Such a fun, sweet, tension filled fake dating Black romance between Donovan, a pro football player who owns a struggling cupcake shop, and Jada, a rich young woman who social media made into a reality TV show villain. In a last minute bid to get access to her trust fund, Jada goes to work for Donovan at his cupcake shop. And in a moment of panic in response to paparazzi, Jada ropes Donovan into a fake relationship. There is great banter and chemistry, and unlike some other reviewers, I don't feel like it was insta-love. Insta-attraction, definitely, and the pace does move quickly, but I think that is pretty realistic for someone you have a strong attraction to and basically are spending 24/7 with working together.

This was a fun romance set in a cupcake shop between a football player and a woman who was on the equivalent of The Bachelor. Fake dating leads to real feelings, as it tends to happen. 😊

This was a fun read that was perfectly fine. It was just a little too *shrug* for me. And there were a few smaller nitpicks that dropped it to just below a 3⭐ rating, but if you like the setting and the trope, it's definitely worth checking out.

There were a few things I liked about the book:
I really liked some of the side characters, they were quite fun. Mrs. T the grandmother, Donovan's teammates, his mom, sisters etc. My guess is that if there is a next book, it'll be about one of the teammates (August) and Donovan's sister. I might be checking out that book since I really liked August as a character.

For the main romance of the book, it developed quite well, and I liked their enemies to fake dating to lovers journey. The setting for the romance was great as well. Who wouldn't love a cupcake store! And I loved that Donovan introduced Jada to Crocs. They ARE the most comfy.

Also, I really appreciated that the main character had dyslexia and especially that it wasn't just glossed over, it came up in variance instances and handled well.

But I also had a lot of small issues with the book:

The characters felt a little one-dimensional. Donovan is a hard-ass, Jada is "bougie", they didn't really seem to grow out of that. Their depth came from some backstories but those felt more like telling than showing. Instead of having the characters act with nuance because of their background, those stories were just told over a conversation.

A lot of the side plots seemed to come out of nowhere for me. Especially the villain-like characters just felt like they were added for the sake of drama, and the issues seemed to be resolved almost as soon as they arose. Which made me question their necessity beyond adding more pages to the book.

Similarly, the third act breakup seemed random. I don't know why they broke up, and I don't know how it served the story, they got back together practically right after.

Finally, in general, I don't think I connected to the writing style, which meant I didn't connect as much to the characters or the situation.

Having said all that, it was still a fun read, I didn't dislike it. It was a perfectly fine romance.

Overall rating: ⭐⭐.8, rounded up to 3

Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

This book should come with an advisory label: "WARNING This product is guaranteed to cause extreme hunger and cupcake envy. Read on a full stomach and/or with a batch of sweets close at hand for emergency consumption." A tad rocky in the first and final acts, but everything in between is pure joy, as the leads bicker, banter, and fall hopelessly in love, egged on by their incorrigible friends. I grinned, giggled, sighed, and generally had a marvelous time. Highly recommended for romcom lovers.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Whew, am I mad I waited so long to read this fantastic book!

This book has it all: a fiery heroine, a outwardly-seeming grump with a huge soft inside as our hero, cupcakes, football players baking cupcakes, fake dating with real feelings, and reality TV shenanigans.

Jada and Donovan definitely get off on the wrong foot when they first meet, and I adored the immediate banter and obvious chemistry that they had. When they end up working together at Donovan's bakery while Jada works on figuring out what she wants to do with her life and prove she's trustworthy enough for her trust fund, sparks and wits fly. Then you throw in the impulsive fake dating scheme and Donovan's perfectly logical, ordered life is thrown into chaos--and of course, he loves it.

I really liked the heart and spirit of these two characters. Jada, despite being a rich "bougie" woman who hasn't figured out what she is going to do with her life after becoming the most hated woman in America by turning down a swoony man on a Bachelor-like show, lives her life out loud and is unapologetically honest and herself. She refuses to be as ashamed of her dyslexia as her parents are, and I loved that she did what she needed to to thrive in the world. Donovan, who clings to logic and reliability due to a less than stable childhood, is still very kind-hearted and generous, even when he is acting a little principal-esque.

The obvious chemistry between the two characters leaped off the page, and when they finally got together it was hot!! I would have read 12 more sexy scenes between these two, but will settle for the ones we got.

My only real quibble with this book was the third-act "conflict" that separated them. I understood what the author was trying to do with it, but it just didn't ring super true to me that they would have just surrendered like that. However, luckily we don't have too much of them being miserable, and I can't wait for what seems to be the next book that was perfectly set up in the epilogue!!

CW: gambling addiction, minor ableism, parental disapproval/shaming

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review - all thoughts are my own. This book was a fun rom-com about a professional football player who also owns a cupcake shop. Jada still reeling from her reality show break up needs a job and Donavon owes Jada's grandmother a favor so Jada starts working at the cupcake shop, there are some misunderstandings and sparks flying - you just can't help but smile with this book. Bravo - can't wait for more from this author!

Faking dating and cupcakes!!

Who could want more than that?? This was a super fun story, and with baking being front and centre, it made to be a sweet story too! You'll definitely enjoy this one with the loveable characters and all of the sweet treats!

Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for the earc in return for an honest review.

A sweet fake dating romance!

Fake It till You Bake It features lovely flawed characters that have great character development as the story progresses. I thought I wouldn’t like Jada because of the way she acted and spoke in her first meeting with Donovan, but she grew on me and made me root for her. Donovan is a sweetheart who also developed and accepting of changes out of his comfort zone which I like. This book deals with relatable themes like family dynamics, self-love, and hard work. I appreciate the dyslexia rep too. I also must mention that the secondary characters in this story are adorable as well!

This book was such a cute and fun read! I loved the characters and their banter, their character development and the flow of the book! This was a great weekend read that left you feeling light and happy! Jada and Donovan had great heat and chemistry which added up to a delicious romcom! Definitely recommending this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review!

I loved this book. A little reality TV, a little football, a little baking, what's not to love? Without spoiling anything, I was actively mad at Jada towards the end of the book, lol, but it didn't last long. This would be a great beach read!

I wasn’t a fan of the main character Jada. I felt she was immature. I stopped reading at about 40%. DNF.

**********I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley. ***********

If there's one thing I love more than baking competitions, it's romcoms about baking competitions. This was such a cute romance! I loved the characters and the entire plot of the story was so fun, and I am excited to read more by Jamie Wesley.

In Fake It Till You Bake It, a reviled reality star and a football player, who also owns a cupcake shop, fake a romantic relationship to serve each of their own needs. She is trying to improve her image of the villain and he is trying to save his shop from going under, and they both believe that their fake romance will be the key to solving their problems.

One thing they didn’t take into consideration is the possibility they could actually fall for each other.

I thought the fake dating and enemies to lovers tropes were well done. I was entertained, even if I found it to be a bit predictable. The author did a great job with the chemistry between the two of them, and this definitely has some open door scenes that leave little to the imagination.

Overall this was a quick, enjoyable read.

Fake It Til You Bake It is so much more than an enemies to lovers romance. The representation of Black women and men is what made me fall in love with the story. While I was rooting for Jada and Donovan (#JaDon) from the beginning, I was equally invested in the Black woman billionaire owner of an NFL team, a successful Black STEM family with a trust fund creating generational wealth, and Black business minded pro athletes. The themes of learning disabilities, addiction, and general family pressure were relatable and balanced the storyline. With the way the story ended, I am looking forward to a sequel!

This was a cute tale with some reality tv, fake dating, dating the boss and other cute romance aspects. It was a fun read, and it made me want cupcakes. The love declarations were fantastic!

Fake it Till You Bake It tells of story of Donovan Dell and Jada Townsend-Matthews embarking into a fake relationship to help Donovan’s business and rebuild Jada’s image after she turns down a publicly televised proposal. The storyline makes for a good read but misses the mark on execution. I tried to get involved in the story but felt there was a lot going on that it took from the development of the love. While the author does a decent job of developing the chemistry between Donovan and Jada, it seemed a long time before the two really started to allow the relationship to move to a more real one. At 60% of the book this couple have not even went out on the fake date yet. Again, the premise of the story was great, however too many other factors added into the story, takes away from the romance.

Overall, this was an okay read that

Note: I received an advance copy from Netgalley

This was my first book by this author, but it won't be my last. The family, and especially Grandmother/Matriarch of Jada Townsend Matthews are over her antics. Her grandmother, who also owns the Knights, a local San Diego Football team ends us having her to work for Donovon Dell, one of the players on the team and the owner of a new cupcake bakery with his best friends and Team mates. Jada gets caught up and pulls Donovon into a fake relationship. At the beginning, he reluctantly agrees, but as time progresses, discovers he's really into Jada.

If you're a fan of reality shows and their antics, you might enjoy this book. I especially loved the chemistry between Jada and Donovan, and there were several laugh out loud moments. I also enjoyed that although it's a sports romance, It was not heavy on the sports. I am looking for the next book in the series, which i'm assuming to be Anthony.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fake It Till You Bake It was such a cute romcom to jump into. From the very first moment of them meeting each other, I was completely on board with shipping Jada and Donovan. Of course, their fake relationship eventually turned into a real one. This alone made my heart pitter patter with so much happiness. It also made me really hungry for a cupcake.

Even though things could get a bit predictable, I ended up enjoying the entire thing. It was beyond easy to devour, and the ending was pretty much picture perfect. I could totally see this becoming a hallmark or lifetime movie in the near future.

Will definitely be on the lookout for another book written by Jamie!

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable read! Donovan and Jada were good characters, and they had really good chemistry. I liked their banter and teasing, and also how their relationship developed. Fake dating is one of my favourite tropes, and this one was cute.
I thought Jada had some great growth as a character. She really seemed to find herself during the book, and I liked seeing Donovan help her regain her confidence. I also liked seeing her flourish in her new job, and her character was strong and smart. I liked that she had dyslexia and wasn’t afraid of it. She owned it, and it contributed to her issues with her parents. I wish that her issues with her parents and sister had been explored even more.
I also wish that Donovan’s issues with his dad had been discussed more. It was briefly mentioned, but never really dealt with. I thought this would have helped to make Donovan’s character more well-rounded. He was a good character, but he was a bit surface-level at times.
Overall this was a fun read. The characters had good chemistry, and I enjoyed reading about Jada and Donovan.

This one was a DNF for me. I was so excited about the premise, but execution didn’t do it for me. Don’t feel I can get a fair review since I did not finish enough of the book. May give it a second chance in a few months. I feel like this was more but it’s me not you situation.

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes so I was really excited to read it! It started a little slow for me, but I ended up l enjoying it! Despite their tumultuous meeting, Donovan and Jada had instant chemistry. Because she declined a proposal on a TV show like the bachelor, Jada, is being hated on by fans of the show. Her grandmother secures her a job working with Donovan at his cupcake shop. When she’s working and cornered by a reporter, she quickly creates a relationship with Donovan. I thought Jada and Donovan’s relationship moved a little quickly and then she slammed on the brakes. That part was a little frustrating for me, but I understood why she needed to prove to herself she could do it. Overall I did enjoy it and would check out more books by this author.