This book was not a good fit for me. The characters weren’t what I hoped for and I had a hard time with Leo. I think he was supposed to be compelling but his attitude made him hard to like and didn’t really redeem him. I was not engaged by the writing style and from the get-go I found myself skimming a lot. It might be better for others but not for me.

Fake dating, enemies to lovers and food are 3 of my favorite things. Adored meeting Nina, a strong, sassy chef on the verge of life changing decisions. We also meet Leo, her co-worker and enemy who shows her not everything is true on reality TV.

This was a big-hearted fiction debut about two celebrity chefs forced to fake date to save their reputations and careers. Nina and Leo are co-judges for a reality cooking show who can't stand each other in a very Pride and Prejudice sort of way!

Leo has crippling social anxiety and panic attacks that make him say stupid things and Nina ends up being the butt one of too many jokes. Sick of the social media attacks and misogyny Nina quits the show, putting both her and Leo's career in a tailspin. In an attempt to repair the damage the two start fake dating, slowly learning to appreciate one another's better qualities.

Things heat up quickly and I was NOT prepared for just how SPICY this book got! I also REALLY loved the dual POV narrative as we get inside Leo's head and see what an actual cinnamon roll he really is! Perfect for fans of Stirring up love or The romance recipe.

Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! I am very excited to read what's next from this author!!

This was a big-hearted fiction debut about two celebrity chefs forced to fake date to save their reputations and careers. Nina and Leo are co-judges for a reality cooking show who can't stand each other in a very Pride and Prejudice sort of way!

Leo has crippling social anxiety and panic attacks that make him say stupid things and Nina ends up being the butt one of too many jokes. Sick of the social media attacks and misogyny Nina quits the show, putting both her and Leo's career in a tailspin. In an attempt to repair the damage the two start fake dating, slowly learning to appreciate one another's better qualities.

Things heat up quickly and I was NOT prepared for just how SPICY this book got! I also REALLY loved the dual POV narrative as we get inside Leo's head and see what an actual cinnamon roll he really is! Perfect for fans of Stirring up love or The romance recipe.

Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! I am very excited to read what's next from this author!!

For Butter or For Worse is an workplace enemies to lovers, fake dating dual POV story about Nina and Leo, who are co-hosting a reality TV show.

The premise of the book intrigued me, and I had never heard of the author before. I was impressed when I noticed it’s her first romance book and she did it so well.

I enjoyed Nina and Leo’s witty banter with each other. They are true enemies so harsh words and conversations occur, but I liked seeing things change between them. Both of them had great character development as well.

The author writing about topics like sexism and anxiety made me like her work even more. Even though I read romance to enjoy myself, I still appreciate when author’s put real life, important to me topics in their work to give the realistic side of relationships/life.

Overall, this book had great banter, characters, tension/steam, and relationship development. The plot was unique and it hit all the aspects I like in books.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!*

Thank you so much for the eARC!

I really wanted to enjoy this one, but I just could not get into the style! Nothing wrong with the story from what I can see, just not the writing style for me.

For Butter or Worse by Erin La Rosa is a cute story of Nina, a professional chef and Leo who runs a chain of family Italian restaurants. They are on a cooking show together and battle each other while choosing the next cooking champ from the contestants. But in spite of their obvious dislike for each other, there's a fine line between hate and love, but will they be able to cross it? A great quick read!

Thanks to the author, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Netgalley.com for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The following review was posted on my blog today, Tuesday, July 26th, the day of publication. It will be shared on Twitter and Instagram today, as well. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.




“You have excellent taste in wine and terrible taste in men, are you happy?”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy meter: 4.5 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses panic attacks, relationships with a narcissist, and parent death.

“For Butter or Worse” follows Nina Lyon, a renowned, award-winning chef, and Leo O’Donnell, a restauranteur who’s made his family restaurant into a famous franchise. They have been cohosts (and nemesis) on a cooking reality TV show for 3 years, but things quickly go south when management decides to have their final episode for season 3 filmed live, and Nina ends up quitting mid-episode. To make matters worse, when Leo goes to Nina’s restaurant to apologize, they’re photographed in a compromising position, sparking up dating rumors…which actually end up helping both their restaurants? Seeing the effect their “relationship” has on their respective businesses, their publicist decides it’d be best if the fake date, at least for a while—they’ll just have to not kill each other while doing so.

Um, can I just say I can’t believe this is Erin La Rosa’s debut romance novel? The story she’s told is well written and complex without being pretentious. Both main and side characters were lovely but imperfect. I loved Nina, I loved Leo, I loved their family and friends, I loved and lived vicariously through their story. I found out I apparently love cooking themed romance novels? I can’t get enough of it. I just finished reading it and want to grab it all over again.

And on the spicy side… I’ll just say it didn’t disappoint. The last few novels I had read were sort of lacking on that front, but “For Butter or Worse” definitely delivered. Also, I found it hilarious how in the acknowledgements, Erin La Rosa thanks (and apologizes to) her cousin, Mela Lee, who’s an audiobook narrator and who narrated the audiobook version of this book—with sex scenes and all.

I’ll be recommending this book for the rest of the year. It’s that good and entertaining, there is not a single dull moment. It’s relatively fast-paced and the different points of view really built on the pressure between Nina and Leo.

If you enjoy fake dating romances, close proximity tropes, books with “famous” characters, or books that involve the culinary world, then “For Butter or Worse” is definitely for you. Also, just in general, if you’re looking for a steamy, generous read… then grab this novel as soon as you can.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: July 26, 2022

“Believe it or not, I’ve dealt with bigger assholes than you.”
“Give me a chance. I’ll try harder.”

This was a cute rom with a enemies to lovers genre. Leo and Nina are hosts of a cooking show and as the story begins are at each other’s throat. There are battles at every turn, but obviously there is attraction too. Lots of food is involved and although I did really enjoy this story, it dragged a bit in the middle for me. Every time the couple made headway in their relationship, one or the other would totally misunderstand and it would set the relationship back. I enjoyed it at first, but wanted them both to grow up and communicate more. The last third of the book for me was the highlight, and I really enjoyed the secondary characters, Jasmine, Sophia, and Gavin. They had a big part in my enjoyment.

Nina Lyon has to work hard being a female chef in a male dominated profession. She is always hoping that she can inspire other females in this business, especially with her job as a co-host on the TV show The Next Cooking Champ! The only problem....her and her co-host don't get along. Leo O'Donnell may be tall, dark and oozing with charisma, but he also has a way of getting under Nina's skin. During a live taping of their show, Leo takes one of his "jokes" a little to far and Nina up and quits. Suddenly both of their lives are spiraling downward. When Leo goes to Nina's restaurant to try and patch things up, paparazzi catch them in what looks like a compromising position. Of course the fans go wild and suddenly both of their lives and their businesses are improving. When Nina's PR guy suggests that her and Leo should keep up the ruse they both reluctantly agree. Of course the more time these two spend together away from work, the more they both realize that they may have misjudged the other and feelings start to develop. Just when it looks like these two are going to find a happy ending, the past comes crashing back in. It will take a lot of soul searching before these two will get their happy ever after but it is done in a really big, fun way.

I enjoyed this enemies to lovers story. From the outside Nina and Leo both seemed like they had great lives, but behind the curtain they both were hurting. I really loved their "dates" they went on....it was my favorite parts of the book. I also liked how the author dealt with Leo's anxiety problems. It was nice to see something real brought into the story. Overall this was an entertaining story to read.

I have been eyeing on this book ever since I saw it on Netgalley. Also knowing it would be about culinary and food got me so interested. I love a book that makes my mouth water!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Netgalley and Erin La Rosa for a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This one comes out 7/26/22!

Nina is an emerging chef in the culinary world and wants to make a name for herself. She’s a host in a reality cooking show alongside her co-host Leo, who happens to be a restaurateur and makes it impossible for her to do so. When they get caught up in a meet up gone wrong by the paparazzi, they agree to live up to an alleged secret romance to upend their careers, as both are not doing very well.

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 solid stars! I was so amused with the witty banter between Nina and Leo! A+ on their humorous come backs that made me chuckle a lot. Leo was a very annoying misogynist at first, but his reasons and complete 180 definitely made up for it. Apart from the humor, this book also included emphasis on anxiety and mental health. Which i found to be a good balance for a rom-com. As an added bonus, you will be in for a treat with all the palatable dishes featured in this book, as well as a good amount of steam. Pick this one up if you’re in search of a sweet and cheesy romance!

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚: 𝘍𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴, 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦

Rivals to lovers treasure!!!
I love foodie romances and Butter or Worse is going to fall under one of the faves of all time!
The banter and hate between these two was just perfect!
The snide comments and then being forced to fake date is the perfect recipe of a book!
I look forward to reading more books by Erin La Rosa

“𝑯𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒂-𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆, 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒛𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒍. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓’𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓… 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕?”

Chef Nina Lyon and restaurant owner Leo O’Donnell co-host The Next Cooking Champ. Nina took the job as a co-host thinking it would skyrocket her career and make her into a star chef. She wasn’t planning on having to deal with a horrible sexist co-host who makes her life hell every day. It’s no secret that they completely hate each other and millions have witnessed the hate. So after one too many sexist comments this one made on live tv Nina has enough and quits immediately. However, she’s shocked the next morning to find Leo at her door begging her to come back. Unfortunately for them the paparazzi is there and snaps a pic of them in a position that looks scandalous. When they realize the paparazzi think they are dating and it helps their businesses they hatch a plan. But can Nina stand to fake date the man she hates?

For Butter Or Worse was such a fun read that you can easily read in one sitting. It’s got fake dating, enemies to lovers, celebrities, so much food, snarky comments, and strong independent women. Oh and don’t forget the steam. I also loved the leading female characters and how they handled all the sexism that occurs in the culinary world. If you’re a foodie like me I don’t recommend reading this one while you’re hungry but it is a very solid enjoyable read.

based in the foodie world, For Butter or Worse started off really promising...
we have co-hosts, Nina and Leo, giving us the proper enemies tension and banter, leading into the hero saying something stupid that makes the heroine realize she's had enough... and then BAM... i got catfished

as much as i was still invested in the story, I'm a bit salty about the process of it. because of how the story started, i was hoping for some lovely hero groveling but instead i felt that Leo seemed entitled and a bit prissy...
Nina, on the other hand, was a sweetheart because she stood up for herself, and didn't let the negativity of others change her personality

the fake dating wasn't truly efficient for me, other than them just getting together. and i also didn't appreciate that the sexism and hateful comments (towards Nina) were only acknowledged nearing the end, by Leo. i feel that this topic could've been a game changer if it had been given a bit more attention

but in saying all of this, don't get me wrong, i loved Nina and Leo together as a couple. Leo had this moment of proclaiming his love, which was super sweet! i just feel that a lot more could've been done to contribute to the story... emotionally

*𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯-𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸*

If you’re looking for a steamy enemies to lovers, with delicious sexual tension & banter, look no further. This one has it all, including a sexy 69 scene. I absolutely loved this novel very much, especially the chemistry between Nina & Leo. As much as I wanted to binge read it, I took my time with it & savored every minute. I love a book that will make me laugh and hook me from the beginning, & For Butter or Worse did just that. Enemies to lovers and fake dating are two of my favorite tropes, but having them in one, wow! Erin’s writing style is very descriptive and captivates in you in a way that you feel as if you’re really there experiencing along with the characters. You also get to see the characters in their flawed nature & the personal issues they are dealing and battling everyday. Which makes them very relatable. I also loved the media headlines, social media comments, text messages, & pop culture references, since this is a celebrity romance.

Nina is a chef and is aiming to succeed in the culinary world. As a woman, that is not always easy as the culinary world is male dominated. Nina has the opportunity in expanding her career within the foodie world as a co-host for a competitive reality tv cooking show. Even if her nemesis Hollywood famous, Leo O’Donnell is also a co-host. They cannot stand each other, and go together like oil and water. Thanks to paparazzi, they are caught in a compromising situation that makes fans of the show go crazy. That’s the beginning of their fake dating & the end of the hate they have towards each other, even if neither of them realizes it.

If you enjoy steamy foodie romantic comedies with great chemistry and delicious tension, this one is for you!

You can expect:
* Enemies to Lovers
* Fake Dating
* Steamy Open Door Romance
* Witty & Fun Banter
* Romance Between Co-Workers
* Sexual Tension
* Celebrity Romance
* Cooking/Baking TV Show Setting
* Opposites Attract
* Based in Los Angeles

I liked the premise of this one: a male reality tv show presenter with sometimes crippling anxiety. Leo’s family began and now runs a chain of Italian restaurants but they’re having financial difficulties. Nina is a strong professional female chef branded as nasty if she critiques the contestants on their reality cooking show. Her restaurant is also struggling to stay afloat. When they’re caught together outside of set, people think their dating. Win/win in the “bring people to the restaurant” department. It had all the right ingredients but the fake dating fell flat in this one.

Normally I really enjoy fake dating and enemies to lovers but I had a really hard time getting into this book. Neither of the characters was initially very likable but the male protagonist Leo was downright terrible for the first few chapters. He was more palatable once we understood his issues with anxiety but I could never forgive him for the way he treated Nina in the first few chapters. After they started fake dating the book definitely got a lot better but I wouldn’t say I overall enjoyed it. I did really enjoy the later spicy scenes and I think this is one of the cleverest titles I’ve read in years!

Thank you to #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For Butter or Worse is a rom-com with two of the most popular tropes in romance–fake dating and enemies-to-lovers. Yes, these two tropes can often be found together, but they work well independently. In this instance, the enemies-to-lovers begin before we meet Nina and Leo. They work together on a reality show and have the good host/bad host mentality. Leo inadvertently gives Nina an unflattering nickname, which fuels the fire. The fake dating comes about early in the story and begins with a misunderstanding.

I found the first third of the book a bit slow of a read, and I often wanted to do something other than reading. But once I got past that point, things began to grab my attention and made me want to read over doing other things. And just a heads up, the last third of the book is pretty steamy. And the majority of that steam is on the page!

The discussion of mental health throughout the book is one that I enjoyed. It is not often that you find a rom-com that discusses the characters’ mental health so openly. Leo openly discusses his anxiety and panic attacks, though it’s more with the reader than other characters. Nina discusses how she had to take breaks from social media for her mental health, especially when she was the target of cyberbullying. Again, this discussion was more with the reader than other characters.

Another topic discussed in the book, and part of Nina’s backstory, is how women are treated. Part of the reason she walks away from the show is because of how she is treated. If a woman is strongly opinionated, she’s mean or nasty. Nina also discusses how she has often been treated negatively in the workplace and that men in the restaurant industry did not treat her with the respect she deserved.

I really enjoyed this slow burn romance.
The characters, the story, it was all simply wonderful.

I genuinely liked how they slowly progressed from enemies to friends to lovers in a realistic pace. The banter was fun and sexual tension was so hot.

I look forward to seeing more of Erin’s work in the future!!

Huge thank you to Erin La Rosa for sending me an ARC for this book.

This is more than just a romance novel; it is a book about women sharing their sexual discrimination stories, mental health, and that we all have things we hide from others to protect ourselves from pain.

When I first started reading this book, I did NOT like Leo. He was arrogant and mean. But then, as the true Leo was be revealed, I realized that this man was more than just a pretty face with a seemingly arrogant attitude. Leo was a man with his own issues, mental health ones at that, that used words to create a wall to keep others out. I think many can relate to Leo and his insecurities, anxiety, and the desire to do his best.

Nina isn't without her own faults, including an ex that is a jerk, but she has some strong supportive friends that surround her so that even when things go south, she isn't alone. I giggled at the conversations with her sister, Sophie, and her best friend, Jasmine. I really liked Jasmine and her no-nonsense attitude. She is the kind of friend everyone should have in their life.

Nina and Leo have quite the chemistry together, but they start a relationship based on trying to help their reputations and restaurants. That is not the way to have a successful relationship, but it at least paves the way for them to admit the attraction to one another if only to themselves at first. Communication is their biggest problem, but the relationship flourishes once they learn to share more than what they think the other wants to hear.

This book addresses the issues of mental health and Leo's anxiety. I felt that it was done respectfully yet showcased how it can cripple an individual depending on the severity. It also highlighted how many people do not get help or ask for help to cope and manage stress and anxiety. This is so important in today's world, and I hope that someone that needs that help sees that in this book and will reach out to professionals.

I did get a kick out of the text conversations included in the book. Gavin, Leo's twin brother, is a hoot, and I think we need a book about his life...maybe the author will write his story.

Overall, we give this book 5 paws up. It is more than a romance and well worth the read.