This book had the set up for everything I love in a romance. A football player who was also sweet and liked to bake?! Faking dating and did I mention Black Love? This had the set up to be amazing and swoony but I kind of fell flat for me at the end, I will say the cover of this book is beautiful and I have no regrets purchasing it. This book was so good until the 3rd act breakup. I have said multiples I dislike 3rd act breakups/Conflicts. The miscommunication trope all together. With that being said this was still cute and I would read it if your looking for and open door, hallmarky, faking dating black romance that will give you the warm fuzzies. 3.75/5 stars.

A romance book with great chemistry! These two will leave you wanting more. This would be the perfect book for a sequel to continue there passion further! Loves this read!

This felt like playing Episode in the best, most fun way possible and delivered such a refreshing summer read! The romance seemed a bit rushed at the beginning, but ultimately I really enjoyed experiencing the budding relationship between Jada and Donovan. Cute, witty, steamy, and fresh--this was such a fun time!

A spoiled woman trying to make her own path in life. A footballer that owns a cupcake shop. A semi haters to lovers story. The insta love was a bit eye rolling.
I did enjoy this one. However, I get easily annoyed with the break up trope of when one of the main characters feels as if they aren't good enough for the other and breaks up with them. It's been way too overplayed

Donovan craves stability. He wants nothing but order and logic and he’s been successful both on and off the football field. But when his cupcake shop is floundering he’s left trying to figure out a way to boost sales numbers for the long term.

Jada doesn’t have a clue what she wants to do with her life. After a disastrous proposal rejection on NATIONAL television, chaos reigns in her choices and she rarely sticks to anything. Mostly because of her fear of failure and disappointing others, she knows she loves looking cute and that she can talk to people but other than that, no clue. When her Grams puts stipulations on how to earn her trust fund she finds herself in a sticky situation.

Donovan and Jada strike a deal: fake date to boost sales and keep Jada’s reality show “fame” from damaging her more. But can they keep it strictly business, or will the undeniable attraction win out?

This was so cute and I loved Jada and Donovan’s wit and humor together. They balance each other out well.

Fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, employee/boss romance. This book hits all the fan-favorite tropes!

Jada is returning home after a disaster of a "break-up" on live television. She finds herself working at a bakery owned by professional football player Donovan Dell. When a reporter, mistakenly assumes Jada and Donovan are together, they realize this might be the perfect distraction to get Jada's name cleared in the headlines and create some more buzz for the bakery. This plan is fool-proof, and everything can remain sugar, spice, and everything nice, right??

Fake It Till You Bake It is a great read for any avid romance reader. It's cute and light-hearted story that would be great to throw in your bag for the morning commute. The ending seemed like we might get more books in this series, and I hope that is the case, because Jamie has got me hooked!

-I was in love with the juxtaposition between Jada and Donovan. He knows what he wants out inflicts, and she is still searching. :she opens his eyes to things he never thought about before like “ambienance”
-it was nice having a bougie Black woman as a heroine
-the interactions between Donovan and Jada were entertaining
- I loved the premise of this story. Jada had to prove to her grandmother that she can stick to a career for more than 6 months in order to get her trust fund. Her grandmother recommends she works for one of the players if her football team who owns a struggling bakery.

Jada Townsend-Matthews is the most reviled woman in America after turning down a proposal on a reality dating show. When she comes home to lick her wounds, Jada finds herself working at San Diego's newest cupcake bakery, Sugar Blitz, alongside the uptight owner and professional football player Donovan Dell.

When a reporter mistakenly believes Jada and Donovan are an item, they realize they can use the misunderstanding to their advantage to help the struggling bakery and rehabilitate Jada's image. Faking a relationship should be simple, but sometimes love is the most unexpected ingredient.

Fake dating and enemies and lovers all wrapped up in the perfect summer read! The story was a slow build, but it ended up getting really good halfway through.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This ended up being a sweet one! I had a hard time starting it - I felt like it started slow, even though there was a great meet-cute! But with the entrepreneurial elements as well as the attraction in this book, I ended up loving it!

It’s a delightful romance, but nothing too exciting.

Jada’s social media cachet has taken a serious dive after she said no to Dr. John on a dating show. Her grandmother sets her up with a job at a cupcake store co-owned by NFL player, Donovan. A rumor starts on social media that the two of them are dating and they decide to run with it.

My biggest peeve with this book was that the author used the word “bougie” quite a lot. I had to look it up, and from what I can tell it’s not a very flattering term. Now, I don’t know if I understood it wrong, so feel free to help me out, but I didn’t get a good impression whenever Donovan referred to Jada as “bougie”. And this is such a distinctive word, that it did get to be too repetitive after a while, even if I misunderstood the meaning behind it.

Other than that, it’s a sweet enemies-to-lovers romance. The love was a bit too insta, but I did enjoy the interactions between Jada and Donovan.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a good read. Great characters along with a fun storyline. Even if you know they will get together, its a fun story to enjoy along the way.

This book made me desperate for a cupcake. Specifically one from Sugar Blitz though, their flavor combinations were legendary.

I really enjoyed this one. I think that Jada and Donovan were delightful and I look forward to seeing more pairings in this world.

A weird thing about me- I adore romance with football players. I think it is something about a man being rough and tumble on the outside and being a gooey mess for his lady on the inside. This 1000% has that vibe so I was desperate to get to read it.

This book starts with sassy Jada coming off a reality show, where she did what was best for her life and made a good choice but made the world hate her. She is jaded and lost not knowing what her next step is. She needs a gig and is forced to work with Donovan in order to secure her future.

Donovan is a football player on the outside edge of his career and he owns part of the bakery Sugar Blitz. He is dedicated and motivated but equally struggling with the business not doing so hot. Taking on Jada as an employee may be his best decision yet.

The two of them are an unlikely pairing but sparks fly as they learn about themselves and develop a relationship that is both sweet and spicy.

Tropes: enemies to lovers, fake dating, forced proximity

Highly recommend!

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to check this one out!

Really enjoyed this romance and it was really unique. A great book for anytime of the year and for anyone that loves baking romances.

This was an adorable read! Anything with cupcakes and you have me HOOKED! The characters were so relatable and I really wanted to be their friends. What an amazing escape.

While I loved the enemeies to lovers idea, Jada wasn't much of a likeable character. Donovan on the other hand, I instantly fell in love with his character the moment he was introduced.

With only one specific dislike; Jada's Personality; I would like to say it's cute, cheesy, and a book wouldn't want to put down. Perfect read for a sunny day on your porch.

Deliciously fun and now I have a sudden craving for cake!

I've not read this author before, but I will certainly be seeking out more of her stories, I really liked her light and cheerful writing, it's engaging and keeps you hooked, this makes you smile and gives you all the feel-good vibes. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thank you so much Jamie Wesley, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC! :)

[This is part of a blog post I recently wrote]

Donovan Dell plans everything to a T, so when impulsive Jada Townsend-Matthews whooshes into his cupcake shop (and his life), he's thrown for a loop.

Fake dating, delicious cupcakes, slow burn... Fake It Till You Bake has all of these! This sweet, spicy story is perfect for fans of Talia Hibbert and Chandra Blumberg fans.

The book is another win for the opposites attract trope! The banter is funny and the stakes are high. I appreciate how Jamie Wesley explores what’s beneath the surface of these complex characters, though I wish there had been more on that front. One of my favorite aspects was the representation of Jada’s dyslexia—as someone who is neurodivergent, I'm so glad to see more authors writing about learning disabilities. I loved reading about Donovan's wholesome friendships with his football buddies, particularly the depiction of healthy masculinity.

There were parts of the story I didn’t find cohesive, so I had to do some re-reading. Also, the miscommunication towards the end got on my nerves, probably because I can no longer deal with the “things are too good, so let’s throw a wrench in” trope. But overall, it was a fun, light read!

I have been so excited about this book because I love baking shows and fake dating romance books. And it was a fun book.

I really liked how Jada took charge of her dyslexia and didn't let anyone shame for it (because they shouldn't!) But she learned how to navigate it and succeed.

The love story was cute but I did feel like it could have been a little better developed, in my opinion. But I still think it was a fun cute rom com.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, I really enjoyed this books. It’s an enemies to loves romance with fake dating and great side characters. It’s a sweet and light hearted read. It’s a romantic comedy with open door romance. All the bakery talk had me craving sweets! I loved the witty banter and character development. I would recommend this book to anyone whose look for a sweet and fun romance.

With a dash of delightful banter, a pinch of mature & realistic romance and tablespoon of delicious chemistry, this delectable romcom read will leave your sweet tooth craving cupcakes and your heart swooning for a handsome hottie who knows how to handle a spatula.

Jamie seamlessly integrates: sentimental elements of found family; genuine and believable character growth; an adorable setting and the best kind of banter in this enemies to lovers/fake dating 𝘋𝘌𝘚𝘚𝘌𝘙𝘛 of a story.

The plot and characters were creative, compelling and immensely cute. Every element of the story was so thoughtfully pulled together. From main characters, supporting characters, plot, setting, and bumps in the road — 𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩, 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘶𝘯 — were very clearly planned with intentionality, cleverness and love. I smiled, laughed and audibly “awed” throughout.

A standout positive for me is Jamie’s ability to craft characters who, as two strong and well established individuals, did not dim each others light. Their dynamic was fantastic and I commend Jamie for believably bringing together two alphas whose love, communication and support made each other even stronger. I love their love.

This was my first read by Jamie Wesely but it will definitely not be my last. I recommend this creative, engaging and joy-filled romcom to anyone whose appetite for love and levity needs satiating — I genuinely look forward to indulging in this universe again through the rest of this series for which she has laid the groundwork through this novel.