All Stirred Up

I thought this was a really fun quick listen. The narrator did a fantastic job with the voices and was a pleasure to listen to. I know a few reviews said the was billed as an Austen retelling but I didn't realize that until after I read it so I think that helped. I didn't just it at all in that light. There were a couple points that were a little slow but I loved the food description and the remodeling story line so I was fine with the slower parts and wasn't bored at all. Overall I think this was a really fun read and that anyone who likes foodie fiction with a bit of romance will enjoy it.

The story focuses on Susan's move, business, and family in the beginning, with some passages from Chris' point of view as he prepares for his restaurant opening. The romance aspect of the novel feels slow to start as Susan and Chris haven't spoken a third into the story; two thirds in, there isn't even a romance at all. This book is more contemporary women's fiction with a dash of romance.

In true Hallmark-movie fashion, the chefs end up at a cookoff and are forced to interact there, but Susan is already interested in another man. Which guy will she ultimately choose?

Mary Jane Wells masters all of the English and Scottish accents in the novel. Her narration and dialogue is filled with emotion and makes the book a more enjoyable read. My only issue with her narration was the mispronunciation of "genoise" (she pronounces it like it's French, not like the English pronounce it). I've watched enough of The Great British Baking Show to know how to pronounce that word!

The book is a good escape for those interested in the "food and bev" industry, but those looking for a romance should look elsewhere. Recommended for fans of contemporary women's fiction or contemporary British fiction who are also foodies.

Susan Napier is struggling to keep her family's restaurant legacy going. It seems that a little family drama and the appearance of a former love interest will make that difficult. I. love a good audio book romance and while the narration of this book was right in line with what I was hoping for, the actual story was a bit lacking for me. I guess I was hoping for more fun romance. I am giving this book 3 stars.

A friend had recommended this one, and I had just read another title from Alcove Press, so I was thrilled to see this one available as an audiobook on Netgalley, and HAD to listen to it as soon as possible -- thank you to Dreamscape Media for the incredible book!

The narration was perfection for the title, it fit the story so well! Lots of foodie fun, this one would be perfectly paired with food & drinks, I really enjoyed all the details that went into the setting and restoration of the family business. Add in the second chance romance and I just found this title absolutely charming!

Great debut novel, the lovely writing style with relatable characters made for a book I really enjoyed!

***I received the audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

A re-telling of the classic Jane Austen novel, Persuasion. This time around it focuses on Susan who is struggling to save her family failing restaurant. Which is pretty much the center focus of the novel, not the romance like I thought. It was full family drama, along with business drama, with a touch of romance. The romantic side of the book was about a hot Scottish chef, rival, ex- boyfriend. It really wasn’t a good romance novel, more of a family/business drama.

The narration was great though.

I’d like to begin by saying I was a fool for not realizing Mary Jane Wells was listed as the narrator. So when it started I squealed in joy because she is one of my absolute favorite narrators. She gives each character their own voice and personality, no matter what is on the page! I will ALWAYS listen to something by MJ Wells.

That being said, I think she made the story.

I snatched this up because it sounded as if it promised a romance surrounding food, which It does but only 10% of this book is actually a romance story. The entirety actually follows the drama and family issues surrounding the main characters, Susan Napier and Chris Baker.

The writing gave grand visuals of the city, of the food, but it was heavy on family back stories, issues, and quite lost me on more than one occasion.

In the end it was a bit more frustrating than not... so it’s a solid 3.

Sadly, I just could not get into this one. I tried several times. The audio also had a slight echo at times which really pulled me out of the story.

This was a cute romance book about a woman returning to her past when the family restaurant is in need of new leadership after the passing of her father. But what else waits for her upon her arrival? Her ex boyfriend Chris, who is often mistaken for a character on the show Outlander but in reality has just returned to Scotland to open up his own restaurant after taking time to be a judge on a cooking show across the pond in the United States. Their breakup was ten years ago, but the sore wounds are reopened when the two food lovers return to their old stomping grounds. Both characters are just trying to pursue their new goals, but a gossip reporter makes it difficult when they stir up drama that ties these two back together.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for an audio version of All Stirred Up in exchange for my honest opinion. I loved the premise of this story, although it often kept my stomach growling with all the mentioning of delectable food! The narrator did a fantastic job of voicing all of the characters, including giving many of them their own distinguishing accents! While not my favorite romance of all time, I think many people will find this story endearing and perfect for anyone searching for a typical book in this genre. I place this somewhere in the middle where I absolutely did not dislike it, but also not the most brilliant romance novel I've ever read, or in this case listened to. This could very easily be made into a Hallmark movie given the similar structure they often create within their films. If you're looking for the typical run of the mill romance read, this one definitely fits the bill!

Thank you for my review audio copy.
Well, that was enjoyable. The content itself was ok. I mean, I have heard this story told many, many times in different ways and it was enjoyable. I loved the audio though. If we are being honest, I do not think I would have finished had I been reading the copy. It started off very slow, dragged quite a bit and then sped up at the end. I was honestly just waiting for the end.
I think the narration was fantastic and if you want to pick this one up...I will highly recommend the audio version.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, Alcove Press for my audiobook of All Stirred Up by Brianne Moore in exchange for an honest review. It published October 6, 2020.
This book gave me all the UK romance feels! You obviously know the destination, but there is so much joy in getting there! I loved the setting in Scotland and the descriptions of the location. The cooking, food and restaurant theme is very fun, and the food descriptions were mouth-watering!
I also enjoyed the sister relationships and the encouragement between them, and the advocacy of therapy.
I think anyone who enjoys closed-door romance, they would enjoy a trip to Scotland!
I really enjoyed the narration, I thought it was very well-done. I thought the accents were so charming and believable. It really helped me get into the story!

I loved the narration on this audio book!

The story felt fresh and fun and who doesn't love a good family dynamics story? Makes all my crazy family stuff feel so much more normal.

I also loved the settings in London and Scotland - any chance to feel transported during lock down feels amazing for me. I would definitely recommend this fun "read" on audio.

What is it about a man with a Scottish accent that turns every woman into jello? I really enjoyed this audio and the accents that the narrator did. The story itself was a cute rom-com, and as it usually goes with those is a little predictable. I really enjoyed the rival restaurants and that story line. Though it was hard to keep track of Susan's family members at some points, this is a fun book that's perfect for fans of Hallmark movies and The Great British Baking Show.

This was such a good story! I really enjoyed the characters and would definitely read more by Moore! I loved Susan and was so happy for her. She was just a full of life person and really just wanted everyone to be happy. She was pulled in so many different directions and handled it so well!

A great book to listen too. The characters are interesting and easy to like. It was more of a family drama story verses a rom-com. A great book for a rainy day.

I chose the audio version of All Stirred Up because Mary Jane Wells is one of my favorite narrators. She didn't disappoint. Slipping easily between characters and accents I could distinguish each person from her voice. This woman's fiction, contemporary novel is inspired by Austen's Persuasion.

As in Persuasion a previously wealthy family is downsizing and moving from London to cut expenses. In Edinburgh it is up to Susan to save the flagship restaurant of a once sucessful chain. The high end restaurants founded by her grandfather have been mismanaged with only the original remaining. In Edinburgh she finds her first love Chris. He was trained as a chef by her grandfather and is returning from NYC where he is famous for his cooking on TV. He is also opening his first restaurant. The restaurant world is small and their paths cross.

The book is less of a romance than it is a story of Susan dealing with her family. Her wealthy father is clueless in business, a hypochondriac sister, another sister with expensive tastes who helps renovate the failing restaurant and a younger college aged sister who wants to date everyone including Chris. Her favorite aunt brings glamor as a celebrated actress participating in a play as part of the fringe festival. There is lots of descriptions of food, menus, and The Royal Mile (the main road leading to the Edinburgh Castle) where the restaurants fight for tourist and local business.

This is also a slow burn romance with the first real conversations between the love interests almost half way through the novel. If you like a book that celebrates food, with good characters (some annoying), or love Scotland this can be a comfortable read. If you are expecting a traditional romance it will probably disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC audio book in exchange for an honest review.

All Stirred Up by Brianne Moore is a cute second chance romance.

Susan moves to Edinburgh to save her family’s last remaining high end restaurant and grandfather’s legacy. Chris, Susan’s ex-boyfriend and former restaurant employee has recently moved to Edinburgh to open his own restaurant. He was living in New York and recently moved to Edinburgh. The breakup was bad leaving complicated feelings for both of them. Even though it’s been years are they over the breakup and each other?

All Stirred Up is a really cute second chance romance. It is lighthearted and was nice to read between all the heavy books I’ve been reading. As the story progresses you hear more about the past as well as the present. There are many things that happened that the other was not aware of. I enjoyed All Stirred Up. Susan and Chris were fun characters with personalities. Their relationship is complicated. Even though their relationship ended on bad terms, they both still have feelings for each other, but neither of them is willing to say it. Will Susan and Chris get the second chance they both want or will they be too stubborn to fight for each other?

Susan and Chris are fighting for their relationship while fighting for their restaurants. Susan finds out why Chris left her family’s restaurant years ago. Will the reason bring them closer together or farther apart?

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Mary Jane Wells and thought she did a good job. I loved her British accent. At times it was hard for me to concentrate on listening to the accent for long periods of time but I still enjoyed it.

I recommend All Stirred Up to anyone looking for a cute lighthearted second chance romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press/Dreamscape Audio.

I thought the cover was a great and it immediately caught my attention. The story itself seems to move a little slow for me at times but all in all not bad. I did during my drive find myself laughing.. What I loved the most... Narration ! Absolutel.y loved it! Where I think sections could be lost on a reader, the narration made the difference. Brought me back in.

I am really loving all of the food-related fiction and non-fiction stories these days. And this one was set in Edinburgh, which was fun. Unfortunately the story was just okay for me. I liked the romance but I felt like there wasn’t enough of it. It took a long time to get into the action. I also really enjoyed the dynamic between the three sisters, but at times, Susan’s family felt more like caricatures than real people.

As for the audio, the narrator did a great job with all of the different accents. But there was way too much range between the high and low sounds that it was difficult to listen to at times.

All Stirred Up by Brianne Moore
Narrated b: Mary Jane Wells
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
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Description from NetGalley...
“Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion. She returned to save her family's dying legacy--but found the ghosts of her past alive and well.

Susan Napier's family once lived on the success of the high-end restaurants founded by her late grandfather. But bad luck and worse management has brought the business to the edge of financial ruin. Now it's up to Susan to save the last remaining restaurant: Elliot's, the flagship in Edinburgh. But what awaits Susan in the charming city of Auld Reekie is more than she bargained for. Chris Baker, her grandfather's former protégé--and her ex-boyfriend--is also heading to the Scottish capital. After finding fame in New York as a chef and judge of a popular TV cooking competition, Chris is returning to his native Scotland to open his own restaurant.

Although the storms have cleared after their intense and rocky breakup, Susan and Chris are re-drawn into each other's orbit--and their simmering attraction inevitably boils over. As Chris's restaurant opens to great acclaim and Susan tries to haul Elliot's back from the brink, the future brims with new promise. But darkness looms as they find themselves in the crosshairs of a gossip blogger eager for a juicy story--and willing to do anything to get it.

Can Susan and Chris reclaim their lost love, or will the tangled past ruin their last hope for happiness?”
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Thank you to @NetGalley @dreamscape_media @alcovepress for the audiobook in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
I don’t know what it is, but the Scottish accent (voices such Sean Connery, Ewan McGregor & Alan Cumming) is my fave accent. And Jane Wells was a really good narrator for this book. I don’t think the story itself would have kept me interested if it were not for Wells narration. So fun to listen to. The food, beverage and cooking was fun to hear about. If you’re looking for a romance, or steamy romance, you might find this book lacking. I didn’t. It was just right for me. And yes, it had influences of Austen’s Persuasion.

I listened to the audiobook of All Stirred Up and all I can say is WOW! I loved the book, which is based on Austen’s Persuasion with a healthy dose the Great British Bake Off, AND the audio! Holy cow, So good! All of the accents and intonations were spot on. I really really enjoyed it.

I just reviewed All Stirred Up by Brianne Moore. #AllStirredUpDreamscapeMedia #NetGalley

Absolutely darling. This book actually gave me that lovely squeezy feeling in my chest! Chris and Susan’s story was great - lots of history. Sad and sweet, but lots of funny moments too. I really enjoyed the restaurant business perspective. I really didn’t want this one to end.

The narrator was wonderful - even with the Scottish accent!

Well, I am frankly in love with everything about "All Stirred Up." I wouldn't change a single thing.

The romance was compelling, the cooking made me hungry, and the setting of Edinburgh was idyllic.

For fans of Jane Austen, you will be happy to know that ASU was inspired by Persuasion, so right from the jump, you know the pace of the story will be perfect. But here, the characters shine through with modern problems and modern questions.

The competitive Edinburgh foodie scene was such a fun place to house this family drama. Having been to this unique city, I had such a good time walking down the Royal Mile to find a coffee and scone with Susan. I'm also an amateur baker, and as Susan prepped her pastries, my hands itched to get into the kitchen. I actually ended up making up a recipe for brown butter pumpkin oatmeal scotchies. With a dram of whiskey and I was in my feels.

Brianne Moore does a wonderful job of getting the dialogue and descriptions just right to keep the reader engaged in all aspects of Susan's story. Great writing and a great audio narration as well.

Thoroughly enjoyed this romantic, family drama. Now I gotta go cook some more!

This was a sweet story about family and love and of course cooking! I love reading about cooking and baking so I really enjoyed that part of the story. The focus of the book was definitely more on the family and restaurant aspects than the romance, but I enjoyed seeing the characters' personal growth throughout the story. Even though the romance took more of a back seat, I did feel like it was satisfying in it's own way. For the audiobook itself, I thought the narrator did a great job making all the characters distinct and overall I really enjoyed the recording.

I would recommend this book to my fellow cooking show lovers and those who enjoy slow-burn, second-chance romances!

Book 223 towards my goal of 280! 3/5 stars for this adult romance read. I did enjoy the setting and the narration. However, other than the setting, nothing really stood out to me. Not a super memorable read, but entertaining enough in the moment. Can't say I'd recommend this one. Warning, this book will make you hungry :-p

This is Women's Fiction/Chick-Lit/Romance. I could not get into the storyline or the characters. The narrator of the audiobook was good. This was said to be chick-lit, but it read more like family issues. The same issues kept coming up. I just the characters had more to say other then the family issues. We really did not get to know the characters as a person, but more as a family. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Dreamscape Media) or author (Brianne Moore) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

All Stirred Up is a romance set in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is about how two chefs break up, come back together, and a family restaurant gets saved. It is very light hearted, though some dark secrets come about about the chefs that ultimately makes them stronger as a couple. There are also strong themes of family and loyalty. I gave it 4 stars, it was a very enjoyable read/listen. The narrator's Scottish accent was impeccable! But I wish they had gotten a male part to play Chris. I would have loved to listen to a male with a Scottish accent all day! I recommend this to anyone that is looking for a lighthearted romance and to anyone that loves food!

Very enjoyable read/listen. The will they won’t they throughout this book is so good. I found myself rooting for the characters and the businesses. I especially loved the actual recipe talk and looked up a couple to try sometime. I do wish she had figured out one recipe. Overall the whole story was lovely.

This book is a 2nd chance at love story told as a retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Susan’s family once ran successful restaurants in Edinburgh, but back luck and management have brought them to ruin. It’s now up to Susan to try to save her family’s flagship restaurant, Elliot’s. Her ex, and her grandfather’s protege, Chris is also back in town to open his own restaurant after success in New York. There is a lot of potential as these 2 are brought together again but trouble is also looming as a gossip columnist is willing to do anything to get a juicy story.

The narration of this audiobook was perfect for this cute story. I loved her accent which matched perfectly to the setting. I listened to this book on audio with my new @sudio earphones. I love the way they fit and sound!

I was expecting this to have more romance but it was perfect without it being the main subject. I loved the story of forgiveness and healing a family, the great setting (both Edinburgh and the restaurants), all the food talk and lovable characters.

Yet again, another book that made me so hungry! Everything these food artists created sounded wonderful and I wanted a bite- which makes me give mad props to the author for her ability to describe this food so well (many things I have never heard of) I felt like I knew what it tasted like and could see the presentation.

All Stirred Up was a mix of personal growth and self discovery, angst, everything food and a tiny dash of romance. When I began the book I anticipated a light and fluffy food related rom-com (I mean really, did you see the happy cheerful cover?), but in reality this was more a story of becoming who you are supposed to be and fighting for what you want, with so many sad memories and heartbreaks thrown at the characters. The present tense romance only happened in the really the last few chapters of the book, with some past memories shown through the story. I really felt like my heart was breaking multiple times in the story, it was something that I had to put down at times because I felt sad. I will say that the ending was just about perfect and so worth the read, it just was an emotional roller coaster to get there.

There was one narrator for the entire book and she was fabulous at accents. She gave all the side character's their own voices and I always knew who was talking. I will say that her regular narration for Susan and Chris sounded the same so I was not 100% confident who was the narrator of a section when a chapter would first start. I listened to the book at 1.75x speed which was just about perfect for me and I would recommend the audio experience for those who enjoy audiobooks.

A modern day retelling of Jane Austen’s book Persuasion! True confessions... I haven’t actually read a Jane Austen novel (I know! I tried to in high school... long story short... didn’t happen)! So maybe I would have enjoyed this one if I had actually read Persuasion, but I didn’t love it. ⠀
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First off, there are A TON of characters to keep track of. And that’s always a hard on audio! And because there are so many characters, it’s really easy to lose track of what’s happening throughout the book! However, I am a sucker for stories based around chefs and in kitchens - so I am glad I stuck around! ⠀
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The narrator did a fine job and her accents for the characters were so fun! But, this one wasn’t for me! Once I got to know who was who, the book was wrapping up and I was ready to just move on!⠀

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Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review! If you’re a big Jane Austen fan, this book might be a fit for you!

Susan and Chris had a great relationship in Susan’s family restaurant until Susan’s mother died and Chris disappeared. Now that they are in the same town with new restaurants of their own, the competition to succeed and the thoughts of a decade ago torment both. I really liked this book. The family life, the workings of a restaurant, and learning to forgive are powerful.

This was a fun book with a delightful narration. I would definitely recommend this book in audio version the voice acting really brings you in and adds to the story.

I received an audioARC in exchange for an honest review.

All Stirred Up is a Persuasion inspired slow burn romance involving chefs in Scotland. I enjoyed the host of characters and the setting. The wonderful descriptions of restaurant dishes made me hungry. The narrator of the audiobook was excellent. The accents added so much to my enjoyment of the book. Thanks Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the audiobook arc of this title.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, author Brianne Moore, and narrator Mary Jane Wells for providing me with an audio eARC for this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

This was such a cute, quick read and honestly the perfect little palate cleanser. Sign me up for any books that play off a classic- in this case, Persuasion. It was well done and the writing was great, as was the narrator!

I will say, I'm a sucker for a good romance though and hate waiting and waiting for those *moments* when you really come to love the relationship between people, regardless of the relationship. And I feel like I spent too much time waiting, but that's more my issue than anyone else's, but I did expect a tad more romance from this, especially with that cute cover!

This was a cute read and I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook.

The narrator, Mary Jane Wells, was the best part of the listening experience! Wells' performance was engaging, nuanced, and easy to listen to. Overall, I enjoyed this work and think that readers looking for a humorous romance will enjoy it. "All Stirred Up" can definitely be categorized as a slow-burn romance, which I will definitely mention during any reader's advisory conversations. For fans of Sophie Kinsella, Meg Cabot, and Heather Cocks.

Very cute story! I was honored to received the audio book through Net Galley. I am hoping how it ended that there will be a sequel. The story just made me want to get up and cook all the time! Ha. The characters are lovely and I love that this book is not written in first person. The narrator did a great job with the accents. I would read from this author again. :)#AllStirredUpDreamscapeMedia #NetGalley

This was pretty cute, but I found myself pretty uninvested in the book halfway in. I enjoy rivals and history of romance, but something about this plot just didn't pull me in.

All Stirred Up is a fun read, though not quite the light romcom I was expecting. There was more focus on familial relationships, delicious food descriptions, but that only made it an interesting and more complex novel. The audio version was great- loved the accents- and was an enjoyable way to hear this story.
Many thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This was good but I wanted more moments together with Chris and Susan. I felt like it was more about their own family drama. I just thought this was going to be more of a romance story.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Susan Napier's grandfather started a successful chain of high-end restaurants called Elliot's. Now, however, years after his death, the flagship restaurant in Edinburgh is the only location left, and it is in trouble. Susan heads to Scotland to save the restaurant, but she ends up with more struggles than she expected there. Chris Baker, Susan's ex-boyfriend and her grandfather's protege, is also returning to Edinburgh to open his own high-end restaurant after a successful career as a TV chef. Susan and Chris have a lot of unresolved feelings, both good and bad, surrounding their former relationship and breakup, and in the small community of the restaurant industry in Edinburgh, they can't help but interact with each other. Can they each make their restaurants a success <i>and/</i> find their happily ever after?

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, and Mary Jane Wells did a nice job with the narration. I think the cover was honestly my favorite part of this story, though. The story seemed primarily about the Napier family, as opposed to Susan and Chris's story. I wouldn't have minded except that the rest of Susan's family were irritating and rather flat. It was not a bad book but won't end up at the top of my list of books read this year, either.

When Susan Napier’s grandfather passed, she was handed the job of running the restaurants he had built. Financial problems forced them to close all but the flagship Elliot’s, named for her grandfather, located in Edinburgh. But as soon as she returns to the city, she is faced not only with a head chef who clearly doesn’t intend to take any direction from her but also with the man she once thought she’d spend the rest of her life with.

Chef Chris Baker has returned to Edinburgh, the city of his childhood, to open the restaurant he’d always dreamed of. He got his start as a cocky young cook in the kitchen of Elliot’s, falling in love with the kitchen and his granddaughter. But when things went south for him, and he and Susan broke up, he traveled the world, finding refuge in kitchens and learning cuisine from other countries. He ended up in New York, where he stumbled into the opportunity to host a cooking competition show. The show was a hit, and he became a household name in America and Europe. But he wanted nothing more than to move back to Scotland and create his own place.

The weeks go by, and Susan is able to find a replacement executive chef pretty quickly but not a new pastry chef. A baker herself, she understands how important the right desserts can be for a restaurant. Finally, her new chef convinces her to give it a try herself, so Susan jumps in and starts to create new recipes with her pastry skills. But a radio interview of Chris Baker raises her hackles when he says unflattering things about Elliot’s. So when the opportunity appears for Elliot’s new chefs to go up against Chef Baker in a competition at the food festival, they jump at the chance.

Chris feels a little manipulated to be in the competition at the festival, but he agrees to it because he knows that Elliot’s has been struggling, and he does want to help Susan. But when he does see her again, and her food turns out to be delicious, he is plagued with conflicting emotions. Elliot’s is where he started, and he wants them to succeed, but after what happened to him there, he also just wants to protect himself. Which would be easier if Susan weren’t still so beautiful. But so much happened. Would they ever be able to get past it all?

As the weeks go by, and the restaurants consume all their time, Susan and Chris find that despite their attempts to stay apart from each other, fate keeps bringing them into each other’s lives. And the more time they spend together, the more their feelings bubble up. But with the missteps and mistakes, the interruptions and the interlopers, will Susan and Chris ever get a second chance to get it right?

All Stirred up is Brianne Moore’s look at love in the kitchen. This delightful romantic comedy is a fun view inside a professional kitchen as well as a bit of family drama from things left unsaid for too long. The characters that dance across these pages feel like they could be the people sitting next to you in the cafe or on the bus. And as a lover of all things Scottish, I adored the descriptions of life in Edinburgh and felt like I got to take a mini-trip there for awhile.

I got to listen to the audio book of All Stirred Up, and narrator Mary Jane Wells is a revelation. She could pull off the Scottish brogue when it was called for, not an easy task, and made the rest of the story charming as well.

I loved every minute I got to spend in this story’s universe. I loved how the characters were mature and took responsibility for their mistakes. I thought the story was honest and interesting, and as I mentioned, I adored the setting. I recommend All Stirred Up for foodies, for fans of a good rom com, and for anyone who wants to have a really good story read to them by a fantastic narrator.

A copy of the audiobook for All Stirred Up was provided by Dreamscape Media through NetGalley, with many thanks.

While I didn't hate this book, I didn't particularly love it either. It was good enough with a predictable happy ending, but I felt there were some unanswered questions.
We are introduced to a litany of characters involved in the food service industry. There is Susan and Chris, rivals and former lovers, both racing to open/reopen a restaurant in the same neighborhood. As it hints at different parts of their past relationship, the writer attempts to keep bits and pieces a mystery which leads to lingering questions for the reader.
Then there are Susan's 2 sisters, her father, her aunt, a blogger, the new chef, the old chef. At times it felt a little confusing to keep track of what was going on and why Susan's family didn't seem to know much about this past romance.
Overall this was a light-hearted romance, but parts of it fell flat for me.

First - I am VERY glad I listened to the audiobook version of this story - the narrater was fantastic and did such a great job with a wide range of characters and accents. Her storytelling skills really brought the Edinburgh scene to life.

As a retelling of a Jane Austen Novel, I was impressed. I've read some really bad retellings lately and only now caome across one that really understands that the heart of the Persuasion novel is more about the characters then the 'lost love' trope. As a contemporary Austen, it is lovely; entertaining and with a wide spectrum of emotional situations. As a romance - perhaps less so. That's not where the focus is (not here and not in the Jane Austen novel). In that, the cover suggesting a cute little lite romance is very misleading: this is more of a slice of life of a modern Edinburgh woman with some romance on the side (which I appreciated but others may not).

Story: Susan's grandfather's legacy is a chain of prestigious restaurants that has kept the family in good fortune. But that was the past and her vain father's mismanagement has led to the closure of the satellites and with the original Elliot's coasting on its laurels. Susan returns to the Edinburgh flagship restaurant to give it a rehaul - revitalize and modernize it and reinvigorate the brand again. At the same time, her grandfather's protégé has returned to Edinburgh to create his own restaurant. At one time, Susan and Chris were an item but family situations drove them apart. Will being competitors prevent any chance of making up for the past?

For the Persuasion part, I really feel that the author captured it quite well. The side characters and plot are modernized in a good way that make sense yet are still respectful of the depth and subtlety of the original. From the vain father, the mismanagement of wealth, frivolous suitors, etc. But even more, both Chris and Susan are very reminiscent of their Austen counterparts Anne and Wentworth: grounded, realistic, and still hanging on to the past. I am very glad that author Moore kept the characters intact. The plot follows the novel fairly closely but not slavishly, which is also a relief.

Because the homage is Austen, this isn't a quirky romance with twinkly overdramatic characters and scenes. There are a lot of discussions about food, the restaurant business, show business, and especially Edinburgh. Those looking for a focus on romance may be frustrated since the romance does takea back seat to the milieu and family dynamics of both main characters. Susan is constantly dealing with her family while Chris also has his own family issues. There are many discussions and descriptions of Edinburgh locales.

If I had a nitpick, I wish Susan was plainer (as was Anne) and Chris a lot less 'hunkier' sounding in his description. The author says several times that Chris looks like Christopher Lambert from The Highlander movie - and perhaps it is no coincidence that he is named Chris. I just had a hard time picturing the Highlander spending 'most of his time in the kitchen' as was said throughout the novel. Other than walks with a dog, we never hear about him doing anything physical to keep up that physique.

So, although there were some issues, I did greatly enjoy the narration and the plot. I appreciated that the author respected Austen's characters and resisted the impulse to make them over the top in order to appeal to modern audiences. And I like a book that is gentle and heartwarming. I just wish the cover better reflected the nature of the book. And if you do decide to read All Stirred Up, I highly recommend the audio version. The narrator is excellent and elevators the story even further. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

This was a slow burn. I had to listen for a bit before I felt invested. It was sweet and had just the right style of romance; a bit of an old flame, new interest, rediscovering an old love. I appreciated the setting and the incorporation of food. There was a “twist” that I wasn’t quite expecting which was nice. My one major complaint is that a lot of the different layers present in the book felt very surface level. It would have been nice to many e have less layers but more depth. That being said, the ending was sweet and I enjoyed the audiobook.

A fun enemies to lovers contemporary romance set in Edinborough with competing chef-restaurant owners with a past. Appealing leads, and a charming story that hits all the tropes, told in dual POVs. The supporting characters--a gossip blogger, sisters of both main characters, plus additional inlaws and relatives of Susan's, kitchen staff--really came alive and felt distinct as performed by the very gifted narrator. Billed as a retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion, which I kind of forgot about, but it did seem to stand well on its own. My only criticism is that I wish it moved a little faster toward the HEA.

Loved it! Loved all the descriptions and details. The characters and the realism of dealing with grief. So much passion and spirit. Even down to the dog Ginger. I just really enjoyed this, would love to read more from this author, and listen to more from this narrator.

Thanks to Net Galley and DreamScape Media for the Advanced Listener’s Copy in exchange for my honest review. This is a re-telling of Persuasion that takes place in Edinburgh in the high-end restaurant world. I liked the re-making of the characters, especially the father and family friend, in this case an aunt, that gave the poor counsel in the book. The tension built a little slowly for my taste, but it had a nice ending and a feel-good air about it I appreciated.

#allstirredup #briannemoore #persuasionretelling #netgalley #dreamscapemedia #edinburgh

I LOVED this book! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

It’s rare that a book fully holds my attention from beginning to end, but this one did! Susan and Chris were wonderful and such real characters. I felt like I could feel all of Susan’s frustrations and confusion and excitement. All of the supporting characters were well done and served useful purposes, which isn’t always the case. The narration was great and fit into the story well.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. Thank you to the author, the publisher and to Netgalley. I give this book 3 stars...this was a quick, simple read...the story and the characters were good, but they were not very developed. If you want a quick read where you don't really need to think about it (at the beach or by the pool) this is great...

Unfortunately, I found this book very hard to get into. I usually love audiobooks because I feel so immersed in the story but when after 10% of book the story still wasn't holding my attention, I decided to take a break. I don't fault the narration -- I actually enjoyed it a lot but found that I just didn't care about the characters. I could not get into the storyline and as a result found myself spacing out and missing parts and needing to rewind..

I think part of the issue was that this was marketed as a romance and was more focused on the family drama which I did not care for and would have likely avoided had I realized.

It felt like 2 stars for me but adding a third both for the good narration and to account for the marketing and genre issues that are not the fault of the author.

All Stirred Up

I Picked Up This Book Because: The blurb looked good.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Netgalley
Dates Read: 12/16/20 - 12/20/20
Stars: 3

The Characters:

Susan Napier:
Chris Baker:
Susan’s super annoying family, restaurant employees most of which were also annoying, Chris’s best friend/coworker

The Story:

I’m not going to lie. I spent a lot of this book wondering if I should DNF however I’m glad I stuck it out. After you get over Susan obsessing over her past with Chris and look past her perpetually selfish family, the story gets interesting. Susan and her cohort, whose name I cannot remember, do what they set out to do and bring back Elliot’s former glory despite many obstacles. And the introduction of a cute pup didn’t hurt at all. In fact I could have done with more of her.

The Random Thoughts:

This novel follows Susan, as she takes the reins of managing the family restaurant, Elliot's in Edinburgh. Upon her return she finds out that one of her exes is opening a new restaurant nearby.

I enjoyed all of the descriptions of cooking, and food in this novel - it definitely made me hungry the entire time I listened to it! It also has some wonderful descriptions of Edinburgh, and has made me want to go explore that historic city even more so than I already did.

I listened to the audiobook at 2x speed and I did have some trouble understanding the Scottish accents that were put on for the Scottish characters. But I did enjoy the acting behind the audiobook - it is performed by a single narrator, but she does a wonderful job of distinguishing who is speaking.

The storyline did feel a bit predictable, having been able to see the ending from a mile away as well as being an adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion, but I enjoyed the journey that the characters take, as well as all of the wonderful foods that are described!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Alcove Press for the gifted audiobook!

So I read a lot of romances in my teens and the ones I really loved were written by Jilly Cooper which, I guess, would be considered romantic comedies in today’s genres. No matter which, they all have the same basic and familiar plot and characters, and the author’s job is to dress those up and make them as appealing as possible. Now, many decades on, I find myself drawn back to this genre and, while the tropes have not changed one jot, the novels do get a whole lot steamier. In the pie of romances, my preference is for the contemporary romantic comedy slice and All Stirred Up is an excellent serving.

Set in Edinburgh, and honestly the tourist board couldn’t have done a better job of making me want to visit, the novel centers on romance in the restaurant world. This means we get many mouthwatering descriptions of desserts and cakes (Susan is a baker and is trying to save her family’s flagship restaurant) and Scottish fusion cuisine (Chris is a TV star chef who opens a much-buzzed about new restaurant). As is often the way of modern romances, they had a relationship in the past which ended badly. We all know where it’s going, and the author takes us on a very entertaining route to get there.

The ride to get us to the end point is where the author gets to play, with subplots and secondary characters. Susan’s family is fairly monstrous, but also sad. Susan has a fling that doesn’t work out with a charming but manipulative movie star. Chris’s backstory is tragic and he has a salt of the earth sister. The staff of the restaurants are a mix of villainous and supportive. There is a dog - there is always a dog and, as a dog owner, I find myself wondering about the welfare of dogs in romantic comedies as they mostly seem to be a prop and never get enough exercise or attention.

The audiobook is nicely done and made for several pleasant hours of listening. The reader does an excellent variety of Scottish and English accents and even manages the tricky transition between the Scottish chef and his Irish sous chef without missing a beat.

Of course All Stirred Up isn’t going to make you smarter or a better person. But it might take the edges off a rough pandemic week and inspire you (as it did me) to make lemon meringue pie and encourage your child to apply to Edinburgh University.

Note: I just read that this is an updated version of Jane Austen’s Persuasion - completely passed me by.

Thanks to Alcove Press and Netgalley for the audiobook review copy.

I've been getting more into audiobooks this year so NetGalley's advanced listening copies have been great. I happened to stumble upon Brianne Moore's debut novel All Stirred Up and was immediately intrigued because it's an updated version of Persuasion, my favourite of Jane Austen's novels, and it was set in Edinburgh - a place I had visited just in time at the beginning of March this year. I was sold. And when I was done? Thoroughly delighted.

Here's the synopsis:
Susan Napier's family once lived on the success of the high-end restaurants founded by her late grandfather. But bad luck and worse management has brought the business to the edge of financial ruin. Now it's up to Susan to save the last remaining restaurant: Elliot's, the flagship in Edinburgh. But what awaits Susan in the charming city of Auld Reekie is more than she bargained for. Chris Baker, her grandfather's former protégé - and her ex-boyfriend - is also heading to the Scottish capital.

After finding fame in New York as a chef and judge of a popular TV cooking competition, Chris is returning to his native Scotland to open his own restaurant. Although the storms have cleared after their intense and rocky breakup, Susan and Chris are redrawn into each other's orbit - and their simmering attraction inevitably boils over. As Chris's restaurant opens to great acclaim and Susan tries to haul Elliot's back from the brink, the future brims with new promise.

But darkness looms as they find themselves in the crosshairs of a gossip blogger eager for a juicy story - and willing to do anything to get it. Can Susan and Chris reclaim their lost love, or will the tangled past ruin their last hope for happiness?
It's been a few years since I've read Persuasion (I just checked Goodreads...I read it last in 2013) so the particulars of the novel are a bit fuzzy. I do recall some of the main plot points so I could see where Moore was honouring the story in certain parts. I don't think you have to know Austen's work to appreciate this story and I also think diehard Austen fans can enjoy the way Moore updated the story for her novel. Though I will say I would have much rather had a letter from Chris instead of a text message. If you know, you know.

The reason I love Persuasion so much is because it's a second chance romance, just like All Stirred Up, and that's one of my favourite tropes. It's been years since Chris and Susan have seen each other and you know right from the get-go that there's unfinished business between them. There were so many contributing factors to their break up that neither of them had the full story. They both felt hurt (Chris was justified to feel as such and Susan knew that her hurt was self-inflicted) and that kept them from communicating with each other. I got ever so slightly annoyed when they just refused to talk things through but that's the nature of rom coms, my friends. They're going to do frustrating things! I was rooting for them the whole time because I couldn't wait for them to get over the bullshit in their past and finally get back together. I needed that Happily Ever After!

As I alluded to at the top, I listened to this one as an audiobook. The narrator, Mary Jane Wells, did a pretty good job switching characters and her male Scottish accent didn't annoy me (which is what happened with another audiobook I listened to earlier this year). Since I pretty much only listen to audiobooks on my commute, I found myself looking for ways to get more reading time in. A walk after work when my partner had to work late? Done. (That was before the time change of course. Now it's dark before I even get home. *sobs*) Doing the dishes? Perfect time to listen. Playing mindless games on my phone? More listening time! I didn't want to stop!

This novel was a love letter to Edinburgh. Moore wasn't born there but you can tell in her descriptions that she absolutely, totally, completely loves the city. I had goosebumps as I listened to the description of Susan flying into the city then again as she walked around her new neighbourhood and mentioned streets and monuments I had seen myself back in March. There's a scene where she climbs to the top of Calton Hill that had me swooning because I could completely picture where she was (so much so that I shared my pictures from my trip on Instagram after finishing the novel).

There were many reasons that may have made me love All Stirred Up more than the average reader but I was so completely thrilled with Brianne Moore's novel that I don't even care. I loved it and it made me feel so happy. That is what I look for in almost every read, even more so this year, and I'm so pleased I had a chance to read this novel.

*An advanced listening copy was provided by the publisher, Dreamscape Media, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Thanks NetGalley for this preview!

First things first- the narrator's voice and accents were superb! I loved how they jumped back and forth between the characters and gave them each a distinct voice. This romance was the second chance story I was waiting for-it had me hooked from the beginning. The emotions from the love and loss seemed so genuine and I felt them along with the characters. I also love cooking and the foodie accents made me very happy!

A very cute modern reimagining of Jane Austen's Persuasion. The fun in the plot was seeing which events and characters from the original novel were subtly (or overtly) altered, deleted, or (in one notable case) made fun of. The love story is sweet but and the inside baseball of the food industry is fun, but something about the modern setting and the frothy plot falls a bit flat. That said, the author does a great job with the characters. With few exceptions the are three dimensional and treated with more love and respect then Austen did to her comedic targets. Fun, cute, but a bit insubstantial.

I don't really have much feedback to give on this one. This book was very boring to me and sadly I had a hard time paying attention to it. I didn't hate it but nothing from this story really stuck.

CW: business closing, discussion of family deaths, sexism, sexual harassment in work place, grief, discussion of drugs, discussion of murder

This book was exactly what I needed in every sense. There were heavy topics discussed but it wasn’t too much. It gave the book serious touches to what would be a too light of story otherwise.

I am a massive lover of books that have food/cooking as a main point to it so I couldn’t wait to read this one. The fact that it takes place in Scotland (starts in London but not much there) just added to my love of it. This book delved deep into family dynamics and family overall. There is a touch of romance but I would say it’s more woman’s fiction than romance.

The connections between the characters and dissecting how things went wrong while owning up to their parts in what happened instead of just placing blame definitely hit the right notes for me.

The audio was a bit glitchy with awkward pauses and I kept having to restart the app at the end of chapters which made me lose momentum but I’ve been informed that that’s because of it being an ALC and doesn’t reflect on the published audiobook. Other than the technical difficulties, I do recommend the audiobook.

Must Read if you like:
📺 Restaurant Impossible
📖 books about food/BTS of restaurants

I loved this imaginative retelling of a Jane Austen novel by Brianne Moore. How could anyone ever get too much of Jane?! I enjoyed Moore’s modernization of the story. I can definitely identify with Susan’s life. I loved the author’s characterizations of Susan and Chris. I felt like all the characters were handled and updated well.

This was a really fun read! Thanks to Dreamscape Media for the advance audio copy of All Stirred Up.

This book was the perfect escape. It was lovely and fun. It was my first book by this author and I will definitely be on the look out for more!!

I am a sucker for modern-day Jane Austen retelling, but this new version of Persuasion, didn’t work for me. I never really got to the point of caring about Susan or Chris. Their relationship felt flat, and their drama was a little too much for a realistic fiction book. Chris’s big secret that is revealed at the end of the book felt unnecessary and went against the rest of the character’s development. The setting was fine, and I enjoyed the small aspects of Scotland the author included, but I never felt like I was there. Plus, for a book that is supposed to be a romance, Susan and Chris interact very little, and I never found myself invested in their relationship. I received this book as an audiobook from NetGalley, and the reader was probably the best part and saved the book as much as she could. Some fans of Austen may love this novel, but for me, it was just kind of okay.

First of all, kudos to the narrator of this book! She was amazing! No matter the accent or gender of the character, Mary Jane Wells brought them all to life.

Unfortunately, the story just didn't hold my interest. The first half of the book felt sad and dreary, and I had a hard time getting into the story. It could totally be a personal problem, but the pacing just felt off to me. Sadly, this one goes in the compost bin.

When Susan and Chris broke up, they didn't think that they would ever see each other again.  But, now Susan is back in Edinburgh to try to revive the family restaurant  and Chris  is back to open his new restaurant.  Will they find their way back to each other in this modern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion?  A retelling of my favorite novel of all time? I'm in!

While it is a fun romance, it doesn't come close to the brillance that is Persuasion - and is certainly NOT a retelling.  It follows the typical modern romance trope - they meet ... they fall in love ... some event comes between them ... will they get back together?  

I wish the publisher had not billed this as a retelling, because that leads to such high expectations.  In the end, I decided to review it as what it really is ... a rom-com ... and a better than average one at that. The narration is great!  The story is fun!  Sure, it had it flaws and I wished that I cared more about the characters, but I found it to be better than the average romance.  I most enjoyed the author's descriptions in the kitchen and could tell that she knows her stuff and really cared about that part of the book.  I gave All Stirred up 3 stars.

Such a fun twist on Persuasion. A lighthearted cooking novel with some sprinkles of romance. I love that it is a clean story that focuses on family and restoration. There are a lot of details and backstory, which I find helpful, but does make me slow down and savor the content. The narrator does an excellent job with the different voices, male and female. I received a complimentary copy from the author and NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own, freely given.