Thank you Jamie Wesley for a fun romance to read. You will enjoy the characters, cupcakes and romance. Happy Reading!

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book through Netgalley. And these are my honest opinions about it.

After turning down a proposal on a reality dating show, Jada Townsend-Matthews is receiving quite the backlash. She starts working at a cupcake shop in San Diego, alongside the owner Donovan Dell — a professional football player. When they are mistaken as a couple, they realize that pretending to be a couple would help bring more customers to the shop and help Jada’s image.

As a fan of reality dating shows, I loved all of the talk of being there for the ~right~ reasons, capitalizing on social media after the show, etc. The book takes place after the show aired, but there is still lots of talk about her experience on the show, which I loved! I am not a big fan of baking (or cooking in general 😂) so while I couldn’t relate to the joy of baking cupcakes, I still thought it was a cute premise. I didn’t necessarily feel connected to the characters — but I liked how different Jada and Donovan were. They complimented each other well.

Fake It Till You Bake It is a cute story with various elements that I enjoy. I was just hoping to love it more than I did!

Read if you like ~
🧁 baking
🧁 fake dating
🧁 reality dating shows
🧁 opposites attract
🧁 enemies to lovers

First, thank you to netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read and give an honest review!

This was such a sweet read, pun totally intended. Fake It Til You Bake It will in face give you cavities from its sweetness.

Jada and Donovan spent a fair amount of time denying their feelings, building up the tension with superb banter, and then finally coming to that incredible moment… like finally sinking your teeth into the most delicious cupcake!

I did notice a couple of grammatical/spelling errors, which for me can be distracting and take me out of the story a bit. And I found at times that it was a little repetitive (we’re told quite frequently about Jada’s desire to get through the six months and get her trust fund early on in the book). Also, I felt that the tone of the dialogue didn’t always match the character description (Jada and Donovan have a fun banter… but he’s described as a curmudgeon, he just doesn’t always seem that way. It made that uptight description seem a bit forced).

Overall, though, I absolutely loved this book and would very likely read it again and recommend it to anyone who loves a storyline like this one! Looking for something with a kitchen food fight scene?? Hell yea, this is the one for you!!

Oh me oh my. I can’t even express to you how thoroughly I enjoyed “Fake It Till You Bake It” by Jamie Wesley and how badly I am craving a cupcake.

Jada and Donovan, our enemies to lovers/fake dating couple, are magnetic and one of my favorite romcom couples. They had incredible chemistry and I looked forward to seeing them on page together every single time. I also loved them as individuals who have their own issues and are working on that. I felt a kinship with Jada, who like many in their mid-twenties is just Trying To Figure It Out. I adored Donovan and really appreciated what Jamie Wesley did with his character and his relationship with being financially stable. It was incredibly relatable.

I also love love loved the side characters. From Mrs. T to Olivia to Nicholas and August (who I CANNOT wait to hear more from). I’m thinking we’re getting a sequel or companion novel following August, but I am also very much looking forward to hearing more from Nicholas hopefully. I think I stan? I love a good player turned serious monogamous trope, what can I say.

Something I found super refreshing with “Fake It Till You Bake It” was that we got our classic tropes, but we weren’t burdened by a lack of communication between the love interests. Jada and Donovan were always so honest with each other in moments when most romcoms take a turn and everything falls apart because of miscommunication. Spoiler for the end (if you don’t want to see spoilers, skip the rest of this paragraph): I fully thought when Lila was blackmailing Jada, that Jada would leave Donovan in order to protect him and explain none of the situation–not that she is the type of character who would do that! Her going to him is exactly what she would and did do, but I have romcom trauma. Usually that’s the part where secrets and miscommunication run wild. It was really nice seeing a fully healthy relationship represented on page.

Anyway, I really loved this book and these characters and the representation and I hope to read more from Jamie Wesley soon.

Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley is a smoking hot read! Cute, light, a fun read if you are a fan of the "fake dating that becomes real" trope. Fake It Till You Bake It also looks at family relationships and the ways that family expectations can cause damage. There is also the opposites attract trope here as well. One warning - you will walk away wanting cupcakes!

So i really tried to get into this book, but i did not like the characters at all. I am all for fake-dating but i just kept reading and reading and could not get into these characters and their story.

I have an infatuation with rom-coms centered around food. This book was no exception. I loved the cupcakes and the relationship in this story. Loved the enemies-to-lovers trope.

Jada Townsend-Matthews, cupcake shop critic, heiress and reality show star matches wits with Donovan Dell, pro football player/real estate investor/cupcake baker.

This book contains enemies to lovers, fake dating, one melding grandmother, interfering siblings, parents and friends, the hazards of social media and there are men who bake cupcakes! Fancy designer cloths and shoes are traded for polo, khakis and Crocs.

The epilogue perfectly sets up the next book in the series by leaving us wondering what is happening to make one of the partners go viral.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book. Opinions are my own.

I have heard so many good things about this author, so I was very excited to read one of her books. The story follows Jada and Donovan in an enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine baking romance. Donovan is a NFL player who, in the off season, owns and operates a cupcake shop with two teammates. The cupcake shop is struggling and Donovan is trying to turn that around. He's a man of lists, objectives and plans. And then in walks Jada. She's a chaos queen, and his newest employee thanks so some family connections. She is fleeing her last disaster as a villain on a reality dating show.

They have a meet cute in line for a cupcake, with Jada insulting the shops decor and saying the cupcakes are probably stale. Their banter is funny and charming.

I enjoyed the characters and the author took a lot of time to explain the motivation of the characters. I liked all the elements of this book, but the pacing was a little slow for most of the book. The last quarter of the book is where a lot of things happen all at once and are quickly resolved. I do wish this had been spaced out a bit, but I enjoyed the ending. There is sequel bait in the epilogue, which, honestly, hooked me completely. Excited to read more from the Sugar Blitz team!

#FakeItTillYouBakeIt

After two chapters, I decided to stop by my local cupcake shop to read this and eat a cupcake or two. Donovan is a pro football player that co-owns a cupcake shop. Jada is trying to lay low after a reality show break up. When they first meet, Jada trash talks the cupcake shop and Donovan can't stand her. As fate would have it, the two end up working together and start "dating" once word gets out about Jada working at the cupcake shop. Sparks fly between these two characters. I really enjoyed reading about the chemistry between these two characters. Jada got on my nerves in the beginning and eventually grew on me.
Looking forward to the other books in the series.

25 year old, Jada is a reality star who recently got caught in some contriversy. Due to this, Jada has been keeping low on the radar. Since she is trying to keep out of the light, she is not able work and is therefore not able to make ends meet. However, at 26, she is supposed to come into an inheritance - all she needs is to hang on for a little bit longer.. that is until her grandmother sets her up with a job at a local cupcake shop.

Donovan is a famous football player who enjoys baking and decided to open up a cupcake shop. Which is a smart move since football isn't forever. What he did not count on was for the shop to be somewhat of a fail.. that is until he meets Jada.

Jada is feisty and always speaks her mind, but more importantly, she has a dream of being an influencer. She has a way with a crowd and a way with fashion. This puts a smile on her face because she is still living under the radar, but she is doing what she loves - minus the baking. In the midst of her new job, she helps spice up the cupcake shop - this seems to draw in the crowd. But of course, she is discovered and in come the wave of questions.

Caught in a sticky situation she turns to Donovan for help and the two end up in a fake dating situation. Can these two stick to business, or will feelings develop?


This book is a slow burn. They "fake" kiss pretty early on, but the rest takes time to develop. I was thankful this was not fade to black, but definitely very light on the sexual encounters.

If you like fake dating, books that revolve around baked goods, strong FMC, FMC with dyslexia, non-playboy MC, football player (but not heavily revolved around sports) YOU WILL LOVE THIS!

I really loved Donovan and how he treated Jada. He was never callous and was always so kind and gentle. This man has some patience too.

*Thank you Netgalley for this arc; however, this is my honest review*

This book just wasn't for me.

Which makes me sad because I was really looking forward to this book. I have nothing against it, it was a mostly cute story but that was kind of my problem. I feel like I've read this exact story before and this time it bored me. I'm also thoroughly done with the "save a failing bakery/restaurant" storyline The conflict between the two characters at the beginning didn't make sense to me and then when they got together, I didn't feel the joy I expected to. I really wanted to love this book, but sadly did not.

Cute premise. I did not fall in love with the characters. The writing was pretty good.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley and I’m reviewing it voluntarily.

Fake it till you bake it was cute. At some points it was difficult to stay interested in the story. I also can't decide if I like the fake dating for work storyline.

I did like how the girl changed at the end.

This was a 3.5 but since I can't leave half stars here it's a four star rating.

A professional football player that bakes? Sign me up! I seem to love romances that involve food and romances that involve sports, so to find one that combined both was a double win! Reality TV comes with its ups and downs, and that is exactly what Jada is experiencing after turning down a proposal. It was like a behind the scenes look at The Bachelor. This one was super cute and swoony, steamy and fun. Throw in a fake dating trope, and I am sold! Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read a digital copy of this book!

I don’t read ~a ton of romances but every once in a while, I like to throw one in. And fake dating is one of my favorite tropes so win!

This was cute and definitely kept me reading. I love that most of this story happened in a bakery and I loved that Donovan is the one who bakes! (I’m not a huge sports fan though so it’s cool that he’s also a football player but I’m glad this story took place in the off season!)

The only thing I didn’t totally love was the writing. It was a bit clunky and the dialogue was wildly unrealistic at times but it wasn’t enough to make me stop reading.

So overall, I thought this was good. It’s not my favorite romance of all time but I did really enjoy it!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Overall great characters and concept but I felt the story dragged in places. The chemistry between Jada and Donovan was there but could have used more romance, since the book falls under the rom-com genre. I do appreciate the writing style and concept. I would definitely read another book written by Jamie Wesley.
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Thank you, Sara Da Cotti from St. Martin's Press and Net Galley, for allowing me to read an ARC of Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley. This is the first novel that I have read a book by Jamie Wesley.
I absolutely fell in love with all her characters. Jamie Wesley weaves a wonderous story that tugged at my heart, laughing out loud, and loving the world that I was visiting in for a time. Let’s not forget that it involves on my favorite desserts (or a snack), cupcakes.
Jada Townsend-Matthews and Donovan Dell seemingly a chance moment when a reporter sees them together and thinks that there is some heat between the two of them. When the two of them learn of this, they use it for their own advantage, to spotlight Sugar Blitz (love the name), and rebuilding Jada’s character. Soon, real sparks start to fly between the two of them, will they build on those feelings, or think that it because of they are trying to spotlight his business and her real personality?
I truly, truly loved Fake It Till You Bake It. I cannot wait to read another book by Jamie Wesley.

A feel-good romance guaranteed to pull you out of a reading slump and brighten up your day.
Sparks fly immediately between Donovon and Jada when they bicker about the cupcakes at Donovon's bakery Both of them are secretly smitten but dislike each other at the same time. This leads to a lot of adorably sweet scenes between them when Jada begins working at the bakery and they have to try and get along. I loved watching their friendship develop and it wasn't long before they couldn't deny the attraction between them. I loved that their romance was angst and drama free. They were open and honest with each other which meant that there wasn't the typical conflict arising from poor communication. Instead, the drama was generated by their united front against trolls on social media, family pressures and drumming up business for the bakery. I loved watching Donovon and Jada overcome their difficulties together and some of my favourite scenes are when they were trying to support each other but got caught up in the moment. Their baking together on TV was one such scene; cute, funny and romantic.
There are great side characters in this book from the book club members, and cupcake customers to Donovon's business partners. The scene is set for them to get their own stories and I definitely want to read them!

Fake It Till You Bake It is a cute, funny, well-written romance about a cupcake-baking football player and his owner's granddaughter, who is in a bind. I enjoyed the characters, setting, plot, and the delicious descriptions of cupcakes!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this delicious ARC!