After one wild night together, two complete opposites plan to stay firmly in the friend zone, but life has other plans in this delightful romantic comedy, perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez. As a successful book publicist, Imani Lewis works night and day to promote her authors. It’s her dream job, but she’s become a total workaholic. So when her grandmother invites her to stay for the summer as she recovers from surgery, Imani happily agrees. But being back in the same small town as her one-night stand may not be quite the relaxing break she envisioned… Zander Matthews wakes up every day determined to enjoy the present because he knows from his time in the Marines that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. But he’s never gotten over the beautiful woman who blew through town a year ago, then disappeared. And he doesn’t want to be hurt again. So they agree to a deal: he’ll help Imani fix up her grandmother’s house as long as they stay firmly in the friend zone. Whether it’s repairing tiles in his ceramics studio, dodging nosy neighbors, or soothing the most obnoxious parrot ever, Zander never fails to make Imani laugh. And soon their friendly banter is turning ever flirtier. But since Imani’s stay is temporary and Zander can’t be tied to anything beyond the most tenuous plans, will she be able to handle it when things get all fired up?

• This romance was exactly what I needed. It was certainly the perfect read to start off the warmer weather. Plus, All Fired Up is primarily set in Buffalo, NY, which gave it an extra bonus since it's nice to see books set in New York without the setting be New York City.
• I haven't read a book by Dylan Newton before but I came to the realization quickly that this book can be read as a companion novel to Newton’s As Sweet It Is, which follows another Matthew's brother falling in love. While I can't speak on what happened in that book, Newton updated us pretty quickly on where readers were in the story. 
• Newton’s decision to give the two love interests a history with their one-night stand, which happens off-page, and give Zander unrequited feelings in the beginning of the book is not something I see often in romance. After all, it’s the buildup of the relationship that readers love. However, Zander’s feelings allowed the story to hit the ground running with cute gestures and longing glances right away. And while I don't think it would normally work, it definitely works in All Fired Up without taking away the development of the romance. Newton’s writing made the relationship believable without being cheesy.

• Speaking of cheese (haha), Imani is lactose intolerant. I appreciate the representation as I am also lactose intolerant. It was a great detail to add as I've never come across another book character with such intolerance. Newton built her characters on little details that truly made all of them, even the side characters, feel real and human.
• There’s even a pet parrot who talks. In terms of pets, readers have come across dogs and cats but parrots are rarer to come by in contemporary books. Every scene with the parrot in it brings me so much joy. He provides some great comic relief that will have you laughing out loud!
• This was such a lovely book! I can't wait to read more from Newton in the future. Just thinking about the book, several days after finishing it now, it still brings a smile to my face.