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Rock Falls #1
Tinkering with Love
Dawson Shay could never be accused of being a bubbly ray of sunshine. Like, not ever. But her outlook on life has only gotten worse since she moved across the country for her dream job rebuilding motorcycles…only to lose the job to someone else. Now her run of bad luck includes a wilderness retreat with the entire company—including the asshat who stole her job. Fortunately, Tully Faulkner’s bearded, tattooed hotness is pretty much the perfect distraction.
Except, Tully isn’t just Mr. Hometown Hero, he’s also said asshat who stole her job. And if he thinks he can win her over with his ability to charm the pants off everybody else, he’s got another thing coming. But Dawson can’t avoid him forever… or the seriously hot sparks between them. Somewhere between the breathtaking northern lights and teaming up to win their company’s scavenger hunt, Dawson starts to think that Tully’s magic touch might be just what she’s been missing.
But even sexy gearheads have their secrets. And Dawson’s about to discover that falling for the too-perfect-to-be-true Tully might just backfire on her completely…
Except, Tully isn’t just Mr. Hometown Hero, he’s also said asshat who stole her job. And if he thinks he can win her over with his ability to charm the pants off everybody else, he’s got another thing coming. But Dawson can’t avoid him forever… or the seriously hot sparks between them. Somewhere between the breathtaking northern lights and teaming up to win their company’s scavenger hunt, Dawson starts to think that Tully’s magic touch might be just what she’s been missing.
But even sexy gearheads have their secrets. And Dawson’s about to discover that falling for the too-perfect-to-be-true Tully might just backfire on her completely…
Unknown Binding
Published June 20, 2022
213 people are currently reading
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About the author
Aliyah Burke
315 books986 followersA USA Today Bestselling author, Aliyah Burke is an avid reader and is never far from pen and paper (or the computer). She loves to hear from her readers and can be reached http://aliyah-burke.com/blog/contact/
Facebook, twitter, Instagram, or via email.
She is married to a career military man, and they are owned by 4 Borzoi. Her days are spent sharing her time between work, writing, and dog training/showing.
Facebook, twitter, Instagram, or via email.
She is married to a career military man, and they are owned by 4 Borzoi. Her days are spent sharing her time between work, writing, and dog training/showing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
May 23, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the chance to read this ARC. I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.
Ugh…I really should have loved this. As a California bay area-adjacent woman with a Triumph Bonneville and a sarcastic viewpoint on life, I should have loved this story, especially Dawson. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
What I liked about the book:
1. I really liked the idea behind this story. Enemies to lovers is a trope I love, especially if it’s grumpy/sunshine MCs.
2. I liked that there were a handful of characters I could see getting a spin off. Though, I likely would not read them.
3. I liked seeing an interracial relationship represented, though I felt more could have been focused on there, like the hurdles she may face as a black woman that Tully would not face as a white man.
What didn’t do it for me:
1. The writing style was not my favorite. It was very choppy. It had a lot of short sentences and complete thoughts were broken into multiple sentences often. It was pretty bothersome for me.
2. Ok, I hated his nickname for her was “legs”. I’m not against bodily names. In fact, I’ve quite enjoyed the nice, although slightly overused, brown eyed girl reference many of men have used on me. However, I am against bad bodily names: i.e. “hips”, “lips”, “legs”, etc. They do absolutely nothing for me. If you’re calling me “legs”, I’m calling you “d*ck”.
Oh and then he calls her grumpy in front of people. So she’s either reduced to a body part or she’s one of the seven dwarves??? No sir.
3. Tully falls way too fast. It’s like page 20 and he’s saying she’s the one without even having a normal conversation with her first. It’s one thing if I went into this book expecting over the top insta-love, like with my Cassie Mint books I love so much, but for it to come out of nowhere was bizarre.
4. Dawson ran so hot and cold all the time that I kept getting whiplash. No wonder Tully didn’t know how to handle her. She was also super judgey of everyone. Like girl, chill tfo.
5. Between his bet and her being pissy at him for taking her job unintentionally, this one was just a little too petty for me.
As a whole, this book felt very juvenile. I read smut, I get it, they can’t all be Tolstoy’s and Orwell’s. But this was a whole different level of insta-love and pettiness.
This one gets 2 stars from me.
Ugh…I really should have loved this. As a California bay area-adjacent woman with a Triumph Bonneville and a sarcastic viewpoint on life, I should have loved this story, especially Dawson. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
What I liked about the book:
1. I really liked the idea behind this story. Enemies to lovers is a trope I love, especially if it’s grumpy/sunshine MCs.
2. I liked that there were a handful of characters I could see getting a spin off. Though, I likely would not read them.
3. I liked seeing an interracial relationship represented, though I felt more could have been focused on there, like the hurdles she may face as a black woman that Tully would not face as a white man.
What didn’t do it for me:
1. The writing style was not my favorite. It was very choppy. It had a lot of short sentences and complete thoughts were broken into multiple sentences often. It was pretty bothersome for me.
2. Ok, I hated his nickname for her was “legs”. I’m not against bodily names. In fact, I’ve quite enjoyed the nice, although slightly overused, brown eyed girl reference many of men have used on me. However, I am against bad bodily names: i.e. “hips”, “lips”, “legs”, etc. They do absolutely nothing for me. If you’re calling me “legs”, I’m calling you “d*ck”.
Oh and then he calls her grumpy in front of people. So she’s either reduced to a body part or she’s one of the seven dwarves??? No sir.
3. Tully falls way too fast. It’s like page 20 and he’s saying she’s the one without even having a normal conversation with her first. It’s one thing if I went into this book expecting over the top insta-love, like with my Cassie Mint books I love so much, but for it to come out of nowhere was bizarre.
4. Dawson ran so hot and cold all the time that I kept getting whiplash. No wonder Tully didn’t know how to handle her. She was also super judgey of everyone. Like girl, chill tfo.
5. Between his bet and her being pissy at him for taking her job unintentionally, this one was just a little too petty for me.
As a whole, this book felt very juvenile. I read smut, I get it, they can’t all be Tolstoy’s and Orwell’s. But this was a whole different level of insta-love and pettiness.
This one gets 2 stars from me.
July 7, 2022
He’d suffered concussions playing both football and hockey, yet none of them had thrown him for a loop like she had. Dawson Shay.
2.5*
The blurb and the cover.. 5 stars. The actual story, 2 stars. Sadly this one was a case of, it’s just not for me. I really had high hopes, but I could not connect with this one and it was mainly because serious feelings started evolving for one character before they even had two conversations. I am fine with insta-love in many cases, but here it just didn’t work for me.
This is JUST my personal opinion. I do not want to discourage anyone from trying this one out, because all the pieces were there I just couldn’t get over the heroes quick intentions for the heroine. I think that if instalove works for you, this book will probably work for you!
AVAILABLE NOW!
*ARC
2.5*
The blurb and the cover.. 5 stars. The actual story, 2 stars. Sadly this one was a case of, it’s just not for me. I really had high hopes, but I could not connect with this one and it was mainly because serious feelings started evolving for one character before they even had two conversations. I am fine with insta-love in many cases, but here it just didn’t work for me.
This is JUST my personal opinion. I do not want to discourage anyone from trying this one out, because all the pieces were there I just couldn’t get over the heroes quick intentions for the heroine. I think that if instalove works for you, this book will probably work for you!
AVAILABLE NOW!
*ARC
May 14, 2022
Tinkering with Love is a great enemies to lovers and interracial romance. Dawson and Tully meet each other on their team building getaway week trip.
For Tully it’s love at first sight. He’s completely smitten with Dawson who’s totally cool and standoffish because Tully got the job that was initially hers. Tully has his ways and slowly but surely woos Dawson who tries to resist but in the end can’t.
Tully is a down to earth good guy. Pining over Dawson and shows her his moves and doesn’t hold back vocally either. He was so much fun. I liked Dawson too. She’s a strong and very independent woman which I really liked. Her being a mechanic was so refreshing.
The conflict was my main issue because it comes off as Tully is the only one at fault when he and Dawson have their falling out. In my opinion their both at fault and it all comes down to communication which I felt Dawson wasn’t very good at. The insta-love from Tully was over the top but the slow building in their relationship was able for me to not focus too much on it.
The side characters were terrific. There was many but especially Tully friends Mitchell and Linc stood out along with Dawson’s female colleagues Maria and Flora.
So despite some issues I still enjoyed it and Tinkering with Love was a good introduction to this new to me author.
*The ARC of this book was provided by Entangled Publishing, LLC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
For Tully it’s love at first sight. He’s completely smitten with Dawson who’s totally cool and standoffish because Tully got the job that was initially hers. Tully has his ways and slowly but surely woos Dawson who tries to resist but in the end can’t.
Tully is a down to earth good guy. Pining over Dawson and shows her his moves and doesn’t hold back vocally either. He was so much fun. I liked Dawson too. She’s a strong and very independent woman which I really liked. Her being a mechanic was so refreshing.
The conflict was my main issue because it comes off as Tully is the only one at fault when he and Dawson have their falling out. In my opinion their both at fault and it all comes down to communication which I felt Dawson wasn’t very good at. The insta-love from Tully was over the top but the slow building in their relationship was able for me to not focus too much on it.
The side characters were terrific. There was many but especially Tully friends Mitchell and Linc stood out along with Dawson’s female colleagues Maria and Flora.
So despite some issues I still enjoyed it and Tinkering with Love was a good introduction to this new to me author.
*The ARC of this book was provided by Entangled Publishing, LLC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
June 5, 2022
This won me over in the end, but I really struggled with the hero at times. Tully had good intentions, but his initial flirting and complete infatuation towards Dawson was too aggressive for me. It made me uncomfortable.
It's an enemies-to-lovers romance, but more one-sided with Dawson holding a grudge against Tully for presumably stealing her position as manager of a motorcycle shop. Dawson was quite petty, especially with her refusing to communicate with Tully, but I still liked her a lot. With a fiery personality and dreams of opening a custom repair shop, I simply loved her entire vibe.
Following two businesses joining as one, much of the story revolves around team-building activities in the wilderness. And it was easily my favourite part. It was so fun!
Overall this had a lot of fantastic elements, including a great small-town setting and a funny crotchety side character. If it wasn't for the intense insta-love, I would have enjoyed this a lot more.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It's an enemies-to-lovers romance, but more one-sided with Dawson holding a grudge against Tully for presumably stealing her position as manager of a motorcycle shop. Dawson was quite petty, especially with her refusing to communicate with Tully, but I still liked her a lot. With a fiery personality and dreams of opening a custom repair shop, I simply loved her entire vibe.
Following two businesses joining as one, much of the story revolves around team-building activities in the wilderness. And it was easily my favourite part. It was so fun!
Overall this had a lot of fantastic elements, including a great small-town setting and a funny crotchety side character. If it wasn't for the intense insta-love, I would have enjoyed this a lot more.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 10, 2025
dnf @27%
June 21, 2022
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
This one was just a miss for me. While I do think this book has a gorgeous cover and description that drew me in, and the fact that it stars a woman in an nontraditional career (something I love), it was just....not what I was hoping or expecting. First off, it begins on some fairly ridiculous premises. What motor vehicle sales and repair shops would actually plan and fund a WEEK-LONG retreat for their entire staff?! A business like that would never want to shut down for that long! Also, someone moving cross-country for a job without a signed contract?!
Insta-love can work, but it didn't in this case. And the fact that Tully immediately starts referring to Dawson simply as "Legs"? ew. No. And then coming up with a second nickname to use for her instead of just using her actual name??? Made me roll my eyes.
I thought about quitting this book but opted to skim and see if it improved. For the most part, I did not feel it did. I enjoyed the curmudgeonly, elderly farmer that Dawson befriends. But maybe it's telling that I liked him more than any of the other characters, including either of the main characters, who I never connected with. I honestly had trouble remembering whether Dawson was the male or female MC half the time since I thought both that and Tully were kind of ridiculous names.
I wanted to like this one, but it didn't live up to the description, for me.
This one was just a miss for me. While I do think this book has a gorgeous cover and description that drew me in, and the fact that it stars a woman in an nontraditional career (something I love), it was just....not what I was hoping or expecting. First off, it begins on some fairly ridiculous premises. What motor vehicle sales and repair shops would actually plan and fund a WEEK-LONG retreat for their entire staff?! A business like that would never want to shut down for that long! Also, someone moving cross-country for a job without a signed contract?!
Insta-love can work, but it didn't in this case. And the fact that Tully immediately starts referring to Dawson simply as "Legs"? ew. No. And then coming up with a second nickname to use for her instead of just using her actual name??? Made me roll my eyes.
I thought about quitting this book but opted to skim and see if it improved. For the most part, I did not feel it did. I enjoyed the curmudgeonly, elderly farmer that Dawson befriends. But maybe it's telling that I liked him more than any of the other characters, including either of the main characters, who I never connected with. I honestly had trouble remembering whether Dawson was the male or female MC half the time since I thought both that and Tully were kind of ridiculous names.
I wanted to like this one, but it didn't live up to the description, for me.
May 10, 2022
Okay first of all, this book’s cover is GORGEOUS-I’m well and truly obsessed with it. This book was cute, but it struggled to get to the point. The enemies to lovers/miscommunication love story at the heart was all sorts of steamy, but a bit too insta-love for my taste. I really enjoyed the main characters-Dawson was all kinds of bad bitch, and Tully is everything you wish in a book boyfriend, but I struggled with their relationship. The lack of communication between the two was BAFFLING. The entire reason for their “feud” in the beginning is never really solved/resolved. Despite really liking the two MCs together, I was left wanting answers and a whole lot more to the story.
I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC. All opinions are my own.
I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC. All opinions are my own.
August 27, 2023
This was okay
I liked that Dawson, our fmc, is a mechanic and that she is the grumpy one instead of the mmc.
I liked seeing Dawson pursue her career despite the obstacles.
I did not like Tully's nickname for her "legs" it was not sexy or endearing. And I didn't like the instalove from Tully it just came off as weird cause he barely knew her.
They went from zero to relationship pretty quickly and then we spend a lot of the book with them as a couple only for her to be unable to confront him when she hears about the bet.
And then they break up for a long time. I was surprised by this.
Eventually we do get the HEA, but this story did not live up to the cover which I love
I liked that Dawson, our fmc, is a mechanic and that she is the grumpy one instead of the mmc.
I liked seeing Dawson pursue her career despite the obstacles.
I did not like Tully's nickname for her "legs" it was not sexy or endearing. And I didn't like the instalove from Tully it just came off as weird cause he barely knew her.
They went from zero to relationship pretty quickly and then we spend a lot of the book with them as a couple only for her to be unable to confront him when she hears about the bet.
And then they break up for a long time. I was surprised by this.
Eventually we do get the HEA, but this story did not live up to the cover which I love
June 17, 2022
2⭐️
thank you so much to netgalley & the publisher for sending me an eARC!
i was excited for this book the moment i saw the cover. i mean come on!! just look at it 😍 the cover & the banter between dawson and tully were about the only things i enjoyed about this book, sadly.
⛔️⛔️SPOILERS BELOW:
it was hard to feel a connection to either character. i don’t know what it was but i didn’t care for either one. i honestly hated dawson at times with how rude she was to tully at times, especially because it was all because of a misunderstanding. i also hate the whole “bet” trope, so that rubbed me wrong the entire book even though it was tamer than others i have read.
i wanted to dnf this at 60% but at that point, i just pushed through to see how it ended. spoiler alert: i hated the ending. they got back together way too fast to me. even though it was like 65 days later or something like that, we didn’t get to see anything that happened in that time frame.
there were also so many times that stuff would happen but it was discussed after the fact rather than actually being on page. many conversations and what not would take place off page but be referenced on page later on.
lastly, the sex scene did not deliver. i guess i have just read so many where the fmc’s pleasure is prioritized and with the little we got, it wasn’t in my opinion.
this is overall a generous 2⭐️ read for me. i didn’t hate the entire book, there were moments i enjoyed or laughed at, but overall, it was a let down.
⚠️tw/cw: parent with drug & alcohol addiction, living in foster care system, infidelity (not between mcs), fatphobia, death of parental figure, parent with cancer
thank you so much to netgalley & the publisher for sending me an eARC!
i was excited for this book the moment i saw the cover. i mean come on!! just look at it 😍 the cover & the banter between dawson and tully were about the only things i enjoyed about this book, sadly.
⛔️⛔️SPOILERS BELOW:
it was hard to feel a connection to either character. i don’t know what it was but i didn’t care for either one. i honestly hated dawson at times with how rude she was to tully at times, especially because it was all because of a misunderstanding. i also hate the whole “bet” trope, so that rubbed me wrong the entire book even though it was tamer than others i have read.
i wanted to dnf this at 60% but at that point, i just pushed through to see how it ended. spoiler alert: i hated the ending. they got back together way too fast to me. even though it was like 65 days later or something like that, we didn’t get to see anything that happened in that time frame.
there were also so many times that stuff would happen but it was discussed after the fact rather than actually being on page. many conversations and what not would take place off page but be referenced on page later on.
lastly, the sex scene did not deliver. i guess i have just read so many where the fmc’s pleasure is prioritized and with the little we got, it wasn’t in my opinion.
this is overall a generous 2⭐️ read for me. i didn’t hate the entire book, there were moments i enjoyed or laughed at, but overall, it was a let down.
⚠️tw/cw: parent with drug & alcohol addiction, living in foster care system, infidelity (not between mcs), fatphobia, death of parental figure, parent with cancer
July 26, 2023
A charming enemies to lovers, forced proximity, reverse grumpy/sunshine, dual POV interracial romance that sees to rival mechanics sent on a company bonding retreat. This was a fun read and good on audio, I'm looking forward to the other books in the series and enjoyed that the female lead was a motorcycle loving boss babe!!
Steam level: contains open door spice
Steam level: contains open door spice
February 23, 2024
It could have been great but we don't rate potential. Dawson was fun until the world's dumbest grudge made it to be the main story line. Also the misunderstanding was just so dumb. We love Tulley being obsessed, but the way he also had his dummy hat on. Literally the grumpy old neighbor carried the second half. Love him💕
May 24, 2022
*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review *
1.5 stars
Overall, this was unfortunately a miss for me. The relationships in this blossomed way too quickly - especially the friendships seemed to come out of nowhere and suddenly they're besties?
On top of that, a central point of the plot, Dawson's anger at Tully, seemed so misdirected - why would you move across the country for a job that you haven't even signed the contract for and then be mad at the guy who gets it instead of you instead of the bosses who made that decision?
Honestly, the characters seemed a little shallow, and just hypersexualised without building any real depth - also there was barely any communication between Dawson and Tully, including the trope of 'misunderstandings that could have easily been resolved had they just had a conversation with each other but of course they don't they just storm off and sulk and avoid the other instead of gasp actually talking to the other person'.
Also, the caveman logic of Tully constantly thinking about getting her pregnant even before anything has happened between them and when he's only known Dawson a few days seemed really sketchy to me.
1.5 stars
Overall, this was unfortunately a miss for me. The relationships in this blossomed way too quickly - especially the friendships seemed to come out of nowhere and suddenly they're besties?
On top of that, a central point of the plot, Dawson's anger at Tully, seemed so misdirected - why would you move across the country for a job that you haven't even signed the contract for and then be mad at the guy who gets it instead of you instead of the bosses who made that decision?
Honestly, the characters seemed a little shallow, and just hypersexualised without building any real depth - also there was barely any communication between Dawson and Tully, including the trope of 'misunderstandings that could have easily been resolved had they just had a conversation with each other but of course they don't they just storm off and sulk and avoid the other instead of gasp actually talking to the other person'.
Also, the caveman logic of Tully constantly thinking about getting her pregnant even before anything has happened between them and when he's only known Dawson a few days seemed really sketchy to me.
June 22, 2022
There is Insta-love in which two characters have a really intense week where a lot happens and so their feelings progress quickly. Then there is THIS Insta-love in which the characters glance at each other once, then exchange five sentences of mundane dialogue, and suddenly..."I've never felt this way about anyone before. She's it for me."
This man literally doesn't know one thing about the female lead when he says this. He doesn't know she owns a motorcycle, he doesn't know she grew up in foster care, he doesn't know her family dynamic, he doesn't know anything about her hobbies or interests. 🙄
The writing in this book was...odd. As if the author is British, but writing American characters. 🤷🏻 There were some continuity issues and the writing was also really choppy at parts. This was literally a sentence in the book (its own PARAGRAPH, in fact): "Missed and proceeded to hit her head once more, sending another spear of pain through her head." That's neither a complete sentence or a complete paragraph.
There were also quite a few typos and grammatical errors (although I read an arc, so I'm not sure if those will be fixed before the official release).
There was really good chemistry between these main characters, but otherwise everything about this book fell completely flat for me.
𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐️⭐️
𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: Rated R / 1-4 descriptive sex scenes, may have harsh language.
𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦: parent with addiction, foster care
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗦: 2/5 - A bit of drama, but still a pretty light read.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
👇🏻𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗠𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘👇🏻
INSTAGRAM | YEAR OF SMUT CHALLENGE
This man literally doesn't know one thing about the female lead when he says this. He doesn't know she owns a motorcycle, he doesn't know she grew up in foster care, he doesn't know her family dynamic, he doesn't know anything about her hobbies or interests. 🙄
The writing in this book was...odd. As if the author is British, but writing American characters. 🤷🏻 There were some continuity issues and the writing was also really choppy at parts. This was literally a sentence in the book (its own PARAGRAPH, in fact): "Missed and proceeded to hit her head once more, sending another spear of pain through her head." That's neither a complete sentence or a complete paragraph.
There were also quite a few typos and grammatical errors (although I read an arc, so I'm not sure if those will be fixed before the official release).
There was really good chemistry between these main characters, but otherwise everything about this book fell completely flat for me.
𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐️⭐️
𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: Rated R / 1-4 descriptive sex scenes, may have harsh language.
𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦: parent with addiction, foster care
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗦: 2/5 - A bit of drama, but still a pretty light read.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
👇🏻𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗠𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘👇🏻
INSTAGRAM | YEAR OF SMUT CHALLENGE
May 20, 2022
3/5 stars.. Tinkering with Love is a cute enemies to lovers romcom. Dawson and Tully meet at a team building retreat in the mountains, and while Tully is immediately enthralled with Dawson, Dawson has decided she hates the man who stole her job.
Though I liked the overall premise, I found the lack of communication between Tully and Dawson painful. It was frustrating that Tully took most of the blame for the conflict, when Dawson’s attitudes and poor communication skills were just as problematic as the actual argument. The insta-love thing wasn’t my cup of tea either.
I liked that Dawson was into motorcycles and was determined to achieve her goals despite the obstacles in her way. Some of the side characters were very likeable and definitely added to the story.
There was a moderate amount of spice and it was a nice quick read.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley for providing this ARC.
Though I liked the overall premise, I found the lack of communication between Tully and Dawson painful. It was frustrating that Tully took most of the blame for the conflict, when Dawson’s attitudes and poor communication skills were just as problematic as the actual argument. The insta-love thing wasn’t my cup of tea either.
I liked that Dawson was into motorcycles and was determined to achieve her goals despite the obstacles in her way. Some of the side characters were very likeable and definitely added to the story.
There was a moderate amount of spice and it was a nice quick read.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley for providing this ARC.
July 6, 2022
I was really excited to read this book and it started off so good but it kind of dragged on. Like if they would’ve had one conversation while on the hunt a lot of the stuff would have been solved. This might just be me. However, I still like the story it self. I like the way Dawson interacted with people around her. She was good at seeing what people need. I just wish she did it with herself more. Tully must have been kind of an jerk as a teen it seems like everyone kind of love hated him. I don’t have much to say about him. He was cool and all I see where the author was trying to make him down to earth but I think he was a little too down if that makes sense.
Overall, I would recommend you give this one a try. It’s a 3.5 star read for me
Overall, I would recommend you give this one a try. It’s a 3.5 star read for me
June 2, 2022
A super cute and quick read, great for an afternoon. The characters are adorable. It’s a pretty typical romcom style story, but we love a bearded tattooed hottie over here, so points for that. We also love bad ass women who don’t take shit and that’s what we get with this one!
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 25, 2022
Thank you to the author and the publisher, Entangled Publishing LLC, for sharing an ARC of this book with me through NetGalley!!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
“You have to know that your biting tone and wit is just an aphrodisiac with me”
“This is a woman with secrets and lures he wanted to peel back and discover”
“I can’t stop thinking about you. I’m dreaming about you. And right now, all I want to do is kiss you”
Omg this book was just so good!!
I can’t count all the times it made me laugh or fell things deep in my stomach!!!
A beautiful romance with a plus sized, Poc main character and a Greek Adonis man, both obsessed over motorcycles, dealing with an unexpected attraction that has them share some bangers that were SO GOOD!!!
I loved reading every minute of it!!!
Their struggles through trust and their spicy times !!!!
People, you should check this one out !!!
Dawson is such an amazing main character, such a strong woman who shows independence and determination to get to what she wants and stand for what she believes is right!!!
And Tully is such a great love interest, a bit dumb and with a predilection for making stupid bets and decisions but a good one nonetheless … and the way he treats her ?? Omg I was obsessed !!! Give this man to me know !!!! The way he worships her body and her personality was amazing to read about !!!
I’m so glad I had the chance to read it and I truly can’t wait for it to be out !!!
“You’re exactly where you should be, Legs. With me”
“Fact, Dawson Shay. I plan on having my hands all over your body tonight. And my mouth, tongue and everything”
“Don’t you dare … I plan on looking at every gorgeous inch of you, Legs. Don’t deny me that pleasure”
“You have me, Legs. All of me”
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
“You have to know that your biting tone and wit is just an aphrodisiac with me”
“This is a woman with secrets and lures he wanted to peel back and discover”
“I can’t stop thinking about you. I’m dreaming about you. And right now, all I want to do is kiss you”
Omg this book was just so good!!
I can’t count all the times it made me laugh or fell things deep in my stomach!!!
A beautiful romance with a plus sized, Poc main character and a Greek Adonis man, both obsessed over motorcycles, dealing with an unexpected attraction that has them share some bangers that were SO GOOD!!!
I loved reading every minute of it!!!
Their struggles through trust and their spicy times !!!!
People, you should check this one out !!!
Dawson is such an amazing main character, such a strong woman who shows independence and determination to get to what she wants and stand for what she believes is right!!!
And Tully is such a great love interest, a bit dumb and with a predilection for making stupid bets and decisions but a good one nonetheless … and the way he treats her ?? Omg I was obsessed !!! Give this man to me know !!!! The way he worships her body and her personality was amazing to read about !!!
I’m so glad I had the chance to read it and I truly can’t wait for it to be out !!!
“You’re exactly where you should be, Legs. With me”
“Fact, Dawson Shay. I plan on having my hands all over your body tonight. And my mouth, tongue and everything”
“Don’t you dare … I plan on looking at every gorgeous inch of you, Legs. Don’t deny me that pleasure”
“You have me, Legs. All of me”
June 15, 2022
Tinkering On Love is an awesome read, I so enjoyed reading about Dawson and Tully. Dawson is a curvy bomb shell beauty who moves to another state for her dream job to rebuild motorcycles only to find out once she arrives the job has been given Tully. Tully is a super sexy bearded tattooed alpha male loved by everyone and his dream job is own his motorcycle shop. Tully has no idea that the job he has was promised to Dawson. Dawson has been given the job as manager of a car dealer instead and she is doing an awesome job. She’s not happy nor is it the job that she wanted but she graciously accepts because she needs a job. The motorcycle shop and car dealership have merged together with the owners marrying each other. Now the two companies are off on a team building wilderness retreat. Tully and Dawson see each other and there is instant attraction between the two until Dawson finds out that Tully is the person who has the job she was promised. I so love the camaraderie between the two. The chemistry is so hot and sizzling that the two need a to be cooled off. Tully is so into Dawson but from her point of view she can’t stand Tully but she has it so bad for him. Tully has wagered a bet of $10,000.00 between his friends that by the end of the retreat he will have Dawson and who ever wins the bet the money will go to the winners charity.
This is a fast past easy quick read, that is entertaining, drama filled, awesome characters, romantic, sizzling heat, great chemistry with an awesome plot.
What happens when Dawson finds out about the bet the Tully has made, how will Tully explain to Dawson that he didn’t know the job he has was promised to her, can Tully and Dawson set their differences aside to realize that they are the perfect couple and enjoy an HEA?
I received an ARC via NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC: Amara and I am leaving my review voluntarily. Thank you.
This is a fast past easy quick read, that is entertaining, drama filled, awesome characters, romantic, sizzling heat, great chemistry with an awesome plot.
What happens when Dawson finds out about the bet the Tully has made, how will Tully explain to Dawson that he didn’t know the job he has was promised to her, can Tully and Dawson set their differences aside to realize that they are the perfect couple and enjoy an HEA?
I received an ARC via NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC: Amara and I am leaving my review voluntarily. Thank you.
June 12, 2022
Thank you NetGalley, Aliyah Burke, and Entangled Publishing, LLC for this e-ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Oof. First and foremost, why is a supposed "team building" retreat mandatory? Is that even allowed? Is it even considered team building when you're being forced to go? And the trip goes on for a week? That just seems ridiculous.
I'm sorry but I did not like the characters at all. I'll start with Dawson, she's so indecisive and reading her perspective just had me wtf?! because Tully was right when he got frustrated because she could not make up her mind at all. A lot of it has also got to do with the writing style, which I didn't really like. I do admit that I liked that Dawson was a motorcycle gal and BIPOC, but that's about pretty much it.
On to Tully. First off what the fuck are those nicknames? "Legs" and "Grumpy," no thank you. He keeps repeating over and over again about how much he likes/loves her but I just don't really feel it, you know? I wanted to drop this book so bad because of Tully. He can defend himself all he wants but that bet was such a shitty thing to do. "I didn't even remember the bet." my fucking ass.
Overall, the writing style isn't for me, the characters aren't my taste, and the plot itself just felt super rushed. And, I want to add that the book gets 2 stars for the interracial relationship and side characters.
Oof. First and foremost, why is a supposed "team building" retreat mandatory? Is that even allowed? Is it even considered team building when you're being forced to go? And the trip goes on for a week? That just seems ridiculous.
I'm sorry but I did not like the characters at all. I'll start with Dawson, she's so indecisive and reading her perspective just had me wtf?! because Tully was right when he got frustrated because she could not make up her mind at all. A lot of it has also got to do with the writing style, which I didn't really like. I do admit that I liked that Dawson was a motorcycle gal and BIPOC, but that's about pretty much it.
On to Tully. First off what the fuck are those nicknames? "Legs" and "Grumpy," no thank you. He keeps repeating over and over again about how much he likes/loves her but I just don't really feel it, you know? I wanted to drop this book so bad because of Tully. He can defend himself all he wants but that bet was such a shitty thing to do. "I didn't even remember the bet." my fucking ass.
Overall, the writing style isn't for me, the characters aren't my taste, and the plot itself just felt super rushed. And, I want to add that the book gets 2 stars for the interracial relationship and side characters.
May 24, 2022
Tinkering with Love by Aliyah Burke was such a fun read. I did have my issues with the book but giving it anything under 4 stars wouldn't be fair. Due to the fact that I honestly enjoyed the book. I appreciated the fact that the FMC, Dawson, was a plus sized woman. She was every bit of sassy and funny; I just adored her character. I would have liked to have a little more character depth with her, but she was enjoyable to read.
Now, on to Tully, the male love interest in this romantic enemies to lover's book. I have a love/hate relationship with Tully. At first, he came off as aggressive in his pursuits of Dawson in this borderline cheesy way. I prefer my men to be dark and mysterious so maybe I didn't fully give him a chance but then the spicy scene came, and I was swayed. The author builds up this tension and when that scene comes it gets hot pretty quick. I realized then that Tully is just aggressive in all aspects including the bedroom. I suddenly didn't mind.
Their relationship and the book overall were fast paced but it didn't really bother me. I think that's what this story was meant to be, quick and enjoyable. I highly recommend for fans of a quick, enjoyable enemies to lovers book with some spice.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Now, on to Tully, the male love interest in this romantic enemies to lover's book. I have a love/hate relationship with Tully. At first, he came off as aggressive in his pursuits of Dawson in this borderline cheesy way. I prefer my men to be dark and mysterious so maybe I didn't fully give him a chance but then the spicy scene came, and I was swayed. The author builds up this tension and when that scene comes it gets hot pretty quick. I realized then that Tully is just aggressive in all aspects including the bedroom. I suddenly didn't mind.
Their relationship and the book overall were fast paced but it didn't really bother me. I think that's what this story was meant to be, quick and enjoyable. I highly recommend for fans of a quick, enjoyable enemies to lovers book with some spice.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 21, 2022
When Tully catches sight of Dawson he feels she's the one, she finds him attractive until she learns he's the guy that stole her job. Yeah, stay with me. Unknown to him and according to Dawson, he stole the job she desperately wanted. Instead of being angry with her employers, she's mad at the guy that got the job she coveted. This was unsavory and totally misdirected.
I didn't agree with Dawson but she was determined to give him the cold shoulder. Tully being the type of guy he was (extremely likeable) decided not to let Dawson's petty coldness overrule his decision to pursue her. When the Team Building Retreat was happening, I thought Dawson's attitude and actions was very uncool and non-productive to the spirit of the purpose of the Retreat.
Tully was all in while even when Dawson didn't make it easy for him which made it difficult to like her. Still, a recommended read because Aliyah Burke knows how to weave a good story.
Read It!
Netgalley/Entangled Publishing ARC
I didn't agree with Dawson but she was determined to give him the cold shoulder. Tully being the type of guy he was (extremely likeable) decided not to let Dawson's petty coldness overrule his decision to pursue her. When the Team Building Retreat was happening, I thought Dawson's attitude and actions was very uncool and non-productive to the spirit of the purpose of the Retreat.
Tully was all in while even when Dawson didn't make it easy for him which made it difficult to like her. Still, a recommended read because Aliyah Burke knows how to weave a good story.
Read It!
Netgalley/Entangled Publishing ARC
June 21, 2022
Was hard to finish
I found the book very hard to finish as I really disliked the heroine, Dawson. She was standoffish, rude, stubborn and judgmental. I really disliked how the author made Tully beg her for a a second chance when in my opinion both of them where at fault. Yes, he made a bet with his friends, however it wasn’t nefarious and the money went to charity. As for the job, he had nothing to do with it and she never told him what the issue was when he asked several times. If anything she lied to him and judged him from the beginning when he wasn’t at fault. I also didn’t like the message that somehow being beloved by the town was wrong, when at no point did Tully showed that he abused his privilege. His mother was a busybody and emotional manipulator. As for the “girls”, they were enablers . Being friends and supportive is great, however being honest is a must. They should have really called Dawson on her nonsense.
I found the book very hard to finish as I really disliked the heroine, Dawson. She was standoffish, rude, stubborn and judgmental. I really disliked how the author made Tully beg her for a a second chance when in my opinion both of them where at fault. Yes, he made a bet with his friends, however it wasn’t nefarious and the money went to charity. As for the job, he had nothing to do with it and she never told him what the issue was when he asked several times. If anything she lied to him and judged him from the beginning when he wasn’t at fault. I also didn’t like the message that somehow being beloved by the town was wrong, when at no point did Tully showed that he abused his privilege. His mother was a busybody and emotional manipulator. As for the “girls”, they were enablers . Being friends and supportive is great, however being honest is a must. They should have really called Dawson on her nonsense.
June 8, 2022
This book was provided by Netgally and Entangled Publishing for an honest review. All of the thoughts and opinions are my own.
I so wanted to love this book. It's enemies to lovers - work place romance and I LOVEEEE that trope. The premise was a perfect set up for all of the tension that it did not deliver on.
The couple had zero chemistry together, MC was all wishy-washy with the hot and cold behavior. She was giving me a whiplash from it. I get that she lost the job to him but HELLO SINCE WHEN IS THE EMPLOYEE THE ONE WHO DECIDES.
The thing I liked was the friendships that we saw build.
But overall the book was a major collection of things I had issues with
( believing the sleazy guy that you said you don't trust at all was the major pain in my head).
It just read majorly immature and disconnected.
2 stars ( and even that was a stretch)
I so wanted to love this book. It's enemies to lovers - work place romance and I LOVEEEE that trope. The premise was a perfect set up for all of the tension that it did not deliver on.
The couple had zero chemistry together, MC was all wishy-washy with the hot and cold behavior. She was giving me a whiplash from it. I get that she lost the job to him but HELLO SINCE WHEN IS THE EMPLOYEE THE ONE WHO DECIDES.
The thing I liked was the friendships that we saw build.
But overall the book was a major collection of things I had issues with
( believing the sleazy guy that you said you don't trust at all was the major pain in my head).
It just read majorly immature and disconnected.
2 stars ( and even that was a stretch)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2022
trigger warnings: foster system trauma, alcohol addiction, alcohol mention, sexual content, gun violence mention, infidelity mention
This book was corny as hellllll. I enjoyed it a decent amount but I felt a lot of the character building subplots either didn’t get the build up they needed or started too late and resolved too early for them to have the greater story impact the resolution of the book needed. I thought Dawson and Tully were fun and their chemistry was magnetic but it wasn’t given the time I thought it needed to really build to love. One week isn’t really making much sense for an i love you. Tully calling Dawson Legs as a nickname was a bit grating especially after his “I don’t treat women as objects” moment. Like yes you do sir you legit call her Legs. But whatever. Minor issue. It was sweet. Two solid smut scenes but the promised cunnilingus was never delivered. Sad.
This book was corny as hellllll. I enjoyed it a decent amount but I felt a lot of the character building subplots either didn’t get the build up they needed or started too late and resolved too early for them to have the greater story impact the resolution of the book needed. I thought Dawson and Tully were fun and their chemistry was magnetic but it wasn’t given the time I thought it needed to really build to love. One week isn’t really making much sense for an i love you. Tully calling Dawson Legs as a nickname was a bit grating especially after his “I don’t treat women as objects” moment. Like yes you do sir you legit call her Legs. But whatever. Minor issue. It was sweet. Two solid smut scenes but the promised cunnilingus was never delivered. Sad.
June 28, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked Dawson as a character but I honestly just could not get past the idea that a workplace would be encouraging their staff to get together? It makes no sense to me. And it's also never talked about or mentioned? Everyone from her friends and her boss are acting like it's a singles mixer not a work event.
I agree with other reviewers that Tully is just very aggressive, falls way too fast and calls her legs?? Like seriously?
I really wanted to like this book because I really liked Dawson and I love that she loves bikes and she knows her flaws and who she is, I just couldn't buy the premise.
I really liked Dawson as a character but I honestly just could not get past the idea that a workplace would be encouraging their staff to get together? It makes no sense to me. And it's also never talked about or mentioned? Everyone from her friends and her boss are acting like it's a singles mixer not a work event.
I agree with other reviewers that Tully is just very aggressive, falls way too fast and calls her legs?? Like seriously?
I really wanted to like this book because I really liked Dawson and I love that she loves bikes and she knows her flaws and who she is, I just couldn't buy the premise.
July 17, 2022
I received an EARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was so entertained by this book. I loved how hard the man fell for the woman in the story. He loved her from the instance he saw her and had to fight for her. I just love stories like that. I loved the cast of characters and how supportive they were. I loved Tully's friends and I hope we get more books that focus on his friends because they seem like they would make hilarious and fantastic main characters. I was hoping for more motorcycle vibes in this book. I feel like that aspect of it kind of took the back burner.
I was so entertained by this book. I loved how hard the man fell for the woman in the story. He loved her from the instance he saw her and had to fight for her. I just love stories like that. I loved the cast of characters and how supportive they were. I loved Tully's friends and I hope we get more books that focus on his friends because they seem like they would make hilarious and fantastic main characters. I was hoping for more motorcycle vibes in this book. I feel like that aspect of it kind of took the back burner.
July 26, 2022
Cute story but it was lukewarm, the passion was almost there but somewhere along the line, it lost its spark a bit. More so towards the end, cute ending though I thought there might be a trilogy or perhaps a book two, the ending felt rushed.
I am a big fan of Sunshine VS Grumpy storyline and it was a interesting take to have the roles reversed but it being the black woman as "grumpy", it rubbed me off in a uncomfortable way- it reminded me of the "angry black woman" stereotype too much even as I tried getting pass that. Same as how all her friends were yt women.
Would've rated it a 2 star but the cover is so beautiful so that gives it a 3 stars.
I am a big fan of Sunshine VS Grumpy storyline and it was a interesting take to have the roles reversed but it being the black woman as "grumpy", it rubbed me off in a uncomfortable way- it reminded me of the "angry black woman" stereotype too much even as I tried getting pass that. Same as how all her friends were yt women.
Would've rated it a 2 star but the cover is so beautiful so that gives it a 3 stars.
June 26, 2023
So far, Dawson is an immature weirdo. I don’t like her. Tully was cute, and the tertiary characters were all fun. The story is great and very original. But Dawson has a terrible personality and kinda an asshole for no reason. Tully is a cool character but he falls way too fast and referring to Dawson as legs irked me. The audiobook needed a male voice narrator and the narrator for Dawson sounded robotic.
The relationship goes from 0 to 60 but Dawson is so immature she fails to communicate that it’s too fast because she’s been hurt in the past and needs to pace herself. Instead of communicating like an adult, she overreacts to everything and is moody af.
During the “third act disaster/break up” that happens in every romance novel, she almost quits her entire job because of a man. Like who does that?? You need that job. What a bird.
Side note:We get it. It’s called a dark horse but after 5011 times you can just say motorcycle..
The relationship goes from 0 to 60 but Dawson is so immature she fails to communicate that it’s too fast because she’s been hurt in the past and needs to pace herself. Instead of communicating like an adult, she overreacts to everything and is moody af.
During the “third act disaster/break up” that happens in every romance novel, she almost quits her entire job because of a man. Like who does that?? You need that job. What a bird.
Side note:We get it. It’s called a dark horse but after 5011 times you can just say motorcycle..
August 3, 2022
New to me author Aliyah Burke writes an exceptional love story of self-discovery, real life emotions and connection in the midst of heartbreak. It's brilliantly written, with an engaging storyline, amazing characters that you fall in love with and want to know more about. The character development and chemistry between Dawson and Tully is passionate and heartfelt. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I laughed. I signed. I loved this story. Bravo to the author for showcasing diverse characters with real issues!! #TinkeringWithLove #NetGalley
June 21, 2022
Very good book really !!
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