I really enjoyed this book! It was a little enemies-to-lovers and a little fake dating and a whole lot of fun! Donovan was such a sweet hero. I loved the example he set for total honesty between him and Jada. I also enjoyed all of the banter between the main characters and between Donovan and his friends! As the story progressed, I couldn’t figure out where the end conflict was going to come from and I ended up being quite surprised which is rare. Really enjoyed it and now I want some cupcakes!

Arc provided by netgalley
4,5✨
This romance was so good, I requested it without any expectations in case I would be disappointed but I loved it so much!
It features fake dating trope, black romance with a cute baking story!

I loved this book! It has a little of all of your favorite romance aspects mixed into one! I loved how the Hero and heroine’s meet cute! I like how they then have to work together. It was fun reading how they have to pretend to be in a relationship. Jada thinks she’s not worth so much and it was really nice reading how she overcomes that thought in the end. Donavan has struggled with going with the flow and has his whole life planned accordingly. It was really fun reading how Jada messes that all up for the better. Donovan‘s friends Nicholas and August are such good friends and I hope we get their stories as well! I must mention that the steamy scenes were amazing! I was not expecting this book to be an open door romance and this book definitely surprised me in the best way! I also loved that this book takes place in a cupcake shop! This book made me want to cupcake so badly!

Read if you like:
Dual POVs
Workplace romance
Boss/ coworker romance
Fake dating
Characters that are POC

Donovan Dell is a professional football player, who has started a cupcake bakery (Sugar Blitz) with two of his teammates. However, Donovan and his partners are not having the same success with the bakery as they do on the field. Jada Townsend-Matthews is the most hated woman in America, at least on social media, because she had the audacity to turn down the proposal of the debonair Dr. John on the season finale of the reality show, "My One and Only." She also has two parents who are scientists and run their own medical research company, where her genius sister also works, and she has never been able to measure up to their expectations -- having dyslexia, not wanting to work for the family business, not choosing a "useful" major in college or finding a "respectable" job after college, etc.

Donovan and Jada meet at Sugar Blitz, but it is not the most promising beginning, as Donovan overhears Jada criticizing the store and confronts her. Donovan has a social media presence, but he largely ignores his accounts and does not watch reality television, so he does not recognize Jada. Even though Jada's grandmother owns the football team for which Donovan and his friends/business partners play, Jada is not interested in sports, and does not recognize him, assuming he is just an overzealous and obnoxious employee. Imagine their surprise when they meet again under different circumstances. Donovan has gone to Mrs. Townsend (Mrs. T) for business advice, and while he is meeting with her, she asks him to give her granddaughter a job, hoping that working with an entrepreneur and go-getter such as Donovan will help her find her path in life -- that granddaughter, who shows up a few minutes later for a meeting with her grandmother is the woman from the bakery.

Jada's presence at Sugar Blitz is good for business, because it does not take long for people to recognize her and publicize her new job, resulting in people showing up at the store to see her, take pictures of her, and hopefully discover some good gossip. Jada's excuse for turning down Dr. John's proposal was that there was someone back home she could not stop thinking about. One day at work she is hassled by a very determined celebrity reporter who is determined to know the identity of the mystery guy or report a more embarrassing story that Jada made the guy up. When Donovan goes to check on Jada, the reporter asks if he is the mystery guy, and Jada says yes, and then kisses Donovan. Thankfully, for Jada, Donovan just rolls with the situation, but as soon as the opportunity presents itself, Jada is called into Donovan's office and forced to explain herself. Pretty soon #JaDon is trending, but how long can they keep the fake relationship up, especially with such different personalities -- the practical planner versus the impulsive one.

"Fake It Till You Bake It" has many humorous moments, and the interactions between the major characters are quite good. I particularly liked that Jada is able to find ways to truly add value to the business, and that she is able to discover her passion (in more ways than one). The book ends in a manner that suggests the possibility of a second book in the series, focusing on August, one of the other football players/business partners/friends.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

If you're the type to completely lose yourself in a story and not question it too much, you'll love this book. I kept getting caught up on little things (You need a liquor license to serve wine in a bakery!). The writing is good, but it also read almost like the author made a lot of recent changes that no one proofread. Like baking cupcakes for 20 minutes. Or like the four pages of four-play with almost no payoff when the orgasm came.

The foreplay was HOT, though. The characters were really well-written, for the most part. We somehow didn't get the internal monologue that would have justified the black moment. But at the same time, I really liked Jada and Donovan, and I was rooting for them so hard (even while calling Jada a lot of not-nice things). The plot was fun. I also liked the entire cast of characters. It was just very uneven for me. 3.5 stars.

I was immediately intrigued by the summary–a reality tv star, a football player who has opened a cupcake shop, fake dating and falling in love.
It's an engaging concept.
Jada has been floundering for a bit, not quite appreciated or understood by her high achieving family. The reality tv experience ended up making things worse, as she is now the focus of a lot of negative internet attention. She's not in control of her life and she's looking for a way to gain that back.
Donovan Dell is a successful football player and newly established entrepreneur. He's taken an uncharacteristic risk opening his cupcake shop and his indomitable control and logic aren't helping it be a success.
They have pretty much the opposite of a meet-cute and think they are well rid of each other at the end of it. But enter Jada's grandmother (who is a great character!) and somehow the two find themselves not only meeting again but thrown together in the cupcake business.
The concept is cute and engaging. Jada and Donovan are both strong, interesting characters with good back stories and very believable chemistry. They both have personal issues that put them in conflict but eventually actually bring them together.
Their fake dating was entertaining and the way their relationship grew was endearing. You definitely feel the heat of their attraction.
The side characters were also engaging. I really liked Jada's grandmother and Donovan's two partners–August and Nicholas–were appealing as well. I'm excited to see if their stories will come next.
All in all this was a fun, entertaining, romance. I enjoyed reading it.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital review copy in exchange for my honest review.

After turning down a proposal on National TV, Jada returns home determined to gain control of her life. What she doesn’t bargain for, is that fans of her reality show have taken an interested in her and will stop at nothing to expose what she’s doing and…who she’s dating? After taking a job at a cupcakery owned by NFL superstar, Donovan Dell, the two discover that entering a fake relationship may be exactly what they need to stop the trolls and save his business.

This was such a sweet story! Donovan is SUCH a swoony book boyfriend-protective and supportive of Jada- he only has eyes for her and it’s adorable! I appreciated that both Donovan and Jada had their personal issues to work through- nobody likes a perfect couple 😂, but this is definitely one of those #bettertogether stories, as they truly make each other better, stronger, and more capable. While I didn’t LOVE the conflict with Lila and Dr. John, I really do love the way that Jada and Donovan handled it. Also-if the epilogue is to be trusted, it seems like this is the start of a series, and August’s story is next, which is what we ABSOLUTELY need!!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A reality tv star, a cupcake baking foot ball player and faking dating why not! This was my first time reading a book by Jamie Wesley and I enjoyed most of it. I felt the main characters Jada and Donavan had believable chemistry and good banter. I liked how we could see the characters grow through the story. The negative for me It was a little too slow for me, the first half of the book really dragged on and It took me a while to become invested in the story.

I loved the concept and the potential, I just felt that the characters and storyline weren't developed to their full potential.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Griffin for the ARC

I’ve really enjoyed this story. It’s about Donovan and Jada, a fake relationship, a bakery and why you should follow your dreams. Fast and easy to read.

FAKE DATING AND CUPCAKES!!! WOOO HOO! SIGN ME UP!! Donavan is professional football player but he's also a baker. He runs Sugar Blitz bakery in San Diego and loves it. When Jada a former realty tv contest comes into his bakery the two butt heads immediately. She eventually starts working at the bakery to help Donavan and reporter sees them together and assumes they are dating. The two start fake dating to take advantage of the situation. However when sparks fly these two realized they have more in common than they thought! Fake it Till You Bake It is sweet, charming and so much fun to read!

I'm a certified sucker for fake dating stories, and this one is just soooo sweet (pun intended). Overall this is a quick and easy read, but the standard third-act breakup was exhausting and felt poorly timed. It really ruined the overall experience, imo.

Fake It Til You Bake It is definitely a fun and flirty contemporary romance! as I love all things baking-related, I couldn’t resist this fake dating story that takes place in a cupcake shop, it involves two of my favorite things! I really like Jada and Donovan together - I thought that they did a great job of listening to each other and uplifting the other when needed. their banter was fun and flirty and they truly did bring out the best in each other. it was great to see how the two of them grew as people as their relationship progressed. I loved the side characters like Jada's grandmother and Donovan's teammates and business partners, Nicholas and August - the reoccurring customers at sugar blitz were super fun as well! Some of the pacing felt a little slow and I felt that the expected third act breakup happened at an odd time which lead to the book being wrapped up a little too quickly for my taste, but overall I did enjoy the book. if you’re a fan of contemporary romance and fake dating, I would suggest checking it out!

This book was a hit and a miss for me. Jada was such an unlikable character in the beginning, that I had to force myself to continue. About a third of the way in, I really began to enjoy the story. But the episode with her ex added nothing to the story and was unrealistic, to say the least. It felt like it was something thrown in just to add length to the story.
Donovan was easy to like but I would have liked more character development. I also would have enjoyed more development of his interactions with the co-owners of the shop.
All in all, a nice read but not something I would recommend.

This book was so fun!!! I absolutely loved the dynamics between all of the characters: especially between Jada and Donovan, Jada and her grandmother, and Donovan and his friends. The story flowed really nicely, and I loved the way that Jada and Donovan came together. I read this book while I was in isolation for COVID, and it was the perfect thing to warm my heart.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I liked this fake dating opposites attract romance. The book was a little slow to start for me, but when it warmed up, it became a delightful, funny, charming book that gave me all the feels. I needed a light read and this book was perfect for me.

Jada Townsend-Matthews and Donovan Dell are too very different people with a lot of opposite attracts going on. Jada is a fake it til you make it type character b/c of having a learning disability. She initially comes across as bratty but its just a cover for what she is really feeling and thinking. She feels so much pressure to live up to her potential due to her family. You really feel for her once you understand her. And Donovan is the schedule his day/life for every second so he achieves all the goals. I loved when these two get stuck in a fake relationship due to a misunderstanding because it gave them the chance to explore all that chemistry. I loved them and all the side characters. I look forward to reading more from Jamie Wesley.

I liked this fake dating opposites attract romance. I didn't find leading lady Jada very likeable in our introduction to her during her first encounter with Cupcakery owner and football star Donovan. She's vocally dismissive of his business when her friend drags her in to the shop, but that changes very quickly once she's thrown into a situation where she's forced to interact with Donovan. Donovan himself is a sweetie despite being the serious planner to Jada's spontaneouJs self. I thought the way the relationship from it's initial antagonistic start progressed very nicely and i liked the way that the pair helped each other to grow - it was also nice that Jada isn't the snobby superficial rich girl that she seems to be in the first chapter. If I had any nits with the story, and i really just had to suspend belief, the fact that Donovan and his pals were active football players (instead of retired) and were hands on in the bakery wasn't realistic - the off season is very short and Donovan and the regular season wouldn't allow time for the trio to personally run a business. Still, I did enjoy this and would read the next one starring the more reserved of Donovan's friends.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Jada Townsend-Matthews is a former reality show star known for her sassy attitude and quick wit. Donovan Dell is not only a professional football player but the owner of the newest cupcake bakery in San Diego. A misunderstanding leads to Jada and Donovan fake dating in order to save both Jada’s reputation and the reputation of Donavan’s beloved bakery.

The plot of this book is pretty straight forward. The fake dating trope is set off by a misunderstanding. The main characters soon enough find they have actual feelings for one another.

I like the twist that the baker is a man as it’s usually a woman in most romance books. While Donovan is a football player I would not consider this a sports romance since the storyline has more to do with his bakery than his athletic career. While Jada’s character does mature by the end of the book, her bratty attitude made her very dislikable through the first part of the book and difficult to connect with.

Fake It Till You Bake wasn’t overly spicy and that portion could be easily skipped if those kinds of scenes bother you.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Donovan is excited to open a bakery after playing professional football for years. When he hires Jada things start to change. While their relationship started out as a ruse, it became so much more than either of them thought.

This was my first time reading a book by this author and I loved it! I am an avid reader, and am doubly excited by the fact that the cover features people of color and that the author is an AA female.
The book was slow to start, but warmed up and became a delightful, funny, charming book that gave me all the feels! A heroine struggling to find her self worth, and a football player with hidden depths. I can't wait to find out what happens with the other characters in the book.
Well done!