While hiding out after becoming a national pariah for rejecting the star of a Bachelor-type show, Jada goes with her friend to new cupcake shop. Jada and Donovan, a pro football player and one of the bakery’s owners, clash at first sight. She thinks he’s boring and stodgy. He thinks she’s spoiled and snobby. Then two things happen: Jada’s grandmother convinces Donovan to let Jada work in the shop, to which he reluctantly agrees. Just when matters can’t get worse, a nosey reporter mistakenly believes that Jada and Donovan are a couple and they just…go with it. Donovan needs to increase his shop’s bottom line so could use the visibility and Jada needs the world to be distracted from her failed TV relationship and just move on already.

This is clearly the first in a planned trilogy—two of Donovan’s teammates are the co-owners of the shop. I really liked the fact that Jada was dyslexic and her super-sciencey family just doesn’t know what to do with her. Donovan’s handling of that particular issue was fantastic. Although this book was fun and funny, it did seem to start off slowly. I would say I liked but did not love it. That said, I will definitely return for the series because the writing is good and the characters are compelling. Available today. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC.

Fake It Till You Bake it by Jamie Wesley has all the necessary ingredients for a perfect summer romance novel. Donovan is a super successful NFL player that owns a cupcake bakery with two teammates. Donovan is very active in the store during the off season and that's where he first sees the gorgeous Jada. He is immediately attracted to her. Jada has just turned down a marriage proposal on reality TV and she is having a difficult time dealing with the backlash from pretty much everyone. Her life lacks direction and her wealthy parents are cutting off their financial support. Donovan agrees to let Jada work at the bakery as a favor to her grandmother. Jada's grandmother is also his boss-she is the owner of the NFL team Donovan works for. Donovan is shocked when he meets Jada and realizes he has seen her before. Will frosting filled sparks fly between Donovan and his new employee Jada? Wesley deftly develops a plot that is heavy on romance, but also shows that Donovan and Jada are much more than pretty faces. Don't put off reading this delicious romance. You will definitely eat it up!

Words can not explain how much I liked this book! Give me a fake dating trope anyway but add in a slow burn too….ooooh yes, I love them!

Jada and Donovan were EVERYTHING, there wasn’t one thing I didn’t like about them. I loved the way he stood his ground with her and her attitude and I loved the way she stood her ground with him. I loved their banter and the many ways they made me laugh. I love how strong both characters are, it’s so so great seeing strong females and not those weak ones that drop everything as soon as the man says so. She was a hoot.

I loved the slow burn aspect of the book, I loved that they didn’t jump into everything straight away, I loved that it slowly developed between the two of them.

Oh and the secondary characters, yes I want books from them, they’re so interesting haha.

The only thing I didn’t enjoy was the ending. For me it seemed a little rushed, it could have been so much more if there was a little added extra to it.

This author is new to me and when I read the description of this book I just HAD to jump at the chance and I am so SO glad that I did.

This is second rom-com that I have had the pleasure of reading this year and I will most definitely be adding them in my reading rotation. This is a fabulous book cover and it caught my attention and had me pulled in from the cover alone. The characters are awesome and I so loved the camaraderie between Jada and Donovan. These two made this and an easy quick entertaining read. One of my most favorite reading tropes is fake relationships. Jada Townsend-Matthews is back home after turning down a reality dating show “My One And Only”. She is revamping her life and finds herself working at Sugar Blitz a new cupcake bakery owned by NFL player Donovan Bell after making remarks that were not good. Jada gets a surprise when her grandmother who is Donovan’s NFL team owner informs her that she will be working at Sugar Blitz. While Donovan and Jada are working together closely at Sugar Blitz they somehow get involved in a fake relationship that actually helps Sugar Blitz. I most certainly am looking for this series to continue in the future. There are many other interesting characters that I would love to see get books.

Can Donovan and Jada turn their fake relationship into the real thing, did Mrs. T. Jada’s grandmother have her working at Sugar Blitz to make a love connection? I am team Donovan and Jada.

I received an ARC via NetGalley and St. Martin Press and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

I was really excited about this premise of this book, it sounded really cute and I loved the cupcake shop setting, but I had a hard time connecting to the story line for some reason. The book was cute and lighthearted, but for some reason I could not feel the chemistry or truly connect. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

This was such a sweet romance, adorable meet-cute, the characters were so funny, especially Donovan and Jada with their constant banter and bickers. I loved the fact that Donovan has supportive best friends Nicholas and August, and these men run cupcake business together and they are football players? I just loved!!!! And of course we cant leave the amazing chemistry and romance between Don and Jada, and of course the fake-dating trope.

Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book! And of course Happy Pub day to the author Jamie Wesley!!!

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Fake It Til You Bake It by Jamie Wesley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 336 / Genre: Romance

Happy #PubDay! Fake It Til You Bake It by Jamie Wesley just released today and it’s the perfect #beachread for when you’re in the mood for something sexy and delicious.

Jada Townsend-Matthews is a spoiled rich girl who’s life is turned even more sideways when she rejects a proposal on a reality dating show, which makes her the most hated woman on social media. The public blowup forces her parents to take action by threatening to take away her trust fund if she doesn’t prove herself. Yada yada yada… she ends up working in a cupcakery run by hot professional football players who play for the local team, which her grandmother happens to own. Initial dislike creates chaos and misunderstandings which lead to the inevitable hot passionate conclusion.

Ok, so nothing surprising or original here, sure, but if you’re looking for a fun, spicy romcom to get you through a hot summer, then this will do the trick.

Thank you @netgalley and @SMPRomance for the advance copy of this book. I loved it!

This is a fun summer read that tells the story of Jada and Donovan, their coming together, the decisions that they make and the evolution of their relationship. All of the ingredients (bit of a pun) that romance readers eat up (pun again) are in these pages.

Jada had a most unfortunate experience. This led to her return to San Diego where she found a job in a bakery while she licks (yikes, the puns) her wounds. This leads to her meeting Donovan. He is a professional sportsman, a football player. What happens when an assumption is made that these two are a couple? Have fun turning the pages and suspend disbelief as you find out. It will be a pleasure.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading this story which was also my first read by this author and definitely won't be my last one. It had all the elements of a funny yet romantic story where you'd fall in love with the lead characters but also the side characters who added something more to it. Can't wait to read more in this series.

Jada is more like to be public enemy number one on social media right now as she has ended a relationship on a reality show but it really was something she felt she needed to do. When her grandmother makes her take a job at a cupcake store, she meets Donovan again after a rough encounter but it doesn't deter her from trying to make the best of her new job. Donovan never expected to see Jada so soon again. He's trying to make the best of his cupcake store but nothing really seems to attract a bigger crowd but working with Jada might change it all. When a reporter mistakenly things they are together, it's about to turn both their lives around. But will they be able to keep up appearances... As times goes on, their bond starts to grow and their relationship starts to change. Will love find a way?...

Thank you St. Martins Press and Net Galley for an ARC in return for my honest review

I really enjoyed this read! It was light hearted and the perfect book to read in between series. Gives all the feel good vibes with a little bit of spicy!

The chemistry between Jada and Donovan is unmistakable and I love tension we get between the two characters throughout their story. This was my first book by this author, and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another one!

Happy Publication Day to @jamiewesleywrites for Fake It Till You Bake It! And thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC.

“A reality star and a cupcake-baking football player pretend to be a couple in order to save his bakery in this sweet and sexy romance from Jamie Wesley, Fake It Till You Bake It.”

This romantic comedy was so much fun! It was the perfect blend of steam and humor and I could not put it down. I love the enemies to lovers and fake dating tropes so much and it was all handled perfectly here. And the cupcakes. Oh my gosh! So many great details.

This was such a fun summer read and highly recommend if you want to escape into a wonderful romance with so much heart.

I LOVE a fake dating romance and this one takes the (cup)cake! Jada is a reality tv star with an attitude and a goal of finding her place in life. Donovan is a professional football player trying to keep his cupcakery afloat. When these two collide, sparks fly, and keep flying as Jada and Donovan navigate working together. Their banter kept me on the edge of my seat, and I adore when characters who act all prickly to each other start to unconsciously smooth out each other’s rough edges. Jada settles into her role and elevates it beyond her imagining, and Donovan learns to appreciate the people rather than the numbers side of running a business. While the fake dating scheme started as a way to save Jada’s reputation and keep Sugar Blitz in business, these two realize they stand more to gain from it than they ever could have imagined.
The only thing that could have made this sweet story even sweeter is if I got to taste the deliciously-described cupcakes!

When I finished this book I ate two cupcakes and wished that one of them had been a gluten-free s'mores one. I loved watching Jada grow and help Donovan get out of his shell. Jada's time after being on a reality dating show felt well developed and I appreciated her candor with her struggles due to dyslexia. I enjoyed watching these two knuckleheads get it together.

I can't wait for Nicholas and August's books! They're a great friend group and I think it'll make me want to try even more cupcake recipes!

Thank you to Netgalley and SMP Romance for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by Jamie Wesley but I really enjoyed it. I seem to be all about the fake relationships lately but the opposite’s attract chemistry really worked between Donovan and Jada, it had me invested in their relationship from the beginning. I think the best thing for me was that they both admitted when their feelings became real, instead of dragging it out to the point of exhaustion! It took some work to make Jada a likable character for me, she seemed too stuck up and shallow at first, not a good match for the serious Donovan… but luckily I was so completely wrong! I loved how their opposite sides really complemented each other and helped them be better versions of themselves!

Jada Townsend-Matthews is at a crossroads. She has come home devastated after being slandered on social media after she turned down a proposal on a reality dating show. Her parents are cutting off her privileges and the only way Jada can access her trust fun is to take a job her grandmother has found her and prove to her family she can carry through with a job and supporting herself. She does not think it will be difficult until she finds out who she is working for.

Donovan Dell is a pro football player and owns a cupcake shop with some of his teammates who are also his best friends. When he is finds out that the woman who shunned his shop just days ago is his newest employee, he is at his wits end. Can Donovan win over this woman who has caught his eye?

This sweet story by Jamie Wesley had me hooked on the very first page. I loved the witty humour of all the characters and how the two main characters Jada and Donovan spar with each other throughout the story. It was light, fun and humorous and I know have a great author to add to my list of must-read novels. I would love to see this become a series and see other romances flourish between Donovan’s teammates. I just do not want to see the fun end. Thank you so much to St. Martins Press for the advanced copy which I reviewed voluntarily. Friends, grab a cupcake, because you will definitely want one when you start reading, curl up and enjoy a fabulous book.

I've got to say that this book really hit the sweet spot with me. Honestly, I'm no reality TV fan but I do love baking, so I thought that this book sounded fun and gave it a try and I'm very glad I did. This book read smoothly and easily and was just the feel good, heart lightener that I needed. Jada and Donovan were very cute together and their chemistry shined brightly. I truly liked them both. The story was quickly paced and sometimes felt a bit OTT but you know what? I liked that and felt it fit beautifully with the story that was being told. This was my first read by this author and it will not be my last.

A sweet, fun read. Great combination of tropes - enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake dating. I really liked the dyslexia representation and the clarity of consent through the story. Solid chemistry between the love interests. Cute setting and adorable antics. Lots to love!
I struggled a little to draw myself into the story and the characters in the first half, but I still enjoyed the story. 
If you're looking for a sweet, light read, this could be the book for you!
Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC!

This book wasn’t for me. And you know what? I don’t think it was supposed to be for me. And that’s okay.


It was a super cute, fun and light book celebrating Black love and alpha men who bake and are kind. It has everything going for it! I didn’t personally connect with it, but I don’t think that means anything considering I’m a white woman and probably not the target audience.

Still, I recommend you give this book a go no matter who you are, because we could all use some sweetness, fierceness, and joy. This book provides it all.

This book had a little bit of everything going on- a celebrity romance, a Bachelor-like reality show, "fake dating," and a tough athlete with unexpected baking skills. The biggest issue is that there was a little bit too much going on at once.

It was a fun, easy summer read, but it felt like there was too much build up before things started happening. I love a book with food references, but there was too much time in the bakery without a ton of action. Overall, an original rom com but a little bit chaotic- still a fun book!

Real Rating: 3.5* of five, rounded up for the way the story develops

I started out this read sure as sure could be that I'd be giving it at least four stars, and that Donovan was in line to be my next <a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Cinnamon%20Roll" target="_blank">cinnamon roll</a> hero. (Never mind he's a pro athlete! They got troubles too!) Things...did not pan out that way.

I'm a wary old campaigner in matters of the heart. Donovan's assumption of control over Jada, no matter that it imposed structure on the tornado that her life has been for all around her, rang loud alarm bells for me. No, nothing untoward happens...yet. Control is addictive, as is power in general. It doesn't need to be a bad thing IF it's part of the relationship <I>by mutual consent</i> and this was not the case here.

Normally this would've led me to Pearl-Rule the book, and this June...#PrideMonth!...especially I'm aware of relationship role models needing to be on balance positive to earn my accolade of a review. What happened that made me reassess my initial discomfort was seeing how Author Wesley used every chance to lead Jada into growth and greater maturity. Jada went from rudderless, spoiled girl to a focused, other-directed partner. That was a pure pleasure to read.