Lizzy has her life planned out and never deviates from that plan. She’s a successful lawyer at a prestigious law firm, and the next step is to make partner. But after having a panic attack in the courtroom, she decides to take a break and leaves LA to take a break in a small California town where she spent her summers as a child and ends up helping out with the local bookstore. Her best friend Jack, has had a crush on her for as long as he can remember, and now that she’s in his town for a few weeks he wants to make the most of it.

I loved this cover and was so excited for this book but it fell a little flat for me. I loved Lizzy’s character and her journey. I thought there were great messages about taking a step back to take care of your mental health, and finding your own path and what makes you happy. I also loved the bookstore aspect and the parts where Lizzy worked to revamp the shop. I mean, what book lover wouldn’t love to get to play such a major role in a bookstore? However, there were parts of this book that felt very slow - especially in the middle, and despite it being a cute story, it didn’t always hold my interest. The audiobook in particular helped with those slower moments for me as Cindy Kay did a great job narrating!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the advance copies.

This book was such a fun little escape. I finished this in 2 days. I couldnt put this down. Such a great summer read.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an e-ARC of Jayci Lee's "Booked On A Feeling". All opinions are my own.

Friends to lovers? Check.
Burnout to Bookstore Owner? Check?
Passionate plot that makes you root for the couple? ...meh.

"Booked on a Feeling" follows the story of Lizzy, a young lawyer who just won her first case, but is already burned out and decides to take a vacation in her best friend Jack's hometown of Welton. Jack has secretly been in love with Lizzy for the last twenty years, but has resigned himself to being on the sidelines for seemingly no plausible reason. Why do I say that? Simply put, Jayci Lee frames Jack and Lizzy's friendship as purely platonic but immediately throws the two of them into forced attraction and flustered feelings, which feels incredibly quick. If Jayci had taken more time to prep the reader, it would seem more believable - however, with how quick-paced it is, BoaF became a disappointing read with a few nice descriptions of bookstore renovations to try to revive the reader's interest.
If you are interested in other titles that might do a better job, I would recommend:
"Book Lovers" by Emily Henry - I know, everyone is reading it right now, but there is a reason for that.
"Never Been Kissed" by Timothy Janovsky - Saving a dying business all while falling for a longtime friend? Yes please!
"Last Chance Books" by Kelsey Rodkey - Saving a dying bookstore and clashing with the son of the owner of a popular bookstore chain is all in a day's work for this heroine.

Booked on a Feeling follows high powered lawyer Lizzy returning to her small hometown after realizing that she isn't being fulfilled in her career. There, she reconnects with her hot childhood best friend Jack, who has been holding a candle for her forever. Lizzy and Jack get involved with fixing up the local bookstore and shenanigans ensue! I (obviously) love books and thought this one sounded cute!

Things I liked: I thought Lizzy and Jack were good characters (especially Lizzy). She had some interests that I don't see super frequently in main characters, like making lists and being into handymen (lol). Lizzy is into romance books and I thought the meta commentary on the genre was fun. The descriptions of Korean food were amazing and made me so hungry. I enjoyed learning about Lizzy and Jack's families and how their culture impacted their expectations of their children and how they navigated those feelings.

Things I did not like: Oh man is there a lot of angst in this book. Or I guess lust for the other character as the book switches perspective. I found that this got really old really fast and I started skipping over it. There are only so many descriptions of the same characters that I can read without getting bored. The third act breakup is SO INCREDIBLY DUMB that I skipped right to the end because I decided that I didn't have time for it. If that part had just been omitted I would have liked it a lot more, genre tropes or no.

Overall, I recommend this book if you are a romance lover and want a cute story. This had too many things that annoyed me to be my my cup of tea. 2.65 stars rounded up to 3. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Unfortunately Booked on a Feeling has adult characters that sound and behave as though they were much younger. The motivations of Lizzy especially seem to make no sense. The relationship (or the history of the relationship/firendship) between Lizzy and Jack didn't feel authentic. The connection between the two -- that the entire book relies on -- doesn't have nearly enough to allow the reader to care enough about them.

I really liked this book! I loved the characters so much, which made the 'will they, won't they' plot so much more frustrating at times. The payout more than made up for it though! I found Lizzy and Jack both so relatable! And even the secondary characters wormed their ways into my heart. Friends to lovers is such a classic troupe, but Jayci Lee put her unique touch to it.

3.5 stars, rounded up.
I felt like this was a refreshing take on the friends-to-lovers trope. Jack and Lizzy had great banter and undeniable chemistry. The main setting of Weldon, CA seemed idyllic and allowed the MCs an easy, small-town pace to grow their relationship.
Both Jack and Lizzy were struggling with trying to sort out their careers. Lizzy is an attorney, a path she chose to please her mother, but it's exacerbating her anxiety. Jack works for his family brewery but feels a bit like a third wheel to his siblings who are driving the business.
I love bookish themed books, so the fact that Lizzy has a bookstore and copy of Pride and Prejudice as her safe space, and then starts helping at a book shop when she is supposed to be on vacation were plot points I really enjoyed.
Jack seemed so sweet. He's definitely a cinnamon roll, and I love that he had been crushing on Lizzy since they were 10 years old. This book was the perfect blend of sweet and spicy to me, and I appreciated the minimal awkwardness when Jack and Lizzy decided to take their relationship to the next level.
There were a couple of things that went unanswered in the book, but since they weren't necessarily things that truly affected the plot, I won't harp on them here. The pacing was a bit slow at first, but I felt that got resolved once Lizzy got to Weldon. Overall, I really liked this book and will read more by Jayci Lee.

Lizzy needs a break from her busy life as an attorney, and she decides that a three-week vacation in her best friend’s hometown is perfect. Jack has been in love with Lizzy since they were ten, and he decides to use these three weeks to get over his unrequited crush. When she decides to help fix up the local bookstore, she ropes him into helping, and she finally seems to see him in a romantic way. But what happens at the end of her trip when she leaves?

This book honestly should have been my jam. Friends to lovers? Here for it. Sprucing up an independent bookstore? Big fan. The story had all the right pieces, and it was perfectly enjoyable and happy and a fun, light read. But I wanted more.

Jack feels stagnate in his life and at the family business, and he aches for more, somewhere else. Lizzy is finally coming to terms with the fact that she doesn’t like being an attorney and the family pressure that got her to where she is in life. But these supposed best friends don’t tell each other anything until they’ve already made huge life decisions. The lack of communication was surprising, considering how long they’ve been friends and the chemistry they do share in their romantic scenes.

I think I also would have liked to know a bit more about their past. They’ve been friends for two decades, and we don’t get much more than a passing reference to anything from those years. I hate to be that “show don’t tell” person, but it just didn’t work for me here, being told they were best friends without seeing what really drew them to each other.

Still, it was a fun book, and the bookstore transformation was a great plot. If you’re looking for a sweet, low drama read, this is absolutely perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book comes out July 26th.

First off, there's a publication day shindig in Los Angeles for this wonderful book as well as the one I reviewed just previously, For Butter Or Worse, and I am experiencing a massive case of FOMO.

Now, to get to this book, I can't even begin to tell you how much I adore friends to lovers. I love watching one of the pair struggling with their pining emotions and wondering if they should ever voice them and risk losing the relationship or being able to bring them to the next level. I especially love when the guy is the first to be dealing with these emotions and, oh my heck, did I love watching Jack dealing with the fact that he has loved Lizzy for most of their lives. Add in small town vibes AND a bookstore?? I'm done.

I am so glad that this was my first Jayci Lee book as this is the third in this series and now I get to go back and read a couple more beautiful love stories set in Weldon, a town I never want to leave.

5 resounding stars for this beaut!!! Can't wait to sell it to my customers!!!

Lizzy’s entire life was planned to a T. That is until she has a panic attack in the middle of a huge moment for her career.
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She returns home and comes face to face with Jack Park. It’s the age old story of a high powered LA Attorney returning home, meanwhile he never left his hometown and works for his family’s brewery. He doesn’t have a shot with her, or does he? Not a surprise here when these two fall for each other and fix the business along the way.
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This has a cute epilogue and a cute premise. Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and Booked on a Feeling did not disappoint! I was enamored with Lizzy and Jack from the beginning. Will be purchasing a hard copy!

What a fun, feel-good story! This one had me grinning pretty much the entire way. I just loved these two so much! The way Jack looks at Lizzy, the way he thinks her quirks are so adorable, the way he is always there for her, the way he understands and appreciates her love of books... Is it any wonder I fell for him as hard as Lizzy does?

Friends-to-Lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes and one this author does very well. Jack and Lizzy have been best friends for twenty years, since the age of ten. It's evident in the comfort level they share, the freedom to tease and joke around, their rock-solid support and belief in one another, the deep affection, and the openness and honesty that is the foundation of their relationship. Well, except for that one little thing: the fact that Jack Park has been in love with Lizzy Chung for almost his entire life.

Lee guides Jack and Lizzy through this journey with almost flawless execution. Their unexpected, gradual transition from friends to lovers occurs alongside their individual journeys of personal growth in a way that feels real and authentic. Each of them is at a professional crossroads, with looming decisions that will impact family expectations as well as personal relationships. Lee allows the gravity of those decisions to play out with necessary emotional introspection, giving it the gravity it deserves while also balancing it with the lightness, humor, and sweetness of the ever-deepening dynamic between Lizzy and Jack.

As with her previous books, Lee also immerses the reader in the Korean-American culture of her main characters. I enjoy the inside view of these families; their traditions, expectations, food (yes, I drooled), and differences. The dichotomy between Jack's parents and Lizzy's is quite striking.

I also appreciate the approach the author takes with Lizzy's anxiety and Jack's feelings of unworthiness, issues so many people deal with. It makes these characters even more relatable and it makes their growth, as evidenced by their eventual life-changing decisions, and ultimate HEA, even more satisfying.

I'm already excited to discover what Jayci Lee has in store for readers next. In the meantime, I enthusiastically recommend adding Booked on a Feeling to your summer reading list.

4.5 Stars
ARC received for fair and unbiased review

📚Booked on a Feeling📚

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, Jayci Lee and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

While friends to lovers isn’t my favorite trope this book was so good! I loved this sweet romance between two childhood friends. It was so heartwarming and it had some amazing characters.

Lizzy is a lawyer who is on her way to making partner when she realizes that she needs a break. She struggles with anxiety and family problems. Jack works at his family’s brewery but wants a more challenging job. He’s caring, lovable, supportive, a handyman and a lover of books! Also he’s loved Lizzy since they were 10.

One thing I wish I did different was to read the other two books in the series before this one. I didn’t realize it was apart of a series when I started the book. This would have let me connect more with the side characters.

They have a trial run of a relationship to test and see if they could be more than friends. But when both of them need to discover who they are and what they need to be happy, will they be able to work it out?

The first half of this book didn’t do it for me. The chapters were soo repetitive and I didn’t feel like I got to know the characters at all. Sadly a miss for me.

I was really pushing myself to finish this book. Sadly I had to DNF at 30% kind of. I always look forward to reading my books, but this was really hard. The beginning was really slow, I usually get hooked into the story at 10% and that’s when I know I’m enjoying the book, but this one is not one of those for me and that make me really sad because I was hopping to enjoy it! I really hope more people can enjoy it! Thank you NetGalley y St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC! Truly grateful.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for granting me an ARC in exchange an honest review.

I love a good Romance novel. This one seemed odd. We start off with Lucy winning her first trial. Her firm is thrilled with her work but to her it doesn't feel as it should so she takes 3 weeks off. As an adult with a job, I wouldn't just up and peace out for 3 weeks. That was the first odd part. Then, she goes to a town called Weldon where her best friend, Jack, lives.

I liked the characters overall. I liked that they both were charismatic. However, we get that they both are in love with each other, but the internal monologues were a bit much.

I really had to power through this one because I just don't have it in me to DNF a book. It read more of a YA which I wasn't expecting and didn't care for.

It took me a couple of chapters to get into this book, but once I did I was hooked. This book is adorable. Lizzy our main character needs a break from her job as a lawyer after winning a big case. She realizes she needs to step back because she doesn't feel accomplishment after winning her clients case. Lizzy decided to leave L.A and go to where she spent her childhood. She reunites with an old friend, and watching their relationship develop into more was so sweet and romantic, Lizzy also decides to help a bookstore owner restore her bookstore. This book was a great summer read and I highly recommend it. I really enjoyed this book.

4⭐️ First i would like thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins for the earc! This book is for my friends to lover and second chance lovers!! I absolutely adored this book and it was such a quick read. Lizzy and Jack had so much to them that i was engrossed by their story. Lizzy was trying to figure out what it is she wants to do with her life while having expectations she believed she needed to meet. Jack trying to find that courage to go after what he wants and achieve a dream of his. Throughout the whole read you could feel the tension between the two characters. You are left feeling satisfied at the end because both of their character arcs felt complete. I definitely recommend this for as a heartwarming read.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If I could give this a 4 1/2 stars I would! I love this book so much! I'm usually not a big fan of the "friends to lovers" trope, but I will simp hard for this book and Jayci!

Elizabeth "Lizzy" is a hard working lawyer with big dreams of becoming a partner at the firm in LA. But is that really her dream? After fainting before giving her opening statement during her first big trial, Lizzy knew something was off. It was not until she won the case and didn't feel any sort of elation or jubilation, that she decided to take 3 weeks off work to find herself and stop the burnout that was building in her life. Her one constant and best friend for 20 years, Jack was the only thing good in her life. Therefore, she packed her bags and headed to their old stomping ground of Weldon.

Jack thought he was living his dream. He was a valued member of his family's brewery that was absolutely thriving. His sister and twin brother were masters at their craft but what did Jack have to show for it? He was a glorified bookkeeper and server. He wanted so much more out of life. Something to challenge him. Something that made him want to be worthy of Lizzy. Oh, that little detail? Jack has been in love with Lizzy since they were 10. He would never say anything to Lizzy in fear of losing their friendship. But the time has come and Jack decided to apply for jobs in LA to be close to Lizzy so that he could try and win her over. A wrench was thrown in his plans when Lizzy mysteriously ran into him on his morning jog. He's given himself three options: Option 1: Maintain the status quo; Option 2: Move on from Lizzy; Option 3: Make Lizzy fall hopelessly in love with him.

The spark that these two denied for so long was undeniable. Lizzy said it best when they both admitted their feelings to each other,
"I was too young and foolish to see what I was missing out on."

Yes, Lizzy you were. I'd marry Jack in a heartbeat even though he can't cook but he freaking learned how to make chili for her! I was so frustrated reading each one of their perspectives and them thinking the exact same thing but no one doing anything about it! But at the same time, I could completely relate to this. How often have you not said what was on your mind or how you were feeling and come to find out that person or situation had felt the same way about you? One too many times for me to count.

I enjoyed how this book done a great job representing anxiety attacks and how things as simple as a change of scenery or even a person can help alleviate all of those fears and frustrations. How you aren't truly happy until you find your niche. You can go years thinking that this is what you want to do for the rest of your life because society tells you or your family tells you. You are burdened down by the weight of their judgements until you break.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQwVKr8rCYw

That's the best way to explain it. I could relate to Lizzy so much. I try to be a positive person. I work hard to make money and be someone my parents want me to be. But is that where I am really happy? This book really makes your reflect on your own life and situation and asks yourself, am I really happy or am I faking it?

The pop culture references and sometimes the minor breaking of the third wall was beautiful. I'll be honest, I did not have high hopes for this book when I first started it. But as I continued to read and fell in love with these two characters, I could not put it down. Also now I want to try flaming hot cheetos and turkey chili... Also don't read this book hungry. Just a word of advice!

Let me preface this review by saying, I normally hate friends to lovers tropes. Like hate them. This book changed my mind. I absolutely loved this book. It was so sweet and adorable and just everything that other friends to lovers books had been missing. Highly recommend reading this the next time you're in a friends to lovers mood [especially if you're in a bookish mood]