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

Such a delicious, sweet treat! Fake dating while baking by gorgeous footballers – how fun is that??

Jada Townsend-Matthews is a social influencer currently being ravaged by on-line trolls for refusing a marriage proposal from the “bachelor” on a wildly popular reality show. She’s in hiding and trying to blend in some place where nobody knows her. Jada and her bestie walk into a cupcake shop and the owner challenges her to deny the yumminess of his pastries.

Donovan is a pro footballer and cupcake entrepreneur as a side gig. He co-owns Sugar Blitz with his baller buddies and is thrown off by the beauty currently side-eyeing his cupcakes. At a meeting with his team owner, Mrs. T (AKA Jada’s Grandma), Jada coincidentally walks in looking for employment advice from “Grams” (AKA Donovan’s Mrs. T). Grams offers Jada as an option to help Donavan’s bakery up its game in the cupcake playing arena.

Jada’s sucky meddling parents are cutting her off and she has several months before she can gain access to the trust fund her Grams has set up for her. So, she NEEDS the job – being an impulsive and insecure trust fund socialite isn’t going to pay the bills her lifestyle requires. Donovan has based his life on setting goals and sticking to obtaining those goals in an orderly fashion. In other words, no time for any drama queens.

A pesky on-line entertainment blogger/journalist recognizes Jada at the register. Suddenly there is a real kiss (for show) and the couple is thrust into a fake dating relationship and another social media blast. Lots of back and forth – are they fake dating or should they really take the chance on a real relationship hilariousness. Once the jilted “bachelor” shows up begging for Jada to reconsider her marriage refusal, Donovan knows Jada is it for him. Sorry, too late -- now she decides she needs to find out if she can make it on her own. Don’t worry they get their HEA in a grand finale, and it is swoon-worthy for sure.

Fake It Till You Bake It is a funny, charming and sexy read. Jamie Wesley does a superb job of mixing the humor (come on, a cupcake baking football player) and the craziness of the social media bullying obstacles. She also weaves some fun side characters who will be making MVP appearances of their own in future installments. Overall, an enjoyable, Instagram worthy rom-com for the summer beach reading season.

I was provided an ARC from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an honest review.

This book was okay. It was very predictable with an "enemies to fake lovers to actual lovers" trope. I didn't feel a connection with the characters so that's one of the reasons for only rating this book 3 stars. This book should be able to stand out because of the diversity and POC representation, but I just really didn't like the main character Jada combined with that I feel like I've read a bunch of different cupcake/dessert/bakery romances in the past and I'm just kind of over them. I had higher hopes for this book, but it just felt like it fell flat.

Sadly I didn't enjoy this. I made it to half way and I was just bored. There was only one kissing scene and it lacked consent. Nothing else was really happening. She was going back and forth to work at the cupcake shop and people were rude because of who she was.. It just kept going on and on that way.
There was never any real world building. It was just like telling us the setting but not telling us anything about it. If you're going to say something is sterile, tell us why. I know Donovan said he thought the steel was great, but I would have liked it more had they been talking about the way the place smelled, and what drew people to it. I guess I just wanted more.
Maybe this is because I built this up too much in my head. I was thinking of that bakery by football players in Austin, Tx (since I'm in Texas) and maybe I was too eager for it to be like that? I don't know, but I just couldn't get into it. This review is a bit after pub date because I had planned to listen to the audio so I could at least finish it, but there wasn't one.
This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. And unfortunately, it didn't deliver for me. I was bored and I wanted more. Just more everything. (Well everything besides the repetition lol)

We all know how much I love romances set around food, and Fake It Till You Bake It is no exception. It is a quick and easy read that had me smiling throughout the book.

I loved the progression of Jada and Donovon’s relationship. Of course, it was obvious that they would end up in a real relationship, but I truly enjoyed going on the journey with them. Donovon clearly respects and cares for Jada and is willing to stand up for her when she is belittled by her parents. Jada not only comes into her own professionally while working for Sugar Blitz, but she also helps the business develp and grow. It is clear as you read that they make each other better as romantic partners should.

I appreciated that Fake It Till You Bake It turned gender norms on their head. It is a group of professional football players who own and run the cupcake bakery, and the young woman who comes to work for them almost burns down the shop. Similarly, many owners of NFL teams are men, but the San Diego Knights is owned by a powerful woman of color.

I’ve been reading a lot of books recently with different takes on Bachelor-style dating shows, and it was interesting to get the perspective of someone who had been on the show and experienced negative reprecussions from turning down a proposal on the show. It sets Jada up as someone with integrity as she was unwilling to get engaged just for the sake of television. The book also sets up Dr. John, her potential fiancé as someon akin to a comic book villain.

I do enjoy when a romance novel highlights the main characters’ relationships with their families. I love that Jada is close to her grandmother and wants to prove herself to her. The book also begins with a conversation Donovon has with his sister. Of course, Fake It Till You Bake It also addresses Donovon’s strained relationship with gambling addict father and the ways Jada’s parents make her feel inadequate. These familial relationships shine a light on the way Jada and Donovon behave in romantic relationships.

I was expecting Jada and Donovon to break up at some point towards the end of the book, but the way it happens felt abrupt and forced. It made the ending feel a little rushed and like Wesley was just trying to hit certain expected points in the story.

Of course, I immediately had to get a cupcake upon finishing Fake It Till You Bake It. Grab a cupcake and dig into this delightful romance.

“Fake it Till You Bake It” was a cute book, but the development of the main couple’s romance just felt so rushed to me. I didn’t really get to root for them because it was so sudden with little anticipation, which I found hard to become emotionally attached to. The bedroom scene was hot, but I believe there was only one and given he quick development of their attraction/relationship, I was a bit surprised by that. I appreciated the inclusion of showing why stereotypes can’t be trusted, Black medical statistics, and learning disabilities inclusion. It was a decent romance, but not one of my faves. 3 stars ⭐️. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley.

Read/Listen If You Like:
❤️ Romances in the Spotlight
❤️ Fake Dating
❤️ Enemies to Lovers
❤️ Dual POV
❤️ Slow Burn

Book Review:
This was a cute slow burn Romcom with the premise of fake dating that was mutually beneficial as Donovan’s cupcake shop needed the business that their public fake dating was bringing to the shop and Jada needed her reputation to be rehabbed after dumping an eligible bachelor on national TV.

What I liked: the banter and build up of their relationship through the fake dating and the interconnection between them to help along the storyline of their fake dating scheme. I also liked the length and payoff of the slow burn as they didn’t jump right into bed and didn’t do so until they declared real feelings for each other.

What I didn’t like: the references to Donovan being a “principal” and Jada being a student that was in trouble when he would talk in stern ways as her boss. It just felt weird and creepy to describe it in that way when I think of principal and student being completely unacceptable dynamic and frankly gross to reference.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book! I am so grateful to obtain a copy to read in advance of its release in exchange for my honest feedback!

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The title and the cover originally pulled me in and then I read the synopsis and I knew it was going to be a book I would enjoy.

I struggled to get into it at first because I wasn't really liking the characters. Jada comes off as a ditzy spoiled rich girl who doesn't care about anything but fashion and looking pretty and I wasn't getting on with Donovan's personality. That being said the further into the book I got the more and more I started liking the characters and the more you find out there is more to them then what meets the eye.

This is a fake dating, opposites attract romance. I would say there is a little bit of instalust happening as well, but I didn't mind that. With fake dating I always expect something to happen that will break the couple up in the end for them to inevitably get back together a few pages later. There was a lot of things happening that I was sure was going to break them up, but they always stuck together, and I loved that which is why when the breakup still happened it came out of the blue and really didn't make sense to me.

This book was funny with a little bit of steam thrown in as well as dealing with some hard topics. I hope the author plans to write more books because I would love to get a book for Donovan's other 2 friends as well as Jada's friend.

Super cute fake dating romance. Great character development, a meddling but adorable grandma, an NFL star who breaks with convention and bakes, a strong female protagonist, really there's nothing not to love. This is a fun romance that I'd quickly recommend to pretty much anyone.

I really liked this story. Jada and Donovan were amazing characters. I loved the way they met at his cupcake shop. Definitely not the best circumstances, but it was entertaining. They had great chemistry, and I loved the dynamic between these two. Jada was a sassy, fierce woman, who was just trying to figure out her life. I enjoyed her journey. Donovan was stuck in a safe life with no passion and adventure. They balanced each other out wonderfully. Definitely recommend this book.

Fake dating and cupcakes are definitely an easy way for a book to make it onto my TBR pile and this book definitely knocked those two out of the park. The initial meeting was fun because it wasn’t insta-love and all their banter in between made them a fun couple to read. I also love Nicholas and August, as well as Olivia and Grams. The side characters added to the story and I always love when they know the mains and don’t let them get away with ignoring their feelings. This book did start out slow for me but picked up and had me loving them after the first few chapters.

Fake It Till You Bake It is a sweet love story about a professional football player who loves to bake. Excuse me sir, get out of my dreams, get into my pants!

Donovan plays for the NFL and owns a struggling cupcake store with two other teammates. He meets Jada, a mouthy, internet-famous former contestant on a reality dating show. She’s also the granddaughter of Dominic’s team owner and somehow he’s never heard of her ever. Due to nepotism, Jada is hired to sell cupcakes.

Stern, football daddy immediately falls for the lighthearted Jada and goes along with it when she pretends to be his girlfriend when a nosy reporter shows up…And that’s about it. There was too much “ I have dyslexia and people don’t take me seriously” and “we’ve gotta make this cupcake store profitable” and not enough smearing frosting upon and then licking it off all the body parts. Less talk of the threat of the cupcake empire crumbling and more “Ya baby, you can lick the spoon”. I needed sex in the back office during work hours. Sex on the football field. Sex in a vat of cupcake batter.

So overall, this was ok. It’s a nice, fairly low steam romance. If you are looking for a cute romantic confection, this would fit the bill. If you are looking for people doing kinky things in a commercial bakery that the department of health would frown upon you may want to look elsewhere.

Smut- 2.1 stars
Romance- 3.9 stars
Story- 3.78 stars
When your kinks aren’t OSHA approved- 15 stars

I love reading and baking, so a book about baking is a win win situation for me. This book was very funny and I loved the banter between Donovan and Jada. This is a very cute story and a very enjoyable read.

Cute read! I wasn't sure what I was getting into, but I couldn't put down my Kindle.

When Jada Townsend-Matthews walks into Sugar Blitz, a new cupcake shop in San Diego, she gets herself into trouble with her big mouth as usual. Her best friend, Olivia, wanted a cupcake and she dragged Jada with her to make sure that she got out of her apartment where she's been hiding. Jada was on a dating reality TV show where she turned down a marriage proposal, because she went with her gut. It was screaming at her to run. Now people on social media are attacking her at every turn. So she's hiding in her condo and ignoring all media platforms because the haters in the world didn't agree with her decision not to marry a guy.

Jada had a very privileged childhood, she grew up with money. But her parents, both whom are doctors, were always disappointed with her. She wasn't a genius like her sister was, so she ruined their perfect family image. After college in NY, she traveled around Europe trying to find herself. But after agreeing to do a reality TV show, ignoring her parent's pleas, they have now given her 10 days until she's cut off. She can live in the condo that's owned by her family, but no more credit cards and allowance. Now she needs to convince her grandmother to release her trust fund before her 26th birthday, that's 4 months away.

Donovan Dell is the best running back in NFL history. After a rough childhood with his father gambling away their family's rent every month, he vowed to never struggle in life. With his 2 best friends/football brothers, August and Nicholas, they finally opened up their dream; a cupcake shop. All three men love to bake and opening the shop is also something they can do when they retire from football. When the shop first opened up six months ago, they did great. Now its slow due to other cupcake shops to go to. When Donovan needs sound business advice, he goes to Mrs. T, the owner of their team, for help.

But when Mrs. T. asks Donovan to give her granddaughter, Jada, a job he agrees. Then he realizes that he met her the day before when she criticized his cupcakes. Their attraction is immediate but they both know that it will be a disaster to act on it.

But when a reporter sees Jada working at the shop, Jada tells a little lie involving Donovan as her new boyfriend. He's not happy with her lie and when social media goes nuts about their fake relationship he's furious. That is until the next day the line of customers is around the block. Donovan and the guys are thrilled about the traffic and he sees the potential it will bring to the shop. So Jada and Donovan take a few pictures for the crowds and in the process sell a lot of cupcakes. But Jada has ideas on how to help increase business and they work.

Donovan realizes he likes being around Jada, more than he wants to admit. When real feelings get involved, they decide to test the dating waters with each other.

Even though they started out as a lie, they are both falling in love with each other. But when someone from Jada's past starts to blackmail her and Donovan, Jada will do anything to protect him; even end things and leave.

A must read!

Sometimes the first book in a series is fine, but you’re more excited about the secondary characters. This is that kind of book for me. This was perfectly ok but I can’t wait for future books with the more interesting (to me) heroes.

Pros:
I loved that the heroine was a dating reality star who was villainized for saying no to a proposal.

I liked that the icky power dynamic of a owner/employee relationship was limited by having the heroine’s family own the team the hero played for.

Cons:
Totally not the books fault, but enemies to lovers and football players are not my fave tropes. The hero’s personality seemed to be distilled to alpha + football.

As a baker, I was super distracted by how the recipes made no sense…like having the characters start a batter by mixing eggs and flour. And the cupcake flavors themselves actually sounded boring. This book did not make me want to eat cake. And I pretty much always want cake.

I sometimes enjoy poor little rich girl heroines, but I struggled to sympathize with this one. She was fragile with a mean streak, and at first glance, didn’t seem to have many interests outside of herself and fashion.