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Love Is Ale You Need

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A steamy, friends with benefits, surprise pregnancy standalone novel by romantic comedy author Gia Steven...

We went from fling to friend-zone. Now I have to tell him he’s going to be a dad.

After my ex-husband left, I became a single mom, and I vowed never to date a guy in a suit again.

Then Trey Wilson entered my life. The guy who lives in suits. He’s charismatic, good-looking, and charming AF.

Everything that can make any woman swoon, including me.

What started as a one-night fling turned into a mid-morning office quickie followed by an afternoon rendezvous in my kitchen. Which ultimately led to the purchase of a new table.

After I told him we can only be friends, he's determined to be my best friend. The more time we spent together the boundary between friends and benefits blur.

Deep down, I know he’s exactly like the others. Once they get what they want, they’re out the door, leaving me to pick up the pieces of my broken heart. Been there. Done that. And I have a daughter to prove it.

So the moment emotions get involved, I quickly suppress them and do what I know is right.

I end whatever this is.

Except now I can’t do that when the white stick shows two pink lines.

Love Is Ale You Need is a friends with benefits, surprise pregnancy romantic comedy. Be prepared to laugh-out-loud one minute and swoon the next in this steamy standalone romcom. The Brews and Flings series is a spin-off of the Harbor Highlands series. You’ll see a lot of familiar characters but also new ones. Each book in the Brews and Flings series is set in the same world, and delivers a guaranteed happily ever after.

340 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 8, 2024

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About the author

Gia Stevens

8 books165 followers
Gia Stevens resides in Northern Minnesota with her husband and cat. She lives for the warm, sunny days of summer and dreads the bitter cold of winter. A romantic comedy junkie at heart, she knew she wanted her own stories to encompass those same warm and fuzzy feelings.

When she’s not busy writing your next book boyfriend, Gia can be found binge watching TV shows that aired five years ago, taking pictures of her cat, or curled up with a steamy romance novel.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
Profile Image for Ink_Drinker.
206 reviews457 followers
May 23, 2024
I love all of Gia Stevens books!  If you haven't read one yet....what are you waiting for?

❤️ A romantic comedy that delves into the complexities of modern relationships with humor and heart.  I can't wait to see where this series goes.

❤️I fell in love with all the characters in this story! We follows Rylee, a single mom who has sworn off men in suits after a bad experience with her ex-husband. However, her resolve is tested when she meets Trey Wilson, a charismatic man who embodies everything she wants to avoid. What begins as a one-night stand evolves into a series of encounters that blur the lines between friendship and romance.

❤️There are so many laugh-out-loud moments and steamy romance scenes, highlighting the chemistry between the main characters and the witty banter that defines their relationship.

❤️I don't usualky like the surprise pregnancy trope, but Gia adds a twist to the narrative, challenging the protagonists to navigate unexpected emotions and decisions.  This added enough emotional depth and I was all in!!

❤️If you're looking for a feel-good read that combines the best elements of a friends-with-benefits scenario and a surprise pregnancy plot that deliver a satisfying happily ever after, grab this one now!!
Profile Image for Mckenna.
185 reviews7 followers
April 8, 2024
This is the first book I have read by this author and I will be checking out her books!

Trey is not interested in setting down but he meets his match! Rylee is a single mom who is struggling to keep up. She is not interested in finding a man and definitely not like Trey. But one steamy night turns into more and then eventually two pink lines.

I love the banter between these two! Trey knows Rylee is struggling and he does not use it against her. He is willing to go at her pace and let her define the relationship. When Trey found out Rylee was pregnant and I was worried because he loved Rylee so much. But when he came back he just proved how much Abby, her and the new baby meant to him and that he was staying.

Both Trey and Rylee have their past and have both gone through some experiences. But they both let each other open up on their own and they were there for each other when that time did come. We could see Rylee struggling to accept Trey’s help but we could see how much she appreciated that someone was there for them.

There were so many fun side characters and I am excited to read Dessa’s story. Would love to see a story for Jake!
April 19, 2024
Love is Ale you Need is the first book I’ve read of this authors but it is not the last.

Gia Steven’s is a new to me author and now I need to go read her previous books. I absolutely fell for her writing and need more words as I wait for the next book in this series!

Our Hero Trey is a Playboy with a capital P! He loves the ladies and the ladies definitely love him. After being betrayed in the worst way imaginable he says no more to relationships. Yet the fiery, brunette bartender who isn’t afraid to speak her mind seems to be on his mind all the time and he needs more than quick barbs exchanged in the bar!

Rylee has worked hard to be where she is at in life and even then she’s struggling to just get by. She has no time for nonsense and has had her heart stomped on one too many times and isn’t willing to take a chance. When she finally caves into the steamy attraction she has for Trey her world will never be the same!!

The characters in this book are hilarious and so relatable. I couldn’t get enough of the side characters and how amazing they are! The friendships and bonds in this book really had me falling for all and not just our H and h!

This book was such a fun read and I breezed through it because I couldn’t put it down!
Profile Image for Lark _thebookchamber.
264 reviews28 followers
April 9, 2024

It’s no surprise that I absolutely loved this one! Gia’s books have a way of feeling cozy and warm while also having some spice and it is the perfect mixture! 💖

I loved Trey and Rylee’s story so much. Trey is such a charismatic guy, the typical “I’m never settling down” playboy. He frequents the bar that Rylee bartends at to hold his Single Bros meetings and because enamored with her 💖
Rylee is a strong, independent single mom. She has no desire for love after her ex-husband. However, Treys signature smirk has a way of making those butterflies in her belly take off. I loved seeing them both slowly let each other in and lay down their cards. I especially loved Trey and Rylee’s daughter, Abby’s, relationship. They were entirely too cute with their pretty pretty princess parties and nicknames! Overall, I really enjoyed this one of course! And I look forward to more in this series! 🤗
Profile Image for jazlynn | allyourcovers.
36 reviews10 followers
April 9, 2024
trey wilson is the ultimate charmer in a suit, but he’s insistent on never settling down. he even has his own club called SBL (single bros life) where he meets with other bachelors. but that all changes when he stumbles upon rylee hart, single bartender mom, working her hardest to provide for her daughter, abby. she’s had her fair share of a horrible relationship leaving her not interested into following the same path with a man like trey. after a quick night spent together, things start to turn into more. and soon two pink lines appear, leaving everything to change.

{⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻💍🐿️👑🍺🤰🏻˚୨୧⋆。˚ ⋆}

i went into this knowing it had the accidental pregnancy trope even though its not one of my favorite tropes, but it just sounded too good not to pick it up. and let me tell you it didn’t disappoint! the instant banter between them sucks you right in especially with all their tension. unlike all the other women, rylee isn’t affected by trey which leaves him to want her even more. and trey being as determined as he is, he eventually gets her to agree to a date. after a steamy night, they decide to be friends because they both don’t want a relationship.

i loved how you get to see their friendship develop to the point where trey even meets her daughter. they instantly become best of friends. seeing the connection between trey and abby (rylee’s daughter) was so precious. especially knowing that trey never wanted kids. even before the pregnancy, you can see how much trey cared for both of them. once those two pink lines appeared, trey was determined to become the best father and stepdad. seeing how he loved abby as his own was so heartwarming.

rylee was terrified to be in a relationship knowing how her last one turned out. you get to see her self journey on opening up her heart up again and breaking her walls down to finally accept help and love from others. rylee was hesitant about fully committing to trey, but throughout it all, trey was understanding and was willing to wait- no matter how long.

thank you so much gia stevens for the arc!!!🫶🏻
Profile Image for Mel  (whilemelwasreading).
1,065 reviews100 followers
April 4, 2024
"I'm done waiting the three days to not appear desperate. If you haven't guessed it already, I'm desperate for you."

When the playboy falls, he is all in isn't he?! Trey sure is!

We finally get Trey's story in Love Is Ale You Need! And if you've read the Harbor Highlands series, you know all about this hilarious character and have been waiting for this. And if you haven't met him yet, you can definitely jump in to meet him now in this first book of an all new series.

Trey is super charismatic. A charmer in a suit. Plays the field. He's not interested in settling down-he even has his own bachelor's club with meetings and all. That all changes when he finally meets his match! Riley is a hard worker. A single mom struggling to keep up. She's been burned before, and is not interested in going there again with a man like Trey. But one steamy night turns into more. And soon after, two pink lines change everything.

I liked this one. It had this enemies to lovers banter at the start that pulled me in. Chemistry and tension from the start. But it also had swoon. A splash of suspense. Spice. And it made me laugh. There was much that I enjoyed. Including fun characters and all the little extras.

For example:
-The Duck Hunt mention-umm that took me back to the best game ever.
-The Neighbour-she cracked me up. I could have read much more of her.
-The texts on the way to the hospital-Bennett lol.
-'Put me in you' and 'Grab the headboard' moments are always an A+ in my book.

I do have to say, I did find it lost a bit of traction for me in the second half at times though. There was a lot going on and it didn't seem to flow as well for me. Nonetheless, this is one of my favorite tropes (surprise pregnancy) and I thought the author did a great job with it. I certainly look forward to more with these fun side characters in this new series! The sneak peek into Dessa's book has me excited! Secretly hoping we will get a certain bar owner's story too!! Can't wait!

*I received a complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and given freely.
Profile Image for Claire.reads.romance.
388 reviews14 followers
April 1, 2024
|| 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖    
   
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Love Is Ale You Need 
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Gia Stevens  
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Romantic Comedy   
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: Surprise Pregnancy | Single Mum | Friends-With-Benefits | Grumpy-Sunshine | He Falls First | Golden Retriever MMC 
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

“𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞, 𝐈 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬.” 

𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐘 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓!!!  
I am not normally a fan of the "Playboy" hero, but Trey Wilson gave me no choice other than falling head over heels for him. He was irresistible. I adored his character and his relentless pursuit of Rylee.  
This book was 𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐆. Not only was it full to bursting with characters I loved but also had one of the 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 first date scenes I've ever read. . 𝐀𝐋𝐋.𝐓𝐇𝐄.𝐒𝐖𝐎𝐎𝐍.  

The banter was completely on point throughout the book, which is something I can always guarantee from Gia's writing. The woman has a gift. It was low angst, full of fun, heart happy moments, and enough tantalising passion to steam up my Kindle. 
I am super excited for book two, Dessa needs her happily ever after.  
I 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐋𝐘 recommend it.  
   
**************************** 
   
   
   
   
Profile Image for Jenn Book Ramblings.
594 reviews3 followers
April 20, 2024
Love is Ale You Need is a wonderful new novel from Gia Stevens!

Gia’s books have been on my radar for a while, and I finally dove in with this new novel. I will admit, that often surprise pregnancy’s aren’t my favourite trope in books; however, Gia completely won me over with this novel!

Trey and Rylee are two characters who will win you over almost immediately. Trey is a playboy, who has no intentions of ever settling down throughout life. Rylee, is the opposite of him in almost every way, as she is an incredibly independent single mom, raising her daughter.

Despite their differences, they fit together so perfectly. I loved how they each brought out something different in the other. Rylee made Trey settle down a little bit more, whereas he made Rylee more “alive..” The chemistry between them was wonderful to read about.
Profile Image for book_nerd13.
269 reviews14 followers
April 6, 2024
Trey you amazing man you! Since Harbor Highlands, I’ve been wanting No needing Treys story and I’m so glad to finally have it! From the jump Trey wanted to be with Rylee in any capacity she would let him. He plans without a doubt the MOST perfect date. It’s so obvious he’s completely smitten with her. It’s adorable to see how he puts just as much effort into getting Abby to like him as well. Squirrel? Are you kidding me I’m obsessed.

I must mention this man’s confidence.. it’s through the roof and boy is it SEXY! Of course there was plenty of spice to go around, but the banter the teasing by far my favorite part! Such an adorable, enjoyable read and I can’t wait for more.


Tropes include: single mom, suprise pregnancy, grumpy/sunshine, friends with benefits
Profile Image for Janet Adame.
22 reviews2 followers
April 6, 2024
I absolutely adored this book! I finished it in one sitting—I couldn't put it down. Trey is simply amazing—he's like the ultimate book boyfriend. The way these characters developed together, especially considering their challenging relationship histories, was incredibly compelling. Rylee is a total badass who takes no nonsense from anyone, and I admire her for that. I wish I could experience the thrill of reading this book all over again. It's definitely a five-star read, and I would enthusiastically recommend it to everyone. The mystery woven into the story kept me on edge and craving more, especially during those steamy scenes between Rylee and Trey!
Profile Image for Reading by Deb.
930 reviews25 followers
April 17, 2024
Trey is in the back room of Porter's bar waiting for the remaining members of the Single Bros. Life to arrive. Men celebrating being single and talking all things cars and sports. Not the Dear Abby advice that is going on before him. Not being able to stomach much more of the conversation he heads to the bar to get a round of beers.

Trey is single and plans to stay that way. He is a one-time-only type of guy and rarely offers seconds. He learned the hard way years ago that relationships don't work and doesn't plan to travel that road ever again.

Rylee tries to ignore the gorgeous man before her as he asks her for a date. She doesn't date suits. She tried that once and now is a single mother to an adorable six-year-old. She has no plans to fall for another confident man wearing a suit. Especially a suit that costs more than she makes in a month. A suit boils down to lying cheating jerk in her books... no matter how much her heart beats when she is near.

I loved this book! It is very well written and the characters are fully developed and relatable. Neither of them were looking for a relationship. Just a one-time romp is all they both wanted.

This book is action-packed and steamy hot with a few twists. Rylee and Trey's banter will keep you turning the pages as they steam up the pages. This is the first book I have read by Gia Stevens, but it won't be the last. I am looking forward to Dessa's story. The lead-in was totally unexpected from Rylee's feisty co-worker. Highly recommend!
17 reviews1 follower
April 12, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2024
I received an ARC of Love is Ale you need and the following is my honest review.

I honestly don't know how I felt about this book because I read it a month before it was available to the public and by the time I was able to review I honestly couldn't remember most of the book and had to skim it again to review it. Totally forgettable.

What I did like was the FMC. She was relatable, strong (not whiney) lead. What I didn't like was the MMC who seemed to have multiple personalities. In one chapter I like him, the next I couldn't stand him and yet another chapter he seemed whiney and still another he seemed alpha. Overall, none of them seemed dominate which made him just not make sense.

The overall story was just ok bordering on corny at some points. The entire beginning explaining his SBL (single bros life) group he created was ridiculous and would have been better left out of the book. Felt childish and definitely not something anyone of their ages would have participated in.

There were parts of the book I enjoyed but way more parts I was rolling my eyes. The nicknames.......Ugh!!

In the end I gave it 3 stars because while it wasn't horrible, it also wasn't good.
Profile Image for Amanda Bowser.
347 reviews14 followers
April 3, 2024
Trey & Rylee
🥰 ARC Review / releases 4/8/24

🔥he falls first
🔥golden retriever mmc
🔥single mom
🔥surprise pregnancy
🔥exclusive friends with benefits
🔥reformed playboy

⭐️ Trey falls hard and fast for Rylee. He does not give up on his quest to take her on a date. Of course, Trey is known for not being relationship material. He’s a Self proclaimed bachelor forever and we’re reminded a few too many times that he’s slept his way around town. But, he put up his walls for a reason and there’s more to him than people know.

Favorite lines-

🥰 “Know this, when you’re out with me, I fully intend to make sure you’re treated like a princess.”

🥰 “Just so you know, I’m going to text you tonight. I’m done waiting the three days to not appear desperate. If you haven’t guessed it already, I’m desperate for you.”


⭐️ Rylee keeps him on his toes and pursuing her. She’s independent and strong willed and not used to having anyone take care of her (parents included). After a “one time lapse in judgement” she and Trey are intimate. I didn’t love their first scene and wish it were better, but so is life.

This author really writes in a way that you can imagine and visualize and feel all that is happening. The story is so realistic and heartfelt. I understood Rylee’s fear of letting go and I fell in love with how Trey showed he cared for Rylee her daughter Abby.

I’ve read almost all of this Authors previous work and I’ve loved all of them. I gave the first book a try just because I thought the title and cover was cute. I went in blind without reading a blurb. Sometimes those are the best chances and stories!


I received an advance copy of this book for free and am leaving a review voluntarily. Many thanks to publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review early.







Profile Image for Cindy C.
305 reviews2 followers
April 3, 2024
Another laugh out loud story from Gia!

Who would’ve thought that the founding member of SBL would ever find the love of his life, let alone with the bartender from his local watering hole?! Not Trey, that’s for sure! Rylee’s description of Trey is spot on. “His smile is somewhat charming. Okay, a lot charming. Half devilish. Half boyish. It’s devoyish.” And he uses that smile to get any woman he wants…but only for a night, two tops. Now that smile is turned on Rylee. She’s done dealing with his kind and knows that she doesn’t want another but she needs to take her frustration out on something. Well that smile happens to be at the right place and the right time and it gets them a lil more than they bargained for….an acorn.

This couple was a fun read and I am definitely looking forward to more books in the series!
1,785 reviews12 followers
April 6, 2024
Another great book by Gia that had so many tropes that I love to read. But what I enjoyed most about Trey & Rylee’s story was how Trey fell first and fell hard. This gets me every time when the H is an absolute player but when he meets his person he is all in. One of the many, many reasons why I love reading romance novels.
There was so much more I enjoyed about this book, I could just go on and on. But to summarize quickly, I thought both the main characters in this book were outstanding, the storytelling itself had me invested in the book from start to finish. Then add in a little bit of suspense, incredible supporting characters and what we end up with is a book that basically demands a reread in the not too distant future. Obviously I cannot recommend this book enough.
Profile Image for Marie.
314 reviews9 followers
March 30, 2024
Trey has always said he's a permanent singleton, he only does one night, he never dates and he definitely doesn't want kids. All in all the best way to describe him is he's a Ladies Man with no strings attached. He's even started his own weekly meeting of the SBL (single bros. life). Rylee is a hard working single mom, when she's not working she busy bringing up her daughter on her own, after her ex cheated on her he left. So when Trey starts showing interest in her he recieves a total rejection. She doesn't need another womaniser in their life. She knows how it plays out and certainly doesn't need that hassle in her life. There's only one person who she can rely on and that's herself. This story is brilliantly written and shows how much of a strong, independent, caring and loving mom Rylee is even though she feels as though she's failing at supporting her daughter enough. The characters are all funny and charming in their on way. If you like a spicy story with numerous funny moments this is certainly the right book. Although I don't think I'll be eating a snickers anytime soon. Plus bonus there's going to be another book in the series ❤️📖
April 4, 2024
Rylee - a single mom who had been through enough and learned from mistakes is cautious to be in a relationship again until Trey comes into her life…Trey however is a known playboy and does not do relationships! So yup…they are now friends with benefits!

I love the banters and how Rylee and Trey’s relationship slowly progressed in the book. It is a good romantic-comedy story that made me laugh (specially when Marcie comes in!)
It comes with spice, a bit of suspense as well!

The story is quite realistic and there are parts that are surely relatable for readers. I cannot wait to read the next, specially since I also love the side characters - I hope they get their own spinoff too!
Profile Image for Ashley Jeffers.
67 reviews6 followers
April 10, 2024
This book is "Ale" you need if your looking for a fun, flirty, and steamy read! And you'll be entertained and and fall in love with Trey and Rylee instantly! How do I know? Because I did and I absolutely loved the surprise pregnancy aspect. It was my first time reading that trope and it just became a favorite.

I loved how Trey was the sunshine of Rylees grumpy and how she was a strong and independent woman. And let's not forget Trey and how despite his SBL club, he just can't get enough of Rylee and needs to spend time with her. It's the sweetest thing ever!

Gia, I am so lucky to have found your stories because it gives me something to look forward to every year. I am just in love with everything and everyone from Harbor Highlands and I'm so excited for what's next to come!
Profile Image for Madison_renee2415.
211 reviews3 followers
April 9, 2024
Rylee is determined to stay away from certain men due to her last relationship and becoming a single mother. But she is having a hard time not lusting after Trey (who is exactly the type of man she is trying to stay away from).

Trey is dead set on staying single for the rest of his life due to his last relationship and just wants to have fun. He even created a group just for bachelors to help them remember why they want to remain single.

Rylee happens to catch Trey’s eyes and they end up just being friends with benefits, that ends up with a pregnancy (oops).

This is such a good romantic comedy. Love the banter, spice and the humor was so good!
Profile Image for NinjaKris12.
82 reviews1 follower
April 7, 2024
If you like your romance with lots of laughs, this one is for you. Rylee is a strong, independent single mom who keeps her heart under lock and key due to betrayal in her past. In a moment of weakness, she succumbs to the chemistry between herself and Trey, a suit wearing playboy. Directly after she relegates him to the friend zone- a place that, for the first time in his life, he does not want to be but decides to play by her rules until he can convince her otherwise. Full of sweet romance, steamy scenes, laughter, a great cast including her adorable daughter, this one will leave you with a smile on your face.
Profile Image for Candy Habin.
254 reviews19 followers
April 7, 2024
Another wonderful read by this author! I completely fell in love with Trey and Rylee's story. The chemistry was hot, the banter was fantastic as usual, and some of the best side characters I have met. With low angst, plenty of humor, some serious spice, and lots of heartwarming moments, this book was my kryptonite! I can't wait for the next book.....Dessa!
Profile Image for Sharon Noble.
1,945 reviews4 followers
April 9, 2024
Loved it!

Gia asked me to read this book for her & I must say I was not disappointed. Trey & Tyler book is about finding love, after bad relationship for both of them. They never expected to find it with each other!!
Profile Image for Bee.
565 reviews13 followers
April 18, 2024
I got really bored so 1 star instead of 2. It’s fine just not my taste
March 23, 2024
I have read all of the Harbor Highlands series, and Trey is one of my favorite characters. This book did not disappoint. The banter between the two main characters is phenomenal. The love story was adorable, and I can't wait for the next book.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Jennifer Jansen.
189 reviews1 follower
April 8, 2024
I'm rounding up from 4.5, but it's worthy of it. This is a fun rom-com. Rylee and Trey are great together. Abby is a fun addition to any scene. Both were reluctant to be in a relationship, but Trey put in the effort to convince Rylee to give him a chance and what they found was worth it. There bumps in the road, but come out stronger on the other side.
Profile Image for Sharon Noble.
1,945 reviews4 followers
April 9, 2024
Gia asked me to read this book for her & I must say I was not disappointed. Trey & Tyler book is about finding love, after bad relationship for both of them. They never expected to find it with each other!!
Profile Image for kate.
40 reviews7 followers
April 13, 2024
There are two things you should know: I used to be a bartender and loved banter with cute customers. And two, Gia Stevens gets Rylee’s internal monologue as the tough but soft bantering bartnder perfect. By the ned of Chapter 2, I was a Rylee fan. And by the end of Chapter 3, I wanted to know more about Trey’s friends - his coupled up buddies and the members of the Single Bro’s Life club. Because the banter in this book isn’t just verbal foreplay between Rylee and Trey, it’s quick and hilarious between everyone, and it swirls around the characters like a tornado of hilarious wit.

Love Is Ale You Need is a fun and swoony novel that touches on some deep and hard truths about relationships. Rylee is a single mom balancing work, mostly solo-parenting, the contentious relationship with her ex, his disappointing and selfish relationship with their kid, and being a woman in her 20s. Gia Stevens gives us marvelous insight into Rylee’s thoughts with an understanding of the weird and complex world of attraction, protecting one’s heart, and being open to new things. I like Rylee, I identify with many parts of Rylee, I’ve been friends with people just like Rylee. Some of my favorite scenes in the book are scenes that take place at Porter’s, the bar at the center of the story where so many characters gather and work and spar and support each other.

Trey is fun and flirty, confident and single-minded, a perfect combo for MMC in a romantic comedy. He’s witty and thoughtful and a good foil for Rylee. What I wanted more of, though, was insight into WHY he’s so devoted to being single earlier in the book. We get our answers into his fears and trepidation concerning relationships and parenthood late in the book, and I would have been more sympathetic and understanding of him if I had known his past trauma earlier. As it’s written, I spent much of the book a little bit confused by his motives and thinking Rylee’s initial assumption that he’s just a player are correct. I could have enjoyed him and their growing relationship more and I wouldn’t have thought he was such an immature doofus tool for his devotion to being single.

Same with Rylee and her relationship with her mother. A little more into that a little sooner would have really made Rylee so much layered and I would have fully loved her. I’m already solidly Team Rylee, but backstory and reasons for both Trey and Rylee’s stances on relationships (both romantic and familial) would have bumped my rating of this book up.

That said, what a fun romantic comedy that had a little bit of mystery and a lot of spice and a whole cast of characters I can’t wait to see again. While I do not agree with Trey on IPA’s, Love Is Ale You Need is like day drinking in the sunshine without the headache. Fizzy and exciting.

I received an advance review copy for free from the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Jami Birnbaum.
231 reviews22 followers
March 30, 2024
*An advance reader copy was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.*

Real Estate Playboy Trey Wilson can charm the pants off a woman, but only once or twice. He doesn’t want them getting attached. He even went so far as setting up a guy group that he calls “Single Bros Life” (SBL). Trey’s that sure he’s not going to settle down, especially after being badly burned by an ex-girlfriend. There is one woman who’s piqued his interest. She’s a bartender at Porter’s, where he and his friends (who we met in Gia Steven’s previous series) like to hang out.

Rylee Hart is a single mother, who started working at Porter’s when she and her ex-husband split. The only good that came out of her horrible marriage was Abby, her daughter. Rylee’s not in the market for a boyfriend, and definitely not someone as smooth and charming as Trey. He reminds her too much of her ex. Although that didn’t stop her that one night after her shift, when she received a phone call from her ex that made her need to blow off a little steam. Trey happened to be in the bar that night and felt he needed to walk her to her car. One thing led to another, and they found themselves in his back seat, doing some very adult things.

Rylee immediately ‘friend-zoned’ him and tried to keep him at arm’s length. That didn’t last long. Trey kept popping up and charming her right out of her pants. Rylee could admit that he was becoming someone she could depend on, especially after he started including Abby in their plans (mostly so he could spend some time with Abby’s mom), but she still wasn’t looking for anything serious. And then the one thing happened that was going to put Trey in her life for at least the next 18 years. Rylee found out she was pregnant.

She didn’t expect much from Trey, especially since she overheard him at one of his SBL meetings when he was holding them at Porter’s, saying that he didn’t want kids. What is Trey going to do when she tells him? Was Rylee going to have to raise this baby alone? Is Abby going to lose another male figure in her life now that she’s grown attached to Trey? They even have adorable nicknames for each other.

The banter between Rylee and Trey is witty, smexy and loaded with innuendos, which meant we were in for a good time. I was totally rooting for them (and Abby) the whole book. Being that this is the first book in a new spin off series from Steven’s Harbor Highland series, we’ll continue to see the characters we’ve fallen in love with. Finishing this book was absolutely worth having to change the heroine’s name in my mind as I read, since she shares a name (but not spelling) with my niece.
Profile Image for Sharon McMaster.
80 reviews
April 9, 2024
Trey has been burned badly in the past so he has decided that he should just skip out on relationships and just have a good time. Trey has a good job for a real estate/development firm and works hard for his money. But because of being burned in the past, he set up a group with friends called “Single Bros Life” that meets weekly. He totally plays the field but has rules like never invite anyone to his house and only get together with a girl 2 times as anything more than that constitutes a relationship, and he does NOT do those. He is attracted to one of the bartenders when they are forced to have their meeting at a local bar but she shuts him down when he asks her out. There is just something that draws him to her and he really likes her feistiness but she hasn’t said an outright NO to the dinner invitation so he figures he will keep at it with her.

Rylee has also been burned badly and she has the ex-husband and 6 year old daughter to prove it. She has to be focused on her job and kid because the ex makes every excuse in the world to bail on his time with his daughter. But when her ex flakes out on her again and Rylee loses her temper and gets all worked up , Trey is there and is persistent….he doesn’t give up and ends up catching Rylee off guard with an earth shattering kiss that turns into a hot spur of the moment in the back seat of his SUV. Rylee swears it was a one-time thing but she is attracted to Trey also but is still hesitant to make it anything more.

The back-and-forth banter between the two is great and I feel that adds to their attraction to each other but the chemistry is also very evident and to everyone around them as well. The two of them continue their friends with benefits going out on dates and hanging out in general. I loved watching the love blossom between the two but also I totally swooned when Trey clicked with Rylee’s daughter Abby and he made every effort to treat that little girl right….all the feels went straight to my ovaries. I can’t wait for the rest of the series as I fell in love with even the side characters! Wonderfully written!
Profile Image for Thomas Bishop.
9 reviews1 follower
April 4, 2024
SUMMARY:
Avowed and proud bachelor Trey isn’t interested in relationships and emotionally-bruised single mom Rylee agrees. Her life, her priorities, won’t allow for a relationship. But something about Rylee makes Trey question his entire outlook and something about Trey makes Rylee open a crack in her defenses for a little lust and friendship. After a parking lot quickie leads to a friendship that grows into one with benefits, boundaries blur, feelings develop despite deep scars and reservations, and everything comes to head when Rylee discovers she’s pregnant with Trey’s child.

Love is Ale You Need by Gia Stevens is a romantic comedy, the first novel in her Brews and Flings series. It features Trey and Rylee, along with her daughter, Abby, as well as a varied cast of supporting characters.

REVIEW:
I’m not the biggest fan of the accidental pregnancy trope, but Love is Ale You Need might have changed my mind. So often the pregnancy becomes the point of conflict in the story but in Stevens’ book it’s anything but that. It becomes one of many elements which bring the main characters closer together. I like that.

Other than that, the whole book is delightful. I couldn’t help but fall in love with both Trey and Rylee. Trey is the perfect reformed-playboy golden retriever boyfriend and Rylee is world-weary and cautious without being cynical or embittered. Their chemistry is real, the spice is balanced and fun, and the story rolls along at the perfect pace. All thriller, no filler - so to speak. I read it in two evenings.

Love is Ale You Need is the perfect blend of funny, spice, swoon, angst, and thrills. Add it to your TBR pile and don’t let it sit there for long.

CONCLUSION:
Overall - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Spice - 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (3/5)

(An ebook advanced reader copy of Love is Ale You Need was provided to me by the author and I am an uncompensated reviewer.)
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