Nina and Leo are cohosts of reality TV show "The Next Cooking Champ!" and do not get along. Nina is a chef who started her own restaurant and Leo is dealing with the business side of his family restaurant chain while his twin brother is the chef. Secretly, they've both been dealing with mental health issues. Nina's been dealing with people being nasty to her on the internet (a joke Leo made gave her the nickname "Nasty Nina") and Leo has anxiety with panic attacks. On a live season finale, Nina's had enough and quits. When Leo goes to talk to her at her restaurant because the show won't have him back without her, they're caught in what seems to be a compromising position and suddenly their names are trending together, which could help save both of their businesses.

I really enjoyed this book. Although you know how it will end, getting there was a lot of fun. I loved how they progressed from haters to lovers as they got to know each other off camera - it seemed much more realistic than most of these types of stories. There were some steamy scenes between Nina and Leo that showed their sizzling chemistry. I thought all but one of the single characters were really likable and could get their own book, but I especially loved Leo's mom and would have been happy with a few more appearances from her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin publishing for proving this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had its very good bits and it's also very not-good bits.

The Good:
- “Enemies to lovers,” “miscommunication,” and “fake dating” tropes.
- Background of food, who doesn't love yummy food?
- Representation of life with anxiety was handled well.
- Supporting characters were cute, clever and more than just foils for the plot.
- The sexy aspects were very much woman focused and didn't center penetrative sex.

The Not-Good
- Characters didn't seem to have actual chemistry, I just didn't see it.
- Resolution wraps up really conveniently given that caliber of knots left to untangle.
- The “banter.” The current trend of “banter” that is just “acting like snippy jerks to each other” is one that I will not miss. See above that this behavior also isn't “chemistry.”
- Unremarkable plot, yes we read tropey genres for the comfort factor, but there is a fine line between “favorite tropes” and “wait, which book is this again?”

All together an OK contemporary read that may appeal to some, but just missed the mark for me.

I've been obsessed with food-themed romantic comedies lately. For Butter or Worse did not disappoint! I love the pun title. I loved the enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and grump/sunshine dynamic tropes. I appreciated that the enemies-to-lovers was a progression, and not an immediate thing.

This was a really fun and easy read! I enjoyed the themes throughout this book; enemies to lovers, faking dating, etc. This book also did a good job of creating an atmosphere similar to some of my favorite cooking shows. I would love to see this one get made into a movie! The characters were likable and I felt that this book flew by when I was reading it. I would recommend it!

For Butter or Worse was a sizzling romance debut guaranteed to make the butter melt in the pan. It featured numerous tropes that I adore which combined into one big mixing bowl for a delicious romance novel. This book had enemies to lovers, fake dating, and opposites attract. Leo and Nina made a scintillating couple that I was rooting for them from the very beginning. They both struggled with real issues and their characters were very relatable. Leo struggled with anxiety and it was refreshing to see it portrayed so realistically as a reader who shares the same difficulty. Leo was also a trademark “Soft Boi” full of sensitivity, but he was definitely not skimping on the steam.

My favorite aspect of their initial relationship was the couple had to enter a fake relationship after they’re caught in a compromising position. I don’t see why characters are always so reluctant to give a few meaningless kisses or go on counterfeit dates for the sake of appearances. If I were in that situation, I’d be like, “Bing bong! Sign me up!”. I was completely caught off guard when their relationship became physical and a jalapeno bomb went off. It was ultra spicy and it wasn’t what I was expecting from the cute illustrated cover. Let’s say they got mathematical in the bedroom, if you catch my drift. I had to do a double take, but I was not upset by their choice of equations.

For Butter or Worse was a fun, new romance that was bubbling with flavor and the couple shared a great dynamic. They had opposite temperaments but were able to focus on their common interests. Leo and Nina showed that they made excellent cooking show hosts as well as great partners in a relationship. I hope to read more from this author to see what other scenarios she can concoct in her literary kitchen. Perhaps some puns about other ingredients like eggplant or carrots might make it to the plate, for “butter or worse.”

This review can also be found on my Goodreads
Review Posted January 18
Publish Date: July 26

First of all, a dude who's not perfect and has mental health issues. Thank you! I feel like it's always the woman is crazy and the guy is all perfect so this was a refreshing setup. Leo was still a great guy, super likeable and even though he was a beta, he wasn't at all unattractive as the male lead in any way.
Nina's backstory was amazing and totally understandable why other people didn't like her personality. I liked how she did become a better sister - that seemed worrisome at first but it all came together at the end.
My favorite trope ever is fake romance so I as already in love with this book from the beginning but it definitely didn't disappoint and who couldn't also love the food and the humor aspects thrown in. So overall A plus - loved this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin publishing for proving this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A heart warming rom com with a cinnamon roll hero and strong leading lady.

Premise: A critically acclaimed chef, Nina Lyon, is hosting a food competition show with male co-host and restauranteur, Leo O’Donnell. They haven’t gotten along throughout the seasons of their show, and their conflict comes to an explosive climax during a live taping of a season finale. Now they are forced to work together to save their reputations, by FAKE DATING.

Plot: This book did grumpy sunshine romance so well. I especially love when the leading lady is the grumpy one and our hero is the sunshine. Leo was an absolute cinnamon roll of a guy, while her and Nina did have conflict this was totally due to miscommunication. They each made assumptions about the other then never bothered to get to know each other and just held onto those opinions and treated each other unkindly. Obviously as the story goes on and we follow them on their fake dating journey they open up to each other and question all their assumptions. Miscommunication is a major trope in this book, every conflict and bump in the road between Nina and Leo both before the events of the book as during is due to miscommunication. It was frustrating at times because we have dual POV, so as the reader we KNOW and it’s hard when they don’t talk. However, that being said the humor and fluff really sell this book.

Characters: I love the representation of a male lead with mental health issues. I also suffer from anxiety and we hardly see male characters in books with this issues, so I loved that. Leo was charming, caring and a hopeless romantic, but he was also a little obtuse. He didn’t realize when he was making a mistake or going too far until after he did. I appreciated that he owned up to and apologized, he had major growth there. I’m glad he became an ally. I just really wanted more from his character in the end, I felt like his arc wasn’t tied up as neatly as Nina’s. What happened to his chain? Did he ever get the prestige he was after? Did he have to close down more stores? Did he ever go back to work after his break, what was his career move? I just had more questions about his personal journey. Nina, she is a darling. Tragic backstory and loss that caused her to be a more reserved person. Unfortunately when a woman is reserved and also honest, she is labeled as a unapproachable bitch. I loved being in her head and seeing how big of a heart she has and her own struggles she goes through. I loved Nina’s story as she is trying to save her failing buisness. Her overall character arc was fantastic, she grew into a more attentive sister, a better friend, and better chef and woman throughout.

Romance: Fake dating and grump sunshine and food related rom com is a recipe for a hit. I loved their romance; there was so much humor, just enough fluff, jealousy, and steaminess. Leo and Nina have always found each other attractive but their assumptions about the others personality stopped them from ever giving each other a chance at even a friendship. Watching them get to know each other and being put into these ridiculous situations by their PR team setting up dates for them was absolutely hilarious. My only critique here is that the presence of Nina’s ex-boyfriend was a lot. He kept coming back up, while I get why he was important for Nina’s growth, it did get frustrating to keep having him show up. He was reason Leo flipped on Nina, again because they don’t communicate. Then Nina comparing Leo to her ex after certain of his actions, it just wasn’t my favorite thing to have included so much of the ex and I wish we could have used different plot devises to further the story. They both have my heart. Leo has some grand romantic gestures throughout the book and he made me fall in love with him too. There was no way Nina could have resisted. Leo did make some mistakes, but in the end he did what he could to win her back and apologize.

If you’re a foodie who liked cooking shows or reality TV and you’re a fan of books like The Fine Print, From Lukov With Love, The Love Hypothesis, and Take a Hint Dani Brown you’d like this book.

Loved this story! Both Nina and Leo grew so much throughout the story, and it felt like I was growing up alongside them.

4 stars

Enemies to lovers? Check!
Fake dating? Check!
Exposes sexism in media? Check!
Addresses mental health issues? Check!
Diverse cast of characters? Check!

On the surface, this seems like a typical romance novel - familiar tropes like enemies to lovers and fake dating. However, there's much more to this story.. The author exposes the rampant sexist treatment of women in the media. It delves into mental health issues such as panic attacks and anxiety disorders. My only frustration was that the main characters' were completely unable to communicate their feelings to each other. But, they both had issues that stood in the way. Thankfully, they were able to overcome them.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

3.5 stars. ARC received from Harlequin Trade Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nina and Leo, joint hosts of a cooking competition show, don't get along very well. They make jabs at each other both on and off screen. One of Leo's insults turns out to be Nina's last straw and she quits the show during the season's live finale. Leo, aware that the television network won't have one without the other, decides to visit Nina's restaurant to apologize, but the two are bombarded by paparazzi at an inopportune moment. For the sake of saving what remains of their careers, their publicist recommends that they go along with the tabloids narrative that they have secretly been dating the whole time.

This book plays off enemies to lovers and miscommunication tropes. I must admit that I wasn't a fan of the first three chapters, but I'm glad I pressed on to finish the book. I didn't particularly like the intimate scenes and found I preferred to skip over them after the second one. Leo suffers from anxiety, and sometimes his POV made my heart ache to the point that I had to take breaks. That aside, the book is amusing and overall enjoyable. It was fun to read about Nina and Leo. I also didn't mind the side-plots within.

I enjoyed this one, but I didn’t love it. I felt that the MCs were a little immature at times and came off as pompous. Other than that, it was a cute enemies-to-lovers/fake relationship romance. I particularly enjoyed the food aspect. I would recommend this to anyone who has a love for food and romance, because what could be a more perfect mix?!

This book was good but for me I feel as though it was missing something. I think part of the problem was I genuinely didn't like like Leo for the first part of the book. He obviously got better and I did end up liking him. The romance between Nina and Leo was cute and I really liked the use of the miscommunication trope. I loved that there was a three month break at the end that really let them grow as people before getting back together.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Nina and Leo are co-hosts of a popular cooking show. Attractive, successful, and charming, there's only one problem: they just happen to hate each other's guts. After a live broadcast of the show goes horribly wrong, they're thrown into a fake-dating situation to smooth over the rabid fanbase. However, the facade soon begins to slip, and for the first time, they begin to really listen to each other and form a connection despite years of broiling conflict.

3/5: For Butter or Worse is a pretty typical enemies-to-lovers romance with some fun culinary vibes thrown in. It would definitely appeal to fans of The Hating Game, The Unhoneymooners, and anyone who really loves Paul Hollywood. I devoured (ha) this book, but it didn't leave a huge impression on me afterwards. I don't often read romance novels, though, so I'd still call it a solid read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The story was written exactly to formula, which is fine, but the main character had more chemistry with every single person, including her sister, than she did with the male lead (who, btw, was...passable but a smidge smarmy). Further, the intimate parts were more vulgar than erotic - not my thing.

What a fun book! It's got romance, enemy-to-friends, meddling family, a fake relationship and amazing food.

Nina and Leo both own restaurants that are having problems. They're also both co-hosts of a national cooking show on TV - and enemies. However, after being caught in a compromising situation, they decide to have a "relationship" to save both their restaurants and possibly careers. It's fun to follow along with the texts from Nina's sister and friend and Leo's family - they're all great and supporting characters. And realize how much shows up on the internet and social media that appears one way, but is actually another thing all together. This could totally be a cute Hallmark movie. It does also have a bit of a heavy theme with anxiety/panic attacks mentioned.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Are those endless breadsticks in my pocket or am I just excited to have read this book??? This is one of those books I just knew I was going to love based on the description, author, and cover. The full package. A very full package indeed *winky wink*. Banter was incredible and genuinely funny. Sometimes I find the "com" part of a "rom-com" a little lacking, but NOT TODAY, MY FRIENDS. Leo is my new book crush. One of my top contemporary romances for 2022!!!!!

About a month ago, I stumbled on Erin’s Tiktok page and saw this video advertising her debut novel. Fake dating, enemies to lovers, food, essentially I felt this book calling to me and even jokingly left a comment saying “Gimme!” I quickly jumped on the PC, headed over to Netgalley to see if an ARC was listed, and hit that request button as fast as I could.

Luck was on my side and about a week ago I received an email saying I was approved, through Netgalley, to download the ARC. As I was already 1/3 of the way through “Lies We Bury”, by Elle Marr, I quickly devoured that thriller/mystery so I could crack this new ARC open. As the book doesn’t release until the end of July I always waited to read it closer to release but it just had too many tropes I love to put aside and wait. Patience has never been one of my virtues *insert nervous laugh here*.

When this book is described as enemies to lover…Erin wasn’t joking. For the last three years, Nina and Leo have worked as co-hosts to the reality show “The Next Cooking Champ!” and for all three of those years, they’ve disliked one another. Jabs and rude comments lobbed back and forth between each other, both assuming the other looks down on them. One interaction even created a hashtag when Leo essentially named her “nasty Nina.” From season one Nina has been seen as the villain and Leo as the sweetheart and comic relief, which has just fueled the dislike further and further along.

If you hate the miscommunication trope…you may get a little frustrated as there were quite a few times where I was yelling at the book “JUST TELL THEM HOW YOU FEEL!” I don’t feel that the miscommunication/lack of communication lasted as long as some romances drag it out and when all the cards are out there it is so sweet, in my opinion, it was worth the wait.

Leo is aware he has issues with anxiety and has struggled for a while with preventing, or getting through, panic attacks that can hit out of nowhere. Although aware of what he faces he chooses not to share his struggles with anyone, not even his close family. I really appreciated how we were able to be there on Leo’s journey of self-acceptance as he start to take necessary steps towards improving his mental health and overall life in general. That might seem a bit spoilery but I feel like a lot of times when mental health is brought up in romance it’s either something the characters have already completely addressed or it’s something they’re just now recognizing. For a lot of us, we can be aware of our battle with anxiety/depression/etc, for a long time before we’re finally at the point where we feel like we can reach out for help. It can take time for you to realize you aren’t a burden if you ask for help.

I do wish there would have been a conversation between Nina and Leo where they both opened up about their misconceptions from the start which lead them to be enemies those first three years. Although they fall for each other and open up in other ways, I feel like this kind of conversation would heal all, or at least a lot of, the wounds from the past so they really are starting fresh. Granted I feel like this is a conversation that definitely happened between these two characters, I just wish it wouldn’t have happened …what’s the book way of saying “off-screen?”

This was a great debut to read and I look forward to seeing more of Erin’s work in the future! I’m also really hoping she writes more books set in this universe so we can get to know more about all the awesome friends and family we met in this book!

This was a snarky, emotional, and hilarious read that had me laughing, crying, and feeling hungry at 1am. This foodie heart was in heaven while reading this food filled enemies to lovers rom-com. The relationship I felt developed nicely throughout the story.. and it just felt right. I loved how they still had their witty banter even when their hate started to dissipate.

I absolutely adored Nina’s best friend. i was so excited for her developments in this story as welk. She was the oerfect companion and would love a story based off of her as well.

All chef Nina Lyon wants is to make a name for herself in the culinary world. For too long, she’s been held back and underestimated by the male-dominated sphere of professional kitchens. Now, as co-host of the competitive reality TV series The Next Cooking Champ!, she finally has a real shot at being top tier in the foodie scene.

Restaurateur Leo O’Donnell never means to get under Nina’s skin. It's part of the anxiety and stress he has come to know all too well in this line of work. So nothing prepares him for the fallout after he takes one joke a smidge too far and Nina up and quits—on live TV.

To make matters worse, the two are caught in what looks like a compromising situation by the paparazzi…and fans of the show go absolutely nuts. Turns out, a “secret romance” between Nina and Leo may just be what their careers need most.

Enemies- to-lovers story is my favorite trope and this book is a great example of it. I love the banter and the sarcasm. I love the crazy antics and the over-the-top shennigans. :) I especially love the heroine and the things that she has to overcome in her career. Great entertaining read.

Thanks the publisher for the arc.

Enemies to lovers, fake dating fun! If you loved The Hating Game, or The Unhoneymooners, then this book is for you. Also tackles mental health, anxiety, and sexism in the food industry (as well as sexism from being a female celebrity).