Its a Romeo Juliet kinda story if Romeo were to take advantage of Juliet. None the less it was a cute read and nice to see a second chance wasn't wasted!

I didn’t realize this was book three at first and wondered why the cast of characters was a bit overwhelming at first. Likely, these were all people from the other books. That aside, this was a cute read. Poppy is a nice tea shop owner, and her ex-husband, Alistair, requires her assistance. He wants her to attend a wedding with him in exchange for a potential business deal. It seems like he worked a lot on himself after their failed marriage, and ended up a better version of himself for their second chance.

This is an entertaining, fun read. Alistair and Poppy are interesting, intriguing, relatable, complex, wounded, entertaining characters. I enjoyed spending time with these two. I loved Alistair’s growth and how it continues throughout the course of the story. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. I would recommend reading the books in series order for better enjoyment. I read this book as a stand alone and while I was still able to enjoy it, I felt like I was missing information, and you could tell there were previous books.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I did not realize this was the third in a series but it didn’t affect the reading because I really had no issues following along, that was a huge bonus. This was overall cute and quick read with some funny banter.

This was a quick and funny read about a divorced couple and finding their way back to one another.

I love their chemistry between them and the banter was amazing. I laughed so much. I did not realize this was the third in a series and I had no issues following along. I cannot wait to read the previous books.

Rating - 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Date Read - September 10, 2024
Publication Date - January 21, 2025

*I received an E-ARC of this book for free in exchange for an honest review* - Thank you @katherinegarbera, @harlequinbooks and @netgalley!

Brewing Up a Bad Boy is the third book in an interconnected series with the second book being my favourite! I found that this one feels different from the previous books, with more Summer vibes instead of only focusing on Fall and spooky season. I appreciated the growth and healing we were able to see in both main characters and of course, I love a good groveling. This is the perfect book to read with a fun little drink. It was cool to learn so much about the kombucha making process, I didn’t know anything about it before reading this book!

If you like second chance romances with a fake marriage, spice and therapy rep, you may like Brewing Up a Bad Boy!

Get excited to read Brewing Up a Bad Boy, available January 21! 🎉

*Please check trigger warnings*

This is a cute little Rom-com with Hallmarky vibes. I did appreciate that there was no third act break up.. Poppy definitely could have used more therapy and I hope Ali still attends while he def was okay he def needs to maintain a close relationship with his therapist. Poppy did however hold onto the pass a little to strongly for her repeated claims of wanting a fresh start with Ali. Ali however genial seemed to want a fresh start and realized that his past actions would be that easy to forgot. Overall towards the end when Poppy apologized it did seem like they would be super cute and have their happily ever after.

A story of second chances, Brewing is a cozy story of how two people comeback together for mutual benefit and to get it right again. Loved this story and how it moved through the motions. It touched on trust, habits, and evolutionizing as a couple.



Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
Grumpy
Second Chances
Newly Single
Cozy/Small town vibes

Poppy y Alistair estuvieron casados hasta que ella se cansó de soportar la verdadera razón de su matrimonio. A esto se sumó el hecho de que la familia de él le robó los derechos sobre su famoso té. Además, ya no podía seguir intentando ser suficiente para él, por lo que le pidió el divorcio. Años después, él le pide que finjan que siguen casados para poder recuperar su té. Ella acepta y se dan cuenta de que sus sentimientos no han desaparecido.

Hubo errores en cuanto a los tiempos, ya que estuve muy confundida por los constantes cambios en los años que estuvieron juntos, separados, etc.

Me pareció muy feo lo que Alistair le hizo a Poppy, pero siento que se notó cómo maduró y corrigió sus errores. En cambio, con ella no vi ese crecimiento. Faltó que él suplicara por su perdón y que ella no lo perdonara a los 5 minutos de volverse a ver.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story was cute and a good second chance romance. If im honest i was struggling with following along with the tea/kombucha brewing discussions but it was definitely interesting and fun to see their passion for it. The vibes between the characters were great and very fall weather feeling. This is a great book to cleanse your palate between your heavier books or just a fun cozy book to read.



Thank you Afterglow books by Harlequin and NetGalley for this advanced readers copy.

Though I love bad boy heroes I'm not a fan of second chance romances especially when it's an ex husband. I mean he's your ex for a reason right? To me they don't seem realistic. While I didn't like the romance it was still a good end to the series.

The title captured me! Even though I did not read the books before this one in Garbera's series, I still liked the content. The cozy vibes were perfect for wintertime approaching. The look at relationships and how they affect us was another piece of the story I liked a ton. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

2.5 stars.

The chemistry between Poppy and Alistair is believable, the plot occasionally feels boring and predictable. The emphasis on the tea/microbrewing didn’t hook me. All in all, it’s a lighthearted read that may leave some wanting more depth.

Brewing Up a Bad Boy is the third book in Katherine’s series. This is a stand alone book you do not need to read the other books. However, it will help with getting to know the dynamics of the other characters. Poppy and Alistair are ex’s who were in a marriage that was more a business deal for him so he could move up in the family business. When Poppy realizes that it wasn’t the marriage she wanted she got out of it and started a new life for herself in Maine. fast forward almost a decade and Alistair is back trying to convince Poppy to give him another chance. Lots of unraveling mysteries and fun in this one as the two of them give it a second chance!

The vibes of this book were fun and perfect for fall. If you like the tropes of found family, sisterhood, and witchy vibes I think you’ll like this book!

I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read the two other stand alones previous in the series. I feel like I didn’t know the cast of side characters as well as I should have to enjoy it fully.

This is a second chance romance between Poppy and Alistair over a year after their divorce. I liked their niche interest in the brewing business and how they were able to bond again over it. I will admit that second chance romance isn’t my favorite trope. These characters were okay, and didn’t stand out to me all that much, but I still overall enjoyed reading it!

Thank you Afterglow books by Harlequin and NetGalley for this advanced readers copy.

Fave Quotes:

“What did it say about him that he was only just now considering the possibility that she had moved on? Of course she had. They were divorced. He’d hooked up, why shouldn’t she?”

“He had said the right words for the wrong reasons. Told a woman he hadn’t really taken the time to get to know that he loved her. Then tried to mold her into the wife his family wanted him to have.”

“Maybe I can stop apologizing for the past that I can’t change, and you could stop looking at me like I’m going to hurt you again.”

“They’d been kids when they got married, so their influence on each other was written on the souls of the people they were today.”

“She was what had been missing. Not the Poppy who married him at eighteen, but the woman she was now.”

“Moon fairy. I’m not sure I can live without you.”

To be honest, I struggled with this book. I am currently 6% in, but there are a few things that are tripping me up:
1. Deception — The title is somewhat misleading; technically it makes perfect sense, but this is her ex and he is trying to be a reformed ”bad boy”
2. Plot — I anticipated this book to be about two Brewers who come from different worlds in the industry, but start to discover new things about themselves through each other. However, this seems like a revenge plot, fake relationship, exes to lovers again story.
3. Relationship dynamic — personally, it is tough for me to read about a woman who has been taken advantage of in a relationship after being misled. Then to discover that she is going to help him….and he’s still not completely upfront with how her going along with his plot helps him too? I don’t like it.

At this point, his actions feel like lies of omission & more manipulation. Meanwhile, she is still infatuated with him, wants to be with him physically, and this combination has all the makings for another fall. I don’t see her being vengeful enough to carry out the plan she has to embarrass him.

So I think I struggled to connect with this book because of the above. Regardless, I tried to get with it, but the writing didn’t really draw me in. Being inside of the guys head was not interesting for me, and I didn’t relate to his frequently mentioned anger issues.

Then the dialogue between the two characters is very straightforward. There isn’t much elaboration regarding what’s going on in their minds — how their pasts color their current views of each other — what deeper emotions (must) exist to compel them to consider working together again.

From my perspective, with the way their story is told at the beginning, it makes no sense for her character to even consider this plot or being with him again. So I didn’t really want to find out what happened next.

I recently finished the first two books of the WiCKed Sisters, so I was excited to start this one. One of my favorite tropes is second chance romances-although I haven't really read many about ex-spouses. Poppy is left confused when her ex-husband, Alistair, turns up in her life once again. This time he has a proposition-pretend their still married in exchange for a business deal with his family.

Poppy and Alistair's marriage may have failed (well, their whole relationship may have started due to wrong reasons) but their feelings for each other were real. Alistair is determined to make right his wrongs and prove to Poppy that he is a changed man. Of course, this leaves Poppy confused because after all these years, Alistair still has the same effect on her. Good thing she has her sisters support!

> Ex-spouses
> Second chance
> Fake dating
> Sisterhood

This whole series was just a feel-good series, and I definitely grew attached to the characters. Sad to see this end, but now there's a whole series a reader can binge!

I’m so sad to see this series end! Love a bit of witch in my romances! So glad I met these characters! Cants wait to see what Ms. Garbera comes up with for us next!!

I think I should have made it a point to read the other books in the series?
The characters seemed flat to me and the pacing was too rushed for my liking. I didn't "get" anything out of the characters and I wasn't particularly invested.
It is a rather short book and I made it through quickly- I just didn't enjoy it.

Brewing Up A Bad Boy by Katherine Garbera offers a cozy second-chance romance with just the right dash of witchy vibes. I jumped into this one without reading the first two books in the series, and it worked perfectly fine as a stand-alone. The magical elements give it a charming, autumnal feel, and the romance brings a satisfying mix of tension and sweetness.

While the characters didn’t blow me away, they were likable enough, and the story hit the right notes for an easy, lighthearted read. If you're looking for something to cleanse your palate between heavier books.

Many thanks to Katherine Garbera, SAfterglow Books by Harlequin, and NetGalley for the eARC of "Brewing Up A Bad Boy." The book will be available for purchase on January 21st, 2025.