Fake It Till You Bake It was absolutely adorable. It was sweet and endearing and enjoyable. On my recommendations list for the year.

2.5 stars, rounded up.

I was so excited about this book. I loved the premise, the title, and the cover. We all know that romance needs diversity, and I want to see that continue to grow, so I hate giving this a lower review, which is why I rounded the stars up not down.

unfortunately, this book was really flat for me. I really like the idea of 3 NFL players baking cupcakes to de-stress and opening a bakery together. That being said, it didn't make sense that none of them ever had to go to any team events/ trainings/ workouts. It just seemed to be completely missing from the story, and made it seem unbelievable.

Jada also starts off right away just being rude, and unfortunately I never ended up connecting with her character. I think we're supposed to feel bad her parents cut her off, but then they still let her live rent free and she can go to her rich grandma for her trust fund so...it's really not something I sympathized with.

I never felt any chemistry between Jada and Donovan. It felt very forced, and very much like the author was telling, not showing.

The fake dating trope did not last long enough. It seemed like it was about 2 days, and then it was ReAl or whatever. I don't know, it was like the author wanted to include the trope, but not really commit.

I had high expectations for this book and was pretty let down. I would give the author another chance, but I hope the characters are more relatable and likeable next time.

A reality star and a football player fall into a fake dating scam to avoid online hate after she refuses America's favorite bachelor. I really wanted to like this book but didn't feel the insta-love between the characters. Individually they were both interesting but the plot felt forced.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Fake dating trope romances aren't usually my favorite but this was a cute read. Jamie Wesley is a new to me author and Fake It Til You Bake It combined black love and romance. I was sold.

We meet Donovan Dell, a football player who owns a cupcake shop but business isn't doing as well as he hoped. One day reality star Jada Townsend-Matthews breezes into his cupcake shop with her bestfriend. Jada insults Donovan's cupcakes but there is an instant attraction.

I enjoyed that there wasn't any of the unnecessary drama that usually follows a reality star. Jada was young and was trying to find her place in the world and she admitted to struggling, just like the rest of us. Jada was dyslexic and I liked how she was upfront about her struggle but there was no shame attached to her diagnosis.

When Donovan and Jada fell in love it was sweet but there was something missing for me. Fake It Til You Bake It was a good summer read and I feel like this is going to be a series. I would be willing to read more from this author. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Disgraced reality TV star Jada Townsend-Matthews is having a rough go of it. After turning down an on-air proposal from the most eligible bachelor, she is both cut off from her parent’s lucrative checking account and at the wrong end of a social media blitz.
Any book that's set in a bakery has my heart. This was a cute fake dating book filled with football players, reality stars and of course the shining stars, cupcakes. A summer read that you can fly through and a little steamy time as well!

Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley is a fun story centering on a woman hated for turning down a reality tv show proposal and an uptight professional football player that owns a bakery. Jada ends up working at the bakery for Donovan and the two are mistaken for a couple by a reporter and rather than correct it, they decide to use to their advantage. The two have great chemistry and find it more and more difficult to fake their situation. The book does start out a bit slowly, but the story picks up and is hard to put down.

I really enjoyed the meet cute in this book and all the twists and turns that followed and lead to Jada and Donovan learning more about themselves and how to be better together. I'm hoping the end hints at the beginning of a series because i loved Nicholas and August too!

Donovan is the All-American quarterback for a professional sports team who just so happens to own a cupcake shop with his teammates. Jada is the spoiled former reality star granddaughter of the owner of the team, though neither of them realizes this when she trashed his shop in front of him, not realizing he is one of the owners. This fake relationship is one of a woman finding her way as herself while helping her man unbend and find his way too. It’s a fabulous book and as sweet as it sounds.

I LOVED THIS STORY! I completely ate this book up (like in less than 48 hours) and was ready for the potential for more in this universe. It was the Black Love Story that I really wanted. It gave me tension and humor along with this budding/building love story. I wish there were a little more spice to it but otherwise, I just loved this cast of characters and I'm excited for what comes next in what is going to be a series!

A very easy and enjoyable read. Three well known American football players opened a cupcake cafe. Donovan has done his homework, it is in a prime location, it is what people want, and he and his two partners do all the baking between them, with Nicholas, the talented baker, creating new recipes, and August making sure the premises stay in good order. They started off well, but business has slowed, and they aren’t sure how to revive it; they would like to employ a manager but the business cannot afford it. Enter sassy customer, who questions why her friend goes there - she says the cupcakes are stale and the ambiance is poor. Jada is a wealthy socialite, but her parents are fed up with her wasting her life, and when she caused a furore by appearing on a reality TV show it was the final straw and they have cut off her allowance. Donovan takes issue with her comments, but finds himself deeply attracted to her.

Due to extraordinary coincidences Jada ends up working in the cafe for Donovan, and discovers she enjoys it; she loves talking to all the customers, and remembering what they particularly like to order. Donovan gives her free rein to try out ideas - she is working wonders for his profit margins! But she does get him into some awkward scrapes which he finds he enjoys, much to his surprise. Then some ruthless, unpleasant people try blackmail her; she and Donovan quickly deal with it, but it makes Jada realise she has to learn to stand on her own two feet, she shouldn’t keep relying on Donovan. Will there be a happy ending?

It is a good read, not realistic especially, but very enjoyable.

2.5

I love romances with fake-dating but this one really didn't work for me. The main characters had zero chemistry and felt like the same person. Multiple plot things tried to happen at once. Too many characters were introduced and never fleshed out.

I ended up forcing myself to finish this because I fully lost interest. I'm having a hard time even writing this review because I don't remember a whole lot that happened. My fault for pushing through instead of setting it down!

Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley is the first book I've read by this author and is a lighthearted and fun romcom. This is an opposites attract, fake relationship, enemies-to-lovers trope with plenty of humor, chemistry, banter and more.
The main characters in this story are Jada and Donovan. Jada has just had her life played out on reality TV where she is now portrayed as a villain and is hated for rejecting a marriage proposal on a dating show. She has now returned to her roots back home and is trying to stay away from the paparazzi and lick her wounds after the whole fiasco. A trip to a cupcake shop has her meeting Donovan where she gives him her opinion on his bakery and it does not bode well. Imagine her surprise when she learns that her grandmother has just hooked her up with a job with one of her football players, and it's none other than Donovan. As much as she doesn't want to work with Donovan, if she wants any chance of claiming her inheritance, she must play along with her grandmother's wishes.
Donovan is a pro football player who has such a passion for baking that he opened up a bakery with his friends. At first business was booming but the decline in sales has him scratching his head, trying to come up with a solution to increase sales. When the boss of his team asks for a favor for her granddaughter, he doesn't expect to come face-to-face with Jada, the same woman who blasted his bakery. When a reporter mistakes Jada and Donovan as a couple, these two take advantage of the situation in hopes it will save them both, Jada's image and Donovan's career. Soon spending so much time together sees these two falling for one another but what happens when someone finds out about their fake relationship and blackmails them?
Overall this was a charming read. I enjoyed the humo, banter and I loved seeing the progression of their relationship and their dynamic. The side characters in this story were also a blast and I would love to see a few of them get their own stories.

~3.5⭐️Rating~

Jade has managed to get her self quiet the reputation after turning down a very public proposal on a tv dating show, now she back home in San Diego to lick her wounds and to try and let the heat die down. And what better place to do all of this than the towns hottest bakery Sugar Blitz, however things kick off again when a reporter mistakenly believes that Jade and uptight bakery owner and professional footballer Donovan Dell are an item. Once again Jade finds herself in the spotlight but just maybe this time she can use it to help clean up her image while helping bring some much needed attention to Sugar Blitz…the only thing is can Jade and Donovan fake it or is this about to be a major flop?

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I really liked this social media villain meets cute cupcake store owner fake turned real romance, there was something really cute and easy about this book and the story followed suit. It also didn’t hurt that the story took place in a bakery, hello sweet tooth!

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I just loved the way these two first meet, it was pretty much insult at first sight but gosh the connection was most definitely there. I really enjoyed getting to see them go from fake to real as their story went on. I just loved Jade she was so fashionable with all of her designer brand and high heels. I think she made this book very relatable in that even though she grew up with everything she always felt like she wasn’t good enough. I really didn’t like the way her parents made her feel less than perfect just because she had a learning disability and that she didn’t go into science. I liked getting to see her come into her own in this book and opening up too Donovan.

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Then we have our strapping footballer that loves to bake, well it was hard not to like this guy. With his dream shop needing some much need oomf Donovan doesn’t think twice about faking it with Jade after all they can really help each other out here. I just loved getting to see them work together, their constant banter and bickering only added to their story.

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Fake It Till You Bake it was a really cute fast light hearted read that you should definitely check out.

3.5 stars! This was a fun read with great banter between the main characters. I especially liked how it was different from the typical sport romance books.

This was a great book! I love the fake-relationship-to-lovers trope and this one definitely did not disappoint. Plus there's cupcakes!

I wanted to truly love this one a lot more than I did. The idea is fantastic. I think the dialogue seemed a little cringey to me though. I couldn't get past how they talked to each other, it just didn't seem authentic to me. Inside their minds though their inner thought dialogue was much better. I also didn't really enjoy the break up happening so close to the end, I feel it should have happened way earlier or just not at all. I do enjoy the career woman aspects and fully support needing to find yourself, but you can have a partner and do that, I don't think you always have to be alone to do that so I feel they could have stayed together and it could have turned out the same.

I enjoyed this book very much, Donovan, August and Nicholas own a cupcake shop. They are also football players. Jada who has been trying to find herself decides to go on a dating show. America hates her because she turned down Dr. john’s proposal. Jada is also the granddaughter of the owner of the three football players team. Jada’s grandmother has her work at the cupcake shop in order to get her trust fund. Jada and Donovan pretend they are dating. This is a cute, fun rom-com. You will root for Jada and Donovan. I can’t wait for August’s story. Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the E-ARC. This is my own opinion.

Fake It Till You Bake It features the makings of a good romance - fake dating, witty banter, and a good old past boyfriend haunting.

While I enjoyed the conversations and dynamics between all the characters, the story as a whole fell flat for me. I wasn’t super interested or convinced by Jada or Donovan as individuals, but I was also disappointed by it because I really wanted to love them.

It was a quick enjoyable read, but I couldn’t say I’d reread it.

Romcoms and cupcakes - yes please!⁠
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I immediately fell in love with Donovan, especially how he handles the uppity customer in his store. When that fiery customer turns into Jada - the granddaughter of the owner of the football team he plays for, who just happens to need a steady job while figuring herself out.⁠
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I did find some of the middle of this a little slow while the author set up the faking dating scenario and until she got to the ultimate twist. However, I was definitely shipping Jada and Donovan and absolutely enjoyed every minute spent with these two.

Such a fun story about finding yourself amid the chaos that is life….or amidst the calm and order you demand from life. And learning that a little chaos within the order can help shake things (and you!) up, and vice versa. I loved Donovan, who is terrified of losing his cupcake business and can’t figure out why it’s not working, since he has followed every logical step from point A to B. Jada…well, her life is a hot mess and she went viral for turning down the perfect man and the whole world hates her for it and her parents have cut her off and everything is kind of imploding. But she can manage to work at this cupcake shop for a few months, right? I loved all of this!!!