This was a sweet read (pun intended). It reminded me of a W Network movie or a netflix show that doesn't get renewed for another season. I kept feeling like there were spots where the book could have ended beautifully and then it didn't, without any real conflict or storyline (or sometimes unnecessary plot points) to move it forward.

The book started off really well and I was enjoying reading it, but sadly by the end of it, I'm not sure I'd recommend it. This might be an unpopular opinion as I've seen lots of hype for it on bookstagram but sadly, I don't think this was a hit for me.

Thank you netgalley and St. Martin's Press @SMPromance for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This book was ok. I like the concept of three pro footballers starting a cupcake shop and finding love. Our heroine, Jada, leaves a lot to be desired. Poor little rich girl who goes through life with no plan and struggling because her funds get cut off. I just found her super annoying. Donovan I loved and thought he deserved better.

The book was a slow read for me and I hope Nicholas and August get better matches in future books.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

4 Stars. Great character development. Well worth the read.

Fake It Till You Bake It is how you write a romance. A reality star and a cupcake-baking football player pretend to be a couple to protect her image and help his bakery become more successful.


The first time Donavan meets Jada, she insulted his bakery, the Sugar Blitz.


“It’s so……. Stale, probably like the cupcakes”


Donavan could not let her comments pass. So, he proceeds to call her out on her insults. The second time Donavan meets Jada, she is walking into the office of his boss, Mrs. Joyce Townsend, the owner of the San Diego Knights. Jada is her granddaughter and wants Donavan to hire her to help teach her some life skills and some responsibility.

Jada is willing to play her grandmother’s game long enough to get access to her trust fund. It doesn’t help she is the most hated villain on the internet because she turns down a marriage proposal on the reality show My One and Only. Her privileged life takes a negative turn and she decides to forgo all social media while she figures out her next plan.

Donavan is trying to make his bakery successful. Sales are not very good and he doesn’t have much time to teach pampered princess Jada some life skills but he gives her a job plus a pair of crocs to replace her Jimmy C

In the beginning, Jada is very vain and superficial. As the story progresses her overflowing cuteness makes her character traits more likable.

What I love about this story was that fake dating took a life of its own. I was more than 40% into the story when they are mistaken as a couple and the idea emerges. Before that happens and their life as a couple begins, we get a glimpse of Jada’s life and Donavan’s life as two separate people. This is why I loved this story so much. The fake dating trope was not thrown immediately into the plot. Like the story, it was a slow burn.

The writing and sexy banter and dialogue were top notice. I love the voice of Jada as pampered princess and Donavan as an uptight baker. However, I do wish we had more of Donavan’s professional life thrown in the mix. It seems he devotes all his time to the bakery in the offseason so not enough professional football moments to swoon with.

Fake It Till You Bake It stands out as funny and a lot of fun to read. The story is like a cupcake: sweet and delicious.

This book was a sweet, corny, and funny read. I finished it in a day and a half. Jada and Donovan are so perfect for each other. Their chemistry was off the charts. I loved their banter and smartassery through the whole book. The way they supported and cared for each other had me swooning. I also love the sport stars passion for baking and turning it into post playing career by opening a bakery.
The cast of friends and support characters were great. I want a sequel to find out more about the best friends and if that epilogue is any indication we might just get one.



Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin

Jada becomes the most hated person in television after turning down a proposal on a reality dating show. Her parents have cut her off financially over the embarrassment and she needs a job. Her grandmother, who owns the pro football team, begs one of her players to hire her at his cupcake shop that he runs on the side with two other players. When a reporter tracks her down and mistakenly thinks she and Donovan are together, the story goes viral and cupcake sales are through the roof. They agree to go along with it to help each other out, but suddenly the sparks are feeling all too real.
At first, just like Donovan, I hated Jada! She's the spoiled princess with a whiny poor me attitude, sad that everything isn't just handed to her and says anything even if it hurts people. But her character really matures through the book and she realizes she needs to be independent without falling back on her trust fund to survive. You would think three pro football players baking cupcakes would be ridiculous, but this author really makes it work and has fun doing it. I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

This book was very cute!

I want to start off by saying I enjoyed this book! Donavan was such a driven character. A total contrast to Jada who was lost and finding her stepping stone again. But in a way, it all worked out. The banter and chemistry were great! It was a fast-paced romance, but super cute. It was an overall cute, funny, and simply entertaining book!

This was one of the cutest books I have had the pleasure of reading recently, both because of the enticing culinary setting and also due to the undeniable chemistry between the characters.

Fake it Till You Bake It is a romcom that all of my dreams are made of. Truly all of my favorite tropes were included:
✔️Football Player and a former reality dating show contestant
✔️Working together in a cupcake shop
✔️Who were brought together by a meddling grandma
✔️Enemies to lovers turns into fake dating

With all these gems how could I not love this one?! Not surprisingly I flew through it in a day and it made me feel so happy! This book was so much fun but also saw two main characters coming to a crossroads in their life and finding their footing/next steps. There was great banter and chemistry right from the disastrous meet cute and it only grew from there. I loved Jada’s strength and how she really didn’t let anyone stop her from being unapologetically herself and going for what she wanted. And Donovan is truly the biggest cinnamon role and was so sweet. I loved these two both individually and together.

Grab a cupcake before you pick this one up. Trust me, you’ll really want one (or ten) while reading this.
Thanks to SMP Romance for the advance copy.

Things I liked about this book: the male lead and all of the Sugar Blitz coworkers. The overall plot line. The growth that happens in the female lead. The grandmother character.

Things I didn't like: the female lead, especially at the beginning she was just mean and hard to like. Open door romance. Tension that was constantly brought up and felt over the top.

Overall, a decent book. May have to skip some sections (which I hate doing) and must stick it out through the first third of the book to get to the part that pulls you in.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Fake It Till You Bake It is a fast, lighthearted read: a cupcake bakery, a football player, a disgraced reality TV star. He believes in logic and organization; she’s impulsive. They are truly an odd couple, more so after they become romantically linked. Some parts of this story work; some parts are not credible. The plot gets bogged down early on and struggles to get back on track. Despite the many ups and downs in the H/H’s relationship, all’s well that ends well? This is a sexy rom-com contemporary romance that has potential but that fell short. 2.5 stars rounded up.

A successful football player bakery owner....that's a woman's fantasy just as is. Add a woman who needs his help to reinvent herself after a reality show catastrophe and now you've got an intriguing story we have to read to see how it unfolds. Sexy and sweet with all the fake and realness you can handle this book delivers a satisfying read that takes you out of your own head as you dive into theirs.
Thanks to Netgalley for the copy in return for my honest opinion.

If you are looking for a light and fluffy read to match your light and fluffy cupcake this the perfect book for you. This rom-com was pretty predictable and at times slow. I didn't like Jada at first but I warmed to her. I loved Mrs. T and the teammates that work at the shop. It would have been satisfying if Lila and John had been exposed. I also had a hard time with Jada's only complimenting her once and yet her grandmother doesn't intervene more. Donovan's dad and his story was wrapped up a little too neatly. I loved that the author included Dyslexia.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Jada tried her luck at a reality tv dating show. When she turns down the proposal at the end of the season she goes home to hide from all the negativity being spread about her online. Donovan has a game plan to make his cupcake shop successful and the backup plan after his football career ends. Jada runs on a whim of impulses and Donovan is all about statistics and logistics when their worlds crash both their worlds are turned upside down. They begin a fake relationship to benefit both of them they never expected to fall for each other.

My rating:☕️☕️☕️☕️(4/5)

This book was such a fast paced read! The 3rd person point of view took a second to get used to but once the story got good it was so easy to forget it was 3rd person. Donovan is honestly goals. He sets a plan that gives him a result he wants but Jada goes off of instinct keeping him on his toes at all times. While this isn't a grumpy/sunshine trope it was one i fully enjoyed. I was squealing out loud to their cute chemistry/awkwardness. It was too cute! The fact most characters were poc made it that much better!!! I loved how Donovan let Jada be herself without ever judging her or letting her feel her ideas were not worth listening too. The 3rd person point of view helped see what others in the room were doing. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

🚨🚨Spoilers below read at your own risk🚨🚨

I would of preferred if they hadn't broken up for those 3 months! I mean they clearly didn't tell others they had split up. They could have grown together. I understood Jada wanting to do it on her own but she didn't need to breakup with Donovan! My nosy self though wanted to know what the deal was between Sloane and August! SInce it was 3rd person it was sometimes confusing to understand whose thoughts you were reading. Or who the 'she' in the room was when there was more than two women.

What a fun read this proved to be
With cupcakes, football players and a bakery
Along with a reality dating show star
Who is finding life after the show is below par!

Jada turned down the proposal at the end of the show
Unprepared for the vitriolic reaction of fans, you know.
She's a straight talking lady, who speaks her mind
But despite the hard exterior, she's actually very kind.

Donovan is the target of Jada's straight talking ways
Not good when neither are having the best of days.
But with her Gran's intervention there are surprises in store
Including cupcakes, fake romance, true love and more!

This book is a really tasty treat
With the greatest friendships you could hope to meet.
There's drama and laughter, and blackmail, too
That'll keep you entertained all the way through.

It really is a great, fun read and so
I highly recommend you give it a go
I'm also hoping that in future there will be
Other stories about these footballer bakers, all three!

For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review

The following review was posted 4 days ago on, Sunday, June 19th, 2 days before publication. It will be shared on Twitter and Instagram tomorrow, 2 days after the publication date (Tuesday, June 21st), but the review has already been posted on Goodreads. The blog post includes links to pre-order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.



“What happens in the supply closet stays in the supply closet.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 4.5 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Bullying and harassment.

“Fake It Till You Bake It” follows Donovan Bell, a football player who’s also the owner of a (hopefully) up-and-coming bakery, and Jada Townsend-Matthews, an ex-reality-tv-show-star, as they end up in a fake relationship that benefits them both—bringing traction to Donovan’s bakery and helping shed a must-needed good-light on Jada’s reputation.

I knew I was going to love this book from the get-go. I love football (and books about football players) and I love fake-dating romance books—and that’s exactly what “Fake It Till You Bake It” delivers. Jada and Donovan are charismatic and have undeniable chemistry, both physically and emotionally, yet they’re not perfect characters nor do they try to be, they have their stories and backgrounds and simply meshed together perfectly. I just finished this book and already want to grab and reread it all over again.

Also, I don’t know what it is with St. Martin’s Press books but they’ve never been a miss to me. If it’s a romance book and it’s published by them, I know it’ll be fire emoji x 5. Something as simple as fake-posing for a romance cover in the middle of a book club meeting was made incredibly tense and spicy, that’s all I’m saying.

I would recommend this book to every single contemporary romance book reader, specially those who enjoy rocky starts and the fake-dating trope.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: June 21, 2022

“I promise to do better.”

This novel wasn’t great, nor was it bad.

Jada was on a season of (essentially) The Bachelor, where she turned down the Bachelor’s proposal in the last episode. As a result, the whole world hates her. Donovan is a football player for the LA Knights, a team owned by Jada’s grandma, who opened a cupcake shop with two of his teammates. Jada’s life is a bit lost so her grandma asks Donovan to hire her. They immediately don’t get along but get stuck in a situation in which Jada claims Donovan is the guy she met before going on the show and was the reason she turned down the proposal in hopes that America will like her again.

I liked this story but didn’t love it. I enjoyed the banter between Donovan and Jada but I felt like the chemistry was more being told to me than I was really feeling it. I liked Jada. I felt like she was strong, a little immature, but not obnoxious. Donovan fell a little flat to me at times. I liked when he was bickering with Jada but I never felt the passion from him. He claimed to be passionate about the cupcake shop but all he cared about were the numbers.

I do wish that Donovan had had a little more pushback about the fake dating too. He just immediately gave in. I will say that I liked how a lot of their problems were resolved realistically. They talked to each other and asked questions about miscommunications rather than just assuming things. However, that meant that the conflict (because as we know, all romance novels need a conflict), didn’t occur until the 90% mark and was so dumb. I would’ve much rather they left that entire part out because I think it ended up leaving a bad taste in my mouth for this book and coloring the rest of my opinion.

Honestly, I was leaning more towards giving this book 4 stars until the end which dropped it to a 3. Jada is a strong female character and I enjoyed reading her journey about finding herself. I didn’t dislike Donovan but their chemistry didn’t pop for me. I do look forward to reading stories about his other two teammate (because you know they’re coming) and I hope they end up being a little more exciting.

I always love when my two loves - food and romance collide and this book definitely delivered.

Our 2 leads meet in a classic "we got on the wrong foot" encounter and via the romance gods, get thrown together and have to fake date! Donovan was a doll. I liked him so much, August and Nicholas were a hoot too and I could have gladly read a book just about their antics. I will confess it took a while for me to warm up to Jada as I didn't appreciate her attitude initially. But I will admit that I was totally onboard by a third of the way and was rooting for their HEA fiercely.

Minor quibbles- it took a while for the book to find its groove as I felt the beginning was a bit slow. I also didn't like how over the top the villainess was (although I loved her comeuppance).

Overall, this was a fast, FUN read! I wanted to eat alllll the cupcakes described. The book also had very good supporting characters like Donny's friends I initially mentioned but also Grandma, Ella and the Sisters. I am so happy it seems we are getting a book too and I know its between August and S... :)

Thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC

I adored this book! I’m a sucker for enemies-to-lovers, baking adjacent, fish out of water narratives, and you will fall in love with Jada and Donovan. It’s a sweet book (no cupcake pun intended) that resonates emotionally with a lot of charged romantic tension. I especially appreciated that the “dark night” moment was barely a blip — I just want an HEA, and that’s exactly what I got.

Fake-dating leads to love between a reality TV villainess and a professional football player/entrepreneur in a contemporary rom-com set in a bakery.

The frenemies' fake relationship turns real fast in this adorable, sexy rom com about a perfectly matched pair of stubborn, flawed lovers. The high stakes kick in late in the novel, so this one is for readers who are here for banter, sizzle, and a swoony perfect couple rather than the tension of relationship obstacles. I'd recommend FAKE IT TILL YOU BAKE IT to fans of the fake-date and enemies-to-lovers tropes, but more to readers who just want to hang out with two engaging, fun characters as they get swept up in a steamy love affair. The ending suggests that we have more to look forward to from the equally well-developed secondary characters in future books!

Donovan Dell, professional football player knows that football doesn’t last forever as a career, so he and his friend opened a new business. They both love to bake and so they opened Sugar Blitz, a cupcake bakery. Business was booming, but lately things have begun to slow down. At the bakery he overhears a woman claim that their cupcakes are “decent”…WHAT? Later, he meets the woman from the bakery, Jada Townsend-Matthews and learns that she is the granddaughter of the team owner. Offering Jada a job, which was Mrs. T’s idea, he learns about the social disaster that has followed her since she turned down the proposal on a dating show. When they are mistakenly identified as a couple, maybe this will work for both of them? Jada wondered if she would ever find the “thing” that would be hers and maybe Donovan and the bakery is exactly what she was looking for. A delightful romance with amusing and witty dialog. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)