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.

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!