*3.5 stars

Shaken or Stirred is the first book I've read by Georgia Beers and I am definitely curious to look up some of her other books as well!

The biggest part of the book takes place at Martini's, which is the bar one of our main characters, Julia, own and have just re-opened after some rebuilding. It's also where she meets Savannah, the other half of the love story, and sparks fly instantly between them. So yes, this is a F/F romance and I am so happy about that, because I think we need much more diversity in the romance books we all adore and love. (hint: please give me more recs!!)

I liked the fact that both Julia and Savannah are in their thirties, because it just proves that love can happen anytime no matter how old you are and where you are in life. Love is timeless and it's nice getting a reminder of that in fictional works as well, considering a lot of romance books is taking place much earlier in the characters' lives.

Both characters have trouble putting themselves first, in Julia's case it's the bar that takes all her time and for Savannah it's her family that always comes first. It was really sweet seeing them gradually open up to each other and start to lean on other people than just themselves all the time.

This was a cute and flirty read, I liked it but I didn't love it. The story felt a bit repetitive at times and a lot of side drama was going on that kind of took the spotlight away from the actual romance, which was a shame. Georgia Beers is planning to write two more books in this series about Julia's cousins Amelia and Vanessa, and I can for sure say I will keep an eye out for their stories.

Shaken or Stirred is wonderful romance.
Julia Martini comes from a very close knit family and has now become the sole owner of the family bar. As a business owner she works hard to make it a success leaving no time for love.
Savannah McNally works as a home health aide and is close with her family but there is some turmoil. After a long day her friends convince her to go out for a drink at the newly remodeled Martini. Once there she catches the eye of the gorgeous bartender.
Savannah finds herself stopping back in occasionally to catch a glimpse of the woman not realizing she owns the bar.
As the two make small talk and gaze at each other across the room they both realize they want more but how do they find the time?
Julia's meddling....or helpful cousins are on it to get her time for some fun.
The older Martini's and McNally's seems to have a long history of dislike for each other. how is this going to play into their building relationship?
Shaken or Stirred is a slow burning romance you will enjoy.

I am so glad Georgia Beers announced in her acknowledgment that this was the first novel in a series about the cousins Julia, Vanessa and Amelia Martini. Once I finished Shaken or Stirred I could not wait to see how Vanessa and Amelia find their own happy ever after.
I am a huge fan of Ms Beers writing and have her complete collection of books in my library as proof. This being said, I found a new lightness and some darkness added into this novel. Both elements increased my reading pleasure by adding more depth and nuance to the novel.
You will be happy to know that Georgia’s trademark humorous dialogue is there in full force. Julia’s internal dialogue also contains some laugh out load portions which I always enjoy in romance novels.
Julia and Savannah’s romance happened in quick time in order to deal with the later obstacles Julia firmly holds in place. Love or at least huge attraction at first sight does happen in real life and I found this scenario to ring very true by the deftness of writing style. I was quickly drawn into the story from the first page and enjoyed the whole novel as I hope you will too.

I was give a free ARC of this novel by Net Galley for an honest review.

*Time for a reminder. I rate books based on how much I enjoy them, not on how much I think they deserve*

Georgia Beers is one of my favorite writers. She has the amazing ability to arouse feelings with the most simple open and shut stories. Here she is doing it once again in “Shaken or Stirred”. In this particular book Beers introduces us to two lovable women who, with the help of incredible writing, you just can’t help but want them together. If you’re looking for a sweet heartwarming romance without all the angst and drama, then this is for you.

This book follows Julia, a new bar owner, and Savannah, a health nurse who takes care of the people she loves. At first meeting these two have an immediate spark, something that made me very impressed was the author’s finesse in doing this with so little build up. The atmosphere/ setting she created with that one meeting just by her writing alone is admirable.

We’re taken on an adventure with these two characters as they learn to put themselves first. Julia struggles to put her needs in front of the bar’s. While Savannah struggles to put her needs in front of her family’s.

I enjoyed this book. As I said before Miss Beers always manages to provoke feelings with the most simplistic and predictable plots ever and I always enjoy her books. To me they are the definition of a light read on a busy day.

However, I imagine for some people the simplicity of it all may be a bit boring. So if you’re the type of reader who enjoy thrilling, exciting and dramatic adventures, I feel safe saying that this book probably isn’t for you.

That being said! If you’re ever looking for a break from those kinds of things, then don’t hesitate to pickup a Georgia Beers book!

This book was exactly what I expected it to be, but in a great way. It was sweet, adorable, and full of wonderfully romantic moments. The relationship journey doesn’t really have much conflict, other than the issues surrounding the bar/Savannah’s brother, but that was more than fine by me. It was nice to enjoy the good times as opposed to worrying about the state of their relationship throughout. I’d certainly read more books from this author after this, and I’d recommend it. It did feel a bit rushed at times, and I wanted more from the journey, to delve deeper into their relationship, but it also didn’t feel necessary, I just loved Julia/Savannah so much. This book also made me want to become a bartender, so there’s that!