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.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. This was my first book by this author. It was a sweet light hearted romance with a HEA ending.
Donovan owns a bakery with his 2 best friends and they also are all NFL players. However, the bakery isn't doing as good as they had hoped and are trying to find a way to keep their dream alive. Headed to ask his NFL boss Mrs. T for pointers. He never dreamed he would leave with a new employee.
Jada just hasn't found her way yet. She's trying but always ends up failing and making more of a mess for her life. She has a meeting with her grandmother, owner of the Knights football team and hopes she can talk her into letting her have her trust fund early. But her grandmother has a different idea.
Really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what happened to August!

Fake It Till You Bake It is an adorable romcom about an NFL star who owns a cupcake store with some of teammates who ends up in a fake relationship with the granddaughter of the owner of his team to help her quell rumors after she rejected a proposal on a Bachelor kind of show. I mean, a fake dating trope mixed with football players who bake and a reality tv show star, how perfect is that? Really, this book just brought me joy, particularly during a really stressful week. It was sweet and mushy with witty banter, goofy supporting characters, laugh out loud moments and a make you weak at the knees romance. The perfect escape.

An NFL player that bakes cupcakes? I don't know about you, but that's all you have to give me to sell me on a book. Something about big and tough but with a sweet side just calls to me.

Jada has recently returned home after rejecting a proposal on a reality dating show. She finds herself working for Sugar Blitz, a new cupcake bakery, with NFL player Donovan as her boss. But a simple reporter misunderstanding turns into a chance to save the bakery from going under and fix Jada's reputation with a simple catch-- Jada and Donovan have to fake dating. How hard could it be?

Fake dating is a trope I find myself picking up again and again. They can often be a little predictable, but I think most stories are and that does not take away any of the cuteness, or steamy moments, between these two. Their chemistry is addicting and there's not just the sweet, fluffy moments as we see some more complicated moments and how they impact our lives: addiction (gambling), social media, family influence. Not only was I smiling my way through, but shedding more than a few tears during these deeper scenes.

Emotional and captivating, I couldn't help but be drawn to this short, but memorable, read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Jamie Wesley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute romantic comedy with a slow burn, fake relationship. Jada and Donovan meet under unusual circumstances and end up working together. Parts made me smile and Jada's struggle to find her place in the world was at moments sad. I'm sure we will being seeing more of these characters in future books.

I loved this book. I mean how do you say no to beautiful main characters, cupcakes and comedy.

I enjoyed reading about these characters, they have a little meet cute thing going on here, maybe a smidge of enemies to lovers. It was a little over the top with the "bad guy" and I honestly didn't believe that part but I was already so in love with Jada that I just cruised past it.

This is a great summer read, it's quick and easy. The characters are likable and the story isn't too deep. It would be best read by the pool or in the sun.

He's black, he plays football AND he bakes cupcakes?! What more could you want in a love interest? 2022 is the year of black romance and I am devouring everything that is being published, this book was no exception. I loved this story. The chemistry between our main characters created the most beautiful dynamic and it made the story so fun to read. The love was a little quick, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Thank you #Netgalley for an early read of #FakeitTillyouBakeit