A cute little story about a girl, Kat, who loves brewing beer so much she just wants to marry it (“if you love it so much, why don’t you marry it?” You know that childhood joke)… She’s serving at a restaurant and bar where the owners treat everyone like family until one day, a health crisis forces them to sell.

The new owners son, Ryan, takes over and makes too many changes and turns the staff and regulars against him … and goes against the promised training of Kat as a proper brewmaster, hiring an incompetent man instead, because he’s a man. Even though they don’t get along, they still try to do everything to save the bar together, amidst staff and patrons mass-exodus’ing.

It’s a great enemies to lovers, workplace (boss/employee) romance with quite a meet-cute, and grumpy sunshine of sorts. It’s really a lot about the beer - a little too much about the beer really, with everyone she comes across being compared to some kind of beer or other alcoholic beverage… that part was a bit hard to swallow (haha, a pun!). Everything else was very cute and sweet, and it’s a very good storyline that I really enjoyed. Solid 4-star read.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Alcove Press, and this is my honest feedback.

Requested this book because I loved the title and the cover. I was expecting a fun romantic story surrounded by beer. I got lots of beer, immature characters, a toxic relationship that ended up as a bit of romance. At the beginning I liked Kat as you start knowing her story but then she becomes obsessed and entitled to be something at her job that she can't be jet. That's not being driven, that crossed a line for me. And Ryan wasn't a better character. It was so hard to enjoy all the beer side of the book, personally it was not entertaining and felt flat. I'd read another book by this author as you can tell she really did her research about crafted beer but maybe the rest needed more attention too. I'm sure her next book will have it all.

I've Got My Mind Set on Brew by Stephanie Jayne was a super cute story.
I enjoyed the writing and thought the characters were fun.
This was a delightful read that held my attention from beginning to end.

Thank You NetGalley and Alcove Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Alcove Press. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Romance
Heat Level: Slow burn

I'm not a beer drinker, but the science behind brewing is fascinating.
The romance came off as a little silly with the nicknames—but that could just be my taste in novels. I did not end up finishing it.

I think the right romance reader who wants a light read will enjoy this one.

Happy reading!

2 stars.

I wanted to read "I've Got My Mind Set on Brew" by Stephanie Jayne because I loved the punny title. That was my first mistake. I found it difficult to connect to this book on multiple levels. First, the characters are not great. I fluctuated between anger and pity at the main female character, Kat. She starts out being so bitter about the owners of her workplace, Resistance Bar, selling the business because one of the owners has cancer. Like???????? She eventually segues into being upset that she wasn't given an opportunity to be a part of the beer-making process by the new owner, Ryan. Sure, he *could* have given her a shot since she was attempting to learn the job before the bar was sold and is clearly passionate about beer to the point where she wants to "marry it," but she also didn't have the proper amount of experience to excel at that position. I wouldn't hire her, either! The chip on her shoulder is supposed to come across as endearing, like she's fighting for what she thinks she deserves, but I found it to be childish, an adult woman throwing what equates to a temper tantrum. She really should have left her job when she saw things were going south. Ryan has his own baggage that he's working through related to his family and his rich upbringing, proving himself, yada yada blah blah blah. He constantly belittles Kat and her value as a worker in the bar and goes back and forth between playing boss and subordinate with her when he's obviously attracted to her. They are never on equal footing and don't see eye to eye on anything in the workplace. It makes this less enemies-to-lovers and more a painfully cringey power imbalance. Look, another man asserting his authority over a woman who works under him. What a shock. That brings me to the romance aspect of this book. I didn't feel any connection between Kat and Ryan whatsoever. In fact, I don't think this book should be classified as a romance at all. It's more about Kat's journey to finding herself and what she wants to do in life with a minor dose of romance. I didn't feel any love between them at all. Plus, the third act is wholly unnecessary and thoroughly predictable. There is no heat, no passion between these characters, and if there was a long-oft check-in with these people, I have no doubt they'd be broken up by now. I didn't even feel any particular connection between Ryan and his friends, either. These characters are so one-note and bland! Finally, this is not a long book, but it moves painfully slowly, and not in an "oooh, yay, a slow-burning story!" kind of way, but in an "it feels like it took me forever to finish this story" way. I did not like this book and do not recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Stephanie Jayne, and Alcove Press for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

This was just kind of boring and not believable. I think that being dual pov might have helped it but I'm not sure. The whole time I just wanted her to leave because she was never going to get the job the wanted/deserved. The two of them were cute but I don't feel like they ever talked about anything that wasn't work.

I received an arc through netgalley.

The title made this a must read for me! I loved going into the craft beer world and found Kat and Ryan to a good pair, even if they both were a bit insufferable. They definitely could work on their communication skills. Kat’s ambition was fabulous to see and I didn’t mind that her love for brewing was a main plot point. I just wanted more from this in terms of romance but it was a quick and enjoyable read.

The writing in this book is fine, but I couldn’t relate to the heroine. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I was instantly attracted to the cute title of this book! The story itself is cute too but I was hoping for something a little more. The romance was okay (hard to feel chemistry at times), the characters were okay (not willing to communicate and slightly immature for their age), the ending was just okay (where was the big grand gesture!?). I read a lot of romcoms so maybe my bar is too high and while this one was okay, I can't say I loved it.

Okkk a beer/brewery themed romance! Sign me up! However I’d have liked more hops than was promised. Overall it was perfectly fine!

I see that many of the people commenting on this book liked it because of learning about craft beers. That doesn’t seem like enough of a recommendation when both of the characters are rather unlikeable. Kat seems immature and, well, obnoxious at times. Ryan seems uptight and arrogant, but he’s right that the pub can’t last if it can’t make money. I didn’t feel the romance between the two of them. In fact, they were irritating together.

And maybe I’m just old-fashioned, but once Kat described how she shaved half her head and kept the rest long, I just couldn’t keep her in my imagination as the heroine of the romance. And notice that that isn’t how she’s pictured on the cover of the book.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

The way these people talk in this book is so cringe and the story telling and characters didn't really pull me in. Ultimately I dnf'd early on.

An antagonistic relationship turns to partnership in order to save a brew pub in this kinda-sorta romance, Kat discovered the world of craft beer after a bad breakup and she's making a career at the Resistance. And then Ryan, son of the owner turns up. Fans of the genre can guess how this will go. I liked it less for the romance (which wasn't that romantic even with the trope) than for the info I picked up about craft beer. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I couldn't resist this punny title! As you can expect, there is a huge focus on craft brewing in this story. I'm not a beer drinker in the slightest, but I found the whole process—the chemistry behind it—so interesting to read about. And each chapter opening with a different beer description was a very cute touch!

After an unexpected change at Resistance Brewpub, aspiring brewer Kat Malone is not pleased with its new owner Ryan and his plans of shifting the pub into a sports bar to attract more customers. On top of that, he completely ignores her plea to obtain the brewer's assistant position.

I liked Kat a lot. She had a really edgy, snarky charm. The romance with Ryan is a VERY slow burn, and I wouldn't say it's overly passionate, but I still thought it was enjoyable and mature. Also, the man buys her books! Enough said.

But honestly, I think this story would have stood well on its own even without a romantic HEA. Any ending with Kat reaching her goals would have made me happy!

This book started out really good. I loved the meet cute and how Kat, our FMC, compares people to beer. Kat's character was great. I felt like the author did a great job bringing her to life. I could feel how passionate she was, especially about brewing, and I really enjoyed her backstory, as well. I also loved the found family feel to the crew at Resistance. This cast of characters was great.

The romance, however, fell a bit flat to me. Ryan, our MMC, really frustrated me through about half of this book. He came off as super pretentious at times and also very manipulative towards Kat. At the beginning of the story, I felt some chemistry between Kat and Ryan, but as it went on, the chemistry waned considerably. By the end, I was kind of looking forward to a third-act break up. For a romance book, not the best romance in my opinion.

Read if you enjoy:
✔️ Workplace Romance
✔️ Found Family
✔️ Craft Breweries
✔️ Female Empowerment

Here's what you can expect to fall in love with I’ve Got My Mind Set on Brew:

An opposites attract, enemies-to-lovers, work place/close proximity romance. Get ready for witty banter, undeniable chemistry, and a slow burn that will leave you craving the perfect finale.

A deep dive into the craft beer world. Jayne vividly portrays the passion and dedication behind brewing, making you yearn for a frosty pint of your favorite craft beer.

A heartwarming cast of characters. From the quirky regulars to the supportive staff, the people of Resistance will feel like your own chosen family. Features nonbinary, queer, and Latinx rep.

If you're looking for a book that's equal parts funny, heartwarming, and awoony, then "I've Got My Mind Set on Brew" is the perfect choice.

Thank you Netgally, Stephanie Jayne and Alcove press for the ARC of I’ve got my mind set on brew.

This book interested me as I love craft beer and the process. The storyline was ok I did not feel the tension or heat I would expect but it was a decent story.

I will say I do feel like at times both the main characters were childish and there were points about both of them I did not like. I did enjoy Kat’s growing up and taking charge of her life but feel she could have done or figured it out sooner but as I say that then there would be no story.

Overall it was an ok book not great but not bad either.

2.5 rounded to 3 stars

Firstly, every time I picked up this book, I got the George Harrison song in my head.

And it started with such promise.

Ryan and Kat had so much potential.

I liked how they started out, liked the bite and snark.

But then... that was it. They didn't move on from it, and I felt they were actually quite toxic. They brought out the worst in each other.

I felt noconnection between them, and though it is marketed as romcom, I did not get that vibe at all.

Ryan didn't listen to anyone else, and Kat was petulant, acting a spoiled brat as she didn't get a job - that was never hers to begin with.

It was a shame that the characters didn't develop further, as the story had real potential

My mind was definitely set on this story. It was a little predicting with some good surprises. The plot was moving and the characters were really developed. I liked that it has many relatable moments.

I loved the concept immediately with this one, as I am a personal fan of the winemaking, distilling and craft beer industries and have friends who work in the business too so I felt that I could instantly relate to it from that perspective. I also love a good, cheesy rom-com so this one initially appeared to tick all of the right boxes. A little close proximity, enemies-to-lovers - what's not to like?

Over all it was good, entertaining read, however as a rom-com I would have liked to see a stronger chemistry between the main characters.

Other wise, it was generally well-crafted and well-researched, easy to read and I look forward to seeing what Stephanie Jayne brings out next.