What Happens in Denver

This was just OK. I will admit I requested this because the story sounded cute, but the cover 100% drew me to clicking that "request" button.

I just never really clicked into the story - it was fine. It was a quick read. But I didn't connect with anyone and didn't really care where it went.

I absolutely adored this book. The unlikely friendship between Andi and Sloane was amazing. Their bonding over dumb men was such a joy to see. I loved how their story was just as much of a main plot point as Andi and James. The author touches on some really important topics which made this story go soo much deeper than a normal romance. Sloanes eating disorder and sexism in the work place take this story up a level making it a very important and eye opening read.

I did get annoyed with how Andi kept reacting to James throughout the book. I understand she has gone through a lot, but jeez be a little friendlier. Lol.

Alt in all I would highly recommend this book.

While this has the common trope of a woman finding out her boyfriend or husband is really a true slimeball and she has to make her life over now that she’s lost not only the relationship, but her job, I enjoyed the plot. Andi is a superstar in the world of beer restaurant/bar and has the receipts to prove it until she finds out that her villain of a husband has stolen their bar from her and is kicking her out so he can marry a younger and prettier woman. She goes out on her own to take her expertise into a new job. At a job fair in Denver she makes both a new friend who will help her in a new career, but a sexy brewmaster of a major brewery.

The romance was rather meh. Andi and James are immediately attracted to each other and it turns out that they have a lot in common except that he comes from old wealth and she…doesn’t. What I enjoyed was the clear expertise that the author has in depicting the world of brewing beer. I liked learning about that even though I’m not a beer drinker. But I always enjoy novels that introduce me to a new world about which I can learn what goes on. Too many times, authors give their characters an interesting job, but then we never get to see what they’re actually doing in their work lives.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
4/5 stars
This book was not what I was expecting, there was a lot of angst and it was much denser than I thought it would be. I still enjoyed it, it just wasn't what I thought it would be. I enjoyed the lighter moments and loved the banter. Overall this was a great, emotional story and I really liked it.

What Happens in Denver is my first read by author Liz Crowe. I love her characters. They are real people with real problems. Andi finds herself divorced by a cheating husband who she also ran a brewery with. Running the brewery was everything to her. She goes to Denver for a conference and not only finds a new job in the mainly male dominated industry that she loves but also a new friend and mentor who shares her passion. Cheers to second chances!!!

Thank you for the free copy from the publisher through NetGally in exchange for my honest review!

First off 3.5 stars - I definitely recommend, especially for a quick read.

Andi Rigby had made her bar her life; pouring her blood sweat and tears (not to mention all of her time) into making it successful. Her and her husband Matt had built BWI from the ground up, it was her baby. Her hard work had finally paid off when BWI was recognized at the annual beer convention in Denver. Though through the congratulations she wasn't as happy as she should have been. After getting news through an employee in the middle of chaos at the bar her world was turned upside down. She was about to lose everything, her marriage, her bar, her life as she knew it. After finding out there was absolutely nothing she could do about it a depression sank in.

After wallowing in her own self pity her mother and her best friend Stella arranged for her to fly to Denver to attend an industry job fair. Hand out resumes and business cards and find a job, anywhere, anything to get out of this place, this rut.

Andi wasn't thrilled to go, but since it was already paid for she obliged. A chance encounter with a drunk stranger she felt the urge to protect, from a man that reminded her of Matt, landed her a new friend, a new job, and a new apartment, in a new state.

As she starts her new life and struggles with her own inner demons, she bonds with new people each having their own set of demons. Andi's life had been so routine before, but was now a roller coaster of ups and downs with a new much richer crowd, a handsome new love interest that she wants so desperately to avoid, and the new way too "perfect" friend she had inadvertently made.

Deep down under the romance it's a story of overcoming and growth; in everyone, not only the main character. That's what I enjoyed most: The characters where so real.

Thank you NetGalley, Liz Crowe and The Wild Rose Press, Inc for the copy of What Happens in Denver. This is my personal review.
Andi Rigby is one amazing woman! Her life fell completely apart, and she knew was going to fix it and be living the life she always saw for herself.
Her husband decided he was going to take everything form her and do it in such a way she never saw it coming.
I liked Andi and her drive for getting what she wanted but for me I just did feel the flow of the story that I was expecting.
It was an ok book to read.

Andi has just been screwed over by her husband. After an intervention, she heads to Denver, looking for another job, and gets more than she expected when she also gains a friend in Sloane, and also meets James. How will her new life pan out?
A great read

Content warning: Sloane, a secondary character, has a severe eating disorder. She is hospitalized and goes into intensive treatment. As a secondary character, we don't delve deep into Sloane's struggles, and the author takes care of her. But if this is a difficult subject for you, please be gentle with yourself.

What Happens in Denver was such a great read. There are so many emotions throughout this book. It is definitely a rollercoaster. Andi is a woman in the male-dominated field of beer. Even if you don't know anything about beer, these themes resonate because we all feel this. She finally finds a place that accepts her brilliance! I think the sprinkles on top are the nuances about beer and food, they really make the story special.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, The Wild Rose Press, Inc and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I originally requested this one as I live in Denver I was hoping to connect to it. I didn’t. I found it okay, mildly entertaining overall enjoyable. Just not my cup of tea. Or pint of beer in this case.

I received this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book starts off soooo low. This poor woman is bending over backwards to keep her bar growing and thriving. Having never owned a business or been cheated on. I couldn't imagine going through it all. Thankfulky, she has good support and they push her to follow her passion and get back out there. It was a fun read but at times it felt a little slow. James was always fun to read though.

While reading this book I had a insane desire to drink a beer! Beer is definitely the star in the book as it is the setting of the story. Andi has been screwed over by her Husband. She embarks on a new career path in a new town. She meets new people and James. Andi learns how to restart her life and open her heart again. I found some real giggle moments in this story! I enjoyed it for the most part. I did feel like the ending was kind of rushed to wrap up. I feel like a lot of the story was the beer business while it served a point... I personally think it took away from the story of Andi and James. All in all though I'd reccomend grabbing your favorite beer and giving this a read!

This book was cute! I was drawn in by the premise and loved all the brewery talk throughout the book. I liked that Andi is able to start over in a male dominated field, but prove she belongs there. I liked the friendships she creates and how she gets a second chance at starting over.

I didn't realize this book came out last year, but I as glad to get a copy to read.
Thanks NetGalley!

This book handled the light and the heavy so well together. Getting a look inside the world of breweries was unique and interesting. This book celebrated love in all forms and showed what the real path to loving honestly can look like. Overall, it was a delightful read and I am excited to read more from this author!

I enjoyed this book and loved both Andi and Sloane. The book was not what I was expecting but I wasn't disappointed by the route that the author decided to take. However, although the book was easy to get through, I found it to be overly descriptive in some parts and the internal thoughts to me sometimes dragged on longer than I would have liked. This made certain parts of the book drag on for me and I found myself having to put the book down multiple times because it just never clicked whenever I read those parts.

If you are a craft beer person, your teams have come true - this is a romance every woman in the beer industry will appreciate. The boys club is very real there. Andi starts off the book as a baddass, strong, brewery owning married woman. She slowly dissolves into... a weaker version of herself.

Andi is scrappy, and that is what I love about her. She has a moment where she considers giving up but with the help of her mom and friend, she rises like a phoenix.

I feel like this book was SO close to being a really good novel, but could have used one more revision. Andi seemed to evolve as a character in ways that didn't make sense, the romance was a bit forced, and the dialogue was rough in some spots. But the plot- so good!

I really enjoyed this book. Watching Andi take control of her life again after a divorce leaves her single and unemployed was a true journey to enjoy. I do have to caution however that the craft beer scene is a very heavily dominant theme, not just a side story. I think if you go into the book knowing that and having a certain amount of understanding of terms will definitely help you to enjoy it!

What a fun read! I love a story that makes it easy to love the characters from page 1. The characters and relationships felt realistic. I appreciated the story line of James overcoming his jaded nature due to past relationship trauma. The friendship between Andi and Sloane is heartwarming. It wasn’t unrealistic and made it more enjoyable to read.

The writing was real and honest and the characters are ones that I instantly fell in love with. Andi is such a sting character. The read was quick but wonderful. I’m sad I finished this book.

As someone who has lived in Denver for 17 years, I saw this title on netgalley and I had to read it!

I thought this was very good! I can’t relate to the divorce part so much, but I did find the story itself relatable. It was actually quite deep and realistic and I fell for the characters.



I will say, I hate the term “beer bar”😂 but that is a small complaint.

I’ve been in such a reading slump lately. This book brought me out of it! It’s been a long time since I enjoyed reading a book as much as I enjoyed this one! I felt disconnect to most story’s and characters I’ve encountered but not this one. It was well written.

I really liked the main characters Andi and James and there where really good side characters as Sloan and Michael. I liked how Michael grows on you. At first you think he’s just another asshole but as the story grows so does he.

I felt really sorry for Andi and hated what Matt did to her. So glad she got a moment to ask him to go to hell when he wanted her back.

I really liked Andi and James meet cute at the bar. It was obvious he was in to her from the very beginning. I did however get frustrated by Andis reluctance to let her self be happy with James I mean it does makes sense since her ex burned her pretty bad but it still frustrated me. It all work out in the end though.

As for the ending, it was okey. I would have been fine with an ending after Andi and James decided to get married. Even though it was nice to know that Sloan and Michael got their happy ending it did not totally make sense to me to end the book with the two side characters.

I did however really like this book and had a hard time putting it down. As I mentioned it’s been a while since a book gave me that feeling. I’m not a fan of fade to black when it comes to the sex but I can live with it just this once :)

What Happens in Denver is an incredibly good story, with an amazing heroine.

Andi loses everything when her husband betrays her not only romantically but also, and maybe for her at that point more important, economically, taking away her precious beer bar. She is destroyed but she decides to go to a beer convention in Denver in order to find a new job. Little she knows that Denver will give her a new life project that will rejoy her, a new friend who will help her and a new man who will intrigue her.

This is a romance story but for me the best genre that describes it is Women's Fiction because the girl power and the cameraderie among the female cast steal the spotlight from the romantic relationship.
I loved Andi tenaciousness, she has the courage to start anew, yes I know she needed a little push from her mom and best friend, but seriously who doesn't need it after losing her company, her job and her husband.

This was the first time I read Liz Crowe work and I've enjoyed her writing style, the storyline is rich, there are humourous episodes, sad episodes and touching episodes that pefectly mesh up.

Read this book before it becomes a movie, it is too nice for the cinema productions to sleep on it.

This adorable romance follows Andi Rigby, a woman who is blinded by her husband ending her marriage and kicking her out of her ownership of her successful restaurant. With the help of her childhood best friend, mother, and newly found friend Sloane, Andi is able to determine what exactly she wants to do in life in the beer industry and also find love along the way.

I loved that the women in this book; they were real, they were flawed, and they weren't afraid to stand up for themselves. I loved that Sloane's eating disorder was portrayed realistically; it added some depth to the novel. Andi is able to trust these women to help guide her during a difficult time in her life.

James is the love interest, and man, is he perfect for this book. He has trust issues as does Andi...but the two of them are perfect for each other. You know how the plot is going to go for them, but it was absolutely worth reading it (with the right amount of spice for me)!

If you enjoy drinking beer while you read your romance books, this book is a must-read for you as well.

Andi loses her husband and the bar she considers her child all in one night. Forced to start her life over, Andi is give the chance for a fresh start in a new city. With a new friend, a new job, and even a new romance, Andi proves that she’s not going to let anything stop her from finding herself.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book. It was refreshing to read a book that focused on forming a strong relationship with a friend just as much as finding a new romance. Sloane and Andi’s friendship proved that the love between friends can mean just as much to someone as a romantic love.

While I enjoyed reading about the relationships and successes the characters faced while working in the beer industry, there was a lot of terminology in the book about the industry I wasn’t familiar with. Personally, I enjoyed getting to learn about an major industry I wasn’t familiar with, but if someone isn’t into beer or alcohol, this may not be the book for them since it is a major focus.

I enjoyed the writing style and I will definitely be looking into what else the author has to offer.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4648753283

Andi faced the ultimate betrayal when her husband and his mistress stole her business. When she meet a socialite that helps her with her fresh start in a new town. James is so sweet. There's an instant attraction when they meet but Andi is determined to get into another relationship. We see Andi grow from despair to a confident woman who accepts love. Engaging, emotional and recommended read

I have to admit that what drew me to this book was the title - I used to live in Denver many, many, many years ago and seeing this cover brought back lots of memories. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to read this wonderful book which proved to be so much more than just a walk down memory lane in a familiar city! And thank you Liz Crowe for giving us such an amazing, kick-ass main character as Andi and letting us follow her journey!

The beginning of the book made me so angry and frustrated that I didn't know whether to cry or to scream: Andi and her husband Matt have build a succesful business, one of the best beer bars in The US, but after hiring a new employee Andi finds out that not only has Matt been cheating on her with the newest member of the staff - for a whole year - he has also cheated her out of their business. Which had practically been built by Andi's hard work, not Matt's. Left with nothing Andi eventually goes to Denver for a big beer convention determined to find a new job and start over. She gets her chance at a new beginning and as a reader you end up really rooting for her, as she relocates to another state, starts working at the new place, and makes new friends. One of the new friends and new clients is James Burke, a recently divorced brewery owner, who seems to know beers just as well as Andi does.

I have never read anything by Liz Crowe before and was impressed by the complex and real characters, wonderful storytelling and intriguing insight into the world of brewing beer!

Four stars.

I have posted reviews on Goodreads and Instagram on April 10, 2022.

I thought this was going to be a lighthearted romance but it was much heavier than I expected, in a good way. This story followed Andi as she pieced her life back together after a devastating breakup of her marriage but it also touched on alcoholism, anorexia, and mental abuse. I really enjoyed getting to know Andi and her friends, as well as learning more about distribution in beverage sales. Recommended for those who want a little more heft to their romance reads.

Where has this book been hiding?!? I loved every
second of this book.

Andi, a bad ass bar owner, beer connoisseur, and
winner of the Best Bar award for craft beers, gets hit
out of left field when her husband, and business
partner, takes the bar right out from under her.
Andi moved to Midwest to start over and rebuild her life
where she meets Sloane. Sloane and Andi develop a
real and honest friendship that most women long for.
James is my kind of guy! Burly, muscular, bearded…the
list goes on! James was such a well developed
character with his own issues from his past marriage.

This book had it all! Love ale characters, drama, BEER,
real life problems (eating disorders, family drama,
cheating) but I was so invested. I read this book in one
sitting!

Get your hands on a copy of this one quick!

....runs to check out other books by this author!

Thanks to @netgalley and Backlit PR for my ebook
copy in exchange for an honest review!!

I really liked this book!
I Think it could have been a bit shorter, maybe without all those talkings on beers and flavours (I get why they were added given the story but it could have been less).
Nonetheless i loved all the characters, they were all so funny and sweet.
I for sure recommend reading this book if you want a funny romance about second chances in life and in love!

I love coming across new authors who immediately hook me to their books! Liz Crowe is now one of them. With an amazing heroine, a slow burn romance, and a book about friendships then this is a must read for you! I'll be grabbing a copy for my shelves on release day!

I enjoyed reading this book! It gave a glimpse into a lifestyle I have never really thought about before. I liked how the many characters intertwined to add depth to the book. I do feel that with the serious issue of anorexia it might have been a nice touch to add a few resources to the back of the book for those who may also be struggling or know someone who is struggling.

Cute story! Loved the main character. I really enjoyed the way she was written. A few slow parts but nothing bad. They move along pretty quickly.

So for starters I would like to Wild Rose Press and NetGalley for this ARC of What Happens in Denver by Liz Crowe.

For starters I was drawn to this book based off the description and the vibrant playful cover.

This book Hooked me from the very 1st chapter. I became very Intrigued and invested in Andi's character right from the very beginning. To lose everything and then become a strong independent and determined women with a mission to rebuild her life spoke to me and I was eager to see how it all played out.. And then you throw James into the mix and it was a page turner.. I honestly read this in 2 sittings because I was so invested and didn't want to put it down. Such a great read and I am overjoyed I got a ARC copy of this book.. Thank you again

I enjoyed this book but I felt like the moments where Andi and James were on breaks were never fully talked about between them. They just took each other back without a full explanation. Other than that I thought they were cute.

This book was amazing! I enjoyed every single chapter, and it kept me hooked the entire time, which I loved!

I adored this book! It was a quick and fun read, I felt like some characters were flat and the topic of eating disorder was not handled delicately but it was still good. This somehow hit so close to home, which is weird because it was not relatable to me at all! I guess it was the ambiance and the book's vibes that made me feel that way. I would probably read another book by Liz Crowe, so thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This was a well-written romp that features a fair few tropes but also goes surprisingly in-depth on the brewing industry. The protagonist was engaging and the story was filled with just enough drama to keep me invested. The inclusion of a close female friendship front and centre made me very happy too. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Great work by Liz Crowe!
What Happens in Denver was a fun read and Crowe does an amazing job setting up this story and developing her characters!
I couldn’t get enough of Andi and James, you’re cheering them on from their first meeting. At one point, I was frustrated with their back and forth but the build up was worth every second of it.
Also, great kudos to Crowe for her true understanding of the beer/brewery industry, the details make you feel apart of it.
Go do yourself a favor and read this book and I dare you to not fall in love with it!
Happy reading!

Thanks NetGalley and The Wild Rose Press for the e-ARC.

It's a fun read for me! At first I'm having a hard time to follow it because I know nothing about beers, bar or pub, or the industry. But it gives me a new insight about all the life involved with it. This book definitely fits to those who loves Workplace Romance setting!

I love how the story is about empowering and encouraging woman to stand up again and not devalue her worth, even after the world betray you. I like how the main character not only rising to success after the fallout, but she went through another up and down along the way (which makes it more realistic). I also love how it's about finding a new love and connections. Though, I felt that there should be more scenes of Andi and James before they made up again.. but overall, they're so cute and their connections makes my heart flutters. Great job for showing us the character developments for all of the characters here!

Overall rate: 3.75/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story ended up being surprisingly different than expected. I was fairly ill prepared for certain aspects and was completely engulfed by them. While still being flirty and light in a lot of areas, the more complicated lines were detailed and dealt with in such a nurturing manner. Sensitive topics can be difficult to maneuver and these were done very well. Definitely a good read and much better preferred than the other novels by this author. 4/5 stars.

Its been way too long since I read a Liz Crowe book. What Happens in Denver was a great way to jump back in to the people and worlds she creates.

Andi, poor Andi. She’s worked so hard to build a thriving business. Perhaps she’s neglected her marriage a bit but they are in this together and he knows she’s working for the right goals. Doesn’t he? To lose her marriage and business in one underhanded blow has her reeling. What’s next? How will she survive and move on?

When she picks herself up and heads to a huge trade show she meets an enigmatic brewer who’s hotter than hot and really does it for her. She accepts a job offer that has her repping his beer and he’s decided to take a uncharacteristic hands-on role selling it. The close proximity just reinforces their attraction and the two are alternately pushing together and pulling apart until she takes his brother up on a job in their brewing empire. Now what?

There’s enough strife to keep the reader biting their nails, enough romance to make the reader swoon and a very satisfying ending.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ARC.

First, a huge thank you to Netgalley and Liz Crowe for allowing me to read this amazing story. What Happens in Denver is a raw and emotional read. Liz Crowe writes her characters in such a real way that they don't really feel like characters in a book. The main characters reactions to the big changes in her life were realistic and heartbreaking all at the same time.

The main character, Andi, won me over from the start. She had this sassy attitude that just felt so authentic to her character and what she had been through. The slow burn between her and James again, felt realistic and not like "insta-love". The romance in this book is so cheesy but in the best way possible. When James was giving her a foot massage on the bench that first night, I was ALL IN!.

While there was alot of hard topics in this book I didn't feel like it consumed the narrative. Sloane and Andi's friendship was enjoyable. I also didn't mind learning a thing or two about the beer industry. I didn't find the information to be repetitive but placed in a way that was both informative and beneficial to the story line, in my opinion.

If you are looking for a light read with some cheesy romance and craft beer pick this book up!

As a southern girl living in Denver now, I loved those aspects of this book. I loved the beer world too!

The characters were all great and there’s not much about the characters or the story line that I didn’t like. This book dealt with beer (woo!) business and mental health. I think the MH issue was dealt with rather well throughout the story which is always a concern of mine when an author decides to write about it.

I wish she’d put more details about the setting to make it seem more legit. Put specific bars into both Denver and Michigan to bring a little more fun for your readers.

I will say that I wish the author had edited it a bit more. There was a lot going on and at times the dialogue got wordy. It’s hard to explain what I mean, but something about the writing was close but not quite.

I really enjoyed this book though and was glad I read it. I’ll be posting it to my Instagram as soon as I can get back to Denver for a beer pic! (Aka a couple weeks)

I loved a lot of things about this book. While I have little to no interest in beer or brewing it, I found the concept was still fun to read. I found myself enjoying the explanations and how things worked.

Andi was a great mc! I liked her quite a bit. She was a realistic character with flaws and all. I found it refreshed for her to be older than the typical “mc”. This is more of a petty complaint, but I do wish she’d have more confidence in her looks. While I understand it’s common for people to be self conscious of how they look, it gets tiring to see it over and over again. Especially fat characters. I loved the fact she wasn’t stick thin, but I would’ve loved a confident fat character.

The romance was nice. I would’ve liked more focus on it, or at least better communication between the main couple. I feel labeling this women’s fiction with a subplot of romance would’ve worked better (unless it already is and I’m wrong haha).

Whoa! What a ride. It was very fast-paced. The writing style kept me hooked and I didn't find myself losing any interest. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and how real the story felt. The author did a great job painting the setting, so it was easy for me to visualize the scene played out before me. I recommend giving this one a chance!

I wanted to like this one. The synopsis sounded great but unfortunately it fell short for me. I felt that it was too long and had an abundance of small details that wasn’t necessary. Also, I hard time keeping up with the plot at various stages of the book. There was so much going on I had to stop and reread parts to not get confused. Sadly, this book just wasn’t for me.

Thank you Backlit PR for the ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to like this book, but I think I was expecting something else, something lighter. This isn't the ordinary rom-com, but does have some great plots and character development. Unfortunately it just wasn't for me. I think others could really enjoy it, so I'm giving a 3/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Wild Rose Press, Inc for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was an enjoyable book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Liz Crowe and The Wild Rose Press for the e-arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I would give this book 4/5 stars.

Andrea is more married to her work than her husband. That's why she's not terribly shocked when she finds out he's having an affair. Andrea is shocked, however, to find out that her husband has taken the love of her life: the bar they built from the ground-up. As a result of her whole life falling apart, Andrea has to re-start and, in the process, re-discovers herself.

As always, here are my two stars and a wish...

First star: At first, I found the Andrea's character abrasive and unlikeable, I won't lie. I didn't feel much sympathy for her and I didn't feel that connection before the action started. As I continued to read, I realized that she may not be a character I would want for a romance, but I think she's a character that romance needs. She's strong and unapologetic and owns who she is. She has insecurities, of course, but she doesn't let anyone push her around. The longer I read, the more I came to appreciate who Andrea is and softened towards her.

Second star: I loved reading about the intricacies of the brewery. Crowe clearly knew what she was doing when she wrote this book, and the deep understanding, and appreciation, of the brewery business was great. I especially loved that this kind of knowledge came in a romance, where the brewing aspect of the book definitely could have been tossed aside for the romance aspect. There was a great balance, and the whole time, I felt as though beer was almost a character in the book.

Wish: I wish there had been more scenes of Andrea and James. I feel like throughout the book, there's an idea that they are soulmates and made for each other, but I don't actually get enough scenes of them together to feel that. I feel like, in this aspect, there was a bit more telling than showing. I think more scenes would have meant more chemistry too.

Overall, a fun read full of beer, romance, and fun. There is also content on eating disorders, which people should know about.

Thanks NetGalley, The Wild Rose Press, Inc and Liz Crowe for an ARC to review.
Divorced and unemployed Andi faces her new life armored by her wits, love of beer and food and her unusual friendship with Solane.

Andi Rigby has made her bar BWI her life, having poured years of blood, sweat and tears into making it into an extremely successful bar. Her world halts when finds herself divorce and unemployed. Even though she is still destroyed she decides to go to a beer convention in Denver in order to find a new job. She leaves Denver with a new job in Michigan, a new friend who will help her, and a man that intrigues her.

I adored this book! I loved Andi and Sloan's unlikely friendship. I loved how their friendship journey was just as important to the story as Andi and James’ love story. I love that Crowe discussed important issues in this book that added depth that many other romances lack.

There were times where I didn’t love how she handled her relationship with James but we knew from the beginning of the book that she was dealing with issues from her last relationship.

This was the first time I have read anything from Liz Crowe and I really enjoyed her writing style. I loved how layered the storyline was throughout the book. I look forward to reading her future work. Overall, this was 4.5 stars for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wild Roses Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve sat on this review for quite a while, far longer than I ever usually would. I’m having trouble articulating just how I feel about this book. My thoughts are very much mixed and I’m finding it difficult narrowing down just what I liked and disliked about it.

Firstly, I wasn’t a fan of how the MC thought of herself. She was a plus size woman, something that was established very early on with no room for misunderstanding, which at first I was super excited for. But it became very clear quite quickly that this was seemingly a failing on her part, that it was a sign that she’d let herself go, and was the unpleasant cherry on top to her life having gone off the rails. She referred to herself as a slob, and went back and forth between regarding herself with disdain and with confidence in a way that gave me whiplash. I understand insecurities— we all have them— and I know I am speaking from someone with zero authority on plus size representation and how it should be portrayed. But I can speak for myself and my own feelings, and I was disappointed by how the MC viewed herself, and the fact that it was never really touched on at length. I hoped to see a little more self love and less bitter, begrudging acceptance. At times, the way she regarded herself made me a little uncomfortable and it took me out of the story. I was hoping her journey to self love might have become a more prominent subplot with how harsh her internal monologue was on occasion, but that was not the case. Again, as I said, I am a straight size person and have no authority whatsoever on how said journey should be written. I can speak only for myself, and simply put, her perspective made me sad.

I did appreciate, for lack of a better word, the ED side plot. I found it to be well done and authentically written, and I truly felt for the character impacted and sympathized with her. I think I’d have appreciated a proper trigger warning, as this was not something that was mentioned in the description or anywhere else, but I digress. In truth, there were times I found said side character to be more interesting than the MC.

Onto the romance, I think it might’ve fallen a little flat for me. I didn’t feel the tension or connection that the characters seemingly did. The back and forth felt a little pointless when the stales were so low throughout the course of the book.

Overall, I think it just lacked depth and direction. Perhaps I’m simply forgetting— but as someone who is able to recall the plot of every book they read, even that is saying something— but I can’t seem to remember an actual plotline being followed from beginning to end. No real conflict aside from the aforementioned eating disorder and some solvable problems that arose in the romance, but other than that it felt a little one note.

The book got really good halfway through. The author deals with anorexia in a realistic way although it could have been more detailed. I had one major problem with this book its to wordy. Otherwise, I enjoyed reading the character development. 3.5 stars



**************I received an ARC for my honest review from NetGalley.*********************

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

I thought it was a really neat book, enjoyed it.