Gravity by Liz Crowe

Out of the ashes of ruined lives they finally find love.

When Brock Fitzgerald is welcomed back into his family thanks to the sympathy of his sister-in-law Evelyn and the tolerance of his twin brother Austin, he understands that this may be the best he’ll ever get for himself. Years spent partying, drinking and screwing his way through life have left him drained, exhausted and accepting of his many weaknesses. He’s grateful for the second chance he’s been offered, even as he continues to battle his demons, including one that leads him back into co-dependency with his oldest girlfriend.

Kayla Hettinger never imagined that once she declared herself clean after several near-overdoses of opiates she’d find herself tending bar for her brother’s fiancée Melody, and enjoying what life she’d managed to build. When she strikes up a friendship with Brock over shared experiences and ginger ale, she discovers something needier and more frightening inside herself—and in Brock—than either of them feels equipped to handle.

Breaking through the clutter of addiction and despair only to find your soulmate waiting on the other side seems like the stuff of fairy tales—until Brock and Kayla accept that being dependent on one another is the only way they’ll survive.

Reader Advisory: This book contains mentions of self-harm, references to child and adult sexual abuse, and addiction.

Book 4
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/F Romance
Triggers: Addiction, Recovery, Self-Injury, past abuse

This has been the most honest, real, almost gritty story in the series thus far.

Kayla is recovering, but struggling with her ability to let things go. She wants to have a good relationship with her brother, Trent, but with her past, feelings and thoughts are constantly bombarding her. She copes as best she can, but when she finds herself slipping, she reaches out to Brock.

Brock has his own mess of issues. Caroline being a large one. I just really couldn't like her at all – she was a major ick for me in this book. Brock is also recovering from his own addictions and while he knows that he should not be wanting things from Kayla, it isn't until he learns the extent of her abuse that he really falls low.

Both characters' brothers meddle when they probably shouldn't, but it gives the story a much more realistic feel.

I really liked this story and despite all of the miscommunications, doubts, and struggles, loved the result.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is the fourth book in the series and I highly recommend that you read them in order, as themes and people carry forward and are key to the story. I have to say that I have loved them all – but this one... well it is a very special book indeed. The way that it deals with two damaged souls is beautiful. They have both been through the rehab route, and now both strive to be better for themselves and their families. Ms. Crowe has done an amazing job of bringing to life the way both of them think and act – and whilst their everyday is affected by the addictions, their underlying personalities are given a chance to shine through.

I love that the story moves forward with our previous couples too. We even get to enjoy Trent's wedding to Melody. This romance brings together two new brewery employees – Austin's twin brother, Brock, and Trent's long lost sister, Kayla. And whilst they navigate the tumultuous waters of attraction, we can only hope that the barriers in their way will give way and give them a much deserved chance of happiness.

There are so many themes which make this special, I can only suggest that you read it and see what an amazing story Ms. Crowe has created.

Also Available in the Brewing Passion Series

Book 1
Buy Links

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B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Totally Bound

For reviews & more info, check out our Tapped post.

Book 2
Buy Links

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B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Totally Bound

For reviews & more info, check out our Lightstruck post.

Book 3
Buy Links

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B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Totally Bound

For reviews & more info, check out our Conditioned post.

Book 3.5
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For reviews & more info, check out our Adjunct Lovers post.

Amazon best-selling author, mom of three, Realtor, beer blogger, brewery marketing expert, and soccer fan, Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville currently living in Ann Arbor. She has decades of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as a three-continent, ex-pat trailing spouse.

With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, in successful real estate offices and at times in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are unique and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, frustrate and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

Don’t ever ask her for anything “like a Budweiser” or risk bodily injury.

Connect with Liz

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Gravity (Brewing Passion #4) by Liz Crowe to read and review.

Adjunct Lovers by Liz Crowe

A brew that brings two lovers full circle.

When Ross and Elisa open their new business in Detroit, they believe they’ve embarked on a dream life, complete with their beloved, precocious daughter. But owning and running a restaurant is not for the faint of heart and Elle quickly becomes laser-focused and obsessed, while Ross spends his days consulting, or concocting new beers on his pilot system—and wondering why she won’t agree to set a date for their wedding. When their restaurant—named ‘Komfort’ for its focus on the comfort foods of various cultures—is featured on a nationally televised tour of hot new eateries, its popularity shoots into the stratosphere and Elle’s stress level reaches a breaking point.

Faced with a mutual inability to communicate beyond their robust sex life, Ross issues an ill-considered ultimatum—the restaurant or him. Stunned when she refuses to consider such a ridiculous demand, he’s forced to come to terms with his own selfish tendencies. Hoping to repair the damage he’s done, he concocts a new beer inspired by her, using a recipe for a classic German-style Kölch. He crafts the final product using a special ingredient designed to catch Elle’s attention. It does. But not necessarily the way he’d planned.

Reader Advisory: This book includes a scene of mild peril for a child.

Publisher's Note: This book is linked to the Brewing Passion series and revisits Ross and Elle from Lightstruck.

Book 3.5
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
I am assuming that when you read this review, that you've read the previous books in this series.

Elisa and Ross have hit a rough patch. When they were in the heat of the moment, they both said some things that were not very fair and definitely selfish. I do wish that we would have gone over that again, because it kind of felt that we interrupted the argument and never really received the full scope.

However, once they began their fight, it took a while for them to get over it. To complicate matters, they are still wildly attracted to each other and can't keep their hands off each other. But, sex isn't a great way to communicate and it really just muddles the waters.

Ross and Elisa have to learn what being in a relationship is all about – give and take, support and advice. This is a quick read with a lot of information. For me, it was just a snippet from the larger picture, but it felt that it was missing the beginning.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is a novella in the series – numbered 3.5. It is a quick and satisfying read, but you will need to have read the previous books to really understand what is happening – most especially book two. I am assuming you have read them all in my review.

Ross finally found his true love in Elisa, and he is happy with his family, but his workaholic wife has got too involved in their restaurant and neglectful of him and their baby daughter. Elisa doesn't quite see it that way as she is trying to make a success of his dream. Much as they can't communicate, they cannot resist each other physically. Once again, Ms. Crowe does a fabulous job of bringing this couple to life by dropping in little touches which make the reader understand exactly what is going on, without spoon feeding us – I love this style, and would read it all day every day.

There is such a great twist to end this book, one loudly signposted event, and one a complete and delicious surprise. I wish I could go to the Fitzgerald brewery and meet them all!

Also Available in the Brewing Passion Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Totally Bound

For reviews & more info, check out our Tapped post.

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Totally Bound

For reviews & more info, check out our Lightstruck post.

Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Totally Bound

For reviews & more info, check out our Conditioned post.

Amazon best-selling author, mom of three, Realtor, beer blogger, brewery marketing expert, and soccer fan, Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville currently living in Ann Arbor. She has decades of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as a three-continent, ex-pat trailing spouse.

With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, in successful real estate offices and at times in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are unique and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, frustrate and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

Don’t ever ask her for anything “like a Budweiser” or risk bodily injury.

Connect with Liz

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Adjunct Lovers (Brewing Passion #3.5) by Liz Crowe to read and review.

Conditioned by Liz Crowe

A chance meeting. An improbable connection. An exquisite attraction.

Trent Hettinger’s turbulent formative years transformed him into a cynic—and into a man who realized he required something outside himself to control his temper. Something he found as a Dom—at least for a while. But he allowed himself to trust a woman once and was slapped back into reality with a vengeance and now devotes all his energy into building his real estate empire, raising his teenaged daughter… and avoiding anything resembling authentic attachments.

Melody Rodriguez kept her head down for years—working hard, making her own money, trying to get ahead with every deck stacked against her. She’s determined to move beyond the ugliness that haunts her without anyone’s help. When a mutual friend sets her up with Trent, she’s determined to have some fun with him and move on.

A man with nothing left to lose. A woman hiding behind her past. When two lives spent in emotional denial collide, it’s a perfect match—at least on the surface. But neither Trent or Melody are prepared for the full force of their true feelings, once fate intervenes and blows a cold breeze into their white-hot relationship.

Reader Advisory: This book contains a recollection of gang rape; mention of incestual rape, spousal rape and abuse.

Book 3
Buy Links

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B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Totally Bound

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Trent is a well-known dom who is also a great businessman. However, recently he's missing something but doesn't really know what that is. He has a daughter who is just reaching teenage years and is driving him crazy. Taylor, his daughter, needs a swift kick in the pants and a general reality check. I like how Trent went about parenting, but also thought that he was slightly naive about his daughter. Also, his ex-wife is absolutely no help in the story – not even really sure why she's in the story to begin with. Trent has a traumatic past and knows that sometimes, that is what drives him. When he sees Melody for the first time, something in him clicks. However, he missteps, doesn't communicate, and generally acts like a teenager himself throughout the story.

Then you have Melody. She is kind of a mess. Having lived through trauma herself, she knows that sometimes, she doesn't cope as well as she should. She's shy and simply trying to get from one day to the next. When she catches the eye of Trent, she's not quite sure what to do with the attention.

These two have a lot to work on. Their communication is sucky throughout the story and I think that there was a lot that went on that just was fluff. There really wasn't much in terms of Dom/sub – just one night and then it was more about them learning each other. However, I also didn't really get a great amount of heat from them.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the third book in the series, and some of it happens in tandem to the earlier books, as it involves a different couple. I would therefore recommend that you read them in order, to get the whole picture. The previous two books are excellent, so it will be no hardship!

As I mention, we have known a very little about Trent and Melody already – but here we go right back to the first night they meet. Trent has been a background character, slightly mysterious, almost shady – but here we get to learn just how tough his life has been, and how he works hard to ensure that he retains control in all things. His disastrous marriage has made him cynical and distant, but he recognises that Melody has the potential to change that – and he is terrified. Sadly, that causes him to behave in a less than gentlemanly manner.

Melody is shown as so self-assured in previous books, but now we get to see how much she grows thanks to Trent's attention – and how his bad behaviour could crush her. She is a lovely mix of a person with some awful baggage and yet an amazingly generous and caring heart. She will need every molecule of forgiveness she has to bestow on this silly man that she finds she loves.

I loved this story so much; it is full of lovely people who don't always get it right, but with a little bit of help from their friends, get to make it work.

Also Available in the Brewing Passion Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Totally Bound

For reviews & more info, check out our Tapped post.

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Totally Bound

For reviews & more info, check out our Lightstruck post.

Amazon best-selling author, mom of three, Realtor, beer blogger, brewery marketing expert, and soccer fan, Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville currently living in Ann Arbor. She has decades of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as a three-continent, ex-pat trailing spouse.

With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, in successful real estate offices and at times in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are unique and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, frustrate and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

Don’t ever ask her for anything “like a Budweiser” or risk bodily injury.

Connect with Liz

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Conditioned (Brewing Passion #3) by Liz Crowe to read and review.

Lightstruck by Liz Crowe

Brewer Ross has given up on love… until he meets a woman who turns his life—and brewery—upside down.

Ross Hoffman held the potential for a perfect life in his hands—a life with Evelyn, the only woman he’d ever allowed himself to love, their baby and… her husband, Austin Fitzgerald, who also happened to be his best friend. But the challenge of trying to make a threesome into something acceptable—let alone the thought of actually sharing Evelyn with anyone—forces him to bolt. Determined to put all thoughts of their relationship behind him, Ross jumps headfirst into a new brewery job in Colorado, and back into the sort of sexual decadence that he hopes will distract him from his misery.

When he agrees to assist Austin through a spate of brewery mishaps, he lays eyes on his true fate—in the form of the petite, mysterious and exotic Elisa Nagel. Hired as assistant brewer, Elisa is absolutely everything he believes he doesn’t want in a woman. But he’s drawn to her in ways he can’t explain, and he can’t help but fall hard, fast and deep, which places him square in the middle of her horrific, until now secret backstory.

Ross is determined that his love will conquer and overcome the horrors of Elisa’s past, allowing her to trust him with the only thing he desires—her heart.

Reader Advisory: This book contains a scene with attempted rape and violence, as well as a brief scene alluding to person being drugged and raped..

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Totally Bound

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/F Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Elle is a creative, sexy, intelligent, master brewer. She finds herself loving her position with Fitzgerald's brewery. However, because of her past, she knows that she can't stay long. If she stays too long, he'll find her and she can't go back.

Ross is struggling. Ever since he made the decision to let Evelyn and Austin live together as a family, despite fathering Rose, he has been floundering.

When these two come together, it's brewing perfection. Even though Elle has a troubled past, is skittish, and somewhat mental since she speaks to herself a lot, Ross is patient and kind. They have great chemistry and when push comes to shove, both have to figure out whether or not they can truly stick it out and fight for their love.

I liked the back and forth and thought that Elle was so strong throughout the story. Ross was also strong because he was able to learn that he really had made the right decision – he loved Austin and Evelyn enough to walk away.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in the series and I loved book and, but think that Lightstruck may be even better! We left Ross last time having decided that he could not be a third, and not believing he could be more than that, whatever Austin and Evelyn tried to make him believe.

Well, Ms. Crowe has done an amazing job of giving Ross the story he deserved, and a woman who will manage his ways and enjoy his passion to the full. Of course it is not an easy journey, but it is a very exciting and emotional one.

Elisa is a wonderful contradiction of a woman, and with such a sad and scary past that just will not let her go. She has his voice in her head, doing untold damage all too often... there is one wonderful scene where Ross says 'shut up' to his inner voice, and she hears and is so relieved that she is not the only one – that was such a powerful moment and yet also highly amusing.

I love the description of the brewery, what they are making and how, and Melody in the bar, and her relationship issues with Trent. Evelyn bringing the baby to work; Austin being the solicitous father and husband; it is all just delicious.

There is passion, drama, sadness, redemption, and lots and lots of love and loving in this story. I sat and read it from cover to cover without almost moving a muscle – I did not want to leave it for a second, as I was too involved and invested in the outcome. I refuse to say more about the story itself, as you need to read it, but I can promise that it is so, so worth it.

Thank you, Ms. Crowe for the perfect follow up to Tapped, and I am looking forward to reading Conditioned as soon as I can get my hands on a copy!

Also Available in the Brewing Passion Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Totally Bound

For reviews & more info, check out our Tapped post.

Amazon best-selling author, mom of three, Realtor, beer blogger, brewery marketing expert, and soccer fan, Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville currently living in Ann Arbor. She has decades of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as a three-continent, ex-pat trailing spouse.

With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, in successful real estate offices and at times in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are unique and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, frustrate and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

Don’t ever ask her for anything “like a Budweiser” or risk bodily injury.

Connect with Liz

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Lightstruck (Brewing Passion #2) by Liz Crowe to read and review.

Tapped by Liz Crowe

A hot hook-up in a cold beer cooler changes everything…

When wealthy brewery owner Austin Fitzgerald meets sexy saleswoman Evelyn Benedict, angry sparks fly. They seem destined to clash, until a hot hook-up in a cold beer cooler changes everything.

For Austin, it's a life-altering moment that sets him on a path away from his birthright, while Evelyn must face her fears about committing to a man considered the playboy of the micro-brewing world.

The power of preconceived notions nearly tears them apart—until they meet up with brew master Ross, who opens their eyes to a deeper, even more erotic connection.

But three strong personalities don’t always make for the best emotional mix and when a simple misunderstanding causes chaos, it’s up to Ross to repair the tattered shreds of their relationship.

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of explicit sex, including scenes of M/M intimacy.

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Totally Bound

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first in a new series and has me HOOKED!

I love reading ménage stories – undoubtedly for the scorchingly hot scenes that three bodies can create, but also because I am fascinated by the dynamics between the trio. The idea of it being only for fun, which is what Austin and Ross have had in the past is one thing, but in a situation where the word love is used by at least two people, then it is much more than just a physical playground. Ms. Crowe does a fabulous job of leading us deep into a relationship between Austin and Evelyn, with the fantasy of Ross, before opening Pandora's box... Incredibly effective and very intense.

I loved the setting in a microbrewery, with its own world of events, sales pitches, and lots of drinking of beer. It is the perfect set-up and gives a really good hook for the whole story to hang on. The family issues are played well too – mixing business, duty and pleasure, and a missing twin.

This is a book which will leave you wanting more answers, and yet allows a degree of hope too. I am hoping that the next installment is not too far behind, because I need to know where this is going!


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/F/M Romance
Triggers: Temperamental parents

This story was very up and down with every emotion you could have. There were funny moments, sad moments, screwed up moments, and even some where I was left scratching my head in a “What the heck was that?” manner.

The connection between Austin and Evelyn was strong, whether it was negative or positive. They swung back and forth like a pendulum. It was also a very quick connection – in a manner of instalove. When you involved Ross, it felt strained and stretched in a way that was not very organic.

This was somewhat confusing, a lot frustrating at times, and in the end, I was kind of just left wondering where we were headed. I hope that the brother comes back in the next story, as it was hinted at when Austin's brother shows up.

Amazon best-selling author, mom of three, Realtor, beer blogger, brewery marketing expert, and soccer fan, Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville currently living in Ann Arbor. She has decades of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as a three-continent, ex-pat trailing spouse.

With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, in successful real estate offices and at times in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are unique and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, frustrate and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

Don’t ever ask her for anything “like a Budweiser” or risk bodily injury.

Connect with Liz

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Tapped (Brewing Passion #1) by Liz Crowe to read and review.