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k8tlinbarajas's review against another edition
3.0
almost dnf-ed this book. i’m all about an enemies to lovers situation, but i felt like this book was just not it for me. would i read again? no.
lolasbooks's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 ⭐️
this enemies to lovers, forced-proximity, road trip book was so cute and funny. i loved the banter between simone and finn. their chemistry felt so real. also, finn’s golden retriever energy >>
i will say it felt a little long, and i would’ve liked to see more development in their relationship; i feel like we weren’t shown much of their feelings changing over time. also something happens at the end which i HATE (telling you would be a spoiler but you’ll probably figure it out when you get to it)
but i did love simone and finn’s individual development and the incorporation of their dreams was so touching. will definitely be reading more books by this author
thank you to netgalley for the e-arc :)
this enemies to lovers, forced-proximity, road trip book was so cute and funny. i loved the banter between simone and finn. their chemistry felt so real. also, finn’s golden retriever energy >>
i will say it felt a little long, and i would’ve liked to see more development in their relationship; i feel like we weren’t shown much of their feelings changing over time. also something happens at the end which i HATE (telling you would be a spoiler but you’ll probably figure it out when you get to it)
but i did love simone and finn’s individual development and the incorporation of their dreams was so touching. will definitely be reading more books by this author
thank you to netgalley for the e-arc :)
beachburgmom's review
4.0
A really fun enemies to lovers romance read……I thoroughly enjoyed this book and had not realized it was second in a series( I will be looking to read book 1 in future). It works well as a stand-alone and I really enjoyed the writers writing style so I look forward to future books which I believe was hinted at in this one. Fine and Simone come together with lots of emotional baggage on both sides, wanting to dislike the other but finding out that they actually like more about one another than they would have thought. Both vying to make their mark in this world through cooking and a chance to win a bit of help through a TV entrepreneur show and a big decision to make keeps the tension between them flowing. Thanks to a snow storm and travel being cancelled a road trip is suggested and so the story takes off with funny, silly moments, tender moments, angry frustrated moments and so much more.
I received a free copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own
I would recommend this book to friends and family and my book clubs
I received a free copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own
I would recommend this book to friends and family and my book clubs
kirstenellang's review
4.0
Big barbecue sauce flavoured kiss to NetGalley /Chandra Blumberg / Montlake for this book <333
OKAY SOMEONE LET ME SCREAM !!!
First things first this is the cutest little enemies to lovers/reality tv / THERES (not) ONLY ONE BED (that one hurt a little bit Chandra Blumberg we may have to have words) / cooking/romance book ever! I may need to buy book 1 to get a little bit more joy in my life. I want to consume buckets of bbq sauce even though I don't even like bbq sauce.
The middle and ending of this book I loved ! I'm obsessed ! I squealed ! The friends and family of both characters were my friends and family ! I want to hunt them down and adopt them !!!! TOO CUTE !!!!
My only criticism is that at the start it was a little slow to get off the ground, the beginning part before the reality tv bit came in was a bit like molasses (bbq pun!) to get through. But after persevering I got fed well!
More food based romance 2022 I am starting this campaign now ! Its the perfect combination because you know food IS love
OKAY SOMEONE LET ME SCREAM !!!
First things first this is the cutest little enemies to lovers/reality tv / THERES (not) ONLY ONE BED (that one hurt a little bit Chandra Blumberg we may have to have words) / cooking/romance book ever! I may need to buy book 1 to get a little bit more joy in my life. I want to consume buckets of bbq sauce even though I don't even like bbq sauce.
The middle and ending of this book I loved ! I'm obsessed ! I squealed ! The friends and family of both characters were my friends and family ! I want to hunt them down and adopt them !!!! TOO CUTE !!!!
My only criticism is that at the start it was a little slow to get off the ground, the beginning part before the reality tv bit came in was a bit like molasses (bbq pun!) to get through. But after persevering I got fed well!
More food based romance 2022 I am starting this campaign now ! Its the perfect combination because you know food IS love
mldavisreads's review
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Adult contemporary romance. This is second in a series but can be read on its own as well. Simone has come back to her hometown of Hawksburg, Illinois after years in Chicago. She is handling the day-to-day operations at Honey and Hickory, her grandfather's BBQ restaurant. She also has ideas about expanding the community businesses and making the town more of a shopping destination. Finn Rimes is a cook trying to sell his brand of barbecue sauces to finance his own dreams. Finn gets invited to sell his sauce at the local farmer's market and Simone freaks at the competition. They both get the idea to pitch their product on a Shark Tank style show.
There was a lot of great banter between the two characters, and I liked that they brought out the best in each other. The show situation added some tension and a bit of a timeline to their relationship development, and the road trip offered some forced proximity. The book did move fairly slow, but I enjoyed reading it and I hope there is at least one more story about Finn's friend Darius.
There was a lot of great banter between the two characters, and I liked that they brought out the best in each other. The show situation added some tension and a bit of a timeline to their relationship development, and the road trip offered some forced proximity. The book did move fairly slow, but I enjoyed reading it and I hope there is at least one more story about Finn's friend Darius.
carmelstrawberries81's review
3.0
Another cute book
The follow up Digging for Love. Some of the same characters
Potential spoiler but the main character has never felt good enough and she needs to prove herself so she's afraid to let someone in. She meets a guy that challenge her status of best in BBQ and she scarec bc she also has feeling. They both enter a competition. In order ro win the most join teams but neither wants to do. They get stranded in CA due to weather have to make it back MO/IL. During the trip the open up and the sexual tension I s thick. During the trip back it move fairly fast so you loose the back ground development and sort jumping all over the place. The main male character has abandonment issue and doesn't like rejection. Once they allow the walls to come down they get on the same page.
Which the book had more spicy but still good book.
The follow up Digging for Love. Some of the same characters
Potential spoiler but the main character has never felt good enough and she needs to prove herself so she's afraid to let someone in. She meets a guy that challenge her status of best in BBQ and she scarec bc she also has feeling. They both enter a competition. In order ro win the most join teams but neither wants to do. They get stranded in CA due to weather have to make it back MO/IL. During the trip the open up and the sexual tension I s thick. During the trip back it move fairly fast so you loose the back ground development and sort jumping all over the place. The main male character has abandonment issue and doesn't like rejection. Once they allow the walls to come down they get on the same page.
Which the book had more spicy but still good book.
confidentleeme's review
4.0
E-T-L
This was such a cute and hilarious enemies to lovers story. I think this was a perfect book to end the duo.
This was such a cute and hilarious enemies to lovers story. I think this was a perfect book to end the duo.
raya22's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
klcrabill's review
2.0
Stirring Up Love- Chandra Blumberg
(I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.)
Simone Blake is a boss, recently coming home to her small town of Hawksburg, Illinois to take over the family BBQ joint Honey and Hickory, but has bigger dreams to showcase several businesses in her small community. Finn Rimes is a BBQ sauce connoisseur, who dreams of providing individuals with opportunities they might not get otherwise with a culinary institute. Both value community but quickly find themselves involved in competition with each other at Hawksburg's farmer market, and then on the bigger scale on a television show. When they are forced to examine if they could work together, they learn whether they could trust each other to bring their dreams to life.
While the premise of the book is pretty clear, I feel like the story just doesn't deliver. Simone as a main character is defiant, not wanting to take any criticism, even if it is constructive, and consistently feels like nobody believes in her and is judging her. She is scorn by her past, especially after losing her job in Chicago when a former coworker sells her out. She does get some redemption by the end of the book, but it just feels like it is too little too late. Finn's characterization, however, was much more complete, which was redeeming, but it felt like most of the book focused on Simone which made it somewhat difficult to read.
The story was drug out and felt very disjointed, with the beginning of the book focusing solely on the famers market and then making a sudden transition to The Executives. I was no aware that this was a sequel book to Digging Up Love, so I am going to read that book and determine if I didn't get the flow because I had not been introduced to the characters before. I was also hoping for a bit more romance in the story; most of the book was characterized by Simone and Finn thinking each other was out for the other one. The ending was cute, but it felt like it was all tied up in the bow because that's what the reader would want.
(I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.)
Simone Blake is a boss, recently coming home to her small town of Hawksburg, Illinois to take over the family BBQ joint Honey and Hickory, but has bigger dreams to showcase several businesses in her small community. Finn Rimes is a BBQ sauce connoisseur, who dreams of providing individuals with opportunities they might not get otherwise with a culinary institute. Both value community but quickly find themselves involved in competition with each other at Hawksburg's farmer market, and then on the bigger scale on a television show. When they are forced to examine if they could work together, they learn whether they could trust each other to bring their dreams to life.
While the premise of the book is pretty clear, I feel like the story just doesn't deliver. Simone as a main character is defiant, not wanting to take any criticism, even if it is constructive, and consistently feels like nobody believes in her and is judging her. She is scorn by her past, especially after losing her job in Chicago when a former coworker sells her out. She does get some redemption by the end of the book, but it just feels like it is too little too late. Finn's characterization, however, was much more complete, which was redeeming, but it felt like most of the book focused on Simone which made it somewhat difficult to read.
The story was drug out and felt very disjointed, with the beginning of the book focusing solely on the famers market and then making a sudden transition to The Executives. I was no aware that this was a sequel book to Digging Up Love, so I am going to read that book and determine if I didn't get the flow because I had not been introduced to the characters before. I was also hoping for a bit more romance in the story; most of the book was characterized by Simone and Finn thinking each other was out for the other one. The ending was cute, but it felt like it was all tied up in the bow because that's what the reader would want.
dwon_reads_a_lot's review
The writing was not engaging and the story just not well written attention gripping.