Booked on a Feeling was a delightfully light-hearted book, perfect for a feel-good summer read. Good characters can make or break a book for me and I am happy to say that I absolutely adored Lizzy and Jack. Their chemistry and the building tension had me totally emotionally invested in the two of them.

Lizzy’s inner monologue impressed me with the representation of her anxiety. It painted her in a very realistic light despite the book’s light tone. Jack’s inner monologue on the other hand could be annoying at times, but I liked that it showed his insecurities. It made him feel believable as a character. When the two of them were together or with other people, they were the perfect combination of witty and charismatic. Turning the page and finding new scenes with unbelievably cute or hilariously awkward moments was wonderful.

I appreciated that the tone of the book seemed to reflect the emotional states of both Lizzy and Jack’s points of view. As they each started to become more conscious of their own dreams and desires, the tone seemed to relax into a natural ebb and flow. The fact that a majority of the book took place in a bookstore may have influenced my opinion in the matter. Bookstores automatically help me relax and unwind and the author perfectly captured that effect.

As much as I loved this book, I kept thinking about how I wanted more, especially once I got to the final conflict. It felt rushed and I didn’t feel satisfied with the believability of the conflict in the first place.

Overall, this was a super cute romance that made my heart happy while I was sitting on the deck with a nice glass of iced tea.

⅘ stars

3 🌶🌶🌶

Thank you to netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Jayci Lee’s 3rd book in the “A Sweet Mess” series is another fun and delightful romcom in the small town of Weldon. It can easily be read as a standalone and the storyline with a little backstory doesn’t cause any confusion.

In love with his best friend, Lizzy Chung, since they were 10-years-old, Jack Park is sort of stuck in a rut at his family brewery where he is the key “numbers” guy, but he yearns for more. Meanwhile, Lizzy is at the top of her game after winning her first case where she was the lead lawyer. However, burnt out and in much need of an escape, she returns to Weldon for some soul-searching and relaxation. Will their attraction to each other be perfect timing? Or will their desire for different career paths make them clash?

Lizzy finds herself renting a room above a bookstore where she also volunteers to help fix it up, for being surrounded by books has always been her happy place. Whether she’s doing her morning jogs with Jack, or oogling at him with a tool’s belt, Lizzy can’t help but have the feels for her bestie. They know each other inside out, so when they try to go beyond the rules of friendship, no one is at all surprised.

I adored the friendship to lovers story between Jack and Hannah, albeit it’s quite the slow burn. There are plenty of steamy fade-to-black scenes, but it’s clear that their history and genuine friendship contribute to their HEA. The bookstore element, delicious Korean dishes, and the steamy scenes were all ingredients to a lovely, cozy romance read.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy.

Lizzy has just won a big case, one that will guarantee her a shot a partner in her law firm. The thing is Lizzy doesn't feel happy about it, she's frustrated and burned out. Needing some space, she leaves the office and heads to her favorite spot to relax and unwind, Hideaway Bookstore. Later that night she makes a decision to take some time off and re-evaluate her goals. She's going toLizzy and Jack have been friends for a very long time. Jack's come to realize he wants more from her but at the same time doesn't want to mess up their friendship. He knows he's been avoiding her, but that's all about to change.

Lizzy finds a studio apartment to rent for a few weeks. It's perfect and it's over the Sparrow Bookstore. The next thing she does is bump into Jack while he's on his way home from his morning run. He's more than a little surprised. His family business is such that he has plenty of time he can spend with Lizzy, and he decides to do just that.

The bookstore becomes a focal point for Lizzy's time off. Shannon the owner and also her landlord has to-do lists and if there's one thing Lizzy loves it's lists.

I love the sense of family in this small town of Weldon, although Lizzy's parents no longer live in the US, the friends they made here are lasting and extend to Lizzy. Especially Jack's parents and siblings.

As this relationship grows so does friendship and Lizzy makes some decisions as does Jack. It's really a shame they didn't confide in each other before they made them.

There's laughter, tears, disappointment, romance and so much more in this book. I really need to go back and read the other books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed this cute little rom-com, but not as much as I expected to for a book that has the "friends-to-lovers" trope, a romance trope I personally like. I loved the AAPI representation and Korean culture represented through the food, culture, and formalities, the mental health representation with Lizzy and her anxiety, and Jack and Lizzy's struggles to do something they want to do vs. what their family expects of them and these were all aspects of the story that I believe Jayci Lee did well.

Ironically, the part of the story that I didn't like the most WAS how the friends-to-lovers relationship played out. The first 30% of the book started off slow, with Lizzy at her law job and deciding to take a vacation to visit Jack, the next 50-60% was Jack and Lizzy agreeing to take things slowly, but then 5-6 smut scenes later you realize that was thrown all out the window. The last 10-20% was actual plot again. Don't get me wrong, smut scenes are expected in most romance books these days, no matter if it's a fantasy romance or a light-hearted rom-com, but some of the lines made me uncomfortable (I did NOT need to know that Lizzy wanted to rub up against Jack and purr like a cat. Like, really, I could've gone my entire life not reading that line and I would be fine).

This was a very cute read! It was a little slow moving in the start, but then the pace picked up. I loved that they were renovating a bookstore, because *books*! Lizzy and Jack were very cute together and I especially liked Jack’s ‘options’ at the beginning and how he dealt with his crush on Lizzy.

I wanted to like this book I really did.
Asian American rep
Bookstores
Friends to lovers
Male pining
It sounded good on paper, but my main problem with it was I didn’t feel any chemistry between Jack and Lizzie. And they had an issue where they relied too heavily on telling us they felt chemistry instead of making the reader feel it and those scenes felt stifled like they had no space to breathe and they immediately moved on to another thing that was supposed to prove they had chemistry.
Spoiler
And the big 80% breakup was just a classic case of the characters being just way too stupid.
I’m starting to think I only like friends to lovers like 15% of the time. And if you feel the same way then this book isn’t one of the 15%. It falls into many of the common pitfalls of friends to lovers, the development of feelings happening before the book, the chemistry relying on that history that you didn’t get enough of to feel so it seems forced and told rather than felt, the miscommunication, the obliviousness to the point where it’s painful.

63/100
Characters: 64/100
Plot: 62/100

3.5 stars

Lizzy Chung has had really high expectations placed upon herself from her mother and from herself. She has checked off a lot of successful endeavors, even becoming senior counsel in her law firm. But a panic attack in the courtroom has her heading to her hometown to decompress for a bit.

Here she starts hanging out more with her friend Jack Park, who has secretly had a crush on her forever.

While this book had potential and I did enjoy aspects of it, I couldn’t bring myself to fully immerse myself in the book and half-heartedly read/skimmed the latter half of the book. The pacing felt a bit off for me and jumpy at times, and often taking a long time to get there.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to St, Martin’s press & Netgalley for this eArc!

St. Martin's Press books have a chokehold on me. This one was no different. I enjoyed the premise of achieving great things but reevaluating whether those things make you truly happy. And then having the courage to change it.

Jack and Lizzy are your typical friends to lovers trope BUT that isn't what my personal draw was to this book. It was the growth of Lizzy as a person. The way she acknowledge, understood and tackled the expectations and even her own anxiety made me so happy. Will be picking up a physical copy!

Read this book if you like: Dual POV, friends to lovers, mental health representation (anxiety and panic attacks), Korean American representation, slightly steamy

Oh, Lizzy and Jack. She's a high-powered attorney who lives in L.A. and he's a bookkeeper at his family's brewery who never left his hometown. When she has a panic attack during an important moment in her career she drives four hours to her small childhood town. She plans to stay for three weeks.

Jack has been in love with her for years. He can't risk their friendship on a long shot. When Lizzy decides that the local bookstore needs a little revamp, of course, Jack is going to help her bring it back to life. The more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to ignore there might be more.

I haven't read the first two in the series but I definitely will now. I love Lizzy and Jack. Because they are best friends they seemed to have immediate chemistry. Their first kiss scene was perfection. There is light steam. Not sure why people are saying it's very spicy. I love the representation in Lizzy having anxiety, as well as panic attacks. I have the same. It's very accurately done. Overall this is a cute read! Highly recommend you get this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author Jayci Lee, and St. Martin's Press for the gifted book! ❤️

Booked on a Feeling will have the song "hooked on a feeling" stuck in your head. Unfortunately, that's the only thing about the book that may stick.

Lizzie is a lawyer that has just won her big case, after passing out in court from an anxiety attack. Needing a break, she decides to take a three week vacation atop a indie bookstore. Of course, her best friend, Jack, also lives in the area. Jack wants Lizzie for himself, to be more than just friends. Helping her out at the bookstore, he makes a pact to try seeing where their chemistry sparks take them. Will both J and L be able to book their feelings front and center?

I enjoyed the setting of an independent bookstore and the idea that Lizzie would take a break to fight her anxiety. However; her anxiety quickly takes the backstage as well as her true purpose of finding herself. The relationship between Jack and Lizzie, although sweet, lacked character development and veered more towards week details.

Thank you to St Martin's Press, St Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of
Booked on a Feeling.
The best friends-to-lovers trope can be hit or miss for me, but I enjoyed this one. Lizzy is overworked as an LA lawyer and suffers a panic attack during her opening statement at trial, prompting her to take three weeks off for some R&R in small town Weldon. But Lizzy isn't great at relaxing and decided she needs a project to help her fill her time - and wouldn't you know, her rental apartment is above a bookstore that's in need of some reorganization! Lizzy recruits her best friend Jack to help. Jack is the bookkeeper at Weldon Brewery (which I loved reading about in Lee's The Dating Dare!) - his love for math and numbers made this math teacher smile while reading 😁 While this is the third book in the A Sweet Mess series, you can read it as a standalone without missing any of the plot.
I think every book lover enjoys reading about a romance that takes place in a small town independent bookstore, right? This heartwarming story was a sweet, slow burn with a little spice in there, too, making the characters and their relationship feel authentic.

Lizzy is on the fast track to becoming a partner in her law firm, until a panic attack during her first opening statement leads her to take some time off. She heads back to her hometown. Her childhood best friend Jack is there to greet her with open arms.

Jack is feeling unfulfilled working at the family brewery. He has never told Lizzy how he feels about her, but having her so close is getting harder to resist.

Lizzy decides to help the local bookstore owner revamp her store, making it a quaint and cozy space.

While they are both trying to decide their future they can’t deny their attraction.

This was a cute story of a second chance to find their forever. While it was a closed door romance, I did feel their friendship and chemistry.

Lizzie and Jack are two young professionals who have been friends since the age of ten. They both find themselves questioning their current professions and searching for a more fulfilling life. As Lizzie takes a break from her exhausting legal career and Jack awaits the results of his job application, they end up spending three weeks together helping revamp a small-town bookstore. I could so relate to Lizzie discovering her happy place among books as I have always felt at home among books, whether at a library, bookstore or my own home. The only thing I found annoying about this romantic tale was the lack of communication between Jack and Lizzie about their true feelings for each other. However, it did lead to a most satisfying reunion. I plan to read this author's other books that take place in the same small town. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy to read and review.

BOOK REVIEW: Booked On A Feeling by Jayci Lee
2022 Publication Date: July 26

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️

T.I.M.E. Favorite Books To Read
T.I.M.E. Best Books By Genre | Contemporary Romance
T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books Of 2022

CONNECT WITH A BOOK | T.I.M.E. SIMPLE LIVING TIP
It only takes that one right book to change everything... Jayci Lee | Booked On A Feeling

T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW: When I am looking for an exceptional Contemporary Romance, three things top my list: Strong female lead character. Romantic relationship with someone who could also be your best friend. And, the romance is not the "salvation" solution... Meaning romance does not deter you from discovering who you are first.

And when all of this can be done with a generous sprinkling of chemistry that literally shoots sparks off the page, I know I need to make room on my T.I.M.E. Favorite Books To Read shelf for a new book!

In comparison to Jayci Lee's previous book, The Dating Dare, which kept the steamy scenes "behind closed doors", Booked On A Feeling earns a 🌶🌶 (Medium Spicy) T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating.

Although the author is not naming this a series, you will definitely enjoy seeing a few characters return for brief minor appearances in this book... And I certainly would love to see more "spinoff stories" in a future book!

Bonus Story Element: Loved the "romance" with independent bookstores! I bookmarked so many pages that perfectly described that feeling of finding your home in a book haven... And the impact reading can have in a life... ✨😎✨

Pages: 320
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sub-Genre: Friends To Lovers Romance
T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating:️ 🌶🌶 (Medium Spicy)
Time Period: Present Day
Location: Los Angeles & Weldon (California)

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee
Movie: When Harry Met Sally

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Lizzy Chung is an overachieving lawyer who seems to have everything figured out. However, when she has a panic attack during a pivotal moment in her career, she realizes that something is not quite right. She decides to take some time off and recharge by spending three weeks in Weldon, the small California town where her best friend, Jack Park, lives... and where she spent each summer growing up.

Jack Park has been in love with Lizzy since they were kids, but he's never had the guts to tell her. When she unexpectedly shows up on his doorstep, he sees his opportunity to finally confess his feelings. But as they spend more time together, Jack realizes that Lizzy is different than she was when they were growing up - she's more guarded and less carefree. He wonders if she'll ever be able to let her guard down long enough to fall in love with him.

Booked On A Feeling is a charming and heartwarming story about taking risks, following your heart, and finding love in the most unexpected places... Sometimes right in front of you.

Jayci Lee weaves a wonderful tale of friendship, love, and self-discovery that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION:
• It's never too late to take a chance on love.
• Sometimes the people we've known our whole lives can surprise us.
• It's important to listen to our heart, even when it's telling us something we might be afraid to hear.

BOOK QUOTE:
"One day, you'll find a book that changes everything." - Booked On A Feeling by Jayci Lee

--------------------

All my book reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at thisismyeverybody.com/blog/what-book-should-i-read

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Meet Jack and Lizzy.

Jack is living in a small town in California, working for his family's brewery. He is also the primary resident of the friendzone.

Lizzy is an attorney living in LA, who just won her first solo case, which will bring her a little bit closer to making partner at her firm. She is also completely burnt out.

When Lizzy decides to take some much needed time off and spend it in the small town where her best friend (Jack) lives, those three weeks will change everything... for them both.

As with any book that mentions books in the title, there is plenty for my bookish heart to love - including restoring a bookshop and plenty of bookish talk.

The ONE THING I struggled a little bit with, and this is just a thing for me, but I have a hard time with the "miscommunication" trope. Like the "they both have feelings but neither will say anything with leads to a misunderstanding and now they're not talking" type of situation.

.... it's probably just personal relationship PTSD. Because, been there - done that - bought the tshirt 😅

Fun read, with a cute romance. Really enjoyed this while sitting poolside. Would definitely suggest this light and easy read.

Lizzy Chung is all about checking off boxes. Join a prestigious law firm in L.A., check. Be on track to make partner in a few years, check. But when a panic attack strikes during an important moment of her career, Lizzy takes a trip to Weldon to recover from burnout and figure out her next steps alongside her best friend, Jack Park. Lizzy has no idea Jack has had a decades-long crush on her and he intends to keep it that way. When Lizzy decides to help revamp the local book store, Jack is roped into helping her. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to ignore the feelings buried deep inside.

I wanted to love this one so much but it just wasn’t it for me. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the small town vibes, this being a book about book lovers, and how the author created the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. But I struggled from the beginning to really get into the story. I enjoy the best friends to lovers trope, but this time I felt like the obvious attraction and pining at the very beginning was a little too much too soon. The middle also really dragged for me and I found my mind wandering constantly. I do want to end this on a positive note and say I really did love Lizzy and Jack together! They complimented each other so well and brought out the best in each other. Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for my digital ARC copy! This book is out today!

Booked on a Feeling is the third book in Jayci Lee's Sweet Mess series, and I think it's the best yet. Best friends-to-lovers, he falls first, dual POV, horny mutual pining, I could go on and on...

Lizzy is a high-powered lawyer from LA with anxiety on the cusp of realizing her dream of making partner. Her best friend of 20+ years, Jack Park, lives 4 hours away in the small town of Weldon where they grew up, but have remained close over the years. He's been secretly in love with her over the years, but won't make a move, worrying about losing her and their friendship entirely. When she suffers a panic attack during a trial, Lizzy decides a few weeks of rest and relaxation in Weldon with Jack is exactly what she needs to recharge. Jack's been secretly looking for a new business analyst position at a company in LA, after years of feeling unfulfilled working at his family's brewery and hoping to move closer to Lizzy. Spending as much time as possible together, the pair's chemistry is quickly obvious, and they begin a whirlwind affair "as a trial" while she's still in town. When Lizzy starts working at the town bookstore, and feels more at home and content then ever, she questions whether or not she should be returning to her career back in the city when she could stay in town with Jack, while Jack is trying to figure out how to continue what he and Lizzy started when they both end up in LA. But with Lizzy staying in Weldon, and Jack determined to start his new life in LA, can they make things work?

This is my third book by Jayci Lee and by now I can call myself a real fan! If you've read A Hot Mess and The Dating Dare , you'll be delighted to come back to the fictional town of Weldon with the most creative desserts ever and weird, but hilarious beer names.

Let me count the reasons why you should read the book:
-Food descriptions!!! Lovers of Korean cuisine, don't miss this ode to taste, flavour, texture, and comfort Korean dishes bring to weary souls all over the world.
-Quite a large part of the book is set in a bookstore! Jayci Lee even includes a little tirade against people who don't understand the importance of reading romance- human connection and guaranteed HEA, anyone?
- Friends-to-lovers trope. It is one of my favourite tropes, although it isn't easy to create the right kind of tension. Our protagonists Jack and Lizzy have known each other since they were ten, and at least one of them has had a massive crush on their BFF.
-Likeable characters at a crossroads in their lives... Lizzy is an attorney and a litigator as well, so everyone expects her to be super-ambitious and thrive on fight and conflict, while she is struggling with anxiety and needs to think hard whether she is pursuing the right kind of career for her. What I liked about Lizzy was the way she took charge and acted, once she had a clear picture of a problem. She didn't particularly strike me as a high energy person, but her excitement about ticking off 'done' items off 'to do ' lists was positively contageous.
Jack refuses to be a victim of his own insecurities- he might be the business mastermind behind the family brewery business, but it isn't his passion that drives it, and it isn't his dream, so, fair enough, Jack is ready to step out of his comfort zone and venture into a brave new world. What he doesn't want is to lose his BFF- Lizzy...and we all know that going from friends-to-lovers is a journey that can be undertaken only with the right person and at the right time.
- Romance. There a few scorchingly hot moments, but everything is tasteful and full of passion.
-Steady-paced and low-angst- did you really want lots of drama and tears in this heatwave???

Sweet and entertaining, Booked on a Feeling is perfect for readers who love food descriptions, traditional tropes, small town setting, and HEA. Can't wait to read Jack's twin brother's story!

Gah! This one hurt. I was SO psyched for this one based on the synopsis. A second chance romance (kind of) involving a lawyer? That's is SO up my alley. Unfortunately, the chemistry just wasn't there. It felt much more like a YA romance than a true adult romance, and compared to other legal romances I've read, Lizzy's choices just didn't make sense.