I think I gained 5 lbs just reading this book and all of the delicious foods that were described.  I do wish that there were a few more recipes at the end especially for the desserts that Aubrey makes for a television show.

Aubrey and Landon have that instant animal reaction to each other sexually as evidenced by their one night stand.  When a review of Aubrey's bakery goes awry due to miscommunications, Landon seeks to make it right without compromising his no second review policy.  What ensues is their attempts to keep things platonic despite the intense attraction they feel for one another.  Let's just say it doesn't work.

If you are in the mood for something light and fluffy (my terminology for most romance novels) then you won't be disappointed.  True love does not run smoothly for these two and it is definitely a case of communication that can solve all of their problems if they would just not be so obstinate about being true to themselves and their relationship.

I really liked several of the supporting characters.  Tara, Aubrey's BFF, is a hoot but also loyal to Aubrey.  There is a hint of a possible book featuring her and another character.  Aria and Lucien are two other characters that I liked because they pulled no punches when it came to Landon.  They may be his friends but they knew when he was not making wise choices.

Outside of the romance, there is a subplot regarding Aubrey and her mother and their reconciliation and some truths that come to light that are best for both of them.

I devoured this book and if you are a foodie that loves romance books, I think you will like this book too.  We give this 4 paws up.

This was such a cute and quick read! The chemistry between Aubrey and Landon was great! Jaymi Lee did such an excellent job with writing the descriptions of all the different deserts and the Korean dishes throughout the book. I’ve never had Korean food, but after reading Lee’s descriptions of the dishes I can’t help but want to give some dishes a try! The storyline also had me tearing up at times and I felt really connected with Aubrey’s character even though we did not have a lot in common. I will say the pacing felt a bit off at certain points though out the book but overall I still enjoyed this one! Definitely gets 4 stars from me!

This was a cute little rom-com perfect for food lovers! Warning: Do not read on an empty stomach!

All jokes aside, I really enjoyed this book! It was sweet (pun intended), wholesome, and just a little bit steamy!

What I liked: I loved how dedicated Aubrey was to her craft, and I loved how dedicated Landon was to Aubrey from day one. While this romance was predictable, it felt very similar to your cheesy Hallmark movies - you know, the one's that you just don't care how cheesy they are! I LOVED Jayci Lee's descriptions of the food and wines - it made them jump off the page and I felt like I could smell and almost taste everything while reading. I also appreciated that while there was a little bit of steaminess, it didn't overpower the rest of the book. I'm all for steaminess, but it wouldn't have felt right in this work.

What I didn't like: It was wordy and took forever to get to the point. There seemed to be a lot of unnecessary fluff that made it drag a little. I also wish we would have gotten more insight into both of their families. The little snippet we got of each left me wanting more. Now I will preface my next point by saying this was a Netgalley ARC: some of the construction of the book itself was HARD to follow. This book comes out tomorrow (7/14), so I assume that will be fixed, but in my copy, it switched from one perspective to another or from one time period to the next in the middle of a page just by starting a new paragraph and it confused me a bunch of times.

Overall, a very cute, enjoyable read for romance lovers!

DNF at 57%

I don't have any particular problems with this book in all honesty and I'm sure that if I was in a different mood I could have made myself finish it, but I'm so bored and it's 2020. There are a million other books I would rather be reading.

So, who is this book for? I think if you want something lighthearted and fun with lots of descriptions of food, this could be the book for you. It starts off with a bang (almost literally) as Aubrey is rushing to make a new chocolate bundt cake with gummy bears after her high school employee accidentally sold this little girl's birthday cake to the wrong person. Later that evening, Aubrey hooks up with a handsome stranger who is in town because his tire busted on his way to somewhere else. Turns out the man was a food critic and he writes a scathing review of Aubrey's bakery based on accidentally eating the little girl's cake. Further shenanigans happen and the two wind up spending a lot of time together because Aubrey agrees to be the guest chef on a television show.

Ultimately, I just found the book boring. There's sexual tension, I guess, but it doesn't come across as believable. Aubrey and Landon can't be together because then Landon's attempt to make up for his crappy and irrational review would seem like it was just because they were sleeping together? I kind of wanted to know how things shook out, but I also couldn't convince myself that it was worth the effort to keep flipping kindle pages. So, that's where I'm at. Hopefully if you pick this up, you'll like it more than me and regardless, I do think this might make a really fun movie! (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...)

A fun contemporary culinary romance that wakes up all of your emotions with characters you want to be friends with and a lovely story that kept me entertained and intrigued from beginning to end. I knew as soon as I started reading that I would not be able to put this book down until I read the last word.

I loved the instant attraction and off=the-charts chemistry between bakery owner/talented pastry chef Aubrey Choi and celebrity food critic Landon Kim. This is the first book I have read by Jayci Lee but I enjoy her easy-to-read style so much, it won't be the last.

I received an advance reader copy of "A Sweet Mess" from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee is a funny, sweet lovers to friends to lovers story. A flat tire and a missing cake create a perfect storm. Food critic Landon Kim is inadvertently sold a six-year-old’s special order birthday cake and nearly chokes on a gummy worm, incensed he writes a scathing review of the bakery, not knowing that the lovely woman he met and went back to his hotel with is the baker. Aubrey Choi was set to expand her bakery when the review hit and cost her almost all of her out of town and online orders and is devastated that the hot guy and the nasty reviewer are the same person. Unable to write a new review or retraction because of their relationship Landon offers to make things right by having her guest on a television cooking show he produces, however spending three weeks together in a villa in California’s wine country is going test their ability to keep it professional only, because the intense chemistry that brought them together that first night has not died down one iota. I enjoyed this story very much and do recommend it. Steam Level: Closed Door. Publishing Date: July 14, 2020. #ASweetMess #JayciLee #NetGalley #contemporaryromance #bookstagram #HotInTheKitchen #StMartinsPress #StMartinsGriffin

A Sweet Mess is my first book by Jayci Lee. I one-clicked this for review because the blurb sounded cute, and well… a little sweet, and that is something I need in my life right now.

This couple hit the sheets pretty quickly after a chance meeting at the beginning of the book so I kind of thought readers would be in for a wild, sexy ride…. but not really. A Sweet Mess is more of a closed door romance with a steady hero and a fun heroine. There is chemistry and fun flirtation, lots of mentions of food and cooking and some great secondary characters.

I wasn’t sure if I would like the hero, Landon, after the beginning and him refusing to retract an article that nearly destroys the heroine’s restaurant. But he does redeem himself and turned out to be a rather charming, gentle man who fits Aubrey, our lovely heroine, very well.

There is some super drama at the end, but I was kind of expecting that and it does lead to a lovely groveling session by the hero and a sweet HEA.

I’ll definitely be checking this author out with her next release. Enjoyed.

A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee is a wonderful romantic comedy that I really enjoyed. Aubrey Choi lives in small town California where she owns a very successful bakery. Aubrey young clerk accidental sold a custom birthday cake to a famous food critic, Landon Kim, which resulted in a terrible review and him almost chocking on the gummy bears inside. If all that wasn't bad enough, Aubrey had a one night sand with Landon, and neither of them talked about their careers. Unfortunately the review is affecting her sales, and she doesn't know what to do. What happens next? Read the book and find out. I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a good rom/com book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

As much as it pains me, I can't give this more than 3.5 stars.
Why does it pain me? Because it has all the elements I would usually love and some rather witty banter that only proves the couple should have their HEA.
However, there is something about Lee's writing that just never really got my interest enough to keep it. Yes, the elements are there and there are definitely some very emotional moments that I enjoyed, it just never did much to distinguish itself from the pack of rom-coms that have inundated the market recently.
I enjoyed reading it and definitely do not regret following along as Aubrey and Landon open themselves up to love, but I'm sad to report that there's nothing to recommend this beyond an enjoyable couple of hours of reading.

The very nice people at NetGalley St. Martin's Griffin were lovely enough to let me read it early in exchange for an honest review and honest is what they're getting. I feel a bit sorry about that.

DNF at 35%. I was fairly bored with this book from the very beginning. I was surprised at how fast the relationship moved. between Landon and Aubrey, I didn't feel their connection. Rather, I found the writing regarding intimacy quite cringey and unenjoyable to read. The characters came across as immature and the storyline felt quite forced and convenient. Not for me.

This was a very okay romcom, but I just don't think it was my cup of tea, or my slice of cake, if you will. It showed me that I like more of a slow burn, a friends to lovers or enemies to lovers storyline, where you really get to see the chemistry between the two characters build over time. In A Sweet Mess, the characters are instantly attracted to each other and that sexual tension does not go away - and for some reason, this whole lust-at-first-sight-because-both-the-main-characters-are-smoking-hot thing just doesn't do it for me. I much prefer their handsome features to be small components of the narrative, and the actual chemistry from banter, shared interests, etc. to lead the romantic development.

The plot devices in this book are indeed creative and very romcom-y - I mean, she's a baker and he's a renowned food critic. He accidentally gets served a custom cake meant for a little girl's birthday, and writes a bad review on her bakeshop, thus ruining her business. He feels bad, so he invites her to be a guest on his friend and renowned chef's TV show, where they spent six weeks together in wine country. Romance ensues. It's completely implausible, but isn't that what we read romcoms for?

Overall, this book wasn't what I typically gravitate towards in romcoms - it still served plenty of sweetness, but I prefer a different approach to romantic narratives. It was a fun and fast read, anyways. Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC!

This book is a steamy/cute contemporary romance with Korean American main characters. The characters were both likeable and the chemistry between them was well written. The beginning was a little slow to start, but once the story really got rolling, it was very good. One caveat: read with a snack handy -- this book will make you very hungry.

4.5 stars

When a mistaken order disrupts Aubrey Choi’s business, Landon Kim, the blog writer tries to make good by getting Aubrey a job on his friend’s tv cooking show to make up for his mistakenly written bad review.

Lots of drama in this light hearted contemporary romance. I liked getting to see Landon open up and embrace his big dream. He had already made a lot of money with his blog but he never seemed to want to move past where he was. Being with Aubrey shows him that he can have these dreams. I liked that part of the story a lot. Very inspiring

Loved the back and forth between Aubrey and Landon, plus the making up at the end was well worth the wait.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Landon had given up living his life for his own sake, he's just doing it to support his family after what his dad had done to their family. He was the one who picked their family up and given up his dream along the way. He hadn't owned a home or a car, no matter how successful of a food critic he is. He refused to be like his father, he's unwilling to be selfish or reckless.

However, the moment he found himself indulging in a one-night stand with Aubrey, a surge of possessiveness had taken over him, no matter when she left before he even woke up.

Aubrey had given up on relationship and love. Because she saw what happened to her mom, love broke her mom and she drifted through life like an empty shell. Because of one mistake, Aubrey's having a problem expanding her bakery. A review written by none other than her one night stand, Landon Kim, had caused a decline to her business. Landon realised the only way he could help her is to have her appear in a TV show. She needed three weeks to save her business.

Could they save her business without jeopardising their own reputation and dream? Or maybe they're ready to have their own home without worrying about other things?

This was a delightful and sweet read. The plot was entertaining and made this an enjoyable book to read.

I would like to say thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me an early copy of this amazing book!

This was my first book by this author and I really want to read more by her! Her descriptions of the food in this book... I had to get up and get food so often because it made me so hungry and literally made my mouth water.

The characters in this book were awesome! They were rough around the edges - especially Landon - but they were very realistic in the way that they were NOT perfect! I really connected with them - it was really easy to - and felt EVERYTHING they felt.... which meant I cried quite a bit because of the problems they had. Some of those tears were out of frustration because they are both very stubborn and if they had just TALKED to each other, they wouldn’t have to have gone through such pain!

There was so much that happened in this book and I really did love it! I took one star off because of the problem they had because if they had just talked to each other... I really don’t like it when that happens in books but the ending, and basically everything else made up for it! Definitely recommend!!

Jayci Lee wrote a wonderful, laugh out loud, with off the charts chemistry romance featuring Aubrey and Landon in A Sweet Mess. We have successful baker Aubrey Choi, running ragged between her successful bakery, Comfort Zone, and with its expansion; she has no time to date. When she has a one-night-stand with gorgeous Landon Kim she finds herself wanting things she didn’t think she had time for. The problem, Landon turns out to be a celebrity food critic who wrote a scathing review of Comfort Zone which goes viral and nearly destroys Aubrey’s business; let alone ruin her memory of their amazing night together. Realizing the mess he created, Landon tries to fix the mess by offering Aubrey a spot on a new celebrity cooking show he’s producing. Aubrey agrees, but only to save her bakery and her reputation. The dilemma, Aubrey and Landon have off the chart sizzle and will be sharing a villa in California wine country. These two struggle to resist the magnetism between them, providing them with all the necessary ingredients for love.

Ms. Lee wrote a wonderful, emotional and sizzling story that should not be missed. She provided a tale rich with magnetism, chemistry, and charming characters giving Aubrey and Landon a chance to find that happily ever after. I highly recommend A Sweet Mess to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

This is my first book by Jayci Lee and I completely fell in love with her writing style. This book made me laugh, cry, and want to eat all of the things. Seriously, I was STARVING the whole time I was reading and I wished that I could get all of the food that these characters were talking about all the time!!

These characters made me feel everything that they were feeling from the very beginning. This book was a rollercoaster and I was definitely here for every bit of it.

I love finding new to me authors. I'm definitely going to have to add Jayci Lee's backlist to my TBR.

Sweet, and delectable, A Sweet Mess is a confection of a book, perfect for reading while soaking up sun and binging on summertime sweets. Make sure you have plenty of the latter handy, because this story will have you hankering for lots of sugar.

One wrong transaction turns Aubrey Choi’s world upside down. When her teenaged part-time employee sells a Frankencake to the wrong customer, it turns Aubrey’s successful, currently peaceful bakery into ground zero for a major meltdown. The six-year-old who had ordered the gummy worm-filled monstrosity desperately wanted that special cake for her party that afternoon. Aubrey is all about meeting customer expectations and has no intention of letting a sobbing, unhappy child ruin her stellar reputation for outstanding service, so she whips up a new chocolate bundt cake with peanut butter and gummy worm filling and hand delivers it to the birthday girl.

One wrong turn almost costs food critic Landon Kim his life. When a tire blows out on his car, Landon experiences a moment of sheer panic but manages to successfully steer the vehicle to the side of the road. Then he finds himself taking a bumpy, uncomfortable tow-truck ride to a charming town whose only garage is closed for the afternoon. Stuck in a picture perfect slice of Americana, Landon decides to make the best of it by giving in to temptation and trying out the chocolate bundt cake the local bakery has as its daily special. The first bite is heaven and Landon is thoroughly impressed with the baker’s skill. The second slice has him choking on an unexpected obstruction, a gooey piece of slimy candy which has inexplicably made its way into his otherwise awesome pastry. Attributing the appalling addition to “arrogance and callousness” on the part of the chef, he throws out the rest of his cake and heads to the local brewery. Hopefully he’ll have better luck there.

He does. He meets a beautiful woman named Aubrey, also trying to relax after a stressful day, with whom he shares an awesome one night stand. He heads home happy and relaxed, but his first moments back at the office strip him of his recently acquired chill.  A convoluted plot mess which I won’t bother to unpack here forces Landon to write a restaurant review and since the only food he’s recently had was the bundt cake, he pens a scathing exposé of his near death- by-chocolate experience at the small town bakery Comfort Zone.

Aubrey can’t believe her bad luck. She’s just signed a lease to rent a new building and expand her business when the review comes out and destroys her company. Online orders and out of town visitors, the lifeline of her bottom-line, dry up. She’ll be lucky if Comfort Zone makes it through the next few weeks.

When a sobbing teenager barges into Landon’s office and explains just why he was given the choking hazard confection, then tells him his review is about to cost Aubrey her business, he feels awful. Not only did he do an innocent woman a huge disservice, it turns out the damaged party is none other than his gorgeous one night stand.  Because the magazine can’t afford to set a precedent of retracting bad reviews, Landon doesn’t feel he can write an apology editorial explaining his mistake. Still, he wants to do right by Aubrey so he offers her a spot on the new celebrity cooking show he’s producing. The program will give her the opportunity to showcase the kind of scrumptious sensations she specializes in for a national audience.  She agrees because it's the only way she can think of to get out of her downward financial spiral.

The shining jewel of this story is the humor. I loved all the little snippets of comedic snark such as:

West Los Angeles drivers weren’t the most patient lot. They blared their horns if someone sneezed wrong. He shouldn’t judge, though. Who wouldn’t be irritable with a diet consisting entirely of kombucha and green juice?

Some of the descriptions of character actions/attitudes had me giggling aloud:

Then Landon flared his nostrils like an angry bull and clenched his jaws tight enough to crack a molar. What? Did a bee sting his ass?

There’s a great moment at the start of the story revolving around the names of some local ales that captures perfectly the witty banter the text indulges in. I’ll let you discover that scene for yourself but suffice it to say, I love the sexy zingers and one liners that make up the couple’s dialogue.

The romance itself could be described the same way - sexy, with plenty of heat between the sheets, but filled with zingy, quippy conversations that help our lovers make a heartfelt connection.

The characters fit perfectly into this frothy piece of fiction. Aubrey, with her whimsical desserts and sweet-as-sugar personality, is an ideal heroine for any story revolving around a bakery. She’s an easily likable young woman, ambitious but not so driven that she doesn’t have a life outside work and easy going enough that most people would thoroughly enjoy having her as a friend. She has issues with her past, a requisite for a central character in a romance novel, but those issues slide so conveniently into the plot and are resolved so easily the author could have replaced everything concerning them with the words ‘insert character development here.’

Landon is a beau ideal from central casting, gorgeous, talented, successful and with the required commitment phobia that is the epicenter of many a romance hero. He’s an excellent match for Aubrey. He, too, has issues from the past which are also worked out with speed and simplicity. For both he and Aubrey, their life traumas fit so neatly into the narrative of the storyline that it's painfully obvious that they were written strictly to get us from point A to point B.

Some books transcend their genre and others are defined by it, and this book is definitely the latter. Every aspect of the story feels like it came from a Family Feud board of top ten things you would find in a romance novel plot. For the most part that worked for me, although I did find it irritating when it came to the way problems were handled within the tale. Mere acquaintances would wave a magic wand that resolved major hurdles for our heroine, and single conversations would resolve decades old hurts. Money was never an object except as a set up for the hero or one of his friends to play rescuer.

Those sound like complaints but really they are minor annoyances that keep A Sweet Mess from rising above good to great. Objections are often made about genre formulas but this bubbly, buoyant tale isn’t meant to be something new and awe inspiring. It’s meant to be something fun and familiar that will provide a few hours of enjoyable distraction and it succeeds at doing exactly that. If you are looking for something light and easy, look no further.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent bookstore
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What started out as a one night stand turns into something much for Aubrey, a small town bakery owner, and Landon, a successful restaurant reviewer.. Everything about this book is appealing. The well crafted protagonists and the secondary characters are believable. The relationship between Aubrey and Landon is packed with desire and much more. The dialogue is sharp and witty. This well told story includes themes of love, hope and unexpected second chances. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St Martin's and NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own..

Aubrey owns her own bakery. She loves what she does. It is her pride and joy. Plus, she is about to expand. But, when her part time employee accidentally sells the wrong cake to a food critic…it almost brings her business to a close.

Enter Landon! He is a famous food blogger and a star in his own right. He wrote a scathing review about Aubrey’s business. When he realizes she is fantastic at what she does and he just got the wrong cake. He refuses to write a retraction, even though, he and Aubrey had a one night stand. Complicated…to say the least!

When I first started reading this book, I had reservations and I almost put it down. It was not the type of book I really wanted to read. I was not in the mood for a rom-com. But, the further I read the more enjoyable the story became. Now, it IS your typical romance…nothing new and no surprises. I just completely fell in love with the characters and the story. I laughed out loud and fell…hook, line and sinker for Landon. AND do not think you won’t be hungry while reading this book. The food is amazing. I can just smell some of the delicious dishes being prepared.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.