This book ultimately left me with a lot of questions and no answers. The hero of the book, Donovan, is a professional football player who also owns a cupcake bakery. He loves baking cupcakes. The entirety of the book has him either baking, teaching the LI to bake, or doing…something in his office at the bakery. For a second, I thought maybe he was a retired football player but no, because partway through the book, he takes a call from his agent and it’s made clear that the agent is working on his new contract with his team. And yes, it’s the off season but….should he not be doing football player things - working out, practicing, idk. It seems weird that his entire identity is that bakery and yet, he’s a football player.

The heroine, Jada, is a former reality show star and comes from a wealthy family who has always paid her way but has now cut her off because she’s directionless and has no job or purpose. Essentially they want her to grow up. Her grandmother also happens to own the football team that Donovan plays for and talks him into giving Jada a job there. She makes a series of missteps including almost burning down the bakery kitchen but then proves herself indispensable when lying about how she and Donovan are in a relationship proves to be a marketing boon for the bakery.

The concept seemed ok and I get why Donovan needed to be at the bakery or else how else was he and Jada going to get to know each other and spend any time together. But the pacing seemed off and both of these characters kept making choices that left me feeling baffled. It felt a bit rushed and a lot of the writing felt like it was telling me rather than showing me things and ultimately, I couldn’t figure out how Donovan and Jada fell in love so quickly….or why?

The reality show blackmail subplot with the villainous producer and the ex boyfriend seemed way over the top and unnecessarily dramatic and also, the villains were written as caricatures. The only thing I liked about the subplot was that it didn’t drag on endlessly because Jada immediately tells Donovan and they immediately work together to figure out how to deal with the situation. It was a good moment of teamwork and also a good moment for Jada to shine and realize she was more than capable of handling her own problems. But then, she dumps Donovan and honestly, it didn’t seem like the book really needed a third act breakup - it felt hollow and weak and pointless.

Ultimately, the execution just seemed a little weak and there were a lot of plot holes or questions that I had about the plot that seemed to make no sense. I liked the characters ok and I assume this is going to be a trilogy where each of the bakery owners gets their own book (it’s 3 football players who own a bakery and they do all the baking while being professional football players - HOW IS THIS SUSTAINABLE?!?) Sorry, I am really just fixated on this and I need to let it go.

ARC courtesy of publisher, opinions are all mine.

CW: toxic parental relationships, blackmail plot, secondary character has gambling addiction;

I cannot read any more fake relationship romances. I am tired of them. It feels like lately all I am reading is fake relationship which turns to lovers. I thought the premise of the book was good (football star running a cupcake bakery meets a social media "star") but I really didn't like Jada and thought her and Donovan didn't work. I initially was going to try to push through and finish this but just got fed up. I can feel a reading slump coming on and I am trying to work my way through it. But books like this make it hard.

"Fake It Til You Bake It" follows NFL star Donovan Dell. Donovan is struggling to keep his cupcake business afloat. A woman comes in and insults his decor and his cupcakes (without eating one) and then he challenges her to eat one. The woman in question is Jada Townsend-Matthews who is "hiding" out after social media users have turned on her after she turned down a proposal on a reality dating show. A reporter thinks that they are together, yadda yadda yadda, fake relationship. Both realize that if the world thinks they are dating, it can help improve their own situations.

So Jada is hard to like. Full stop. She's rude. And I hate it when authors write Black women like we just run around acting like assholes. There's a difference between being strong and just nasty for no reason. When we first meet her she started getting on my nerves. Who rolls into someone's business talking crap?

Donovan being into cupcakes was cute and honestly if it was just him and his friend trying to get their business going I would have enjoyed it more. He and Jada don't make sense and I got tired of reading about them.

The writing didn't work for me and the flow was off so much. I just thought I was reading a very rough draft of a book and not the finished product at all. Also it didn't help that I didn't like the two leads as a couple at all.

I really tried with this book. But I had to give up after the first three chapters. The story was just odd and I was not into it. Sorry!

This was a "sweet" read and a nice way to break up my genres. I really enjoyed that Jada and Donovan were flawed characters, each carrying baggage from childhood and/or their family. Those flaws made them more relatable and made more than just a reality TV star and NFL player. The storyline felt like a slow build until the 70% mark when things really picked up and the ending felt like it came fast (compared to the rest of the book). I loved that you got some answers to where things were going while still allowing the read some room for imagination. Wesley seemed to set up a possible follow on book (series?) which would be fun.

such a cute solid contemp romance.

it has so many good tropes
-fake dating
-set in a cupcake store
-football player
-forced to recreate romance book covers
-main character get with a learning disability
yes please

i really appreciated that the third act breakup was actually justified and used for character development not just a last ditch plot device

I wanted to love this book, but I ended with it being just okay for me. It took a bit for me to buy into caring about the characters or their relationship’s trajectory. There was trip overload and a breakup at nearly the end of the book that seemed out of left field and nonsensical. I wished that we’d gotten more scenes with Jada’s Gram, her bestie, or Donovan and his friends so that the two of them seemed less one-dimensional. There was a lot of repetition of him being “a stern principal” and her being “impulsive!!111” that could have been cut to make room for us learning more about each of them beyond the literary archetypes they were portraying. I assume that the partners in the cupcake shop will eventually get books of their own, but there wasn’t enough about them on page in this one that makes me look forward to those.

Jada, famous for turning down America’s most eligible bachelor on a reality tv dating show, finds herself working in a struggling cupcake shop owned & operated by Donovan, a pro football player. When a reporter mistakes Jada & Donovan as a couple, they realize this fake relationship may help them both.

This was a very sweet story that was fun to read, but for me personally wasn’t much more than that. That’s not to say it was bad, it just felt like it didn’t have as much substance as some of the other romcoms I’ve been reading lately, so it paled a bit in comparison. This was absolutely an enjoyable book that will sure to please anyone looking for a lighter, fun book.

You can expect a bunch of your classic rom com tropes, such as enemies to lovers, fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, and a bit of instalove. If you like any of these tropes you’ll be pleased by this book.

But, as with any of the romcom tropes, you can see the ending a mile away. The journey to the end was fun (Jada is sassy & I absolutely love her snark and commitment to fashion). I also loved her Grandmother, the owner of the NFL team Donovan plays for and Jada’s biggest support system. But Jada’s mission in the book is to make some kind of job (even just part time at a cupcake shop) work until her birthday when she is of an age to access her trust fund.

Her “struggle” from the onset seemed very first world problems to me. However, Jada grew on me as a hard worker and in the end I was impressed by her character. It was probably intentional by the author for the readers to feel this way, as it really emphasizes how Jada grows, but I wish I could’ve seen more of end-Jada’s grit at the beginning.

There’s definitely some steam here too, so if you’re into some spicer scenes you won’t be disappointed there.

All this to say: if you’re looking for a light, fun, enjoyable romcom, this would be it!

This book has so much potential in the premise: a reality television scandal, a pro-athlete with a heart of gold, a fake-dating trope, and a sassy grandmother. Unfortunately, it fell flat. The characters ending up being really unrelatable, the dialogue was forced and sometimes corny, and the build up between the two love interests was non-existent.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Donovan, along with his two best friends and fellow teammates for the San Diego Knights, own operate a cupcake business called Sugar Blitz.

Jada Townsend-Matthews, is a woman currently hiding from the public eye after the fallout of declining a proposal on television dating show.

After a disastrous first encounter, Jada finds herself working at Sugar Blitz alongside Donovan. After a reporter mistakenly believes that Jada and Donovan are together, they use this misunderstanding to help the struggling bakery and fix Jada's public image.

I really enjoyed this hate to love turned fake dating book. I love the dynamic between the two main characters and their banter was my favorite part. I did find the beginning a little bit slow but it picked up for me when they began fake dating. The side characters in this story were fantastic and I am hoping for a new book in this series in the future.

This was such a great, easy read. It was extremely light-hearted and made me super happy. In a fake relationship, Donovan, an NFL player and cupcake shop owner, and Jada, who is fresh out of a reality dating show, start developing actual chemistry. The book makes this actually adorable! It was full of fluff.
However, it was extremely predictable, but that’s what you get when you read romance like this:)
Thanks NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review :)

Synopsis:
Jada Townsend-Matthews is the most reviled woman in America after turning down a proposal on a reality dating show. When she comes home to lick her wounds, Jada finds herself working at San Diego's newest cupcake bakery, Sugar Blitz, alongside the uptight owner and professional football player Donovan Dell.

When a reporter mistakenly believes Jada and Donovan are an item, they realize they can use the misunderstanding to their advantage to help the struggling bakery and rehabilitate Jada's image. Faking a relationship should be simple, but sometimes love is the most unexpected ingredient.

REVIEW:
Fake It Till You Bake It was a sugary sweet romance that had me craving cupcakes the entire time I was reading it 😂 I loved the representation here with both main characters being Black, and the fake dating trope is always one of my favorites to read. However, the book dragged a lot for me especially in the beginning. It wasn’t until the last 30% or so that things started happening more quickly. I also thought the steam was a bit lacking with there only being one scene that I’d consider moderately steamy (i.e. open door). The ending definitely left it open for it to be a series about Donovan’s business partners (also football players). Overall, it was a quick, satisfying read!

This was a super cute idea for a story. I loved both Jada and Donovan and I think they ended up being such a great couple. I do wish we saw a bit more of the build-up to their relationship, I felt like it kind of went from zero to one hundred with their love for each other. I wish there was just a little more insight into their regular days and how they got to know each other and how they really fell for each other. I loved how they both seemed to help each other through hard times and were really both acting like a rock for each other. I would love to read another story with Nicholas or August or Olivia. Both Donovan and Jada have such interesting friends and I think they could have really great love stories.

I really enjoyed the premise for this book, and the fake dating trope is one of my favourites. But I had a hard time loving this book.

I found it often difficult to follow, as it felt quick and didn’t give time to developing the scenes. It would often take me a few paragraphs to realize that the story had jumped again.

Because of this, I couldn’t root for the characters. I didn’t feel that I got to know them as much as I would have liked.

The premise and title are the makings of an excellent rom com, but for me it was just lacking some in the execution.

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

I was very pleasantly surprised by this read. First of all, the book gave me a craving for cupcakes in the worst way. Second of all, I thought this was a very sweet love story. It's the classic fake relationship among people who really don't care much for each other and then, naturally they catch feelings f0r each other. I really enjoyed the character of Jada and her determination to not let the haters get to her and she had fantastic chemistry with Donovan. Great read and I would definitely read more by this author.

This was a cute and light hearted book. I have recommended this book so much because it was just perfection.

Our main characters are Jada and Donovan. Jada just came off of a dating reality tv show and she didn't have the best outcome. We have Donovan who is a NFL player and is one of three owners of a cupcake shop. What would make them any better... oh ya they are having a fake relationship. The comedic moments and the cute scenes are too die for. The characters make you feel like you are apart of the story, and believe me once you've read it you would want to too. It was a fun read and you can't simply put the book down.

This is the first in a series which leaves me very excited and I can't wait to see what's next.

The premise is super fun. A dilettante heiress named Jada bumps into a handsome NFL player named Donovan at a cupcake shop that he happens to own. Their relationship gets off to a rocky start. Through a series of coincidences, the heiress is forced to work at the shop and the NFL player starts to change his mind about her.

Despite the fun premise, I found myself struggling to finish this book. First, there were way too many tropes. Enemies to Lovers: Jada accidentally insults Donovan when she meets him (more on this later). Forced proximity: Her grandma forces her to work at the shop to earn her trust fund. Fake dating: Jada pretends that Donovan's her boyfriend to avoid embarrassment. Just one or two of these tropes would have been enough. All of the tropes together take the book from being a fun escape to feeling totally implausible.

More on Implausibility: I don't mind a little implausibility in a Romance book. Creativity can be fun. However, Jada, who is a former contestant on a Bachelor type show, is forced to work at the cupcake shop by her, presumably, billionaire grandmother who owns Donovan's team. It doesn't make a lot of sense for the owner of a football team ask her star player to employ her problem granddaughter. Also, in what world would a popular former reality TV contestant not be fielding offers to work in media or as an influencer? Why would Jada have to work at the cupcake shop to earn her trust fund rather than, for example, at a nepotism job with the team? I think book would have still worked if the characters could've been pushed together with less force.

Jada is supposed to be a lovable screw up but sometimes her chaos feels, frankly, a bit too chaotic. I found her most charming when she was leaning into her competence. She would have still been believable as a character who was a little indecisive and unsure of her next step even if she were less ditzy. Also, she was REALLY rude to Donovan when they first meet for no reason. There was no misunderstanding. I have a personal pet peeve around genuine unkindness in an enemies to lovers story.

Donovan isn't the most developed character. He's handsome and comfortable enough in his masculinity to own a cupcake shop. Despite this, I enjoyed Donovan. He's extremely patient with Jada which I personally love in a lead.

In all, I think this is the perfect beach book if you're a reader who doesn't mind a few inconsistencies. I loved the bake shop setting and I thought the male lead was *no pun intended* very sweet.



Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for a free copy of this book for my honest review.

This is a story about Jada who has been in the public eye recently for some choices she made on a reality tv show and Donovan, a professional football player who also owns and runs a cupcakery shop with two of his best friends. The plot tells about how the two of them start a "fake dating" relationship and all that evolves from that.

What worked for me:
- cute story, good chemistry between the two leads
- Jade has dyslexia and I enjoyed reading about how she handled that
- Donovan's best friends have minor rolls in the story but I liked the relationships between them.
- Jada's best friend, Olivia, also has a minor roll but I enjoyed their friendship
- Loved the character of Jada's grandmother.

What didn't work for me:
- I wasn't a fan of the writing style. The dialogue just didn't seem natural in a lot of cases. It seemed simplistic to me. However, it did make for a quick, easy read.

Diverse characters, enemies to lovers, fake dating, a fun rom-com-- what's not to love?! Jada and Donovan were well imagined characters, and their chemistry was excellent. I loved seeing them come together as Jada starts to work for Donovan and their faking dating begins. I found this book to be enjoyable and heartwarming while also full of sizzle. Highly recommend!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, man, this book....this book was absolutely everything I needed right now to start to pull me out of a horrific reading slump. Funny? Check. Steamy? Check. Loveable characters? Double check. Phenomenal, miscommunication-free plot-line with adults that handles issues that come their way in mature, adult ways? CHECK.

Listen, I'm all for drama in a romance novel, but right now, what I needed was two people who love each other and stand up for one another and handle their problems by TALKING about them. Can I just say how refreshing that was? Any time something came up that I thought might lead to one of them not saying something important to the other for stupid, miscommunication plot reasons, they just....talked. It was glorious. Apparently my bar is actually that low.

If that wasn't enough to convince you to read it, both of the main characters are insanely hot, dealing with their own baggage from their pasts, but adorable and loveable and sweet and just....yeah. This was what I needed to read right now lol. Jamie Wesley won me over with this book, and I'll keep an eye out for anything they put out in the future (August's book, right? RIGHT????). This got a full five stars from me and I absolutely loved it!

Jada Townsend-Matthews is a public enemy after turning down a proposal on a reality TV dating show. She wants nothing more than to hide out at home, but she ends up working at Sugar Biltz. This new bakery in San Diego is owned by a professional football player, Donovan Dell. After being mistaken as a couple by a reporter, these two try to use the media to their advantage. Their goals are to save the bakery from going out of business and recover Jada’s image.

I had high hopes for this book since it covers fake dating, one of my favorite tropes, and seeing the captivating cover. It’s vibrant and I love the representation of black love! It’s not common for romance books to start with a male perspective, but it really adds some extra flair. I liked Donovan as a character and that this book didn’t portray him as a stereotypical dumb jock. He’s business-minded, intelligent, and a caring individual. Plus, it was super cute that he owned a cupcake shop.

As for the female POV, I did not enjoy it. Jada was not a likable character, and I felt that her speaking her mind came off sometimes as careless and abrasive. After building up their relationship, she disregarded Donovan’s feelings completely at one point and it came out of the left field. This made me want to wash my hands of the entire story. I think Jada needed more depth and should have taken more accountability for her actions. Donovan, being the bigger person and putting himself out there, made me like him even more. I do not think they match as a love interest, and I would have loved to see Donovan fall for someone else.

Overall, I do not think this story flowed well, which was disappointing. I expected to love it but it fell flat. Adding more context or length to this story could have improved the fake dating trope. The timeline of events seemed to jump around and made things really choppy. Although, I did not enjoy this story as much as I thought there were some highlights: the representation of individuals with dyslexia and the ending. I liked how the epilogue set a foundation for getting to know August, one of Donovan’s teammates, co-owner of Sugar Blitz, and a close friend. The brotherhood between Donovan and his friends was so sweet! It made me want to dive into their perspectives and retract Jada’s POV altogether. If this story would have been a compilation of male perspectives, it would have been so much better!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!