<i>*This book was given to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review*</i>

This foodie romance had enemies to lovers and fake dating, troupes I absolutely love. But what I loved the most was the mental health rep, that storyline was written so well. Looking forward to what this author writes next!

FOR BUTTER OR WORSE is about two co-hosts on a cooking show who (supposedly) can't stand each other. But their stubbornness and cutting banter hide a sexual tension the pair has felt since the beginning of filming. Neither will admit it though. When Nina quits during a live shoot, Leo panics. He tries to convince her to stay behind-the-scenes, but a clumsy moment turns into a candid paparazzi moment. Now they're caught in a situation they should totally take advantage of. Fake date to push for success in their careers? Couldn't hurt, right?
This was an absolutely fun romance! Nina and Leo had some suppressed tension that was so enticing to read. The foodie readers will go nuts for the food tour the pair go on. There's extra depth behind the characters as well, and I especially enjoyed reading about Leo's character and his living with mental illness. I think my favorite character would have to be Nina's publicist, Tom, who ups the ante and tells the pair to make their fake relationship convincing!

Can you say enemies to lovers?! WOW. This book NAILED the enemies-to-lovers and fake dating tropes.

Nina is a sorta celebrity chef and Leo is a chef at his family's smaller restaurant/business, which I thought made for a super interesting dynamic between the two. After judging a cooking show together (and coming across as mortal enemies), they are caught in a compromising situation of sorts and are pushed into a fake dating situation.

Nina + Leo are true enemies and you can feel the seething attitudes toward each other in every single line... until you can't. Nina was a go-getter and I really appreciated her tenacity and commitment to her passion. Leo was such a swoon-worthy hero, and the way he fell for Nina was so pure and cute to read.

And the spice was... 10/10. Think about the two numbers that go together like the yin and yang and... you get the picture.

My hang up with this one was just that the ending felt slightly rushed and I would have liked a little bit more of their relationship and future plans. However, overall, I really enjoyed this book for a quick, enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, spicy romance!

Thank you to NetGalley, Erin La Rosa, and Harlequin Publishing for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you @NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the arc of For Butter or Worse in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this read. I am a sucker for the fake dating trope. What I especially liked about this book was how there wasn't an easy, quick to close relationship story. The author did spotlights on both of the MCs and their personal and individual journeys. I loved the restaurant and food settings. Also, who doesn't like a show down with a peacock read from time-to-time? The epilogue in this book was perfect...not overdone and very fitting to the characters' personalities.

If you enjoy rom-coms with spice that also address personal growth, then For Butter or Worse is for you!

If you're a fan of modern romance, the Food Network, enemies-to-lovers, or the fake dating trope, For Butter or Worse will be right up your alley. I have a slight obsession with each of these things individually and when I saw this on NetGalley, I was so excited to read it! Everything between Nina and Leo, co-hosts of The Next Cooking Champ, was perfection: the way they portrayed sexism in the media, Leo's anxiety, dealing with the manipulative ex, and the build-up of their feelings actually seemed realistic. There were a couple of kind of spicy sections, so if that's not for you skip them/the book. It was a great read, but the end didn't have quite the closure I wanted. I think the last bit of the book had so many things to wrap up so quickly that it just felt a little rushed.

I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who likes the vibe of culinary cozy mysteries but is in the mood for romance, people who like books about famous people and their struggles, or if you grew up obsessed with the Food Network/Cooking channel/etc. It was a super cute read that I could totally see myself recommending/gifting to others once it's published.

Thank you to NetGalley, Erin La Rosa, and Harlequin Publishing for an advanced copy.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review the digital ARC of For Butter or Worse.

As a home chef this title sounded amazing so I know I had to read this book (and the cover too caught my eye).
For Butter or Worse uses the fake relationship trope to spotlight social media and how it can affect your mental health. Erin La Rosa has created great characters in Leo and Nina that develop slowly in a believable way. The supporting characters are also strong.

This book is funny, heartfelt, and steamy. Quick read and really enjoyable

My favorite features of the book:
★mental health awareness (the main male character's, Leo's anxiety)
★enemies-to-lovers trope (Leo x Nina)
★TV personality vs. reality
★mature behaviors from the protagonists
★realistic romantic relationship development

For Butter or Worse shows the readers what it's like to be under the spotlight and close scrutiny when you're a TV personality, a.k.a. highly recognizable celebrity, and what it's really like behind the scene of all the glamorous façade. The main characters, Leo and Nina, cohost a national cooking TV show and they both own their own restaurants.

As the most notorious nemeses they are to each other, they have their character flaws and secrets to hide from the mass public. So when they get to know more about each other by faking their on-again, off-again relationship in front of the TV, well, you know what they say, "Fake it till you make it," and voilà, they eventually manage to get past their bias towards one another and live happily ever after!

In addition, with the help of Leo and Nina's TV crew, they not only discover more of themselves, but also learn how to be a better person for each other. Everything in this book indicates that life itself is full of mysteries and surprises, but whatever it has to offer, it'll be worth all the sacrifices and hard work. However complicated things seem, there's always light at the end of the tunnel.

All in all, I'd recommend For Butter or Worse to everyone. If you're looking for something light-hearted and meaningful, this book is for you. Erin La Rosa is a newly-discovered author to me and I'm excited to read her future works.

***Thanks to the publisher and the author for kindly providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.***

I'm a sucker for a good enemies to lovers trope!!

Let's break it down:
Nina and Leo are rival cohosts of a cooking show. After a blow up between the two of them on the season finale, their public images and respective restaurants are in danger of going out of business. Cue the start of a fake relationship.

The Good:
- the ENIMIES part was not underestimated - I very much felt the hate seething from both characters
- the hate eventually transitioned into fun banter
- I loved Nina's competitiveness with Leo and her supportive friendship with her best friend
- I loved Leo's character development in the end
- Highlights of anxiety, panic attacks and sexism in the public eye
- A few spicy scenes!

The OK:
- I found the book a bit slow and I didn't feel particularly invested until around 40%
- the ending felt a bit rushed

Overall, this was a good book and it definitely grew on me more after the 40% mark. Not my favorite romance but also not my least favorite! 3.75 starts rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Clearly I'm on a food-centered romance kick lately, but the cover and title drew me to this enemies to lovers romance. As co-hosts of "The Next Cooking Champ" Nina, a self-made chef & Leo, a business manager of his chain of Italian family restaurants get along like oil and water. Everything changes when the straw breaks the camel's back and she quits on air. (YES, QUEEN. DON'T TAKE THE BULLSHIT.)

🅷🅾🆃. 🅳🅰🅼🅽.
69s and HAIR SWOOPS.
FUCKING IN PUBLIC.
𝘿𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙜?
YOU BETCHA.
UP AGAINST WALLS AND IN KITCHENS, ETC.

This was one of the hottest fake dating books that I've ever read and it was like a cornucopia of my favorite things: Hair swoops, grand gestures, great banter, fights at an auction, and 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥chemistry. There's also quality anxiety rep IN MEN for a change!

I'd strongly recommend this for fans of Lucy Parker books who enjoy open door romances and strong banter.

As it is the debut romance novel for Erin LaRosa, I did not know what to expect. What I discovered is a story that yes, is a romantic comedy, but it is not what I would call a “quick read.” Many books are based around the heroine working in a bakery or restaurant, but the authors gloss over the overwhelming discrimination women face in this field.
LaRosa also leaned in to a hero that struggles with self worth and mental health, both of which are not “typical” characteristics of romcom heroes.
Nina and Leo both had preconceived notions about the other- never bothering to get to know one another despite working for three years as co-hosts. The fans of the show also played in to what they “assumed” to be the stars’ characteristics- naturally painting Nina as the enemy and Leo as the charming one.
I loved the character growth of both characters as they found their way to acceptance of themselves and eventually to their happily ever after!
I cannot wait to see what comes next- perhaps Jasmine’s story?!

I was drawn by this cover / title and excited to dive in. However, I struggled to get into the story and I did not finish the book. Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review

Number one: this is top tier enemies to lovers!!! the banter was so much fun!! I liked that the MC felt with anxiety, i thought the way it was handled/ how nina reacted is often how things unfold in the real world.

This book is going to be a hit! Right a long with unhoneymooners and the hating game.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for this ARC!

For Butter or Worse follows chef Nina Lyon and restaurateur Leo O’Donnell as they go from co-hosts on a cooking competition show where all they do is get under each others skin to actually getting under each other's skin... :)

For Butter or Worse is a delicious enemies to lovers story! It's the perfect read for those who love dual POVs, good banter, great smut, and yummy food. Through Leo, it also touches on the difficulties of living with anxiety.

The only reason I deducted a star is because the miscommunication trope is heavy in this book and it's just something I've tired of as a reader.

Overall, I highly recommend this book, especially if you have time to binge it!

The Hating Game meets Great British Bake-Off! Such a cute idea for a rom com. A good enemies to lovers story. I will say it follows a similar storyline as the other enemy to lovers, but its still a trope I love to read!

I really enjoyed For Butter or Worse. I was a little worried I wouldn't like the trope, but both characters were well developed and I ended up loving Nina & Leo's story! I also thought Leo's anxiety was an interesting part of the story, and dealt with in a realistic way. Loved these two and the ending was very satisfying!

I received a complimentary advance reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for this ARC!

I found this to be a really easy enemies to lovers rom-com! It also made me very hungry lol.

Nina and Leo are co-hosts of a cooking show and don't quite see eye to eye. Leo takes it too far and Nina promptly leaves the show. The two get caught in what looks like a steamy position and this has viewers going wild to see two people who previously were at each other's throats, apparently smooching.

This executed the fake dating trope well with humor and you were able to see Nina and Leo grow together. I will say, this book did feel like it had a lot going on that took away from the main plot. Nonetheless, a cute and funny read.

This was a cute story. If you enjoy the enemies to lovers type book, then I highly recommend this. I would definitely read this author again.

Chef Nina Lyon & Leo O'Donnell are head to head... constantly.
On their show, after the show, they're at each other all day long.
On live TV, Leo takes a joke way too far and Nina makes the rash decision to quit the show. Everyone is shocked and Leo is at risk of also losing his spot as a show host because of her departure.

Trying to save many parts of their lives, they find themselves in a "secret romance". Paparazzi go WILD over this and they end up finding a lot more than they realize.


I really enjoyed this book! The spice was there, the sexual tension was there.
Enemies to lovers trope and I loved the self-realization each character had! I'd for sure recommend this book if you're looking for a light, feel-good- kinda spicy- read.

For Butter or Worse is a delightful, quick read. This workplace enemies turned lovers through fake dating in a world surrounded by food kept me on the edge of my seat, and I will definitely be buying when the physical copy comes out this summer.

Fake relationship is one of my favorite tropes, and I'm always curious about how an author might try to pull off an enemies-to-lovers story, but this is one of the few that really pulled both off well, including the common but rarely-well done moment of being caught in a "compromising position" that wasn't what it looked like. One of the few times that both leads were convincingly not the asshole but had genuine friction and some really good development and adorable interactions.