Julia Martini had guts, the determination to buy her Uncle's bar and try and make it a success much to her father's disdain and all Julia wanted from her father was his approval. She sought it all her life but felt she never achieved it. Savannah McNally spent her life helping people. Her job was to help people. She was always looking out for her family and putting them first much to the detriment of her personal life particularly when she had to bail out her brother who had an addiction.
Georgia Beers has nailed the formula for writing lesfics. Her books have sassy dialogue. Her characters have great chemistry and her storylines are believable.  Shaken or stirred has all of that and is pure pleasure to read. It's just another boom that you can't put down. 5 stars.

I really liked the setting for this book and there is a good cast. The elder care and sensitive portrayal of dementia was excellent. The cousins are sassy and clearly candidates for their own romances. All of this worked, but the source of the feud was a damp squib and the other admirer just whimpered out, as did the situation with the brother. In cocktail terms, all the ingredients are there, it just lacks a bit of pizzazz. I have higher hopes for the other cousins because Vanessa is definitely more fiery and Amelia will need wooing. Oh and please, please can Dasher Park be real and why aren’t Americans drinking gin?

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a Beers fan, and I’ve enjoyed a great many of her stories, but I didn’t know how much I needed this book until I read it. There’s no big mystery here, no huge drama, no unrelenting miscommunication, it’s just a nice, simple story about two women who meet and fall in love.

This is book 1 in the Swizzle Stick series, about three cousins (Julia, Amelia and Vanessa) from a big Italian clan who are all gay and are also BFFs. This one features Julia, who has recently bought and renovated Martini’s, a long time family owned bar. The other MC is Savannah, a health care aide who also helped her father raise her younger siblings after her mother died and is still taking care of the family in various ways. Both women are lovely, sweet, interesting, love their families, they also have a lot in common and have great chemistry. I also liked that both women just had normal jobs, and no wonderful pots of money that could just smooth over their problems.

The book unfolds over quite a long period, and the two get to know each other a bit before jumping into bed, and all of their interactions were funny, flirty, sweet or heartfelt. I also ADORED Amelia and Vanessa, often when there’s a series I can be not so fond of/interested in one of the other characters who will be an MC but I loved both of them and can’t wait to read their stories (Beers pretty much telegraphs who they’ll be matched up with).

There’s also a lot of other side characters in Savannah’s BFF and family and Julia’s immediate family and they all add to the story, though I could have done with the second incident with Savannah’s brother. Julia’s workaholic tendencies were also a bit annoying, but they were supposed to be and I loved how her family and Savannah handled them. There’s also a weird tangent involving a regular at the bar that honestly could have been left out and the book would have been better. I also thought that the issues both women had with their fathers were resolved a bit too quickly at the end, but it’s a minor quibble.

What I really liked about this is that the relationship was given time to breathe, and amazingly, there’s no stupid (and annoying) breakup contrivance at the 80% mark. There is drama, even between the leads, but in all instances they (gasp) talk it through!

If you’re after a nice, sweet read with fun, sweet, interesting characters, then this should hit the spot, it did for me. 4 stars.

There was so much to enjoy about this read. Family, caring, friendship, romance, cuteness, love, slow burn, and a strong need to be embraced and accepted for who you are. The three cousins are fantastic. Who would not want them to be a member of your family. Vanessa is a full of happiness and life. Amelia is dealing with heartbreak. Julia Martini is a focused, hardworking recent bar owner with a strong desire to please her father. What they all have in common is love for each other and family.

This is the first of three stories with a focus on Julia. Her cousins say she has daddy issues and that truth unfolds throughout the read. Savannah McNally, is the ultimate caregiver. Her father, her sister, her brother and the folks she cares for as part of her job. This read had me thinking about what it takes to be present in a relationship. It takes effort, time and commitment. I appreciated the self talk with the slow understanding that some type of change needed to take place. The table has been set for a fantastic display of family, romance, challenges, and most definitely love.

I love Georgia Beers but this is not one of her best books. Just sort of bland. Starts out with "insta-love", and basically just stayed sweet. There was a little tension within the families and a terrible brother but basically just sweet.
Georgia's writing is always perfect and the dialog is crisp and natural. The two cousins are humorous, loving and helpful. I'm assuming there will be a book following with one of them as a main character.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars.

I don't think I've ever come across a book by Georgia Beers that I've not loved! Shaken or stirred is the first installment of her new series. And it was fab!

Julia Martini is the only girl in a house of boys, she works extra hard to get noticed. She's worked hard and is determined to turn her family's struggling bar around. All she needs to do is remodel, restaff and rebrand the place, work insane hours and ignore the ladies.

Enter one evening, Savannah Mcnally.... she also puts her own needs last. She's a caretaker by trade, she takes care of her widowed father, her brother who is as an addiction, and her little sister. As well as everyone else around her. Once her dad starts dating again, Savannah can focus on her own life for once, her career, her home, and maybe the bartender from Martinis, who she can't seem to get out of her head.

Like most of Georgia Beers books, you'll get the banter, the family feuds as well as the family loyalties and sizzling romance. There is great chemistry between Julia and Savannah, it's there almost instantly but there is also a slow burn there too as the pair get to no one another.

One of the reasons why I keep coming back to Beers books, there's always a good, solid relationship with families and friends within the storylines. Nearly every book I've read has always included these relationships. For me, it makes the book stand out, gets me more deeply involved, and keeps me turning the pages.

I'm looking forward to the next book

I was given an ARC for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for sending me an electronic copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Trigger warnings: Mild mentions of addiction, death of a parent, dementia, violence.

This book was such a sweet and pleasant read! Reading it went by so quickly, as you fall right into the slow, comforting pace of the book. There isn’t really much excitement in terms of plot, so if that is what you’re looking for you won’t find it here. However, if you want to read a book that will leave you smiling, then this is the perfect choice.

This is just a simple sapphic romance where a workaholic bar owner meets and quickly falls for one of her customers. The characters were extremely likeable, while still being flawed and realistic. The chemistry between the main love interests is well written, and they have great rapport with one another, without the romance or attraction between them feeling forced.

There were also some fun family dynamics in this book. The bar owner, Julia Martini, comes from a huge Italian family and her core group of friends/ family is made up of her queer cousins. The cousins were funny and interesting side characters, even if at times the dialogue between family members could seem a little unrealistic, and sounded overly scripted. I also found myself wanting to know more about the cousins, as we got fun snap shots into their life throughout the book. Luckily, they will appear in future books in the Swizzle Stick romance series - and I cant wait.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book!

Think cocktail but a sexy woman bartender/owner.

Julia has remodelled the family bar Martini's into a sleek and modern place - now she just needs people to come. She has a large Italian family, but family are not going to pay the bills. So she needs Martini's to be a success. She's a workaholic with little time for anything outside of the bar, and work-related tasks. So when Savannah takes time out to let her hair down with a couple of friends at Martini's, the last thing Savannah expects is to be making eyes with the sexy bartender. Savannah isn't really looking for love either, her plate is full with family commitments and her role as a home-carer for the sick and elderly.

Savannah makes all the effort in this one and whilst Julia is keen, her workaholic nature probably isn't that endearing, making her seem a little two dimensional or a little aloof even though the narrative has her being interested. There was some tension, again all within the close confines of the bar, until Savannah forces Julia outside her comfort zone.

Family dynamics were explored within both Julia and Savannah's family, as well as the long-term rift between their fathers which came down to young man egos (a tad predictable). The drama in this one was not a huge one, and was a little anticlimactic. It was great to see some characters other than young 20 somethings though. The book set the scene for the remainder of the series, with the two other female cousins who will hopefully find love.

Shaken or Stirred is the first book in a new series by Georgia Beers called Swizzle Stick about three cousins from a big Italian family. As expected, in this story she gives us two very likable main characters in a sweet romance. I really enjoyed it and was only disappointed when it ended because I wanted to spend more time with these characters.

I can't wait to get to know a little more about the rest of the Martini family in the next books in the series.

NB: free copy received for honest review

This is a light but entertaining lesbian romance novel. Our leads are workaholic bar owner and a home healthcare specialist, and I though Beers did a good job of making both of them likeable and sympathetic, and convincing as a couple, even as they had to deal with the usual challenges that inevitably crop up in a romance novel.

There's nothing ground-breaking here, but it is well-executed and should absolutely hit the mark for the target audience.

Julia Martini has recently bought the family bar and is setting out to transform it into a modern, successful bar. In order to do this, she devotes all of her time and energy into the bar, rather than into her personal life.

Savannah McNally has spent most of her life looking after her family following the death of her mother. She also looks after other people as a carer. Other people's problems always seem to come before her own.

When Savannah has a rare evening out at Martini's bar, there is an instant attraction between her and Julia. But can - and will - either of them act on it? Or are they both too busy to put themselves first for once?

This is the first book that I have read by Georgia Beers and I really enjoyed it. Both main characters are strong minded but also have vulnerabilities. Family plays a big part in the story and I am looking forward to other books in this series that feature Julia's cousins.

Thanks to Net Galley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Three cousins in a giant Italian family that bonded together closely in their queer pack are the core of book 1 of a new series from this veteran author. Shaken or Stirred centers around Julia and Savannah meeting up in Julia’s new bar and it’s so not the cliche you’re thinking. Leave it to the talents of this author to make this classy, sexy, and oh so tender. Looking forward to the rest of this series.

Shaken or Stirred was a short, fun, sweet, contemporary f/f romance.

I didn't feel massively invested in the characters and I expected the main conflict to happen sooner (and be bigger) but it was still a fun light afternoon read. The sapphic romance itself was sweet.

I will say, though, that it did bother me that the mc's brother said the d slur so casually? It totally threw me off.

In this book you meet Julia Martini, busy bar owner with a bog Italian family and a father she is constantly trying to get approval from. She has one goal, to make her bar successful, and she has no time or mind for anything else. That of course until a beautiful blonde comes into the bar and Julie can't seem to get her out of her head. Savannah McNally is a support worker who always puts the needs of the people she takes care of and her family before hers. That is why when she meets Julia, the hot bartender from a bar she should not frequent, Savannah decides to do something for her and get to know the very hot bartender. The attraction is there, but will it be enough to outweigh business decisions and family feuds?

It is always exciting when Georgia Beers has a new book. Specially when you learn this will be part of a series.

This book is so well written and engaging. Both Julia and Savannah are great, strong, complex characters which complement each other beautifully. I love the description of the cocktails and bar, I will definitely be making some of those cocktails. I also loved Julia's cousins and I cant wait to read the other two books in this series.

Overall this was a cute, easy read, not one of the best from this author but definitely a good book.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was thrilled with the information we are getting a series by G. Beers, Shaken and Stirred being the first book.
At the beginning, as Savannah's dad had problems with the Martini's I thought we were getting to read more conflicts and I have to say that I got a bit disappointed there, but in overall it is a well written and sweet romance, maybe my expectations got blurred by the blurb.

First of all, I love Georgia Beers, I read so many of her books and enjoy them every single time. When I saw this book, I couldn't wait to read it and I was intrigued by the title. I was not disappointed, the characters are well developed, the story is interesting and has a few surprises, the romance was a bit of a slow burn but I don't mind it, it made sense, it was not rush, I enjoyed every little bit of that story and will be looking forward to the next book.

So we're all a big fan of Georgia Beers, and there aren't many writers that are as consistent as she is when it comes to producing really enjoyable and fun stories as she has over the years. So I'm very excited that she is starting a new series in Shaken and Stirred. I don't think she has had an actual series since her Puppy Love books earlier in her writing career- and in my opinion she is an even better writer since then.

This series follows the Martini cousins- Julia, Vanessa, and Amelia and this follows Julia who has just reopened her families bar and is working day and night to make it successful. She meets Savannah McNalley and instantly they are very drawn together despite both leading very full lives- Savannah with her job as a nurse and taking care of her family as well. And to add some extra spice, there is some old family grudges from the McNalleys and Martini's as well that Julia and Savannah don't really know or care about- but their parents feel different.

This was a sweet little romance that was right up Beers' alley that I did enjoy even if it wasn't my favorite by hers. It was sweet and fun and I did find myself rooting for the characters and wanting them to be happy- but at the same time I just didn't feel nearly as wrapped up in either of them as much as I have been in other Beers books. I liked both Savannah and Julia, but I didn't love either.

Although I do actually really like the other cousins that will be featured in other parts of this series and I'm very excited for them- and I felt like this book is a great stepping stone into those stories that hopefully will draw me in significantly more.

I did like this book. It was sweet and a fun intro to a series I'm looking forward too, but it also wasn't my favorite either. 3.5/5

3.5 stars, rounded up

Shaken or Stirred centers on the romance between Julia Martini, a bar owner, and Savannah McNally, a home health carer. Julia, who bought the bar from her uncle, is eager to please her father by having the bar succeed. Savannah comes in one day despite her father holding a grudge against the Martinis and there is instant chemistry between them. But will there Julia's loyalty to work and Savannah's loyalty to family keep them from each other?

What worked really well for me was the chemistry between Julia and Savannah. I thought the romance was very well written and they were really good together. I also thought their relationships with their families were complex and well constructed, with Julia's tight-knit relationship with her cousins but strained relationship with her father and Savannah's complicated feelings about her job as family caretaker being taken over by her dad's girlfriend Dina. Julia and Savannah were both very charming. I thought the side characters, for the most part, were likable and well-developed.

The part that didn't work as well for me was the flow of the plot. I thought there were things that were going to be important that were dismissed pretty quickly and easily (Savannah's fathers' grudge with the Martinis, Chris the flirt), and I thought the big conflict happened a bit too late in the story, which caused the resolution to come a little too quickly. This caused the story to feel a bit unfinished, especially in terms of Savannah's brother using a slur and then getting arrested. Overall, though, I thought the story was very cute and enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review

Shaken or Stirred

1.5/5 stars

Spoilers ahead and as always check trigger warnings.

This is an adult book, so 18+.

I wanted to like this book so much but it just fell short. For one, the actual length of the book felt short, the ending felt rushed, the climax/problem felt rushed (and was so subtle- we got to the resolution and I thought we still had another hurdle to jump). Ignoring the pacing of the book and what the author considers a ‘problem worth breaking up over’, there was just a few weird messages that came across. 1) the author spends a good few paragraphs talking about how an employee doesn’t have the right look for the bar and makes a few comments about his appearance, 2) the poc rep wasn’t there (our love interest is described as having olive skin and is of Italian descent, so could still be white, and there are two side characters who are black) and this comes across in the author’s strange discussion on race (in a discussion between the main character and the only black woman, who is their best friend, they make jokes about ‘only white women and only black women’ being able to do certain things- like wear certain colours) and 3) that same character describes gay people as ‘you people’ in a discussion on the main character having a gaydar. These discussion give me very much “I have a gay/black friend, so it’s ok to say”. And then to finish off the issues with this book, 4) our main character’s brother drunkenly refers to the love interest as the mc’s “d*ke girlfriend” which is never mentioned again and is just brushed over?

At this point, I don’t even want to talk about how much I actually loved the way the romance was written and how sweet and warm they were with each other, because it’s ruined by those points I previously mentioned.

I gave this book 1.5 stars because I enjoyed the discussion around family and the romance was well written. Those 1.5 stars are generous in my opinion considering the other issues with this book.

I quite enjoyed this cocktail-themed romance. The main characters weren't looking for a relationship, but the attraction was undeniable and they made adult decisions getting into it. There wasn't a lot of angst. There was a buildup between the two families that felt very Montague/Capulet (view spoiler)

As someone who got into making cocktails during the pandemic, I even made myself some drinks along with the characters. I will say, I never thought that shaking a cocktail shaker for 30 seconds could be such a "hot" moment.

For those interested in drinking along, here is a quick guide to the drinks mentioned in the book. No proportions were given in the book so I tried to match what Julia was doing... Although I'll admit I never rim my glasses and I'm terrible at citrus garnishes.

Swedish Bear (I didn't try this, so no proportions)
Vodka
Dark Creme de cacao
Cream

Lemon Drop
2 oz tequila
1 oz sour mix*
1/2 oz triple sec
splash of lemon-lime soda
splash of fresh lemon juice
*Sour Mix = 1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups water boiled/dissolved/cooled

Cosmopolitan
1-1/2 oz vodka
3/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz cranberry juice
3/4 oz lime juice

Tequila Sunset
2 oz tequila
4 oz cranberry juice
1/4 oz grenadine
fancy garnish

(Julia's) Naked Martini (again, no proportions)
vodka
Godiva liqueur
fancy garnish


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.