The story of Jada and Donovan. They clash when they first meet, but while a fake relationship will help them both, will it lead to more?
A great read with great characters. I like how it is told from both points of view and hope his co-owners at the bakery get their own stories next.

Jada didn't expect the vitriol when she turned down a proposal on a reality show nor did she expect her parents to cut her off financially. Donovan didn't expect to fall for the woman who insulted him and his cupcakes. Donovan is the more interesting character- a football player who loves to bake. Jada, on the other hand, is pretty annoying Their fake relationship, which started by accident. turns to love and, of course, conflict and then, of course, well, you know. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This is as trope-y as can be but it's also entertaining if you want a light read for the beach.

A sweet, fast, and fun romance. At first I thought it might not be my thing–I'm not into perfectly sexy people being hot for each other–but this book quickly reveals itself to be more than about attraction. It's about imperfection and acceptance...and delicious, delicious cupcakes.

This was a cute fake dating story. I liked Donovan a lot, but will admit I was hoping for a little more football because unlike our heroine, Jada, I actually love the sport.

I loved this meet cute. Jada definitely has no issues speaking her mind and I loved how Donovan handled her.

I also loved the disability representation in this book. I love how Jada wasn't afraid to talk about her learning disability nor was she afraid to use accommodations. Also, absolutely loved how Donovan reacted.

I would have liked more conversations between Jada and Donovan. They had great passion but I didn't feel like they had enough depth.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This book is every bit as cute as it sounds. Outwardly, Jada has it all together. Inwardly, she's an insecure mess thanks to her parents' constant needling. They don't understand her free-spirited approach. But Donovan appreciates the breath of sunshine she brings to his regimented life. He can't resist the attraction he feels for her, however reluctantly. Their fake relationship quickly turns real and very hot. I loved how Donovan stood up for Jada with her parents. He's sweet and supportive and exactly what she needs.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I wanted to like this book, but I had a really hard time getting into it. It took me until over the 50% mark for the story to really get interesting, and it just didn't seem worth it.

I liked the concept of fake dating + bake shop. I mean, who doesn't love all the cupcakes?!

But, the story both dragged and the falling in love felt rushed to me.

Just eh for me.

This was a cute, sweet (like cupcakes) romance with enjoyable characters and plot.

Fake relationships can be hit or miss, but I found this one done well and I liked how their dislike for each other grew, but also that it didn't take too long for their relationship to blossom. I also liked the plot of her being fresh off rejecting a man on a dating show as that was new to me.

It was missing a little something as it didn't completely captivate me, but I enjoyed this story

I will literally read anything that has reality TV in the description so it was a no brainer for me to request FAKE IT TILL YOU BAKE IT. The story was so sweet and such a lovely, picturesque romance novel. Jada and Donovan were both joys to read about. The fake dating trope is such a classic and it was done so well in this book. And can we talk about the CUPCAKES? I love when food plays such a big role in books and the cupcakes were no exception. I would recommend this book to anyone!

Books about baking are basically like catnip for me …. add in HOT NFL players doing said baking and well, I’m done for!

This one had a bit of a slow start for me, but once the story got moving, I really enjoyed it! Fake dating and opposites attract in a workplace setting is the perfect trope combo! I loved the side characters, particularly Jada’s Grandmother! This is the perfect set up for a series - looking forward to more!

3.5⭐️

This book started off really strong. I loved the character of Donovan-- our football playing bakery owner--immediately. Meeting Jada is an ugly reminder of how obsessed we are with celebrities, and a nice reminder that they're human, too (which I think a lot of people forget). And we're reminded of this throughout the book as we get to know Donovan and Jada more.

Unfortunately, the book plateaued in the middle. It's clear that the author was going for the enemy-to-lovers trope, which was executed really well, and the fake dating trope--which was okay, but honestly unnecessary. It also felt like she was trying for a slow burn which wasn't as successful. There aren't enough pages to make it work, which I think is why it started to drag.

The ending was satisfying enough, with Jada finally learning to stand up for herself and Donovan learning to let go of control.

This is a pretty quick read and will be great for those who like contemporary romances that are more character driven than plot. It was a nice book with an interesting concept, I just personally feel it could have used a bit more tightening up.

I loved the idea of this, unfortunately the pacing was just too slow for me and I never really felt the chemistry.

This was a really cute book with lots of sizzle and cupcakes too! We have a meet cute, fake dating, and cupcakes. What more could anyone ask for? I can't wait for the next book. (I'm guessing this is the first in a series. The ending certainly implied as much. )

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thanks NetGalley and St Martin's Press for letting read an ARC of this book. I'm a sucker for fake dating tropes, throw in a football player who owns a cupcake store and a female protagonist who tries to win her families acceptance and also went on reality TV and is dealing with the blowback and I was sold. I enjoyed the banter between Jada and Donovan, I could have had a bit more of the fake dating awkward scenarios where they realize they actually like each other but I enjoyed the ones that were in this book. I didn't really feel like the secondary conflict was needed at the end of the book and felt like it was rushed in the conclusion but overall this was a solid romantic comedy. If you like fake dating, drama from reality TV, sort of forbidden relationships (boss/employee and also the fact that Jada is Donavan's football franchise owners granddaughter), baking, playful banter and sarcasm, and you know romance novels this is a solid read.

It looks like this is going to be a series, and I will definitely tune in to read August's book when it comes out.

Look for Bake it Til you Make It June 21st!

This romance was a *sweet* (pun intended) way to kick off some summer reading. It was a fun, light, easy read, and overall I enjoyed it.

I really wanted to love this one because all my favorite ingredients were there: grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, great side characters, and lots of cupcakes. But I just couldn’t connect with the two main characters or their relationship as much I would have liked to.

This is my first book by this author, and I look forward to future books, especially with the promise of an August or Nicholas book!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book!

Fake it Till You Bake It is a modern romance that has a football player and a reality show contestant meeting, clashing, and then well, come on, it is called a romance. Jada Townsend-Matthews was on a reality dating show. The show’s viewers united in not liking Jada and she is having a hard time just walking down the street without being abused. She needs to find a new niche. Donovan Dell is a professional football player who happens to be a baker. He and two of his friends open a bakery named Sugar Blitz. The bakery was doing great but sales have slumped and Donovan needs to do something to perk up sales. When a reporter mistakenly reports that the two of them are an item, they decide to use the mistake to help both of them.

This is a much-simplified plot line. There is more character development and storyline. It is what I might call a “popcorn book” but I do like a good popcorn book from time to time. Do not expect War and Peace. But it is a book that will hold your attention and won’t take too long to read.

“He wanted to be the one to put a smile on her face. He wanted to her to defend him. He wanted to defend her and know that it was real. That they were real. That they didn’t have an expiration date.”

A perfectly sweet (and a little spicy) summer read! We have a football star who also owns a cupcake shop with 2 of his teammates/best friends, and a reality star who has become public enemy number one after dumping the lead on a Bachelor like dating show.

The chemistry between Donovan & Jada was palpable and their banter was just so good. There is great dyslexia representation, and the side characters never failed to make me laugh. Jada’s Grandma was amazing, can I have more Mrs. T content please?

Thank you St Martin’s Press for the gifted copy.

I really wanted to like this one but couldn’t connect to the characters or their relationship. I think this book had a really fun concept with a lot of potential but I really did not enjoy Jada as a character. It was hard for me to build empathy towards the characters and feel invested in their relationship. A lot of the dialogue was cringey and made it hard to get into the book.

The book felt like the Bachelor meets Cupcake Wars and I think readers that are fans of those franchises will enjoy this.

Jada and Donovan are involved in a mutually beneficial fake dating scheme. Donovan is a professional football player with a newly opened cupcake bakery in need of some publicity to drive business, while Jada needs a fake boyfriend to get the public off her back after rejecting a proposal on a reality dating show.

This was cute! It was a quick and light read. It was a tad predictable at times, but in a good way.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced reading copy!

Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley is a light, romantic comedy that features a cupcake baking football player and a tough-talking woman. I enjoyed this fun book very much.

Jada Townsend-Matthews is back home after rejecting Dr. John on a nationally televised dating show. She’s the pariah of social media after the rejection, and it’s time she decided what to do with her life. Her grandmother gets her a job at the cupcake shop, Sugar Blitz, run by NFL football player, Donovan Dell.

After a reporter reports that Jada and Donovan are dating, they decide to go ahead and fake date in order to help promote the shop and to boost Jada’s popularity. Will all that time spent together at work, and at night change their feelings for each other?

Fake It Till You Bake is a cute enemies-to-lovers story that included a fun fake dating trope. I enjoyed Jada and Donovan and was rooting for them to get together, as they really complimented each other and had wonderful chemistry together. My favorite character is Grams, she’s one strong woman and she gave the best advice. I also enjoyed Donovan who loves to bake cupcakes, he’s smart enough to know the career of an NFL football play is not long, and he’s looking to find a way to do something he loves and support himself once his career is over.

I recommend Fake it Till You Bake it to anyone who enjoys romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

3.5 ⭐️

Football athlete Donovan and a couple of his teammates run a cupcake shop, Sugar Blitz, as a retirement back-up plan. A cynical (but pretty) critic walks in one day, after Donovan just received bad news about the shop’s finances, talk about rubbing salt on a wound. Turns out this cynic is his team owner’s granddaughter and will now be working at Sugar Blitz. Ex-reality TV star Jada, who has become a public enemy, must hold a job for 6 months to gain access to her trust fund. Get this though, one kiss gone viral sends Donovan and Jada on a public fake relationship, which could repair Jada’s image and earn more cupcake sales.

This was cute! I liked that Jada had dyslexia, a learning disability that hindered her from doing well at a job, but Donovan was such a gentle soul that never judged her for that. The San Diego setting, the cupcake shop, Donovan’s friends really set us up well for a series. It’s a good read that I recommend to fans of Farrah Rochon’s books!