This was cute & the premise of this book sounded so sweet I couldn't help but want to read it!! It took me a little bit to get into, but then I ended up really liking both Donovan and Jada together. Minus the bad communication :(. Overall I thought it was good and enjoyed reading it but I'm not sure it'll stick with me for long. Definitely craving a sweet treat now though.

AMAZING light hearted read. I loved this!!! This was my first book by this author and I will forever be a fan. Fake dating and enemies to lovers vibes run throughout this whole novel. The chemistry between Jada and Donovan is undeniable and the author threw in some steamy scenes. Which I was all about! Kuddos to this author. The book was easy to follow and drew me in immediately.

Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley is absolutely lit. I Adored this wonderful read. It was a Six Star read for me and I wanted more.

Highly Recommend this story to all readers.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Opposites attract in this charmingly sweet contemporary romance!

Jada, with her sophisticated demeanor on the outside and major insecurities on the inside, needed an amazing guy like Donovan to balance her out. Her head-in-the-clouds behavior is a bit much to digest but knowing that with the right partner, you can grow into love for others and yourself makes my inner romantic cheer.

There were some aspects that I thought were a little overplayed for the hardcore rom-com readers such as the break-up trope, and family and sibling tension. I can see what the author was doing but there needed to be something that held readers by the heart that was slightly missing.

The author has great potential and this is a great reader for new romance readers.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review. You can follow me on IG @JessicaReadsIt.

Love the cover of this one, and love books that have to do with baking. Overall, though, I didn't love the book but it was decent. It was an entertaining and charming novel with some laugh out loud moments as well as some emotional moments. I found the romance to be a bit over the top, and I felt the plot lacked depth. But as I said it was a good book, and I'd definitely check out more books by Jamie Wesley.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press + NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

so so so so so good, omg amazing.
the tropes were done so good, Jada and Donovan are the most perfect couple ever omg. such a fluffy, lighthearted read, def read if you want a palate cleanser or need to get out of a slump!!

Fake it Till You Bake It is a fake relationship, enemies to lovers, workplace romance, and opposites attract. The plot was enjoyable overall, and the parts about social media and baking were well-written. I was immediately intrigued with Jada and Donovan from the first instant they met. They had wonderful chemistry and banter.

In the near future, I could definitely see this becoming a Hallmark movie.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Though I really liked the concept for this book and most of the tropes, I felt it was more draggy than i’d like it to be. The first half of the book was hard to push through but I did like the ending. The characters were good and their banter was entertaining. Overall it’s a solid read for its good concept and good characters.

This started off slow for me. And I did not like Donovan in the beginning. He was just a little too buttoned up and I desperately wanted him to loosen the hell up. I hated that Jada had to experience the backlash she did for turning down the proposal on the show. But what this book showed was that sometimes the worst of things that happen to us, sometimes leads us to something we had no idea we wanted. And it in turn ends up being the very best thing.

This was a fun and enjoyable read! It kept me hooked and I finished in 24 hours! I loved the idea of football players owning a cupcake shop and found myself craving a cupcake the whole time reading. Jada and Donovan's banter was amazing and you can never go wrong with fake dating. I was hoping there would be more football, but it makes sense that the focus would be on the cupcake shop. My only complaint was the third act break up. I'm not opposed to a third act break up if it makes sense, but this was a little out of the blue for me. Otherwise, I still enjoyed it and would recommend it! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Jada Townsend-Matthews is a disappointment to her family because she won't follow in the family business. She knows she doesn't have the right skill set on top of dyslexia. She has gone from one venture to another without lasting success. She becomes a contestant on a reality dating show. She makes to the final show, only to turn down the marriage proposal of the beloved male star, Dr. John. She really doesn't have a valid excuse and she becomes the most hated woman in the country. She had hoped the show would lead to new opportunities. Now that isn't going to happen.
As more fallout, her parents are cutting her off financially. She has a trust from her grandmother, but that isn't coming for a while. Her grandmother tells if she can keep a job for six months her access to the trust money will go forward. Her grandmother even finds her a job. As owner of a football team, her grandmother knows several players who own a cupcake bakery called Sugar Blitz.
Jada doesn't make a very good first impression and her baking skills leave a lot to be desired. Donovan Dell, professional football player and a partner in the bakery, tries to be patient with her. The bakery is doing okay, but needs to do better to stay in business. When a reporter comes to the shop there is a misunderstanding about Jada and Donovan's relationship. Maybe a fake dating plan will help them both. Jada can use it as the reason she didn't accept Dr. John's proposal and Donovan and his partners can use the help to bring in more business.
Jada and Donovan both have some baggage from the past. The author shows how they deal with it over the arc of the story. They both try to deny their attraction to each other. It's hard to get past chemistry and proximity.
Jamie Wesley is a new to me author. I'll be looking for more novels from her in the future, I am working on slowly catching up on long overdue NetGalley reviews in 2024 as a resolution. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Publishing (my favorite) and the author for giving me a chance to read and review this book.

I like when there is some conflict between the main characters in a romance. In this case, the conflict made sense, and the banter made the book, even more entertaining rooted for both the characters because they were both likable.

"Fake it Til you Bake it" is a delightful and easy-going romantic comedy that revolves around the charming duo of Jada and Donovan. The narrative is a sweet blend of instant attraction, mute tension, and frustration, creating a perfect concoction for RomCom enthusiasts.

Jada, a 25-year-old aspiring influencer, finds herself at a crossroads after leaving a reality show and breaking the heart of its leading man, reminiscent of a bachelor-style scenario. Despite uncertainties about her life's direction, Jada follows her heart, turning down a potential love interest on the reality show. In an attempt to regroup, she ends up at a cupcake shop with a friend, unknowingly about to face a series of unexpected events.

The story takes an amusing turn as Jada unintentionally discriminates against the cupcake shop within ear shot of Donovan, one of the owners and a football star. Donovan, intrigued by the challenge, proposes a taste test, setting the stage for a hilarious and endearing plotline. Circumstances, orchestrated by Jada's grandmother, push the two into each other's orbits, resulting in a classic 'meet cute' fake dating scenario with real feelings at stake.
The book excels in its commentary, comedy, and well-delivered jokes.

The characters, especially Donovan with his stern demeanor, and Jada, the unpredictable and impulsive force, make for an entertaining combination. The witty banter and the chemistry between the characters add depth to the overall narrative.

In terms of character growth, Donovan undergoes significant development throughout the story. However, a minor drawback is Jada's communication style, which at times makes her seem younger than her age. Despite this, the engaging plot and dynamic character interactions overshadow this slight inconsistency.

One highlight is Donovan's respectful treatment of Jada, viewing her as a mature woman rather than an immature individual. The book successfully navigates the fine line between comedy and romance, keeping readers hooked until the end.
Overall, "Fake it Til you Bake it" is recommended for RomCom fans who enjoy close proximity tropes and witty banter. The story is a delightful journey filled with laughter, love, and a touch of unexpected sweetness.

If there's one thing I love, it's a foody romcom. I really, really enjoyed this book - it was fun and it was tantalizing, and I found myself craving cupcakes the entire way through.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Fake It Till You Bake It is the first book I have read by author Jamie Wesley. I was a fan of the fake relationship trope, and the sports and baking elements (though some of the goings-on in the cupcakery would never happen in real life. This is fiction). I found the first quarter of the book to be slow, and the flow of the story a bit off, but it picked up after that and I enjoyed the remainder of the story.
Overall, a cute read.

A story of a reality star and a cupcake-baking football player facing the challenge of saving his bakery, this is sweet and satisfying read, delivering a perfect blend of romance, humor, and irresistible charm.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin and author Jamie Wesley for the opportunity to review the advance copy of this book.

This one has a great premise. Jada has just come off a reality show where she turned down a proposal from a co-star and wanders into a bakeshop run by three NFL players. An agreement with her grandmother (who also happens to own the NFL team the players are currently with) has Jada right back in that bakeshop just days later but this time to work. Donovan can't believe the new employee he agreed to take on is the woman who insulted his bakeshop just days before. It feels like disaster is about to strike.

While I loved the premise, this one just didn't work for me. The writing itself felt a bit juvenile and it was hard to get into. I enjoyed the book overall. It did improve as the story progressed, but I never really connected with the characters and didn't end up caring about what happened to them. The setting of the bakeshop is fun and there are some sweet scenes that kept me entertained here and there. I just don't think this one was a good fit for me right now. If you like your romance featuring bakeries or food I might give this one a try. I'd love to hear what you think.

Fake It Till You Bake It is a cute story following Jada Townsend-Matthews, who is quite hated on social media for having turned down a proposal on the reality TV dating show she was on. Due to a series of events, Jada ends up working at a cupcake shop owned by Donovan Dell, a football player, who she may have met before when she came into his shop and insulted his cupcakes. Oops! More shenanigans ensue, and somehow the two end up fake dating, and as you can probably guess, it doesn't take long before these fake feelings start becoming more and more real.

This book was a solid 3.5 star romance for me. It was cute and delivered what the summary told me to expect, but there wasn't that much more to it. Sure there are some themes that are discussed that I appreciated, but I don't think that any aspect of this book was given a true amount of depth, romance included. However, as a cute, low stakes romance to pass the time, I would recommend it.

So cute and fluffy! Nothing better than a black romance that has an adorable cover and is well written. Keep putting out more!