This was a cute contemporary romance nemesis to lovers. I think if you Cupcake Wars meet the Bachelor then you might enjoy this one.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a really good. I liked the friends to lovers trope. This also was a nice black love book.

3.5

Incredibly fun contemporary romance featuring two Black leads. Jada is struggling to find her place in the world and ever since she turned down "The Bachelor's" marriage proposal on national television has been getting a lot of hate from the public. Donovan is an uptight professional football player/co-owner of a failing cupcake business. Shenanigans ensue and they end up fake dating while Jada is working at Donovan's cupcake shop.

I really liked both Jada and Donovan, and Jamie Wesley was able to write their contrasting personalities in a way that made it realistic for them to balance each other out. I also liked the hints of side characters that will presumably feature in companion novels.

I did find a couple segments of the book a little clunky, but overall I had a great time with this!

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.9 ✨

This book was short and fun! Jada is likeable however I did find Donavan a little lack luster and ended up wanting to no more of what was going on behind the scenes than with them. I do think the book has so really fun tropes but would’ve been improved if there was a but more tension and story between the fake dating and the getting together. Overall I think it’s a good book if you just want something light to pick up and I hope it becomes a series with Nicholas and August! I’d definitely read more from this author.

I loved loved loved this read. It was the perfect romance, a little steamy but a great story line also. I enjoyed the plot and enjoyed the BIPOC characters. This was the first I have read or even heard of Jamie Wesley but she is definitely on my radar now. Jada was a strong woman that let her privilege lead her life until she finds her self in a situation that forces her to find her own way, except she still has her grandmother's help. Donovan is a man that allows a strong woman room to grow and celebrates that, pretty sexy. The reality romance show was a great side plot line and lead the main plot line perfectly. I gave this read three stars.

Fake dating? I eat that shi upppp. This book was good! Really good! I loved both characters. I think they were pretty well written and this book gave me major Tessa Bailey vibes who I adore.

Now a lot of people will say that Jada was rude but here me out so are most of the men y’all love. I loved her character and how she was navigating to be able to stand up for herself.

Donovan however, I am ON MY KNEES for him. He was so good to Jada and his family. This was a real man and I adore him.

The plot was good but I do wanna say for NFL players they sure do have a lot of time in hand.

Also the little cliffhanger at the end??? Cannot wait for August’s book!! I feel like he will be my favourite in series.

Overall this was a great book and I recommend it

Totally enjoyed this new author to me.
Author Jamie Wesley gave a great story of a fake romance that turns into a real one.
This book was funny, cute and a quick light hearted read.

Entertaining, funny, charming. This story is the perfect summer read with well developed characters and a good fake relationship banter.

This was my first time reading a book by Jamie Wesley and I enjoyed it. The main characters, Jada and Donovan had chemistry and good banter, It was a relatively easy read after the first half of the book because it took that long for the slow burn to actually burn and it felt a little bit like it was dragging in the beginning. It took me a while to connect with the characters, especially Jada but the side characters were a delight, especially the grandmother.

Fake it Till You Bake It was an enjoyable read although some plotlines didn't really mesh with the general vibe of the book. I loved the concept and the potential, I just felt that the characters and storyline weren't developed to their full potential.

2.5 stars

I wanted to LOVE this book. I saw the cover and read the blurb and everything in me said GIMMEEEE! So i was very disappointed when this didn't work for me.
First the good... I ADORED Donovan. He was everything I love in my romance books especially in when he looks like the toughest guy ever but inside he was the softest marshmallow of a guy. I loved him, he made this book super enjoyable and if he had an equally amazing companion then I'd love this book.
The side characters... I need August and Nicholas books. They were funny and interesting characters. Their friendship with Don was a highlight from this book.
Now, the bad sadly was Jada. The moment we met her I could not stand her. She was spoiled entitled and bratty. But the worst part it was how rude she was with Donovan. I don't get when being rude for no reason started being seen as "sassy" because is not. And she had no reason to be like that with Don; which is why I really didn't get their "chemistry" because for me it was more lust than anything.
Also the whole plot of her being hated was a bit messy. Like that could have been fix super easy but it just dragged. Also because of how unrelatable and unlikable Jada was I couldn't feel bad for her and that's just sad.
Still the book had fun parts and again Don and his friends and family and the bakery people made this book enjoyable. I still recommend it for a quick read.

A fun rom-com where they actually talk to each other.The fake dating enemies to lovers trope is one of my faves and these two balance each other out.

This is a cute read with an expected but satisfying ending. If you’re a fan of rom coms (and yummy cupcake descriptions) this might be for the as well.

3 1/2 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley.

I'm not interested in books with football, so I didn't know how this book was going to go for me, but I also liked the premise. There is very, very little football and whole love of baking in this book!

Both Donovan and Jada are interesting characters with diverse backgrounds. And I felt like they had great chemistry.

Here's a list of elements within the book:
Baking
Grumpy vs Sunshine
Sports references
Spice (too much for me & I confess, I skipped a few pages)
Finding yourself

Another great thing about this book was the amount of communication instead of miscommunication. It's always refreshing to have characters talking through problems as much as possible.

I think Fake It Till You Bake It will feed your sweet tooth for romance.

Okay first I’m gonna say this book left me in a pickle with how to rate it, there are some things that I absolutely loved it about and some just weren’t my favorite. I was battling with how it left me feeling, so without further ado let’s get into it.

First and foremost I loved the characters they were fun and their banter was amazing, the chemistry from the first moment they met was there and I adored them.

But then they didn’t start fake dating till about 40% in the book and got a fake dating book it kinda bothered me it took so long but then they stopped about 65% into the book so they didn’t fake date that long, and I don’t know I expected a little more on that front. I love fake dating and just wanted a bigger piece of it.

But the characters, the setting I loved how some parts they supported one another especially how he helped her when she visited her family. Her grandma shipping them was peak romcom and I loved it.

All in all it was a cute book but it also didn’t leave me with this lasting impression, of omg I need to tell everyone now. Also this just 100% my opinion so I definitely say give it a try, you may enjoy it.

Jada Townsend-Matthews might be the most hated woman in America. After turning down a proposal on America’s favorite tv show, she heads home to pick up the pieces. Her grandmother, looking to help her, asks one of the football players from the team she owns, Donovan, if he could use some help at his side business- a cupcake shop. He agrees, then discovers Jada is a client who trash talked his bakery. Despite this, the two begin working together. When a reporter mistakenly identifies the two as a couple, they both see there could be an advantage to faking it… “Fake It Till You Bake It” by Jamie Wesley is a sweet romance read you won’t want to put down!

This book was so cute! I really loved the banter between Jada and Donovan, especially when they start warming up to each other more. Their clashing personalities make for some fun scenes that actually had me smiling and laughing. They both want things done their own way, but when one person is impulsive and the other is more conservative about risks, it can make for some real drama.

If you’re looking for a fun summer read that is quick and makes you crave cupcakes, this is a must read! This book easily earned a 5 star rating from me!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! This book comes out on June 21st!

I really loved this book and it was finally the rom-com I was waiting to read. The characterization of Jada and Donovan was fantastic and the cooking theme and how their fake relationship sparks real feelings. This kept my interest from start to finish and it was not predictable, which was also good. Fantastic cover and premise too.

Definitely recommended for readers looking to enjoy a good rom-com. I look forward to more from this author in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley, Jamie Wesley and St Martin's Press Griffin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 6/21/22

Summer seems like the right time for a cupcake twist on fake dating, sugary treats, and romance book clubs. Wesley introduces a gentle football star and a bubbly former reality TV star into a well frost-covered, multi-layered rom-com. When three football star friends come together, they spin a dream away from the football field and into a sweet cupcake bakery. Jada can't seem to figure out her life. After her disgraceful exit from a popular Bachelorette-esque reality show, the nation labeled her a villain. Against all odds, Jada starts working at Sugar Blitz for the curmudgeonly owner. One very unwelcome reporter later, Jada and Donovan end up fake dating to save his struggling bakery. Fake dating, burning tension, and repressed feelings made me obsessed with this cute rom-com. Through faking dating, Jada and Donovan's real anxieties about their lives reveal true depth underneath this rom-com. Jamie Wesley writes romantic tension like a sweet taste that uncovers an explosion of flavor.

I love reading books that a are set in bakeries. They’re always so much fun.

Fake It Till You Bake It was a cute, light hearted read. It was a fun romcom that I flew through. Not much substance to it. Just a good vibe :)

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love an enemies to lovers trope so Fake It Till You Bake It was right up my alley. While it obvious from the first scene that Jada and Donovan were going to get together, I still loved the story. Plus, what’s not to love about two football players owning a cupcake shop. This book was a warm hug, and I recommend it to anyone to bring to the pool or the beach this summer.

Thank you to Jamie Wesley, St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Press Griffin, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fake It Till You Bake It is a cute, lighthearted read. Even though it is very predictable, Jada and Donovan are likable characters that you want to route for. You know how it’s going to end, but it’s fun getting there. Donovan has two close friends so I kept thinking that this may be a three book series. The ending solidified that feeling. It may be fun to read their stories too.

A cute, sexy, light hearted romance. I really enjoyed reading this. A fake dating, opposites attract story revolves around Donovan, a pro football player who also owns a cupcake business. Jada is a reality tv star who turned down a proposal and is now feeling the rath of that. The first time Jada and Donovan meet, it is not pretty. They don't expect to see eachother again, but the football teams owner asks Donovan to let her granddaughter work there, he is shocked when Jada comes for the job. Jada and Donovan decide to fake a relationship to help out his business, and her reputation. What they also do not expect to happen…. FEELINGS!

Took me a little bit to get into this one, but once I did, it was really refreshing and fun. I enjoyed the characters and the secondary characters were also fun. A few twists, some spice, and laughs make it entertaining.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.