I’ve been excited about reading this book since it landed on my doorstep because a) the cover is great, b) the blurb sounded fun and c) I’m a sucker for foodie romances!

A SWEET MESS delivered on the foodie vibes I was looking for. In fact, it made me extremely hungry! And that’s the mark of a good foodie romance if you ask me. I also really liked the heroine. She’s determined, passionate and focused on achieving her goals and that certainly made me like her a lot. And even forgive some of her preconceived ideas about love and relationships that she made based on her parents marriage. Then there’s the hero. They can’t act on their attraction because he wrote a bad review of her bakery and now he’s trying to make amends but if people find out they’re together it would look terribly for both work-wise. With all that, and the fact he’s also a caring type of guy, he certainly made plenty of mistakes and was saying the wrong thing ALL THE TIME. So I couldn’t quite fall in love with him. But I do think he’s a good match for our heroine.

I wasn’t expecting the fade to black intimate scenes. There was one moment in particular where they were about to have sex and they stop to ask questions about family and their past. It gave me whiplash and it didn’t feel like it made sense for the flow of the story at that point and more like a forced conversation because the characters needed to know facts. I would’ve loved to see more actual development in both of their family backgrounds because I do think they played an integral part in who they were as people now and those aspects were just on the periphery of the story.

Overall though, this was a bit sweeter than I was expecting. That’s a good thing and a perfect trait for summery romances so if you’re looking for that kind of light hearted and sweet romance to read by the pool then this will be great. Make sure you have snacks and drinks handy.

Such a fun little rom/com that highlights exactly how important communication is in a relationship. The story itself was good, had good pacing and loved the bakery setting.

Oddly enough and as much as I love a good third person POV, this one fell kind of flat. I think I would of liked it better as a first person POV. I just couldn't connect with the characters as much as I 'd like when it's a contemporary story.

DNF at 22%

While I was extremely excited for this title, I unfortunately did not finish it. There were many elements that I found promising, such as the food-centric plot and the wonderful representation given the background and heritage of the protagonist and love interest, however I didn't find there to be chemistry between Aubrey and Landon and his behavior in particular didn't sit well with me.

Thank you again for your time and efforts in approving me for this ARC, I hope to fare better with future titles by the author!

This was such a fun book. I love books that have chef/baker characters and settings. They just really make me happy. This was a great book that I breezed through.

this one was weird in a way because I didn't expect a full road trip romance???? it just sort of happened and I went along for the ride. there were some scenes that were kind of cheesy too but it was a fun romantic comedy with great asian rep!

Aubrey and Landon were an adorable mess of a Korean-American couple that had me experiencing some serious culinary envy right from the start. Seriously, the food descriptions were probably my absolute favorite element to the story beyond the intense chemistry between the two lovebirds. I found myself snacking while reading and lamenting that I didn’t have any of those decadent ice cream sandwiches on hand!

A Sweet Mess uses a pretty standard one night stand, enemies, then lovers formula that works well. Both characters have compelling backgrounds that read as authentic and give readers plenty of reason to like both Aubrey and Landon as a couple and separately. Best of all, this is a diverse cast with wonderful friendships with all the banter you could want between the couple and others. I really did have fun reading the first half of the book.

The biggest issue I had: this story uses a trope that I always pass hard on. I can’t share really share it without giving a bit of the plot away but it’s not something that will bug many other readers but just happens to exist on my “No, Thank You” list. It’s just one of those reader hang-ups that I have.

Overall, this was a sweet, decadent read with great characters and friendships. The romance is sweet and spicy and it is clear the author adored their characters. I would absolutely read more of Jayci Lee’s work in the future.

Recommended for: Lovers of steamy romances, one-night-stand turned second chance romance, and unexpected pregnancy trope.

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Landon Kim a hotshot food critic and Aubrey Choi, a small town bakery owner collide in a love story that pulls you in.

A cute love story in the vein of Hallmark xmas movies. Nothing unpredictable, but a quick enjoyable read.

This was a fun, cute book about love and baking. While normally, I would've wanted more from the story, I found myself really enjoying this story. Of course, the characters would've been better off if they communicated better, but that's a common thing in quick romances.

Aubrey Choi is a pastry chef, She makes the most amazing pastries and you will want to just go into her place, sit down and enjoy whatever concoction she has dreamed up for the day. Her place, The Comfort Zone, is all that is important to her. Everything else is secondary. Landon Kim is a renown food blogger. He had the pleasure of his car breaking down in this small town. These two meet at the bar and sparks fly. What could go wrong from a one night stand. Both Landon and Aubrey have had unusual upbringings and both have little room for love or trust. Landon needs to make things right, that is his specialization. When he has the chance to make things right, he tells Aubrey that her feelings must be wrong. Love how he grovels to make things right.

I’ve read one book by Lee last year so I knew that I would enjoy her writing. Sweet Mess was a good read, it just wasn’t something that wowed me.

This book started off so well! I was already intrigued by Audrey and Landon and was dying to see where the story would take them. Their chemistry was done well and so were the characters themselves. The author gave us moments where I would hold my breath to see if they would cross the line again.

What dropped my rating down was that at times it seemed to drag and that I so I already called most of the things that were going to happen in this book. Especially the conflict. Quite a few times, I kept waiting for something else to happen besides the "will they won’t they" between Aubrey and Landon. I also want more scenes between her and Tara and in her bakery.

Overall, this was good and okay but nothing that will become a favorite of mine. The next book in the series is about Tara and I’m excited because I adored how sassy she was in her scenes here.

Thanks NetGalley for the preview!!


This book was sweet and cute! I loved this read at such a stressful time. Did I love the overly dramatic scenes? No but I get what the author was going for. This was a quick read with some spicy elements that kept me hooked. I didn't love the addition of a surprise pregnancy but felt like that was a nice happy ending. I would read a sequel about these characters!

This is the perfect read if you're looking for something sweet, simple, and light-hearted. It was fun and flirty with well-written dialogue that had me quickly turning pages. I really enjoyed Aubrey's character.

"Bake a chance on love." A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee was adorable! Mouthwatering dessert descriptions, savory dishes, a slow burn romance, an angsty male lead, I loved it! I listened to the audiobook for the majority of this one and I thought Natalie Naudus did a great job! She played both Aubrey and Landon's voices well.

The chemistry between Aubrey and Landon was perfect and I thought they were both likeable characters. This book has been optioned already with Daniel Dae Kim to star as the male lead, I can't wait to see it on the big screen!

Aubrey is a small town baker who has quit a reputation with her regulars. Landon is a big time restaurant reviewer. A chance encounter finds the two in each other's orbits, and the two really hit it off. However, without knowing this fascinating girl was a baker, Landon writes a scathing review of Aubrey's bakery when he accidentally gets a cake meant for a 6 year old's birthday party. Putting Aubrey's bakery at risk she struggles with an expansion among the now dwindling orders. Trying to make things right after realizing his mistake Landon offers Aubrey an opportunity of a life time. She can present two recipes on his friends cooking show helping to promote her bakery while paying her generously for her work to finish her expansion. The two find themselves falling back into each other while both struggling with taking a leap that could ruin their careers.

The story itself was sweet, but it was also a bit of a mess. The pacing was off, and made it difficult to get into the story. I normally am ok with large time jumps in a story but there were quite a few in a book only 306 pages long. This made the story feel disconnected in a way. Especially because the behavior of these characters was slightly different after each time jump. Although people do grow and change it felt as though I was reading about new characters each jump, and the jumps could have been made more clear with a chapter heading saying "1 month later" so we knew what was coming. The story also seemed to drag out in the middle only to be summed up in a few pages which led to another time jump. These two characters who had trust issues the entire book seemed to get over them in a short conversation which felt unreal and took away from the story. Especially when Aubrey turned to Landon and said "You have much to learn Grasshopper" when it was totally not anything she would ever say.

Spoilers ahead. I also feel the random pregnancy to push the plot along was unnecessary. Accidental pregnancies do happen of course but this one felt as though it was pushed into the story just so it could have a specific ending.

A Sweet Mess was a cute romance about a pastry chef owning her own bakery and a food critic. In it, you'll follow Aubrey and Landon as they meet, fall in lust, hook up and then discover who they are before falling in love with each other.

The beginning of the book was pretty funny with the cake mix-up and when Landon got a cake full of gummy bears -made specially for a little girl's birthday- instead of the yummy desserts Aubrey usually makes.

Diving into this book, I think I expected a little more of a hate-to-love kind of trope but the hate part with the bad critic was almost non-existent. During the entire book, I found Aubrey a little too passive to my taste. Landon could also be an ass (refusing to make another critic even though an honest mistake was made & the way he made her feel unimportant compared to his career and how he made her a bit of a dirty secret at first). Other than that, it was pretty cute and sweet like its title and the hero redeemed himself in the end.

(Thank you for letting me read and review an arc via Netgalley)

Woah! There is a lot to unpack here.

Aubrey own a bakery in a small town in California. Landon is a famous food critic. When he stumbles into her bakery, he accidentally buys a cake made for a 6 year old, stuffed with gummy worms. Later that night, he meets Aubrey at a bar. Neither of them knows who the other one is until Landon’s negative review about Aubrey’s bakery comes out, threatening the livelihood of her business.

And that’s all only within the first 20% of the book!

So much happens in this book. It has so many romance novel tropes all rolled into one and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I loved Aubrey. She was strong and independent and determined to make her own way in the world. I also liked Landon, and their chemistry leapt off the page. There was a big pull of will they/won’t they that kept me intrigued from page one. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to them and how they would ultimately end up together.

If you are a fan of romance novels, I highly recommend checking this one out. There is so much that happens and it kind of breaks the typical pace. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen another surprise was thrown in. It brought a smile to my face every time I picked up this book and I look forward to reading more by Lee in the future.
There were also some side characters, specifically Tara, Aubrey’s best friend, who I really hope get a spin off novel. I would love to read more about the town and Tara. There were also some delicious sounding recipes in this book. I think there was only one that was given in the back, but it definitely had me craving some baked goods.

Sweet Mess is a sweet and steamy romantic comedy. Aubrey and Landon are well-written characters who have obvious chemistry. Aubrey's baking business is taking off when she meets Landon and falls hard. Unfortunately, this slows down her business and a sweet mess ensues.

Read this if only for the food porn! I love a good enemies to lovers romp and this did not disappoint, it did make me very hungry thorough... It felt like the author was trying to cram every trope imaginable in this book, enemies to lovers, one night stand, and coworkers, and one other I won't spoil. It was pretty full-on but still a fun read.

She didn’t come up for air until a new batch was spinning in the ice cream maker—kind of like a puppy chasing its tail. Why are desserts so cute?

“Be a good little blob.” She wagged her index finger at the ice cream machine, her expression stern to match her words . Wait a minute. Being bossy wouldn’t get her anywhere. She was, after all, at the mercy of the tail-chasing blob.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be bossy. I’ll say please. Pretty please.”

A hoot of laughter made her jump and scream long and loud. Landon nearly toppled from the stool, startled by her horror queen performance. Was he watching me the entire time? Aubrey patted her hair to make sure it wasn’t a spiky mess. Because having tidy hair will make Landon forget I was talking to the sorbet like an insane person.

“Sorry. I didn’t realize you were here,” she said.

“It’s not the first time. Being completely ignored by a beautiful woman helps build character.” Landon recovered from his near fall and winked at her.




A Sweet Mess had so many ingredients that I enjoy in a read- baking (give me all things baking and treats- also I need a sample of every treat made in the book STAT because they sound delicious and I was perpetually hungry while reading), a love of all kinds of food, cute contemporary romance, dual perspective with both the love interests, and reality television- as well as a HEA.

The heat level was pretty low, as in fade to black where you know sex happens but there is no description, which I enjoyed. I don't always need/want on page steam, this had enough sexual tension that built, and hot glances and intentions that I could feel the desire between the two characters very easily. The romance started as a one night stand, then enemies, then friends and finally to love and I enjoyed the progression and the pacing.

Overall I found this to be a quick engaging read, the perfect scoop of happy escapism reading. I recommend this to anyone who wants a fast adult contemporary romance and enjoys food eating and creating.