This was so cute! I loved the pairing of a firefighter with someone who sets fires for a living. Kira and Nicole had excellent chemistry, which led to some very fun spicy scenes. I never really warmed up to Skylar, and I’m not sure I was supposed to, but I thought the rest of the found family was very sweet. And Kira’s frustrations with being passed over for promotions by less qualified dude bros was so relatable.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

The story of Nic and Kira was great! It really is a great example of how love shows up when you least expect it. While trying her hardest not to fall in love, Nic can't escape how perfectly Kira balances her. One critique I would like to make is that I was confused by the timeline of this book. Everything was fine until chapter 19 when I noticed the date said Aug 2025. So, we're reading into the future? While I enjoyed the story, that little detail was in my head for the rest of the book. Other than that, I loved the relationship dynamic, the shenanigans, the friend group, and the spice.

Anyways! Thank you, M. K. England and Canary Street Press, for allowing me to read this book prior to publication! I appreciate the opportunity.

First, I want to thank Netgalley and Harper Collins Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read All Fired Up by M K England. This review is solely my own opinion. This book was great! It was a decently quick read, and the storyline was cute. The story follows Nic, who recently returned to Seattle after spending 2 years in grad school. Nic left without telling her best friend Skyler. She was in love with her. While Nic is off at grad school, her group of friends adopt a newcomer, Kira. Kira is a firefighter for SFD and is constantly fighting the politics of moving up in the department. Nic and Kira instantly bond and get close to each other. The story was great, I rated it 4.25 stars and highly recommend reading it when it comes out at the end of this month.

This was such a fantastic read, especially with a new to me author! I found myself invested straight away and could tell from the hilarious get go that I was going to really enjoy this read. Paired with fantastic narration with a wide variety of voices that helps discern the characters, I read it in one sitting, what a wonderful introduction to this author!

This is the perfect Queer rom com that’s got just the right amount of hope, heart and healing all wrapped up into one hilariously witty tale. With diverse characters going through real life, and oh so relatable shifts in their hearts and minds, this is one of those books that will undoubtedly make readers feel seen in more ways than one.

For me pacing is King here, truly. The pacing was absolutely flawless. I loved the build up of the relationship alongside them sort of rebuilding themselves along the way. For me that really set this apart from a lot of rom coms that can feel a bit devoid of the time it might need to feel realistic. I really enjoyed the time that was given to develop the connection and the friendship, and that nothing ever felt rushed or dragged on whatsoever. I loved that we saw a lot of growth and healing along the way for these two oh so root for able MCs, and it was so easy to be invested in them. The spicy scenes were well written, and well timed, the narration was also fantastic for these parts too so it’s truly win win in the spice realm I never found myself wanting to speed things along, and even listened at a slower rate than normal because I loved being along for the ride on the authors timeline. I’m often a double speed must know what happens next theorizer, and I just wanted to sink in and enjoy this, which was so lovely!

Overall this was an absolute win for me and will be one I regularly recommend. It will absolutely be a comfort reread for me as well. I couldn’t have asked for anything more, well besides maybe a movie based on this, oh and spin off for a side character or three! I can’t wait to see what comes next for this author!

Thank you to M.K England, NetGalley, Hive, Harlequin Audio & Canary Street Press for giving me the ebook ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book and Nic are so chaotic I could only fell in love with both! I just liked it so much. The story is so funny and so deep at the same time! This is my first book from this author but certainly it will be not my last!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I really enjoyed Nic’s chaotic personality, I think because her feelings and emotions felt very valid and genuine. Having essentially lost both her parents at a young age and finding solace in Skylar and her family made her feel loved and therefore attached. Skylar was honestly so caring and loveable, I could totally tell why Nic would have had feelings for her. Using school in Nic’s case to escape her unrequited feelings was definitely not the right move, but it also led her to finding out how much she loved what she was researching, so in this case it worked out for the best. It is so relatable to be scared of going after what you want and sometimes having to only rely on yourself and not others to get you there. I absolutely loved the shenanigans that her and Kira came up with and their ongoing banter and playfulness was really sweet and adorable. Even though they were very much opposites attract, I loved the unique idea of dealing with different sides of fire was something that brought them close together. Even though Nic definitely needed a lot of help in the beginning to figure out her feelings, her character development was really great and I loved seeing her finally confront her buried feelings and seek help from a therapist.

Kira was also such a great character, especially the fact that I could picture how hot she was in her firefighter uniform! Even though she came off as put together and confident, it was nice to see her vulnerable side and her ability to overcome her horrible situation at the fire station. Not only did I love her friendship with Skylar, but I loved the way she took care of Nic and was able to bring out the best in her. Her and Nic complemented each other perfectly and had amazing chemistry. Not only that, but I liked that the story didn't make Skylar choose between Nic and Kira and how they were both able to add their personality to the group and not have it be awkward. I thought the pacing of the romance was extremely well done and didn't feel rushed or lagging. Ultimately I just really loved both Kira and Nic individually, and adored them even more as a couple, and was rooting for them from the very beginning.

Skylar had such a big personality and yet, also had small glimpses of vulnerability that I loved. You could feel all the love she had for each and everyone in the friend group and vise versa how devastated they all are to see her go. I love how she seemed to know everything about everyone without them even knowing. I also especially loved how well she handled everything with Nic and letting her down gently but also using her counseling skills to give some tough love. She just seemed so intune to everyone and knew what they needed, which felt really special. Besides Skylar though, I wish the other members of the friend group were fleshed out more because there are so many secrets and mysteries surrounding each of them. Even though you could still feel all the love between everyone, it would have been nice to get a bigger glimpse into their lives, especially how they all became friends and their individual backstories. I also have to say that I really enjoyed Skylar’s mom and loved her relationship with Nic.

Even though the plot was a bit unconventional, I really enjoyed the story, especially the shenanigans. I appreciated the insight into the firefighting world (even though everything is how I unfortunately expected it to be) and the stem researching world. I’m also glad Skylar didn’t turn out to be some bimbo influencer but was actually very well educated and had very inspirational movies for her Fiji venture. My favorite parts were the tarot card scene (which gives you a very clear picture as to what is going to eventually happen) and of course the adorable proposal in the epilogue. Overall, you really can't help but fall in love with not only Nic and Kira, but also the entire friend group dynamic and how much love they have for each other and what they are willing to do to stay in each other’s lives. Everything from the character development to the unique plot and spicy chemistry was really heartfelt and beautiful.

All Fired Up has me fired up! This sapphic romance was such a fun read. I really enjoyed the characters and the way they were very human. Sometimes romance novels make these characters seem completely unreal, but I loved that I felt as if I was a part of Nic and Kira's friend group.

Nic and Kira's romance had the potential to be phenomenal or horrific, based on where the mis-communication was solved, and I was so THRILLED that it was dealt with at an appropriate time in the book and left room for realistic healing and apologies.

This romance was a dang good time and I'm hoping to see more of these friends again!

DNF@ 20%

I didn't like the writing. The dialogue was too cheesy and ridiculous to me. And I didn't care for the characters.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC! All opinions are my own.

Quirky, romantic, and full of found family, “All Fired Up” tells the story of Nic, a scientist studying fire dynamics as she returns home to Seattle after grad school. Her best friend (and secret crush) Skylar is planning a crazy move to Fiji. Nic and Skylar’s new best friend, Kira, team up to foil her plan and save their friend group, and shenanigans and romance ensue!

This was such a cute and fun sapphic romance, but the relationships and characters had so much depth! Nic and Kira are opposites not only because of their jobs, but because of their personalities, and it was great to see them grow as individuals but also together.

I loved the found family aspects of the story, not just between all of the friends, but also with Nic and Skylar’s family. Nic had a complicated family life after her mother died, and it was wonderful to see her have such wonderful support from Skylar’s mom.

Overall such a wonderful read!

This sapphic rom-com, was such a fun time! Nic and Kira are the perfect duo. Nic, being a chemist who studies fire and Kira, a firefighter team up to try and stop their mutual best friend from leaving the country for Fiji only to grow closer during these shenanigans into something much more than friends. Their story was so cute, had some tough love moments, and the friend group as a whole seems like such a great group of people. This is a fun story full of relatable, funny people who just want to look out for one another. I really enjoyed this one!

My bisexual heart is so so so happy right now!!! This book was such a fun read and so full of growth, development, the harsh realities of becoming an independent adult, discovering yourself, the importance of communication, LOVE?!??!!?? I couldn’t get enough this was a blast to read!!!

Nicole + Kira

-sapphic romance
-friends to lovers
-firefighter/firestarter
-only one bed
-found family

i loved this story SO MUCH & the narrators were AMAZINGGGG!! i was like nic my girl come on, get your shit together! it was messy & emotional & sooo gayyyy!! all my favorite things!!

This was a fun dual POV Sapphic friends to lovers romance between two women in the Firefighting world who are linked by a common friend and their scheme to get her to stay in Seattle rather than leave them for a mysterious relocation to Fiji. I enjoyed the women in STEM rep, the female firefighter rep and the great queer found family friend group. This was good on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Ashley Herring Blake or Alexandria Bellefleur. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

🦇 All Fired Up Book Review 🦇

❓ Who is your favorite opposites-attract ship?

🦇 Nicole Wells left Seattle two years ago for a master’s in fire dynamics and some much-needed space. Now she’s back, ready to hit reset on her life…and take one last chance on best friend/unrequited love Skylar Clark. But Nic’s plans crumble when Skylar announces she’s quitting her job and moving to Fiji. Kira McKinney stepped in as Skylar’s safety net friend while Nic was away. She’s got plenty of her own problems, but when Skylar makes her announcement, Kira knows she’s needed again. Fortunately, Kira finds an ally in Nic, and when talking to Skylar doesn’t work, there’s only one option left: shenanigans. But as all their efforts go up in smoke, one thing becomes wildly clear: the situation between Nic and Kira is heating up. Can they let go of the past, or will they get burned?

💜 Talk about chemistry! It's time to get you all fired up for this opposites-attract contemporary romance! Let's break it down:

✨ Characters: Give me a hot female firefighter (Marjan from 911 LS, anyone?) and a sexy woman in STEM any day. Nic and Kira are obviously made for each other, the two perfectly balanced. Both women have layers and detailed back stories; their characterization is thorough enough to make them breathe off the page. My concern, however, is their amazing friend group. We don't get a lot of the supporting cast, even though it's obvious they're all on side quests (and keeping secrets). Will we get their stories soon?

✨ Plot and Pacing: The plot of two strangers coming together to keep their mutual best friend from making a mistake was *chef's kiss* perfect. I do wish some of the shenanigans had been a bit bigger/crazier, but they all work realistically. The pacing is consistent, but I wish we'd seen a few bigger bonding moments before the falling officially starts.

✨ World-Building: Seattle is one of my favorite cities, so I do wish the setting played a bigger part, at least in descriptions.

✨ Romance: With Kira and Nic being so well-balanced (chaotic energy versus steadfast calm, the spontaneous versus the planner), it's no wonder their romance felt so natural. There's no big moment when they fall; it's gradual and easy. Unfortunately, this story relied on sex as the transitional period, which you guys know I don't love too much (but at least those scenes were fire instead of awkward). The tarot card scene was a beautiful, visually-powered way to help both women recognize it's time for change. Thankfully, Kira and Nic are what the other needs for serious character growth, and it's gorgeous. I can't possibly finish this review without saying it at least once, these two are FIRE. This was the sapphic book I've been waiting four months for, and it was worth the wait.

✨ Mystery/Suspense: EVERYONE in this friend group is keeping secrets, and yet, the tension isn't there. Even Skylar's reason for moving is revealed earlier than expected. That tension could have scorched a path throughout the entire book to give the pacing a bigger push, but it's lacking.

✨ Tone/Prose: I did mix up Kira and Nic a few times, when transitioning POVs/chapters. Their voices aren't entirely distinctive. Thankfully, there's dry wit and humor in the dialogue. When Kira and Nic finally start talking, the pace picks up. They have the kind of chemistry that can burn every obstacle to ash.

🦇 Recommended to fans of Rachel Lacey and Ashley Herring Blake.

✨ The Vibes ✨
🔥 Bisexual / Lesbian
🔥 Queer / Sapphic Romance
🔥 Firefighter / Fire Scientist
🔥 Dual POV
🔥 Only One Bed
🔥 Women in STEM
🔥 Mental Health Rep
🔥 Found Family
🔥 Friends to Lovers

🦇 Major thanks to the author @mk_england and publisher @canarystreetpress / @htpbooksfor providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #AllFiredUp

💬 Quotes
“Wow,” Nic interrupts. “I didn’t realize a person could actually sound like a neatly tabbed binder and a fresh pack of highlighters personified.”

I’ve know I’ve been attracted to her...but there’s a world of difference between being sexually attracted to someone and being romantically attracted to them. The world is filled with people who experience one, the other, neither, or both.

She’s beautiful under normal, everyday circumstances; with my name on her lips and her taste on my tongue, she would be a goddess.

"You need to be your own anchor.”

There is vulnerability in the aftermath of crisis, in hope, and in rebuilding. If you can care for each other in that vulnerable state, build together instead of staying siloed, you can avoid constructing an exact replica of your previous cage. You could balance each other. You could build something entirely new together.”

“Yeah. I’m ready.” I’d follow this woman into the fire any day.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for the arc!

Due to some *personal things* happening right now, I think I'd enjoy this one better as an audiobook, and I definitely plan to check that out. I enjoyed what I read, though! I think this would've been about a 3.5-4 star rating, so that's what I gave it. I really love the premise of a firefighter x pyro scientist, and I plan to give it another shot when an audio is available.

Thanks again for the arc!

The book was amazing, with characters like Kira and Nic developing into better versions of themselves. Reading about the friend group changing and developing was really interesting. The story was fun, relatable and comforting, with the main characters not fully having their lives together.

The chemistry between the characters was great, and the sex scenes were also enjoyable. The book felt like a true romance movie, with Nic slowly growing into herself and Kira taking charge in her professional life, while falling for eachother. That was so sweet to read about. I loved that the ending of the book was the beginning of something new for them

I had the opportunity to read this book early thanks to Netgalley!

"Yes, I will admit to being one of those people who spent hours online watching the lumberjack lesbian chop wood."

What a delightful and fun read! This book felt like such a breath of fresh air in a world were wlw couples and media seemed to be cursed by the tragedy stereotype. It was such a pleasant and sweet rom-com. I loved every single character in the book. While not predominately there, you still cared for them. Truly, skylar took the trophy as my favorite character. I love love Kira and Nic, but my go, Skylar made me laugh so much during this whole book, and getting to know her better and the complex layers that made her the person she is was so heartwarming.

I genuinely had so much fun reading this book and the emotional bits were SO SO SO GOOD, the angst is so delicious and the resolution is just chef's kiss.

Truly one of the sweetest reads I had this year! love me a good saphic romcom

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve previously read something from M.K. England under their other pen name, and I was drawn to the premise of what I believe is their first adult romance with All Fired Up. And while it didn’t blow me away, I liked the generally easy, low-stakes feel, especially as I had recently put aside a much more difficult, unstimulating read. And while I wasn’t massively wowed, I found this to be one of the more entertaining and successful adult romances from authors who previously wrote YA.
The one thing that caught my attention immediately was the role of “fire” in the FMCs’ respective professions, with Kira being a firefighter, while Nic is a scientist of sorts and she starts them (also fire dynamics as a field of study and profession sounds so badass!). I was also drawn to their respective friendships with their mutual friend Skylar, and how her future plans motivate them to come together to try to keep her from making a mistake.
The romance is cute, and I did like them together as they navigated this difficult situation for the most part. The complications, particularly with Nic having unrequited feelings for Skylar was a complication, as was how quickly she got over it upon getting to know Kira, which did stretch the logic slightly. However, the progression of the relationship otherwise felt fairly realistic and compelling.
This was a solid read, and I’d recommend it to readers who are in search of a lighthearted sapphic romcom.

This dual POV romance was spicy and swoony. We can become so entrenched in an idea, it's hard to break out of that thought cycle. But what happens what that dream, that person, no longer fits our future? What if they never did? All Fired Up is about misguided decisions, the need to jump, and how important it is to realize what we want. It's tempting to just jump from life raft to life raft. But what happens when we have to stand on our own? This was such a fun, and heartfelt story about characters who both need the courage to jump.

Lesbian romance for the win. This was hot in every sense of the word and not just cause one of the protagonists is a firefighter.