Nina and Leo were the true definition of enemies to lovers! Their initial hate for each was so palpable and real, I loved it!

I don’t normally read food romcoms, don’t ask me why I have no clue but this was super good! The fact that both mc’s were struggling to keep their restaurants a float instead of them both being successful was more relatable ( not that I own a restaurant) but it’s easier to imagine the struggle than the opposite!

Then Erin added my other favorite trope, FAKE DATING! I am an absolute sucker for a good fake dating rom. You definitely start to love Leo more than Nina at first and I feel that’s because Nina has been struggling to not only keep her restaurant but also to dive in and be on top of a predominately male career. She has to be cold and harsh to be taken seriously.

These two had chemistry through their hate and I loved it! It was a wonderful gradual build between the two and it was delicious! Definitely a wonderful read!


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed the writing of this author, I liked the premise enough but I was not feeling the chemistry between these two characters. My enjoyment levels decreased as I continued the novel and the relationship didn't get any better.

3.75⭐ for this debut romance novel.

I am a big fan of butter and cooking competitions, so I just had to read this one.

This was a cute slow burn, fake dating, enemies to lovers celebrity romance for Nina and Leo. It's told in dual 3rd person. Both need the positive attention that dating each other would bring for their careers. Nina is discriminated against and receives a bunch of negative feedback on social media. Leo suffers from anxiety, which I found well written. It was fun reading their banter and their growth as individuals and as a couple.

Overall, a solid debut. I'd be delighted to read more from this author.

I was able to listen to a final copy that was narrated by Mela Lee for 10 hours and 20 minutes, easy to listen to at 2.5x. She did a lovely job, but I do wish there was a male narrator for Leo's POV.

I won this Egalley in an Instagram giveaway and I’m so glad I got to read it! I loved Leo and Nina!!! I love any books set in restaurants. Fake dating is my favorite trope. I loved their happily ever after. There wasn’t much I didn’t like about this book!

This is the perfect book for someone who likes enemies to lovers and cooking shows. There's also the fake dating trope (which many love) and a miscommunication trope (which I personally hate, sorry.) The characters have really wonderful chemistry though, and plenty of charming, witty banter. The author does a great job discussing important topics like mental health, and the public's overt criticism of women while praising men no matter what sort of actions they take. There were some wonderful side characters that are easy to fall in love with.

My only flaw with this book is the pacing felt a little slow. I wanted a little more speed in terms of plot, but some may not feel the same as I do.

Enemies to lovers, fake dating, and a woman working in a male-dominated field? FOR BUTTER OR WORSE makes the list of my fave 2022 romances.

The book opens with co-hosts Nina and Leo shooting the season finale of a competitive reality cooking show. Right away, sparks are flying -- but not in a sexy way, more like, you-make-me-want-to-burn-this-place-down.

Throughout the novel, both chef Nina and restauranteur Leo have to figure out their careers moving forward. Not to mention, Nina's grieving the mom she lost to breast cancer several years prior and Leo's been experiencing panic attacks. These main characters felt like real people, and I loved that the book was about more than just their romance. It felt like the "nasty Nina" storyline was written specifically for ambitious, knowledgeable, and forthright women everywhere.

And yet the book was still hot! Their love story still heart-warming! Sometimes you really can have it all.

This was author Erin La Rosa's first romance novel -- here's hoping she writes many more.

Spicy Enemies To Lovers Fake Dating Foodie Rom-Com!💕

And when I say spicy I mean it is 🔥hot! I was team Nina more than team Leo just because at first he came out a bit of a sexiest, and I’m not sure if I got enough ‘excuses’ why he was the way he was, but eventually I warmed up to him. I love cover of this novel. I enjoyed this novel and I look forward to reading more books by Erin La Rosa. 💕

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the digital ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of "For Butter or Worse" by Erin La Rosa. It was published on July 26th, 2022!

Overall, I rated this novel a 3.5/5 stars!

This book focuses on Nina and Leo, who are co-hosts of a cooking show on television, known well for their banter between one another. They are filming the finale of the third season when Nina announces that she is quitting the show in order to make her restaurant her first priority. She has already had to close two of her others, and unbeknownst to her, Leo has also had to close one down.

When the two of them are caught in a compromising position outside of her restaurant in the alley, Nina's agent/PR person decides it's best if the two of them play it up as if they are in a romantic relationship with one another. But it's only just pretend, isn't it? - or is it?!

You'll have to read this cute rom-com to find out more! It's definitely worth your time!

Super cute read! Enemies to lovers trop that definitely gives you all the cute feels and some spicy feels as well *wink wink.* I did like how both mc’s suffered through anxiety and how they both dealt with it throughout the story as well as other topics that were touched upon on. Story was well written but I feel like there was something else missing. Erin gave us a lot of good banter, angst and Al the cute and bold moments throughout the book though!

I loved this book!

It was fun and entertaining. I love the enemies to lovers and fake dating tropes, so this was right up my alley. I loved the banter between the two main characters, Leo and Nina. It was fast paced and charming with lots of spice.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an eARC of For Butter or Worse in exchange for an honest review.

It was a DNF for me. I was really looking forward to this book but I just couldn't get into it. However, my DNF-ing it should not deter you from trying it and seeing for yourself if this is a good fit for you.

I ended up DNFing this unfortunately -- it didn't quite work for me but I don't think I'm the audience for this book.

For Butter or Worse by Erin La Rosa was a solid romance debut. Nina Lyon and Leo O’Donnell are the epitome of the enemies to lovers trope. Their interactions are explosive and full of sexual tension!

The cast of side characters really added some funny and sentimental moments throughout the novel. Whenever Nina’s best friend, her sister or Leo’s twin brother were in a scene I knew I was going to laugh.

The banter between Leo and Nina was kinda cheesy but still cute. The emails from Nina’s publicist, the Twitter/IG mentions from fans and texts from family and friends throughout was a great touch and hilarious.

I absolutely love watching cooking competition shows which is what drew me to this book to begin with. Nina was a powerful representation of a woman in the culinary industry. I enjoyed how the story highlighted the struggles women face in the culinary world compared to their male counterparts.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and will look out for La Rosa’s future projects.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an eARC of For Butter or Worse in exchange for an honest review.

An enemies-to-lovers mash-up of THE HATING GAME and THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE-OFF, in which two rival hosts of a massively popular cooking show have to fake a relationship to save their careers after an explosive on-air fallout, only to find their feelings for each other becoming real.

ABOUT THE BOOK








Their feelings are about to boil over...


Chef Nina Lyon dreams of cooking her way to culinary stardom and becoming a household name. She thought hosting The Next Cooking Champ! was her golden ticket, but she and her co-host/arch-nemesis Leo O'Donnell go together like water and oil and he undercuts her at every turn.


So when Nina unexpectedly quits the show--on live TV, no less--to focus on her restaurant, she doesn't anticipate the he-devil himself showing up at her door begging her to come back. Nor does she expect the paparazzi to catch them in what looks like a passionate kiss, but is actually Leo tripping into her. When the fans go crazy over Nina and Leo's "secret romance", keeping the ruse going might be the only way to save both their careers. That is, if they don't kill each other first…

Perfect for fans of THE HATING GAME and Netflix's GREAT BRITISH BAKE-OFF (…if Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood were hot thirty-somethings), FOR BUTTER OR WORSE is the escapist enemies-to-lovers romance we all need right now.


MY TAKE:





This reminds me of Lucy Parker books but maybe a bit steamier... It's that frenemy vibe, enemies, to lovers to friends. A falling out in their professional relationship leads to them having to fake a romance, which is the base for the most delicious of dishes: love!


It was fun, low-key, steamy, and since I am new to Erin La Rosa, I am now a fan of her books! The plot is fun, the setting of a foodie show is a dream-come-true, and the interworkings of a real restaurant make for an entertaining book that kept me interested through the ending!
























ABOUT THE AUTHOR:








ERIN LA ROSA is a writer living in Los Angeles. As a writer for BuzzFeed, she frequently writes about the perils and triumphs of being a redhead. Before BuzzFeed, Erin worked for the comedy websites Funny or Die and MadAtoms, as well as E!s Fashion Police, Wetpaint, and Ecorazzi. Erin has appeared on CNN, Headline News, Jimmy Kimmel, and The Today Show on behalf of BuzzFeed. She is the author of Womanskills and The Big Redhead Book.



Social Links:

Author Website: https://www.erinlarosacreative.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/erinlarosalit/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/erinlarosalit

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erin.larosa

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@erinlarosawrites



Buy Links:

The Ripped Bodice (signed copies!): https://www.therippedbodicela.com/book/9781335506344

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/books/for-butter-or-worse-a-rom-com/9781335506344

B&N:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-butter-or-worse-erin-la-rosa/1141697220?ean=9781335506344

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Butter-Worse-Novel-Erin-Rosa/dp/1335506349

12 COMMENTS

I loved this! It was fun and cute and I'm obsessed with all the food!
Leo is perfection and the banter between him and Nina was the best!

This book was so fun. Fake dating and enemies to lovers are both on my top 5 favorite tropes list. Nina and Leo have such a fun banter between them the entire book. I also loved the subsidiary characters of Jasmine, Sophie, and Gavin - I would really like to see where their stories go next.

This book is written in third party - which I don't love because it sometimes keeps me from immersing myself in a book. But it didn't overshadow the story here.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a fun read - especially romantic foodies.

For Butter or Worse
* Enemies to Lovers
* Fake Dating
* Characters who feel real

An enjoyable read! The characters are well drawn out with motives and backstories that drive their actions so that their choices do not feel random. A good new voice I’ll be watching for future reads! My only issue with this particular book was that the sex scene was a little jarring, and might have benefitted from a closed door approach.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I normally enjoy foodie romances but this one wasn’t connecting with me. Could be my current reading mood! I’ll have to circle back at a later date!

For Butter or Worse by Erin La Rosa was a charming, fun, emotional rom-com full of some of my favorite tropes (enemies-to-lovers, fake dating), with 🔥 chemistry between the two protagonists. I loved this. Highly recommend!

This is a solid, enemies to lovers, fake dating romance. It's a little predictable based on those tropes but I love a fake dating book and there was tons of chemistry between these two. They were a little too extreme in their dislike of each other in the beginning but overall a cute read if those tropes are for you.