All Fired Up by Dylan Newton is a fun, sweet and light hearted read. The story is a good escape as the characters are very likeable and the relationships are not overly complicated. If you need a brain break and a smile then add this one to your beach bag.

NetGalley provided an Advanced Reader Copy of All Fired Up which will be published on May 17, 2022.

This book has the cutest cover! The beginning of the story reeled me in with a few laughs and a gorgeous main man, Zander. I felt the burning heat between him and Imani which was one of the main plots of the story that supported the three stars. Where the book felt flat for me was although I got a good feeling of what Zander was all about, Imani was flimsy. I could empathize with her traumatic past and how it affected several interactions she had with Zander and her grandmother, who has a fantastic sense of humour. I also loved that Imani was a book publicist, and how she struggled with whether to accept a promotion. This story does make you think about what is really important in life. However, it did seem a bit contrived throughout and I just didn’t get pulled completely in and swept away by the characters and some of the scenes (for example, the gender reveal was strange and had me wrinkling my forehead, and the pet bird was at first hilarious, but then was absolutely annoying). I would recommend this rom-com if you can read it as part of a subscription or from the library as it is a good vacation book - it’s a fast read with an open door amount of steam.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for the electronic advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is another one of those quick reads that you either love or hate. I would say that I am in between. I liked it but not totally loving it.

I love the way Imani’s character was packaged, A kick ass, great at her job publicist that get things done is every author’s dream. Her love and care for her grandmother is so sweet. Its a small town romantic comedy where you get to see your previous one-night stand you can’t forget but also wished it did not happen. However, the rest of the characters were not connecting with me as much as I wanted to. The romance is somewhat predictable. You can already see it from the start. Aside from that, it is a fast read!

Thank you GrandCentral Publishing via Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much as How Sweet….this felt more like a sequel to that for Kate and Drake. Imani spent most of the book being insufferable. I really liked Zander but don’t believe anyone would do as much as he did for someone who was continually pushing him away.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I loved Dylan's first book, but for some reason I couldn't get into this one. Though I did try to read it the month I got married. So I think am going to have to give this one another try. Will report back!!

“After one wild night together, two complete opposites plan to stay firmly in the friend zone, but life has other plans in this delightful romantic comedy”

Synopsis: As a successful book publicist, Imani Lewis works night and day to promote her authors. It’s her dream job, but she’s become a total workaholic. So when her grandmother invites her to stay for the summer as she recovers from surgery, Imani happily agrees. But being back in the same small town as her one-night stand may not be quite the relaxing break she envisioned… Zander Matthews wakes up every day determined to enjoy the present because he knows from his time in the Marines that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. But he’s never gotten over the beautiful woman who blew through town a year ago, then disappeared. And he doesn’t want to be hurt again. So they agree to a deal: he’ll help Imani fix up her grandmother’s house as long as they stay firmly in the friend zone.Whether it’s repairing tiles in his ceramics studio, dodging nosy neighbors, or soothing the most obnoxious parrot ever, Zander never fails to make Imani laugh. And soon their friendly banter is turning ever flirtier. But since Imani’s stay is temporary and Zander can’t be tied to anything beyond the most tenuous plans, will she be able to handle it when things get all fired up?

Personal review : 3.5 stars

Listed as Contemporary romance- fans of Emily Henry type prose - this novel is for you! This book was light and cute, a perfect palate cleanser between books or series. This book is part of a series, but can be read standalone, as I did. It piqued my interest and made me want to go read the first book by this author. The trope could be described as friends to lovers, of more of one night stand to others, and has that lovable small town feel. I enjoyed that this series revolved around three brothers, I do not usually gravitate towards books with male main characters! Thank you NetGalley and Forever Pub for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

Loved the location of this one and the plot but everything else was just ok. It was a sweet read and I’d definitely read more books by this author.

All Fired Up, (besides being a Pat Benatar classic that is now on heavy rotation in my head), is the story of Imani Lewis, a no nonsense book publicist with a reputation for getting things done. But even workaholics need a break every once and awhile. So when her grandmother, Gigi needs knee surgery, Imani gladly journeys home to help out, her version of rest and relaxation.

While in town she’s also getting the chance to be home for her bestie’s baby shower. Right away, she’s thrown into awkward situations with the hunky Zander Matthews, a man she had a two night stand with a year prior. Giving him the brush off from afar was pretty easy, but now that they are in close proximity again AND he’s the brother of her best friend, being in each other’s company is inevitable.

In the meantime, Zander has quietly been pining for Imani, or at least wondering if she’s the one who got away. Needless to say, he’s as confused as she is and doesn’t know what gives. So what are two attractive people who are obviously attracted to each other but continue to deny it ever to do? Why, kid themselves, and one another, that a platonic friendship is sustainable, of course!

All Fired Up is the follow up to the recent hit title, How Sweet It Is by @authordylannewton. It’s been awhile since I read How Sweet It Is, so I had to go back and confirm my suspicion that this is indeed a sequel of sorts, focusing on a different Matthews brother. While reading the books in order isn’t necessary, I’m letting readers know. Also, there’s a third Matthews brother, so you do the math. 😉

Despite its sexiness, there are serious moments devoted to dealing with anxiety, as well as loads of lactose intolerant references. You wouldn’t think milk and cheese pair well with romance, and yet, it works. My favorite characters were the spitfire grandmother (because I had one of those) and her equally sassy pet bird, Lancelot.

Overall, All Fired Up is a cute romcom worth getting worked up over.

I went into this story not realizing it was book 2 in a series, but it makes a lovely standalone novel as well. I loved this sweet little book and I'm a huge fan of dual perspectives and alternating chapters. Zander and Imani had me hooked from the beginning and I loved watching their story unfold.

I loved How Sweet It Is and this sequel was jut as great! Imani and Zander have wonderful chemistry and, as in the first book, the secondary characters (which include a foul-mouthed parrot!) are terrific. I cannot wait for book three in the series!

Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for a copy to review.

This book had me hooked from page one. I read How Sweet It Is prior to this, so I was excited to get another related story! I consumed it in about one day, and it was so fun to read. Have already recommended to friends!

I would love to say I have the energy to gush about this book as much as I would like to. Thank you @readforeverpub for sending this gorgeous gift my way.

I loved How Sweet It Is and All Fired Up includes some lovely updates on Kate and Drake without requiring their story to be read first. Focusing on Imani and Zander (and a parrot who swears) this one has a lot of love and a sexy hot air balloon trip. I also loved the attention to Imani’s mental health and helping her navigate a difficult time in her life.

I could go on and on about this book and it’s predecessor but hopefully you’ll read them and pop into my DMs for more raving!

I really enjoyed this book. The main character was super relatable and I loved the progression of the love story of Imani and Zander. I'd recommend for anyone that wants a quck and easy read with some angst and spice.

I LOVEDDD this book! Opposites attract is one of my favorite tropes and Imani and Zander certainly delivered. They were soooo cute together! I enjoyed their chemistry, their story AND the secondary characters. Totally swoony and loved their growth as a couple.

This author seems to be of the school of telling rather than showing, with everything spelled out, which just so happens to be one of my largest pet peeves in romance. It lacked the charm, for me, and I had a hard time getting or remaining invested.

Living life on his own terms hero
In control at all times heroine
A one night stand that changes everything
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Newton gives us a fun second chance story that touches on real issues of PTSD. As a mental health professional I really liked how she was able to show trauma differently through different people. She touched on how similar scenarios (such as fighting in war) have different impacts to each person. But I also liked how she showed non-combat trauma and how that impacts us. As a society we take for granted how much our past experiences shape us and Newton was able to do demonstrate this through Zander and Imani's 🔥🔥 love story.
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It was well done and weaved together in a way that felt authentic. Plus there's great extended family and friends that just make this book such a fun read.
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I absolutely fell in love with How Sweet It Is when it came out the previous year. All Fired Up takes us back to the characters that we’ve met in the first book, this time focusing on Imani (Kate’s best friend and Drake’s publicist) and Drake’s brother Zander. I really enjoyed All Fired Up and this was a perfect book to take along on a quiet trip away.

We meet up with these characters as Imani spends the summer with her grandmother to help her recover from surgery, though she’s not prepared to be back in the same small town where she had a one-night stand with her client’s brother. Zander hasn’t forgotten the time he spent with Imani, but he agrees to help her fix up her grandmother’s house while she’s staying there, but it doesn’t take long before they’re trying to avoid the chemistry between them.

I’m not going to spoil any of the plot, but some of the things I loved from this were:

- the banter between Zander and Imani
- the chemistry between them
- the parrot with some very inappropriate remarks
- Imani’s grandmother
- the small town setting

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I heard about this author from a friend and was excited when All Fired Up was offered through NetGalley. Although, this is the second book including characters by this author, I did not feel as though I missed anything important by not reading the first book.

I enjoyed that Imani was in book publishing and we got a little peek into what it might be like behind the scenes in the publishing world. I also loved the references to her Mary Poppins bag since I am known for my big purses and everything in them.

I appreciated that the author included topics such as mental health and grief, however I did not feel they were incorporated as well as I would have liked into the romance. Instead of working through what was happening between Imani and Zander and addressing the trauma in their backgrounds, it was used as more of an excuse for behavior. If mental health and grief were going to be written into the story, I would have liked to see them provide more depth to the character, whereas it seemed more like an easy plot device.

I absolutely loved Gigi. I loved how feisty and fun she was. I do look forward to reading Ryker's story.

After falling in love with Newton's writing and the cast of characters in HOW SWEET IT IS, I was incredibly excited to read Zander and Imani's story.

Imani's grandmother, Gigi, brought humor to the novel that was reminiscent of Drake and Kate's story. Also, I truly appreciated Newton incorporating important topics such as mental health, PTSD, and grief. Unfortunately, the romance itself was where I struggled. While Imani had anxiety and grief that she needed to address, Zander essentially gave her a free pass for her behavior. There were times when Imani's issues felt as though they were merely the reason she was acting a certain way versus something to work through/potentially overcome. I did appreciate some of her conversations with Kate near the end, but I would have loved to see more growth from her.

I still absolutely enjoyed ALL FIRED UP (amazing dates, plenty of BFF moments, etc.), and I am looking forward to reading Ryker's story. A huge thank you to Forever Pub for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF for now: Newton's first book was a low 4-star read for me, so I was excited to check out her sophomore effort. I just couldn't get into this! There's something about Newton's writing style that's boring to me, and the characters weren't that appealing. Not sure if it's an issue with my mood or just the book, so I'm leaving this as DNF for now.