Mia Hopkins always knocks it out of the park with her steamy scenes, and they are FIRE in this book. I adored Angel, the sweet and soft dirty-talking boxer who's way smarter than most people (including himself) are giving him credit for. Deanna is wonderful too, even if her family doesn't realize it, but I would have liked to have seen more closure with her family, more about her wayward client and why the part she plays in his story is important, and more detail about her work at the end of the story.

Hopkins unflinchingly tackles what life is like in a mid/post-pandemic world (with a (re)meet-cute at a Covid booster clinic!) and how exhausted everyone is just trying to survive. But it's also defiantly hopeful that good and happiness and love still exist and are still worth fighting for, and it's an incredibly powerful way to end this wonderful series. 4.5 stars

Tanked is the conclusion of a trilogy but I think it works as a standalone. I liked that it was a present day sort of romance and that talking about and dealing with Covid was still quite prevalent.

The steam factor was there (and the cover is hawt!) but I think the chemistry was a bit lacking between the two MCs, Deanna and Angel. They had a one night stand and 3 years later, they see each other and insta-chemistry. But Deanna was unsure because the age gap could be too big which is why she never called in the first place.

Overall it’s okay. I just didn’t feel the chemistry enough.

Just wow. Such a compelling, amazing story. I adored the second chance and redemption aspects of the story and the amount of stream was perfection. This may be the first romance I’ve read that deals so openly with COVID and it’s a bit trippy to see that I read book 2 in the before times.

Thank you Little Stone Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Let me start by saying that I haven’t read the first two books in the series. Tanked reads well as a stand-alone even though I want to go back and read Sal & Eddie’s stories too. I don’t think this book qualifies as a “dark” romance but the whole book had a real overcast-sky feel to it. Both characters struggled with insecurities – Deanna not living up to her family’s expectations and some instances of body insecurity; Angel struggled to find his place within his family while also hiding his underground fighting passion. This was the first book I’ve read that is set during the pandemic and doesn’t shy away from the many elements of it - the main characters have their second-chance “meet cute” getting their COVID Booster shots, several mentions of masks, testing, even positive cases after a family gathering. I don’t need a total suspension of reality but it contributed to the grit of the storyline. I will say though that Angel and Deanna’s passion for each other was very apparent and did not hold back on the steam. For the final installment of a series, it seemed that several loose ends were tied up and the story felt resolved by the epilogue.

Thank you NetGalley and Little Stone Press for the advanced copy.

Every so often you read an amazing book with MCs that are true to life. This is one of those books. A gorgeous, tender story with real people. Can’t recommend this book enough.

I am so sad that this is the last book in the series. Surely there are cousins with stories to tell? It was great being to able to check in with characters I already know and love and see how they weathered COVID even as I was riveted by Angel, the baby brother, as he finds love, It was the best kind of reunion- good friends, good beer, new stories to share, and some romance to add some spice. The romance between Angel and Deanna definitely brings the heat, starting as a one night stand their attraction is still undeniable when they run into each other years later. Angel is finding his place in his family even though he form connection with virtual strangers and Deanna's life is undergoing a reset as she is laid off from her job.

I loved this trilogy but cannot wait to see what Mia Hopkins does next.

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

Tanked is gorgeous. I had high expectations after I devoured the first two books in the series in 2 days, and I was still unprepared for Tanked. It is full of longing. The sex is plentiful, hot, and evolves as Angel and Deanna’s relationship evolves. The attention to detail is excellent. There are little hummingbird silhouettes in the breaks, and yes, they are meaningful.

The third book in Mia Hopkins’ Eastside Brewery series, is set smack in the pandemic. The loneliness, isolation, and economic hardship are integral, but I felt validated more than traumatized by the setting.

Angel, the youngest Rosas brother, and Deanna (formerly Eddie’s caseworker) are the stars of Tanked and they tell the story in a dual POV. Other than some flashbacks, Angel has not been seen in the series. He was sent to live with his maternal grandmother and uncle after their mother and young sister died. Away from the neighborhood, he avoided joining the East Side Hollenbeck gang, but away from his family, with his father gone and his brothers in prison, he experienced abuse and homelessness. When Tanked begins in earnest, Angel is working for (not with) his brothers at Eastside Brewery and sleeping on the couch at Sal and Vanessa’s house while they all try to stay afloat in the pandemic. The brewery is barely getting by and may not survive. Deanna is also overwhelmed at work, trying to do more for clients with even less than the little she had before.

They start off as a stress relieving good time, except that Angel is always finding ways to take care of Deanna. The way they see and support each other was swoon inducing. Honestly, I reread the first “I love you” scene a few times before I was ready to move on.

The Eastside Brewery series is about roots – familial, cultural, and community – and second chances. The Rosas have grown and deepened their roots, building their families and their business in the community that is important to them. Without making the series “a very special episode,” Hopkins contrasts the growth and strength of the Rosas family with the shallow roots of the gangs, and the culture erasing “revival” of gentrification.

Tanked has so much heart and was a delight to read. I stayed up too late, I read while I was supposed to be doing other things. I could not put it down.

CW: pandemic, off page past deaths from Covid-19, past domestic violence, diet talk and body shaming by a family member, implied colorism, post-partum depression.

I received this advance reader copy from Little Stone Press and NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

This was a great end to the Eastside Brewery trilogy. I loved Deanna and Angel and seeing other characters from previous books was great, not overdone and they didn't feel wedged into the story.

The pandemic was integral to every part of the story and masterfully dealt with.

No tedious misunderstandings or characters doing things out of character for the sake of the plot.

Really would recommend, Mia Hopkins is a great writer and I'm looking forward to whatever she has next.

Was this a political ad or a romance book, I couldn't tell. Seriously, what a huge turnoff. The book had romance and great smut sprinkled in, but honestly it felt more like a propaganda piece. I did like the banter and witty writing that shone through at times. It was interesting to read a story where the female was older, I've never read that trope before and I did enjoy that aspect of the story.

Overall, I ended the story and felt relieved and annoyed.

I'm sad that this is the last book in this series. I liked seeing how these guys took the second chance they were given and made something of it. I really liked Angel from the start, but thought he was getting shafted by his brothers. They used him as a work horse, called him family, but he was just outside that circle, not really brought in. I don't think any of them realized it or did it intentionally, it's just how things worked out when covid hit their world.

I really appreciated the real world view of covid in this book, the struggle of keeping the business alive was real and made me wish I could help. I also liked seeing how Deanna's family business dealt with covid, again it seemed real and made you wish you could shop there to help.

I wasn't sure about Deanna and Angel together, they seemed to not match, but as things went on they were perfect for each other. The other was able to boost each other up, they were there for them, showed them a different way to see things.

The ending made me happy, loved seeing the Brewery thrive and become such an integral part of the community, also loved seeing Angel and Deanna living their lives happy.

It's been a wait for the final Rosas brothers book, but it was well worth it. Angel was always a bit of a shadowy figure in the other two books, the youngest who was raised more by their grandmother and uncle. But he bursts to life in this story.

Like the other two brothers, Angel is a hard man - a hard fighter, a hard worker - but (also like his brothers) he's so soft for the woman he loves. And Deanna is a wonderful character. She's a loyal friend (we see this from the very first chapter) and a crusader, though one who's been kicked in the teeth far too many times - by her job, by her mother, by random cruel men. But when these two characters meet and come together, they bring out the absolute best in each other.

I should mention that this is set late in the pandemic, and the exhaustion and loss that comes with that is very present. Which is not to say that the book is joyless - not at ALL. Just real.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A great finale for the eastside brewers, a series that took me by surprise from the very beginning with its heart, ansgt, mysteries and sexy times. Having the heroine's point of view included in this one made me really happy, but unfortunately I also felt that not much came from the hero's pov, maybe because his story and background are completely different from his brothers' and my expectations weren't calibrated accodingly. But it is a satisfying read nonetheless. Really enjoyed the Caetano Veloso reference as well.

I love Mia Hopkins voice in this series! I haven't found much that is comparable to it and was so glad to see that Tanked was consistent with her voice and writing style.

Angel is the youngest brother of the Rosa family and I love the role that he was given both within the family, and the actual Brewery. The Rosa family is such a real family - in that it's complicated and nuanced but also full of love. One thing I hadn't thought of going into this book was COVID and I really appreciated how it was handled. The community and the neighborhood is another aspect that just makes this book feel so realistic, all of the minor characters feel like they could just walk off the page.

And the ROMANCE...🔥 🔥 🔥 It was so goddamn hot, I increased my rating by a full star because the sex was so steamy but also was integral to the plot in most cases (and really, even if it's not - who cares?)

Deanna was fully fleshed out as well and I loved how Angel slowly drew her out. The two together even had some kink toward the end and again...PHEW 🔥 🔥 🔥

CW: past domestic abuse, postpartum depression, COVID, mentions of death (not on page or of main or secondary characters)