I don’t like being THAT person. But this book didn’t do anything for me. I think I’m am just not the target audience for a insta-lust books and I am ok with that. The innuendos became too much it felt cringy after while. I didn’t hate the over describing of the food because it is a book revolved around food (and I’m currently pregnant so I was left feeling hungry so many times). Overall this book was good and it satisfied a craving I needed in a book.

- Forbidden workplace romance: online cook-off host & contestant
- Insta-love
- Dual POV (3rd person)

The good: The interesting premise and BBQ setting will make you hungry! The MCs also had good banter, and I liked the author's dialogue.

The not-so-good: For a romance book, though, I needed more from the romance. It was extremely insta-lust (they meet and sleep together on the same night). I was missing the slow-burn tension (any tense moments were quickly resolved), the emotional connection, and the chemistry!

The characters were actually quite one-dimensional, and I would've loved more character depth and a slower pace.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy! This was my first cowboy romance book, and I enjoyed it! I loved Averys character. The spice scenes were great but wish there had been less "fade to black" scenes. I wasn't super invested in the BBQ/cooking show aspect of the story and found the story lost me during those parts. Really enjoyed the Authors writing and would recommend this book to fans of small town romances.

When Layla visits Avery's ranch to invite him to appear on her youtube channel for a bunkhouse cook contest they share an immediate intense attraction. They each have demons from their past that they need to overcome, but their relationship itself was fairly low angst. While I found the detailed descriptions of menus and recipes a bit drawn out for me, foodie readers will enjoy that! Overall a good read.

When Layla visits Avery's ranch to invite him to appear on her youtube channel for a bunkhouse cook contest they share an immediate intense attraction. They each have demons from their past that they need to overcome, but their relationship itself was fairly low angst. While I found the detailed descriptions of menus and recipes a bit drawn out for me, foodie readers will enjoy that! Overall a good read.

When Layla visits Avery's ranch to invite him to appear on her youtube channel for a bunkhouse cook contest they share an immediate intense attraction. They each have demons from their past that they need to overcome, but their relationship itself was fairly low angst. While I found the detailed descriptions of menus and recipes a bit drawn out for me, foodie readers will enjoy that! Overall a good read.

First and foremost thank you to netgalley for providing me an ARC for me to give my honest opinion about this book.

I didn't read book 1 in the series, but I noticed that isn't really necessary.

Would I still remember this story if you ask me about it in a couple of years? No. But will i still tell you i enjoyed the story and that it is a lovely romance without too much spice that would be great for reading when on vacation? Absolutely!

I found this book easy to read and flew through it, but since it wasn't that outstanding to me I rate it 3/5

'Avery's Flame' keeps readers on their toes, eagerly flipping through the pages to uncover the secret ingredients that will either seal their destiny or tear them apart. The author masterfully weaves together the excitement of the cook-off with the emotional depth of Layla and Avery's individual struggles, creating a captivating narrative that tugs at the heartstrings. Overall, 'Avery's Flame' is a sizzling and engaging read, perfect for fans of romance, food, and the thrill of a heated competition. Prepare to be whisked away by the smoldering chemistry between Avery and Layla, and indulge in the mouthwatering world of BBQ as their story unfolds."

"Fired Up" offers a sizzling romance between Avery and Layla, whose chemistry is as intense as the grills they cook on. Gigi Templeton crafts a charming cowboy in Avery and a determined heroine in Layla, creating an enjoyable, light-hearted read perfect for a lazy afternoon. While the romance is well-executed, the spice level may feel a bit lacking for some, and there's a desire for deeper exploration of the characters' backstories and challenges. Despite this, the book provides a delightful mix of barbecue and love, with a touch of danger to keep things interesting.

Gigi Templeton recognized the lack of gastronomic romances and corrected this oversight in grand fashion with her upcoming release Fired Up. Two chefs- one a barbecue master and the other a Youtube cooking host- are engulfed in flames, not just of the fiery pits of the kitchen but of love. This romance was told with equal parts humor and emotion and I appreciate the care of depth of characters Templeton provided. Look forward to more releases from this author in the future!

Book Review: Fired Up by Gigi Templeton
"Fired Up" by Gigi Templeton is a sizzling romance that pairs a rugged BBQ pitmaster, Avery Reed, with a charming YouTube cook-off host, Layla Jenson. Layla, spotlighting talented BBQ cooks across the country, finds herself irresistibly drawn to Avery, whose piercing blue eyes and grilling skills make women’s mouths water.
The story's setting is unique and engaging, with the backdrop of a bunkhouse cook showdown adding flavor to the romance. However, while the premise is intriguing, the execution feels somewhat rushed.I felt like everything moved way too quickly and some scenes were just there for the added convenience . But that’s just me.
Despite these points, the dual POV adds a nice touch, and the characters' dedication to their careers is well portrayed.
While "Fired Up" may not be a favorite for everyone, fans of BBQ and romance might find it enjoyable.

What a disappointment! This book is BORING, BORING and EVEN MORE BORING!!!! DNF at 71% …

Initially reading the description, I was so excited about the premise of this story. I mean a BBQ cookout show full of hot cowboys? Sign me up!

What I was not expecting was an insta-lust story with no plot. The only exciting and fun parts of this story were the two main characters (Avery and Layla) meeting and the first episode of the BBQ show… and that’s it. No I’m not kidding, that really is it.

The characters felt shallow and I didn’t feel any emotional connection towards them. The romance was even worse, the H and h meet for the first time and immediately have sex that same night. And that’s it, no I’m not kidding that’s really it. I found myself skipping so many boring scenes filed with pointless conversations and sleep inducing interactions between the MMC and FMC (even the spicy scenes *gasp* I know). The dialogue between ANY of the characters was so boring it put me to sleep.

I actually wanted to stop reading about 10% into the book which is really sad and barely ever happens to me but I wanted to wait for the start of our FMCs BBQ show. And lo and behold, that was just as boring as the rest of the book and only began like +50% into the book (which makes no sense to me, why do I have to wait so long for the plot of the book to begin???)
I’ll say it again: what a disappointment!

I will not be finishing this book nor will I recommend it because I truly don’t hate another person as much as I hated this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I liked the book, I really did, but I feel as if I just reread the first book over. The only real difference was the names. Both stories involved two cousins that can't and won't leave the ranch while falling for the girl. The girls are both suffering from some accident that has them basically hiding. Romance happens. Girl leaves the ranch only to come back for the guy. Not that there's anything wrong with a good storyline, but it should be changed a little more.

I really wanted to enjoy this novel because the premise was so cute: host and contestant falling in love? BBQ and sticky deliciousness? Sounds hot. Alas, I DNF'd this book just over half-way through.

I did not particularly enjoy the insta-lust, as I felt their was no real tension between the characters. They instantly had this sexual banter that made it inevitable they would end up together, which is fine, but everything that was "tense" between them was fixed so easily. I think maybe the novel was a little too faced-past, too rushed, and that's why this felt that way.

However, I did really think the concept was interesting, and overall it was well written. The banter and dialogue was good, and I really felt it portrayed their accents well. I also really enjoyed the dual POVs.

Overall, it was not a novel for me. I kept trying to pick it back up to read but found I just couldn't connect with the characters.
However, since the writing and banter was good, I definitely would recommend it to people, especially those who like the insta-lust trope.

I really liked the premise of this story and the environment it was set in. The idea of a BBQ pit master and a BBQ talk show host was a great pairing, throwing in the incredible ranch with blood and found family and it was enjoyable.

I felt the story was a bit rushed throughout, and the character development was present but just didn't feel as complete and thorough with how it was written. I mean there were clearly backstories on all the characters mentioned, but it just didn't feel as thorough as I would have liked due to the writing style and quicker nature. Towards the end, the way the writing was done to highlight the accents also got a tiny bit tiresome - sorry I'm being nitpicky I know!!

I really liked that this was a dual POV story, and I liked how much the characters truly were invested in their careers, you can tell it was very important to them not just to drop everything to be together which I think is really important to cover.

Thank you to Gigi Templeton, NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC!

Getting to fire up the grill with the men of Triple R Ranch was a treat, and Avery might just be spicier than Jack. And I don't just mean his food. The sparks fly from the very first moment Avery and Layla meet, and the heat level just flares from there. Between the incredible descriptions of the food to the steamy moments between Avery and Layla, this book is DELCIOUS!

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this ARC. All words are my own.

DNFed at 16%. I was seriously bored to tears. They kept going back and forth with these terrible attempts at innuendos & it was so annoying. It wasn’t building anything because there really was no chemistry. Maybe I wasn’t in the mood to read a book where each MC definitely comes with a past/baggage as well. I could tell it was going to be a huge aspect of the plot.
Maybe one day I’ll give this another try. I don’t hate to rate it anything since I only read 16% but yeah gave 2 stars instead of 1 because maybe I’ll try and read it again another time.
2/5

Avery Reed knows how to fire up the grills! And with his piercing blue eyes, the rugged pitmaster makes women’s mouths water, including Layla Jenson’s. She’s a YouTube cook-off host who’s spotlighting talented BBQ cooks across the country. Her current project is a bunkhouse cook showdown—and former pitmaster pro Avery holds the key to its success.
Both, however, have something they don't want to divulge to the other. When they first meet, when Layla goes to the TripleR ranch for filming Jack's show she is blown away by the hunk of a man, Avery. I mean who wouldn't be. He sounds amazing, kind, gentle giant, humorous and damn good looking, a man to swoon over.
It's an insta connection, and I loved it from start to finish especially the whole Texan drawl thing. I have a thing for that it is no secret so of course I fell in love from the first sentence.
Gigi Templeton is a new author to me and I found her book on NetGalley and I am now obsessed and will go back to read book one in the series. You can read either as a standalone, you don't need to read the first one first.
Her writing is smooth, it's romantic and swoony, it touches your heart and her characters are people you want to meet, and be with. I loved her assistant too, such a fun person that I would love a story about her and Tood, Wait, is there one? I have to go check this out or ask Gigi.
Highly recommend this book, it is corny but I loved that about this book.
I couldn't put it down, I am totally addicted to southern charm
Kerry Kennedy Author

I found the story to be okay, but there were plot holes, and it felt rushed, so it didn't come all together for me as everything was conveniently wrapped up. The MCs Avery and Layla are likeable and you want them to find their HEA. But at the same time it's frustrating since ethically Layla and Avery shouldn't be together since she's on the production team of the competition he's entering, it just doesn't sit right.

Surely, whenever there’s food, there’s romance just around the corner. I found this book quite hard to get into and it took more perseverance than I’d usually give but the two main characters were very likable and right from the beginning I was rooting for them to find a happily ever after. Avery comes from a cowboy ranch, need I say more? His charm and commitment to the grills makes him every romance hopefuls dream. Laylas determination for success makes her equally as lovable!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance. I love challenging myself to make sure I get you guys a review!