Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
A fun story about food and love, that also explored the challenges of fame, cyber bullying, and mental health. I enjoyed this quick read.
Pros:
-realistic mental health representation
-good character development, especially for the hero
-reasonably well-developed side characters and back story
-dad jokes and banter
-adorable vibes
Cons:
-holy miscommunication trope
-internal monologues from both hero and heroine were repetitive to the point of incredulity. I feel like no real person would be that confused for that long, or could believe the other person had no interest given so many obvious signs

Would definitely read more from this author, great potential! And I would love love love to see the next book center on Gavin because I’m obsessed with him.

I was super excited for this one but I think I'm a little bit burnt out on reality tv/competition romance novels right now. Enemies to lovers is by far my favorite trope, and the execution of it was really good in this book. The banter was fantastic, well written, and fun. I just didn't FEEL this book, and that's on me.

I want to formally say that I will read more cooking and baking romances. Seriously. Give them all to me. I love the mouth watering scenes, the tension of the kitchen, and the heat of the banter. And La Rosa does it so well in For Butter or Worse. This dual POV story delivers one of my favorite new romance leads, Nina. Who could resist an ambitious woman who has been villified in the media and just wants to save her restaurant. The world is so quick to call a woman nasty - when they mean honest if it wasn't a woman - that Nina was instantly my favorite.

But the tension and banter between Nina and Leo is off the charts. Like a true rivals or nemesis to lovers, there's layers of misconceptions. How we can think we know someone well enough to despise them or understand them, but how there's always more to know. More to realize the differing opinions, the similar motivations, and the undeniable heat. Being dual POV is a fabulous move for For Butter or Worse.

Even with some traditional romance tropes, this was a fun and sexy read!

As co-hosts of The Next Cooking Champ!, Nina and Leo seem like they get along with their playful, barbed banter, but in real life, they can’t stand each other. When Leo makes a not so subtle comment on air, Nina decides she’s had enough and quits during a live episode. But after the incident, both Nina’s and Leo’s restaurants suffer; however, when a photo comes out of Nina tripping into Leo that looks more like a kiss, business explodes. Nina and Leo decide to make a deal with each other: fake date to ensure that they both stay afloat.

Erin La Rosa uses several tropes in For Butter or Worse: enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and workplace romance. However, La Rosa doesn’t waste any opportunity to elevate each, overlapping them and shifting them to make the story better. As a reader, I dip into the romance genre every so often, and I read A LOT of romance novels during graduate school as a break from theory. Lately, when I’ve read within this genre, I’ve found myself disappointed, most often due to the ability to predict the villain, the challenge the pair needs to overcome, or, most devastatingly, the twist at the end. Due to La Rosa’s keen writing, I found this wasn’t the case with For Butter or Worse.

Much of this had to do with the characters themselves. Nina was an independent self-starter with big dreams. Coming up in the sexist cooking world, Nina wasn’t afraid to fight for herself, sometimes using snarky comments and sarcasm as a defense. Nina felt like someone I wanted to be friends with because of this. As Nina’s counterpart, Leo was a very self-aware individual who tried to take care of everyone but himself. One of my favorite aspects of Leo’s character was his empathy, which gave him the ability to put himself in Nina’s shoes, especially when he examined his own behavior and how he was complicit in the sexism stemming from the show and spilling onto social media.

The chemistry between these two was also quite palpable throughout the novel. Every scene felt electric when Nina and Leo were together. And the sexy bits…whew…I’m fanning my face just thinking about them. These two were written well and fit together in ways that made sense.

The secondary characters were the weakest point of the novel. While ensuring that the protagonists were fleshed out, other characters became two dimensional stereotypes. Jasmine was the badass best friend; Sophie was the hopeless romantic sister; Charlie was the terrible ex-boyfriend; and Gavin, Leo’s brother, to his great misfortune, embodied a number of gay stereotypes. However, despite these minor missteps, I would recommend the novel for anyone looking for a quick, enjoyable, and sexy read.

Enemies to Lovers is usually a reliable genre for me to read. I struggled with For Butter or Worse. I didn’t buy the chemistry between Leon amd Nina. It seems forced and contrived, even when it was supposed to be read.
The premise was cute, but I wasn’t on board for their romance.

This book took me by surprise! Nina and Leo had a really rocky start. I choose sides in their antagonistic relationship early on and despite Leo's sweet persona it took me a while to soften to him.

With that said, the author did a great job of explaining his back story, giving him depth, and creating a well rounded character. He made mistakes but over time he finds his way and I love his grand gesture.

Nina is a badass. She is a business owner, a celebrity chef, a great friend and sister and she will do anything to protect what is hers. I enjoyed her find space in her heart for Leo. Their story was almost sweet and slow during their fake dating courtship but when they turned the heat on it was pretty hot.

I appreciated how the author blended the heavier topics like sexism, online bullying, and mental health into the lighter story. It felt seamless!

I thought they had great chemistry, the story was fun and easy to follow, and the supporting characters were good enough for their own stories!

Nina loves food. She's very passionate about it and she owns a restaurant that she's equally passionate about. She's a co-host of The Next Cooking Champ! reality cooking show with Leo O'Donnell who is more of a business-minded person when it comes to food. They dislike each other intensely.

They are taping a live show in an attempt to get their dwindling ratings up. This has everyone worrying as they truly hate one another. Leo coined the "Nasty Nina" moniker she's had to deal with for a couple of years on the internet. She's the strict judge and has a public relations problem because of it. (including death threats!) Two of Nina's restaurants have closed in the last year so restoring her reputation via the show is critical to her.

When Leo calls her "Nasty Nina" on the live show Nina announces that she's quitting and walks off.

I'm sorry to say, this book was not for me. I like enemies to lovers romance but not when it comes from a really hateful place. Nina and Leo's arguments were too nasty for me. I didn't believe in their relationship. I didn't actually want it to succeed.

I received an e-arc of this book and this is my honest opinion.

4.5 stars
3.5 🌶️🌶️🌶️

For Butter or Worse is one of the few enemies to lovers romances set on a reality tv show that has worked for me. For once I found that the reality tv element didn't take away from the romance. There are legitimate reasons for Nina and Leo to hate each other and hesitate getting into a relationship with one another.

The only thing preventing this from being 5 stars is the third act conflict.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

we love a good enemies to lovers! we also adore fake dating! and adding a tv show / cohosting situation made it all the better. books with chef's in it always seem to get me for some reason.

this was very lighthearted & fun. the romance and banter were great but the highlight for me was the anxiety rep and the growth of the characters.

this felt like a comfy hug <3

Excellent enemies to lovers. I really enjoyed how the characters grew and developed over the course of the book, and took responsibility for their actions and didn't try to explain away their bad behaviour. Also, the parts with the peacock were hiliarious.

For Butter or Worse by Erin La Rosa
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nina and Leo are co-hosts of a competitive cooking reality tv show - and they go together like oil and water. When the live taping of their last show goes awry - Leo and Nina try to salvage their reputations with a fake dating plot.

The biggest highlight for me in this story was the accurate and inclusive anxiety representation. I appreciated the realities shown through Leo that can help provide some understanding to readers who don't experience this. I also loved the third person point-of-view and the dual perspectives. I loved seeing inside both Nina and Leo's heads.

I had difficulty with the relationship arc of the main characters. The loathe to love trope is not one of my favorites, and this one had trouble convincing me that their feelings could change from how they started in the beginning. I hoped for a little deeper connection between them during their fake dates.

The story ended on a good note for me - I love a good grand gesture to bring it all back together, and the epilogue was the cherry on top.

Perfect for you if you like:
Hate to love
Celebrity MCs
Open door romance scenes

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced review copy of this book.

Posted on Instagram.com/thereallifebookreviewer on 7/20/22

Loved this enemies to lovers fake dating romance foodie book. Couldn't put it down.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own

For Butter or Worse by Erin La Rosa is a delicious book set in the world of reality cooking shows and it was so much fun.

Chef Nina Lyon works hard in the culinary world to make a name for herself. She’s a co-host of a cooking show named The Next Cooking Champ! In order to help grow some buzz about her culinary skills. But, her new co-host is also her arch enemy and he knows how to push her buttons on stage and off.

Leo O’Donnell is a restauranteur but doesn’t have the culinary background that Nina has. For some reason, he can’t help himself from the snarky comments he makes while on stage with Nina. Leo is surprised when one of his jokes on air forces Nina to quit.

When the paparazzi take a photo of Nina and Leo that appears as if they are dating, the fans go wild. They decide to start fake dating in order to salvage both their careers. And we all know what happens when a couple decides to fake date! :)

I enjoyed this light-hearted romance with the enemies to lovers, fake dating trope. I also enjoyed all the food descriptions as I almost always enjoy a book with delicious food in it!

Both Nina and Leo are dealing with some pretty tough issues of their own. Leo has fairly severe anxiety and Nina is dealing with grief. Although the book is mostly lighthearted, I did like the way the author handled these tough topics.

The enemies to lovers trope were mostly done well, however, some of the comments made early in the book toward each other were a bit harsh. Especially Leo’s comments. But, once past that, the banter between Leo and Nina was pretty fun.

I recommend For Butter or Worse to anyone who enjoys romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

For Butter or Worse was such a great read! This would be a perfect rom com movie. Erin La Rosa is a new to me author, and I’ll definitely be reading more from her!

Leo and Nina are judges for a cooking competition. They have quite a bit of rivalry between them, with Nina being seen as the “mean” judge, and Leo as the charmer. Their banter back and forth on a live taping gets a little too hostile, which results in Nina quitting the show.

What comes next is a media storm, and with their reputations and personal businesses in trouble, they decide to enter a fake dating scheme.

I love a good foodie romance!! Add the top tier banter and the great mental health rep, and this was truly a great read. Nina and Leo were such great characters, and I appreciated their flaws as well as their strengths. Leo was such a cinnamon roll, and I loved that!

If you like…
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Fake dating
✨Food descriptions that are guaranteed to make you hungry
✨Top bants
✨Cinnamon roll hero
✨A sassy peacock named Reginald who is out for Nina’s blood

Then this book is for you!

*thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review*

Enemies-to-lovers. Fake dating. Reality TV.

Not being a fan of reality TV, I wasn’t sure how I would like this one. However the reality TV part was really only at the very beginning so I was ok with it.

Enemies-to-lovers is sometimes a hard trope for me to get into depending on how it plays out. I really wasn’t a fan of of Leo at first (name calling… really?) but as the POV changed and you could read what he was thinking, that helped me see the possibilities for them.

Once they started fake dating and actually getting to know each other, I started rooting for them. They found common interests and their attraction grew. Also enjoyed the secondary characters, who were funny and supportive. I’m hoping for books about Jasmine, Sophie or Gavin down the road?

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book comes out July 26th.

I was beyond excited when I was able to do this book as a buddy read with my favorite, @kerosene.lit. I absolutely love doing buddy reads with her and am so very grateful for her in my life.

Anyhow, I had high doubts as to whether the enemies-to-lovers trope was going to work in this one when we start out knowing that Nina and Leo are hot for each other's bodies. I however should not have doubted because this incredible author was still able to make this fake dating, enemies-to-lovers food-based romance absolutely sing. The scene on the mountain, iykyk!!!

I love how Nina and Leo are able to bond over their love of food, even with them coming at it from different directions. I really felt that Leo should've had more confidence about his family-style restaurants. Sometimes that's what the diner is looking for!

I also really loved how this book was about family. Nina missing her mom and Leo missing his dad, Nina's relationship with her sister and Leo's with his mom and brother and the central theme that food was for both of these families.

I genuinely loved this book and would have to give it a 4.25/5 stars and hope to goodness that the author writes a romance for Gavin next!!

This book was SO good!! I think a lot of times books are wrongly marketed as enemies to lovers but the tension just isn't present in the writing, however this was not the case here. The tension between Leo and Nina was INCREDIBLE. I loved how each character had so much depth and development. The banter, the spice, and the romance were all written really well!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Do you like easy read romance books? Do you like cozy cooking books? Want some food porn to go with your light smut?

Pre-reading:
Very ready to read something light. Enemies to lovers-my fave.

Thick of it:
Always the appearance reveals by a mirror.

Loud and spunky bff-check.

Oh c’mon, his name is Leo and hers is Lyon. Is the author a Leo?

Genuinely don’t like cake, sorry babe.

Girl, that’s an Olive Garden.

Is there a homecoming king in college? I don’t remember one.

He goes to therapy? Sexy.

Okay, but that’s literally Olive Garden.

Ooo a twin.

This book’s random details are like weirdly pertinent to my current life. All the names and the restaurant dish even. Universe funny like that.

The tweet interrupters are cute.

This book is making me hungry.

Aesthetic is a great word.

I’ve never seen Bridget Jones. I really need to.

Love Kimmy.

Love matcha ice cream.

I don’t really see the sexism here. I think that’s a stretch. Also if you genuinely think someone is sexist and that they’re stealing your will to live-don’t date them? Wild concept.

I know it’s a cozy, cheesy cooking rom-com, but some of these descriptions are really over the top.

1/4 in and we’re cruising at a 3.

Not for nothing is one of my trigger phrases lmao. Like shut up.

How do you get sick on an inflatable slide?

So many dead parents in rom coms.

That’s a cute voice message.

Their meal sounds gross.

This man is so submissive, that I’m turned off.

Green leather is hot.

Cleaning for her is hot.

Oh ew, right in the mommy issues.

Oh the ex-boyfriend is so gonna be there and bid on her, and then he’s gonna save her from the bidding, and then they’re gonna have to cook together. I love cliches. (This does not happen, and it’s disappointing.)

Scorpio season bay-bee. Horny season, please.

I feel like takeout in Cali is still very much organic.

I have never heard of a Dopp kit before.

Scorpio season never fails.

We love some author insert insecurities.

Never mind I don’t want it anymore. It gave me the ick.

Man, he must have a long tongue then.

Nestling does not belong here ughhhh.

I appreciate how hard it is to write something that appeals to the masses when everyone’s tastes are so very different, but also this one squicks me out. And the irony is I read Tiffany Reisz without batting an eye 😂.

OK bestie, but that would take like five minutes. I’m not here for what’s going to be a time jump. How do we fill in the blanks? This is lazy writing. Also five minutes-not enough. I would be cranky.

See, a time jump. You disappoint me, book. I was rooting for you. I really was. Solid two star territory. We will see if you can save it, but I don’t believe in you anymore.

I’m so sick of the no make-up superiority in rom-com books. Fuck off, please.

Why did I think he was gonna add a hickey? Spot my Scorpio.

This book has no stakes.

Girls supporting girls. ✌🏻

I feel like this book could be so much better with a heavy edit. I feel like she got a yes-man for an editor who was just like oh my god, it all works. It’s all cute. No one like sat her down and was like this is cringe. This gives people the ick. Take it out.

This chapter has gone completely off the rails and should’ve been cut.

How do you get sweaty in the middle of October in like a 10 minute activity?

Is literally every person I know’s name in this book, jesus christ. This is weird. I don’t like it. Universe not funny anymore. They’re like obscure names too, okay? It’s freaky that they’re all relevant to my life right now and all in this book.

There’s a lot of licking in this book.

Spot the Virgo. Also, if you tell me the man with anxiety, and who’s a neat freak, and who gets horny for numbers isn’t a Virgo…

Not a table. Delve?!? Delve. Nooooo.

And a time skip again. C’mon now, that’s not how this works.

I’m not convinced this man has worked this entire book. Doesn’t he get carsick? Wouldn’t a road trip be bad?

You’re outside in a family-friendly environment. Do not. Cease-and-desist.

The hooligans just fucked in a family-friendly Apple Orchard, and all I can think about is what they did with the condom because it’s getting carried around in somebody’s pocket and that’s disgusting, or they’re awful people and left a used condom in an Apple Orchard where like you just know a toddler is gonna find it and put it in his mouth like ooo, mommy, balloon. My darling romance writers, please include the logistics because my brain doesn’t shut up. Tell me you put it in like, I don’t know, the doughnut bag or something, and now it’s all sticky with cinnamon sugar. What a visual.

Male privilege is running with your phone off bc you don’t expect to be murdered.

The gay came out of nowhere on this one tbh, but love that for him. Get you a doctor, boy.

Ha, suggestive chapter opening lines are my fave.

I truly wonder what it would be like to hook me up to a heart monitor while I read books because I think it would be hilarious to watch my heart rate go off the charts because I stress myself out over them

Yeah, I’m sorry, that’s such a bullshit thing. He doesn’t have to disclose his entire medical history after four dates. What the fuck. Oh good, healthy sister.

I hate karaoke.

Do not air personal relationship business on the gram. I would be so angry.

Time skipping like this should be illegal.

It’s getting very buzzwordy in these later chapters.

I dislike the ending.


Post-reading:
Look it’s an easy read, we knew that going in. I like my smooth brain material with less cringe and sex scenes that don’t give me the ick. The dialogue is zippy enough, but it’s familiar. The book never really had stakes for me to get invested in. It tipped too outlandish in points and everyone had too much money despite complaining that they had no money. The book isn’t offensive. It’s a fine read. I wouldn’t recommend it as it is. I think if the book had a massive overhaul with a much harsher editor, it would be in more three or four star territory. It’s a step above Wattpad, but I don’t know if that’s really a compliment because it’s a low bar, and Wattpad is usually spicier. The editor allowing her to leave in the peacocks is awful. There’s no way that should’ve made it past a first draft. I love this book’s cover.


Who should read this:
Easy read rom-com fans
Cozy cooking romance fans

Do I want to reread this:
No

Similar books:
* A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee-cooking industry enemies to lovers
* The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee-cooking adjacent romance
* When in Rome by Sarah Adams-celebrity dating
* Seduction and Snacks by Tara Sivec-cooking adjacent romance

I’ve never been more conflicted on how to rate a book. For butter or worse is a rom-com and its two main characters are both in the food world – which is what intrigued me enough to request it as I’ve never read anything involving chefs. It’s also marketed as enemies to lovers and it definitely fit that vibe. However, I really dislike how that trope was handled.

They’re enemies because Leo couldn’t handle feeling inferior to Nina because she’s a “real chef” and he owns a chain restaurant, so, obviously, he’s very mean to her. Most of his comments towards Nina were very sexist, he gave her this nickname that everyone started using for her online – Nasty Nina and he basically ruined her career. The hate Nina received online was awful – it got to the point of receiving death threats and he still couldn’t grasp what he did was wrong for a good portion of the book. That’s annoying and I truly didn’t like how late he truly understood how bad things were for Nina.

There’s also a scene where someone recognized him because he’s a judge alongside Nina and said person asked if he’s a comedian or something and he got SO HURT. It was annoying, that’s like 0.5% of what Nina deals with and the thought that maybe how he treated Nina was wrong didn’t cross his mind until he got to know her better and fall for it. I disliked him for a good portion of the book.

The romance in itself was okay, it evolved properly and I liked that the author took the time to make them friends, besides maybe not touching on the Nasty Nina thing sooner. I also really appreciated how it ended, but I’m not going to say anything about that since I don’t want to give spoilers. Some scenes I could tell they had chemistry, but the banter was a bit forced at first, when they were still hating each other. It wasn’t even banter, to be honest, they were just mean.

Jasmine definitely stole the show for me and I think she’s the character I liked the most. Leo’s family is a close second – the familiar relationships here were well done. I also liked how the book dealt with grief and the mental health conversation.

I absolutely didn’t enjoy the miscommunication added towards the end just to add a bit of conflict. It didn’t feel genuine, and I was kind of iffy about the pace of the story. I’m not sure which route the story should’ve gone, but this one wasn’t my favourite.

Overall, not a bad book, but one that would definitely be better with a bit of editing here and there as I think the pacing was slightly off with a lot of things added for one moment that made everything feel scattered. It’s an enjoyable read for when you’re in the mood for a rom-com.

For Butter or Worse is a perfect book for anyone who likes rom-coms set in the culinary world.

Short synopsis: Nina, a celebrity chef, and Leo, owner of a restaurant franchise, have been co-hosts of a food-based reality TV show for three years, yet they do not get along. During their first ever live show, and current season finale, the two cannot even pretend to like each other and mid episode, post bickering on air, Nina quits the show. With their restaurants and reputations both taking a toll, they are convinced that the best option to take is to fake-date. Of course, as Nina and Leo get to know and understand each other, real feelings begin to develop but will they fully let their guards down? 

What I loved:
-I am picky when it comes to the enemies to lovers trope, and while there was definitely some great dislike between the two main characters at the start of the story, I felt that their relationship was handled maturely and made sense.  
-All the media headlines, Instagram posts and comments, texts and pop culture references made the celebrity component of the story come to life
-All the foodie references from the exotic dishes, to donuts to wine pairings and more!  
-The fake dating and orchestrated dates they went on!! 
-There was some good mental health representation integrated throughout the story and I loved seeing a male character struggle and open up about his anxiety-All the secondary characters, especially Leo's brother and mom and Nina's sister. 
-The grand gesture at the end :) 

What I did not love;
-While I liked Jasmine, Nina's best friend, I do not think we needed chapters that focused on her personal life with her parents! Honestly, that could have been a whole different book and it took away from Nina/ Leo! 

Thank you so much HTP for a copy of this ARC. Pub date: 7/26/22