“Fireball Friday’s “ is the first I have read in the Palm Springs Poolside series by J.L. Brannick. But will not be my last. The characters are interesting and complex but so likable. Definitely a spicier read than I normally like but the characters and story drew me in.

Olivia has childhood trauma due to her mother being an addict. Zeke is a former Marine several years older. Olivia has moved to Palm Springs to be closer to her older sister and start her new job. As she begins her new job, she finds some shady accounting practices and the company is not what she was expecting. Zeke has a Private Investigator business and a huge heart. He will do everything he can to protect her.

Unexpected but truly enjoyable read. Easy and fun with great characters. Highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley and Smart Mouth Publishing for this advance read. Coming out July 18

3.5⭐️

Fireball Fridays is a fast-paced, friends to lovers, forced proximity romance with a mix of fun and emotional depth that made it really enjoyable from start to finish.

The story follows Olivia, starting over in her hometown, at a new job, while dealing with some complicated family dynamics, specifically around her mom, and Zeke, an ex-Marine with golden retriever energy and a heart of gold. The close proximity setup and found family vibes made their connection feel warm, natural, and easy to root for.

There’s a lot happening plot-wise, with several storylines and emotional arcs happening simultaneously. I was initially worried it might be too much, but everything flowed surprisingly well and kept the story moving at a great pace. The banter was great and the chemistry felt authentic.

While I hadn’t read the earlier books in the series, this worked as a standalone. That said, I do think I might have appreciated certain dynamics or characters even more with more background information.

Overall, this was a quick, easy, satisfying read that balances fun romance with a few heavier emotional topics. I would definitely recommend checking content warnings before starting!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

4 ⭐️ 2 🌶️ for Fireball Fridays!
Goodreads review posted on: 07/06/2025

Zeke and Olivia’s story was cute and engaging. Zeke, a golden retriever Dominant and Olivia, a timid accountant and closet submissive work together to figure out what is going on at Olivia’s day job. This story has some interesting side character such as Harley (Olivia’s sister), the Martini Monday group, and Ava (Olivia and Harley’s mom). These characters helped add some depth to the story and explain the history between everyone. As the fifth book in the series, this was a standalone but would make more sense if the series is read in order.

Overall, 4 stars and 2 peppers for spice. This is a great read for lovers of the close proximity, family friend, golden retriever MMC, and age gap lovers!

This was like Fifty Shades of Grey b it marine style. I loved the e protective aspect and also the sweet romantic side of our MLC as well. It was such a fun book to escape into. I highly enjoyed it and hope to read more from the author in the future

Fireball Fridays, I was immediately hooked just by the title. I’ve read books for more flimsy reasons but as someone who partakes in Fireball Fridays I knew I had to read this book. WOW it did not disappoint, it was a quick read I finished it in a day and a half simply because I could not stop reading! I got sucked in from the beginning and I had to know how it ended. I truly appreciated the fact I could feel the adoration and love that Zeke and Olivia have for each other, the banter in this book is amazing. I love the sibling relationship between Olivia and Harley, this book deals with really sticky topics regarding family dynamics and how it looks when someone is addicted and not their best self. I love that Brannick herself is an attorney and has written characters in her book who are also lawyers and that it has an accurate legal take on things that this book talked about. I’m so glad I came across this book and chose to read it!

This book hooked me from the very start. The FMC Olivia and her sister have hilarious text conversations with great in person banter as well. I loved Zeke the MMC he is the perfect sexy, supportive and protective Golden Retriever. He kept taking care of her and was always honest and open which was refreshing. They were adorable together and I love the adorable dog.

The spice was on point but not over powering and it did add to some of the character development. I loved seeing such a supportive group of friends and how they welcomed Olivia. I can’t wait to read the rest of theLove the Poolside series. Can be read as a stand alone. Thank you for the advanced copy Net Gallery.

4.5
Another great addition to the series, they've gotten better and better.
Olivia's character growth was done really well, how she dealt with her 'work' issues and her mother, and opening up to her sister about things she'd been holding on to for years.
Zeke was the dirty mouthed golden retriever I knew he'd be

this is definitely adult with a a huge fireball of an adult label needing to be attached to it. its steamy and spicy and gives you some strong characters to get involved in. its a great addition to the series and can be read as a standalone. but if you like this one you should go back and read the others.
its fast paced and carries you along without stopping for breath. Palm spring poolside certainly has some gusto to give its readers.