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!

Loved the concept but found the story to be a bit over the top cheesy. Recommend if you're a hardcore romance reader, but not so much if you read a bit of every genre.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. all opinions are my own.

Wesley has written a swoon worthy romance that you won't soon forget! This is a brilliant romance that I believe should be on every romance fans TBR. It's fun, it's witty, it's sexy and oh, so much fun! I loved getting lost in this!

Fake It Till You Bake It was a fun, lighthearted fake relationship romcom with a very gentle, low stakes, low steam romance. I loved the representation and the bakery setting, even though I'm not really a cupcake person. 🙈

Jada and Donovan were both likeable characters but I found them fairly one dimensional, Jada especially. I never really connected or got invested in their relationship, and the last third of the book dragged a bit. The writing also made Jada feel really young to me.

Overall this was just an ok read, it was a solid romcom but nothing really stood out about it. I would have loved a little more... everything. That said, I think Nicholas and August are both potentially more interesting characters, so I'm looking forward to their stories!


Thank you to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love to bake. And I love to read about baking. I also love San Diego - it;s my favorite place. To top off the trifecta, I love football. Tada! Fake It Till You Bake It delivers a story that is as tasty as I'd hoped for. I easily fell for Jada and Donovan, and wanted to see the bakery succeed!

If you’re looking for an escape, this is a fun romcom. Donovan is a professional football player, gorgeous, and owns a bakery! What more could a girl want?!?!

Throw in a fake dating trope and a hilariously sassy female protagonist and you’ve got yourself this sweet romcom.

This was adorable.

The romance was perfectly cheesy in all of the best ways.

I was super excited for there to be steam, I feel like it is very hard to find a sweet romance that is also open door lately.

The bakery talk and cupcakes made me hungry!

Overall this surpassed my expectations!

Fake It Till You Bake It was a great read by Jamie Wesley.Jada Townsend- Matthews turned down a proposal on a reality dating show and became the most reviled woman in America. She goes home to lick her wounds and finds herself working at San Diego's newest cupcake bakery alongside the uptight owner and professional football player Donovan Dell. A reporter mistakenly believes they are an item and they realize they can use it to their advantage. The want to help the struggling bakery and rehabilitate Jada's image. I enjoyed reading this book and cant wait to read more by the author.

Such a cute romantic comedy. Lighthearted and heartwarming. I loved the storyline, the character development! Very well-written and looking forward to reading more from this author.

Have a cupcake or two on hand when you read this book. This is a fun, lighthearted romance with fake dating and enemies to lovers. A reality TV star and a pro football player come together to pretend they are a couple. Let the fun begin! Somewhat predictable, but a quick read.

This is a deliciously cute rom-com! It has everything from a meet cute that has Jada insulting Donovan's bakery thus turning them into semi-enemies, to a fake-dating scheme, and to all the yummy cupcakes. This is for those who love their romances light and funny with a side of some more serious topics. A great summer read!

Donovan Dell is a successful professional football player for the Knights and the co-owner of Sugar Blitz, a new cupcakery in San Diego. WIth profits declining for the past six weeks, he knows he needs to do something to keep his dream alive.

Jada, granddaughter of the Knight’s owner, is a reality show star who is hated because she turned down a marriage proposal from the show’s bachelor on national TV. When her grandmother proposes she work for Donovan to gain some real world experience, neither Jada nor Donavan think it is a good fit. However, when word gets out that Jada and Donovan are dating, Sugar Blitz becomes the newest hotspot in town.

Fake It Till You Bake It checks all of my boxes on paper: meet-cute, fake relationship, friends-to-lovers, and cupcakes. Jada is no-nonsense and freely gives her opinions. Donovan is a number-crunching, reserved man who doesn’t care for all of the negative social media attention following Jada. They clash, but there is a strong attraction and mutual respect. However, when backed into a corner, Jada implies Donovan is her boyfriend. Thinking Donovan would rebuke the lie, she’s surprised that he plays along. And both are shocked at the positive responses, which lead to more sales. Of course, there is only so long they can pretend when the attraction is so strong. I appreciate that Jada took the time to figure out who she is before committing to something bigger.

As cute and perfect the book should have been, something was lacking for me. The premise is perfect: a bit of sports, fake dating, finding one’s self… but I never fully got into the story, and there isn’t one specific reason why. The characters are enjoyable, likable, and together they make an adorable couple, yet both fell a bit flat. Donovan’s character isn’t all that memorable, and Jada had all of the issues. Additionally, I didn’t care for the storyline involving the TV producer who wanted to connect with Jada. The whole thing felt a bit contrived and unrealistic. And finally, a huge pet-peeve of mine, the couple literally gets their HEA on the last page of the book.

In the end, I really wanted to love Fake It Till You Bake It but I just didn’t. Still, if you enjoy fake relationships, reality TV, and cupcakes, this one may be a winner for you.

My Rating: B-

3 Stars
This had a lot going for it...
I mean who doesn't love cupcakes! Also, the man is an NFL player, big, manly, and yum. He crosses paths with a woman who was a reality player...she is feeling the wrath of the social media public because she turned down the coveted proposal on Nation Wide TV.

Due to a number of situations, she starts working at the cupcake store, a reporter thinks he has a scoop of them being a couple, and both decide to make a go of the scheme to make the store popular and her more Social Media Loved.

It is opposites together, attracted and fake becoming true.

Getting to happily ever after has bumps in the road for Jada and Donovan. From instant attraction to internet famous gone wrong, the couple finally figures out what is holding them back and get past the family baggage and their past relationships to find love and a forever together. Throw in some really good cupcakes and you have a great romantic read.

Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley is out today. Thank you @stmartinspress for a review copy.

Fake dating in a cupcake shop with a hint of celebrity culture? Don’t mind if I do.

Jada made it to the finale of a popular dating show just to turn down “Mr. Perfect” and now she is unsure of what to do next all while being bashed online. Donovan owns a cupcake bakery that isn’t doing as well as hoped while waiting for his pro football contract to be renewed.

Jada ends up working at the cupcake store and they end up fake dating to bring customers to the store and to distract people from the dating show.

This was a fun read. Great for the summer, especially if you have access to cupcakes because it will definitely make you hungry. Jada also has dyslexia and I liked the way it was discussed.