🎈All Fired Up 🎈

“It feels so freeing to…drift. Just be. I get it now.”

Imani heads home planning to spend the summer supporting her best friend, Kate, in her transition to motherhood and her grandmother as she recovers from knee surgery. What she wasn’t planning on was being swept off her feet by Zander, Kate’s brother-in-law, and Imani’s one weekend stand from Kate’s wedding. Zander sets out to carry Imani’s heart up, up and away with him and he tries to convince her to give them a chance.

Zander likes to go with the flow and live in the present. Imani prefers to plan and prepare for every contingency. With their contrasting life philosophies, the balance needed to complement their physical chemistry demands they both grow and adapt. I enjoyed watching them both develop as characters, prioritizing and redefining their goals. I also enjoyed the cast of supporting characters - from Imani’s dirty minded, speak your mind grandmother to Zander’s sibling ribbing from his brothers.

Check this one out if you are looking for:
🎈 Dual POV romcom
🎈 Themes of prioritizing mental health
🎈 A dirty talking grandmother
🎈 True love declarations with a side of lactose intolerance like, “You’re hard to resist, even when I know I should. You’re like a good cheese. Except without the gas and bloat.”

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Pub) for this ARC! All Fired Up is on shelves May 17!

This was a really cute opposites-attract romcom! I thought the chemistry between Zander and Imani was stronger than the MCs in the first book in the series, and as a result, I enjoyed this one much more! I really liked the personal journeys that both MCs went through and how they learnt from each other: Zander to stop being so carefree and Imani to start letting go of control. Zander was also a complete sweetheart, and I loved how he was always doing little things to show Imani that he cared, while making sure that she didn't felt pressured to go out with him.

I can't wait for Ryder's book - I'm so intrigued by his character!

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Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book may be about Imani taking. break from her stressful, traveling to help her grandmother recover from surgery, and being reunited with her past fling all at the same time but her grandmother, Gigi, steals the show. She added comedy and flavor to every page she was on making scenes she was not in seem less bright. I loved her and would have signed up to play cards with her cronies in a second.

Zander is ready to turn the weekend they spent together in the past into more but Imani is not sure if his light hearted, live in the moment approach to life is right for her. She wants to focus on Gigi and forgo all romantic entanglements. The more time they spend together and Imani can see how thoughtful he is at his core, the harder it is for the clothes to stay on. Zander was a sweetie pie and I would have melted long before Imani did.

This book easily reads as a standalone but I am happy that I have the first book waiting for me on my ereader as it sounds like fun and I cannot read to Ryker's book.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Workaholic Imani gets the break she needs when she offers to help her grandmother while she recovers from surgery. Moving in with her grandmother also means she’ll be closer to Zander, her one time fling from last summer. Care free Zander lives everyday like it's his last after his time as a Marine. Zander offers to help Imani do some much needed repairs around her grandmother’s home but she’s hesitant because of their prior history.

While All Fired Up carries over from the author’s other book How Sweet It Is, it can be read as a stand alone.

The book is a pretty typical friends to lovers romance. Zander and Imani are determined to stay friends at first but they can’t deny their chemistry. All Fired Up seems like a poor choice of titles considering part of Imani’s history is that her mother died in a house fire.

I did really enjoy the epilogue. It ties the storyline up nicely and adds some extra sweetness to this romcom.

This is the first book that I have read from Dylan Newton but I plan to read the first one in this series and look forward to see how she continues the brothers’ stories in the next one.

This was such a fun romance! It’s technically the second book in a series, but it still works well as a standalone, so dive in without hesitation if you haven’t read book one. (Although now that I’ve read this, I definitely want to go back and read the first one!)

It was endearing to watch Zander continue to show up for Imani. I loved that he didn’t pressure her and encouraged her to take the lead in where their relationship stood. This book had a lot of hidden depth! But even though it touches on some heavier topics, I wouldn’t call this a heavy story by any means. This was a sweet, enjoyable read!

I wish I had realized that this book was the sec9nd in a series before reading it. I spent the first half pretty confused as to the background of the characters and certain "inside jokes." Had I read the first book - this would not have been a issue.

All Fired Up is about Imani, a book publicist who goes home to help her grandmother recover after surgery. Her best friend is about to have a baby and Imani has some history with her friend's brother-in-law Xander.

Xander obviously has feelings for Imani but Imani is only around temporarily and wants to keep him in the friendzone.

This was a very fun and cute rom com and I look forward to reading the first book in the series! Thank you to netgalley and Forever publishing for the gifted ARC!

This is such a cute second story of the Matthews brothers! I read “How sweet it is” last year and it was such a cute read and I couldn’t wait for Zander’s story!
Zander was seriously just the biggest sweetheart! He cared so deeply for everyone in his life and lives in the moment! He was still reeling from a two night stand with Imani the summer before. And with her back in town he wants another shot! Imani is so strong and independent, almost to a fault. She had to realize it’s ok to accept help and allow for freedom in her life. I loved Zander and Imani together. They were the perfect opposites attract and their chemistry flew off the pages! This was such a sweet of a hug book for me! I can’t wait for Rykers story! Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

All Fired Up was a very cute contemporary romance story perfect for a beach read. I did not realize this book was part of a series when I requested the ARC but was happy to see other reviews that it can be read as a stand alone. Now, I definitely plan to go back and read How Sweet It Is. For fans of the first book, Newton did a great job weaving Kate and Drake into this story and the third Matthew’s brother, Ryker, will have his own book next summer.

Premise: Last summer, Imani Lewis and Zander Matthews had a two-night-stand at her best friend and his brother’s wedding. When Imani agrees to take care of her grandma, Gigi, for the summer while she recovers from surgery, it did not hit her that she’ll be running into Zander in the small town of Wellsville until she was off the plane and in her best friend’s car. While the attraction is still there, Imani is determined to keep their relationship in the “friend zone” while Zander, in turn, is determined to show Imani how much more he wants and how great the two can be together.

This was a great small-town romance and opposites attract story. Zander is a man who knows what he wants. I loved watching him fight for Imani through all these random acts of kindness while also waiting for her to take the next steps romantically. His light-hearted and caring attitude complimented her type-A and guarded personality perfectly. Gigi, Imani’s grandma, was an AMAZING supporting character. She was honest, funny and wise, and her character brought such great comedic relief to the story.

The resolution did happen quickly and left some questions unanswered, particularly around Imani’s mental health, but this was still a great read I’d recommend!

Read if you like:
-Small-town romance
-One night stand to friends to lovers
-Grandma/ granddaughter relationship
-Hungarian culture
-Parrots as pets
-Hot air balloon rides
-A book series centering around 3 brothers

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

All Fired Up follows How Sweet It Is, but each can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed How Sweet It Is, especially as someone living in Western NY so I was pumped for All Fired Up, especially when I found out the Wellsville balloon rally was real.

CW: grief, death of parent (past)

Imani is headed to Wellsville, NY to help her grandmother, Gigi, recover from surgery. Her bestie, Kate, recently relocated so she's looking forward to seeing more of her. The only problem is that Imani keeps running into Kate's brother-in-law, Zander, who she had a one (okay two) night stand after Kate's wedding. Zander thinks Imani is a good match for him and he's determined to show her what it would be like for them to be together.

Both Imani and Zander had layers that not everyone around them saw. I definitely related to Zander in terms of his body image issues and his mask that was full of joking and smiling. Zander is someone you'd be lucky to have as a friend because he just wants the best for you. He was caring and funny and patient which was exactly what Imani needed in her life. Sweet, sweet, Imani had a big burden placed on her at a young age when it came to her mom. I loved how she worked through what she truly wanted out of life and work. Together, Imani and Zander pushed each other outside of their comfort zones in an effort to make each other into the best versions of themselves they could be.

I was happy that we got to see more of Kate and Drake from How Sweet It Is, as well as the rest of the Matthews family. Gigi and a hilarious parrot had me constantly laughing as I read this. This is definitely a slow burn that was worth the wait. I can't wait for Ryker's story!

Thank you to Forever, Dylan, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

This book was a cute, fairly lighthearted romance. There are some dark topics like war injuries, PTSD, and bipolar disorder, but they are not the main focus of the book.

I adore Zander. He was so wholesome and just seems like a genuinely humble and nice guy. I found it super endearing how persistent he was with Imani, and how he cares for everyone around him.

However, Imani was pretty annoying to me. Her character wasn't particularly annoying for any reason, but there didn't seem to be a real reason that she and Zander couldn't be together. There was clear chemistry, and he had explicitly told her he was in it for the long haul knowing she lived in NYC, and yet she always just said "It can't happen." It is somewhat implied that it is because of her busy schedule and being stressed all of the time, but she never actually explains what is keeping them apart. Instead, she repeatedly attacks Zander's go-with-the-flow lifestyle and says that is why they can't be together. Although his lifestyle did need work, in my opinion, it didn't make sense for that to be their main obstacle.

Aside from this, I adored Gigi and Lancelot and think they were perfect for comedic relief. They always chimed in at just the right (or wrong) times and cut the tension. Who knew an old woman and her husband's parrot could be the real stars of a romance?

Overall, this book was enjoyable and a nice easy read. Definitely recommend it for all lovers of rom-com and small-town romance!

A sweet read for valentines day! Imani Lewis is a successful publicist. She works hard and its starting to catch up with her. Called to care for her grandmother, she is sent back to the town where she had an epic 1 night stand.

I really enjoyed the summer setting and the banter between Imani and Zander. I also appreciated the way that mental health was handled in this book.

it was more of a slow burn, i could have used a little more chemistry/steam. but all in all a sweet summer romance

Quickie Review: All Fired Up by Dylan Newton is a cute little romance about a book publicist, Imani, and a former Marine now artist, Zander. While this is the second in a series and will be noticeable if you’re a series reader, it was fine as a standalone (I hadn’t read the first). Some of the dialogue is bouncy and fun, and Zander is a great main character (funny, sweet, thoughtful) but the story is frequently not quite as bouncy nor fun. The romance is slow-burn (doesn’t affect my feeling toward the novel; sometimes slow-burn is the best burn) without much spark between the characters. I did find the title questionable considering the female MC’s beloved mother died in a fire.

Your mileage may vary.

I love a good second chance rom-com book. This one was not that. I realized after getting through the first chapter or two that there was a book that came before this one in the series which introduced us to all the character. Without that book, I was a little lost. I know that this is also supposed to act as a standalone, since it focuses on a different couple than the first book, but it was still off-putting that events were referenced that I had no knowledge of, and the impacts of said events are still being felt throughout this book.

A short synopsis: Imani met Zander at the wedding where her best friend married his brother. They spend a sexy weekend together but afterward, she blew him off with a one sentence text. Now, Imani is taking the summer off her job to go back to her hometown, where her best friend and the brothers live still, and help her grandmother recover after a surgery. Zander is still carrying a flame for her, and proceeds to pursue her as she tries to ignore the depth of her feelings toward him.

First, let me start by saying I did not finish this book. I got to a certain part where Imani, advertised to us as someone who had a “plan” in life and is very organized, ruins YET ANOTHER important object as a result of her otherworldly and unrealistic clumsiness. I simply did not care enough about the couple getting together in the end to put up with the sheer ridiculousness. And don’t get me started on how she just “takes the summer off” from work to help out, like yes, very admirable, but no, not realistic at all, especially for someone who’s up for a supposed promotion to a managing publicist. Homegirl should be working her a$$ off and not even thinking of taking a vacation.

Let’s move on to the dialogue, shall we? I haven’t read such stunted and forced dialogue in a long time. Whenever I’m reading a book that isn’t historical fiction and I have to pause to be like, “wait, people don’t talk anything remotely like this” then that’s a problem. Also, every time Zander and his brothers added the prefix “bro” to a word (read: bro-lepathy for telepathy, bro-tein shake for protein shake) I cringed so hard I almost dropped the book. Then he compared Imani’s eyes to a fresh can of chestnut stain. Like wood stain. Like yeah, every girl wants to be compared to wood varnish. Add into the mix how Zander was continually described as Jason Momoa, but Swedish and blonde and I’m SO CONFUSED the mental picture the author is trying to paint for us, because one of those things is not like the other.

Anyway, a long winded and detailed way of saying this book was not enjoyable for me, and I could not finish reading about the contrived ways in which Imani’s negligence and idiocy ruin the day for the third time in 36 hours.

If it’s a small town romance, I’m gonna read it and this has to be one of my favorites! The two main characters were previously featured in Dylan Newton’s previous book “How Sweet It Is” and I am so happy they received their own book. They are meant to be and their chemistry was very obvious and endearing. Loved it and will highly recommend

After a one-night stand at her best friend's wedding 9 months ago, Imani is back in Wellsville to help her grandmother recover from surgery, but she keeps running into her one-night stand. Zander still holds a torch for Imani and is bound and determined to prove to her that they can make a relationship work.

I really enjoyed the first book, How Sweet It Is, but I LOVED All Fired Up so much! From the idyllic Wellsville setting to the second chance romance, I adored everything about this book. I loved seeing Kate and Drake from the first book, plus the rest of the Matthews family. Throw in a foul-mouthed parrot that had me laughing constantly and some slow burn sexual tension, and you have yourself a five star book.

I connected with Imani's character deeply. From her commitment to work that is causing her panic attacks to her unease about what to do next in life, seeing Imani's struggles helped me make sense of my own. Incredibly layered, Imani allowed Zander to take control, but was also perfect for him to grow outside of his comfort zone as well.

Goodness gracious, I loved Zander so much! He’s funny, incredibly caring, knows what he wants, and goes after it. I loved that he was the aggressor at the beginning, sticking around to show Imani just how much he cares for her. With a good head on his shoulders and a pragmatic attitude, Zander is tender and just honest to goodness good. His calming nature, plus ability to show Imani what she's missing in life made him the perfect hero for her. On top of it, I just adored the banter and relationship he has with his brothers. I honestly cannot wait for Ryker's story in 2023!

I was expecting great things from this novel after reading Dylan Newton's first novel "How Sweet It Is" and truly enjoying it. All Fired Up turned out to be everything that I expected and more.
There was just something so real and relatable about Zander and Imani, two polar opposites, struggling in their own way, that like every of my favorite romcom couples, made me swoon and laugh throughout all the pages from this sweet novel.
I cannot wait to read Ryker's story next! I can tell from even now, we are definitely in for a treat!

I enjoyed this book! It was a quick read, and it was so lovely to see some of my favorite characters return from How Sweet It Is to cause some real mayhem.

Zander was the best character. He was so sure of himself, and such a goof that it was hard not to fall for him. He’s so passionate about what he does, and so crafty, but also just a really good person. I love that. Sometimes authors like to have love interests seem like prissy playboys to make them seem more attractive, but that never is appealing. Zander, on the other hand, is hot *and* charming.


For me, I’m not a huge fan of the “we slept together and now want to try for a relationship” trope. It was hard, because they talked about the wedding when they hooked up a little bit, but I really wanted to see that passion spark. I think a lot of their interactions relied on this assumed spark from the wedding, but because we weren’t there for the wedding scene, it was a little harder to latch onto and believe until later in the book. But I know some people love this trope. I just prefer to see it when they really hit it off, even if we have to have a time jump, or more descriptive flashbacks, etc.


I also think, as much as I love Drake and Kate, they were in here a little more than I wanted. I wanted more time for Imani and Zander to fall for each other, but Kate especially showed up a lot. I think that helped give Imani things to stress over, sure, but it was something that could be accomplished with Gigi, etc.


I also found Imani’s character to be a little bit bitter. It’s hard, because I love that we had some mental illness rep, but I do think there’s a fine line between giving characters faults and making readers dislike them. I unfortunately fell into the latter category a teensy bit especially at the end, because Imani was really mean to Zander.

But overall, it was a super fun, quick read! I’ll always support this author, and I would recommend this for a beach read or an airplane read for sure!!!

All Fired Up is the second in a series about the Matthews Brothers This book featuring Zander, and Kate's publisher friend, Imani whom we first met in How Sweet It Is.

I stumble on Dylan Newton's first book, How Sweet It Is, via my Books App and seriously lucked out! It was SO good and I was REALLY excited to find out about All Fired Up! I was even more excited to find out I could read it early via NetGalley, as I am not a super patient person when it comes to reading that NEXT book in a series. I was not disappointed!

Imani and Zander first met in How Sweet It Is, and unbeknownst to us, had a one night stand that neither could forget! A year after their unforgettable night, Imani returns to Zander's hometown to take care of her grandmother following a surgery and the two are reunited. Zander is painted as the carefree, live in the moment man and Imani is a "by the book", everything planned out girl; but, as the book progresses, the character development evolves and you get to know the character's true hearts and insecurities.

My favorite thing about Zander is his super kind heart and the fact that he seems to fall first. Under all of his care-free spirit, fly by the seat of his pants demeanor, he cares deeply and I really love that about his character. He spends so much of the story giving of himself to help Imani and the towns people. And, Imani appears to be super type-A, guarded individual, which I can truly appreciate; but, Dylan gives her the extra dimension of a traumatic past and residual worries about familial mental health issues and insecurities. This development is done SO well and authentically.

But, don't worry, it's not ALL heavy stuff! In fact, those are just the bonuses I enjoyed. I love when RomComs have ALL the laughs and love, but also something deeper; All Fired Up delivered that! This book is so sweet and truly funny! The banter and snark between the two characters made me smile and laugh out loud. Not only between Zander and Imani, but also Imani and her grandmother! That woman is one great supporting character!

I also enjoy how Dylan weaves in her previous and next characters into the current story in a way that makes you want to come back for more. This is obviously the reason why I can't wait for Ryker's story! I will be waiting to see who she concocts for that man with the gruff exterior and haunted past.

4.5/5 Stars! Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC. This was my first Netgalley read and I am so grateful!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange of my honest review.

Imani Lewis is all about her job and structure. So much so that she’s starting to feel the burn out. When her grandmother needs surgery, she sees it as the perfect opportunity to take a leave of absence and go help her while she recuperates for the summer. The only problem? Her favorite one-night stand lives in the same town as her grandmother.

Zander Matthews is more go with the flow than one to plan. When Imani comes back to town he hopes they can continue to see where things go. So, when she makes it clear that she’s not willing to cross that line, no matter how much he can feel that she wants to, he decides to back off and help her as a friend. Will spending so much time together change Imani’s mind about staying in the friend zone?

I adored How Sweet It Is and felt this was a great follow up! It was witty, full of heat, and just an overall fun and easy read! The chemistry between the main characters is palpable and I loved that we were able to see more of the characters from book 1 as well. This is definitely one to pick up when it releases May 17, 2022!

This one gets 4⭐️’s from me!

I read How Sweet It Is last year and LOVED it, so it was no surprised I was beyond excited for All Fired Up! And of course, I can’t wait for the next installment in this series!

I love the way Dylan writes. You laugh and you swoon, and you completely forget that you’re reading. This was definitely an opposites attracts romance, but I think it really brought out the other side of each other. I loved Zanders live for the now philosophy and really made me think about being present and finding joy in everything. I enjoy when you find a deeper meaning in a book and can use that in your daily life.

Dylan has found a lifetime reader in me, and I cannot wait to see what else she up her sleeve!