I’ve Got My Mind Set on Brew

Jayne (Miss Humbug, written as Stephanie J. Scott) serves up a satisfying workplace romance between an aspiring brewer and her grumpy yet smoldering new boss. Chicago’s eccentric Resistance Brewpub is a neighborhood staple and the staff has become waitress Kat’s de facto family while her parents put all their care into her younger sister, Karrie, who has lupus. When, in the middle of a shift, Kat learns via Instagram that her ex and his new flame are expecting a baby, she throws her phone in frustration and it hits a costumer—who later turns out to be her new boss, Ryan. The bar’s former owner, Joe, promised to give Kat a shot as a full-time brewer, but Ryan’s less amenable to the idea. He’s determined to turn Resistance Brewpub around and prove himself to his father, who always compares him unfavorably to his late brother. Ryan and Kat get off on the wrong foot, but their bickering eventually gives rise to crackling chemistry. Jayne makes the couple’s enemies-to-lovers vibe sing, revealing each of them to be complex, multidimensional characters. The author should win plenty of new fans with this. (Apr.)