I really wanted to love this book, as I love a good craft beer. However, I could not stay engaged with this story. There were parts that were just too political and didn't feel necessary to the overall story. I just couldn't relate to the characters.

This title instantly captured me as I am a lover of craft beer myself. And I really felt that Jayne captured what craft beer is and what the industry looks like, while she also filled it with so much love and commitment through her main character Kat and her friends.

This is also described as an enemy-to-lover romance, but I didn't really feel the romance between Kat and Ryan. The hotheaded discussions that turn into chemistry just felt like uncomfortable and angry arguments between two people too different to see eye to eye. And they never really do either, they just decide to ignore it so they can be together. The rift that ends with them going separate ways, which leads to Kat finding her place at the new brewery pub, felt completely logical and right for the story. And I think I would have preferred that the ending being that they agree to just be friends. I found them both to be immature, but I felt that Kat changes throughout the book, while Ryan doesn't, except for the last pages which feels a bit to neat, a bit to happy considering the problems just weeks earlier. It didn't feel realistic that everything would be solved so perfectly and Ryan completely change his opinions so it fits with Kat's.

To me this was a romance between Kat and craft beer and I read it as such.

This was an interesting read!

Overall I found the story enjoyable. There’s quite a bit of mental health unpacking that occurs over the course of the book, which I wasn’t quite prepared for. As I live with (clinically diagnosed) depression and anxiety myself, I wish I’d had a slight bit more warning via the book blurb about what I was getting into. For what it’s worth, I feel this proved to me that Jayne is a good writer, because as situations start spinning away for our main characters and things get nuts, it ratcheted up my anxiety. Kudos to a writer for being able to convey a situation so well it physically affected me!

Small criticisms: after all the buildup and slow burn the first two-thirds of the book provided, the end felt rushed. I would have also liked to see more of Joe and Prairie, perhaps a scene where Kat visits them. Kat consistently and repeatedly views Joe and Prairie as surrogate parents, but to never visit them after they leave their brewery seems odd. I understand that Jayne likely did this to further underline Kat’s tendency to step back and close off, but that still felt strange to me. It also would have felt more satisfying for Kat to get some sort of actual closure from them, rather than her guesses and conjecture.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

I am all for a sweet romance and the brewery aspect was a unique plot line. However, the beer became too much of a plot line and with so much depth; more than I cared about regarding the beer. I needed more about the romance. Overall, it was okay but nothing that will make it stand out among the many many many other romances out there

This was a sweet romance, set in a craft brewery.
As someone who loves craft beer, it was a fun setting to read it in, and I learned lots about beer, because she describes a beer before every chapter.

The romance wasn't as hot, or as electric as I usually like, more of a slow burn, but it was okay. Honestly the beer was the most interesting part!
3.75

A very basic but good romance novel. I liked it but it wasn't all that different from any other romance novel. I still like it tho.

3⭐ I wanted to love this one, but for me, it was just meh. I felt like Kat and Ryan were both immature, and their relationship felt more like business than romance.

I'm not a beer drinker, I don't know if that made a difference! 🍻🍻🍻

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

As a woman in the beer/brewery world, I knew this niche romance would hit different! Taking place in Chicago, the couple who owns and operates a microbrewery has to sell their business to pay for unfortunate medical expenses. Enter our tall, dark, and handsome new manager, Ryan! After a roller coaster of emotions and events, Kat fights tooth and nail to be hired as the new brewer at the updated brewery. I loved the ending of this book - unexpected in a good way, it didn't seem to fit the standard mold.
The middle of the book did seem to drag a little, there were parts I felt could be omitted and didn't do anything for the plot or process of the story. I was also looking for more physical attraction between Ryan and Kat as well - felt like I was left hanging. The non-perfect ending did save this one for me!

This was an enemies to lovers, boss/employee, opposites attract rom-com that left a lot to be desired.

I really liked the concept with the beer and how Kat (our FMC) associates people with different types of beer. The book started out really cute. Loved the way Kat and Ryan first met, but as the story progressed, it just seemed more like a business partnership rather than a romance.

Ryan and Kat both seemed really immature. Ryan especially. I felt no chemistry between them, which was disappointing in a rom-com.

Overall it was just okay for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I love romances that include baking/cooking/bar/brewing! I am also a big fan of craft beer, so I thought this romance would check all the boxes!

I did enjoy how each chapter included descriptions of different types of beer, as well as how the author compared different characters to different types of beer.

I also thought this book had a strong beginning. Unfortunately the further into the book I got the less interesting and engaging it became. The main character was interesting, but the real stars of the story were the side characters. The ending also fell flat for me, and it felt a bit too "perfect".

I did read this book in 2 days, so if you want to a quick romance and you're a fan of craft beer give it a read. If you are not a fan of craft beer you can probably skip this one.

*Advance copy provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.*

In Stephanie Jayne’s I’ve Got My Mind Set on Brew the popular enemies to lovers storyline is set in a nano brew pub that is struggling to remain afloat. Kat, a server with the goal of becoming a brewer, grapples with lots of emotions when her longtime bosses, after bad health news, hand over the day-to-day to the son of an investor. She’s feeling abandoned by her chosen family, resentful that Ryan is handed the reigns to her beloved Resistance, and shocked when she’s relegated out of the brewing process to just giving tours.

Eventually Kat and Ryan join forces to try to save Resistance, but will it be enough? Kat tries to balance finally doing what’s best for herself through brew classes and networking against her inclination for self-sacrifice and putting other people before herself. Ryan is a Peter Pan-type trying to prove himself, but he really seems to be riding on Kat’s very Wendy coattails, coming to her for ideas and execution.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. It was quick and a nice break from my typical thrillers. Where there could have been a simple resolution at the end, Jayne provides a twist that I very much enjoyed. There was a lot of complicated relationship dynamics going on and I do wish that was played out more, either with the previous owners or Kat’s family, or given a further backseat.

Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for letting me read this ARC! I rated this a 3 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the story but I didn't feel like there were any outstanding climactic moments in it. The ending felt a bit rushed to me and I wish we had more of the side characters backstories because I just didn't feel like they had a lot of depth to them, which made me confused when they were brought up in the writing because I'd forget who they were. I do relate to Kat however in her dislike of change. This book was just okay in my opinion but I will be picking it up at my local bookstore when it is published so I can read it again after the last round of editing.

Thank you Stephanie Jayne, NetGalley, and Alcove Press for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

What a fun concept for a romance! Being from Wisconsin, I love that craft brews were involved so heavily in a book!
The chapter titles were really fun, and the cover is gorgeous.

I had high hopes for this one. However, I found myself having very mixed feelings on this overall. The idea was good, I just think overall could have been executed better.

I first was off put by the formatting - it did not read well. However, this was an ARC so I am hoping that the finished copies will be adjusted accordingly.

My second and biggest problem was the massive tone-shift involved. This went from being a slow-burn romance focus - to being more of a business meeting style vibe. This isn't something that I personally want as a reader.

I did love how beer was explained, and how the FMC related people to different types of brews. The reasoning why Kat has a thing with beer was a nice touch as well. While I liked Kat, I couldn't find myself to enjoy Ryan. He was manipulative, childish, HAD to be the center of attention.

ENG :

My opinion on the book is very mixed, basically I read it for the romance which was sold to me as an enemy to lovers in the end I saw very few enemies and the romance is to my taste the weak point of the book
The strong point is kat and the fact that she is a glass child with all the difficulties that come with it. I also enjoyed the writing, it's easy to read with a rather pleasant humor although sometimes heavy.
I didn't like ryan, I found him too childish, with a manipulative side that I didn't appreciate, everything has to revolve around him otherwise he's not happy.
I also found it sad not to have had more scenes with prairie and joe, in particular a reunion scene would have been very interesting
Another strong point of the book is the end, I found it very realistic and satisfying

And let's not forget the beer! I love to read books on passions we always learn a lot of things and it did not fail! Although there are some technical terms most of the explanations are understandable for a non-drinker like me, at the beginning of each chapter there is an explanation of the tastes of several beers which I found very different and interesting. There are also the parts where Kat explains her love for beer and where we understand why she took such an important part in her life which I found very touching and which added a certain depth and sensitivity to the character.

And so if I had to recommend this book to someone it would be more for kat and her discovery of herself than for the romance.




FR : Mon avis sur le livre est très mitigé, à la base je l’ai lu pour la romance qui m’a été vendu comme un ennemi To lovers au final je n’ai vu que très peu d’ennemies et le romance est à mon goût le point faible du livre
Le point fort est Kat et le fait qu’elle soit un glass child avec toutes les difficultés qui en résultent. J’ai également apprécié l’écriture, c’est simple à lire avec un humour plutôt agréable bien que parfois lourd.

Je n’ai pas Aimé Ryan, je l’ai trouvé trop enfantin, avec un côté manipulateur que je n’ai pas apprécié, tout doit tourner autour de lui sinon il n’est pas content.
J’ai aussi trouvé dommage de ne pas avoir eu plus de scènes avec prairie et Joe notamment une scène de retrouvailles aurait été très intéressante
Un autre point fort du livre est la fin, je l’ai trouvé très réaliste et satisfaisante

Et n’oublions pas la bière! J’adore lire des livres sur des passions ont apprend toujours énormément de choses et ça n’a pas raté ! Bien qu’il y ait quelques termes techniques la plus grande partie des explications sont compréhensibles pour un non-buveur comme moi, à chaque début de chapitre il y a une explication des goûts de plusieurs bières ce que j’ai trouvé tres différents et intéressant.. Il y a aussi les parties ou Kat explique son amour pour la bière et où nous comprenons pourquoi elle a pris une partie aussi importante dans sa vie ce que j’ai trouvé très touchant et qui a rajouté une certaine profondeur et sensibilité au personnage.
Et donc si je devais conseiller ce livre à quelqu’un ce serait plus pour Kat et sa découverte d’elle-même que pour la romance.

Ah, what a cute story! I loved the beer themed chapter titles and descriptions. I can totally relate to Kat - craft beer and book lover, self-sabotager, and people pleaser. It was great to see such a diverse set of characters, with different personalities, mesh into one cohesive family. I highly recommend this and can't wait to buy a physical copy!

Addicting!!! Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It draws you into the story instantly. It was an easy read, while still containing a complex story, and the descriptive writing is almost POETIC. I couldn't put it down.

I was unable to read due to poor kindle formatting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC.

An enchanting journey through vividly imagined worlds and compelling characters. This fiction gem weaves a tapestry of emotions, adventure, and unexpected twists that kept me eagerly turning the pages. The author's masterful storytelling evokes a powerful connection, making this book an absolute delight to read. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a captivating escape into a richly crafted story!






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I’m not a beer drinker, so the first paragraphed scared me but I came to enjoy the snippets of information about different varieties of beer and appreciated how the author pulled this into the story and used them to describe the characters.

I felt like the main characters did not have any chemistry. I also didn't really care for either of them as they were very hard to relate to. I especially did not like Ryan. There were scenes where he almost redeemed himself but I just couldn't find it within me to be happy for them.

The plot itself slips from being a romantic comedy and feels more like a business meeting - which isn't something I want from a book. I felt like the other plot lines convoluted the book and removed focus from the main.

It was a painfully slow slow-burn with very little description of what had actually happened. It read as though it was just a kiss but apparently more happened?

A very cute "brew' centered romantic comedy. Good chemistry between characters, just enough angst and plot twists to keep the reader interested.