I received an advanced copy of the audiobook and a digital copy for review. This is my own opinion.

This book makes me wish I had a therapist for a best friend. Or at least a friend group like this one. They’re messy and loud and so tightly knit. It seems so nice.

Anyway. The idea of a fire scientist and a firefighter piqued my interest immediately, and this book doesn’t disappoint. All Fired Up touches on the disappointments of being female in a male-dominated career, loss of parents, strained relationships with parents, navigating unrequited love, and getting in your own way. By the end of the book, everything that could possibly go wrong did, but it wasn’t contrived drama and kept me interested the whole time.

I think this book would be excellent for fans of Anita Kelly and Meryl Wilsner.

The audiobook narrators were excellent as well.

Thanks to Harlequin Audio and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

All Fired Up is a cute sapphic rom-com with Nic, a fire scientist who seems to have none of it figured out, and Kira, a firefighter who maybe spends too much time having it all figured out. When their mutual best friend declares she is moving across the world, they conspire together to try to get her to stay. It's a slow burn (see what I did there) romance with some witty comments, a couple spicy scenes, and a friendship group with a lot to figure out.
I do wish we heard more from Skylar, the friend who is leaving and the whole impetus of the story, but maybe in the future. The friend group could have used some additional scenes as well but overall, a really cute easy listen.

The narration was good and easily paced (even at my double speed), and none of the sections felt like dead space.

Thank you to Netgalley for an early audio arc, this is due to release 4/29/2025.

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!
I enjoyed the audiobook so much, the voices were perfect for the main characters.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Nicole’s back in Seattle, ready for a fresh start…and a shot with her best friend, Skylar. But Skylar’s running off to Fiji, and Nicole’s only hope is teaming up with Kira, the quirky friend who’s always there to clean up Skylar’s messes. As their shenanigans escalate, so does the heat between Nicole and Kira. Will they save Skylar from herself, or will their unexpected attraction lead to a whole new kind of disaster?

This rom-com is so much fun! I was swept away by Nicole and Kira’s swoon-worthy romance. Their characters are beautifully developed, and their chemistry is electric. But it’s not just the romance that shines—the heartwarming sense of found family adds depth and richness. The dual narration suits the characters and the novel perfectly.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

All fired up is a sapphic romance between a firefighter and a fire-starting scientist. I expected messy characters and explosive chemistry that bursts off page. But I got neither, it was a timid flame at best and the characters lack of chemistry couldn’t even keep it alight.

I loved the friend group, specifically Skylar —who I thought was going to be a Pen type from Deep End by Ali Hazelwood —She was the most interesting character in my opinion . Even though I liked her and the narratives overall emphasis on friendship, her arc sidelined the characters in their own story .

Kristen DiMercurio and Angel Pean’s narration was a highlight

Thank you harlequin audio for the ALC

✨ Review ✨ All Fired Up by M. K. England, Narrated by Angel Pean and Kristen DiMercurio

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, Harlequin Audio, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This is perfect for Ali Hazelwood fans - for the nerdy, STEM romance lovers!
Nic’s job is to make fires for a living and Kira’s job is to put them out, which makes for the perfect steamy set up. They both share a best friend who's getting ready to move far, far away and start a new life, and they conspire to try to convince her not to leave. In the process, they get to know each other (and they get to KNOW each other).

This features the best kind of queer friend group / found family - supporting, loving, and teasing each other. It tackles serious issues faced by women in STEM and in traditionally male jobs like firefighting, but it also doesn't hesitate to bring in the laughs to offset this.

This was short and sweet and overall just a fun read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: f/f romance
Setting: Seattle
Length: 8 hours 35 minutes
Pub Date: Apr 29 2025

Read this if you like:
⭕️ women in STEM / female firefighters
⭕️ queer friend groups
⭕️ friends to lovers / forced proximity

I got both the Ebook and Audiobook of this ARC. I loved the book and I loved the audio. I thought both narrators did a great job, I really appreciated that despite it being two female MC, they got two different female narrators(not always the case).

I found this sapphic romcom to be be fast paced and well written. I liked both FMC-Nic and Kira and found that they complemented each other well.
I appreciated their similar but different jobs, and their personalities. Initially, I really didn't like Skylar but I warmed up to her after she explained her trip to her friends. I liked the whole friend group and would be interested to read more by this author if she expanded on them.

M.K. England NEVER fails! This book is no exception.

Nic is in love with Skylar - but Skylar is moving to Fiji and everyone seems to be okay with that... everyone except Nic and Kira, who vows to get to the bottom of this hairbrained scheme and stop it before Skylar gets hurt.

But neither Nic nor Kira see it coming when, while working together, they start to have feelings for each other. But, are either of them ready for finding something new when they are still trying to fix the problems that are going to befall Skylar?

The longer their scheming goes on, the more they wonder if it's even worth it.

I loved the characters in this book and fell a little bit for Skylar as well. Oh and maybe some for Kira. :D

The narrators Angel Pean and Kristen DiMercurio did exceptional jobs keeping me engaged and not allowing the story to be dragged down.

I'd like to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

All Fired Up was one of my most anticipated reads of the month, but this fell super flat for me. The chemistry between Nic and Kira was pretty non-existent and the whole Skylar ordeal was kind of stupid.

Nic is coming home to Seattle after spending a few years in Maryland pursuing a graduate degree in fire sciences. She can't wait to reunite with her best friend and unrequited love Skylar. But Skylar surprises everyone by announcing she is moving to Fiji. Kira, who has become a close friend to Skylar over the last few years, doesn't want her to leave. So she and Nic come up with a scheme to keep Skylar in Seattle and close to them, but what if they end up being the ones who get close to each other?

I loved this story so much! I immediately loved the found/chosen family that Nic had and how close everyone was. Even after being away at school, to come home to people who love you and support you is the best. And I'm so glad that Nic had Skylar's mom to lean on and be a mother figure for her when she really needed it.
Nic and Kira go through so much growth throughout the book. I loved the tarot scene and how that continued to play a part in the choices they each made for themselves. Honestly, the third act conflict was so well done, especially considering I don't really like them. But this was a conflict that felt very true to the story and the characters. And I was so happy with the way it was resolved!

5/5 for the audiobook! Both narrators were great and really brought their respective characters to life.

~Thank you to Harlequin Audio, M.K. England and NetGalley for this complimentary ALC. All opinions are my own~

Bummed about this one - had promise: firefighter MC x scientist MC end up teaming up to try and prevent their mutual friend from leaving town.

Ways this fell flat to me:

- chemistry was not there. they went from friend of a friend to working together once or twice to fucking to in love.
- the 'mystery' for why the mutual friend was leaving ended up being blown out of proportion, she was a social media therapist and livestreaming everything to her followers was not fun or interesting to read about
- for the pivotal big moments between the MCs, there was always some magical knowledgable person there to literally explain everything to them and as the reader, we were just talked at for all the plot movement (thinking of the tarot card cafe reading thing and the brunch scene that turned into an impromptu therapy session)
- the token nonbinary side character showed up at the beginning and the end to keep that plot moving
- there was not much of a plotline with their lives besides sexism at firefighter's work and money for grant at science job.


However, the narration was good and both Angel Pean & Kristen DiMercurio were working their butts off to keep this going. All stars go to the both of them lol.

4/5 Stars 2/5 Spice

Tropes:
Firefighter Romance
Forced Proximity
Friends with Benefits
Only One Bed
Roommates to Lovers
Opposites Attract
Found Family

🎧 Narration: Angel Pean & Kristen DiMercurio were fantastic in this sapphic romance. I listened at 2.5x & both narrators were clear & easy to understand. I was impressed with both narrators able to do similar voices for their friend group so it was easy to keep up with the whole crew. Definitely recommend the audio!

Ah! I loved Nic & Kira so much. Woman in STEM + a firefighter sapphic romance was the perfect opposites attract story. I loved the “keep it casual” vibes bc they were both dealing with feelings about their friend moving away & didn’t want to commit to things - which of course failed miserably bc they had amazing chemistry 😂 their love story was messy & a bit raw & i loved it. i loved their love. the forced proximity in this one was so unique - i really enjoyed the tension & drama of it all 😂 & oh my gosh skylar really kept us all on the hook didn’t she?! overall this was a fun binge read & if you love an opposites attract forced proximity moment - this one is definitely worth checking out!

ALC Review: All Fired Up by M. K. England
Pub Date: April 29, 2o25
Narrator: Angel Pean & Kristen DiMercurio

Nic Wells comes back to Seattle after two years away going to grad school and trying to get over her best friend, Skylar. When Skylar suddenly announces that she is moving to Fiji, Nic thinks she's making a huge mistake. And conveniently, the newest addition to their friend group, fire fighter Kira, thinks the same. So the two of them team up to help Skylar realize the mistake that she's making and become closer throughout this process.

I really really loved this book! Both Nic and Kira have quite a bit of character growth to do during the course of the book. but they really do the work! They were both really easy to root for and their histories and backstories made me really invested in their growth. I really liked their relationship. Typically I don't love books where one of the main characters is in love with someone else throughout the course of the book BUT here we get to see a really honest conversation between Skylar and Nic where Skylar helps Nic to realize that she never actually loved Skylar, she just doesn't want to lose her and her family (girl has some major abandonment issues). Nic's realization of this is a huge part to her growth and she realizes what she feels for Kira is so different and actually real.

The HEA was immensely satisfying and I loved the friend group so so much!! I think we got a hint of what the next book will be and as someone who loves a queer awakening...I'm SO ready

I really enjoyed the narration from Angel Pean and Kristen DiMercurio - I never had trouble figuring out who's POV I was in and I love when we get dual narration for sapphic or m/m books!! Both narrators really helped me to be even more invested in these characters and their story.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love the tag line in the blurb about how one fights fires and one makes them. It was what made me excited about this book. Unfortunately, there really wasn't a whole lot about this in the book. I think I expected to see a little more behind both jobs but it was all rather vague with small sprinkles of plot added in.

Also, there were so many characters in this book but there wasn't much depth to anyone, at least that's how I felt. The dialogue also was super stiff and could use a little fixing.

But, I did like the idea of this story and there were some cute moments. Lots of potential.

I listened to the audiobook and while I liked both narrators, I didn't feel like either one matched the characters presented to us on the books.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Canary Street Press, and Harlequin Audio for giving me access to both the e-ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review. I both read and listened to this book at the same time.
This book honestly hit me in the feels. As someone who is a licensed therapist (and struggles with mental health as well), it was nice seeing how the author worked through the different obstacles the characters faced, and showing that even the most "presentable" people have insecurities and flaws. I can relate both to Nic and Kira in different ways, and it was amazing watching their story unfold and bring them together. And the found family was really hitting me in the feels, with their compassion and hard but honest advice. And I thought the ending wrapped everything up perfectly - though I wouldn't mind seeing some of the other characters have their own story (iykyk). Overall, I highly recommend this heated (pun intended) sapphic romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the advanced audio book.

I appreciated having two narrators for the book, to differentiate between the two main characters. Unfortunately, the excellent narration wasn't enough to keep me engaged with this book. The group of friends at the heart of the book are supposed to be engaging and fun to hang with, but I found myself uninterested in their dynamic and not caring about Nic's disappointment that her best friend (an unrequited love) Skyler is potentially moving out of the country. Not sure exactly why the elements of the story didn't come together for me--guess I'm just not the reader for this one.

Thank you netgalley for the ALC of this book.

I enjoyed the two main characters. I have to say at times they were a little difficult to differentiate but they were cute together and you were rooting for them once Skyler was out of the way.
This is a saffic story that needs to be told. Some of the story lines were not working for me but all in all this was a story of finding love between two people.

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!

Narration:

This is one I will absolutely be recommending in audio, not only does it really help to discern between our two plus a sorta side main characters but I think it really lends itself well to the humor on the page. The narrator’s did such a great job of bringing the emotion on page alive and just fit our MCs so well. It’s is absolutely a five star audio and in my mind would be a great first try at audiobooks too because it’s so enjoyable and well done. It would make anyone an audio reader!

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.

Nice, f/f romance. Nicole Wells returns to her friend group in Seattle after being away to graduate school for two years. She has had a long standing crush on her best friend Skylar and is hoping something can happen between them as well. Kira McKinney, a firefighter, is Skylar’s current best friend. She joined the friend group while Nic was away. When Skylar announces she is moving to FIji, Kira and Nic think it is an impulsive mistake and team up to try and change her mind.

The friend group has a lot of characters to get dropped into all at once. But the story quickly settles on this trio as the focus. I appreciate that this falls on the lighter side, but calling it a rom-com is a stretch. Off hand the only thing I thought was funny was the plant shenanigans. Nic and Kira both had interesting back stories that increased my interest in them. And Skylar handles Nic's feelings with loving kindness. This was an enjoyable story for a lazy Sunday afternoon. I liked the characters and the pacing felt right. I am new to the author and will look for her other books.

I loved seeing the opposites attract trope between a firefighter and a scientist who likes to start fires, such a great idea. It's a sweet, slow-burn romance and heartwarming story. Such a cute, quick read that I'll definitely recommend looking for a light-hearted sapphic romance.