December 1, 2023
Aspiring craft beer brewer Kat Malone has always taken a backseat in relationships, with her relatives as well as with her ex. Fortunately, she's formed a found family at Resistance Brewpub in Chicago, where she works as a server. It's the kind of place that caters to misfits and gives Kat a chance to apprentice with the brewmaster. All that is about to change, however, when the owners suddenly reveal that an unexpected event has forced them to sell their beloved brewpub to an investor whose hot yet obnoxious son, Ryan, plans to fully revamp Resistance in a way that goes against everything it has stood for. But Ryan needs Kat's help. Can she put aside her needs, once again, and team up with Ryan to save Resistance? The novel's steamy moments happen behind closed doors, but the chemistry of the two main characters is enough to keep this romance chugging ahead to its happy-ever-after. VERDICT Jayne (author of Lady and the Camp under the name Stephanie J. Scott) has found a unique niche with the brewing angle; beer aficionados and romance readers alike will enjoy learning about the brewing process just as much as Kat does in this enemies-to-lovers romance.--Kara Kohn
Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
February 12, 2024
Jayne (Miss Humbug, written as Stephanie J. Scott) serves up a satisfying workplace romance between an aspiring brewer and her grumpy yet smoldering new boss. Chicago’s eccentric Resistance Brewpub is a neighborhood staple and the staff has become waitress Kat’s de facto family while her parents put all their care into her younger sister, Karrie, who has lupus. When, in the middle of a shift, Kat learns via Instagram that her ex and his new flame are expecting a baby, she throws her phone in frustration and it hits a costumer—who later turns out to be her new boss, Ryan. The bar’s former owner, Joe, promised to give Kat a shot as a full-time brewer, but Ryan’s less amenable to the idea. He’s determined to turn Resistance Brewpub around and prove himself to his father, who always compares him unfavorably to his late brother. Ryan and Kat get off on the wrong foot, but their bickering eventually gives rise to crackling chemistry. Jayne makes the couple’s enemies-to-lovers vibe sing, revealing each of them to be complex, multidimensional characters. The author should win plenty of new fans with this.