I was really excited about this book (especially because the cover is amazing and the synopsis sounded really interesting as well and with some unique elements, a.k.a POC FMC who likes motorbiked), however, it just wasn't what I had expected.

I really enjoyed the fact that in the trope grumpy/sunshine that is present in this book, the female MC was actually the grumpy one and he was the sunshine (it was the first I read this trope this way and I really liked it) and I also liked the idea of the team building activity (even though that was extremely irrealistic, because which car and motorbike dealership would be closed for a full week for a team-building activity?!).

I'm usually also a big fan of the enemies to lovers but this one just didn't work out. I get it that it's very disappointing to move all the across the country for a job only to find out it was stolen from someone else and you'd have to work in a different position, however, all this situation and the "mystery" behind the reason why Dawson didn't like Tully just dragged for too long and it could have been simply solved if they had communicated.

After all, after Tully declared to his friends at 11% of the book that Dawson "was it" for him, shouldn't he have tried to understand why she disliked him so much and try to explain the situation? Also, all this exaggerated insta-love situation cringed me a bit alongside the fact that he placed a bet with his friends guaranteeing he would make Dawson fall in love with him until the end of summer. I mean, they're all grown-ups, who does that? Yes, it worked in the "After" series but that was a story about a toxic relationship between teenagers, I don't think that is what the author wanted for Dawson and Tully.

Also, I felt like the introduction of all the other characters was just a bit random and it left me confused with all the names and how they belonged in the dealership and in relation to the main characters.

Finally, I feel like the writing was also all over the place and there was an unnecessary 65-day flash-forward that just didn't make sense.

Overall, I was expecting much more of this book but it is a good book to read when you're in the mood for reading something just for the sake of it. It is clear that the author plans to have an interconnected series and I would be totally down for giving her another chance, but it definitely has some improving points to consider.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first time reading this author, and it was a decent introduction. I really enjoyed the Vermont setting, and I loved that Dawson wanted to work with motorcycles and was the grumpy half of the grumpy-sunshine trope. Tully's insta-love was a little much for me, and something felt a little off about the writing style, but those are personal preferences, and wouldn't stop me from picking something up by this author in the future.

This was a bit different than anything I've read. I did really like that this was an interracial situation; definitely something I could get behind. While I wasn't too keen on the on the fatshaming I'm not too mad at it. It is an everyday thing that needs more awareness. I don't really care for enemies to lovers but I am a big fan of force proximity and workplace romance so this worked out for me! In the end I think Dawson and Tully are with the read!

When Dawson Shay moves across the country to a small town for a job at a motorcycle shop, she finds out that her job has been given to someone else. She is instead hired by the other side of the business, which sells cars. The owners of the newly merged businesses require all the employees to go on a week long team-building camping trip. Dawson quickly meets the person who "took" her job, Tully Faulkner who is certainly the sunshine to her grump.

If the above doesn't really make sense to you...don't worry, you are not alone. For the purposes of my review I'm choosing to suspend my disbelief that a car/motorcycle shop would shut down for a week for a weird, extended team building exercise.

I'm usually a fan of grumpy/sunshine, especially when the girl is the grump. However, the incredible amount of insta-love in this book ruined it for me. 11% into the book, RIGHT AFTER Tully meets Dawson for the first time, he tells his friends that "she's it for me"... and then makes a bet with them that by the end of the summer he will get her to admit that she likes him. At that point, I knew that the 3rd act breakup would be about that bet...and it was. After they have spent one week in the same vicinity (and most of that time Dawson hated him), Tully is already picturing Dawson having his babies...seriously??

Then there is a random 65 day flash forward which just felt sort of out of place.

The writing of this book was super choppy and basic. Sentences like "They were all well off financially" were common - literally no one talks like that.

The premise of this book was super fun - a female motorcycle mechanic and a sunshine man. But boy did it totally disappoint. The one thing that I did enjoy from this book was the relationship between Dawson and the old man Harrellssen - that was very cute and I think well done.

Ultimately, I can't recommend this book. Really my list of things I hated is much longer than this but I have to stop at some point.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for the copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Dawson moves across country for her dream job of rebuilding motorcycles only to find out they gave the job to another person named Tully. The company still gives her employment even though it's not the one she originally agreed on. Dawson is rightfully upset on her endeavors while Tully is attracted at first sight. Will Dawson be able to move forward and be with someone who took her dream job or will she make an enemy in her workplace. Aliyah Burke made a good romance enemies to lovers book and I definitely recommend.

QOTD: Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?
My A: Yes! Only once! My father almost died in an motorcycle accident so I was raised in a MOTORCYCLES ARE DANGEROUS house. 😅 My husband really wants one. I said only if it has 3 or more wheels. 🤣🤣
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I thought the blurb and cover of this were so fun, but I couldn't get past the male mc. I just didn't like him. I thought he was kinda of a jerk and I am now very sure I do NOT like the betting trope. It just gives me the ick and makes the mc totally untrustworthy. This is definitely a me opinion, though, so take it with a grain of salt and check out some other reviews!
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BLURB:
Dawson Shay could never be accused of being a bubbly ray of sunshine. Like, not ever. But her outlook on life has only gotten worse since she moved across the country for her dream job rebuilding motorcycles…only to lose the job to someone else. Now her run of bad luck includes a wilderness retreat with the entire company—including the asshat who stole her job. Fortunately, Tully Faulkner’s bearded, tattooed hotness is pretty much the perfect distraction.

Except, Tully isn’t just Mr. Hometown Hero, he’s also said asshat who stole her job. And if he thinks he can win her over with his ability to charm the pants off everybody else, he’s got another thing coming. But Dawson can’t avoid him forever… or the seriously hot sparks between them. Somewhere between the breathtaking northern lights and teaming up to win their company’s scavenger hunt, Dawson starts to think that Tully’s magic touch might be just what she’s been missing.

But even sexy gearheads have their secrets. And Dawson’s about to discover that falling for the too-perfect-to-be-true Tully might just backfire on her completely.

The concept for Tinkering With Love by Aliyah Burke sounds fun. Hot male motorcycle mechanic meets hot female custom motorcycle builder and sparks fly. Doesn’t that sound like a great ride? (See what I did there?!)

Unfortunately, the fun concept did not – in any way – hold up. Let’s talk about some of the many ways this book is awful or skip right to the end of this review where I tell you to read just about any other book..

First, the premise: A couple buys a second business and requires all the employees from both businesses to participate in a week-long, mandatory team-building camping trip. WHAT? This isn’t the military. Companies can’t force their employees to go camping for a week. That’s ridiculous. Do none of these people have children? Second jobs? Personal lives? And does the author not understand that this would require BOTH businesses to be closed for the entire week. For team-building? Nope. Wouldn’t happen.

Second, there is so much sexual harrassment during this work trip. Good lord. Has this writer never worked for a company, like EVER? The lawsuits from this trip would bankrupt the businesses.

Third, insta-love: The author completely fails to set a scenario where either protagonist could fall instantly in love. Even the actual insta-lust scenario that she’s accidentally created is pretty unbelievable. Literally, the female protagonist, Dawson, hates the male protagonist, Tully because he stole her job, the job she moved across the country to take. But apparently he’s sooooo hot that she fantasizes about him while masterbating, even though she hates him. Sorry, that’s just creepy.

Fourth, the apartment: Why does Dawon’s apartment burn down before she arrives? What’s the point of that? Is it supposed to make us feel sorry for Dawon? And if so, why?

Fifth, magical body movement: Body parts don’t do the things that this author has body parts doing and I’m not even talking about sex here. I can’t give any examples because I read an ARC but if you bother to expend the energy to read this thing that passes for a book, you’ll pick up on what I’m saying on like page 2. If you make a list, we can compare later, just for fun.

Seventh, Dawson and her biological mom: The relationship between Dawson and her biological mother is so nasty it’s difficult to read, certainly not funny. What exactly is the point of including this horrifically toxic relationship? They are deeply verbally abusive to each other. There’s no growth. It doesn’t move the story forward. This whole thing adds nothing to the story arc. It’s utterly pointless and awful.

Eighth, the mystery of Tully’s job: It’s an unnecessary mystery. Why doesn’t Dawson just talk to Tully about the fact that she expected to have the job that he got? Since she’s a strong, assertive, dynamic woman, why does she secretly blame the poor guy who got the job she thought she should have? Why doesn’t she talk to the boss? If she had a right to the job, why doesn’t she litigate? Why is this a mystery? It’s a mystery because the author needed to meet her word count.

I could go on for another 500 words but I’m not constrained by word count so I can stop whenever I want. And I definitely want to stop talking about this book.

If you like hot, sexy stories, there are lots of good ones available. But this isn’t one of them.

I received a digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to love this soo much. However, the instalove is just not my thing. I mean he saw her for a while 5 seconds and was telling his friends she is it for him. It was a little wires off I am honest. It was an ok read but everything felt too rushed and to instant. I wished I could have loved this.

The premise sounded interesting and cover is gorgeous but this was not for me. I did not like the writing style, it felt very choppy and a little melodramatic in places with little build up. I also did not take to either of the two leads and did not buy into the insta love. 2 stars

Tinkering with Love is the latest book by one of my favorite authors, Aliyah Burke. This book ably employs the tropes, opposites attract and enemies to lovers and I found it to be an enjoyable read. Dawson has uprooted her life and moved across the country to take a job that was given to another person. She was still employed by the company but not in the position initially agreed upon. Dawson, who has worked hard to gain expertise in motorcycle restoration, is understandably upset but blames her situation and disappointment on the person occupying her dream job, Tully. Tully did not get that memo, in fact, when he lays eyes on Dawson he is totally smitten. She challenges his view of himself, he is a hometown hero and Tully is liked by EVERYONE! He works hard to convince Dawson that he is someone worth knowing but it all falls apart when Dawson is made aware of some flippant comment he made. Will Tully be able to make Dawson see that he is both head over heels in love with her and the right man for her before they drift too far apart? This couple had a lot of conflict areas which could have been partially resolved if Dawson had let Tully know that she felt undermined by the job switch. Tully made a great hero in that he was patient, kind hearted and waited for Dawson to work through the issues that separated them.
Thank you @NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for the ARC of Tinkering With Love.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled: Amara and Aliyah Burke. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own.***

I really wanted to like this book. I adore an enemies-to-lovers romance and a female MC with smarts and sass. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. In fact, my biggest problem with this story was Dawson. She was irrationally angry with Tully for taking her job. Instead of seeming professional, she just seemed cold and pissy with a side of unpredictable and temperamental. Tully had decided Dawson was ‘the one’ for him in a red hot minute. The writing was very detail oriented, something I’ve always struggled with because it takes me out of the action, which was the case here. I found the story/writing choppy. What did I like? I liked that Tully had 2 really good friends that always had his back. I liked how strong Dawson was when she let us see the real her. I fell in love with her relationship with Mr. Harrellssen. They were 2 grumpy peas in a pod. If I had 1 wish for this book, it would be for the first 70% of the book to flow as smoothly as the last 30%. It took Dawson and Tully falling apart for the story to shine for me.

I don't know if it's just the month of May, but it's been very hard to find books that really hook me. Tinkering with Love seemed like everything I'd love. Black FMC, breaking of gender norms. Slight enemies to lovers, but it just didn't hold my interest. To be completely honest, Tully creeped me out. Not once did he pump the breaks when it came to Dawson. The first 45% of the book was at a team-bonding retreat and I still don't understand the relationships of all the other characters' names. Many people, will really love the grumpy girl/ sunshine boy. But Tinkering with Love had many flaws for me, and I couldn’t fully immerse myself in Rock Falls.
You could tell the writer has plans to have an interconnected series but unless the next book has been character growth. This series will not be for me.

There was so much to love about this book, but there was also something missing as I read the book. Tinkering With Love had a really interesting premise and the setting of the first half of the book was so much fun. To keep it simple, I’m going to break it down a little.

What I did like:
— I really loved that she was the grump and he was the sunshine, especially since he was all rough and tumble with tattoo sleeves and a wild attitude.
— I enjoyed the friendships that were built through the leads and some of the supporting characters
— Most of the book is set at a team building camp and that was really fun. I loved the challenges and the activities that the characters were put through.
— Dawson and Tully were interesting characters with a lot to offer. I enjoyed how Dawson battles body shaming and the struggles of being a big Black woman, but also how she accepts who she is without looking to change herself for other people

What I didn’t like:
— This is an entirely personal reason: but I do not care for insta love and Tully falls for Dawson the minute he meets her and he claims that she’s the one pretty early on
— Another personal note: I don’t always like enemies to lovers, but I liked this one. However, I think Dawson and Tully should have talked about this issue early on, instead of it dragging on for so long and getting so complicated.
— Also, oof. There’s a bet. And while it’s addressed once and forgotten about and then suddenly brought back, it still exists and it’s still icky. I think it’s childish and silly to make a bet with friends that you’ll make someone like/love you.
— Reiterating point 2, the lack of communication really drove me insane. I think so many of their issues and concerns could have been avoided if they just talked to each other!

Even though I had some issues with this book, I did enjoy it for the most part. I read through it pretty fast, the scavenger hunt and the group activities were entertaining. The friendships that were built were fun and all in all, it was a fun read. I am certainly curious about the next book in the series to see what we’re gonna get!

A fun read, with a good mix of characters and enjoyable plot. The tension was there! The romance was there! A perfect summer read!

This is an enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine, small town romance. Many parts were super cute. However, there was a disconnect for me in a lot of the story line. Damson’s reasoning for hating Tully is quite weak. Tully knowing Dawson is “it for him” on like day two of knowing her is unlikely considering their limited interactions. Some of the dialogue feels like it’s incomplete or missing parts, and the parent drama with both MC’s is far too unexplored and explained. Plus, the spicy scenes just felt cringey to me. This feels like it could be a really adorable story (with the potential for more between all the side characters) if it just got a little more smoothing and editing.

“You have to know that your biting tone and wit is just an aphrodisiac with me”
“This is a woman with secrets and lures he wanted to peel back and discover”
“I can’t stop thinking about you. I’m dreaming about you. And right now, all I want to do is kiss you”
Omg this book was just so good!!
I can’t count all the times it made me laugh or fell things deep in my stomach!!!
A beautiful romance with a plus sized, Poc main character and a Greek Adonis man, both obsessed over motorcycles, dealing with an unexpected attraction that has them share some bangers that were SO GOOD!!!
I loved reading every minute of it!!!
Their struggles through trust and their spicy times !!!!
People, you should check this one out !!!
Dawson is such an amazing main character, such a strong woman who shows independence and determination to get to what she wants and stand for what she believes is right!!!
And Tully is such a great love interest, a bit dumb and with a predilection for making stupid bets and decisions but a good one nonetheless … and the way he treats her ?? Omg I was obsessed !!! Give this man to me know !!!! The way he worships her body and her personality was amazing to read about !!!
I’m so glad I had the chance to read it and I truly can’t wait for it to be out !!!
“You’re exactly where you should be, Legs. With me”
“Fact, Dawson Shay. I plan on having my hands all over your body tonight. And my mouth, tongue and everything”
“Don’t you dare … I plan on looking at every gorgeous inch of you, Legs. Don’t deny me that pleasure”
“You have me, Legs. All of me”

Tinkering with Love by Aliyah Burke was such a fun read. I did have my issues with the book but giving it anything under 4 stars wouldn't be fair. Due to the fact that I honestly enjoyed the book. I appreciated the fact that the FMC, Dawson, was a plus sized woman. She was every bit of sassy and funny; I just adored her character. I would have liked to have a little more character depth with her, but she was enjoyable to read.

Now, on to Tully, the male love interest in this romantic enemies to lover's book. I have a love/hate relationship with Tully. At first, he came off as aggressive in his pursuits of Dawson in this borderline cheesy way. I prefer my men to be dark and mysterious so maybe I didn't fully give him a chance but then the spicy scene came, and I was swayed. The author builds up this tension and when that scene comes it gets hot pretty quick. I realized then that Tully is just aggressive in all aspects including the bedroom. I suddenly didn't mind.

Their relationship and the book overall were fast paced but it didn't really bother me. I think that's what this story was meant to be, quick and enjoyable. I highly recommend for fans of a quick, enjoyable enemies to lovers book with some spice.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the characters dialogue and their relationship, It was. a well-developed romance thats' fun and spicy.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review *

1.5 stars

Overall, this was unfortunately a miss for me. The relationships in this blossomed way too quickly - especially the friendships seemed to come out of nowhere and suddenly they're besties?

On top of that, a central point of the plot, Dawson's anger at Tully, seemed so misdirected - why would you move across the country for a job that you haven't even signed the contract for and then be mad at the guy who gets it instead of you instead of the bosses who made that decision?

Honestly, the characters seemed a little shallow, and just hypersexualised without building any real depth - also there was barely any communication between Dawson and Tully, including the trope of 'misunderstandings that could have easily been resolved had they just had a conversation with each other but of course they don't they just storm off and sulk and avoid the other instead of gasp actually talking to the other person'.

Also, the caveman logic of Tully constantly thinking about getting her pregnant even before anything has happened between them and when he's only known Dawson a few days seemed really sketchy to me.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this.

The cover is beautiful and instantly drew me in, so of course I had to see what this was all about!

The premise seemed like a good idea but sadly this didn’t do it for me. I honestly didn’t like the main characters at all, especially Tully. I didn’t find him charming in the least bit, I personally found him a bit creepy in his actions so I had to stop reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!