In the third installment of Lee's Sweet Mess series, we finally get to see one of the Park twin's fall in love. Jack considers himself the least important part of his family's business. He's convinced his life hasn't started yet, worse than that, he's been in love with his best friend since they were 10 years old. How is he supposed to tell her this when she's this amazing high powered lawyer and he's just balancing the books for his family's brewery?
Meanwhile, Lizzy doesn't know if she's really happy. Maybe taking some time away from Los Angeles will get her back on track to becoming partner?

I adore Jayci Lee's sweet mess series. I also adore the "I love books" trope. This book was both and made such a cozy romance with just that small bit of spice.

Lizzy is an up and coming lawyer in LA, when she finds herself suffering a panic attack in the court room. She decides to take some time off and return to her hometown for some R&R; deciding to take it easy and help at the local bookstore. Jack, her childhood friend who has had a crush on her for the last 20 years is thrilled! He has 3 options on how to handle this situation and he isn’t sure which option is the best. Does he keep her in the friend zone or risk it by telling her how he has always felt?

I went back to read my review of The Dating Dare (the previous book in this series about Tara and Seth) and I realized, I have a similar review for this book. A lot of sexual tension and not much character development. I thought Lizzy, for a lawyer, was rather childish and whiny. I couldn’t take her seriously. I know that she was mostly interacting with her childhood friend, Jack, but her bubbly vs. pouty were a bit irksome.

The narrator (maybe that is why Lizzy sounded so whiny) was okay. There wasn’t much difference between voices for characters. I had trouble remembering who ‘voice’ it was - were we seeing through Jack’s or Lizzy’s eyes. Maybe this is one I would have preferred physically reading instead of listening too.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. A great story idea, but it just wasn’t for me. I will probably still read Alex’s story though when it’s released. I am interested in the brooding twin of Jack.

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.

Love the best friend to lovers trope! You could feel the chemistry these two had. I prefer a little more spice but this was just right for the storyline. Lizzy & Jack are a very cute couple and I enjoyed the issues they touched on that young adults deal with.

I wanted to love this because it sounded so cute. Unfortunately, it was very predictable and boring. There is nothing different from this book than any other friends-to-lovers book. The dialogue is stilted and awkward. The premise was good but the execution was not there.

I really wanted to like this one. And I’d be willing to give it another chance In book format but the audiobook just wasn’t for me. I tried 4 times and just couldn’t get into the story. The narrator wasn’t my favourite it just felt like I kept on getting lost when trying to follow along. Would be willing to try again In a different format but for now giving this book a one star and a DNF.

Overall, “Booked on a Feeling” is cute, but falls a little flat for me. I liked the main love interests, however the conflicts were resolved too quickly, leaving very little drama to help move the plot along. For me, the beginning/ the middle when they were first getting together was the most interesting. Like all the conflicts introduced, the ending felt rushed. Additionally I listened to the audiobook and felt the narrators performance did not enhance the tile.

If you enjoy character driven rom-coms this would be a good choices.

Thank you, NetGalley for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this one! Lizzy is a great lawyer but she really hates the grind of it. After a particularly grinding case that started with her having a panic attack and passing out as she was starting her opening statement but soon recovered and came back to win the case she is taking a much needed vacation. She finds herself in Weldon in the apartment over a bookstore owned by her friend who is the sister of her best friend. Jack and Lizzy have been best friends since they were 9 years old and Jack has been in love with Lizzy for nearly that long. With them in the same town and Lizzy "helping" out in the bookstore will the friendship remain that way or will those lines be crossed as fast as Lizzy is crossing checks off her to-do list on renovations. These two were so fun to watch come together. Watching Lizzy blossom and find herself was beautiful. I think the best part was that ending though. Definitely had me swooning!

This was an adorable friends to lovers. I loved the narrator. She was great to listen too. I enjoyed the third person with duel POV. It’s a sweet heartwarming love story. I loved how they were both finding themselves and falling in love at the same time. 3.5 stars. Rounded up to 4.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this Audio advanced copy of Booked on a Feeling.
It was a cute story. It kept me invested and I loved the outcome.
Will I recommend it?
Absolutely.
The narrator did a wonderful job.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and Dreamscape Media, for my complimentary copies of Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrators were great. I would recommend it!

Lizzy decides she needs to take a break from her big lawyer job after experiencing a panic attack in the courtroom. She returns to Weldon, where she spent summers with her best friend, Jack. I appreciated Lizzy and her “overachiever” mindset and needing to check off all the items on her to-do list. I am the same way.

Jack and Lizzy are lovely characters, and I didn’t want their story to end. Jack and Lizzy have been friends for so long, and both try and push down their feelings. They decide to work together to help a local bookstore with some necessary revamping and remodeling while Lizzy is in town. Sparks start to ignite between the two once they realize they have the same feelings.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this Audio ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 3/5 Stars
Publishing: July 26, 2022
Series: Booked on a Feeling
Pages: 320 / 9 Hrs, 42 Mins.

I’ve read only one other book by Jayci Lee and it was pretty nice. So, I decided to request this audiobook entitled “Booked on a Feeling” that is a story of Lizzy Chung and Jack Park. Lizzy and Jack have been best friends for over 20 years and love each other in a friendly sense. It wasn’t until after Lizzy collapsed during her first trial from an anxiety attack, that she realized that her anxiety wasn’t going anywhere and that she needed a bit of R&R to get herself back on track. Here’s where her childhood friend, Jack enters the picture.

Jack lives in Weldon with his family who owns a brewery. He is set to relocate himself from the place and family when Lizzy re-enters and visits him until she can get back on her feet. While in Weldon, she tries to re-establish an old bookstore… a way to relax.

What I liked about this book was the cultural aspect as the Lizzy and Jack are Korean-American and they bring their experiences with community and food throughout the story. Unfortunately, the narrative was not for me, and thought the book moved a bit too slow. I do love a trope of friends-to-lovers but the romance was a bit weak too. There were moments while listening that I found myself skipping ahead.

Angst and tension seem to not be there between the characters and couldn’t grasp a chemistry building relationship between the two. Narration was performed by Cindy Kay, new narrator to this listener. I believe my disconnect was due to the narration as it didn’t come across as having dual POVs. Maybe if I read as a standalone, there maybe something different in my review but for this audiobook, I can’t say that it hit a home run for me. Modestly rating it 3.0 because of the ending seemed a bit more realistic and I so loved the bookshop backdrop, Korean culture/community and food in this story. Haven’t given up on this author and hoping to get a 4-5 Star in a future reading.

Final Rating: 3.5 stars

Booked on a Feeling follows Lizzy Chung and Jack Park, two best friends that have known and loved each other for 20 years. After Lizzy wins her first trial at a prestigious law firm, she expected relief and happiness, but instead, she was overwhelmed with anxiety. After accepting that her mind and body need a break, she leaves LA and attempts to unwind in Weldon with her childhood friend Jack and his family. While in Weldon, Lizzy has the opportunity to revamp a bookstore to help keep her mind off her lawyer job.

I read Booked on a Feeling through the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator and her tone with both characters as the story has a dual POV. Both characters are Korean-American, and aspects of distinct cultural experiences displayed throughout the story. This is especially evident with the delicious food eaten throughout the story and interactions with older community members. One of my favorite aspects of friends to lovers is the existing trust that shines when the couple gets together. I wished there were more flashbacks of their friendship and how they maintained it over the years as they grew and had different professional and personal experiences, especially with it being long-distance. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet romance that tackles parental approval, self-esteem, perfectionism, friendship, and overworking in the hopes of getting validation.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was ok, but I honestly got a little bored. I didn’t even really care much about the relationship situation. I actually think I cared more about the bookshop. It just felt more intriguing. It was ok, but the slow burn felt like a crawl.

Read if you like:
* childhood friends to lovers
* mutual pining
* bookstore / small-town setting

Based on the above, this book was set-up to be a success for me, but unfortunately it was just OK. This is my second book by this author and I just don't think I jive with her books. I honestly felt like the romance was the weakest part of this book. I found myself fairly bored and not at all consumed by our MCs and their relationship.

This book was packed with so much great stuff! First of all, I loved the female lead and how much of a badass she is. I loved the risks she took and how she went against everything to follow her dream and make herself happy. There is so much that she went through and had to deal with, especially her toxic & controlling parents. Yet, she freaking did it ! There is mentions of anxiety and panic attacks so please be mindful, as it can be very triggering. I have dealt with anxiety in the past & a lot of what she went through, I was able to relate with her. Also, I was taken away with the steamy scenes. Which I loved !! Overall this is a book I enjoyed and loved !

Although goodreads says it’s part of a series, it definitely reads as a stand alone. Very sweet with just enough spice without making it smut.

What I liked about this book:
-friends to lovers
-bookstore backdrop
-dual POV

What I didn’t like:
-The audio didn’t have dual narration. It was really hard to follow the audio with one narrator doing both characters. Unfortunately, giving each character their own voice was not this narrator’s strong suit.
-Slow start; so much so that I probably spaced out about 40% of the book. I was never able to fully engage with the story. I probably would have DNF’d it if it hadn’t been an ARC.
-Lack of communication, growth, and chemistry
-I would have liked more history on their friendship. It’s mentioned several times that they’ve only seen each other once or twice a year for many years - how did they keep the friendship going?

Sadly, this one just didn’t do it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Booked on a Feeling had a lot of things I enjoy in a romance: dual POV, small town vibes (and bookstore vibes!), and friends-to-lovers.
I've personally read a lot of books lately where the main character is a lawyer, and she's usually killing it, so when this book started out that way, I wasn't sure if this was the right time for me and this book. However, when we learned more about Lizzy and her anxiety, it felt like a fresh take.
Ultimately, this book is about two people trying to find what brings them joy. Lizzy takes an unexpected vacation from her high stress job to go visit the small town her best friend, Jack, lives in and ends up volunteering at a bookstore. Jack, trying to find a job outside of the family business, is thrilled as he has harbored a years long crush on her.
It felt like the beginnings of a cute romance, except it never really got there for me. Jack's internal monologue bugged me, as he apparently has loved Lizzy for years but as soon as things take a romantic turn, he had such cold feet. It just felt juvenile and like a game to me. And on the other hand, Lizzy's feelings seemed to take a complete 180. The writing felt more telling than showing, and maybe that's why I didn't feel very connected.
There also didn't seem to be a lot of tension, both characters were seemingly going through the same dilemma with their jobs and breaking away from their families. The tension in regards to the romance and ruining their friendship just seemed unbelievable.
Unfortunately, I did not connect with the narrator and felt it amplified my struggle to connect with the characters.
This book is part of a series, but is easily read as a standalone.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Okay, this was such a cute story. I love a couple who loves each other and have no idea. 😂

And then the book store backdrop, along with the friends all around them, ahhhhh.

Lizzie is fun. I like that she’s type A but still cute and quirky. And, obviously, as a book lover I relate so much to a safe space being surrounded by books. Love it. 📚

Jack is so cute, pining away for his bff. I mean, the guy is smart and handy and he loves her so much. The way he holds it in, but makes it so obvious to everyone buy them. 🥲

I wish their interactions were a bit sweeter. As soon as they realized they liked each other, they were making out or jumping into bed. Which is fine, but I’d have liked a little more romance than sexual frustration. 🌶 🌶 Around the 70-85% mark there’s quite a lot of spice happening that I skipped over. Their romantic pieces are mostly reserved for their own pining, and the epilogue. 🥰

I listened to the audiobook, and Cindy Kay narrated. If you listen and wonder where you know her from, it’s probably These Violent Delights— saved you the Google search! I liked her narration in that series, and this was just as good. Her inflections for the male vs female make the gents seem stoic. 😅 I like it. Anyway, give it a listen! It’s a cute story!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4848377942