Honestly I should probably leave romances alone. They just aren’t interesting for me.

This has the friends to lovers trope with PLENTY of family drama, bucking expectations, and following your heart.

However it follows the formula for romances. If romances are your jam, you’ll love it!

💗𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 ~ Booked on a Feeling💗

💬 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨: Lizzy isn't happy with how her life is going. She's a successful lawyer in Los Angeles, but she is suffering from extreme stress and anxiety. She decided to take some time off from her job, and go stay in the little town where Jack, her best friend of 20 years, lives. There she learns to slow down, to live life for herself, and finds out what truly matter to her. It doesn't hurt that she's suddenly very attracted to her "best friend" who just so happened to have been in love with her since they were 10....but she didn't know it.

This story was so cute! Honestly I don't normally like friends-to-lovers (more of an enemies to lovers gal myself...), but this was definitely the exception. It was so good! I now need to go back and read the rest of this series ASAP because I had no idea there were 2 other books!

Jack. Oh jack you adorable marshmallow. I loved his character, and how he was always there for Lizzy. I loved that he decided to follow his dream even though it scared him to make a change. Lizzy!! I loved her. Poor Lizzy though, constantly trying to live up to her mother's impossible standards. I absolutely loved her growth throughout the story, and how she finally decided to live for HER and no one else. I thought they were both well developed characters, and I really enjoyed their journey in finding themselves.

I listened to the audiobook and I thought the narrator did a really good job!! This is a sweet, lighthearted romance, that deals with sensitive issues well and will have you smiling throughout it! Swipe to see the beautiful cover and read the synopsis!

📖 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮:
• cozy bookshops
• best friends to lovers
• dual POVs
• anxiety rep
• following your dreams
• slow burn / pining
• second chance romance
• books about book lovers

✍🏼 𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧: Jayci Lee
🗓️ 𝙋𝙪𝙗 𝘿𝙖𝙮: 7/26/22
📚 𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: Contemporary Romance
💕 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙔𝙤𝙪 St Martin's Press & Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

I received an ARC audiobook from Netgalley. The narrator does a great job! This is a good book, but it lacked something.

The main characters are all Korean, but they all have regular American sounding names: Jack, Lizzy, Alex, Seth, Tara, etc. The last names are also lackluster: Chung and Lee. I’m not saying that there are no Koreans in America with names like these… but, I feel like it took something away from the book.

I like a lot of the tropes in the book: second chances at love, second chances at figuring out a career, a second chance for a failing book store, best friends to lovers, finding yourself, etc. These are all great, but there was still something missing.

It was cute and sweet and at times sexy and even steamy. I just wanted more from the book.

I think there are so many references to when the characters were 10 that some backstory or flashback might have helped.

#Netgalley #JayciLee #Bookedonafeeling

Meh.
It's fine I guess, but I was bored for the first 30% waiting for the story to get started (it all felt like set up), and then I was annoyed through the second half by the leads' nonsense. The ending solution was evident from the first or second chapter and nothing at all surprised me at any point in the book.

The third act issue came about due to the fact that despite both of them saying it constantly, nothing about their relationship seemed like they were actually best friends. Best friends, for 20 years, but none of his current friends know her name or have ever met her or heard her name in passing? Ever? Okay. They don't actually seem to know each other very well. I think maybe this would have worked better for me if they had been long distance, correspondence buddies for the last decade and this was billed as more of a reconnection story than a friend's to lovers. The details were off and so was the relationship.

It was fine, but, meh.

2.25 stars, 1.5 spice

This book had such cute potential, ugh!
The audiobook narration was good - just took me a bit to stop picturing the YA lead for These Violent Delights since that was the same narrator.

Overall the writing was good, and I liked everything around the bookstore. The time we got with Jack's family was good too.

But the Romance was really lacking for me. There was just way too much miscommunication between them for this to make any sense. I am supposed to believe that these two have been best friends for 20 years but have never discussed their true life goals, or how it feels to be living up to their family's expectations? They have never discussed Lizzie's ongoing struggle with anxiety?
I felt that we didn't get any sort of background on their relationship, we are just supposed to believe that they magically like each other one day - for friends to lovers if we aren't going to see the exact moments leading up to them falling in love, I think there really needs to be some flashbacks to that friendship blooming so we can get a feel for the characters and see that relationship growing.

Spoilers below -
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The idea that two best friends of 20 years would have to separate in order to following their lives goals, and figure themselves out makes no sense. I am also frustrated by the epilogue. They never once discussed kids, or wanting kids throughout the book, they are both just barely starting their new careers and they are already pregnant? And she tells him in the labor room right after his sister gives birth? Being that we just went through whole book where they were deciding what they wanted from life I feel like kids should have been mentioned if that was their goal?

This was so fun. Lizzy wants to find her passion, and her best friend Jack, who's been secretly pining for her for years happens to be right there. I adore romance characters that talk things out and give each other space. This is that. Beautiful, successful people who treat everyone around them with respect. I also share Lizzy's love of a good check list, so the whole thing felt like a personal win. Genuinely fun on all levels and a happy listen. Sex scenes are fade to black, if that matters to you.

2.5*
Not my cup of ☕️

Lizzy is an attorney who just won a huge case! She should be celebrating!
But does she find any joy in this victory? Short answer…No.

Wasn’t the firm proud of her, offering her additional work? Short answer….yes!
So why, and more importantly how does she just up and leave. She devoted herself fully as an associate, fighting for the partnership in a highly competitive law firm. Despite all the sacrifices she turns around and takes a 3 week vacation. Hmmm…..🤷🏻‍♀️

Lizzy decided to spend time with her long-time friend Jack in his hometown of Weldon. But he has more than friendship on his mind. Can the two get on the same page and possibly find romance?

This just read too much like a YA book. But as the heat intensified between the two characters, it just felt off.🙈 I could not get behind this romance.

I listened to the audio version and I had some difficulty with the narration. As the narrator paused a second or two between every single sentence! And I mean every! These dramatic pauses just drove me nuts! I tried increasing the speed but that didn’t help. The gaps were still there but now with a rushed narration.

Sadly the negatives outweighed the positives (perhaps the cover art) and it ended up not being a good fit for me.

Hoping you will have better luck if you give this one a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media

This was such a warm, feel good read. It was like this book was giving me a hug. So many supportive, loving, warm characters; with some really cute funny parts. ⁣
⁣
This was a friends to lovers trope, covering anxiety, self discovery, family drama, and amazing character growth. ⁣
⁣
It was also surrounded around adorable book stores and a brewery which was a lot of fun!⁣
⁣
I absolutely adored the interactions between Lizzy and Jack, and loved how they were besties for so long, tried to be more, but struggled until they knew for sure who their true selves were, knowing loving themselves first could help them love each other better.

I adored the narration of this book! The narrator did such a great job changing voices for the characters. ⁣
⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lizzie Chung and Jack Park have been best friends since childhood, supporting each other through thick and thin as platonic BFFs always do... except for the fact that numbers guy Jack has loved lawyer Lizzie all that time with statistically irrefutable certainty but never had the nerve to tell her. Lizzie has been practically killing herself working up the law firm ladder and just as she's getting to the top, something happens at work that sends her home to re-evaluate. Is this Jack's chance to show her he can be more than a friend?

I loved how real the characters felt, and the way author Jayci Lee fleshed out their families. The conflict will ring especially true to Asian-American readers and anyone who feels those unspoken responsibilities in daily decisions. The love story between Lizzie and Jack was so sweet, realistic, and SEXY! Gotta mention that.

3/5 - Book #3 of a Sweet Mess; Audiobook via NetGalley eARC access.

So I didn't hate this book, it just more of wasn't anything special. A friends to lovers romance with a whole lost of secrets/miscommunication trope. This book was adorably sweet, and even with the spice, was just predictable and nothing different than so many other romances.

Brief Plot: Jack and Lizzy have been best friends their whole lives. When Lizzy takes a sabbatical from work, the two spend more time together than ever, and that time leads to them both questioing the romance between them, and how they could have a romance when they live different lives typically so far apart.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the eARC Audiobook copy of Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee, narrated by Cindy Kay. This is my honest review.

This was such a cute friends to lovers story. I really enjoyed the chemistry and camaraderie between Lizzy and Jack, and how they both had feelings for each other but neither of them wanted to jeopardize their friendship. Their journey to realizing their feelings for each other was so fun and adorable.
I appreciated the dichotomy of how families are different and how their support or their lack of it can shape how individuals see themselves and how they choose to live their lives.
I also enjoyed how this story was for the book lovers, it had all the little idiosyncrasies that abound within the book reading community.
One thing I did not enjoy was the pusedo- miscommunication trope that was the obstacle to the HEA.
Other than that, this was a very readable, enjoyable romcom.

4.5 stars rounded up.

This book came out of nowhere and stole my heart.

Lizzy, a high-strung lawyer from the city, finds herself overwhelmed with anxiety and needing some space to regain her footing with her life. So what is the best cure for this predicament? Obviously, it is moving to a small town (Yes, all of the cute small town vibes are present in this story) for 3 weeks. It also doesn't hurt that her hot childhood best friend, Jack - who has been harboring a crush on her their entire lives, also lives in this town. Oh, and did I mention that the primary setting of this book is in a small-town bookstore? I mean...

The first three chapters were rather slow story-building that was hard for me to engage with and feel invested in. However, once the story got going, I could not step away from it.

This is the kind of wonderful rom-com that has you smiling like a giddy little weirdo the entire time you read the story and for a good long while afterwards.

Not only was this book ADORABLE, but it was also laugh-out-loud funny. People definitely gave me funny looks while I grinned and laughed along with the audiobook while walking around the city and sitting in the coffee shop I haunt. No regrets here.

While I tend to prefer for dual perspective books to have two narrators for audiobooks, the narrator did a great job making it clear when a perspective changed without the reader feeling disoriented when perspectives changed. Definitely recommend the audiobook for this one.

What are you still doing here? Go read this book.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Cindy Kay, via NetGalley. An advanced reader's copy of this audiobook was provided to me via NetGalley by Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.

It took a while for me to be interested in this, I won't lie to you. I listened for maybe two hours before I finally cared about what was happening.

It was really cute in the end, but it took a while to get there.

I really wanted to love this book, but it sadly didn't deliver what it promised.

Multicultural representation? Check
A failing book store? Check
A cute premise? Check

Sadly none of that potential delivered. The characters didn't have backgrounds and I found it difficult to connect with them. They also didn't do anything for most of the book. Nothing starts to happen until 1/3 of the way into the book. Even then, it's slow and not much happens.

Disappointed by this one overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC copy.

Let me start out by saying my favorite romances are the ones where they’ve been friends forever. There are few things better than when the couple met as kids and somehow finds a way to make it work as adults.

The other thing that I love is when a friend gets out of the friend zone. It’s so satisfying and so darn relatable that I gush over it every time. Jack has loved Lizzy enough to be there for her for everything throughout the years but still cherished their friendship enough to not want to ruin it. He was convinced it would never work.

Lizzy has spent her life trying to make other people happy. She battles anxiety long enough to decide she needs a vacation. After her vacation Lizzy realizes that her job is the true issue and ultimately quits her career to become a book store owner. (Also love when authors write about avid book readers and book store owners.) She loves Jack, but not enough to stop following her dreams.

I don’t want to ruin the ending but it’s really really adorable.

I really appreciated the importance of mental health and self discovery in this cute story. But overall, it was a struggle. Booked on a Feeling was very predictable and cliché. I listened to the audio book and had issues with the narration; I kept hearing something in the background, maybe a chair squeaking? I’m not sure. I did enjoy the ending, which helped continue to highlight the themes of self discovery.

A fun friends0-to-lovers story that includes family dynamics, personal growth, and the stories we love.
When Jack and Lizzi decide to give way to their feelings and cross the intimidating friendship line, they find more than love waiting for them on the other side.
Lizzi is ready to make small changes in her life, the high stress of being a successful lawyer in LA is literally giving her panic attacks.
Jack is hesitant but desperate to make a change in his own life, but that means leaving behind the family business and braving a new career on his own.
When two friends support each other and lift each other up, there's nothing they can't accomplish. Add in love and books, and you've got the perfect summer rom-com.

What’s got you, “Booked on a Feeling”?
Reasons to give this one a read:
Bookstore aesthetic
Friends to lovers
Slow burn
Multiple POV’s
Small town vibes
Soul searching
Realizing a career isn’t the only important thing in life
I read Jayci Lee’s other two in this series and was sooooo excited when I saw a third one coming out.

This was a sweet friends to lovers romance between Lizzy and Jack. I love that it was Jack that was pinning for Lizzy since he was 10. I wished we got to see more of their younger days to see why Jack loved Lizzy so much.

I enjoyed the slow burn and Jack was just the sweetest. I enjoying seeing their individual journey to do what makes them happy and how that created the rift and how it turned out.

That narration was good but at parts a bit monotone for me.

3-3.5
This was pretty cute; it was kinda predictable and a bit cheesy but it was a good 'brain off' read. The beginning had more promise then how it ended but it was still a very cozy romance book. Ok... I by no means hate this book but there are also quite a few things especially towards the end that kinda irritated me;
-the weird 4th wall breaking because that happens especially towards the end isn't my favourite because it took me out of the story too much, she kept saying oh well it's like x trope and stuff to like analyze their relationship and it bothered me quite a bit
- it ended with her saying she was pregnant and it just felt like abrupt
- the ending felt rushed

ultimately I don't think this book was bad, I think I just read this at the wrong time to fully enjoy it

*i got the e book arc as well as the audio arc so, thank you netgalley, dreamscape media, and st martins press for the arc in exchange for an honest review*