Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio!!

I LOVED this book! It was a bit slow in the beginning but then boom I was hooked!! I finished it in one sitting! My first by this author but will not be my last!!

Thank you NetGalley, Spotify Audiobooks and the author for this ALC in exchange for an honest review

Firstly I love a book that is about baking and food and this book did not disappoint at all. What I love about this book is that it integrates real life issues such as gentrification seamlessly into the story and it's placement within it makes so much sense. In that way it gives the story more depth and a better understanding of the characters, who they are and their values which in this book was exceptionally. The development of the relationship was fun and well paced. 

Jamie Wesley made all of the characters feel so real and relatable and the narration from Jaime Lincoln Smith and Nia Serge was amazing.

A Legend in the Baking is the perfect low stakes contemporary romance. I'm always a little wary of second-chance romances where there's been an issue but Jamie Wesley manages it really well. August is a delicious strong-and-stoic athlete who alos co-owns a cupcake store and his life is turned inside out when Sloane, the sister of one of the other owners, takes over managing a social media storm and marketing their business. It passes the giggle test. August and Sloane are well matched. It also has realistic mild peril in their relationship trajectory that gives the story momentum. The dual narrators are excellent.

Narrated by the talented Jaime Lincoln Smith and Nia Serge, A Legend in the Baking by Jamie Wesley is a delightful blend of romance, humour, and the irresistible charm of cupcakes set against the backdrop of social media. The narrators bring the characters to life, adding depth and authenticity to their emotions, making the story more engaging and memorable.
The story begins with August Hodges, who becomes an unexpected local sensation after a passionate rant about the importance of women bakers goes viral. His sudden fame is both an opportunity and a challenge, mainly when he works closely with Sloane Dell—his best friend’s younger sister and his long-time crush.
Sloane, a savvy social media manager, leverages August’s newfound popularity to boost the bakery’s online presence. The tension between Sloane and August is palpable from the start, and their shared history adds complexity to their interactions. Their chemistry is undeniable, and their playful banter keeps the narrative lighthearted and engaging.
One of the book’s highlights is its realistic portrayal of the dynamics between past infatuations and present attractions. Sloane’s teenage crush on August and its emotional fallout feel authentic and relatable. With his mix of charm and stubbornness, August is both endearing and infuriating, creating a compelling push-and-pull dynamic in their relationship. Their journey is filled with moments that make you cheer for them and others that leave you wanting to shake some sense into them.
While the story delivers plenty of charm, parts of it feel predictable, and the resolution of their conflicts, though satisfying, comes across as a bit rushed. The supporting characters, including the other bakery partners, add flavour to the story, but some could have benefited from more development.
Overall, A Legend in the Baking is a sweet, romantic read with heartwarming moments and a sprinkle of tension. Perfect for fans of romance, social media antics, and baked goods, this book, combined with its excellent narration, will leave you craving more.

4.25/5

First, can we talk about the cover and how gorgeous it is? I can't wait to track it down and put it next to Fake it Till You Bake it.

I think Jamie Wesley really hit her stride with this sequel. I was 100% invested all the way through. The push and pull of August and Sloane along with their yearning, was so good!

Jamie Lincoln Smith and Nia Serge did such a good job. Adding a male narrator for the male lead point of view character was a great move.

Now, are we going to get a third book? Because I want it! What viral social media moment will Sugar Blitz have next?

Thank you to Netgalley and Spotify Audiobooks for this Early Audiobook copy.

I received a copy of this audiobook from netGalley for a honest review.

I really liked the first one in the book series so when I saw the NetGalley release of the book I jumped on the chance to have it. I think this one was better then the first. August was a great character, so brilliantly sp[eaking the truth throughout this book. Sloan was a great counterpart for him and I completely understood her hesitation to get together with August after their history 12 years prior. A wonderful romance!

I really enjoyed the first book so I was excited to read Sloan and August's story. August is one of the owners of the cupcake store who is also a famous athlete and is BFF with Sloan's brother.

A situation goes viral and Sloan ends up being the social media content manager for the store and takes advantage of August's viral moment for the new location.

There's history between the two and we get to see what happened 12 years ago.

I enjoyed their interaction but didn't really love how other treated August. Like total strangers grabbing him just felt so odd. There was a lot of subplots which I also enjoyed.

I enjoyed the narration by Jaime Lincoln Smith, Nia Serge.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the audiobook.

This was a cute story. I really like this world with the NFL players running a cupcake business. I liked how mature the characters were at the end during the final conflict. However, if found it a bit slow and sluggish at times.

August was supposed to be the silent partner in Sugar Blitz Cupcakes until his impromptu feminist rant about how women bakers are the backbone of the industry and baking cupcakes isn’t a threat to masculinity goes viral, making him the hottest bachelor in town. With a new location in the works, August and his partners decide to capitalize on this perfect opportunity to help cement their place in the community. But the hiring of his best friend’s younger sister, the woman who has haunted some of his best dreams for years, was as much of a shock as his new-found fame. Social media manager Sloane fell hard for her brother’s best friend the moment she met him more than a decade ago. Still, she accepts her brother’s request to revamp the bakery’s social media presence to take advantage of August’s newfound popularity, knowing it’s the big break her fledgling career needs. She’ll just ignore the fact that August is sexier and sweeter than any man has a right to be. They vow to leave the past in the past. But when an explosive make-out session makes it clear their attraction burns hotter than ever, Sloane and August are forced to reconsider what it means to take a risk and chase your dreams. As they’re both about to find out, all’s fair in love and cupcakes.

I was able to listen to the audiobook narrated by Jaime Lincoln Smith and Nia Serge and I think they did a fantastic job. This book is definitely a slow burn but has so much tension and banter that it had me dying for when they actually got together. I will say it’s brought up a good bit that August is a pro football player but that part of his life doesn’t really come in to play in the story other than making a connection between him and the other owners of Sugar Blitz. I kinda wish it was either a bare hint or more played into. This was definitely one of those warm and fuzzy romances and shoot I’ll totally be a Sugar Baby 🤣🤣 cause August was definitely swoon worthy especially once he got out of his own way.

SUper cute follow up to the super cute book 1!

I love getting to know the love story of friend groups!!

I adored the courtship here and of course the delicious treats and descriptions are a plus!

I loved the first book in this baking x football romance, so I knew I had to read this one. I like the behind the scenes look of expanding a business and being a social media manager. The cupcakes sounded delicious. There's a great examination here of social media and what it looks like to work in it. I also appreciate and am interested in the conversation about gentrification. It’s a slow burn, and I like how the author built up the relationship through flash backs to their previous attraction as teenagers.
Spotify Audio ALC

Thanks St, Martin's Press and Netgallery for the ALC of A Legend in The Baking, book 2 of the Fake It Till You Bake it Series.

READ IF YOU LIKE:
- Second Chance -ish romance
- Brother's Best Friend
- SLOW burn

Review:

Reviewing this book is kinda hard for me because while I enjoyed some of the playfulness of the story, it felt SO flat for me. The reason as to why they were not together, or they didn't communicate their feelings were just not enough for me to believe the sloooooow burn of this book. It's a very low stakes book that had potential to be extremely sweet, but sadly it is forgettable. However, I did love the narrators and how they told the story, as well as the writing! Will be looking forward to read more from Jamie.

I started not liking the female main character but damn she won me over! She had so much trauma from her parents that she just couldn't let love in. That male main character broke my heart that poor man had a rough go of it in the love department I'm glad they got their love and both deserved the best!

A Legend in the Baking
A Novel
by Jamie Wesley
Narrated by Jaime Lincoln Smith, Nia Serge

I received an ARC of this audiobook through Netgalley

Both of the narrators were great. I would have enjoyed some parts of the audiobook to be dual narrated.

The premise of the book is great too.

I think something is missing from the book, but I don’t know what. It was good. Certainly worth a listen.

4 ☆
-
I enjoyed how August Hodges' impromptu feminist rant about how women bakers are the backbone of the industry and baking cupcakes isn't a threat to masculinity went viral. Sloane Dell is a social media manager whose brother is August's best friend. A Legend in the Baking is book two in the Fake It Til You Bake It series. While this is a series, these books are stand-alone and don't have to be read in order. The beginning of this story held my attention and went at a decent pace, but once you hit the middle, it kind of slows down.

The audiobook is a dual narration, and I enjoyed it! Actually, I loved it.
The female narrator (Nia Serge) is someone I normally listen to when she does fantasy, so it felt a little weird to hear her do romance.
The male narrator is a favorite of mine (Jaime Smith), and I love hearing his voice!

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬:
•Slow burn
•Black Romance
•Brother's bestfriend - to - lover
•Second chance
•Dual Timeline (Past and Present)

Thank you, Netgellay, and Spotify Audiobook for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This was a perfect romance listen! I loved seeing a complicated love story through the eyes of a smart and motivated social media manager and a plain and simple good guy. This story not only has a sweet romance with perfect tension, but it also navigates conversation about race, gender, and gentrification in a really honest and nuanced way!

I was granted access to an audio arc and I highly recommend reading it in this format. I adored the voice of Sloan!

Sugar Blitz Cupcakes is owned and operated by three friends who happen to be professional football players; however, they don’t publicize that. August Hodges, one of the owners, doesn’t want any recognition since as far as he’s concerned, he’s a silent partner. That is until his feminist rant goes viral and all of a sudden, he’s the hottest commodity in town. They’ve just acquired a new location and decided that maybe the social media attention will be beneficial.

Sloane Dell, the sister of one of the owners, has had a crush on August for over a decade, but since he rejected her all those years ago, she’s had to keep that in check. She agrees to help with the social media aspect of the bakery since it may help land her a job that she’s applied for, but being around August will be a challenge.

Sloane plans to do her best to not have feelings for August, but what are the chances that August has feelings for her?

I enjoyed the fact that there were two narrators. I always find it easier to listen to a book that is being told from two perspectives when there are different narrators.

Thank you to NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks for allowing me to listen to an ALC of this novel. #NetGalley #ALegendintheBaking

A Legend in the Baking was a cute friends to lovers story . I liked the premise but got terribly bored by the end. The narration was good but not great , overall sitting at a 6/10 with me preferring the female narrator.

Thank you Netgalley and Spotify for the free alc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. This is book 2 in the fake it till you bake it series. I enjoyed book the first so I was excited to read this one.

If you read and enjoyed the first book you're gonna wanna read this one. What's not to love an influencer and a footballer oh did I mention is best friends little sister.... one of my favorite tropes.

Suggest giving it a try

4.5/5☆

I loved this story and the dynamic between Sloane and August! Can I also add, if my local bakery was run by professional football players I'd be in there every day?! This is definitely a slow burn, but so worth it!

I loved these narrators! Definitely brought the story to life and had me smiling and laughing throughout!