I loved Chandra Blumberg's debut, Digging Up Love, so I was excited for it's follow up, this time focusing on Alisha's sister Simone.

Simone has just come back to her home town, after leaving it for 4 years to get away. She's taking over the family BBQ restaurant she's just inherited and feels she has a lot to prove to the town she left to let them know she means business. In addition to updating the restaurant, she wants to expand it into an entertainment venue. She also doesn't like accepting help because she wants to prove she can do it on her own.

Finn is a chef who wants to open a no-profit cooking school for those who are underprivileged or low income. He was an orphan who bounced around from home to home until someone finally gave him a chance and now he wants to do that for others. He starts by selling his homemade BBQ sauce.

Simone and Finn get off on the wrong foot and end up on the same reality show, similar to Shark tank, to try to get investors. Those investors see their heated chemistry and want them to work together. All or nothing. They have a week to decide, but end up getting stranded at the airport. Finn decides to rent a car and invite Simone to join him. He figures it'll give him a chance to prove that she should take a chance on him. What could go wrong?

I enjoyed this book even more than the first. Simone is sassy and Finn is sweet and I loved the banter between them. They balance each other out. They're both trying to prove their worth in the face of loss and abandonment. Simone wants to prove herself and needs to be able to trust. Finn needs to feel chosen. Being in forced proximity helps them see each other in a new light and helps them find acceptance in each other.

Thank you to Montlake Publishing and NetGalley. I voluntarily reviewed an early copy of this book.
4.5 Stars

I loved the enemies to lovers vibe in this story.
The banter was so hilarious and on point and the antics were just perfectly placed.
There’s plenty of chemistry and sparks between them that kept me invested in this love story and I was getting hungry with each new chapter, sort of..

A perfect summer read for anyone looking forward to get lost in a world of romance.

Such a cute fun little read!
I loved it, it was simply fantastic.
The characters are written so brilliantly it made it a very entertaining read.
The plot is funny, easy to follow and well thought through
Definitely worth the read!

I admit that I was intrigued as soon as I first read the blurb of Stirring Up Love. I always enjoy a good contemporary romance story with a food element, and the enemy-to-lover trope can be great fun when done right. I loved the sound of the barbecue sauce war and the characters seemed like they would be easy to like, so I fully expected to have a great time with this story even though I hadn't read the first book of the series. Sadly, the complete opposite happened and I ended up struggling considerably with this story. I'll try to explain briefly why this book wasn't for me below.

First of all, I do have to say that I still love the premise of the story with the two characters trying to sell their barbecue sauce to finance their dreams, and the reality TV element was another bonus. I also always love a road trip story, and this was probably the main reason I kept reading as I liked the descriptions of the places where they stopped (although I would have liked more of those). BUT. I ended up having considerable issues with certain aspects of the plot, and I even came close to DNFing it more than once. In fact, I confess that I started skimreading well before the halfway mark, because I simply wasn't enjoying my time with this story and characters. Why?

One of the main issues I had with this story is that I simply couldn't like neither of the main characters. The story is told with a dual POV structure, switching between Simone and Finn. I initially thought that they had potential, but as soon as I started to get to know them better, there was just something about them that put me off. This might have been due to how they handle things and how a simple conversation could have avoided all the trouble they went through... But it also had to do with another issue: I wasn't a fan of how the whole enemy-to-lover trope was developed. The banter felt too forced and I didn't think that especially the enemy part of the relationship was done realistically. Instead, they seemed like two horny teenagers trying to be angry, but being too hot and bothered to really try as they preferred jumping each other. And then ding, ding, issue number three: the sexy scenes. Cringeworthy is an understatement, and they only made me like the story and the characters less and less.

All in all Stirring Up Love and me definitely didn't get along despite the fact that I usually love road trip stories and contemporaries with a food element. I wasn't a fan of how the enemy-to-lover trope was developed and the sexy scenes were a huge turn off, but I do know that romance fans might have a better time with this story than me. Don't give up on it on my account if you think it's your cup of tea!

i enjoyed “digging up love” so much that i was super excited to get into simone’s story and it did not disappoint! it’s filled with plenty of delicious bbq foodie talk and the banter i love in any good enemies-to-lovers trope. the cherry on top was the appearances of some of my favorite characters from “digging up love!” this is a stand alone novel but knowing the names of everyone from the previous plot made reading this one more enjoyable. i was transported back to hawksburg and i loved it!

i was a big fan of the pacing of this novel! falling in love doesn’t happen over night and i thought the plot was neither rushed nor stalled. it spans over the entire summer plus into the fall and winter as simone and finn figure out how to make each of their dreams a reality. i loved the dynamic between these two… their forced proximity led them into loads of fun adventures that kept me on my toes. but my absolute favorite part of this novel was its ending. all loose ends were tied up, leaving my heart full and extra happy

Thank you #NetGalley for the eARC copy!!


The book was set in a small town, following our two mc's Simone and Finn - both in the food industry.
Simone, returns to her small-town to run her grandfather’s barbecue restaurant. Her plan is to sell the gramp’s restaurant’s signature sauce as she wants to put her hometown on the map and she’s not about to let anyone or anything stop her from making it especially not her rival from nearby town , sexy chef with a sexy grin, chef Finn Rimes.

the povs of characters were well written and I also like the characters but the plot was pretty unbelievable😅
overall, it was a fun read but somehow this book wasn't it for me'

Read it if you like- enemies to lovers, banters and food. small town romance etc



#StirringUpLove #ChandraBlumberg

I loved so much about this rivals to lovers romance: the characters, the banter, the chemistry. But what truly drew me in is the world that Chandra has created for these characters. I have a soft spot for small-town stories, probably because I grew up in one. But many of those stories tend to exclude Black and brown characters. Reading about Simone's family, the farmer's market, her family BBQ business, and the close nature of the community spoke directly to my heart in so many ways. If you're looking for a sweet romance sprinkled with electric banter and delicious food descriptions, this one is for you.

What could go better than a world-famous BBQ restaurant, a love story, and a reality show? Nothing. Chandra Blumberg is an amazing writer who is one to watch and going places. This one was fabulous and I loved the family dynamics and finding love in unexpected places. A great summer read!

Watch my Amazon Live interview with Chandra here: https://amazon.com/live/broadcast/2b92ec70-3c79-4389-a4be-f7f69f377545?tag=erinmbransco-20&linkCode=ilv&ref_=social

Stirring Up Love was a DNF at 30% for me. Simone was just too immature. The whole rivalry made no sense to me because a normal adult wouldn’t have responded the way she did to Finn setting up a booth at the farmer’s market. Finn was a better character, but he wasn’t likeable enough for me to continue this book.
Thanks NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.

I love books with foods and road trips so I wasn't shocked that I enjoyed reading this book. Stirring up love was a romantic and funny at the same time. I wasn't feeling the romance at first but it progresses eventually. Definitely loved the forced proximity between Finn and Simone. I didn't regret reading this book.

Stirring up love is the perfect romcom for food lovers, but I strongly recommend having some snacks handy when diving into it. It had some of my favourite tropes amazingly mixed, with the perfect amount of cheesiness, banter and serious and intimate moments. The evolution of the characters was amazing, and I loved seeing their interactions. It definitely is a book I will recommend!

Like a good barbecue sauce, "Stirring Up Love" is sweet, tangy, and has the perfect amount of heat. Small town romance fans will adore watching Simone and Finn fall in love.

3/5 - #2 of Taste of Love; Will be available on Kindle Unlimited after Release (7/26/2022)

So I think I enjoyed this book a little less than the previous book, but I think that’s because while we got a very combative enemies-to-lovers, it was cleaner of a romance than book one. It also took like ¼ of the book to get to the main plot of the book – the road trip + determining if they will agree to The Executives deal. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the final act break up for this book, and the ending seemed pretty rushed, but it was balanced out with getting to read the book one couple (Alisha and Quentin) get married. Overall, it was very iffy for me, and no overall positive or negative thoughts looking back at it.

So one of my few qualms with this book was there was no spice. Which is fineeee, EXCEPT, book one had spice so I was expecting it in book too, and all we got was like 2 minute kissing scenes.

Brief Plot: When Finn and Simone meet at a small farmer’s market both selling BBQ sauce, a rivalry immediately begins. Now, months later, still not getting along, they both enter their professional aspirations into a “shark Tank”-esque TV show for investor endorsement. When they are given a deal to work together, they spend a multi-day car ride to decide whether this deal is worth it or not. Oh, and obviously they, as enemies, have some underlying chemistry to deal with as well!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I wasn't sure what to make of this book in the beginning. They had a really cute rivalry at the market, but then it skipped 6 months so I feel like I missed all the faraway looks and interactions. Then they got stuck together and things heated up.
Overall, it was a wonderful book with lots of amazing feel good moments. Finn is just adorable, and reminds me of all the wonderful kids out there that deserve more in life. Simone was the perfect character to complement him, and I grew to like her more and more as the story progressed.
The story is based on a unique and entertaining idea, and will be long remembered.
4.5 stars

After doing her time in corporate Chicago, Simone Blake returns to small-town Illinois to tackle a new venture: putting her home town on the map by promoting her grandfather's restaurant and it's signature sauce. But she has competition from Finn Rimes! Not winning in the local farmers' market, she enters a reality show only to come face to face with Finn on the show. Their feud simmers attraction and viewer hooked.

What instantly appealed about this book was Simone finding purpose back in her hometown after a stint in the big city. I'm currently in corporate NYC and eventually want to leave so it is fun to read about people who have done this and picked up an entire new passion! Simone and Finn were loveable characters individually. Their personalities shone through and you were rooting for each individual to have success from the beginning.

My main gripe with the book was the jump in time. I was thoroughly enjoying the cozy small town vibe, farmers market feud and their applications for the reality show. We then were rushed, skipped months and they were both on the show with no visibility into how they had been "battling it out" each week at the markets. I think this would have helped build the (romantic) tension between the two of them. I felt I was told about their rivalry more than shown it which led me to be more invested in their individual development and success rather than them getting together.

Overall, I really liked the concept and thought it was a fun read. Sadly, was a little too disjointed for me. This was my first book by the author.

3.5 Stars

A book with enemies to lovers trope, road trips and forced proximity.

Simone Blake wanted to take over her grandfather’s restaurant and want to the restaurant in the local farmer’s market for that she has to prove her worth. Finn wanted to sell his homemade barbecue sauce Finn’s Secret Sauce.

The book started off slowly but as the plot progressed, I started liking it.

At first, I didn’t like Simone Blake, but by the end, I started liking her. Finn was a likeable character from the beginning.

Simone and Finn’s bickering was entertaining but could have been more chemistry between them.

The road trip part is my favourite in the book.

Overall I liked reading this book.

At first I found it hard to get into the book, probably because I hadn’t read the first book (which I will be 100% reading in the future). The whole enemies to lovers was amazing how each character went at one another I loved it. The point of views of characters was very well wrote too - you can quite tell how good the writer is at her work and it reflects her passion. I had every feeling reading this book and I can’t wait to read more of Chandra’s books! As I said at the start maybe because I haven’t read the first book that’s why it was slow to understand but other than that a food romance you definitely need to read!

Rivals to lovers AND barbeque?! Sign me up!

Competing for the place of best barbeque at the farmers market, Simone and Finn establish a rivalry for the ages. When that rivalry breeds attraction, and the two must reconcile with their feelings of both hatred and love for one another.

This was such a fun novel with great banter, an engaging plot and a lovely romance. I definitely found Simone to be real and relatable, which is one of the most important things to me when it comes to romance novels. I need to connect with the characters in a way that makes the story feel like more than a story and Blumberg definitely accomplished that.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

What’s better then reading a enemies to lovers story with a touch of forced proximity thrown into it? Nothing.
This is a road trip kind of book within the story. It’s honestly really really cute. I loved it.

I just have to say I felt like this was a bit slow when it came to development. The relationship felt like it happened kind of quick to me and I would of enjoyed it more if it went a bit more slow but not slow burn slow.

Overall. I enjoyed reading about Simone and Finn.

Thank you NetGalley for this e-arc!

This one was just okay for me. It wasn’t my favorite but it wasn’t the worst either. It kept me interested, but it didn’t have that wow factor I like in my books. A tad predictable, but okay.