All Fired Up is the saucy follow up to How Sweet It Is. I will admit to reading this book first, but I immediately followed up with the first book. Regardless, I will take a Matthews brother in any order, and I’m (in)patiently waiting for Ryker’s book 😊

Thank you to @authordylannewtwon @readforeverpub and @ilashreads for organizing and including me in the travelling ARC.

Imani is energetic, nurturing, and ready to save the day with her Mary Poppins bag. Newton did a fantastic job exploring deeper issues of anxiety and fear through Imani’s character.

Oh Zander…YOLO, right? He’s charming, charismatic, and flies by the seat of his pants, until the day love bites him in the bum.

Together and alone, these two characters begin to identify the different facets of their lives that is holding them back. You will want to shake and root for these two throughout the whole book that will leave you swooning in the end. And let’s not forget Imani’s grandmother! She’s a sassy little number!

5 stars

I love this series!! Those Matthews brothers…swoon! All Fired Up is the second in the series, following 2021’s How Sweet It Is, which I adored and threw me some interesting romance curveballs. Zander and Imani’s story was the sequel I was expecting and wasn’t disappointed. The representation of anxiety and panic was so well done and there were so many layers and so much depth to each character. I was rooting for Imani and Zander throughout the story and loved that Drake and Kate from book 1 were so present. And Ryker…. I can’t wait to learn more about him and for him to get his love story!

When Imani’s grandmother needs surgery, Imani returns to town she spent her summers. There she meets back up with her best friend Kate and cannot seem to escape spending time with Zander. Zander is a free-spirited guy with not a care in the world. Imani has to-do lists and checklist. Although there is strong attraction and Zander would like to see where it goes, Imani is not sure.

All Fired Up is a companion novel to How Sweet It Is following Drake’s brother Zander and Kate’s best friend Imani. I am glad the author is writing novels about the brothers. Here debut, How Sweet It Is, was really good! Overall, All Fired Up was a cute story. This author writes charming easy-reading rom-coms. I look forward to Rykar’s story next.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever for this ARC. An enjoyable rom-com. Could be a possible read for books club.

This entertaining read was really what I needed during this time. This was just lovely and I just highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a good book.

Out May 17th is All Fired Up!
Technically book 2 in a series (I have book 1 and have not read yet)…it can easily be read as a stand-alone.
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Our story centers on Imani and Zander, in an acquaintance to lovers to acquaintances story.
Imani takes leave from work to care for her Gigi (grandma). I loved their relationship and interactions. I only have a single remaining grandparent and I just love stories featuring them!
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Enter Zander, a former Marine, who now owns a ceramics shop. We learn Imani and Zander have a past and she ghosted him for over a year. However, he’s been holding a torch for her and tries to get her back.
Add in a foul-mouthed, jockey underwear-loving bird. Yes, you read that right! And you’ve got All Fired Up.
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One thing I loved is how deeply incorporated the characters from book 1 are in the story, and I hope it holds true for book 3, Ryker’s story.
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A touch of steam, swoony interactions, deep family connections, and well-written characters.
Thank you to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the ARC.
I recommend it to all romance readers!
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My single critique is in his downplaying his role as a Marine (that’s coming from my prior service).

All Fired Up was one of my most anticipated books of 2022 & it was fantastic!! How Sweet It Is is one of my all time favorite books so I of course could hardly wait to read this one. It's official, I want to marry a Matthew's brother. How does Dylan Newton write such dreamy heroes!?!

Imani Lewis needs a break from her fast paced, demanding, career in the big city. Going to help her grandmother recover from surgery is just the break she could use. She knew running into Zander Matthews was going to happen. After only one night with him over a year ago, she was prepared for it. She wasn't prepared for his generous offer to help her out fixing up her grandmother's home, or the time they spent together in his ceramics studio, or the feelings that develop wirh the more time they spent together.

This one was a little more emotional & had a more serious tone to it than How Sweet It Is. However it absolutely had me smiling, swooning & rooting for Imani & Zander.

Bonus! - We get to catch up with Kate & Drake in All Fired Up! You definitely won't want to miss out on what's new with them!

All Fired Up centers on Imani's relationships with her beloved grandmother, her best friend, and her best friend's brother in law: Zander Matthews. Imani and Zander seem to be complete opposites, but don't opposites attract?

The chemistry between Imani and Zander is palpable. There was never a doubt in my mind that this book would have a happy ending just because of the ease with which they fit together, even if Imani was unwilling to admit it.

There was also a very entertaining supporting character: the parrot. When I say the parrot was the most dynamic character in the book, I truly mean it. Not in a bad way though, it offered some comedic relief which I think balanced the novel out nicely.

I am very excited for the sequel, which will tell Ryker Matthews' story!

Dylan Newton knocks it out of the park again with All Fired Up! All Fired Up is the sequel to her debut novel, How Sweet It Is, and will be releasing from Forever Publishing on May 17!

How Sweet It Is covered the oldest brother Drake Matthews, an infamous horror writer, and in All Fired Up, we get to hear Zander's story, the youngest Matthews brother. Zander has a carefree, live life by the fullest attitude, something he learned from his past as a Marine. He has his eyes set on Imani Lewis, and he's not letting anything get in the way of that.

Imani Lewis is his sister-in-law Kate Sweet's BFF, and they connected last summer at his brother Drake and Kate's wedding. Imani ghosted him after their weekend together then, and now she's back for the summer. Zander is pulling out all the stops to win her heart, and you will definitely swoon while reading.

All Fired Up is filled with adorable dates (pottery making and hot air balloon rides, sign me up!) and fun characters such as a quirky grandma Gigi, an inappropriate parrot, and older brothers who are constantly giving Zander a hard time. I can't wait for Dylan's next book, where we hear the middle brother Ryker's story!

I absolutely loved How Sweet It Is and was over the moon when I found out a sequel was coming. This book left off right after the first but this time follows Imani. This one was just as funny as the first but still contained raw and emotional aspects. I can honestly say I think I liked this one more than the first!

A touching, funny, and romantic story, All Fired Up follows Imani as she takes the summer out of work to help her grandmother recover from surgery. She’s also excited to spend some time with her pregnant best friend and help prepare for the big day. However, Imani knows she’ll eventually have to face Zander, her best friend-s brother-in-law and a man she had a glorious weekend with almost a year ago.

Zander hasn’t stopped thinking about Imani since they spent the weekend together, and when he hears she’s spending the summer in town, he sees the perfect opportunity to convince her to give them a chance. Can Zander prove that their connection is worth exploring?

The story is told from both Imani and Zander’s perspectives, which I really enjoyed. I always like when you get the thoughts and feelings of the protagonists, and having both Imani and Zander’s points of view adds a lot of depth to their characters. You can really understand how deeply Zander feels for Imani and how confused and torn Imani is.

Imani is a devoted friend, a loyal granddaughter, and she always keeps herself busy, but she is not entirely happy with her life. She puts a lot of pressure on herself, and she has a high pressure job as a book publicist. A workaholic at a crossroads in her career, Imani has a lot of decisions to make. I found her to be such a relatable character. She seems torn in what she wants, which leads to much indecisiveness. She also struggles with grief over the loss of her mother, and she often cleans when she’s stressed. That is so me!!

Zander is the total opposite of Imani. He lives in the present, doesn’t worry about his future, and doesn’t take himself too seriously. He is always quick with a joke and has a disarming way about him. I love his philosophies, his gregarious and generous demeanor, and that there’s so much more to him than most people see at face value, which Amani learns pretty quickly. Though he’s really wise in some ways, he is a bit immature in his refusal to prepare for the future. And though Imani is really responsible and hard-working, she often fails to embrace the present and live in the moment. I like that this couple helps each other see that there can be a balance.

The chemistry between Zander and Imani is off the charts! They have so many romantic, and several steamy, moments, and I love the connection they share. Zander always goes out of his way to show Imani how much he cares for her, and his thoughtful, sweet, and romantic gestures are positively swoon-worthy. I also love that he lets her set the pace of their relationship. It’s like every decision he makes takes her feelings into consideration, and that is so romantic. I love his simple gestures as well as his grand ones, and when he used my favorite Bob Ross quote when talking about art, he officially became my new book boyfriend.

I love how Zander and Imani learn from each other – him to be more committed to his future and stability, and her to follow her dreams and passions. They balance each other well, and the way that they think about each other’s life philosophies, learn form them, and grow because of them, shows how much they respect, admire, and love each other. They connect on such a deep level, and I was so rooting for them to find a happy ending together. Plus, they have some really funny scenes together, they have a lot of fun in each other’s company, and they share many of the same feelings about things that have happened to them in the past, which helps bring them together even more.

Something else I really liked was the wonderful relationships between Zander and his brothers, as well as her friendship with Kate and her relationship with her grandmother, Gigi. Gigi is fantastic! So funny and discerning, she loves her granddaughter, and their banter is hysterical, as is her foul-mouthed parrot, Lancelot. That parrot is equal parts annoying and endearing! Zander’s relationship with his brothers is also wonderful. The men are always there for each other, and I love the strong messages about family solidarity, the strength of friendship, and the healing effects of unconditional love.

The story also addresses serious issues like PTSD, survivor’s guilt, grief, body image issues, and mental health issues. The way the author approaches them is really relatable and realistic, which I liked. I could relate to a lot of Imani’s feelings about her mother, her stresses at work, and her mental health issues. Her insomnia, depression, panic attacks, and fears all resonated with me, and I could empathize with her conflicted feelings and struggles.

This is a great book for readers who enjoy rom-coms or contemporary romance. It’s charming, funny, and touching, and the romance is positively swoon-tactic. It’s the kind of book where, when you’re reading, you find yourself smiling at the shenanigans and the humor and the amazing relationships, both old and new.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

I won’t lie that this one took me a long while to get into, but I also blame that partially on my lack of time being able to read lately. The last 30% of the book made up for it in my eyes and got it an extra star! If you’re into romance with high jinx, little spice, and all the feel-goods, then All Fired Up is definitely for you. I really appreciate the work that was put into the side characters, and will be waiting patiently for Ryker’s story next!

Thank you to @readforeverpub for the digital review copy of All Fired Up by Dylan Newton in advance of publication. All Fired Up publishes on May 17, 2022.

This book centers around a hardcore Type A woman named Imani, that heads to her hometown for the summer to look after her grandmother, and to be there for the birth of her best friends baby. As soon as she gets home, she reconnects with a previous two night stand that she'd been hoping not to see, and she seems to keep bumping into him.

I was initially worried that this was the 'the man will be relentless, and the woman will give in' trope but I was pleasantly surprised that the story zigged, and added more depth to Zander.

This is the first book I've read in this series, but I don't not having read the first interfered with my enjoyment of the book. All the characters were well written and well defined. While I may have disagreed with some of Imani and Zanders choices, the decisions they made felt true to character, which I really appreciated.

There is also a salty parrot... at first I was very annoyed by the bird, but by the end of the book I was amused, despite my first impressions. I feel like the parrot says all the things a cranky cat might say.

I loved her first book and rushed to read the next book in her series. I loved the main guy and his patience for Imani. Imani drove me nuts. I hated lots of her decisions and thinking patterns. I wish I would of gotten more of Kate and her hubs, even though I know this was not about them. I am however excited for the future books coming up of the remaining brothers.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a fun book about Imani and Zander who find themselves in the same town when Imani comes back to help her grandmother recover from surgery. After hooking up at a wedding the previous summer, Imani blew Zander off. So now they are back together in the same town and Zander has to convince Imani that he is worth a shot at love.

I loved the small town setting, the feisty grandmother, the swearing parrot, and how sure Zander is of his feelings for Imani. It's nice to see the man really confident in his love of the woman and not try to play games. I thought that Imani was a little too tightly wound but did feel for her with her trauma of losing her mom.

Overall, it was a sweet book with lots of lovable characters. I am excited to read the next book with the next brother.

I had such a fun time reading this book. Watching Zander try and get a date with Imani was wonderful and I loved when she finally asked him. The third act break up was so good and I loved the epilogue.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This book was perfectly fine. A fun read with some cute and funny moments. I like seeing a one night stand book that differentiates from the norm. However, while the characters were well written, I could not bring myself to care. Especially Imani. She just irritated me for some reason.

All Fired Up

3.5 ⭐️

This cute little romcom has a busy publicist visiting her grandma in a small town for the summer. If you’re into second chance love or friends to lovers, this one is a bit of both!

I liked Imani’s Grandma and her parrot the most, there were a few laugh out loud moments from them. Zander showed a lot of growth through the end, but I wished I’d seen a bit more from Imani especially around her mental health.

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC.

4.5/5 - I enjoyed Dylan Newton's first novel, How Sweet it is, last year, and was excited to pick up her second in the Matthew's brothers novels, All Fired Up. I may have enjoyed this book more than How Sweet it is and that surprised me!

On the surface, this is an opposites attract, one-night stand romance, but it is so much more under the surface. I really liked Zander and Imani, and how their two personalities meshed so well together. You had Imani, who is a total type A, planning everything and having a back-up plan to the plans. Then you have Zander, who has always been a fly by the seat of your pants type of person. Or so it seems. Though he appeared to fly by the seat of his pants, he cares so much for the people he loves fiercely. He has such a kind, caring heart, which makes him a guy you have to love and root for.

Dylan Newton does a great job writing her side characters. Gigi was a firecrackers that you couldn't help to love. Even the parrot, Lancelot, was a funny addition to the story. Having read Kate and Drake's story I also really enjoyed getting to revisit these characters and get to know them more.

The book does a great job in discussing mental health, especially insomnia. The scenes where Imani is counting down the number of hours of sleep she would get, if she were to fall asleep right now was so realistic. I especially appreciated the portrayal of the impacts of insomnia, including migraines and depression. Dylan Newton also did a great job of discussing therapy, and the fear that comes with seeking help, but also that seeking help is nothing to be ashamed of.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a slow burn, and that made it all the more worthwhile. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever publinishing for an advance copy. All opinions are 100% mine.

My heart! Dare I say I loved this one even more than How Sweet It Is. The Matthews brothers are just so great.

Imani has run herself ragged - always going - so she jumps at the opportunity to slow down and take care of her grandmother for a few months in the small town where her best friend lives. She also happens to rekindle a flame with her best friend's brother in law. Despite trying to deny the chemistry Zander and Imani find themselves gravitating to each other.

It was just the right amount of swoony with some steam and a lot of funny banter (the chicken shirt had me loling IYKYK). I am already eagerly awaiting the next brother's story!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

content warnings: death of a parent, traumatic birth

All Fired Up was so cute and fun to read. I truly thought the name was because of the hot air balloon but it was actually the name of Zander's pottery shop which was really fun. Zander and Imani were a great story and reading about Imani growing up and working through her past trauma was amazing to read. I absolutely loved that Kate and Drake from How Sweet It Is were side characters and carried on their story from their book. I cannot wait for Rkyer's story!!!!

I would 100% love to read this over again because it was THAT good. Dylan Newton can do no wrong!