All Fired Up by Dylan Newton
•
•
•
•
This is such a great follow up to How Sweet It Is. Such a perfect opposites attract romance. Which I love so much because I think it’s so relatable to real life. Being able to find someone who balances you.

Zander is just so swoony and so so patient.😍

Imani is peppy and caring. And I loved how we really learn the deeper issues of anxiety through her. I feel it’s so relatable.

I loved these characters so much. This is the absolute perfect summer read. And as always such a cute cover. This book has the full package.

I enjoyed this book just as much as (if not more than) the previous book. Zander is much more my type of hero. I adored his zest for life and patience with Imani. He was so sweet and supportive and no one seemed to give him enough credit.

After this book, I will read anything that Dylan Newton writes. Hopefully, we get Rykers story next.

The fact that I had two false starts and then stopped at 31% for almost 3 months should have been indication enough, but I gave it another go and started from scratch for the THIRD time 🤦 Time to just admit that this book is simply not for me!

It wasn't terrible, but I found it a slog to get through despite a rather great cast. I loved Gigi and Kate! However, the leads aren't a good match at all. Imani was terrible to Zander despite constantly needing to be rescued and using his help multiple times. I can't recall if she even did anything sweet for him?

I also really disliked how everyone tried to change Zander and admonished him for not fitting into conventional ideals of 'success'. Sure, his mother had a point but overall this subplot, the romance and the tropes of opposites attract + changing each other for the better didn't work for me at all.

The novel mentions Zander's tattoo with "Chinese symbols" quite a few times and I wish the author had just written the actual Chinese characters, because I had no idea what she was referring to until I Googled "mindfulness in Chinese" (正念). If you are going to mention my culture, then please give it the due respect and not act like Chinese audiences do not exist.

What I thought the book did well was how it discusses survivor's guilt, grief and trauma. I was actually thinking that I would love to read Kate and Drake's story, not knowing that it already exists and All Fired Up is a follow-up. So maybe I'll still read that one.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've tried a Dylan Newton book before and it wasn't for me, so I'm not sure why I decided to try this one. I think it was Read Now, but I should have known better. Her writing is just not for me. I'm sure others will enjoy this one, but I just couldn't get into it.

Holy crap I cannot even express how much I loved this second book in the Matthews brothers universe!! I actually cried happy tears during the epilogue and books don't usually have me actually crying no matter how much they make me feel. Imani and Zander are such a perfect match and I love how everyone helps each other and takes family (and friends that are family) seriously. Gigi is my favorite book grandma by far and I could picture her so well. Love the gulyás recipe as well, comes close to my grandma's czech goulash and I'll definitely be trying it out soon while eagerly awaiting the next book!

This book was so cute!

Imani and Zander were adorable, Gigi was an absolute riot and the times I found myself laughing out loud during this book were many!

Imani is taking a few months off work to go to her hometown and stay with her Grandmother, Gigi. She will also come in contact with Zander, her best friend’s brother in law and her two night stand.

This book was cute, it had everything you wanted in a rom com. Humor, hot air balloons, a touch of spice, and it was a fun quick read!

I’m very interested in Ryker’s story as I feel his story may have some additional depth with his trauma, and I am excited to continue this series!

I recommend this one to fans of rom coms and light reads.

It was fun revisiting these characters. I didn’t like any of them as much as the first book, but the Matthews family is a delight. I liked Imani’s fiesty grandma. This story was romantic and sweet and had good banter.

A fun and funny romantic comedy that was just what I needed. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. I haven’t read this author before, but I will be eager to read anything they write!

I was immediately interested in this book. Literally from the moment Imani’s plane landed and she spent time with Zander, Drake, and Kate, I was hooked. Imani and Zander had chemistry and awareness of one another from the get-go, which I suppose is true for more second-chance-ish romance, but it just really worked for them. PLUS, *he-fell-first* and PURSUED HER, which she needed and I loved.

So, awhile back, like almost a year ago, Imani and Zander had a 2-night stand after Kate and Drake’s wedding, and things were shall we say, fiery (you know, All Fired Up, get it?). He never moved on, and neither did she but she ghosted him instead. Imani got sucked back into her real life in New York, chasing a promotion and keeping up with her clients, which makes her a workaholic. She has to return to her small hometown where Zander lives for two reasons: help her SWEET Gigi (Grandma) after surgery and be there for her BFF Kate when she has a baby.

When Zander joins Kate and Drake to pick Imani up at the airport, it’s clear the jokester hasn’t changed, and Imani is convinced that they just need to tell Drake and Kate about their two-night stand so they can move on. But Zander has other plans: Date Imani. He wants a real chance to take her out, she wants to focus on her work, her Gigi, and her best friend, and neither really get what they want, until they do! 🙂

This book is sweet with a little spice, yet you feel their chemistry and the tension build throughout the story. You also see how well this opposites-attract pair works – he’s fun and outgoing, and she’s serious and reserved. They need each other to balance out. Zander anticipates what Imani needs and literally shows up for her in the best ways, while Imani’s focus and drive helps Zander to see where his go-with-the-flow attitude might be leaving something on the table.

I especially liked that Zander is a big, buff guy with his own body insecurities. He’s challenged with his own negative thoughts, just like Imani is. And yet, Zander would have been voted, yes, Class Clown, but also Most Likely to Make Friends. He meets someone, he really listens to them share their hearts, and then when they need something, he finds a way to help out. This is evident not only with helping Imani fix up Gigi’s house, but also Tuck on the hot air balloon ride, among the other examples of favors he has done for his neighbors and the town that he cashes in on, especially to help Imani.

This is story with these characters (we meet Kate and Drake in How Sweet Is It), but it could be read as a standalone! I thought this was a quick read and felt like it was just the right amount of story, background, build-up, conflict, and the epilogue was sweet BUT I WANTED JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE, OKAY? Plus, more spice. Their chemistry was GOOD and I wanted more!

Thanks for the ARC of this one – 4 really solid stars.

Rating: 4 Stars

I liked this book and found it easy to listen to despite some heavier subject matter -- but it ultimately didn't leave a lasting impression. I'll still continue with this author's series because I do enjoy these characters and their stories.

This was a cute second chance romance, but I don't love the thick headed "I can't be in a relationship with this person, even though we OBVIOUSLY click" mentality. Imani is over stressed and over analyzes everything in her life. She takes the summer off to help her Gigi and to relax herself. She and Zander fight the pull to continue their one weekend stand all summer after Imani ghosted him. I was rooting for them after Imani's panic attack and he didn't judge her, but help and support her. He didn't take too much too seriously in his life before trying to get her to stay with him and it showed in a lackadaisical attitude in everything else in his life.

Their relationship grew and the sexual tension build up too, but I didn't care for the action to happen in the cow field. I know they were in a basket and shielded, but have you ever smelled cows?! That's a no for me dawg. I doubt anyone could be THAT horny.

Lancelot the "fowl-mouthed" parrot was my favorite part. I love mischievous animals, but cursing birds is one of my favorite things ever.

I was unable to finish this book. The beginning seemed to drag on, in which it made it difficult to hold onto and finish. The characters were hard to keep track of as well.

I loved How Sweet It Is so much that I needed to make sure to pick this one up from @Netgalley when I saw it was available to request. Yes I am hopelessly behind on reviews. Bare with me - I’m still catching up from the end of last school year - oops!

All Fired Up follows Imani (she is the book publicist we meet in How Sweet It Is) as she stays with her grandmother for the summer to help out. She runs into a previous one night stand - who is determined to get her back and make this a real relationship. I love the role reversal in this one. I love that Imani is the workaholic and Zander is the one chasing her. She is such a strong female protagonist and you know we are always here for that! Truly only positive things to say about the great character development in this one. I just wish the plot had moved a bit faster - it just didn’t seem that that much actually happened in the story. Overall a sweet read and if you loved book 1 you will definitely enjoy this one!

All Fired Up was such a warm and delightful romance. Imani and Zander both have a lot of trauma in their backgrounds informing their present day choices, and that is part of what makes them work well together- while they might not have the same story, they are sensitive to each others. Additionally, their connection pushes them to each reconsider how they're approaching their lives, and finding what they really want. One of the best parts of this story is that we get to see a continuation of Drake and Kate's stories from How Sweet It Is, and it's fun to see how their relationship has developed, and to see the tight friendship between Kate and Imani. Imani's grandmother adds so much character to the book. You could definitely read this as a standalone, but it'll be even better if you read How Sweet It Is first!

This book started off so strong and you could feel the chemistry and attraction between Imani and Zander immediately. Their playful, as well as sexual, banter was entertaining and the dialogue between Imani and her grandmother was hilarious! About half way through the book, I felt that the story started to lag and slow down a bit. The focus was no longer on Imani and Zander's budding relationship but on Imani's past emotional trauma, her best friend's pregnancy
and the complications from her grandmother's surgery. All of that took a little away from Imani and Zander's storyline, in my opinion, and I would have loved to have seen more of their story played out. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I would still recommend it to anyone looking for a fun romcom to read!

I ended up listening to the Audio version of this and have to say I loved it. This is book 2 in the series that started with How Sweet it Is (which is still a top 5 favorite read of mine). This was a second chance romance for Imani (Drakes book publicist/and Kates best friend) and Zander (Drakes brother). After a 2 night hotel stand together, during Drake and Kates wedding weekend, Imani and Zander find each other irresistible and in bed together. Unfortunately, Imani is unsure how to make anything happen so she decides to ghost him. It’s now time for the two to reunite for Kate’s Baby Reveal/Baby Shower and the baby’s birth.

My favorite parts were Imani’s feisty Grandma, Gigi, who had me giggling constantly and her crazy talking parrot, Lancelot, who also had me giggling as well. The parrots voice was done well on audio! I loved how Gigi didn’t invite Imani to nurse her back to health from her double knee surgeries but more to give Imani the well needed mental health break she needed for all the guilt she was harboring from her Mom’s death and the stress of her everyday life and job.

The romance between Imani and Zander wasn’t the only focus of the book especially toward the end and more on Kate and her having her baby, so be aware of that going in. I actually loved that because it felt like a continuation of Hows Sweet it Is. This book ended with a sweet story between Zander and Imani and how they had what seemed like an impossible HEA. The added touch of the Goulash recipe (Imani’s favorite food made by her now deceased grandfather) was a cute touch and also the instructions to the card gave ‘May I’ that Grandma Gigi played weekly with her friends.

Also, Ryker (the third Mathew’s Brother) was a big part of this story, an injured Veteran with a prosthetic leg. I’m actually really hoping the next book is about Ryker and I’m really looking forward to it. His story really intrigued me a lot when he was introduced into this story. I love when secondary characters perk my interest as much as the main characters do. This was a cute fun read and I really liked it.

I tried to like this book but couldn't. It was just not for me as it felt that I couldn't distinguish one characters from the rest as they all had a similar voice and style when speaking. This is probably the first time that I see men talking so much and especially to one another! :P

DNF @40%

Dylan Newton is back with a follow up to How Sweet It Is now following Kate's best friend, Imani, and Drake's youngest brother, Zander.

The story is based in the small town the group grew up in, starting right after Imani takes a leave of absence from work to take care of her grandmother for the summer. Imani is a driven publicist who is up for a promotion at work but overwhelmed by the stress of the job and decidong if she wants to be promoted at all. Zander is a happy-go-lucky pottery studio owner who refused to plan further ahead then the next 24 hours.

The pair hooked up at Kate and Drake's wedding but quickly fizzled out when Imani went back to her job in NYC. Now, almost 10 months later, they're thrown back together helping the town they live in, her grandmother and one another.

Imani is an interesting character who had a lot of emotional turmoil throughout the book and while I was excited to follow her through tothe resolution, I didn't think it really happened. Her mental health caused a boat load of other medical issues and the resolution to all of it was almost nonexistent to me. That is very much not how depression works! And Zander was fun and clearly a very loveable guy but I felt like I wanted more from both characters.

The plot was fine and I did really like how the characters interacted but I wanted more depth to much of the story and better resolution.

I'm looking forward to reading Ryker's story! Thank you NetGalley and Forever/Grand Central Publishing for the ARC.

All fired up about ALL FIRED UP! I just adored this book and the chemistry between Imani and Zander, not to mention GiGi is the cutest grandma ever!

This is such a fun, but heartfelt, romance with second chance, best friend’s brother-in-law, and one night stand romance tropes. I highly recommend this one and it made me an even bigger fan of Dylan Newton!

All Fired up is one of those books where writing a review is hard. I really enjoyed the first book in the series and I really enjoyed this one too! I loved the hilarious parrot, the grandmother, the banter and I loved seeing the characters from the first book. I just wish the ending didn't happen quite so fast. I really enjoy seeing mental health represented in books but this one just felt glossed over. Overall I did really enjoy this book and I cannot wait for the last brothers book to come out.