This book was just OK for me. I thought the connection between the two main characters didn't feel authentic and they kept talking about hating/being attracted and I just didn't feel it through the story. I also could have used a lot more spice. If you're going to give it, give it!

Nina and Leo were working together on a cooking show when Nina announces live on the air that she’s quitting. But when Nina quits, it affects his approval rating too and his job. Their publicists approach them and suggest that the best move for both Nina and Leo is to pretend they are dating. It will make them both more likable. Both of them have restaurants that are struggling and they need all the help they can get so they agree. At first, they are definitely enemies. But soon we have the enemies to lovers storyline in addition to the fake dating storyline.

With a clever title, the promise of delicious food and romance, I was excited for this book! For Butter or Worse introduces us to Nina (ambitious, successful chef) and Leo (restaurant chain owner) in the height of their seeming hate for each other. If you love good food, enemies-to-lovers, fake dating to real feelings, and a satisfying ending, you will find this an enjoyable read. The characters learn to love themselves (and each other) by the end of the book. In addition to some hot steamy scenes, there is so much more to the story. The book touches on workplace harassment and sexism, mental health, and more.

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for an ARC to read! #ForButterorWorse #NetGalley

For Butter or Worse is a fun romance with plenty of spicy tension. Nina is a chef and judge/host of a tv cooking competition. Leo is her co-host and bane of her existence. Fed up with Leo, Nina quits to focus on her restaurant and career. When Leo shows up at her restaurant looking for an explanation, things suddenly become complicated. This book is a friends to lovers story and includes fake dating. The banter between the characters is quite good and La RosA's use of social media posts to bring insight and humor really works well. The characters are a bit one dimentional, but I did like that La Rosa brought into play the struggle of females in the world of the professional chef. Over all a fun read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and th opportunity to read and review For Butter or Worse.

2.5* I have really even loving the baking trend in romance books lately and was therefore excited to give this one a go. Enemies to lovers is not my favorite trope but I’m always down for some fake dating. The relationship was cute enough and the set up alright, The main characters` ambition in their crafts were equally strong and refreshingly unique. However their personalities were a little stale when otherwise not dominated by their single expressed personality trait. The whole fake dating and enemies to lovers set ups felt very lame and underwhelming. These are tropes that can be really fun but this book relied too heavily on them without trying to make them believable or unique to the book at all. The banter was great and the female empowerment/feminist undertones were a pleasant surprise.

Chef Nina Lyon is tired of being underestimated in the male-dominated cooking world. She co-hosts a competitive reality TV series "The Next Cooking Champ!" with obnoxious Leo O'Donnell. He always manages to get under her skin, until one day she quits on live TV. To ensure the survival of her restaurant, Nina must fake a relationship with Leo, time spent on "dates" with him directly correlates to an increase in traffic in their respective restaurants.

Books about food? YES PLEASE! This is a combination of enemies to lovers and fake dating tropes. I'm not typically a huge fan of enemies to lovers because I can find it a bit over the top but in this case because they're on reality tv, it made sense that they would play off their disdain for each other for ratings. I am a big foodie, so loved all their discussions of food and family and the restaurant biz. I liked getting to know both of the characters and I liked how the author portrayed sexism in the restaurant industry.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves food and love :)

Thank you to HQN Books for the ARC! All opinions expressed are my own.

Enemies to lovers with lots of food! I knew I had to read this one. There are also some serious topics in this one that I think are important. Plus, fake relationship and allllll the banter. I'm here for it! Plus the chemistry between Leo and Nina is HOT. Not to mention the social media coverage of these two had me laughing. I think this was a fun read that many will enjoy!

A huge thank you to the publisher for an ARC!

*Note: this is an HONEST SPOILER FREE REVIEW*

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“But most of all, I want you to be truly happy. Here’s hoping you know that…
I will always think of you.
I never disliked you.
And I never deserved a minute of your time.”

---

Did i just discover one of my new favorite rom-coms? I think so. For Butter or Worse by Erin La Rosa made me laugh (more like cackle), grin like a fool, and truly feel for the characters. If you are a fan of enemies to lovers, celebrity fake dating, The Great British Bake Off, mental health representation, and Emily Henry’s books, I definitely recommend giving this story a chance.

First of all, I cannot stress enough the importance of books as such. Not only is For Butter or Worse an adorable romance/rom-com, it is truly a bigger story. It highlights important and meaningful topics that are not written about nearly enough, especially in the romance genre. Topics such as workplace sexism, anxiety, and masculinity (just to name a couple). Erin came in and told the story of two strong characters who are facing their struggles while forming a relationship.

Okay, and now per usual, I am going to simp over yet another fictional man. Leo O’Donnell. We love our sensitive boy who’s working through his anxiety. And the way he loves Nina is just *chefs kiss*.

With that being said, I can’t talk about much more without spilling the beans, but I definitely encourage everyone to give this book a try. I hope all of you find something inspiring from this story and fall in love.

this was straight up adorable! it was entertaining and hilarious, bake off vibes, loved the characters. highly recommend!

Let's see... Enemies to lovers, some cooking TV, fake dating, and if you're a foodie, this one has that too. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes. It's always good for some banter and snark, and For Butter or Worse has plenty of both. The story has a good pace, and it's easy to root for Nina and Leo - both together and separately. The more they fuss, the more I wanted them together. The blurb mentions that this one is perfect for fans of The Hating Game, and I'd say that's pretty accurate. Whether you prefer enemies to lovers romance, fake dating romance, or just romantic comedy in general, this is one to check out.

Hot steamy summer days like these call for a hot steamy romance to read and Erin La Rosa's For Butter Or Worse takes the cake.

Nina Lyon owns her own restaurant and hosts the cooking challenge reality show The Next Cooking Champ. Her cohost is Leo O'Donnell, whose family owns a chain of Italian restaurants, some of which can be found in airports.

Nina has worked hard to earn the respect she deserves in the culinary world, something not easily attainable for women. She brings her experience to the show and can be tough, but fair, to the contestants.

Leo runs the business end of the family restaurants, leaving the food part to his twin brother Gavin to handle. Leo is handsome and all charm to most people, but snarky to his cohost Nina. He can't help pushing her buttons on air.

Both Nina and Leo hope that their TV show appearances will translate into more customers to their restaurants; it's a tough business with very tight profit margins. When Nina decides she's had enough of Leo, she loses her cool and announces on-air in a live show that she is leaving The Next Cooking Champ.

That leaves both Leo and Nina and their restaurants in a precarious position, and when paparazzi take a photo of them in what looks like a romantic clinch, the only way to save their restaurants (according to the show's PR person) is to be seen in public dating. Can Nina and Leo put aside their animosity to save their restaurants?

For Butter Or Worse is an enemies-to-lovers tale with some delicious food descriptions that will make you hungry. (Nina's mother's Pates aux Lardons -noodles with gruyére cheese, bacon and butter- will be making an appearance in my kitchen very soon.)

La Rosa elevates her story with some interesting touches. Leo has anxiety issues, and I love that he and his mom talk on the phone while watching rom-coms (Sleepless in Seattle) together. As the mom of two adult sons, I appreciated Leo's mom.

As with any good enemies-to-lovers story, Leo and Nina's "fake dates" lead to misunderstandings and to some very steamy sex scenes. (If you don't appreciate explicit sex scenes, this isn't for you. If you appreciate them, you'll be pleased.)

If you're someone who enjoys a hot romance and doesn't miss an episode of Top Chef, put For Butter Or Worse on your TBR list today.

I adored this book! Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and Erin La Rosa knocked it out of the park with For Butter or Worse. The banter between Nina and Leo was witty and brilliantly executed, and you could feel the sexual tension simmering between them. Add in a fabulous supporting cast and this was the perfect recipe.

On a side note, I thought the author did a great job touching on the impact social media can have on mental health especially to those that are in the spotlight and highlighting the sexism in both social media and the restaurant industry.

Overall this has been one of my favorite books this year and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of For Butter or Worse by Erin La Rosa. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing an ARC to review.

For Butter or Worse had a lot of positive things going for it. The baking competition setting and enemies to lovers trope had me hooked and ready to enjoy a fun romance. Sadly, I ended up not liking either of our leads. Their habit of thinking logically but then emotionally exploding and doing mean things just didn't work for me. The personality connection just wasn't there for me. I give this book 2/5 stars.

What a fun and entertaining romance read.
It's full of tropes, but most is enemies to lovers which I love so much, so yeah I really enjoyed it from the get go.

This book is about chef Nina Lyon and restaurateur Leo O’Donnell. They're hosting the competitive reality TV series The Next Cooking Champ! and from the start they just hating each other. Mostly because Leo's joke really cross the line and because of that Nina quits the show. Since then the story revolves around getting Nina back in the show and Nina fixing her reputation after being ruined by Leo's joke. This book brings a lot of feelings, angst, sadness, sweetness, and the steaminess is super steamy, it's just had everything what I expected from enemies-to-lovers rom com book. I wished there's more about what really happened when Nina and Leo start working together though.

As for characters. Love Nina, I'm on Nina's side from the beginning. Not a big fan of Leo, I understand his insecurities and why he did what he did, but all those things not a good enough reason to become a douche and being rude to Nina and sometimes lash out to Nina, even though he redeemed himself in the end, still can't forgive him ahahahhaa. Still love the banter between Nina and Leo though. I also love the friendship between Nina, Sophia (Nina's sister) and Jasmine (Nina's Bestie), love them when together, they bring lots of laughter.

Cute romance enemies to lovers read that revolves around foods, definitely you need to check this one out.

always love a good enemies to lovers book with a twist of fake dating. I was hooked right from the start and love that they were co-hosts of a reality tv show.

it was simply *chefs kiss*!

Spoilers:

Enemies-to-lovers rom-coms can be tricky depending on the ability for one or both people in the couple to redeem themselves and the reason for their enmity. In the case of Leo and Nina, co-hosts of a successful cooking competition show, The Next Cooking Champ, he was so nasty to her that it was going to be a hard climb out of the hole he’d created with his sexism and casual cruelty. I don’t think author Erin La Rosa achieved that goal despite the happy ending.

At the end of the show’s third season, the producers decided they needed a live finale. The question was whether or not Leo, business manager of his family’s chain of Italian restaurants, and Nina, James Beard Award-winning chef, could put their animosity aside until the winner was announced. When Leo, in an ill-conceived effort to one-up Nina, uses the “Nasty Nina” hashtag he accidentally saddled her with early in the show’s 3-year run, it was the last straw. Because of the fickleness of social media and zealous and rabid fans, Nina’s decision to join the show to grow her business ended up tanking it. Since she blamed Leo, his careless remark led her to walk off the set and quit the show, creating a nightmare for their handlers. The solution to save their reputations and Leo’s job is to engage in a fake relationship to fool viewers into thinking they’re lovers, not fighters. Predictably, strong feelings begin to grow, but can Nina really fall for the guy who ruined both her reputation and livelihood?

Unfortunately, Leo’s insecurities and feeling of being second best to Nina (since she’s actually a chef and he’s an MBA who inherited his father’s restaurant) lead him to continue lashing out and insulting her well into the second quarter of the story. Later in the book, he does it again because of his unfounded jealousy. For anyone reading this book who is or has been in a toxic relationship where their partner gets defensive and projects blame, it would be very difficult to warm up to Leo even if Nina does. It’s a pass for me.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Harlequin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Thanks @netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Summary:
All chef Nina Lyon wants is to make a name for herself in the culinary world and inspire young women everywhere to do the same. Now, as co-host of the competitive reality TV series The Next Cooking Champ!, she finally has a real shot at being top tier in the foodie scene. Restaurateur Leo O’Donnell never means to get under Nina’s skin. It just seems to happen, especially when the cameras are rolling. It's part of the anxiety and stress he has come to know all too well. However, he's surprised when Nina up and quits—on live TV.
To make matters worse, the two are caught in what looks like a compromising situation by the paparazzi…and fans of the show go absolutely nuts. Turns out, a “secret romance” between Nina and Leo may just be what their careers need most.
Review:
This book was okay for me. I enjoyed the banter between Nina and Leo. I also thought the story had great side characters and I enjoyed the food scene. However, I didn't like how Nina's and Leo's relationship played out from the beginning. A big part of the plot was the lack of communication between the characters. Although, this is in most novels, I thought it was dragged a bit too long in this story and it later created bigger problems. Leo has anxiety and the lack of communication affected him. He was insecure and the thought of Nina not liking him literally sent him into a panic attack. Leo said in his POV that he would do anything Nina asked, even if it broke him. I found this to be a bit unhealthy for him. As a person with anxiety, Leo needed to learn to say no and set boundaries with things that made him uncomfortable. Because of this, I did appreciate that they didn't get together right away, and instead Leo took some time to focus on himself and his mental health. Overall, this book was okay for me.

i’m a sucker for enemies/rivals to lovers and fake dating, so when i read the premise of “for butter or worse” and found out that the main characters, nina and leo, were also co-hosts of a baking competition reality tv series, i was hoooooked. unfortunately, this did not hit the mark for me. not only did i find leo’s role in the rivalry intolerable, but the miscommunication between him and nina was painfully long and repetitive.

special thanks to netgalley and harlequin trade publishing for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

FOR BUTTER OR WORSE is a dual-POV, fake dating, enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance about two rival (former) cooking show co-hosts. In addition to the Nina and Leo’s love story, this book explored sexism in the food world and the cruelty successful women often face in the public eye. FBoW also included nuanced representation for anxiety and panic attacks.

This was really cute! I liked the banter between Nina and Leo, and I enjoyed watching them slowly grow to understand one another. However, I wish this was paced a little better - I would have loved to see more scenes with Nina and Leo enjoying time with one another. The third act breakup pretty much spans the entire last third of the book, which felt overly drawn-out in my opinion.

That said, I still had a great time reading FOR BUTTER FOR WORSE. I will certainly be picking up more Erin La Rosa books in the future!

Content warnings: death of a parent (past), anxiety, panic attacks, online bullying, sexism

Natalie has hosted a reality cooking show with Leo for years, but she's done. Done with Leo's horrible personality, done with all the vicious online trolls, done with allowing it all to damage her own mental health. She needs to take a step back to focus on her restaurant, to focus on herself. So in the finale, she drops the mic - she's just hosted her final show, and she'll never have to see Leo again, never have to be in the same place with the man whose horrible nickname for her has spawned countless memes of her, a cruel hashtag, and has damaged her self-esteem almost beyond repair. Now it's her time. She just has to figure out where to go from here. But of course, the jerk has to have one last final word with her, and now he's gotten them into an even worse situation, one where they have to fake date to save face. What will she do when her feelings of hate start slowly morphing into something a lot like...love?!

Leo's got a secret, one he's never told anyone. And it's that very secret that's become the latest, and most significant obstacle in his once enemies now lovers relationship with Natalie. So now he's got to figure himself out. Has to finally tell someone, preferably someone who can help him, so he can get himself together. Whether it helps him get back the woman he loves? Only time will tell...

Snarky, witty fun rom-com set in the culinary world - I knew as soon as I read the blurb that I had to read this, and I am so glad I did because I loved it. I loved Natalie and how strong she was, how she fought back against the misogyny ever present in this cutthroat food world, how she took the time to work on her own mental health, and how she was there for the people she loved - her best friend, her sister, her employees, and even Leo, the man she used to hate. Now Leo...oh boy, but he was a mess. I wanted to smack him for his obliviousness, his blind refusal to see the way he ruined Natalie's reputation for so long and never gave it a thought. But to his credit, once he realized, he went full on apology mode. He worked on himself too, and I was cheering him on, really cheering them on as a couple, because I knew they'd be great together if they could get past all the pain they had been in for so long.