Getting to fire up the grill with the men of Triple R Ranch was a treat, and Avery might just be spicier than Jack. And I don't just mean his food. The sparks fly from the very first moment Avery and Layla meet, and the heat level just flares from there. Between the incredible descriptions of the food to the steamy moments between Avery and Layla, this book is DELCIOUS!

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this ARC. All words are my own.

DNFed at 16%. I was seriously bored to tears. They kept going back and forth with these terrible attempts at innuendos & it was so annoying. It wasn’t building anything because there really was no chemistry. Maybe I wasn’t in the mood to read a book where each MC definitely comes with a past/baggage as well. I could tell it was going to be a huge aspect of the plot.
Maybe one day I’ll give this another try. I don’t hate to rate it anything since I only read 16% but yeah gave 2 stars instead of 1 because maybe I’ll try and read it again another time.
2/5

Avery Reed knows how to fire up the grills! And with his piercing blue eyes, the rugged pitmaster makes women’s mouths water, including Layla Jenson’s. She’s a YouTube cook-off host who’s spotlighting talented BBQ cooks across the country. Her current project is a bunkhouse cook showdown—and former pitmaster pro Avery holds the key to its success.
Both, however, have something they don't want to divulge to the other. When they first meet, when Layla goes to the TripleR ranch for filming Jack's show she is blown away by the hunk of a man, Avery. I mean who wouldn't be. He sounds amazing, kind, gentle giant, humorous and damn good looking, a man to swoon over.
It's an insta connection, and I loved it from start to finish especially the whole Texan drawl thing. I have a thing for that it is no secret so of course I fell in love from the first sentence.
Gigi Templeton is a new author to me and I found her book on NetGalley and I am now obsessed and will go back to read book one in the series. You can read either as a standalone, you don't need to read the first one first.
Her writing is smooth, it's romantic and swoony, it touches your heart and her characters are people you want to meet, and be with. I loved her assistant too, such a fun person that I would love a story about her and Tood, Wait, is there one? I have to go check this out or ask Gigi.
Highly recommend this book, it is corny but I loved that about this book.
I couldn't put it down, I am totally addicted to southern charm
Kerry Kennedy Author

I found the story to be okay, but there were plot holes, and it felt rushed, so it didn't come all together for me as everything was conveniently wrapped up. The MCs Avery and Layla are likeable and you want them to find their HEA. But at the same time it's frustrating since ethically Layla and Avery shouldn't be together since she's on the production team of the competition he's entering, it just doesn't sit right.

Surely, whenever there’s food, there’s romance just around the corner. I found this book quite hard to get into and it took more perseverance than I’d usually give but the two main characters were very likable and right from the beginning I was rooting for them to find a happily ever after. Avery comes from a cowboy ranch, need I say more? His charm and commitment to the grills makes him every romance hopefuls dream. Laylas determination for success makes her equally as lovable!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance. I love challenging myself to make sure I get you guys a review!

Fired Up by Gigi Templeton is a light read filled with spice in the kitchen and simmering chemistry between its characters.
While the storyline was easily forgettable and lacks depth, it managed to keep me engaged.
It’s a a step up from a Hallmark romance with the spiciness. Which I don’t mind.
If you’re in the mood for a breezy, uncomplicated read, with a dash of spicy romance, this might just hit the spot!

Thankyou to author Gigi Templeton, Montlake and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Charlene 📚🤗🌸 @lastnownext

I love Forbidden Romances so this seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, I think the execution just lacked for me and it had insta-lust which I'm not a fan of. I also feel like the writing didn't really flow well and that the characters fell flat. I do however love the nickname "darlin'" and thought that was really cute, but overall I was disappointed.

What a great sequel Spiced Right. This time Avery is up and Layla is his perfect counter part. It is fun to see the family come into focus supporting Avery overcome his past and become a Bunkhouse House cook master.

Thank you NetGalley and Gigi templeton for allowing me an arc copy of this book. I absolutely loved the idea of the host and the cook having a forbidden relationship going on but I did feel like there were some gaps within the plot itself. I did seem to get confused because it was in 3rd POV. I did really enjoy the characters in the book

Thank you NetGalley and author Gigi Templeton for the copy of the book in ecxhange of my honest review.

"Avery Reed knows how to fire up the grills! And with his piercing blue eyes, the rugged pitmaster makes women’s mouths water, including Layla Jenson’s. She’s a YouTube cook-off host who’s spotlighting talented BBQ cooks across the country. Her current project is a bunkhouse cook showdown—and former pitmaster pro Avery holds the key to its success.

Unfortunately, Layla’s running from a troubled past. And Avery has his own demons nipping at his heels.

When Layla visits the TRIPLE R to ask Avery to be on the show, will their scorching chemistry seal the deal? Or will their complicated pasts tear them apart?"

I did enjoy reading this book.

This book was a bit of let down. I loved Spiced Right, and was so excited to read more from this author. But this book felt a bit rushed and the characters felt 1 dimensionless. The insta-lust/love between the characters also slightly put me off.
All in all, I loved the concept of cook-off host and cook having a (forbidden) romance, but the execution feel a bit flat.

Summary: Avery Reed, a charismatic pitmaster, and Layla Jenson, a YouTube cook-off host, spark chemistry amid a BBQ cook-off, confronting past demons.

To be fair, looking at the cover alone I thought I was up for some spicy firefighter romance but learned soon enough that it was a spicy meet the cook romance! Which I'm absolutely not mad about haha. I liked the book overall even though some parts could have been executed better. If you read it for the spice it's amazing but the plot lacks a bit of interest sometimes.

🤠 🐖 🚜 🍖 🍽 🎬 🎥

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5

Avery is a cowboy through and through. He lives on his familys ranch and is an award winning pit master. While working at an event, he meets layla. She is a cohost of 'light your fire', a cooking show that's on its fifth season and comes with a large cash prize for the winner. She tries to convince avery to being a contest on the new season but although the money is appealing, the fame that comes with it may bring pasts Ghosts to his door. But their instant attraction is just too hard to say no to. And layla has demons of her own.

Okay they story was good but I don't necessarily think it all came together too great. The characters were great and lovable, there were just plot holes for me.

I loved layla and averys connection. And I loved Richie, Averys assistant. He was just adorable.

This was the second in a series which I had no idea about but I don't think you needed it as (I assume) it was all recapped in a conversation layla had with a family member.

It's not a secret. I love a spicy book. This was relatively, but the scenes were a bit 🥴 and the dirty talk was, umm, yeah... 🫣 I mean, that's just my opinion. But that's from a dark romance reader, so don't go on that too much 😂

Overall, it was a lovely found family story that made me starving for a bbq.

🤍

"So don't wonder whether I have designs on someone else, cowboy. We aren't ideal or fated and yet .. im only interested in you."

"Don't go cryin' on me, darlin`. You'll break my heart."

This one just didn’t do it for me, i really was ready to DNF’d this one.

For me, the main characters seemed immature to me.

The FMC has a secret past, and brings it up so frequently which defeats the whole purpose of it being a secret to me. I also didn’t like that she kept emphasizing that she was ugly and the with plastic surgery became pretty and good enough for TV. Her poor confidence made me want to hug her.

It feels like the FMC and MMC are constantly living in the past and i just couldn’t get into their relationship.

"Fired Up" delivers a sizzling romance that'll have you craving both barbecue and love. Gigi Templeton's characters, Avery and Layla, are as hot as the grills they cook on, and their chemistry is palpable from the get-go. However, while the romance aspect is well-executed, the level of spice falls a tad short for my taste buds. I was expecting a bit more heat, but instead found myself craving a deeper exploration of the characters' backstories and the challenges they face. Despite this, Avery's cowboy charm and Layla's determination make for an enjoyable read that's perfect for a lazy afternoon in the sun. So, if you're looking for a light-hearted romance with a dash of danger, "Fired Up" might just be the book to ignite your interest.

Well thank you for another amazing swoon worthy book. Would 10/10 recommend with a level 4 spice level 🌶️

Fired Up by Gigi Templeton
I recieved an ebook ARC of this book to read and base a review on. All opinions are my own.

I had received the arc and accidently deleted it. I just finished after downloading a second time.

I did not really like this book at all. It's cool with Avery being a "BBQ Pit Master", but Layla getting involved with one of the contestants of the contest just will not sit right wih me. I don't care how many degrees of seperation she claims there are...it's still completely unfair to all the other contestants. If I came in second, I'd be throwing words at whoever's above Layla.

The "roadblocks" in the relationship felt very contrived, and so conviently fixed...

I'm afraid this isn't a book I'm recommending

What can I say I really enjoyed this book a lot, I'm only new to all this reviewing books but I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would do. I liked the two main character and their chemistry was on fire. This was my first book from the author Gigi Templeton and I was super impressed. The spice in this book was just the perfect enough spice for me and I enjoyed reading every single page of it. I received an arc from netgalley and I'm happy cause it's my first book. The writing of style from the very first page was so amazing. I love this book a lot and I would recommend giving it a read.

It’s packed with chemistry and subtext, but still grounded. Their conversations feel genuine enough that you could conceivably be overhearing two friends chatting at the next table over in a bar, rather than two fictional characters bickering and bantering on the page.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher and author via NetGalley to provide an honest review. First and foremost, thanks to each for the opportunity. I am a fan of Ms Templeton, and enjoyed the book very much. In fact I read it in two and a half days 😊. Her characters are easy to love, and her style of writing pulls you in right from the first page.

The two main characters Avery and Layla are loveable and you root for them right from the very first moment they lay eyes on each other at the BBQ. The spice in this book is a 3/5, to me it’s more romance than spice. But, Avery is the perfect romance cowboy you love to want for your own.

I didn’t read book 1 in this series, but didn’t find it necessary. If you are looking for a fun, entertaining “beach read” romance novel this is a great one to pick up.❤️❤️ I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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