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!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin trade publishing for an arc of this book!

It was so good!! For Butter or Worse included my two favorite tropes. Enemies to loves AND fake dating! I gave it 4.5:5 stars.

Our two main characters are Nina and Leo, judges of a popular cooking show, that positively loathe each other. After Leo takes a joke too far, Nina quits the show while they’re live. After facing some backlash they have a private meeting to try to resolve their issues. They get caught in what is falsely assumed to be a compromising situation and the fans are going wild. Their publisher comes up with an idea to save face and fix the problems they’ve accidentally caused. Start fake dating.

This book was so funny and it was such a delight to watch characters that hated each other start to become friends and more. The side characters were great and really added to the book. And the diversity was wonderful. It talked about some mental health issues and covered these topics beautifully. The author did a phenomenal job! The spicy scenes were quite steamy. I’d say 3/5 for spice overall.

If you enjoy the tropes I mentioned above and cooking shows this book is for you!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I loved this book. I adored the enemy to lovers, fake dating, glamor, pop culture or references. This was the perfect read for me, it had me hooked for the very start, I enjoyed it so much I plan on reading other books by this author.

For Butter or Worse was an enjoyable read. I find that most romance books now purely will focus on the romance or relationship and forget to give its characters goals or a real personality. I am glad that in For Butter or Worse there was actual plot besides there romantic relationship, and that there were personal struggles that they had to deal with. I am glad that Leo had anxiety. Again I feel like most books don't give the main protagonist a struggle or personality outside of their love interest, and so it is nice to see a male character struggle with his family or mental health.
Overall this book was fun to read. Their were some cringe moments, but I think this book is four stars. Its fun, sexy, fast faced, and has a slow burn romance.

4.5 stars! This is a wonderful book. I went into it with no expectations, and I loved it! Here are a few reasons why. Both the enemies to lovers and the fake dating trope felt realistic. The fact that they’re both celebrities, made the fake dating much more believable than I’m used to in other books. As for the enemies to lovers, I really felt the hatred they had for each other at the beginning. The buildup to lovers was great, and I was really rooting for Leo after the first fourth of the book. I also thought the spice was good and well placed. There were a lot of scenes with the side characters, but I didn’t mind it! I liked all of the characters. Definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this wonderful advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This review was posted on Instagram and Goodreads on March 25th. Another post will be added on Instagram on release day.

Four Stars! ****

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!

This book was a lot of fun! It was my first read from Erin La Rosa and I went in without any expectations. Nina and Leo are co-hosts on a competition cooking show and hate each other. After a blow up live on air, they begin fake dating to save their individual restaurants.

The banter and dialogue in this book was top notch! Really funny and had a great flow to it. I loved that the main characters had ~nOrMaL~ names! In so many modern romance books, the main characters have the most outrageous, unconventional names and it really takes me out of the story so Nina and Leo was refreshing for me. Leo struggled with anxiety and panic attacks and I haven't read many books where the male character dealt with these very real issues. Loved that! I also liked that we get both Nina and Leo's perspectives.

Nina's individual storyline was a little too driven by her best friend's life. A lot of the time spent with Nina alone was really about Jasmine, her parents, and figuring her next career steps. I wish it would have been more focused on Nina since she was the main character.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing what's next from Erin La Rosa!

This felt a little too much like if Buzzfeed wrote a contemporary romance for me at times (there was also a Buzzfeed reference in the book itself) but yknow what?? I didn’t hate it!!

The enemies-to-lovers was great and I’m always watching Food Network so I appreciated the cooking show aspect of it all. The dialogue was a bit cringey at times (some of Nina’s lines felt very much like someone trying to sound cool and witty when really they’re just over dramatic) and it took me quite some time to fully get into it but it was cute!

3/5… enjoyable but nothing to really write home about, unfortunately! Great for a very quick read that doesn’t make your brain think too much. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

PS: the fact that this eARC is formatted very strangely (or at least the copy that I was sent was) didn’t help… where were the separations for chapters?

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HQN for the ARC of #ForButterorWorse!

This book was a lot of fun! Fake dating, famous people, Hollywood glamour, enemies to lovers. I love it all!

I thought the pacing of the turning from enemies to lovers was really good. So many enemies to lovers books don’t handle this well, but I thought this was nearly perfect. (I would’ve even loved it if they were enemies a bit longer, but that is just a personal preference)

I also adored both Leo and Nina separately and as a couple, which is the mark of a great romance for me. I was rooting for them in their personal lives and in their relationship with each other. I thought they were a great match and they balanced each other really well.

But, this wasn’t a 5 star because I did find it a bit long. It started to drag for me around 60%-75% mark. I think some scenes could be edited out, especially the scenes revolving around Nina’s best friend, Jasmine. I like Jasmine as a character, but it felt like there was too much about her backstory and life when the novel doesn't revolve around her. There were also a few other side character moments that just didn’t feel relevant to the story and I did get bored during some of those scenes. I really just wanted to read about Leo and Nina and get more of their story!

Overall, a really strong romance novel. I will definitely be reading from this author again!

These cute illustrated cover books always pull through for me. It was a fun, easy read! I’m not usually appreciative of pop culture references but I’ll let the Bridget Jones quotes slide, since it’s one of my favorite comfort movies. A man who appreciates romcoms and the masterpiece that is Bridget Jones *chefs kiss* I hardly ever see a man with anxiety represented in media and it was nice to see that a reader who also has anxiety.
This book had me relating to man, shocking. He was also self aware and took accountability, which was stunning coming from a man. Such a shame he’s only fictional. But personally I could’ve done with a little less miscommunication and the third act conflict.

*Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing a copy of the book*