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hayleybeale's review against another edition
4.0
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.
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.
amym84's review against another edition
4.0
Susan Napier's family once owned and ran a range of very successful restaurants founded by her grandfather. Their name was pretty legendary in the restaurant world. That is, until their luck, and some bad management, turned and they've been forced to shut down nearly all of their restaurants excepts for the flagship, Elliot's, in Edinburgh where Susan now plans to relocate and try to salvage what they have left.
When she arrives she runs into Chris Baker, a famous reality-show chef, who also happens to be Susan's ex. Years ago Chris and Susan parts on terrible terms and neither has spoken to the other in years. Now, they'll be each other's competition.
Chris spent many years holding a grudge against Susan for the way their relationship ended. He's prepared to continue that grudge now, despite the fact that they're running in the same circles. But as they keep running into each other, both Chris and Susan begin to reevaluate the past and begin to come to some realizations of their own.
I've read some mixed reviews on this book. But I have to say I really enjoyed it. It's possible that listening to the audiobook, narrated fabulously by Mary Jane Wells helped. She simply does a fantastic job with all the characters and the varying accents, giving each just a bit of difference so I was never confused about who was speaking what dialogue. She also did a fine job between the male and female voices. So much so that it was difficult to come to terms with the idea that only one person was narrating.
All Stirred Up is a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. That alone grabbed my attention. You pretty much just have to say Jane Austen retelling and I'm like 99% guaranteed to want to read it. But honestly, I felt like the story stands well on it's own merit. And you certainly don't have to have read the source material to enjoy this book.
I'm really also a sucker for a second-chance romance and while it's more of a slow burn romance, I enjoyed the journey in getting there which focuses mainly on Susan navigating getting her family restaurant back in good graces. Chris also has his own point of view moments, but they mainly revolved around his complicated feelings for Susan. I do wish that there was more interactions between the two characters because whenever there was, it was simply electric. Maybe that's the power of the story, it's certainly a reason why I kept coming back to it.
For all that I liked Susan's journey, it's pretty straight-forward. I found myself more drawn into Chris and putting the pieces together of his past with Susan. There's a bit more mystery surrounding it although it's not really a huge shock, I wished we got to explore the aftermath of the end of their relationship, the in-between times, for Chris before them running into each other again in Edinburgh.
Overall, this was a great listen (read) and I honestly would have happily taken a hundred more pages with these characters.
If you're looking for a good listen, All Stirred Up is perfect.
*Audiobook provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
When she arrives she runs into Chris Baker, a famous reality-show chef, who also happens to be Susan's ex. Years ago Chris and Susan parts on terrible terms and neither has spoken to the other in years. Now, they'll be each other's competition.
Chris spent many years holding a grudge against Susan for the way their relationship ended. He's prepared to continue that grudge now, despite the fact that they're running in the same circles. But as they keep running into each other, both Chris and Susan begin to reevaluate the past and begin to come to some realizations of their own.
I've read some mixed reviews on this book. But I have to say I really enjoyed it. It's possible that listening to the audiobook, narrated fabulously by Mary Jane Wells helped. She simply does a fantastic job with all the characters and the varying accents, giving each just a bit of difference so I was never confused about who was speaking what dialogue. She also did a fine job between the male and female voices. So much so that it was difficult to come to terms with the idea that only one person was narrating.
All Stirred Up is a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. That alone grabbed my attention. You pretty much just have to say Jane Austen retelling and I'm like 99% guaranteed to want to read it. But honestly, I felt like the story stands well on it's own merit. And you certainly don't have to have read the source material to enjoy this book.
I'm really also a sucker for a second-chance romance and while it's more of a slow burn romance, I enjoyed the journey in getting there which focuses mainly on Susan navigating getting her family restaurant back in good graces. Chris also has his own point of view moments, but they mainly revolved around his complicated feelings for Susan. I do wish that there was more interactions between the two characters because whenever there was, it was simply electric. Maybe that's the power of the story, it's certainly a reason why I kept coming back to it.
For all that I liked Susan's journey, it's pretty straight-forward. I found myself more drawn into Chris and putting the pieces together of his past with Susan. There's a bit more mystery surrounding it although it's not really a huge shock, I wished we got to explore the aftermath of the end of their relationship, the in-between times, for Chris before them running into each other again in Edinburgh.
Overall, this was a great listen (read) and I honestly would have happily taken a hundred more pages with these characters.
If you're looking for a good listen, All Stirred Up is perfect.
*Audiobook provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
ameserole's review against another edition
2.0
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Well, well.. it looks like I've met my match. Ever since I saw All Stirred Up I really wanted to dive into it. At first glance, I thought it was going to be kind of like the movie 'No Reservations'. Sure, I was going to expect some cooking and romance. Maybe even some friendly competition.
What I got was food. Lots and lots of food. Each page had something new or described in even more detail what they were making or plating. I was expecting something interesting or entertaining to happen so that I could find something to like in it.
I looked so freaking hard and I couldn't find a damn thing likable. It did make me hungry though so dinner was made. I guess that's a goal?
In the end, I feel like I got a culinary degree just by listening to this audiobook.
Well, well.. it looks like I've met my match. Ever since I saw All Stirred Up I really wanted to dive into it. At first glance, I thought it was going to be kind of like the movie 'No Reservations'. Sure, I was going to expect some cooking and romance. Maybe even some friendly competition.
What I got was food. Lots and lots of food. Each page had something new or described in even more detail what they were making or plating. I was expecting something interesting or entertaining to happen so that I could find something to like in it.
I looked so freaking hard and I couldn't find a damn thing likable. It did make me hungry though so dinner was made. I guess that's a goal?
In the end, I feel like I got a culinary degree just by listening to this audiobook.
maralyons's review against another edition
4.0
I had recently read some heavier books, so All Stirred Up by Brianne Moore was a wonderful palate cleanser! It is a light romance with a lot of heart about two former lovers opening two new restaurants in Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. Susan and Chris had a terrible falling out in their early 20s and have ended up back in the same town about a decade later. Susan has returned to Edinburgh as her family is forced to downsize due to economic circumstances and Chris has returned home after leaving his show as a celebrity chef. Both characters are hardworking and likeable, though they do make mistakes. There were a lot of characters, so it was a little difficult to keep them straight at first, but the story was very fun and kept me interested throughout. I loved the enticing food and atmosphere descriptions. The elements were great, but I wanted more. I wanted more of the family relationships and HEA, etc. I listened to the audiobook which is delightfully narrated by Mary Jane Wells. She has a really pleasant voice and uses different accents for characters which really put me into the story. Overall, a very fun, sweet read!
Thank you Crooked Lane Books/Alcove Press/Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing this e-book and audiobook ARC.
Thank you Crooked Lane Books/Alcove Press/Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing this e-book and audiobook ARC.
lillyofthenally's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book.
The structure was great: first get the restaurant problem out of the way and then bring back in the romance… way way waaaayyyyy later. We don’t even see the romance now that I think about it, we just know it’s there and that it’s coming.
As a background story to me reading this book: it’s 3 am and ive already read two thrillers in a row and I woke to some weird the shinning nightmare even though I’ve never read it and instead of picking back up invisible girl I thought I’d give my overwhelmed mind a break with this book. And it did deliver.
There is no big problem in this book. No mountains to climb no worrying about the restaurant not working out the author never gives us anything to worry about really. I don’t think I liked any of the family members. I think Philip was too much of a side character with no actual contribution to the storyline. Bernard is such an asshole. Kay has no business butting in on her ¬_fav nieces_ life. Meg is obviously not over her mom’s death and everything points to therapy, but no one actually suggests it? Why is her husband so cold and how can she take it she should’ve let him go asap – his family also tries to make suzie side against her sister??? That’s a no. Also they’re torries… well. We absolutely did not need a Lauren closure story with Liam, I felt it was a bit out of place, the author bringing to light a political cause – patching it to the book not subtly enough.
Ok I am bitter by the lack of romance when I thought it will take up a bigger part of the book.
The writing is great and makes up for the length of the book – it is a bit long considering the storyline but I guess it’s because of the structure : the author did give the restaurant itself and the move to Edinburg the whole first quarter of the book maybe more.
Great read 3/5
The structure was great: first get the restaurant problem out of the way and then bring back in the romance… way way waaaayyyyy later. We don’t even see the romance now that I think about it, we just know it’s there and that it’s coming.
As a background story to me reading this book: it’s 3 am and ive already read two thrillers in a row and I woke to some weird the shinning nightmare even though I’ve never read it and instead of picking back up invisible girl I thought I’d give my overwhelmed mind a break with this book. And it did deliver.
Spoiler
There is no big problem in this book. No mountains to climb no worrying about the restaurant not working out the author never gives us anything to worry about really. I don’t think I liked any of the family members. I think Philip was too much of a side character with no actual contribution to the storyline. Bernard is such an asshole. Kay has no business butting in on her ¬_fav nieces_ life. Meg is obviously not over her mom’s death and everything points to therapy, but no one actually suggests it? Why is her husband so cold and how can she take it she should’ve let him go asap – his family also tries to make suzie side against her sister??? That’s a no. Also they’re torries… well. We absolutely did not need a Lauren closure story with Liam, I felt it was a bit out of place, the author bringing to light a political cause – patching it to the book not subtly enough.
Ok I am bitter by the lack of romance when I thought it will take up a bigger part of the book.
The writing is great and makes up for the length of the book – it is a bit long considering the storyline but I guess it’s because of the structure : the author did give the restaurant itself and the move to Edinburg the whole first quarter of the book maybe more.
Great read 3/5
marbooks88's review against another edition
4.0
Susan is trying to save the last restaurant in the family business and moves with her spendthrift father and directionless sister from London to Edinburgh. But when her ex, now a celebrity chef, turns up in Edinburgh to open his own restaurant the stakes become even higher. A story of family and expectations and love. It had me rooting for Susan. A perfect read for a weekend or vacation.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for my honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for my honest review.
tales_of_a_bookbug's review against another edition
4.0
Persuasion is my second favorite Austen novel after Pride and Prejudice! Though I love Austen retellings, I try to not go in with any expectations while reading them. And I was pleasantly surprised by this one!
All Stirred Up follows the story of Susan Napier, who has come to Edinburgh to save the only Elliot's restaurant that remains standing, the one that was started by her grandfather. All the others have been closed down due to financial mismanagement and other issues. It's upto Susan to hold on to what's left of her grandfather's legacy.
But it's not just Susan who has come to Edinburgh. Her ex-boyfriend Chris, who's now a famous celebrity chef is back here as well and he plans to open his new restaurant. And he's not too pleased to see her, with the way she broke things off between them after her mother's death. Though she tries her best to avoid meeting him, circumstances keep throwing them into each other's paths. But will these two acknowledge their past mistakes and give into the attraction that still simmers between them or will they end up hurting each other more than before?
This was a lovely second chance romance with such amazing food descriptions! I think this is the second book that I've read this month that is centered around food, and it managed to make me hungry once again lol!
It took a while for me to get used to the writing (as the book is written in present tense) but I was quickly immersed in Susan and Chris' story!
And to be honest, I didn't really like most of the secondary characters at first. Susan's family seemed quite self-absorbed and I was prepared to hate all of them as they always expected Susan to deal with everything.
It was quite hard to like them when literally everyone from Susan's family to her friends expects her to fix things for them(and this kinda goes on till the very end). But the further I read, the more I learnt about them and it was pretty hard to dislike them completely.
We could see how Susan and her sisters were affected by her mother's death. I also liked the fact that Susan was no pushover. She bent for her family and made some concessions, but she was also wily and clever enough to maneuver them too! And I couldn't really dislike her aunt Kay for her role in Susan and Chris' break-up either, as she had cause for concern.
Chris was a great love interest (totally imagined him as Sam Heughan in my head, as it's mentioned that he looks like him) and he was pretty balanced too! He was hurt by Susan's actions and though he tries to hold onto the resentment, it's not easy to forget the good moments that they had either. And though he's a little rude at times, he was nowhere close to behaving like an ass, so it was hard not to fall for him.
And though the way Susan had handled things in the past might not have been great, it was quite refreshing to find that both of them were equally responsible for their mistakes. I loved watching them slowly let of their regrets and resentment while they grew closer to each other.
“Strange world.” Susan shakes her head. “Maybe that’s the blessing and curse of being a woman: we’re allowed— encouraged, even—to feel and express our feelings. We can get them out, but sometimes I think we get stuck in them too. We think about them so much that we just keep turning over and over all the things we did wrong and should have done differently, and how things could be so different and maybe better if we’d just . . .”
Though some might find the pacing a little slow, I think it suits this book and gives time for the characters to grow and learn more things. And the food descriptions made up for the lack of steamy scenes(which I was a little disappointed by).
In the end, this was a super-cute read with memorable and well-developed characters that I ended up loving! Can't wait to read more from this author!
*I was provided with an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
All Stirred Up follows the story of Susan Napier, who has come to Edinburgh to save the only Elliot's restaurant that remains standing, the one that was started by her grandfather. All the others have been closed down due to financial mismanagement and other issues. It's upto Susan to hold on to what's left of her grandfather's legacy.
But it's not just Susan who has come to Edinburgh. Her ex-boyfriend Chris, who's now a famous celebrity chef is back here as well and he plans to open his new restaurant. And he's not too pleased to see her, with the way she broke things off between them after her mother's death. Though she tries her best to avoid meeting him, circumstances keep throwing them into each other's paths. But will these two acknowledge their past mistakes and give into the attraction that still simmers between them or will they end up hurting each other more than before?
This was a lovely second chance romance with such amazing food descriptions! I think this is the second book that I've read this month that is centered around food, and it managed to make me hungry once again lol!
It took a while for me to get used to the writing (as the book is written in present tense) but I was quickly immersed in Susan and Chris' story!
And to be honest, I didn't really like most of the secondary characters at first. Susan's family seemed quite self-absorbed and I was prepared to hate all of them as they always expected Susan to deal with everything.
It was quite hard to like them when literally everyone from Susan's family to her friends expects her to fix things for them(and this kinda goes on till the very end). But the further I read, the more I learnt about them and it was pretty hard to dislike them completely.
We could see how Susan and her sisters were affected by her mother's death. I also liked the fact that Susan was no pushover. She bent for her family and made some concessions, but she was also wily and clever enough to maneuver them too! And I couldn't really dislike her aunt Kay for her role in Susan and Chris' break-up either, as she had cause for concern.
Chris was a great love interest (totally imagined him as Sam Heughan in my head, as it's mentioned that he looks like him) and he was pretty balanced too! He was hurt by Susan's actions and though he tries to hold onto the resentment, it's not easy to forget the good moments that they had either. And though he's a little rude at times, he was nowhere close to behaving like an ass, so it was hard not to fall for him.
And though the way Susan had handled things in the past might not have been great, it was quite refreshing to find that both of them were equally responsible for their mistakes. I loved watching them slowly let of their regrets and resentment while they grew closer to each other.
“Strange world.” Susan shakes her head. “Maybe that’s the blessing and curse of being a woman: we’re allowed— encouraged, even—to feel and express our feelings. We can get them out, but sometimes I think we get stuck in them too. We think about them so much that we just keep turning over and over all the things we did wrong and should have done differently, and how things could be so different and maybe better if we’d just . . .”
Though some might find the pacing a little slow, I think it suits this book and gives time for the characters to grow and learn more things. And the food descriptions made up for the lack of steamy scenes(which I was a little disappointed by).
In the end, this was a super-cute read with memorable and well-developed characters that I ended up loving! Can't wait to read more from this author!
*I was provided with an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
nixbix_reads's review against another edition
4.0
This was a sweet & enjoyable read. It was a good second chance romance, with the main characters gradually warming up to each other. The supporting characters are a bit two-dimensional, but most of them show some growth by the end of the book.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books & NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books & NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.
khairun_atika's review against another edition
4.0
What a dreamy story! This book is inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, and it is about two chefs in Scotland. That instantly captivated me. The story itself is as delicious as Susan Napier's desserts, with twists and turns that are a beautiful homage to Austen's beloved novel. The book is filled with lots of memorable events that makes the story even more compelling, and the secret that Chris Baker kept is as tantalising as the rivalry between the two lovers. I absolutely adored Susan's steadfast and caring nature, and especially how her family redeem themselves throughout the course of the story. It is a refreshing take on the story itself, and it makes the different characters more endearing. It is an assurance that there is always some good in every single person, no matter how deplorable they may seem. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves Persuasion, and stories about second chances.