Taking a much-needed break from her demanding publicist job, Imani returns to her hometown for the summer to aid her grandmother during knee surgery recovery and support her best friend Kate during her pregnancy…the only problem? Being home means being in the same town as her 2-night stand, whom she ghosted, Zander Matthews. Right from the get-go, Zander proves hard to avoid…in fact, despite Imani’s half-hearted protests that she wants to remain in the friendzone, Zander has a plan to get Imani to give him a second chance (and a first date). But, just as Imani is starting to let go and open-up with Zander, tragedy strikes, which causes Imani to question the compatibility of Zander’s “live in the moment” lifestyle and her own endlessly scheduled lifestyle. All Fired Up is a second chance, opposites attract, smalltown romantic comedy. In addition to fans of How Sweet It Is, All Fired Up would be perfect for fans of the Bergman Brothers series by Chloe Liese, the Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert, the Hot and Hammered trilogy by Tessa Bailey, and the Written in the Stars trilogy by Alexandria Bellefleur. All Fired Up deals with themes such as change versus tradition, order and chaos, companionship, escapism, identity, family, love and heartbreak, loss, tragedy, work-life balance, mental health, overcoming past trauma, and war. In my opinion, the morals of this story are to take care of your mental health and to trust your heart. All Fired Up takes place about a year or two after How Sweet It Is and focuses on Drake Matthew’s publicist/ Kate Sweet’s best friend Imani and Drake’s younger brother Zander. Having recently enjoyed How Sweet It Is, I loved how the plot seamlessly flowed from Drake and Kate’s story in How Sweet It Is to Imani and Zander’s story in All Fired Up. Furthermore, I appreciated that Imani and Zander had already been introduced in How Sweet It Is and I was delighted that Drake and Kate continued to play prominent roles in All Fired Up (I love getting to see how my favourite characters’ stories continue post happily ever after). I need to compliment Dylan Newton’s writing, especially of my favourite scene; Imani and Zander’s memorable hot air balloon ride, which is depicted in the book’s cover art. I have never been in a hot air balloon and have little knowledge on the subject, but Dylan Newton’s writing of this scene was so realistic, detailed, and well thought out, I felt like I was actually in the hot air balloon with Imani and Zander. Lastly, I remember commenting that the cover art of How Sweet It Is didn’t really match the overall themes or feel of the book. In contrast, I found that the cover art of All Fired Up was very fitting to Zander and Imani’s story, especially the little details like the colours of the hot air balloon and the bird with the ribbon.
Overall, I found All Fired Up to be a unique, romantic, and engaging read that I would highly recommend to fellow romance readers. I am very much looking forward to book 3 starring Zander and Drake’s brother Ryker’s story (which is expected in summer 2023)! Links: Click HERE to view this article on "The Nerd Daily's" website! Click HERE to add All Fired Up to your "Goodreads" TBR! Click HERE to read my review of How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton! Click HERE to check out my How Sweet It Is Q&A with author Dylan Newton!
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“A gym nemesis pushes a fitness influencer to the max in Amy Lea’s steamy debut romantic comedy. Curvy fitness influencer Crystal Chen built her career shattering gym stereotypes and mostly ignoring the trolls. After her recent breakup, she has little stamina left for men, instead finding solace in the gym – her place of power and positivity. Enter firefighter Scott Ritchie, the smug new gym patron who routinely steals her favorite squat rack. Sparks fly as these ultra-competitive foes battle for gym domination. But after a series of escalating jabs, the last thing they expect is to run into each other at their grandparents' engagement party. In the lead up to their grandparents' wedding, Crystal discovers there’s a soft heart under Scott’s muscled exterior. Bonding over family, fitness, and cheesy pick-up lines, she just might have found her swolemate. But when a photo of them goes viral, savage internet trolls put their budding relationship to the ultimate test of strength.” (Summary courtesy of Berkley and Penguin Random House). Now, onto my review... Set On You is a slow burn “enemies to lovers” rom com invoking the forced proximity trope. I highly recommend it to fans of The Fastest Way To Fall by Denise Williams, The Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert, The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas, How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton, People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, and Love at First Spite by Anna E. Collins. Set On You deals with some potentially triggering topics like cheating, cancer, cyber bullying, and fat shaming. In my opinion, the moral of this story is, as the main character states, “I no longer use terms like ‘body positivity’ and ‘self-love’. Instead, I now use ‘body respect’ and ‘self-acceptance.’ Why? Because loving yourself ALL THE TIME is unrealistic.” I loved the main characters; Crystal was (generally) an emotionally strong and empowered female fitness role model and Scott was a sweet and handsome cinnamon roll fireman. I loved all the pop culture references, such as Disney, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and Lizzo; I especially loved how Scott’s adorable dog was named Albus Doodledore after the Harry Potter character. I appreciated that even though the main character, Crystal, is a “fitstagrammer”, she focuses more on self worth and living a healthy active lifestyle as opposed to losing weight; “I just think that being healthy isn’t about your size or your weight, but your mindset and your mental health, too”. I also enjoyed the addition of the Instagram posts and comments throughout the novel as I felt like they made the story more engaging and seem more real. Additionally, I enjoyed the humorous aspects of this book like Scott’s cringe-worthy pick-up lines (e.g., “Are you my appendix? This feeling in my stomach makes me want to take you out”). Even though streamy scenes were sprinkled throughout Set On You, I found it frustrating that the main characters took so long to get together due to ongoing obstacles like family drama and trust issues. In my opinion, the main downfall of this book had to do with the fact that the main love interests’ grandparents were also a couple. Furthermore, I found it a bit troubling that Crystal and Scott, the main love interests, were soon to be related by marriage (their parents would be stepsiblings). I also found it weird that the Grandparents’ engagement was a complete and total surprise to all of their family members, that the Grandma almost unapologetically took over her grandchild’s cancelled wedding venue/ plans, and that the Grandma had a raunchy bachelorette party with all of her family members. Lastly, I was obviously not a fan of the internet negativity that Crystal experiences including the cyber bullying and fat shaming. Overall, I enjoyed Set On You - I found it to be a unique, enjoyable, engaging, and fast read. Furthermore, if you enjoy cute rom coms and have an interest in fitness or body positivity, then I would highly recommend adding Set On You to your TBR list! Links: Click HERE to add Set On You to your "Goodreads" TBR! Continue reading for an excerpt of Set On You by Amy Lea curtesy of Berkley Publishing, Penguin Random House, and Amy Lea… Excerpt of Set On You by Amy Lea: You can learn a lot about a person after going through the entirety of IKEA with them. It’s a true test of one’s patience, spatial awareness, level of maturity, and self-discipline. Particularly in the final section, where they so rudely tempt you with cinnamon rolls and Daim chocolate caramel candies. Why are you trying to break me, IKEA? As it turns out, Scott has the patience of a saint. We’re trapped behind a family with three rambunctious children, all under approximately seven years old. They’re screeching because their parents shunned their demands for soft-serve ice cream cones. I wince, digging my fingernails into my palms as the youngest one lets out an ear-splitting howl, all while Scott whistles cheerfully beside me, as if we’re taking a leisurely stroll through a lush, tranquil meadow on a breezy, sunny day. His stride is confident, unhurried, and so entirely sexy, I could watch hours of CCTV footage of him doing nothing but walking. He also appears to have an excellent sense of direction. He’s whizzing through the showroom like a total pro, undeterred by distractions. The last time I was here, on a solo mission for a mere picture frame, I ended up hopelessly disoriented, despite the large arrows on the floor. Then again, Scott is a career fireman. I assume spatial orientation while running into unfamiliar burning buildings is a prerequisite for the job. Despite this, Scott is immature in the mattress section. And so am I. One by one, we test them, assessing the level of bounce, support, and overall plushness. “I need this bed,” he says, eyes closed, as we lay side by side on a marshmallow-like queen-size mattress. When I turn toward him, the mattress dips more than expected, causing me to inadvertently roll into his shoulder. My stomach flutters at the mere warmth of his body. Hello, bliss. He gives me a flirty side-eye. “Trying to cuddle with me?” “No.” I abruptly roll away to put the appropriate amount of space between us again. I overcompensate and nearly tumble off the mattress entirely. Talk about being on the edge of glory. “I think you were.” “I think you just wish I were.” Truthfully, his chest looks cozy and inviting. All I want to do is nuzzle into his neck. But I manage to pull myself back to reality and maintain my restraint, despite how barren, cold, and lonely it is in my own personal space bubble. “I never knew IKEA was such a good time,” he says, changing the subject. I give him a warning look. “It’s all fun and games until you hit the warehouse. Then it’s all-out anarchy.” He laughs and sits upright, holding his hand out for me. “Alright, let’s go pick a dresser.” Without thinking, I take his hand. But the moment our fingers touch, a jolt of electricity sends a shock wave rolling down my spine. Hand locked firmly around mine, he carries on down the aisle, perma-smiling. Excerpted from Set on You by Amy Lea, Copyright © 2022 by Amy Lea. Excerpt reproduced with permission of Berkley and Penguin Random House, all rights reserved.
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