I’ve not read the first book in this series but I must now do so. I loved the characters and the plot was good. A great beach read.
Many thanks to Forever and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

It has been 8 years since I requested this title and I still haven't read it. I am still interested in the book and have since purchased a copy for my shelf but I don't know when I will get to this at this point, if ever. I appreciate the approval for this title and if/when I do decide to read I will leave a review on instagram, goodreads, storygraph, and amazon. thanks again for the approval.

I came across this title years later and immediately bought it because I remembered reading it from NetGalley. Now that I'm back to actively using NetGalley, I wanted to leave a note that it works. I enjoyed this book enough that I bought it later on because I knew I'd want to read it again.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book (given by Netgalley)...

I really wanted to like the book, but it was very slow paced. Right from the beginning I was lost with what was going on and started to skim over the passages. Shane and Cara seemed like they might be interesting couple, but I couldn’t continue and the book was very long and it felt very long. Cara seemed like strict person and Shane seemed more fun loving, not sure how they fit together.

A lover of food and romance? This series is absolutely the series for you. The thing I enjoy about Kate Meader books is that she doesn't skip on detail--you feel like you're there in the scene with her characters...in this case, without the calories of the food you'll undeniably want to inhale when finished reading. In this particular novel, you'll get to know more about Cara (someone who we met in book 1 of this series) in a way that definitely gives more insight into who she is and why she is, all while figuring out how to live with Shane--a man she marries on a Las Vegas whim. Add to that tension that he's working in the family restaurant and they both have secrets to work through, and boom! you have the makings of a fun, sometimes emotional, sometimes funny, read.

I did not finished this book. It started good and I was enjoying it, but after awhile it became dull and I just couldn't bring myself to continue reading.

Love Meader's writing style. I came to this series late, but fell in love just as hard.

**My thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

The second book in the series starts a year down the line from book one. Jack and Lili are only weeks away from getting married and it ends at their wedding.

However the book focuses on Lili's sister Cara who we meet in the first book along with a new character, Shane who hails from the same town in Ireland as Jacks late mother. Its is Shane's happy nature and persistence that cracks Caras shield and gets behind her walls to see the true her that she has been hiding from everyone.

Shane winkles out her secrets and starts to heal the hurts she has been hiding making her a stronger woman, not that she is not already a strong woman. I should mention that Cara has an eating disorder which is handled really sensitively by the author.

The chemistry between the two is explosive and i am really glad the two get their HEA and that we get to see the beginnings of something happening between Taddeo DeLuca and Jules Kilroy, as the next book is about them.

DNF @20%

I just couldn't read any more.

I liked the blurb, and I liked the premise. The problem is, I didn't like the voice or the narrative style.
It was wordy without actually saying much, the internal monologues were tedious and slowed the pace down even more, the heroine was annoying and the hero was a little too beta for me.

In the end I simply felt nothing for the characters of the story and it was time to throw in the towel.

I love this authors books. Modern witty heroines and men that are sexy and really good guys.

This is my first book by Ms. Meader and I enjoyed it immensely. I will definitely read more of her books in the future.

I like the real issues she gives her characters and the fact she doesn't gloss over any aspect of those issues. Shane and Cara are quite likable characters and very sympathetic due to those issues, both past and present.

I always like a book dealing somehow with food, so Shane in the kitchen is sexy as can be, but that is definitely balanced by the seriousness of Cara's anorexia. Despite their respective problems, these two fit together quite well.

I never felt lost with this being the second book in the series. Nicely written with charming and intriguing characters.

This story is as hot as the flames in the kitchen of Sarriette and the sexual chemistry between its two main characters, Shane and Cara, is definitely its fuel. "All Fired Up" is a great romance filled with just the right balance of lust, attitude, and humor and has so many references to delicious food that my mouth watered most of the time.

I loved the writing overall. Meader has a way of building up just the right amount of tension and letting it crest a while before the reader everything they want. I knew while I was reading chapter 1 that I was in for a treat. In most books, the problem is front and center within the first page. Instead, I was left wondering what the awkwardness was between Cara and Shane for the entire chapter. It's not often the book starts with the marriage, and that an immediate solution wasn't granted made it all the more enticing to keep reading.

I loved that the characters had an honest depth to them. Cara's battle with her self-image and recovery, coupled with Shane's struggle to make peace with his abusive childhood and estranged family allow for the two to have shared secrets that actually strengthen their bond. There's a sense throughout the book that although they are literally surrounded by a host of family, friends, and coworkers, Shane and Cara are often in a world of their own. The reader gets a real chance to see the two bond, sometimes without the interference of others.

My only disappointment is that I read this book before having the opportunity to read its predecessor. The first book gives the story of Cara's sister Lili and her courtship with Jack Kilroy. The two factor heavily in this second book, so it would have been nice to have more context around them. I am quite excited to read subsequent books. There are definitely new directions to take the family and friends in, and I expect that Meader will deliver a compelling story.