I absolutely a d o r e d this book 😫😫. The first 90% of the story is just so 🤌🤌 Jayci Lee does such a great job weaving a friends-to-lovers storyline around one of my favorite things--a book store!! This is the third book of A Sweet Mess series, and although the first two books have been on my TBR forever 😫, this can definitely be read as a standalone. There were def some nods to the previous couples though, so I'm excited to go back and read them and see the storylines intersect hehe. My only issue is that I feel like the whole Third Act Conflict was so contrived and anyone could see the proper solution from a mile away, but at least it wasn't dragged out for very long. However, this is definitely one of the cutest contemporary romances I can't wait to come out this year!!

Lizzy (who's fav book happens to be Pride & Prejudice hehe 👀) finally gets to lead a trial--a major step of her lifelong goal of making partner at her law firm. But after she passes out in a panic attack, she begins to realize she's super unfulfilled with her life. And what better way to figure out what she really wants then visiting her bestie of over 20 years in his small town!

On the other hand, Jack feels like he's not really doing anything important in the brewery business he runs with his siblings. He also has been in love with Lizzy for two decades 😶. To achieve his business dreams, he begins recruiting for a consulting company called McBain (every time ii read this I cackle HAHAHA) which is conveniently located in LA, the same city as Lizzy hehe.

Lizzy and Jack hang out together for three weeks in his small town, hanging out with the fam, jogging around to see all the sites, and of course--helping out the ailing indie bookstore that Lizzy is temporarily living above. Through sweaty days building furniture or going on local adventures, can Jack get Lizzy to finally fall in love with him, or do they have to walk away forever repressing their feelings 😫?

Oh the relationship development in this book 😫😫😫 How I love a good old denial of feelings. What absolutely gets me in books is when characters are like "ugh why am i feeling this 🤮🤮 must get away" but also absolutely CANNOT resist their partner 🤩. This book is so filled with the 'i don't want to ruin our friendship but I'm so in love with you' angst. and I AM HERE FOR IT. The chemistry between is S I Z Z L I N G, and they are soooo adorable together. I actually really love how committed Lizzy is to exploring this new ~thing between them even though SHE wasn't the one pining over the other for 20 years 👀.

In terms of plot, I was able to predict the exact storyline and final resolution within the first two chapters, which is not necessarily bad in romance. In fact, I like it when I'm able to predict the plotwise events so I can focus on the relationship side 🤩. Oh however, HOWEVER, the plot diverged a bit within the last 10% of the book, taking what I feel like is quite an unnecessary turn to exaggerate the Third Act Conflict. Certain things seemed very illogical when a quite simple solution to ALL their problems was presented withing the first few pages of the book. The choices they made and the way they treated each other seemed quite a bit out-of-character. But thank god this didn't last very long at all. Once they got their heads screwed on straight, and pulled back to the optimal resolution, we were able to reach that HEA 😍😍.

Overall, I loved this book sooo soooo much. The last 10% did detract a ~little bit from me, but my love of bookstores and angst will always overcome some major character missteps in name of Romance 🤩. Definitely pick this book up if you love friends-to-lovers or want to read a wholesome bookstore romance hehe.

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Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you for this ARC!

I could not stop reading this! I absolutely loved Jack and Lizzy!

This was a sweet friends to lovers romance that also tackled some other great topics.

Anxiety
Fear of disappointing family.
Questioning career choices.

Lizzy and Jack’s chemistry was undeniable and the tension…. 🥵 I read in one sitting because it was addicting!!

This was such a fun read and I cannot wait to read it again once it’s released!

Oh my feels! Friends for a long time, finding what you really want in your life, friends to lovers, just all the sweetness. Lizzy and Jack are the cutest and I am so in love with them. A book about books and bookstores and the adorable cover is what drew me in at first, but the wonderful flow of words and characters kept me in a splendid lovely book hug through out.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC to review. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise. ~

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was… most certainly a book. I found the writing to be very cheesey, but not in a good way, just in a “this is annoying” way. I think the main reason I didn’t like this book was because one, I don’t like the friends to lovers trope, and two, I disliked all the main characters. Lizzy is just annoying and gives off very ~I’m quirky~ pick me vibes, and JACK. AUGH. I’m supposed to like him, and think the whole I’ve-loved-you-forever trope is cute, but it’s honestly just pathetic. I think reading about grown adults is also weird for me because I am not an adult with a job soooo. Overall, not my cup of tea.

Quick Summary: Charming and sweet.

My Review: Booked on a Feeling: A Novel by Jayci Lee was so very charming and so very sweet. Although it started rather slowly, it eventually picked up the pace and remained on a steady course. From the mini-reunion that kicked everything into high gear to Lizzy's final to-do list at the end of this story, this romance proved to be captivating.

There were many things that I loved about this story. A few notable things that stood out were:
1) I loved how Lee gave a nod to Asian culture throughout this book. From showing readers a picture of family traditions to meals served to words of communication - it was beautiful to read on the pages of a contemporary piece.
2) The friends-to-lovers storyline is always a winner in my eyes. As I read Lizzy and Jack's story, I found myself cheering them both on. I wanted each character to achieve his or her individual dreams just as much as I wanted them to reach the summit with their relationship. It was cuteness that they - best friends forever - both got the feels for each other.
3) The realistic picture of what different families look like was so well depicted, in my opinion. I loved seeing how Jack's family was so loving and supportive of both protagonists. I also liked seeing the "Tiger Mom" scenario played out between Lizzy and her mother. It was a hard truth that actually exists. With the addition of that simple element, it really stood out in a big way.
4) Lee did a fabulous job when it came to the funny- haha chemistry formula. Jack and Lizzy were hilarious. (I particularly loved the entire Karaoke scene. I must say, however, that I was so not ready for Gangnam Style. I'm laughing even as I type this review.)

My Final Say: All in all, this story was about so much. It was about love. It was about family. It was about relationships. It was about working through challenges. It was about personal growth. It was about finding home.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: NA/A

Sincere appreciation is expressed to the author, publisher, and NetGalley who made a digital ARC of this title available in exchange for an honest review. The words I have expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way by the aforementioned.

* A Goodreads review has been posted.

4/5 stars - I have... feelings about this book. Classic friends-to-lovers, falling in love in a book store, mushy feelings everywhere kind of story.

Lizzy Chung is an extremely burnt out lawyer barely holding it together. Exhausted and clearly in need of a break, she leaves L.A. and ends up in Weldon. There, she's set to spend three weeks with her best friend who has been crushing on her since childhood, Jack Park. Trying to stay busy, Lizzy commits herself to helping sweet, overwhelmed Shannon in remodeling her struggling book store. Lizzy inevitably pulls Jack into the project, and they spend two weeks pretending they aren't actively (and quickly!) falling in love.

Lizzy is driven, persistent, and generally not shy. A lot of thought has clearly been put into her character. Her values, goals, and desires were evident throughout the book and she's a remarkably likable person. Jack, however... fell a little flat. I don't remember a whole lot about him besides the constant pining for Lizzy in his inner monologue and his insecurity about being the bookkeeper for the family brewery. I almost felt like Lizzy deserved better.

The romance itself was adorable. The timing of the dates and the vividness of their time spent together felt realistic and comfortable as a reader. This is more than I can say about several of the romance novels I've read so far this year.

The initiation of the relationship was a bit confusing, though. I love friends-to-lovers and I was really looking forward to That Moment where everything clicks, but it didn't really come. One second, they were normal friends like they always had been, and the next, Lizzy was trying to smother her intense attraction to Jack. To me, there wasn't a believable reason for the change in their dynamic.

This was an adorable book and a quick read. It just needed a pinch more depth in places. Kudos to Jayci Lee and huge thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this for free! If this is your genre of choice, I recommend picking up a copy when it comes out in July.

Booked on a Feeling by Jaycee Lee is a story of self-exploration with respect to careers and relationships. Lizzy is an associate lawyer at a Los Angeles law firm and the novel starts with her having a panic attack and fainting during her first trial, which she subsequently wins. Winning the trial does not quite give her the satisfaction she expected it to and she takes a three week break from work, ending up in Weldon, where her best friend of 20 years, Jack lives. The next three weeks involves Lizzy and Jack exploring their relationship, grappling with career changes, learning to break away from family expectations and helping to fix up a small bookstore. The book was a delight to read.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for an eARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Booked on a feeling by Jayci Lee was such a cute friends to lover romance!

Liszt has worked hard to get where she is in her law firm but her anxiety is pushing her to an edge she’s terrified to fall over. Her best friend Jack is always there to support her and when she needs him most he is there to pick her up.

Deciding to take a much needed vacation she goes to Walden where Jack lives and steps into a life she didn’t know she needed.

The ups and downs of this friendship to romance is written in such a way that you can not help but to root for them to fall in love.

Missteps abound between the two but can they find their way to a happily ever after??? You have to read this book to find out!!!

Definitely recommend if you love a good comical romance!!

Lizzy knows exactly what she wants: to be a partner at a law firm in a big city. Winning her first case in Los Angeles should have put her well on her way, right? Not exactly. The burn out is real, so Lizzy takes a three week vacation to the small town of Weldon where her best friend Jack lives.

Lizzy and Jack have been best friends for 20 years, but Jack has longed for more with her since they were kids. When Lizzy comes to town, Jack is convinced he needs to move on from his feelings until Lizzy starts wanting more.

I thought this was a really cute book, but Jack & Lizzy lacked chemistry for me. Jack was so unsure, and despite agreeing to take things slow, Lizzy was overbearing with her feelings.

Loved this sweet story of self exploration and books. Seems like somewhere in every librarian's fantasy there would be a bookshop to reorganize and make pretty, doesn't it? Really enjoyed this low key novel. Just what I needed in these crazy times.

Okay, so Lizzy and Jack are my absolute faves! Lizzy is trying to please her mom with her career yet realizes it might not be what she truly wants in life. Jack feels the same way about his job at his family's business. They're besties since preteen years and literally so complimentary to one another. I feel inlove with both of them! I am ALWAYS up for bookish themed books, this has alot of great small bookstores included in it. Lizzy even has a TBR list as long as mine yet wanting to buy more books. (I think we can all relate to her!) I loved the character development that happens and how the story just flowed so seamlessly throughout. Great light read! Tons of laughs in between the cuteness!

This ARC was given to me to review from the publishers and NetGalley. All comments above are solely my true opinion after reading this book.

I’m fully on board for light-hearted, romances regardless the ages of the characters, but the protagonists read too juvenile for 30-year-olds, and they were way too much in their heads angsting over everything, which rendered them rather unrealistic to me.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!!
I was super excited to read this when i first read the description
I was hooked the whole entire time i loved the contemporary romance and friends to lovers trope
This is the first book i have read of Jayci lee and i loved her writing so much. I liked that it’s a book about books and how they bring a bookstore back to life and fall in love during the process .

LIzzy is suffering from a burnout so she goes back to her hometown. She reunites with her best friend Jack who secretly has a crush on her..... It's a very charming, light-hearted romance. I love how sweet Jack is. There is a lot of sparks between them... and the books moves along at a very nice pace. It's so nice to read a friends to lovers book done perfectly.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I love rom coms like this!

A sweet, romantic read about two lifelong best friends who fall in love and spend time in a bookstore. Nothing too complex and yet a nice, light read.

Jack is everything you could ever want in a cute guy who loves and adores you—he’s thoughtful and kind and SO hot when he wants to be. And Lizzy is so hardworking and a badass and I loved the way she fell in love with her best friend. This book is like drinking a sweet frothy milkshake at the bookstore with your best friend.

I would totally recommend this for those adore the friends to lovers trope!

Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee is such a charming and adorable read I enjoyed so much. The story is totally romantic, lighthearted with two amazing characters. I didn't realize this was part of a series but I had no problem reading it as a stand-alone.

The main romance trope in Booked on a Feeling was not my favorite (miscommunication-friends to lovers), but I still enjoyed it.
Overall, this a quick read romance you'll enjoy!

Huge thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy to read and review.

This book had some tropes I did not like. I’m just not a friends to lovers person, I read way more enemies to lovers. Honestly I prefer friends to stay friends in this case. Which brings me to the second thing I disliked: miscommunication trope. I liked that this book had Korean rep, that it showed it’s okay to take breaks from life, it also represented anxiety, and the plot followed around keeping a bookstore around! If you like friends to lovers and can deal with miscommunication, I’d recommend.

Firstly, that cover is gorgeous! I absolutely adore it and cannot wait to have that lovely pink spine on my shelf.

This book ks every bookworm’s dream - fall in love with your best friend while in a bookstore. Lizzy needs a break from her law career so she takes refuge in her best friend’s hometown and decides to help out at the local bookstore too. She learns about herself and her feelings for her best friend, Jack, along the way.

What I liked: Obviously the book connection was my favourite part. I also dream about running away to a bookstore so Lizzy was relatable in this regard. As well, I am a sucker for, ‘he has secretly been in love with his best friend since they were kids,’ trope.

What could be better: I felt the sparks in this book but it just never really caught fire for me. That is to say, it was fine. I never felt fully connected to the characters or their relationship. It wasn’t slow burn or had the yearning I wanted. It was extremely insta-lovey on Jack’s part.

Nonetheless, I still adored this and cannot wait to hype this one up to all my friends. Will definitely be buying a physical copy!

Whenever in doubt, just pick Ms. Lee’s books but honestly they would never ever disappoint anybody. I have waited so long for this book and the wait was worth it. It was such a cute, quick and an enjoyable read for me, honestly made my entire day. The beginning might be a little slow in the beginning but the ending quite made up for it. So, it was a 4.5 stars read for me

a slow start, but things really picked up once lizzie made her way to weldon. we love friends-to-lovers with some STRONG pining!

#netgalley