When I got this book from Netgalley I was excited as it had everything I love in a rom com a meet cute, fake dating, football, cupcakes, and good looking characters. However, I just couldn't stay with it. The book was a fun no thought read, but I wanted more from the characters instead of the same scene many times. Also, the ending and a few key parts were very rushed and other parts in the middle dragged on I thought unnecessarily.

Jada Townsend-Matthews is probably the most hated woman on the internet! After she turns down the proposal from Dr. Jon, America's Sweetheart, on national television, it's hard for her to show her face in San Diego anymore! However, this doesn't stop her from speaking her mind, which is exactly what she does the first time she enters Sugar Blitz and meets Donovan Dell. Instantly, despite the obvious attraction, they rub each other the wrong way. While trying to prove herself to her family, she accepts a job at this up and coming cupcake bakery, but of course that's when things really start to hit the fan! A fake relationship between these two may be exactly what Jada needs to rehabilitate her image and what Donovan needs to get more business for the bakery. But, can Jada and Donovan really help each other? Or will they be at each others throats?

Jada and Donovan really have chemistry. Despite being extremely different personalities, they just click. Like ying and yang, they just complete each other. Eventually they help and support each other to become better people, you know? I really enjoyed the banter between these two. They always had a quick, witty comeback no matter the situation!

Tags for this book: Enemies to Lovers, Fake Dating, Opposites Attract, Slow Burn
Now you would think having all of that in one book would be too much, right? But Jamie Wesley executes this perfectly. It primarily focuses on the Fake Dating troupe, with a few of the others thrown in, but they aren't the focal point of this novel. Once Jada and Donovan finally get together? That sexual tension and chemistry is off the charts!

I also really enjoyed the supporting characters. Donovan's teammates August and Nicholas were the icing on the cupcake for me! I would be very interested to read the next novel in this series (which I assume would be about August due to what is mentioned in the Epilogue).

Despite all the praise I give for the book, I had to bump down my rating due to the whole insta-love cliché. They kept talking about how it's too soon to be in love already, but that's exactly what happened! Overall, it was like two weeks? One month tops. That sounds like infatuation to me, not love. Oh well!

Fake It Till You Bake It caught my attention on NetGalley due to the adorable cover and intriguing synopsis - just in time for Black History Month! Rated 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Let’s say you have a recent (gorgeous and vivacious) heiress who is now a reality star (villain) find a job at a bakery, you add in that her new boss is sexy AF and happens to be an NFL player (soon to retire, hence his bakery) mix in some nosy reporter with a sprinkle of lies lies and more lies and we get a fake dating concoction that is sweet as it is chaotic!

I need EVERYONE who loves bickering couples (think animosity at first site), meddling grandmas (for her) meddling sisters (for him), fake dating shenanigans, and sweet OR chaotic moments happening over baking ovens and sugary sweets to READ THIS BOOK the INSTANT it is available.

I was left gasping and giggling and swooning and yearning and basically being a mess of a emotions throughout this whole book, the personalities of the leads are compelling, they clash! They are passionate and grind each other’s gears making the sexual tension RISE with every encounter and TRUST that there is plenty of it.

Yet when their hearts get involved? It’s so sweet and beautiful how these two make each other better. How the love between them isn’t a charade (although it started that way) and how dreams can change and evolve and grow just like people do.

I want to gush more but then it would be spoilers galore so I’ll just say this. Do yourselves a favor and preorder this book. It was a joy to read.

“Fake It Till You Bake It” is a first time read by Jamie Wesley, new author to this reader. When I read the title, saw the cover and description, I anticipated this to be a nice rom-com read. The main characters are Jada and Donovan. Jada is hiding out from a reality dating show and Donovan, an ex- football player and part-owner of a cupcake shop. When Jada comes to work for him, word gets out and the fake dating trope begins. This was one of those comfy reads that made you smile while reading it. There were some holes here and there in the story (i.e, grandmother, conflict at end) that could have been better developed. I thought both characters were very likeable, and the plot was okay. I enjoyed their chemistry and attraction that leads them to falling in love but wished there could have been more romance...since this was a rom-com type of novel.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Donovan is a pro football player who loves to bake, though he takes a lot of crap for it, and he opened a cupcake bakery with two of his best friends. But sales have plummeted. While he is facing this fact he walks in to the bakery and overhears a woman criticizing the place. Jada has been trying to find her way. She is not a genius like her paren’t and sister nor as successful as her grandmother- who owns Donovan’s team. Jada was recently on a reality show that has made her a pariah- a pariah that needs a fake boyfriend, no less. And just months away from gaining access to her trust fund, her grandmother gives her an ultimatum: find a job and stick with it for 6 months. Only the job she finds for Jada happens to be in Donovan’s cupcake shop. Immediately the sparks fly between them. And Donovan accidentally gets stuck in the role of the ‘fake boyfriend.’ But perhaps that ‘fake’ part can turn into a real part.
What a fun story. Jamie Wesley take a familiar trope but breathes in new life and a great sense of humor. One cans see why they’ve fallen in love with each other because you the reader fall in love with them. I could have used a bit more about Donovan and his relationship with football and his growth since Jada’s growth seems so well documented. Even so, Donovan seems a multidimensional character not a caricature. I would recommend this novel to my patrons. This is a great addition to our ‘Own Voices’/Black voices collection.

This book covered a lot of my favorite contemporary romance tropes and was generally a delight. The characters were well imagined, and their chemistry was excellent. The book built to what I think is just the right amount of spice. However, I ultimately landed on 3 stars because almost every element felt like I'd read it/seen it somewhere before. It was almost too heavy on its use of tropes. However, it was super readable and very enjoyable, but it just didn't break any new barriers for me.

*I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley, but was not compensated for my honest review.

I think the other reviewers captured the charm of this book. I loved the dialogue between our two main characters. It was sarcastic, dry, and witty which was thoroughly enjoyable to read. The other great part was the description of the baked goods! I felt like I was there in the bakery and like I could smell all the desserts being made! It created a cozy and warm reading experience!

Great characters and a fun plot. I enjoyed the chemistry and dialogue between the main characters. Really fun.

Jada Townsend-Matthews is fresh off a stint on the very popular Bachelor-esque dating show. She made it to the finale only to turn down the very eligible Dr. John's proposal. She quickly learns how much the show's fans do not agree with her decision. Her social media is bombarded so much so she disables her comments and hides from everyone. Jada decides to go home to San Diego to figure out her next move.

Donovan Dell is a cupcake-baking professional football player. He believes in playing by the rules on and off the field. His life is ruled by logical decisions and spreadsheets. He owns a once super popular cupcake shop, Sugar Blitz, with his two best friends/teammates August and Nick. Donovan knows their business has the recipe for success, but he can't seem to figure out why the numbers are not lining up.

After a chance encounter at Sugar Blitz and a mutual acquaintance Jada and Donovan end up working together. Jada's impulsive spirit and Donovan's serious nature make for an interesting combination, especially when a nosy reporter assumes they are an item. Jada and Donovan decide to take advantage of the reporter's faux pas and use the publicity to drive up interest in the shop while also rehabbing Jada's image.

After spending so much time together this unlikely duo start to realize their pretend-ship might not be so pretend after all.

This was a enjoyable light-hearted read that I finished in one sitting. Most of the characters were super-likeable (which is so rare in these stories). I seriously hope the author is working on a follow-up featuring Donovan's teammates.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars! I loved the whole premise of the book, but felt there were some pacing issues. Overall it was enjoyable and I liked the characters. Would be interested to read more from this author in the future!

Really enjoyed this romance book. I loved that he was football player and made cupcakes. I liked that they didn't hit it off and that they both found their way to each other. I loved his friends and hope to see their romances. I loved her friend and that it started off as fake dating to real love.

This book was a fun read. Everyone who knows me, knows the fake dating trope has me in a chokehold and this book nailed it. I also love a man who bakes, especially a big buff athlete….and when he had Jada reciting affirmations….swoon! This one wasn’t as spicy as I normally read but would still recommend it. Would love to read more from this author.

Incredibly charming and cute, with great banter and chemistry between the leads. I enjoyed this so much. I really thought I was going to hate Jada and her bougieness from the beginning, but she immediately won me over with her toughness and her vulnerability, and I ended up absolutely adoring her. I liked that for the most part, things that would have led to miscommunication in another story were addressed quickly and neutralized, but the final conflict felt super rushed and underdeveloped. So looking forward to more from Jamie Wesley in the future!

First and foremost, I made it through this enture book without running out to buy a box of cupcakes and for that alone I ought to be commended.

Seriously though, do not read this book hungry, particularly if you have a sweet tooth. Jamie Wesley’s descriptions of the baked goods they sell are every bit as sweet and tempting as the rest of the plot.

Fake It Till You Bake It follows Jada Townsend-Matthews, a young woman in need of direction. Following a stint on a reality dating show, where she made it to the final round and turned down the proposal, she’s struggling to figure out her next move. Her grandmother, a high powered football team owner, offers to grant her her trust fund early if she can hold down a job for six months.

Enter Donovan Dell, a pro football player for the San Diego Knights and owner of Sugar Blitz, a cupcake shop in a popular part of town. At the urging of Jada’s grandmother, he agrees to take her on and help provide her with the direction she needs.

The buzz from Jada’s reality show appearance paired with her sudden employment at Sugar Blitz draws media attention, as does the assumption that she and Donovan are an item. The revelation proves to be good for business, so the two of them decide to stick it out for the time being.

But of course, fake dating never stay fake for long.

By far my favourite part of Fake It Till You Bake It was how honest the characters were with each other. Don’t get me wrong, I love that good angst, and the stress of what will happen when a long-held lie or secret is finally revealed.

But there was something so refreshing about having these major upheavals happen in the characters lives, and then having them be honest about it right away. While some might think this would lead to a lack of tension, worry not. The characters still find plenty of ways to stress and work for their happy ever after, without hiding things from each other.

Woven in throughout the fake dating, and the delicious chemistry between Donovan and Jada is a frank exploration about balancing personal ideas of success against what the world (and family) expects of you. Both of them face self-imposed pressures as well as those from people who are supposed to want the best for them, even if they don’t always know how to show it. I love when novels - romance in particular - sprinkle in the personal growth to accompany the growth of the couple.

This was my first book of Jamie Wesley’s, and the way it ends makes me think we’re headed for a sequel starring one of the side characters. If it’s anything like this one, I cannot wait.

Fake It Till You Bake It is available June 21, 2022. Special thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy for review purposes.

“Fake It Till You Bake It” is a contemporary romance novel by author Jamie Wesley. This is my first book by this author, but I really enjoyed it and can't wait to read more by her.

Jada turned down a proposal on reality TV, and her grandmother is threatening to cut her off from her trust fund. Her grandmother does offer her a job, at the cupcake bakery of a man who she insulted the day before. When she tries to convince him to date her in an effort to fix her reputation, how will he respond? And if they fake date, what will happen if it becomes real for one of them?

Fake dating troupe at it's best!

What a wholesome read. Read this in an actual day. If you’re looking for a good rom-com with great banter and baked goods. This is a sweet one.

Read this if you like: Fake Dating, Cupcakes, Football romances, reality TV, enemies to lovers vibes.

Jada was recently on a recently dating show that did not end well. Donovan is an upright football who also owns a cupcake shop. They start fake dating after a reporter thinks they are an item and use the misunderstanding to their advantage.

This book is as sweet as cupcakes. The side characters are all so supportive. Jada is super fierce. Donovan is a little bit of a grumpy sunshine who really focuses on logic. This books is perfect to cuddle up with. There was one unnecessary mention from a side character about burning off the calories of the cupcakes after the gym that i didn’t like. Overall , I would definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book!

-3.75 stars-

This book was a super cute and easy read. I loved the heroine and how she was never afraid to speak up for herself or take anyone's bs. I also loved the hero and how good he was to the heroine. The plot wasn't anything super original or strong (but the fake dating is always good), and I found it annoying when they would use words like lit and ok boomer (because nobody actually uses these in real conversations). Ultimately forgettable, but this was a fun read!

I’m all about the Fake Dating Trope. It’s my go to when I want something light to cleanse my palate from other types of tropes. That being said, this novel did not hit the spot for me.

The characters didn’t seem cohesive or attuned to the plot line. Dialogue was forced and I felt like half of the dialogue was things that wouldn’t be said in real life. The stilted conversations and dialogue made it feel like the novel was going through the motions instead of bringing the vavavoom.

The plot line would have been great if it all didn’t seem to take place in the bakery. Yes, it’s the main setting, but we don’t get to read about other areas the characters went. They author wrote in scenes that didn’t take place within the bakery but didn’t describe the setting so it felt like I was in the dark.

What was also lacking was the general setting descriptions. We kept getting the word lackluster when describing the bakery but we didn’t get a description of what made the bakery lackluster.

I felt like I was told what was going on throughout the entire novel and didn’t feel like I was immersed in the story. It was a story that was just happening and I had no connection to it.

There was lots of potential in this novel.

I received an arc from netgalley for review.

Baking, fake dating and a football theme. It had all the right components. It was a cute book and story all around. I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I hoped, but had a cute ending.

Thank you to NetGalley for my free advance reader copy in exchange for my review.