This is a cute romance, especially if you like foodie fiction! I enjoyed the setting and the descriptions of the food made me so hungry :)

This is like a Hallmark Christmas movie in a book. It is super cheesy and cute and makes you feel good. You just want to devour the story and have a hard time putting it down even though you know how dorky it is. Plus the food descriptions in this book will make your mouth water! Aubrey comes up with a plan to save her business, and realizes the guy she hooked up with is involved in more ways than one! They have a connection that is undeniable but watch her try to deny it!

*3.5 Stars**

**I received an e-ARC via NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review**

This is a sweet, light-hearted, contemporary romance. I liked Landon and Aubrey as characters. The author does a good job in making them both flawed, but not annoying or grating. My favorite aspect of the book was the descriptions of the food. Some of them made my mouth water and I wish I was eating them as I was reading. I will say I didn't love the conflict in the book as I felt it was very thin and there is a development that occurs later in the novel that I wasn't a fan of, but that is personal preference. The pacing was a little bit slow at times for me as well

With all that said, I liked this. It's not without it's flaws, but it did exactly what a romance novel should do and I was invested Landon and Aubrey's story. I'd be open to reading more from this author.

This could have been great. Read more like a harlequin romance than a contemporary. There was just an overwhelming amount of sexual tension and tons of lusting after each other. I guess this was supposed to read as like a forbidden romance because the main characters Aubrey and Landon couldnt be together to save their careers but it was just more like a piney lovesick teenagers. I liked the main characters as individuals but there was just TOO MUCH in the lusty department and it wasnt even the steamy kind. I liked Aubreys best friend Tara and Landons friend Aria. Those two characters were the comedic elements that this book needed. Also the ending deeper stuff with Aubreys and Landons family, why couldnt that have been more prevelant in the story? That gave a backstory to these characters that I wished was more involved into this book than thrown in at the last 20% of the book. I just wish more elements of this book had either been more included in the long plot or been elaborated on a bit more and fleshed out.

This is a gorgeously written ROMANCE. It is not, despite the quote in the description, a ROMANTIC COMEDY. These are two different genres. And to be honest, I'm really pissed that publishers keep putting cartoony covers on contemporary romance and marketing them as romcom. Not only because, as a reader, I actually look at genre when deciding what to read, but because it does a huge disserve to the authors. Romance readers won't look twice at this book, and that's not fair to Jayci Lee - who wrote something amazing and beautiful.

The characters are rich and well-rounded. The set-up is delightfully cringe-worthy. The supporting charactes are well-rounded. The jokes... are, well, non-existent because THIS IS NOT A ROMANTIC COMEDY. (I'll get over it, I promise.) The sexual tension is palpable. The black moment annoyed me, to be honest, because I felt that we needed more insight into Landon's character before we got there for it to make sense. But in the end, Lee pulled it all together in a very satisfying way.

If you're looking for a swoon-worthy romance, this book is highly recommended.

Four and a half stars, rounded up to 5.

thanks to netgalley for the advanced reader copy. I really liked this cute romcom story of two people who meet under different pretenses. it really reminded me of my favorite movie, you've got mail.

A Sweet Mess will make you laugh, cry and warm your heart. It is a delightful read about chef and baker with great writing. My only critique is that some of Aubrey’s baked goods should come with the book!

Thank you to Jayci Lee, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Heat Factor: They have a one night stand and then several weeks of the most severely comical sex interruptions.
Character Chemistry: Instalust.
Plot: It’s a lot.
Overall: More like: A Hot Mess.

Here’s how my emotions progressed as I read this book:
1. I am so excited about this book! The last book I read by Jayci Lee was so fun and tropey, but also tightly written and fresh. Plus, she writes Korean-American characters with just enough detail to highlight their identity, but not enough to bash the reader over the head. Let’s do this!
2. Ok, I’m not quite connecting to the characters and I’m not sure why, but Aubrey has great banter with her BFF, so I’ll stick with it.
3. I am sort of irritated because this book is having an identity crisis. Is it angsty? Is it a comedy? Are we going with this trope or nah? Can these characters make up their minds about anything? No?
4. RAGE.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

More detailed review is available at The Smut Report (July 2020).

I was cringing at the beginning of the book knowing who did this to Aubrey, yet she didn't. I hated going through the hard times she was having at the hand of someone she really liked. But, loved what it evolved into and the opportunities that were presented to her. This was a sweet, easy read and kept my attention. I recommend it for something quick that doesn't weigh heavily on your mind.

A Sweet Mess is an emotional, sweet, steamy, and obviously funny romantic comedy. The main characters Aubrey and Landon have serious chemistry and the author, Jayci Lee, does a great job translating that chemistry on page. The steam level in this one is high, but it also more of a fade out read when it comes to the more detailed intimate aspects. This story is written in third person point of view, and that is honestly my only complaint. I personally can not connect as well with the characters when that is the perspective it's written in, BUT I will say that it was slightly easier with A Sweet Mess. The story just has a good flow, and I think that's why I was able to connect as well as I did. I will say, without giving things away, that there are a few trope-y plots going on in this one that I personally enjoyed, but I think may bother some people.

All in all though, this was a good romcom read. Would I purchase it for myself? Probably not. It's an enjoyable read, and an easy one at that though, and I would for sure recommend it to anyone who loves a well written, trope-y romcom.

I received a ARC of A Sweet Mess from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
I love romcoms and this book didn’t disappoint. The chemistry between Aubrey and Landon was intense and I laughed (and cried) during their story. It was a fun read.
If I could change anything I would attach a companion recipe book with the story because the food and desserts sounded incredible.

Having escaped from under her father’s thumb, Aubrey Choi is now perfectly content to run her own bakery in the small, sleepy town of Weldon, California. However, a one night stand with a handsome stranger, stranded in town by a blown tire, shakes up her world. Turns out that handsome stranger was famous food critic, Landan Kim, whose harsh (and unfair) review of her bakery nearly sends her out of business. Trying to clean up the mess he made, Landon offers her a guest spot on a celebrity cooking show he’s producing, promising that their relationship will be strictly business. But, when Aubrey and Landon find themselves sharing a villa in the beautiful California wine country where the show is being filmed, they might find that their spark can’t be so easily extinguished.

This was such a cute rom com! I was already hooked into the idea of this book after I read the synopsis, and it was a joy to read. I loved the Asian American representation, and the tension created between a baker and a food critic. And while I liked Aubrey and Landon separately, it was the relationships that really stole the show! I liked the sparks between Aubrey and Landon, the humor and protectiveness between Aubrey and her best friend, Lara, and the love and forgiveness between multiple characters. There’s no doubt that this book is steamy (though more of a fade to black romance), but I enjoyed the well rounded story as well!

The only thing that I would change is the abrupt changes throughout the book in timeline and POV. There were several instances when there would be a seemingly random shift in the POV, or the timeline would jump from one day to the next with no clear bridge how we got there, and it would be disorienting for a few lines to understand what I was reading. However, I did read an ARC, where formatting isn’t always finished yet, so that could look different in the final product!

Overall, a light rom com, perfect for an afternoon read!

This book comes out July 14, 2020! Thank you to the publisher, net galley , and the author for a review copy of this book!

I thought this was a really cute romance. Cooking romances hardly ever get done good but this one it the mark. The romance between Aubrey and Landon was full of chemistry and you could just read the sparks coming off of them.
The only thing that was a little bit of a draw back was the last twenty five percent of the book. It just seemed like it turned into another book internally.

Oh my gosh! This book is soooooooo amazing and wonderful and I wish I could read it all over again, it was so good. A Sweet Mess follows Aubrey who owns a bakery in a small California town and is super talented, who has one night stand with the dreamy Landon. Unfortuntately it turns out that Landon is a food critic and has some harsh criticism for Aubrey and her bakery after he visits and is served a cake meant for a small child's birthday. With his review out in the public, Aubrey's success stalls and Landon, realizing what effect his review will have attempts to help Aubrey get back her public favour by offering her a job on his friend's cooking show. What follows is a sweet, steamy romance of two people who do their best to resisting their attraction and fail spectacularly.

I loved the concept of this book when I read the synopsis but somehow I still pleasantly surprised by this book. Aubrey was a lovely, well rounded character and I loved how the author worked in her past while also making her fully capable and self sufficient. Competence porn at it's best! Aubrey is hysterical as well as and there are so many good one liners that she has, both externally and in her internal monologue.

Aubrey is so relatable and I wanted to be best friends with her as well as eat her food. The food description in this book are too die for and I wanted to make and eat all the things that Aubrey makes.

Landon is also a great, rounded character - I loved him and his attraction/love for Aubrey but struggling to like him as well in his big headedness. Landon goes on more of the emotional journey in this book, which I really enjoyed watching him try to work through his past to get to the point where he feels deserving of Aubrey.

Spoiler Alert****
The only quibble I have with this book is the plot point that is inserted toward the end when Aubrey finds herself pregnant. Generally I am not a fan of the surprise pregnancy trope and was a little disappointed to find it in this book. HOWEVER, this is one of the few books that I felt handled it really well. Aubrey doesn't fall apart or wallow in self doubt forever. She decides to move on and gets on with her life and sets up a wonderful support system and I loved how she got on with it. I was frustrated that she wasn't honest with Landon about her pregnancy though the justification makes sense. It's just always an issue with me when the couple fails to communicate.

The chemistry between these two sparks off the page and made me want to consume this book as quickly as possible. The descriptions of the food are incredible and has my mouth watering. Overall this book is so stellar. It's stayed with me even months later; just thinking about it makes me want to re read it. I can't wait to share this book with everyone I know.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the arc in exchange for an honest review. A Sweet Mess was a sweet little book. Aubrey and Landon (a baker and a restaurant critic) have instant chemistry when they meet at her local brewery. They spend the night together and little does Aubrey know that Landon has eaten at her bakery and will change their lives forever with one review.

Landon was a jerk in several parts of this story, but he does work to redeem himself. Aubrey was sweet and much easier to like. I would’ve liked a little more substance to their relationship beyond the physical aspects.

Overall, it was a sweet, fast and fun read that made me hungry at parts! I wish I could’ve tried Aubrey’s special recipes.

3.5 stars rounded up

Such a fun, sweet read. I loved the characters and their individual journeys. It was more than just a romance - it was the story of two lives coming together in such a heartwarming way.

DNF.
Kudos for the representation of Asian Americans. Im always ready to read books that are diverse and inclusive.

I just couldn't connect with the main characters. Lots of cursing in the dialogue turned me off. They're attraction and hook up just happened too fast for me.

Owner and head baker of Comfort Zone, Aubrey Choi has a disastrous day when her Frankencake (a chocolate bundt cake filled with peanut butter, gummy worms and cream cheese) is sold to the wrong person and the intended birthday girl is devastated. Aubrey rushes to bake and deliver a new cake in time for the birthday party.

Landon Kim is a well-known food critic, who has a disastrous day when he gets a flat tire just outside of Weldon, the small Californian town Aubrey’s bakery is in. Landon gets a room at a local hotel, as the only place in town that can fix his tire is closed until the next day. He stops by Comfort Zone for a snack and ends up buying the original Frankencake. He is revolted by the quirky fillings of the cake.

After a serendipitous meeting at the local bar where Aubrey’s best friend Tara is owner and head bartender, Aubrey and Landon spend a night together.

Landon writes a critique for the California Coast Monthly, bashing Aubrey’s Frankencake which leads to a decline in her restaurant income. But Landon quickly learns of the cake mix-up and sets about to make things right with Aubrey and her restaurant, while trying to maintain his credibility as a critic.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Food and books are two of my favorite things in life, so I often seek out books that center around one or both of those topics.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and Jayci Lee for the advanced copy of A Sweet Mess in exchange for honest review. A full review will be shared on my blog and Instagram closer to the publication date.

Jayci Lee has written a charming “sweet” novel with “A Sweet Mess”.
The relationship that Aubrey and Landon had was emotional and complicated throughout the novel but I loved watching all the developments along their relationship roller coaster.
You do not want to miss this touching romantic tear-jerker....
There is even a bonus recipe at the end that you can try.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for fair and honest review.

This was a truly sweet read! From the talk of food to the romance! It’s funny and very entertaining! I had a ball reading this one! Can’t wait for more from this author!

This review will go live on my blog 4/29/2020