This was potentially more of a case of a "not for me" style of the book. This humourous and food-themed book is just a bit too fast-paced for my liking and I found I didn't have time to really engage with the characters or the plot

This was cute! I wish we had been shown rather than told about their interactions in the show. That would've fleshed out more their eventual relationship growth.

This book had everything I thought I loved in a novel. Food motifs. Culinary setting. Enemies to lovers. Strong female character with a concrete goal.

HOWEVER

I could not get behind Leo. His POV chapters did nothing to make me think any of his behavior (which he does not apologize for, at least at the point of the book I DNFed) was excusable, nor did I believe that Nina would have constant thoughts about this man even after quitting the show or going through her day to day routine. I didn't get the feeling there was any chemistry between them other than the author *telling* us there was through the plot.

Sadly, I was disappointed with this read. DNFed @ 50%.

As a big fan of shows like the great British bake off and Masterchef, I was so excited to read For Butter or Worse.

For Butter or Worse is truly a romance book for foodies and a nod to LA food scene and Erin De La Rosa nailed it!

Two rivals and co-stars find themselves having to fake a relationship to save themselves and help each other but the more time that they spend together and get to know each other, they start to fall. I think Nina is such a great character because she knows she is, she stands her ground and she doesn’t let anyone walk all over her. She is confident, assured and talented and I think that in such a male dominated world like culinary, Nina is the woman we need! She is tough but she is caring and passionate about what she does and it really shows in her love for cooking. I think Leo getting to understand and know her was great because he always took a more antagonistic role in her life and him getting to see her really showed him how amazing of a person she is. Leo is one of those characters you love and you hate because you gotta shake him a little to get it right but I did like that the book brought anxiety rep in a male character and how he is charming and smooth but also vulnerable and unsure of himself and to see him build his confidence and in what he wants to do.

I think for a debut romance novel, Erin did an amazing job bringing both fun and more serious elements and bringing them together.

This was a absolutely fantastic story, I am really impressed. The writing style is not what people come to this genre for, but it is always a delight to see such refined writing that really makes everything come alive while still staying true to the story and the genre. I loved the character work as well, amazing

When reviewing a book, I try my best to keep personal situations out of it. In this case, however, it's impossible, considering that my constantly growing dislike for romance novels are fueled by books such as this. For Butter or Worse isn't the worse novel I've ever read, far from it, but it does add to my pile of unoriginal, bland and uncreative stories that I've been reading this year. There's nothing particularly wrong with it. There's just nothing to redeem its mediocrity. Everything in it has been done a hundred times before, the characters have no chemistry, and the situation they find themselves in is repetitive and boring to read about. Again, there's nothing wrong with a good trope. It's just that tropes have to be worked on, and authors seem to have stopped caring about creativity and innovative storylines, and I want no part in it.

Firstly, I’d like to say how much I adore this cover! It’s so lovely and I couldn’t stop staring at it while reading the book.

Secondly—this book! I was nervous because this has been an anticipated read of mine but I had no reason to be. I enjoyed Nina and Leo’s banter and their relationship. The author does such a beautiful job curating these endearing and wonderful characters with seemingly real personalities and ambitions. I absolutely busted out laughing so many times! This book was so fun, witty and honest!

Any who, I AM SO HONORED I GOT THE CHANCE TO READ THIS NOVEL. It hooked me immediately and I love how much we focus on the fake dating trope. GO FAKE DATING. The characters were wonderful and Leo. Leo was the absolute cutest. I really enjoyed the storyline and wow my heart melted so many times.

I think this one even topped (other books), and I can't wait to tell everyone to buy it when it's in stores or be annoyingly persistent about it when I’m at the library.

I adored all the characters and the atmosphere so much and I hope the author continues putting out more books like this!

Swoony and fantastically fun, Nina and Leo were the perfect characters in this wonderfully written enemies-to-lovers story.

This had so much of what I love in a romance: enemies to lovers, cooking, fake relationships - add in some fully relatable flaws in each of the main characters, and you’ve got something that really is just wonderful to read.

I also really appreciated the realistic timeline of enemies to lovers here. It was progressive, not instant, and that worked well for me.

I adored For Butter or Worse and am already looking forward to the author’s next book.

This book is a great example of an enemies to lovers romcom & there is a lot to like about it.

First of all, the characters!! Nina and Leo were both super likeable and witty and I rooted for them from the beginning (the chemistry!)

Their rivarly was great and the comments they threw at each other were hilarious. The humor was on point.

Both characters were so well shaped, such great character depth! The side characters were loveable too. I especially enjoyed Leo's brother Gavin's banter with Leo.

I enjoyed all the dates and getting to know Nina and Leo better and their internal issues. Leo was an AMAZING love interest and it was great to see his vulnerable side and his struggle with anxiety.

The steamy scenes were HOT. Oh my...Honestly, perfect.

I really liked the resolution too and the realistic touch to it. The ending scene was super cute.

My only small complaint would be the whole miscommunication trope becomes a bit annoying at times, but all the rest was so great I can easily look past it. This book was so freaking good!!

Worshipping Erin forever now. I need the next book like right now!

Thank you, Harlequin Trade Publishing, for allowing me to read For Butter or Worse early.

I fell for the cover and the mental health representation. Sadly, I liked the story less. I believe many readers will love this story, but I just didn't feel any connection with either Nina or Leo. Therefore the story fell flat for me. I've read some other more raving reviews and this might be an it’s me, not you thing.

Nina, an award winning chef, and Leo, a restauranteur, star in a culinary reality competition show. They judge contestants but also seem to judge each other and often find the other lacking. When they have to fake a relationship to save their businesses, their attraction grows. This romance draws you into the characters and their relationships. There's plenty of humor and some serious subjects that are handled skillfully. I read this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The name and the cover alone would make you but this book. I mean look at it!
I would love to read this book!

I'm afraid this is a DNF for me. This book felt less like enemies-to-lovers, and more just like a bully romance. It is MEAN. And I'm saying this as somehow who does read bully romances. I guess the one saving grace is that the story is told in alternating POVs from Nina and Leo's perspectives to try to balance it out? But this book forces readers to have to really work to stay with the story if you want to see how it's possible for these two to be together. I am not sold.

I know people are trying to comp this with The Great British Bake Off, but it's really not like that at all unless you want to compare in the vaguest terms possible, that this is also a reality competition show with food. I would say this reality show is more like any Food Network competition than anything else. Although based on the grand prize money of $200,000 I guess this show might be more comparable to Hell's Kitchen.

The book starts off with the cooking competition's third season finale and we meet Nina and Leo. For some reason to boost ratings, the show's season finale is being aired live and the two contestants are finishing up their apps, entrees, and dessert portions. Live cooking shows are generally not that interesting, so I don't know why a network would try to do this to boost ratings, but it's all for dramatic effect for the story.

So, reasons why this book is a DNF for me is because of how mean this book is right off the bat, and due too all the off-handedly racist comments.

We, the readers, come to learn that Leo is used to being the charming one. He also has deep anxiety and since he's a businessman and not a chef, he doesn't feel as knowledgeable about cooking as his co-host Nina. I don't think this is any excuse to try to annoy her and cut her down on camera. He manages to be nice and pleasant to everyone else, but uses every opportunity to fight Nina. And for what? So, Nina responds in kind to his cutting remarks and then he acts surprised that she doesn't like him? This whole book starts off on the wrong foot. I get that the story wants to start with them hating each other, but there's a line where it crosses from enemies to straight up bullying. I'm sure the story will use Leo's POV chapters to draw readers into liking him and feeling sympathy for him, but the book has already lost me.

Then, there's the random one-off comments from Nina and Leo that seem like just odd at first, but when you add them together in the book, it's REALLY WEIRD. It does come off as anti-Black. As far as I can tell, Leo is white, Nina is white, and the author is...white. So, in the first 12% of the book (where I ultimately had enough and decided to DNF), explain these comments:

1. Nina is trying to calm herself down before the live shot of the season finale, and she tells the producer that she's "channeling Mother Teresa. Beyonce. Meghan Markle. All of the saints." It's weird when white women put Black women on a pedestal like that; especially since in a LITERAL definition, saints are people who have died, and from this list of people two are still very much alive and it's the Black women. This line feels very weird and very unnecessary.

2. Nina's best friend and chef at her restaurant is Jasmine. She is only described at first as a "sorority girl whose extracurricular activity was being part of a biker gang, and she actually did ride a motorcycle to work." This is fine actually? It's kind of confusing but there's no problem with this line. HOWEVER. My problem is when Leo meets Jasmine. Instead of the book somehow just stating simply that Jasmine is Black and leaving it at that, Leo SAYS TO JASMINE:

"It's the craziest thing - I can't tell if you look more like Zoe Kravitz or Zendaya. Who do people tell you is your doppelgänger?" He wasn't above cheap flattery to try and get on someone's good side.

Why do white people always like to compare BIPOC to the very limited number of non-white actors they know. WHY. And the thing is, we never look like who they think we look like anyways. As someone who is Chinese American, I groaned seeing this line and wanted to throw something in Leo's face. Jasmine answers in this book with a "Neither, but nice try." in what the book described as a mocking tone but Leo doesn't feel bad at all (it's his POV chapter). At this point I was already disgusted by Leo, but this line was BAD. You would think Leo's unnecessary comments about Jasmine ends here. But you would be wrong.

3. The very next page, Jasmine has left and it's just Leo and Nina again. Leo then feels like he has to make ANOTHER comment about Jasmine and it just feels really weird:

"She seems..." Leo searched for an adjective that would describe a Black Barbie who could front a metal band, but came up blank.

Black Barbie? This seems unnecessary coming from a white man. Is it racist? I think it certainly feels racist coming from him. Especially on the heels of that other comment.

Like...literally none of these lines in this book are necessary??? And this is all only in the first 12% of the book, so what's in the rest of the book? I can't imagine it'll be much better. I will not be continuing on with this book, because I am already annoyed enough with this book as it is. I do not need to see more. This book does not spark joy.

So, thank you to the publisher for approving me for the e-ARC on NetGalley, but I'm afraid this is not the book for me.

The story was inconsistent and not always believable. The narrative thread would make progress and then the story would jump all around.

🧈 For Butter or Worse 🧈

“He wound his fingers through hers, as natural a fit as peanut butter and chocolate.”

Award- winning chef and celebrity cooking show host Nina cooks up a scheme with her co-host and nemesis, Leo, to better their respective images by pretending to be in a relationship. Neither expected for things to heat up outside the bright lights of their TV show kitchen, but sparks fly and feelings take over.

Nina is prepping herself to prioritize her mental health as she takes a different in her career. She is hoping to show up for herself and other female chefs fighting the stereotypes of a male dominated industry. As their love simmers, Leo’s anxiety is also bubbling over. He learns to prioritize himself and his mental health despite all the pressures around him.

Mental health is a strong theme throughout this story. I appreciated watching how Nina made tough choices for what was best for her and Leo learned to make changes for what he needed. Both characters grew to share their struggles more openly through the book, and I enjoyed watching them develop in that way.

This book made me laugh, smile, swoon, and hungry.

Check it out if you’re looking for:
🧈 Enemies to lovers trope
🧈 Fake dating as a Hollywood publicity stunt trope
🧈 Dual POV romance
🧈 Strong mental health theme
🧈 Delightful cast of supporting characters who share their hardships such as, “Becoming the human equivalent of garlic bread hasn’t been an easy journey for me.”

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Books for this ARC! For Butter or Worse is on shelves July 26!

Super super cute!! I loved the character development and the theme of cooking! It’s told in the two different character’s viewpoints which added a little something extra to it. It helped you understand the characters more and connect with them faster. The dramatic irony that came from the viewpoints had me banging my head on the wall (in a good way)!

Long story short: super cute book, fast and easy read, with a juicy romance!

I enjoyed this romance immensely! For Butter or Worse has fake dating, enemies to lovers, the restaurant world, and realistic depictions of mental health struggles and its blends all of those things together in a fun read! Definitely recommend to anyone who loves contemporary romance!

I loved this book! It had the perfect combinations of my two favorite tropes, enemies to lovers and fake dating. I read it in one sitting because I was truly hooked from beginning to end. I highly recommend and I will be reading more from this author in the future!

4.5 Stars!!!

For Butter or Worse is a fake dating story that revolves around trust and self-care! In the begging of their book, Nina and Leo demonstrate how they have gotten into a bad habit of bringing out the worst in each other, causing lots of anxiety for both of them. Their fake relationship starts by accident and gradually grows to more, with a slow burn to the heat. Nina and Leo have lots of chemistry (I wished for more sexy scenes because they were sooo good!!) .

I think this story would be the perfect start to a series. The supporting characters are fun and could totally support their own storylines.

I was sent a pre-published copy of this book and asked to share my honest review. This is my first book by Erin La Rosa and I look forward to reading more of her work!!!

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was a great read to finish out the month. The characters were likable, the relationship didn't feel forced, and the smut was top tier! I haven't read anything from this author before but I'm definitely going to be looking out for their writing in the future. 4.5 stars but rounded to 5 stars!