Loved this from the very first page! Full of laugh out loud moment, witty banter, & swoon worthy sweetness 🥰

Imani was fabulous, & getting to see more of who she is was everything I needed! And Zander 😍 his live in the moment lifestyle kept everyone one their toes.

ALL THE THINGS TO LOVE:
-dual POV
-loveable animals
-small town perfectness
-characters you’ll laugh along with 😂🥰

Absolutely perfect in all the best ways!! Definitely check it out!!

This was a lot of fun, and a pretty quick read. The author brought much more depth to both her main characters which I felt was lacking in her previous book. Now I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Dylan Newton is back with her second novel in her series following the Matthew brothers. All Fired Up follows Zander Matthews as he continues to pine for Imani Lewis, best friend of his brother's wife. Zander and Imani spent multiple nights together after a wedding, but haven't seen each other since. Now that Imani is back in town for the summer to care for her grandmother, Zander is hoping he can get a second shot with her. Imani is looking for a chance to figure out the next chapter in her life this summer while she helps her grandmother after her surgery. She didn't expect Zander Matthews to pop back into her life. He always seemed like the goofy Matthews brother to her, but the more he gets to know Zander the more sides she gets to know and the harder it will be to let him go once the summer is done.

I was head-over-heels in love with Dylan's previous novel, How Sweet It Is, but sadly All Fired Up didn't quite ignite the same passion for me. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy this book because I still did but not to the same degree. I didn't feel that the passion was there as much for Imani and Zander to the point where I as a reader expected them to be together as lovers by the end of the novel. I loved Imani, Zander, and Imani's grandmother as characters. Dylan gives us a little more into the character of Ryker, the last Matthew's brother and the focus of her next and last Matthews brother book.

Zander and Imani... sigh. Zander seems like the most perfect of the Matthews brothers, although I enjoyed the previous book and look forward to the next one. Imani has a spreadsheet and a to-do list for everything, but when she slows down for the summer to help her grandmother, love enters stage right. Loved it!

This is the second in book in Dylan Newton’s series following the Matthew’s brothers. I really enjoyed How Sweet It Is, the first book in the series, and was very happy to find that this one was even better. It follows the Zander Matthews, the brother of Drake (hero of book 1), and Imani Lewis, the publicist of Drake and best friend of Kate (heroine of book 1). It is revealed that Zander and Imani hooked up at Drake and Kate’s wedding and Imani ghosted him. Now Imani is back in town to assist her grandmother who is recovering from surgery and be there for the preparation and birth of Kate’s baby. The pair are of course pushed together and must decide if they want to take things further.

I really liked both Imani and Zander. They are an opposites attract couple with Imani being the queen of planners and lists and Zander being an ex-Marine potter who is floating through life in the best possible way. I do think that some of the timeframe for things, especially the speed at which Zander turned himself around for Imani was unrealistic, but it did not hurt or distract from the magic of the story. This book dealt with some difficult issues including the death of Imani’s mother in a way that took them seriously but it never felt heavy. I am very much looking forward to the third book in the series about Drake and Zander’s brother Ryker which is coming out next summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Imari Lewis is a workaholic successful book publicist. While recovering from surgery, she agrees to spend the summer with her grandmother. Years ago, she had a fun night with a one-night stand in that town and she still has memories of that man. Zander Williams is the man that she shared that night with. He is determined to enjoy the present because his time in the Marines taught him that tomorrow isn't guaranteed. He also still thinks about that beautiful woman that he met and did not know her name. He is hired to fix up her grandmother's house and Imari plans on keeping the relationship friendly. Can she handle that when she sees him on a regular basis? I recommend this fun rom-com.

** 2.5 Stars. **

I didn't realize that this book was the second in a series, but I do think it can be read as a standalone as well. It reads like a traditional chick lit, but I found it hard to connect with the characters, as the dialogue felt contrived rather than realistic. If you are looking for a book to pick up this summer to read by the pool, you'd love this one. Some steamy moments, but nothing too graphic.

However, I really enjoyed Gigi, the main character's grandmother and Ryker, Zander's Brother. Ryker's book is going to be next in this series, and I look forward to reading that one.

Thank you to Forever Publishing & NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

🎈🎈🎈🎈/5

I have not read anything by @authordylannewton before this book, but I definitely will not shy away from her books any more!

This book was full of hilarious moments, characters with full personalities, and sweet heartwarming moments.

The story starts with Imani coming into town to help her grandma GiGi with her upcoming knee surgery and subsequent recovery. But what she didn’t think she’d have to deal with was Lancelot (her late grandpa’s crazy parrot), and Zander (her one night stand from 9 months ago that she ghosted).

I loved Zander. He seemed like such a nice, smoking hot, well rounded guy. Even though he was a bit immature with his finances. But he really meant well, and the ending was perfect development for him.

Zander was always around for everyone else, no strings attached, whenever they needed him with both his family and his community. Which leads to some great stories about him from other characters that helped convince Imani that maybe Zander wasn’t such a bad guy to have an actual relationship with.

And then there was Imani, who was a total boss about everything in her life, from work to home to family to friends. With literally every situation she found herself in. But her one downfall was that she sometimes stretched herself too thin and wouldn’t let herself enjoy the small moments that life would grace her with. I really enjoyed her growth throughout the story.

I loved watching Zander charm and chase Imani and his first date idea for them was PERFECT! And I really enjoyed Imani’s moments with her best friend and with her grandma.

Two of my favorites scenes in All Fired Up involved a hot air balloon and a parrot with some nail polish (IYKYK).

All Fired Up by Dylan Newton is her sophomore effort, following last year’s How Sweet It Is. This book made me smile and gave me all the warm fuzzies, and it also made me a tiny bit teary, too. Funny how that works.

Imani Lewis is a workaholic, her job as a publicist taking center stage. But all that changes when she decides to take a leave of absence over the summer to help her grandmother recover from knee surgery. Without the frenetic pace of the publishing world, she gets a chance to slow down and smell the roses.

Zander Matthews is the opposite—he lives his life to the fullest, in the moment. He tries to be fully present in the now, but this outlook on life means he isn’t overly concerned about planning for his future.

After one hot and steamy weekend the year before (at her best friend and his brother’s wedding), Zander has never forgotten Imani, and with her arrival in town, he’s determined to see if they can make a relationship work—but for his plan to succeed, he has to find a way out of the friend-zone.

All Fired Up is the perfect read for fans of Abby Jimenez, Emily Henry, or Sally Thorne. Newton writes with humor and heart, and she also captures the reality of PTSD and anxiety with compassion and understanding. Imani and Zander really do bring out the best in each other, and I was their biggest cheerleader to the very end.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Forever Pub for my advance review copy.

Imani is a workaholic, and when she needs some time and her grandmother invites her to stay the summer it seems like the perfect fit… until she’s forced to be in close proximity to her one night stand. She and Zander were everything I could’ve hoped for, their flirty banter and fun antics giving the heart to a wonderful second chance romance. & I related so easily with so many of Imani’s characteristics and feelings, it was easy to get caught up in her story.

Plus I loved the community members who we saw return from the first book in the series (HOW SWEET IT IS) which I also loved, who doesn’t love an appearance from characters you already love?! Cannot wait to read more from Newton, she certainly knows how to write rom coms that leave you wanting more!

Thank you to Dylan for having me on her ARC team, and to Forever Publishing for the ARC copy to read and review!

Okay, there’s no crypt scene, but the balloon scene is pretty great. I loved Imani and Zander from the jump and Newton perfectly captures their courtship. If you need a good summer read this is the perfect choice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for access to this ARC. This book came out earlier this week (May 17) and I'm so glad I got to it!

I truly believe that there are books that come out and should get a whole lot more publicity than they wind up getting. I feel that Dylan Newton's first book, How Sweet It Is, falls into that category. In that one, Kate (an events planner) falls in love with Drake (a horror author). It is super cute and fun and this one continues on that same level and, at least for me, actually surpasses it. When Kate and Drake got married, Kate's best friend, Imani, and Drake's brother, Zander, had a few nights stand that never really went anywhere. Imani is back in town to help in the lead-up to Kate having her first baby and to assist her grandmother who is about to get both knees replaced. Imani is the kind of girl that needs a backup plan for her backup plan. Zander is a little more free spirited. Is there any way something can develop between them that meets both of their needs?

I loved seeing Kate and Drake again! Gigi, Imani's grandmother, is also a hoot. I love how she always calls Zander Zoolander. Definitely a spitfire! Also, never really thought I'd think of hot air balloons in quite the way I do now but I'm grateful for it!

I would have to point out this is one of those sequels that would be significantly better if you've already read the first one. I personally can't wait for Ryker's story to come out next summer because I love the Matthews boys!

Absolutely 5 star read!

Read/Listen If You Like:
❤️ Opposites Attract
❤️ Second Chance Romance (after hook-up)
❤️ Male Artist MC
❤️ Female in Publishing MC
❤️ A bird that tattles
❤️ Armed Services Veteran Representation

Book Review:
This book was an absolute surprise in all the best ways. We get uptight Imani who is questioning her career path while on an extended leave from work while visiting her grandmother to help take care of her during the summer while she has a double knee replacement.

Insert a weekend-stand from her best friends wedding who also happens to be her star author’s little brother.

Zander is everything Imani isn’t- chill and go with the flow after serving in the Marines and rejecting the rigidity that being a Marine brought to his life. Now he is living for the day.

These two are a perfect Yin-Yang and bring out the best in each other as they are reunited for the summer. Will it be a summer fling or more as they reunite?

Thank you NetGalley, Forever and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC of this book! I am so grateful to obtain a copy to read in exchange for my honest feedback!

Thank you Forever for the gifted e-copy.

Well, this might be an unpopular opinion, but this book did not work for me. I loved the first book, so I was super excited for this one. There were a couple funny parts, and I LOVED Lancelot and Gigi. That bird was hilarious. Unfortunately, I didn't like either of the main characters and I found their chemistry lukewarm. I also thought the dialogue was strange - very formal at times, and awkward. I felt like the ending was kind of all over the place, going from Kate having a baby to the dance studio (that was just weird for me - what if Imani was like, nah dude, I"m gonna stay in NY??).

I am very much looking forward to Ryker's book, though - hoping it has the same energy as the first one in the series!

2.5 stars, only because I finished it and liked the bird.

This book was so cute! I immediately liked the writing style and the characters. Zander was just the sweetest being that ever fictionally lived and I appreciated seeing him navigate being patient.

🧡 Dual POV = YES
💙 Blond-Jason-Mamoa-Viking hot love interest? MHMM.
🧡 Reluctant to admit her feelings but already super into him? Yup.
💙 Hero who has been PINING for her and is not afraid to show he cares? 🙋🏻‍♀️

There were a lot of things that I enjoyed about this book. If you’re looking for a romcom that ends in happily ever after, consider giving this one a try.

I always find myself enjoying books even more when I have low expectations for them. I don’t know why, but I just do. And All Fired Up became my favorite book to read even though I got annoyed with the ending. I still enjoy reading this cute rom-com book.

All Fired Up is all about finding your happy medium. And that’s something Imani is struggling with as she becomes more successful in the publishing world. It’s something she has always dreamt of. She doesn’t know why she is doubting herself now. Maybe it could be anxiety kicking in. Maybe it could be past trauma with her mother's death coming up. Maybe it could be loneliness kicking in. Or maybe it’s everything?

Imani has a lot of things in her head that she struggles with. It’s something that most of us can relate to when we are balancing a lot of things at once. And we are going to learn with Imani that sometimes life doesn’t need to be planned. Things can just happen when it happen. And it’s okay to ask for help when we need it. Everyone always needs help. Nothing to be ashamed of.

It does help Imani when she gets help from her former flame, Zander. Their night together may have ended abruptly, but it doesn’t mean they can’t continue when Imani comes back to town. It’s just that Zander may have different opinions about it, though.

I absolutely adored Dylan's last novel How Sweet It Is, so I was stoked when I got approved for All Fired Up on @NetGalley. This story follows Zander Matthews, a live for the now kinda guy and Imani, a workaholic book publicist who is up for a promotion that should be her dream job....but she is coming to learn that there is more to life than being paid well but overworked. After having a one night stand a while ago, the two run into each other when Imani comes back to town to take care of her grandma after surgery and visit Kate, her pregnant best friend. Both MCs have some personal growth to do if they want to become the best version of themselves ready for a real relationship...if only they can get out of their own way first.

I was happy that Kate and Drake from the first book made an appearance in this story, but I do think that each novel can be read as a stand alone (kind of like Jasmine Guillory novels). I loved the hot air balloon sequence in the book and thought Imani and Zander had great chemistry. While second chance romance isn't usually my preferred trope, I really rooted for the two to reunite and enjoyed that the story was told from both of their perspectives.

If there is a follow up book featuring Ryker (Zander & Drake's brother) I will definitely check it out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever publishing for my ARC for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

4.5/5 stars

All Fired Up is the second book in a romance series of interconnected standalones. The first book is How Sweet It Is (Kate's book).

This is my first book by this author. The book is a romantic comedy. It has both the male and female 3rd person POVs. This is Imani's book (she was apparently introduced to us in How Sweet It Is).

Imani is an extremely busy book publicist who leaves her job to spend the summer with her ailing grandmother.

I really enjoyed this book. There were some extremely funny moments. The banter was excellent. And the supporting characters were so good! I really enjoyed Gigi (Imani's grandma). I loved Kate (the heroine from the first book). And Gigi's bird was too much!

There were also some serious parts to the story. And there is mental health representation (which I love seeing in books).

The romance was so good! I adored Zander. All 3 Matthews brothers were wonderful. And it looks like the last one will be getting the next book.

Imani wasn’t planning to see Zander again after ghosting him after their weekend together at her best friends wedding. However when she stays with her grandmother who is having surgery he seems to appear everywhere!

While Imani is a Type A person who loves lists, Zander lives in the moment while running a pottery shop. He is determined to show Imani that they are right for each other.

Zander stole my heart with all that he did to take away some of Imani’s stress by helping her with projects. He also was just so kind to others, and gave so much of himself to helping others too, without taking praise or acknowledgment. While he cracked jokes to make others laugh it made others not take him seriously.

Gigi and her parrot provided some zany comic relief.

My only drawback was that I was really annoyed by some of Zander’s closest people that kept putting down him and his life choices just because he didn’t own a house or his studio. Ultimately he changed to make Imani see him as serious and I didn’t think he needed to change at all just to “win her back” in the end.

The first date provided some swoony moments and brought some heat too.

I absolutely loved this book. From the moment the Matthews brothers came onto the page in “How Sweet It Is” I instantly knew I wanted more of them and I was not disappointed. This is a fabulous book. It has the same charm as the first book but isn't a carbon copy. It’s smart and witty, and the situational humour is spot on. Zander and Imani’s story is unique and all their own. I loved watching them grow closer and face their fears and views on life.

Imani takes a much-needed break from her publicist job to help her grandmother and her pregnant bestie. Zander decides to see if his weekend-long intense connection with Imani almost a year ago is still there and worth breaking down Imani’s walls and rethinking his carefree bachelor outlook. Zander was a beautiful character and I felt so much for him throughout the story.

This was a fantastic read and I highly recommend this book. It has the funnies, the feels, the steam and genuine heart, everything you could want from a great Rom-Com. Also, I can't wait for Ryker's story!

Special thank you to #NetGalley, #DylanNewton and #Forever for sharing this digital copy, these are my honest thoughts on #AllFiredUp.