3.5 *
thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review
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This book was way beyond adorable. I loved the bakery setting and the cozy scenes of baking. Fake dating is one of my fav tropes and obviously this one did not disappoint. I love how close Jada and Donovan became in such a short time and how even though their relationship wasn't the easiest (especially with others always watching) they always faced their problems together and never gave up on each other. I can definitely see this book becoming a comfort read because of how sweet and fluffy it was.
read if you love
- enemies to lovers
- opposites attract
- main characters of color
- football player baker
- reality show aspect (very small)
- fake dating
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I've been plowing through rom-coms like it's my job, and if it has a happy ending, chances are I'm going to like it. But occasionally, one stands out, and Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley hit that sweet spot. A disgraced reality tv star and a cupcake-baking NFL player fake-date in this delicious romantic comedy. Donovan's cupcake store needs more customers if they're going to make it, and Jada needs to convince the public she isn't a heartless witch, so theirs is a mutually beneficial match made in fake-relationship heaven. But when fake dating leads to real feelings, will the sweet turn sour?

This relatively low angst romance was super sweet. Jada came across as a little immature at times; she's 25 but she acts like she's still fresh out of college. The good thing about Donovan is that he's a little older and a lot more mature, so he helps ground Jada, but she also helps him loosen up a little and embrace a little chaos.

If you're looking for a light-hearted rom-com to read by the pool or on vacation, you should definitely pick up Fake It Till You Bake It. This was my first romance by Jamie Wesley, but it won't be my last!

Fake It Til You Bake It is a great summer read. Donovan Dell is a professional football player who loves to bake and owns a bakery called Sugar Blitz with his business partners, teammate and best friends. Unfortunately, sales have declined since the bakery opened. Jada Townsend-Matthews is a reality show star who has received bad publicity after turning down a marriage proposal. Half of the viewers pretty much hates her.

Jada and Donovan’s first meeting leaves a lot to be desired when Jada insults Sugar Blitz, not liking the place. Despite that, there is an electric shock when Donovan provides Jada with a cupcake. He finds himself seeking her approval. A little while later Jada and Donovan have to spend a lot of time together when Jada is forced to work with Donovan to satisfy her Grandmother. Donovan’s business partner Nicholas (who is quite the ladies’ man), notices the attraction. Somewhere recipes and close contact, the two almost kiss. Things really get interesting when Jada needs Donovan to fake a relationship with her until the dust settles from the reality show debacle. Donovan finally let Nicholas and convince him that the fake relationship could help their bottom line. Fake or not, their first kiss is very real and the “best first kiss” Donovan ever had.

Fake It Till You Bake It is an interesting spin on the “Fake relationship” trope. Despite a passion for baking Donovan, Nicholas and their friend and teammate August are as masculine as men can get and have features that would attract any woman. I really enjoyed the scene where Jada’s friend has her book club meeting at the shop. It is very realistic and also puts Jada and Donovan in the hot seat. I also thought it was interesting how Ms. Wesley tackles dyslexia and how one of the characters manages this condition. Overall, this story is as sweet as the cupcakes and will make the reader smile. I’m interested to see what’s next by this author.

3.50 stars
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TW: Sexual content, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia
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Jada is currently the most hated woman after refusing a proposal on a reality tv show, she spends her days trying to find her next passion and get her life back together. In comes Donovan, a hot football player and co-owner of cupcake shop Sugar Blitz, Donovan will do anything to get his business booming as failure is not an option. After a common link lands Jada a job in the shop, the two of them get mistaken for a couple and both realize that a small lie could benefit the two of them. Shortly, business is once again booming, and Jada is able to convince fans/foes that she turned down a proposal for a reason.

I'll start off by saying it was so nice to see a male-owned business; Nic and August (co-owners) brought a lot of humor to the plot. That being said the story was a bit rushed, Jada was obnoxious most of the time and the only "struggle" we encountered was around 88% into the book. The fake romance wasn't ever put in danger of being revealed, although loved how genuine the chemistry was. Definitely was looking for a little bit more spice, or even have the cupcake shop involved a bit more in some steamy moments.

The pace of the book felt fast, but also slow at the same time. It had me wanting more, as often the plot was repetitive (a lot of customers just wanting to take selfies with the hottest it couple), I love how the epilogue set up for a possible sequel. I'm assuming we will get another two books to follow August and finally Nic. Overall, this was a cute and fun read, and made me crave ALL. THE. SWEETS.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley is the perfect book for those who enjoy the fake-dating trope with a splash of workplace romance. It can be enjoyed also because of its many funny and swoon-worthy scenes coupled up with the main and secondary characters.

Jada and Donovan start their story with the wrong foot right from the beginning since they seem so opposed in character from each other, both having strong opinions and not being afraid to speak their minds around one another. Even though they have this animosity around them, they are forced to work together in order to resolve some of their problems. Obviously in need of one another, they will have to learn to get along for the sake of their careers and future. But, nothing is as easy as it seems because feelings always get in the way!

This was a simple read that had much potential, but in my opinion the breakup scene kind of ruined the development that the story and the characters as a couple were having. It didn’t make a lot of sense to place the breakup scene just for the sake of having one as all the romance books seem to have. All in all, the author caught my attention and I will have my eye on her future releases!

*ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

this book is a sweet (pun intended) romance featuring a judgy family, a fake dating scheme gone wrong, and so many delish sounding cupcakes!

this is definitely the kind of book that you need to suspend some believe to read, I mean a dating reality show finalist and a professional football player meet in a cupcake shop? yeah that's a bit much but was the sweetest meet cute.

I do appreciate how the conflict of the book was focused on external factors rather than miscommunication between romantic partners. it was a bit insta-lovey, but the love interests honestly seemed to admit that as well so that was refreshing.

overall, a nice contemporary romance with some spice. nothing hugely genre bending, but very enjoyable!!

This was not a “BAKEdown“ (get it? Touchdown? Cause football and baking lol I apologize). It started off pretty good but then it became too cheesy and predictable for my liking. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the MCharacters. Their immaturity made me feel as if I was reading YA, and let’s not even talk about their moment of separation 🙄 unnecessary. I really wanted to like this story.. I hope you have better luck!

I did however end up craving a cupcake every time I finished a chapter lol shoot I’m craving one now! 🧁

Hot damn!!! This better be a trilogy featuring August and Nicholas as main characters next time! I can not get enough of this story so I’m not ready to say it’s over! Jada and Donovan’s fresh baked love story is just so cute!! Enemies to fake dating to lovers, and football stars?! What’s not to love!? Ooof but that last minute drama, had me just a little worried. If you liked Alexa Martin’s the playbook series, and love cupcakes, this book is for you. Now just to come off this sugar high…

Jada was on a reality TV show to try and find love, when she rejected the proposal people turned on her. Donovan is a football player who owns a cupcake store with two of his best friends. Who knew a chance encounter would have them pretending to be a couple. He can help her reputation and she can help bring business to the store. She is sunshine and he is a grump, but their personalities blend well together.

I love football and cupcakes so I couldn't pass this book up! While I enjoyed most of the book, some of it didn't seem to flow very well. It jumped from one thing to another, I had to go back a few times because I was confused. I liked Jade and Donovan and their banter, but some of it didn't seem to feel organic. I liked most of the supporting characters, they added to the story with their witty commentary.

Overall I thought the book was good and I will read more from the author!

3.5-4 star

I was drawn to this story because it painted a professional football player in a different light. The author wrote a great story and with a diverse and likable group of characters.

While I liked the overall story I felt like it could have been more. The issues/problems didn't feel like a looming part of the overall problem waiting to be resolved. The presented themselves later in the book, but were resolved in the same or next chapter.

This is my first book by this author and I would read another book from her.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

I really enjoyed reading this!
[ fake it till you bake it ] was such a cute book with swoon worthy characters and an enjoyable romance.

This book was what got me out of my reading slump and I'm really thankful for that, however I did get some second hand embarrassment at times from the writing. I feel like in the beginning it was really good but as I continued further in the book, I saw it lacked the consistency from the earlier pages.
There were also a lot of times where I felt like unnecessary dialogue was included that put me off.

In addition, I also had some issues with the pacing because even though I liked their relationship at the end. It was extremely quick paced and very cliche that sometimes I got bored cause I knew what was going to happen.

Although I had quite a few issues with the book I loved a few things including the fact that it was a black romance that showcased black excellence so well, the learning disability rep and the way it is addressed and incorporated that isn’t seen often with female main characters especially in contemporary romance, and the banter and interactions between the two main characters. I also enjoyed how the author took the lighthearted context of the book to address serious topics like things that happen to people who chose to put themselves on social media, and the necessity of having a stable income.

Overall I would recommend this and I'm looking forward to seeing the author’s writing grow.

Donovan Dell is trying to figure out how to increase sales at his cupcake shop, Sugar Blitz, so he and his San Diego football teammates can hire a full-time shop manager when their summer training starts. Jada Townsend-Matthews wants to lay low after turning down a proposal on a popular reality dating show makes her the villain of the season. Jada finds herself working at Donovan’s cupcake shop on her grandmother’s orders, and soon, a reporter mistakes the two for a couple. The two decide to use this to their advantage and pretend to date to increase foot traffic at the shop and rehabilitate Jada’s image.

I like the idea of NFL teammates going in together to start a bakery, and I hope this will become a trilogy, with each of Donovan’s teammates finding love, too! Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with either Donovan or Jada as a romantic lead. One of my pet peeves in books is when the “bad guys” are one dimensional, with no traits other than just being there to bring the main characters down, and unfortunately, that happened in this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book.

This is my favorite romance so far for 2022.
I loved Donovan's character and the way he supported Jada.
I enjoyed their bickering and their moments of hatred toward each other, especially when Jada insulted his cupcakes.

Donovan is a famous football player, and baked. He owns Sugar Blitz, a cupcake shop that's currently struggling to make a profit. Jada is a disgraced TV star, having rejected someone in the finale of a dating show. They meet when Jada enters Sugar Blitz and leaves an unsavoury impression on Donovan. Despite this, Jada has run into some trouble and ends up being set up with a job-at Donovan's shop. One day at work, with questions about the TV show swirling, Jada makes a decision that changes everything.

I did like this! It's a very, very cute and sweet story. It's light and not a deep read at all. Despite this, it took me a bit to get through. I liked the characters and the story, I literally went and bought cupcakes while reading this because I couldn't resist! I liked the relationship between Donovan and Jada. I found that it was a bit too fast of a transition from fake dating to love, really fast on the love part. And I did not like the ending. I was planning on rating this higher until the ending-just silly and super unnecessary! We don't need a third act break up-the story was good enough as it was, especially when we knew they would just get back together in a matter of pages. I thought Donovan's Dad story was also thrown in but not addressed, same with Jada's parents, it wasn't addressed or resolved enough. I found the writing good, but the author often threw in these "big" , as in complex words that just weren't necessary or fit with the style of the story. Cute story all in all! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for a copy of Fake It Till You Bake It in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was so sweet (pun intended)! I really enjoyed Jada ad Donovan’s chemistry and it felt like a really natural fake dating grumpy/sunshine romance. I really enjoyed the baking setting and the discussions about toxic masculinity and showcasing of a healthy black relationship.

Overall I had a great time reading this book and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a cute and light story.

4 stars

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for a copy of Fake It Till You Bake It in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was really interested in this one from the premise and especially the striking cover. Unfortunately the writing fell flat for me. All the little details and actions were written out in too much blunt detail and I could not get past that. It's one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to a book. I quit reading at about 15%, so I will not share my reviews on any other platform.

Hot pro football players and cupcakes?
YES. PLEASE.

FAKE IT TILL YOU BAKE IT was the grumpy+sunshine romance I needed in my life this month.

Jada is a heretofore spoiled and mostly aimless rich girl with an inheritance on the line and a flair for fun, brutal honesty, and changing careers. Donovan is a grumpy football player who is all about spreadsheets and the bottom line and gas no patience for "bougie attitudes".

The. Sparks. Between. These. Two. 🔥 I was here for it all!

What I really loved about FAKE IT TILL YOU BAKE IT was its realness. This never felt like a crazy inheritance stipulation that was completely unrealistic but made for a good plot point. The set up of Jada's job in the cupcake shop felt plausible.

I also loved that neither of these characters had an instant transformation. They each stay who they are at the beginning of the book while also progressing and changing in necessary ways to find happiness.

FAKE IT TILL YOU BAKE IT had meaningful friendships, complex family relationships, humor, chemistry, and fun! A great light read for a summer vacation.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: Rated PG-13 / Only 1 descriptive sex scene, may have harsh language.
𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦: unsupportive parents, gambling addiction
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗦: 2/5 - A bit of drama, but still a pretty light read.

This was such a fun read! It honestly felt like I was watching a movie. I LOVE black rom-coms so this started out as a plus to me. The book follows Jada, a reality star fake dating Donovan, a NFL bakery owing football player.

What I enjoyed?
-The fake dating to real dating was done impeccably well!
-The representation of dyslexic characters.
-The bromance between Donovan and his friends were perfect. Nicholas was hilarious to me and my favorite character to see pop up!
-How easy breezy this read was without being generic and overdone (which is super hard to do in this trope!)

Read if if you like....
-Tessa Bailey
-Jasmine Guillory
-Farrah Rochon

I look forward to reading more of what this author has to offer in the future! I will also be posting this review on my instagram @readwithgen

I thought this was a cute read but I struggled with the romance a bit. Jada wasn't very nice to Donovan in the beginning and I didn't feel like she really apologized to him for her attitude. It felt very insta-lust without the development I want in an adult romance. I felt their chemistry was more on a level of friendship than a romantic one.

I did enjoy the setting at the bakery a lot and I'm glad Jada finds her passion during her time working there. It was a light read which was nice and did full-fill my light and fluffy read for the week.