FAKE IT TILL YOU BAKE IT has three hunky professional football players who also own a cupcake bakery called Sugar Blitz. It also has a reality television star, Jada, who said no when the bachelor proposed to her on live tv. She's not well-liked by the public as a result and ends up working at Sugar Blitz even after insulting Donovan, one of the owners. You'll have to read the book to see how that happens.

Jada and Donovan have chemistry and seem to get each other. All their sniping at each other seems to be covering up other feelings especially after Jada says she turned down the proposal on reality tv in order to return to Donovan whom she had been dating. There are twists and turns to the story along with family issues, lots of drama, football, cupcakes galore along with baking, anger and angst, laughter, tears, romance, loving and love. There is closure and a happily ever after along with hints of what's to come in the next book in the series. I liked the playfulness of the cover.

Ms. Wesley is a new to me author. I've added several of her books to my always growing TBR pile.

"I should have told you that I love you, and I’ll go to the ends of the earth for you.”

#SWOON

Omg this book! A Cupcake Meet Cute sprinkled with fake dating, witty banter and a badass woman finding out her own strength. I'm all for strong women.

Donovan and Jada are a power couple and I just honestly adored them making digs at each other and rilling the other up. 😂

The side characters were the perfect blend of comic relief as well as support for growth for our MC's.

I am a #JaDon fan

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me an ARC! ❤️

I hate to say this, but everything about this book felt fake and it wasn't just the fake relationship from the title. Both leads are too perfect with obvious imperfections to make them feel less fake that didn't really count as imperfections to me. I mean, leading man Donovan is utterly perfect except that he's a logical perfectionist. I don't see how that's an issue. And leading lady Jada is gorgeous and smart and sociable but has dyslexia, so what? It all just read as a foregone conclusion that whatever obstacles they'd run into would be easily surpassed and the HEA didn't feel earned.
So overall, it wasn't a story that I enjoyed.
Then again, it might just be that this particular story was not my kind of cupcake and I missed the whole point of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the read!

A fake romance between a football player/cupcake shop owner and a woman at a crossroads in her life turns real in Fake It Till You Bake It. It’s a romance with a lot of potential, but I struggled with rating this book because I wanted to like it a lot more than I did.

Donovan likes order and Jada’s arrival upends his carefully structured life. She’s the most reviled woman on social media after turning down a marriage proposal on a reality dating show. When she comes into his shop and insults his cupcakes, Donovan is irritated – but also incredibly attracted. Then her grandmother – the owner of the football team Donovan plays for – asks Donovan to give Jada a job and things only get more confusing. Cue a mixture of kitchen mishaps, fake dating, image rehabilitation, and finding love where you least expect it and you have a recipe for a delightful book. Jada is prickly at first, but a lot of that is armor against the censure of the world and those who should love her but have beaten down her self-esteem. Jada intrigued me because her attitude masks vulnerability and a fear of messing up and being judged. She comes into her own over the course of the story and I liked seeing her find her way planning events and becoming a part of Sugar Blitz. Her personal journey was the strongest plotline of this book and I was cheering for her to believe in herself and her abilities, to carve her own path and be able to overcome the haters and the parents who criticize her for being dyslexic and not following in their prestigious footsteps.

Where I struggled with Fake It Till You Bake It was the writing. Jamie Wesley had all the elements of an engaging story but as much as I wanted to fall into it I never did. Jada and Donovan are characters ripe with potential and though there’s a lot I enjoyed about Jada’s personal journey, Donovan’s kind of fell flat (also, he and his partners are professional football players and none of the work or training that goes into that is ever shown). The romance was also flat, lacking any zip or zing that would have kept me from putting down the book as often as I did. That being said, I really liked that Donovan supported and believed in Jada. They fit well; I just wanted some more sparks. The book isn’t bad, but it's slow-paced and never came alive. Add in a last-minute series of obstacles that felt more manufactured than organic and I finished the story feeling just OK about the read overall.

Donovan has two jobs that might at first seem completely opposite: he’s a professional football player who has turned his baking hobby into a cupcake shop, and the shop is struggling to stay afloat. Jada is a reality TV star infamous for turning down a marriage proposal live on national television. The two of them get off on the wrong foot when Jada, never afraid to speak her mind, is critical of Donovan’s cupcake shop. But when his team’s owner – who happens to be Jada’s grandmother – asks Donovan to hire her granddaughter at the cupcake shop, they’re forced to learn how to get along. And when a reporter mistakenly believes that the two are an item, they realize that they can use the press coverage to promote the shop while also providing Jada with some positive press for a change.

It’s a fake dating book! This trope is hit-or-miss for me, and in general I prefer genre or historical romance over contemporary, but this book was very cute. I liked the characters and the way they complemented each other, with Jada getting dour Donovan to loosen up and Donovan keeping impulsive Jada a little more grounded. There were some bits that were cheesy or contrived, but in a romance novel that’s generally part of the territory, so I can get past it. The end seems to indicate that there is a series in the works – and I liked this book enough to pick up the next one if it crosses my path.

Representation: Black main and side characters, dyslexic character

Cute though somewhat quirky read.
The story moved along nicely and most of it was entertaining.
The characters were interesting in their own way.
The setting of the cupcake shop was nice.
Overall, a ok read that will keep you entertained.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.

Gosh this one made me hungry and it was the perfect level of cute and romantic. I'm realizing I am loving well-rounded football players as characters as well so I guess my sports romance bracket maybe expanding.

This book was so sweet! Do I wish I had cupcakes in the house when I read it? Absolutely! If you can, make some cupcakes to enjoy with this one.

Jada and Donovan meet when she visits his cupcake place with her best friend. He overhears Jada insulting Sugar Blitz. His immediate reaction is to want to change her opinion. He wants people to love his cupcakes. And, if he’s honest about it, he definitely wants to impress Jada. She’s a beautiful woman and there’s just something about her.
And if Jada had been honest she might have admitted that she’d never even been to Sugar Blitz or tried his cupcakes. She’s just upset because she’s become a bit of a minor celebrity lately due to her being on a dating show and turning down the lead’s proposal.
She’s also broke because her parents have stopped supporting her and she hasn’t gotten her trust fund from her grandmother yet.

Donovan is a also football player who plays on Jada’s grandmother’s team, but neither of them know this when they meet.

A few days later, Jada’s grandmother explains the terms for her to get her trust fund. Jada’s grandmother has found a job for her and she has to work there successfully for four months.

It turns out her idea involves Jada working at Donovan’s cupcake place.
Of course it doesn’t take long before they start to fall for each other. Donovan is a really lovable love interest. He is sweet, thoughtful, patient and he bakes amazing cupcakes. But their potential relationship is complicated by her reality show infamy.

I thought this was a really sweet story about two people who definitely bring out the best in each other.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thanks!

I don't know what's wrong with me that no matter how many bakery/restaurant centric romances I read, they never quite hit with me. WHY??

This was a quick, cute romance that had its fair share of spice and sweetness. As a book, there is a ton of mass appeal between these pages. I especially enjoyed our hero, Donovan Dell. While I wouldn't say I loved this, it was a good time and I feel confident recommending it!

A disaster waiting to happen, Jada Townsend-Matthews shoots her mouth off regarding her opinion of Donovan Dell's bakery, little realizing that he is one of her grandmother's star football players. Donovan is already having a bad day when the diva shoots down his bakery and his cupcakes, but when she rises to his challenge and tastes one on the cupcakes, he knows he has a draw, if not a win. Meeting Jada the following day in his manager's office, Donovan's heart sinks when he realizes that he actually has to work with the opinionated young woman. Not understanding her background and the pressures she is under, it takes Donovan a while to recognize a woman who needs his protectiveness and the shield he can provide. This romance is witty and entertaining and had elements that every parent needs to read. However, I did find the story somewhat disjointed and it came to an abrupt conclusion, although a good one. I received a copy of this romance as a gift through NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

3.5⭐ Rounded up.
Such a cute plot...
Fake dating, grumpy/sunshine and football players who bake cupcakes?
Yup, totally down for this one.
I know the MC Donovan is supposed to be a bit stiff, but I felt like he and Jada were both a bit too stiff for me. I wish they had had a bit more whimsy and banter flowing.
Still good times, and will definitely be looking for more from Jamie Wesley.
Especially if she writes a book with August as the MC.
Dude is like a cupcake baking football playing version of Azriel from ACOTAR without wings😍😍😍
Much love to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for my DRC.

Cute fake dating to get what they want kind of story.

Although, I have to say, they fell hard for each other, even as they started to fake-date.

Jada needs a job, and Donovan doesn't know, it, but he needs Jada to help run his cupcake shop, that he started with some of his fellow football players. Oh, and Jada is the granddaughter of the owner of his team.

There is also a former boyfriend in the form of a reality show that didn't work out quite well, as well as the producer of the reality show, trying to get Jada to come back and do a new series.

Good fast read. Jada is a good strong character, her parents are annoying, and Donavan is sweet, as all love interests of protagonists should be.

If anything, it was all over too quickly.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

This is a really cute romance with some of my fave tropes! You've got a fake dating situation, a grumpy/sunshine dynamic, and it's all set under the lovely backdrop of a cupcake store. It would be really hard to screw that up for sure! This book has a lot of charm and I really loved both of the protagonists (and all the side characters!!). I don't think this book does anything especially groundbreaking with it's story but it's definitely a lovely breath of fresh air and I would highly recommend to any romance reader!

ONE WORD — FLUFFTASTIC CUPCAKES

Have you ever wondered why cupcakes are a lady's fave? Well, because they'll lead you straight into your prince charming's arms!

The chemistry between Jada and Donovan was top-notch. Jada brought out the best in him, and he did his best to help her see things from a different perspective — like how delicious his cupcake was. The man is strong!

This was the black love I've always rooted for and love to see in the book industry.

Thank you, SMP Romance, once again, for making me blush and eating a lot of cupcakes!

This was cute! If you liked the Spanish Love Deception, I think you’d like this.

This one missed the mark for me. I didn’t find myself reaching for this. I think there was just too much going on because I love the premise. Too many side characters, too much background on the side characters, and too many attempted twists. I liked Jada and Donovan, even though I don't think everything they did was consistent with their characters or made sense, and I will probably read the sequel.

Such a great and comforting read! The story was so charming and I mean it had to be right with baking at the center? Fake It Till You Bake It could’ve come off as totally predictable but it was a joy to read and be surprised along the way! Definitely recommend those looking for a romance with a sweet tooth at the center!

This was a really cute fake dating romance. Lots to like and only one thing that threw me out of the story. Will definitely read more from this author - seems like she’s setting things up for a series which I would absolutely read!

After Jada Townsend-Matthews turns down America’s Sweetheart on a reality show, she becomes public enemy number one. Her parents have cut her off financially and her grandmother is withholding her trust fund until Jada can prove she can hold down a job. When she starts working at Sugar Blitz, San Diego’s cupcake bakery run by three pro footballers, she has instant chemistry with Donovan Dell.

I loved their meet cute (meet disaster?) and thought the fake dating elements were well done. I didn’t love the conflict - it felt completely out of left field to me especially after they weather some external conflict really nicely.

Content warnings: Blackmail subplot, references to a character with a gambling addiction

Thanks to SMP Romance and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Jada Townsend-Matthews is the most hated woman in America after she turns down a marriage proposal on a reality TV show. When she comes home for a fresh start, she finds herself working at San Diego’s newest cupcake bakery, Sugar Blitz, alongside the owner and professional football player Donovan Dell. When a reporter mistakes the two for a couple, they use the mistake to their advantage to help Jada’s image and Donovan’s struggling bakery.

Name something better than professional football players and cupcakes…I’ll wait 😉 You guys!! This book was so cute! Fake dating is one of my favorite romance tropes so I flew through this one pretty quickly. There’s also some enemies to lovers thrown in too! Jada and Donovan were so well written and I felt like we got to know them on a deeper level as they grew together! The spice was perfect and the banter was next level 😍 I was definitely craving a cupcake by the end! Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press, Jamie Wesley, and NetGalley for my e-ARC!

This book was a pretty standard feel-good rom com. Nothing undeniably special about it, but also nothing specifically wrong with it.

Maybe I just need to read a few more books from Jamie to truly get a feel for her writing style.

I really really loved this book. The two of them were totally true to themselves and badass. It was nice that there wasn’t some crazy incident to ruin things for them and they were able to grow with each other. I also enjoyed the fact that her insecurities were what broke them up, but they both smartened up quickly. Loved that they had a small supportive circle and that they were just stereotypes. Cannot wait to read about August!