. I found those sessions had more of a squick factor than a sexy one.

Overall, I found Amelia kind of hard to take, which was mostly balanced out by Kirby’s sweetness, though I did feel their relationship was kind of uneven. While I loved book 1, book 2 wasn’t as good for me, and this one is my least favourite, but is still worth a read, and anyone who’s read the others will want to read this. 3 stars.

I’ve said this a dozen times, but the truth of it never changes: Beers is a master at capturing the complexities of relationships, families and love on a level readers can connect and relate. She turns her observations about heartbreak, loss and love into wonderful stories, stories that tap into real emotions and move readers to feel for her characters. Because they care, the stories matter and there’s no better compliment to a writer than that.

With a Twist nails so many things perfectly. The rawness of divorce, the frustration of starting over, the challenges of menopause…these are all felt on a emotional level by the reader. Beers captures the the details and realities with confidence and grace. The result is a story readers find relevant and believable.

Once again the relationships of the Martini cousins come into play, and by book three there’s a real sense of satisfaction in watching these women interact. The bonds they have with one another are truly lovely. We all should be so lucky to have a support system like these ladies. The regard, care and comfort they display for one another is uniquely special.

This book can be read as a stand alone, but I would encourage readers to start from the beginning. There’s too much to enjoy, and it would be a shame to miss out on all of the goodness that Beers puts into these characters and their story world. She circles back and brings closure to all the character arcs, and it’s best appreciated by moving through the series sequentially. The impact is greater and the storytelling is more meaningful.

Final remarks…

I never miss out on an opportunity to enjoy a Beers romance. She never lets her readers down. The character work is always good and the storytelling never fails to tug at readers’ hearts. With a Twist (along with the other books in this series) is no different. It’s a wonderful romance and should not be missed.

Strengths…

Nice wrap-up to an enjoyable series
Likable leading ladies
Charming and tender romance
Engaging dialogue
Well-formed cast of characters
Enchanting story world

This is the last in the Swizzle Stick romance series and I hate to see it done. The series has been entertaining, heart wrenching and fun. Julia Martini bought a bar and gave new life to it. These are the stories of how the cousins Julia, Venessa and Amelia, find their person. With a Twist is about Amelia. She is the oldest. Through the books, she plays a very negative character and you never really understand why until this book. Amelia had a good job but retired early to spend more time with her wife. Then her wife left her. Then menopause hit and she was just grumpy and sad all the time. Until she goes to house to pet sit for a guy who was having his house painting by Kirby a young perky woman in her 30’s who is into older woman.
The two people share many things, but loss is at the heart of it. Even though it’s an age gap romance Kirby is an old soul. The things she did for Amelia, besides telling her how beautiful and desirable. It was a wonderful love story. I love how Miss Beers kept bringing back the characters that we got to know and love through the previous books. I loved every single book. She did not skimp on the love scenes either

With a Twist is the satisfying, third and final installment of Georgia Beers' Swizzle Stick series and is my favorite of the three. You don't have to read the first two to enjoy the book, but I recommend that you do.

Amelia is the oldest and most closed-off of the three Martini cousins and is slowly recovering from the breakup of her marriage. She is happy running her new pet-sitting business and has settled into her new normal. She is house/pet sitting for a wealthy client when she meets Kirby, the painter who has been hired to restyle the interior walls. There is instant chemistry between them, but they both hesitate to explore it. As they get to know each other better they decide that maybe a date or two wouldn't be so horrible.

I loved Amelia in the previous two books and am so glad that she got her own HEA. I very highly recommend reading With a Twist - it is a Georgia Beers book, after all.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

It's the final book in the series. I love the Martini family. The support, love and bond.
This was a heartwarming, cute story. The main characters had amazing chemistry, communicated well. They were honest and open about their past and whatever they were currently going through. Well done as usual Georgia.


I received an ARC copy from the publisher Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publishers for the opportunity to read and review "With a Twist" by Georgia Beers.

I have really enjoyed reading this Trilogy by Georgia Beers about the Martini cousins. There were a few minor editing issues initially which interrupted my reading, and I found it tricky with the "hot flashes" while in the UK we always refer to them as "hot flushes", but this did not detract from my overall reading enjoyment of this final book in the series.
Dog walker and house/dog sitter Amelia and Painter/Decorator Rigby are interesting characters at different stages and ages in their lives, but both are single and when their worlds collide through a shared client, their chemistry is immediate.
I have only recently read the second book in the series so this was very good timing for me. The way the cousins interweave between the various main characters in each book certainly aids continuity and is a clever use of back drop to propel the characters along and further develop the layers of their characters and storyline. The age gap between Amelia and Rigby will appeal to those readers who are fans of the genre (including myself!) and here the author comes into her own with one character experiencing the menopause and all its traits, and the younger character Rigby able to show her patience, understanding and empowering qualities. The transformation of these characters into tangible characters is excellent. I have really enjoyed reading “With a Twist”, and very happy to give it 5*. My one regret is that the trilogy is now complete!

Oldest Martini cousin Amelia was pretty sure there wasn’t anyone who’d ever be interested in her. Just divorced but still dealing with the ex, she’d put on a few extra pounds and she lives in her father’s house. I mean who’d want to be seen with her. Both cousins, Julia and Venessa have found their life partners but they are constantly trying to ‘fix her up’, something Amelia doesn’t want.
Kirby Dupree was a small business owner for a while now. She just has one employee working full time with her painting houses for her customers. The business was first owned by her father and when he died the business was handed down to Kirby. She doesn’t have any family but she has lots of friends mainly because she’s signed up for so many different teams, including softball. She’s been in Julia’s bar and saw Amelia there with her cousins.
One of the jobs Amelia has is walking dogs and when her father gives her name to a friend who wanted to travel but he needed someone to not only look after his two dogs but house sit for him. While away he hires Kirby to paint a few rooms for him.
Now Amelia is a few years older by ‘14 years’ and thinks she’s way too old for Kirby but Kirby has always had a thing for mature women. Good plot, great characters but if I had to choose I’d say ‘With A Twist’, is the best in this series. Very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

This is book 3 in the 'A Swizzle Stick Romance' series.

Oh my gosh, I just adore this family! I have loved reading each of the cousins romance stories that i'm sad the series is finished now!

I loved Amelia and Kirby's story - it's so heartwarming, sickly sweet and super cute.

I also loved that there were conversations about both of their pasts - dealing with being an orphan, divorce, toxic exs, feeling insecure, menopause. Having not dealt with most of this, I can't comment on the accuracy, but I do feel like these topics were handled and written very well.

I really enjoyed getting an insight into how the other cousins stories have progressed - especially Julia and Savannah's!

Highly recommend this series if you're looking for lighthearted romance.

Featured presentation: With a Twist by Georgia Beers

Growing older is hard. Growing older alone is harder...

Cast: Amelia Martini is almost fifty and she feels it – retired, menopausal, divorced. Kirby Dupree is sunshine personified and loves to brighten her clients’ lives by beautifying their homes/businesses.

The Plot: Amelia is house- and dog-sitting for an acquaintance of her father while Kirby is working on the house’s interior. Kirby was the interior painter employed by Amelia’s cousin Julia when she remodeled her bar, Martini’s. Amelia and Kirby clashed back then. How will they tolerate each other when it’s just the two of them?

The blazing: Amelia is taking charge of her life and I loved it! She started a new business as a dog walker and volunteers at Junebug Farms – the animal shelter introduced in the Puppy Love romance series. She finally begins to see her self-worth and stands up for herself.

Kirby’s positive outlook was heartwarming! Despite suffering several losses in her life, she chooses to focus on the positive. Her sunny personality provided the perfect balance to Amelia’s grumpiness without sacrificing emotional depth.

The bright: Amelia’s menopause plays a big part and I liked that different reactions to it was depicted. It often felt like Amelia’s age and the changes her body was experiencing were the driving force behind her whole character – how she felt, acted and reacted. At first I thought it was overdone, but then I realised how big an impact it had on her life and it fitted. Amelia’s cousins often made fun of her without realising the pain their jokes caused. Kirby, on the other hand, was understanding and educated herself to be able to provide emotional support and advice on how to deal with the symptoms.

At the core of the series, we have the three Martini cousins. Their close relationship is once again ever present and it is divine! Yes, they tease each other and this isn’t always welcomed, especially by Amelia, but at the end of the day, they have each other’s backs. I liked that their partners became part of the group – Savanah and Grace were better friends to Amelia at times than her cousins were.

The bleak: There are only three gay Martini cousins and this is the third book, which probably means the end of the series…

The burned-to-ashes: Nothing.

And then The Plot Thickens into an entertaining tale of growing older and self-acceptance with enough of a twist to keep the reader captivated until the end. The balance between Amelia’s struggles and Kirby’s endearing attitude is perfect and one cannot help but to fall in love with these two.

Julia, Vanessa and Amelia each found their soulmates against the backdrop of Martini’s where the cousins and their partners often meet up in The Bar Back. Here they discuss life, love and everything else while Julia experiments with new cocktails for the bar. Even though we have to close the door on the Swizzle Stick romance series, The Bar Back’s door will always be open to us.

Studio: Bold Strokes Books.

Closing credits: I willingly leave this review based on an eARC copy graciously granted to me by Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley.

Four and a half stars.
I thought I was going to like this one least, but Amelia surprised me. It was very easy to look at her from the outside, even from the eyes of her cousins, and see someone who had lost her passion for life and was letting her misery dominate everything. Those perspectives contrasted beautifully with the insight given in this book, and I loved how Amelia mentally called out the others for not understanding, because readers got to be in Vanessa and Julia's shoes as they didn't understand. I was so, so happy to find layers to Amelia that the cousins' perspective didn't offer.
I thought Kirby was a little flatter, but still extremely likeable. She fit very well with Amelia, so she grew on me whenever we were seeing from Amelia's POV. The two of them are incredibly sweet.
The group dynamic felt a little overworked at times, especially since Amelia is often more isolated from the rest, but the mood was quite different when Amelia was in a place where she could properly let them in. The ending was heartwarming, and really perfect to cap off the series.
So that's it for the Martinis. The beginning was rough for me, in that I wasn't a fan of Shaken or Stirred, but I came around, and this last book exceeded expectations. Looks like Georgia Beers has what it takes to keep a series alive, at least these carousel series that are all the rage in romance novels.

3/5 stars

This was an emotional, and bittersweet ending (I think?) to this series by Georgia Beers. It has been great getting to know the Martini cousins, and although these aren’t my favourite books from Beers, they were still very sweet and enjoyable. I’ll be sad to leaving the Martini bar back behind, but I think fans will be happy with the ending of this series, and the bright future for all the couples.

I think Amelia was an interesting and complex main character. She was flawed, often a bit snarky and grumpy, but a really relatable character. Despite not being at her best, she was still loyal, kind and charming. I loved watching her come alive when she was with Kirby, who was a confident and bubbly younger woman. This very much felt like opposites attract, but the women seemed to fit together like a glove.

While I did enjoy the romance and the series overall, I wasn’t able to really feel attached to the characters. I constantly felt detached, and not very engaged in the plot of the story beyond the immediate romance. I just didn’t feel like this book held something special, which makes me a little disappointed that this was the final in the series. It was a solid book, but I was expecting so much more from Beers

3.5/5 stars

This novel follows painter Kirby and dog-sitter Amelia as they are forced to both work/live in someone's house while the owner is on vacation.

I really really really liked Kirby and Amelia's relationship and the way that they were able to emotionally connect. The way that Kirby is able to listen to Amelia & help her through her menopause symptoms and Kirby is also able to think about what family means to her.

My one major thing is that I didn't realize that this was the third book in the series and so reading it was a little bit hard to follow and understand the secondary characters because I was missing out on 2 whole books. I think that this might have been the first romance novel that I've read where it might actually be beneficial to read in order.