Probably closer to a 2.5, since I usually reserve a 2 for books that I plain don't enjoy, but I can't bring myself to round up.

For me, this was a very flat book. I felt like the story didn't pull me in much at all, it was kind of forgettable, and I didn't really feel connected to either character or believe the chemistry between them. Yes, there were a few cute scenes here or there that I enjoyed, but overall, not at all my book.

Also, that hot-air balloon on the cover was literally one chapter of the book - very misleading as to what the book's about.

This is a sweet romance book. I didn't realize it's the 2nd in a series, I will definitely be looking up the first. Imani and Zander have great chemistry, and there are some cute romantic debacles - lots of spilling on shirts and having to trade clothes. It's a quick read, and definitely has some tough moments with physical and mental health issues, but is overall a feel good book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was my first introduction to Dylan Newton’s writing and I am hooked!

I loved this fast paced rom-com that left me unable to put it down. I read it in a day and was excited to see that while this a stand alone book, it is the second of three books centered on the Matthews brothers!

While my Type A personality hates that I started in the middle, I cannot wait to go back and read her first book centered on Katie and Drake and her upcoming one focusing on Ryker.

As an avid reader, there is nothing better than learning that your new go to author has more material available to read!

If you or someone you know is looking for an author similar to Jasmine Guillory, look no further than Dylan Newton!

Special thanks to NetGalley.com and Forever Publishing for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback!

All Fired Up is the follow-up to Newton's 2021 release, How Sweet It Is. We learn more about Drake's brother Zander or rather Zoolander or Zamboni. He is the ever-carefree, live life in the moment adonis, who literally takes care of the whole town. And on the night of Drake and Kate's wedding he found himself with Kate's best friend, Imani, for a two-night stand then she ghosted him.

Imani is back for the summer to help grandmother recover from surgery. Forced to face the man who stole her breath, she slowly exhales to understand life is so much more than what she puts in her daily planner. There are so many layers to Imani, but Zander is patient letting what will on her terms.

All Fired Up has so much to love and to laugh about in this romance. The secondary cast of characters add so much flavor take Gigi, Imani's grandma, straight-up dirty talk and her foul-mouthed bird. Newton also masterfully weaves in the brothers military service and trauma of serving in war.

Now, I am so anxious for Rykers story coming in 2023.

Thank you Dylan Newton for providing the traveling ARC and Forever for the NetGelley Read It Now widget.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the eARC! I was so excited for this one, and upon finishing have rated it 3/5 stars.

I’ll start with the things that I liked and that propelled me to keep reading:

There were some genuinely funny moments that made me giggle out loud. I enjoyed the humor, especially in the opening few chapters. It was a good, light-hearted way to start the story. In addition to this, the banter between the love interests was also decent and quite witty at times. The overall plot was interesting and the characters and their backstories were unique and different from any book I’ve ever read before. There were definitely some super swoon-worthy moments as well for those hopeless romantics out there, as well as touches of spice for those who like a bit of steam in their reads. I also really enjoyed Imani as a main character, and as someone who is familiar with the publishing industry, it was really cool to read about a character also working in it. I loved the premise of Zander owning a pottery studio, and the other small unique touches like the balloon festival, Lamaze classes, and gender reveal. Overall it was a nice, mostly fluffy read that I could see being picked up by beachgoers and anyone who wants a casual, not too heavy, happy book.

Now for the things I didn’t like so much: *SPOILERS AHEAD*

The best way I can describe this book is that it put emphasis in the exact opposite places to where I felt there should be emphasis.

For example, this book is dual third-person point-of-view. Normally I love it, but it felt like Zander’s chapters were way longer and blander than Imani’s, even though they contained most of the important moments. I think this book would have benefited greatly from being solely from Imani’s point of view. She’s the one with more depth as a character, but it felt like we never got to hear from her or really get into what was going on inside her head. Most of the big moments in their relationship were only in Zander’s POV and he did not come across as having as much internal conflict or depth in comparison to Imani, which I think is fine if we didn’t have half of the book in his POV.

One-sided pining can be a great trope, but I don’t think it was executed well here. Part of this I think could’ve been resolved if the story began at the wedding—another example of emphasis in the wrong place. We pick up right when they reunite at the airport, but it carries no weight because we’ve only just met Imani and we know nothing except that they hooked up. It gave no gravity to them reuniting, and as a reader, I wasn’t invested. The only weight the situation held was that Kate and Drake didn’t know, but then Imani tells them ten minutes later in the car and it subsequently doesn’t matter anymore. If we had seen the entire wedding first in a prologue—or even the first few chapters and then we switch to the present—I think that would help ground readers a lot more in their story, because otherwise, it feels like half of it has already happened. We’re left out of this huge, important moment of “connection” between the two of them and are just expected to assume it happened and that they have chemistry.

I also felt like emphasis was placed on the wrong scenes. We get lots of long dialogue back and forth about things that don’t matter like grandma Gigi’s house and game nights and side characters' feelings, but then when we get big moments like Imani kissing Zander or traumatic things from their past being brought up, it’s hurried past. I wish we got to sit in the big moments longer. The pacing of this story felt reversed. The parts that should’ve been slow were too fast, and the parts that should’ve been picked up dragged.

I was also confused by the characterization at points. I think there was a really good start with the characters but there needed to be more clarity about what they would and wouldn’t do. I got whiplash trying to figure them out because they would say they weren’t going to do something and then go and do it. I think we’re supposed to feel like there is this tension between Imani and Zander, but it gets lost between the dual POV and the back and forth of their personalities. It was frustrating because they would be such good moments of tension, and then it would get wiped away by whatever followed.

I feel like this book had the potential to be a 4/5 or 5/5 star read if it weren’t for these few things. There were parts I loved and thoroughly enjoyed, but my inability to connect with the characters due to their inconsistent personalities and the odd pacing is what ultimately made me give this only 3 stars.

I was excited to read the sequel to How Sweet It Is, but unfortunately, it was a miss for me. I didn’t care for Zander’s character, and had a hard time enjoying Imani, but I did feel sorry for her regarding her past. This leads me to wonder that perhaps the title was inappropriate?

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever.

After a weekend fling Imani and Zander end up reconnecting in the same town town for the summer. Zander’s main goal is to convince Imani to take a chance and see if what they had was more than just a fling since he hasn’t stopped thinking about her since that weekend. Will he end up convincing the list-making, focused Imani? This book is like a warm blanket with all the hilarious characters, romance and small town setting. This will be another favorite book of mine in 2022!

After a whirlwind one-night-stand the previous summer, Imani returns to the small town to care for her grandma and continuously runs into Zander and tries to keep him firmly in the friend zone.

I loved How Sweet It Is so I was excited to dive back into the same world and follow Imani and Zander's story. Zander is such a softy male lead—I loved his 'live every moment' attitude and how he was always off helping his family and friends with whatever they needed. I could also very much relate to Imani who is a workaholic and is always planning her days and checking off items on her to-do lists.

These opposites can't continue to deny their chemistry and attraction and have many sweet and flirty moments throughout the book as Zander tries to convince Imani to take a chance on him. We also see our characters navigate stress, panic attacks, and grief, adding additional depth and relatability to this rom com. Imani's grandmother Gigi steals the spotlight throughout the book with her sense of humor, crude jokes, and obnoxious parrot.

Overall this is a fun, heartwarming story and I highly recommend picking it up. I can't wait for Ryker's story next year.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I did not finish this. I did not connect with the plot or writing style and decided to put this one down. Thank you, NetGalley and publisher for the chance to check this one out!

All Fired Up is the story of Imani Lewis, a book publicist who had an incredible 2 night stand and then ghosted him. Almost 6 months later, Imani takes a leave from her position to take care of her witty grandmother while she has surgery. The town's favorite guy is Zander, her ghosted 2 night stand thirst trap! Zander is sure Imani is the one for him, he just has to wait for her to figure it out. This book will entertain you with witty antics, tug at your heartstrings with half healed trauma, and make you take a hard look at what constitutes success. This book was a quick read, I couldn't put it down.

This book got me All Fired Up in the best ways possible!

All Fired Up is the sequel to How Sweet It Is. It’s the story of Imani and Zander, the youngest Matthews brother. The sparks have been flying between these two since they met in the last book, and it’s such a fun and entertaining journey to see them float back toward each other and fall in love.

Imani has a lot of personal issues and grief to work through. But I loved how she grows throughout the story and is able to accept when she needs help. And it was great seeing Zander mature, while still retaining his lovable and easygoing personality. Also, we get an adorable glimpse into Kate and Drake’s post happily-ever-after life!

I loved learning about hot air balloons, ceramics, and Hungarian gulyas. And I’m definitely adding Lancelot to my list of favorite animal characters!

Get ready to soar away in this charming and slightly spicy romance when it releases on May 17, 2022! Up, up, and away!

Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

I’m really looking forward to Ryker’s story next and am excited to find out who he will be paired up with.

CWs: FMC’s grief over her mother’s death, PTSD, on-page panic attack, discussions of bipolar disorder, war, and suicide

Imani is at the top of her game - she handles her authors, their needs (and emergency phobias) with ease and grace. She's up for a promotion, but decides to spend the summer helping her dear Gigi after surgery in a small town outside the city. While she's away from the hustle and bustle that is her life, she runs into Zander, a smoking-hot former Marine, who just happens to be her best friend's brother-in-law and former wedding weekend fling! Zander wants to see if their chemistry is only in the sheets, or if they could really be great together. Imani isn't quite sure, especially with Zander's ridiculously laid-back approach to life. Can they both figure out what it is they really want?

I loved Dylan Newton's How Sweet It Is, and I was so looking forward to Imani's story. Newton didn't disappoint! I deeply related to Imani feeling a bit lost and stressed from giving too much to others. I truly think Kate's advice to Imani about setting boundaries and not being a martyr is making a difference in my own life. I found Zander such a complicated and cool character as well! It seems like everything is going his way, but he also has to look at his life (as Imani does with hers) and decide if he likes the future as it is. I'm a sucker for fun animals in stories, so the foul-mouthed fowl Lancelot was just a treat! And I'd love a Gigi to adopt as my own, because she's just FUN. These characters are so well written, and I loved the setting of a small town where just about everyone knows everyone.

All in all, this book is delightful, funny, and just plain fun to read. I will absolutely be getting a copy when it releases! 5/5 stars, I highly recommend this book! My thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read this book, and all the thoughts I've shared here are entirely my own.

FIVE PLUS STARS!! If you love romance and/or rom coms, this book is a must read!

What an absolutely delightful follow up to Dylan's first book - How Sweet It Is! This was one of my most highly anticipated reads of 2022, and it did not disappoint at all! You can read this standalone, but I highly recommend reading her first book before reading this one, so that you have a full appreciation for all of the characters.

I thought no couple could top Drake and Kate...but I stand corrected! My favorite part about Imani and Zander's friendship / relationship is how much they challenged each other and pushed each other to be better people. And their interactions were so down to earth and reflective of real life. Sometimes romances take things to extremes where interactions are more movie-like than realistic, but not this book - it hit the perfect balance. I truly cannot wait for Ryker's story!

TW - fairly intense birthing scene.

So cute! All Fired Up takes place over one summer as book publicist Imani Lewis temporarily moves in with her grandmother, Gigi, to help her clean up her house and care for her as she prepares for knee surgery. Her best friend, Kate, also lives in town, with her famous writer husband / Imani’s client, Drake. Drake has two younger brothers, Ryker and Zander. Imani is all about her work and loves to plan but didn’t pencil in falling for Zander into her schedule. Imani is surprised to find out there is more to Zander than meets the eye. He operates a chain of ceramic studios, is creative, nice, and thoughtful (and very handsome!).

All Fired Up is the follow-up to How Sweet It Is. It can be read as a stand-alone novel reading but How Sweet It Is gives you a glimpse of the initial spark of attraction between Imani and Zander (and focuses on Kate’s and Drake’s love story).

This was a charming read with great characters - the chemistry between Imani and Zander is evident and he is a real (flirty) sweetheart. I appreciate it when romantic leads show their affection through acts of care and active listening rather than simply paying compliments. Despite some heavier moments and discussions of past trauma, this is a lighthearted read full of love!

Gigi and her parrot, Lancelot, provide lots of laughs and I would like to read a book about them (an idea for the fourth novel in this series?!).

A must-read for fans of How Sweet It Is, I also recommend this to fans of adorable romances with swoony romantic leads.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Almost a year after their one-night stand, Imani and Zander are in close proximity for the birth of her BFF’s and his oldest brother’s baby. And the sparks sizzle in this opposites-attract romcom.

Imani is a super detailed planner while Zander is a live-in-the-moment guy (who looks like a blond Jason Momoa - meOW).

There’s a lot of sweetness as Zander tries to give Imani what she needs as she’s trying to care for her grandmother, Gigi, and be there for her bestie, Kate. And some serious heat in their undeniable attraction.

You also get some super funny moments when Gigi’s parrot, Lancelot, uses his curse word-filled vocabulary at some inopportune moments.

There are also serious times when Imani is dealing with the anniversary of her mother’s death.

What you get:
Opposites attract
One night stand into more
Close proximity
Cinnamon roll hero
Comfort care
Humor
Great family/friends group
Scene stealing parrot
Dual POV
Smalltown
Fast-paced
Quick read

Enjoy revisiting the small town of Wellsville and the Matthews brothers in this sequel to How Sweet It Is.

SPOILERS IN REVIEW YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

I was so excited to see that each of the Matthews' brothers is getting a book after reading How Sweet It Is! So of course when I saw the galley available for All Fired Up, I knew I had to read it immediately.
While it was still a cute romance with some fun, silly circumstances, I did find that this one seemed to be a little more all-over-the-place than How Sweet It Is. I think Zander needed to either be all about the ceramics or hot air balloons--not that people can have more than one interest in real life, but I felt like it would make the novel as a whole feel more cohesive. I understand the hot air balloon scene is there to show that Zander helps people achieve his dreams, but I felt like the cover showing off the hot air balloon made it seem like this would be a huge, important part of their characters. I also felt like the big break-up explosion scene and following chapters were a disappointing way to conclude the book--it's just a scene where Imani throws a fit and Zander thinks, "she's just upset, what she is saying is hurting my feelings, but it will be fine and I'll just have to show her again that I love her." I also didn't really get this impression that Zander was flighty or childlike throughout the book (based on the chapters from his perspective), but all the characters described him as such, and it's one of the big reasons that Imani decides they won't work (even though he asked her multiple times if she wanted to check in with her grandma and she said no ~eyeroll~). I just wasn't buying into that, even if he didn't have a 401(k) or rented his space. He was still a dependable person who was there for everyone in his life.
All in all, though I did find the book cute and fun to inhale in a weekend, I definitely think there were a lot of things that bothered me by the time I got to the end.

Imani Lewis returns to her hometown of Wellsville for her best friend's baby shower and to help her grandmother recover from knee surgery. She is looking forward to a peaceful and relaxing summer away from work, but the universe seems to have other plans for her. Her grandmother's house is in shambles and work issues refuse to be left behind in New York. On top of that, the one-weekend stand she is determined to leave behind seems to be a constant presence... a very large and attractive presence.

Zander Matthews hasn't stopped thinking about Imani since their wildfire weekend together, and he thinks they have the potential for a real relationship. With Imani in town for the summer, will Zander be able to convince her to give them a chance, despite their differences?

With this book, Dylan Newton has managed to strike a balance between lighthearted romance and significant emotional depth. The banter between Zander and Imani is bright and fun, but we also get to see the very real struggles and trauma they are each dealing with behind what they show the world. My favorite part of this story was seeing how their presence in each other's lives fueled their individual personal growth in ways that will serve them well, whatever the future holds.

This is a sweet, fun romance that took me through the gamut of emotions. When I finished reading All Fired Up I was sad it was over... then I found out it's actually #2 in a trilogy! So now I get to go back and read Drake's story, then wait impatiently for Ryker's.

“Everyone deserves the chance to chase their dream.”

All Fired Up is written in the third person narrative from the perspective of Imani Lewis and Xander Matthews. Imani’s best friend Kate is happily married to Drake Matthews and about to have a baby at the same time her grandmother is having surgery. Taking a break from being a successful, workaholic New York-based book publisher, she visits them both in Wellsville for the summer to help out. Only problem is Drake’s younger brother Xander, also lives in Wellsville and she totally ghosted him after an amazing weekend together after Kate’s wedding. Happy, go-lucky Xander is excited to see Imani again and eager to see if their connection goes past just a one night stand.

Thoughts: All Fired Up is a fun opposites attract, small-town romance but not my favorite by any means. I haven’t read Newton’s 2021 release How Sweet is This but it’s a follow-up to Kate and Drake’s romance, taking place 2 years after the events of that book. I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters in this one and the plot wasn’t anything new but the writing wasn’t bad. Simply a case of “just wasn’t for me.” There will be a third book in 2023 with the last Matthew’s brother, Ryker, and, based on what I learned of the characters, I would probably enjoy Drake’s or Ryker’s stories more. Will I actually read the other books? Probably not. Overall, recommend if you enjoyed the first in the series or if you like a small-town romance.

I hate to be the person to leave a one star review but this one missed the mark completely for me.
I wanted to like it, but I could not find any attachment to any of the characters. I feel like this book was written in the male gaze. There were parts that just seemed SO masculine but in a way that was cringey. For example, when the love interest start to finally start advancing their relationship, Imani is like touch me or whatever, and he thinks “it’s go time.” Which just sounded so immaturely masculine. Then later on in the book, the MC’s best friend just finishes an extremely dangerous birth, and the first thought of the MC once seeing her is <I>“it wasn’t until she was about three feet away that she saw the damage to Kate’s eyes and face. Yikes.”</I>

Idk the characters and their development, especially with each other was lacking chemistry. It unfortunately didn’t hit the mark for me. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

All Fired Up was a fun and quick read. The kind of story that you pick up for a little getaway from real life.