Booked on a Feeling was a really cute, friends-to-lovers romance, and I found it enjoyable that most of the story involved working on revamping a bookstore. It was more appealing than having two friends hang out over a break, or having them compete in a contest together or what not. But what's romance without pining? Watching Lizzy and Jack misinterpret each other's actions and delay their inevitable love was truly painful, but it definitely had me hooked.

An adorable friends to lovers story, Jack and LIzzy were such sweet characters to follow in this story that was centered in bookstores! Both Jack and Lizzy take time away from their careers and end up helping with getting a bookshop. The dialogue between Jack and Lizzy flowed and added to their chemistry.

Heartwarming. Happy. Highly recommend.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Jayci Lee, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This book was a fun treat! I loved it! It was a good reset after I read a heavier book. It kept me flipping pages well past my bedtime!!

I really liked this book. It was a fun enjoyable read. I don’t normal like friends to lovers but this was done well I really liked it. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for this ARC!

While the concept of this book was cute in theory, I had a hard time connecting to the story. For a romance, the passing was slow and by the end of the book, I didn't feel like I actually knew the characters. They felt very surface level, even though the issues they experienced in the book could've been given more room for exploration.

I think the story had potential but didn't really reach it. This book and the writing style weren't for me.

Adorable romance!

Lizzie is an overachieving lawyer who just had an panic attack during a career mile marker. She decides that she needs to head to Weldon for a much needed break.

Jack is in love with his best friend. He is surprised to see her show up in his town for a vacation. He decides that this is his shot to make her fall in love with him, right?

As the two begin to spend time together working in the local bookstore, their relationship begins to shift.

This definitely marked a lot of boxes for me as a romance reader.

Friends to lovers.
Slow burn.
Tension.
Lots of food 🤤
Open door (though not terribly graphic)

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

I don’t know where to start so I’ll just say, I really enjoyed this book! Booked on a Feeling is a delightful Hallmarkesque friends to lovers story. Lizzy is suffering major burnout from her demanding job as an attorney trying to make parent at the firm she works at. After a panic attack at the beginning of her first trial she decides time off in Weldon (the small town she spent summers in as a kid) will be the perfect way to recharge. Her close friend she grew up with, Jack, still lives in town working at his families brewery. Jack and Lizzy were both super relatable characters that I found myself rooting for. Weldon was the cutest little town that I could 100% picture in my mind and wish I could visit. Also, a book about people who love books? Yes, please! I’ve seen people call this book predictable but, most light hearted rom-com books are. I knew exactly what I was getting with this story and it delivered!

I love cute little romance novels, they make up my being. I especially love second chance trope's so of course I enjoyed this book. At times it was a bit slow for me, but I still loved it.

Reading this book and learning the various relationships the MC has with colleagues, long time friends and with romance felt relatable. There were some moments where I felt that the description of feelings or the setting dragged on a little too long for my liking, but I still understood what the author was trying to do. It all came together in the end and I felt like the epilogue really helped tie things together for their story.

I really loved this book a lot! The dialogue was really cute. I loved the banter. The character development was great. I can’t wait for my friends to read this book so we can all hush about how lovely it is!

This book wasn't bad but it wasn't amazing. There wasn't any part of the book that sparked my interest. I got most of the way through but unfortunately I couldn't finish it.

I haven't had the chance to pick up Jayci Lee's other books, but I dropped everything and read Booked on a Feeling because, like the protagonist, I am an overachieving lawyer slash bookworm with dreams of opening a bookstore one day 🙈

Booked on a Feeling features childhood best friends, Lizzy Chung and Jack Park, who become lovers after they team up to fix a failing bookstore in their hometown.

While Booked on a Feeling is a quick and easy escapist read, my issue is that that's all it was, despite its potential to be so much more. Since its pacing is on the slower end of romance books, I expected much more in-depth character development. However, the book ends up skirting heavy and serious topics, such as Lizzy's complicated relationship with her overbearing mother and Jack's feelings of inferiority to Lizzy, zeroing in on the storyline instead. I ended up feeling like I barely knew Lizzy and Jack, not to mention the other characters, and, while their childhood best friends-turned-lovers love story was cute enough for me to finish reading, I felt execution-wise Booked on a Feeling was having an identity crisis, i.e., as to whether it should be a cute or sexy romance, so there was some inconsistent bits here and there.

That being said, Booked on a Feeling nailed the representation of (women) lawyers - the feeling of hanging on a thread, the burnout, the competitive friendships, and the non-existent love life (or "convenient and practical" relationships) - and I love reading books about books, so while Booked on a Feeling didn't quite hit the sweet spot for me, I appreciate this book being out there.

What a cute read!! The characters, the romance, the banter…it all came together really well. I really wish there was more development on Lizzy’s mental health and how she overcame it throughout the plot line because I connected with Lizzy a lot over similar struggles in life. Overall, it’s a heartwarming story!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is my second Jayci Lee romance, and I'd have to say it is my favorite of the two so far! My favorite part was definitely the bookstore setting and how central books and reading were for our main character, Lizzy. I also enjoyed the scenes with delicious descriptions of the Korean food the characters ate. So mouthwatering!

Plotwise, it was a bit slow for me, and the steam/spice factor was definitely on the low side. This is tamer than other contemporary romance books I've read. I noticed that Jayci Lee's books focus more on the buildup to the steamy parts before quickly cutting to the next scene. While this is enjoyable for some, it is frustrating for me because I'm on the Team Ultra Mega Spicy side of romance!

Other than that, the story is so cute and fun, and honestly, the two MCs were so perfect for each other! I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read all of the author's future books!

to start off, i actually enjoyed this book a lot more than i thought i would. i love a slow burn romance and had been in desperate need of a light & enjoyable read.. this was what i needed! i loved the plot of this book and how it discussed topics of finding yourself (even in your 30s), anxiety, and the pressure of being perfect for your family.

this was a cutesy rom-com type of story with a friends to lovers trope! i would have loved to see more of the background of lizzy and jack on how they developed their friendship a bit more but i enjoyed this book nonetheless!

i would not go into this book with very high expectations of an epic romance but i would recommend for those wanting to read about two friends falling in love with each other as they learn what they want for their own life.

I really, really wanted to like this book but it just sadly wasn't for me, it was just a bit too sweet and sappy for me. However, if you are a fan of Hallmark movies and sweet, slow burns then you'd probably love this book. I think I just prefer a little less rot-your-teeth sweetness and a little more burning for each other. I also wish that the story had been developed a little bit more in the beginning before getting right into the thick of it. I needed a little bit more time to understand the background between the two main characters and how that led up to their relationship, it was just a little too unbelievable for me. It wasn’t a bad book, I think it just needed characters that were a little more realistic..

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC!

I’m not going to lie, for the first few chapters I wasn’t sure if this book was for me. It felt a little too bogged down in mundane details about lawyers and trails and I just wasn’t immediately hooked. But once Lizzy got to Weldon and her and Jack’s romance began to blossom, I was completely on board.

This is a very cute and fluffy friends-to-lovers romance between two sweet, highly likable characters. I loved Jack and Lizzy’s relationship a lot; it felt very real and not forced or problematic at all. The setting, the town and the bookstore, was cute and cozy, perfect for this cozy book.

I will say, I felt like the dialogue between everyone else in the book (excluding between Lizzy and Jack) felt kind of stiff but it didn’t distract too much from the story.

Overall, this was a fun, quick read and I definitely recommend!

4-4.5 stars. This was a cute friends-to-lovers story between Lizzy Chung and Jack Park, who have known each other since age 10. Although this one didn't have an overly angsty vibe and was sweeter than what I usually prefer, this still worked for me. Lizzy is a top-notch attorney working in Los Angeles while Jack is at the family brewery in a small town called Weldon. Both of them are discontent with their jobs, not feeling like they are where they truly belong. Lizzy, being a true book lover, is who every reader can relate to with how much she loves independent bookstores and holding books in her hand. Yet I really liked Jack because he was very down to earth and relatable in his insecurities wanting to explore beyond the family business. The way Lizzy and Jack slowly ramped up their chemistry due to close proximity was subtle, but not understated. I loved how the author made sure to highlight just how much they adored and respected the other person regardless of their achievements, but saw all of the internal core qualities that mattered. Lizzy battles with an issue that plagues her at her job due to the stress, but I liked seeing her be more assertive and vulnerable because she trusts Jack. For both of them, the path to each other also includes taking a trajectory of their own before they find their way back. Again, this was an endearing read that kept me rooting for the 2 main characters.

This was the perfect friends to lovers book I have read in awhile! The type A overachiever MC, the handsome and pining best friend that loves her from afar, discovering your dreams in your 30's. This book was everything!! Highly recommend!

After reading another book with a friends to lovers trope, I thought that trope just wasn't really for me. This book has proven that wrong. I loved these two friends and their path to being more than friends. I think some of it was that they had some nice snark in their conversations, which I like. But also I think it was because it was a very long friendship and used the trope of "guy falls first." All of those elements combined into something I enjoyed reading.

And much of it takes place in a bookstore, so bonus! And Lizzy is an avid romance reader so she actually comments (internally) on various tropes and situations that would show up in the books she reads versus her actual life.

These two friends are at places in their lives where they're not sure they are happy with their careers. And during a time when Lizzy is taking a well-needed break from her high-stress job, she and Jack (bffs for twenty years) decide to try out what it would be like for them to date. Both of them try to play off this trial relationship as not a big deal, but privately each realizes it is a big deal. But neither one thinks the other feels the same way so neither says anything. And each makes personal choices for their lives that they don't discuss with the other. It could be a complete mess (and it is for a time), but this is a romance book, so they figure things out eventually. And the ending scene is fabulous. (However, I didn't feel that the epilogue was truly needed for this book--and I usually love a good epilogue. I would have preferred to just end the book without that.)

So if you want a fun book that has a backdrop of books and reading along with the romance, give this one a try.