Book: Fake It Till You Bake It
Author: Jamie Wesley
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:
A reality star and a cupcake-baking football player pretend to be a couple in order to save his bakery in this sweet and sexy romance from Jamie Wesley, Fake It Till You Bake It.

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.

Fake it Till You Bake It is a sweet confection of a novel, the perfect story to curl up with and enjoy with a cupcake on the side.

Review:
I really enjoyed this book! This book is not something I would normally pick up, as I don't usually enjoy books where the characters are celebrities, but Jamie made that work for me. I loved the baking aspect of the book, and the football aspect of the book was also enjoyable for me, although I don't love football and usually don't like reading about it. I loved Jada and Donovan together, and the fake dating trope worked well with them. This is one of my favorite tropes so I loved seeing it represented.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I used to take homemade baked goods to Cal football practices when I covered the team (gotta get someone to eat all the extras!), so a book that combines football players and working in a bakery has my name all over it. And, for the most part, this book filled that craving. It’s cute with crackling moments and interesting characters, but it didn’t leave me wanting more.

I liked the characters a lot, and I liked their communication even more. The relationship between Jada and Donovan felt fluid and natural, and some of their adorableness had me blushing. But the writing held no real allure for me — I felt like I could have cut at least one sentence from every paragraph — and was never subtle with so much tell and so little show. I wish the side characters had been a bit more dynamic, because there was definitely plenty of room for exploration, and I occasionally got lost on the timeline. (I also had trouble imaging a bakery owned and worked by, essentially, TJ Watt, Derek Watt, and Najee Harris (go, Steelers!) would have trouble getting customers to come in, but I suppose that plot point was needed to move the story along.) The book definitely got better after the first 100 or so pages when the heart of the story was given a chance to open up — gimme all the fake dating tropes — but I still devoured this read in one sitting. Because, overall, this is a sweet story with tons of heart and a lovely romance at its core. But it’s a basic Toll House chocolate chip cookie, not a fluffy Levain one.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, in my experience, linebackers typically prefer brownies.

Special thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Jamie Wesley for proving me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

if there’s food and romance…. count me IN!! i really enjoyed this book and the characters, i can see myself reading more of this authors books in the future!

Honestly, I wish Fake It Till You Bake It had been a little longer. I felt like Jada and Donovan were well-fleshed out characters. Romance novels such as this one work really well becaue of the dual perspectives. Each element, from the bakery to being a reality tv star, to figuring out what you want to do with your life, felt pretty interesting. This fast paced romance novel is one you'll fly through in a day.

fake it til you bake it was a sweet romance with a good ol fashioned meet cue and lots of cupcakes! i liked this book, but felt like it dragged a bit. i wasn’t as invested in the characters and wanted a little more for their story. even with that it was still a sweet book and i enjoyed reading it! jada is a strong lead and the banter between her and donovan always brought a smile to my face!

I don't know what I was expecting from Fake It Till You Bake It but I had such a great time reading. A football player who bakes cupcakes and a reality TV star? Sign me up. Fake dating is not one of my favorite tropes but it was done well in this book. Donovan and Jada had great chemistry and they developed pretty well as individuals. They were complete opposites of each other in every way. Also, I loved the family and friend dynamics in this book.

‘Fake It Til You Bake It’ has so many of the tropes that I like. There’s enemies-to-lovers vibes, forced proximity, and a fake relationship all interwoven brilliantly into this delightful tale of a maligned reality star and an NFL player/cupcake shop owner.

When Jada Townsend-Matthews turns down a proposal on a popular dating show, she has no idea how severe the backlash would be. Football player and cupcake shop owner, Donovan Dell, has never seen a reality show in his life, but when Jada starts working at his shop, he can’t help but be intrigued by her and the way she makes him feel. And when a reporter mistakenly believes that Jada and Donovan are dating? They both decide to use that to their advantage. It’s all cupcakes and icing until their hearts get involved.

This is the first book I’ve read by Jamie Wesley, and it will not be my last. I am already intrigued by other characters who pop up in this story, and would love to see books written about them as well. I loved the whimsy of the story and the tension and the romance. And Donovan is just the kind of grumpy on the outside, gooey on the inside, type of hero that I love to read.

If you’re looking for a book that is a sweet and delightful as your favorite dessert, this is the book for you.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Fake It Till You Bake It is an almost enemies to lovers fake dating rom com that skirts the line between being a light and fluffy read and making you feel all the feels. After a little bit of a slow start in which I wasn't sure how I was going to feel, the story picked up and Jada and Donovan's chemistry started to sizzle a bit more. For the second half of the book I was totally engaged and invested and didn't want to put it down. If you're looking for a diverse romance by a female POC author, look no further and pick this one up!

(3.5) This fast paced read is for lovers of the fake dating trope. In this romantic comedy, Jada, a “bougie” former reality tv contestant who can’t seem to hold a job and Donovan, a level headed NFL player who also happens to own a cupcake shop, begin their relationship through a mutually beneficial ruse. The premise of this book is something unlike anything I have read. This unlikely pair charmed me early on, leaving me eager to see their story unfold.

This book demonstrates a healthy relationship, something many contemporary romances struggle to demonstrate. The miscommunication trope is nowhere to be found with these two! This was ultimately a very refreshing read in that sense.

Although my attention waned as I read, I found the characters worth the investment. I believe this book would be best consumed in one sitting, as it was easy to become detached from the plot. However, I was impressed with Jamie Wesley’s ability to surprise me as a reader. Although the book follows a similar formula to other fake dating romances, Wesley finds a way to create scenarios that are new and fresh. Overall, this is a solid romance novel. I am excited to see what the next instalment of this series entails.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Format: Ebook

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC – Net Galley and St. Martin's Press provided this Advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fake it Til You Bake It by Jamie Wesley is a romance that gives pretty much everything I could want in a story. There are enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake dating, slow burn, different levels of family relationships, and the banter between the two was nothing short of incredible. It also felt like a slow burn to me too. With that, you must be wondering what this book is about!

Fake it Til You Bake It tells us the story of Jada Townsend-Matthews, a reality star who America has turned their backs on. Turning down the viewers favorite bachelor didn't win her any prizes. Donovan Dell is a football player who owns a cupcake shop. Their chance encounter and less than ideal first impressions sent them on the track of enemy territory, but little did they know they had a connection.

Jada's grandmother owns the football team Donovan plays for. Jada, impulsive and, as Donovan calls her, bougie, has to work for the logical, cautious and organized Donovan at the shop. Tensions run high between the two as she's a storm to Donovan's calm. Both of them turn each other's lives upside down in this sweet tale of love and baking.

I don't think I could even pick a favorite character because Donovan has my heart and so does Jada. They each compliment each other in such a perfect way, and they're both incredibly stubborn to a fault, but I couldn't bear to choose a favorite. I enjoyed all of their banter, back and forth. They challenged one another and complimented their lives in ways they didn't even realize. Much like the story, I'm definitely a #JaDon shipper myself!

This was definitely a five star read for me! I can't wait for this release expected on June 21, 2022.

A light-heart sweet romance with characters that are not white (which we need more of) . The book is steamy and the chemistry between the two characters and it was predictable. It is still worth the read! I will say it is a slow burn! there is mention of gambling and social media harrassment.

Fake It Till You Bake It was my first time reading Jamie Wesley. After seeing it on NetGalley and reading the description I was really excited to check it out.

It is a quick and light-hearted read that follows Jada, who recently was on a reality dating show that painted her as a villain, and Donovan, sexy NFL player with a side-hustle owning a cupcake shop. I loved their witty banter together and they had great chemistry which helped make it a quick read. I only gave it 3.5 stars, because I had hoped for a little bit more romance and steaminess from it. Overall it was a good book and I will likely check out the author again in the future. Other reviewers have mentioned it, but it would seem that this will be a series of books and the next one will seemingly be about one of the other characters, August. Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Yes, at times it is a little cheesy but overall I was entertained by the characters and they had great chemistry on the page. There was a little bit of every trope in here: enemies to fake dating to friends to lovers. It was definitely interesting. I have a feeling we are going to see Nicholas (Olivia?) and August (Sloane!) again and I’m totally here for it. I’m invested now and will definitely be reading the next books in the series.

Premise: so cute!
Writing: tell not show, lackluster. This seems to be a trend with rom coms. I need wit, crackling off the page, and character development off the bat in order to be hooked. Didn't find it here.

Despite being extremely busy with school and work, I finally got the chance to finish this book. I really enjoyed this book; it was predictable at times, but I didn't really mind it. This rom-com is about a famous football player whose bakery is not doing so well and a reality TV star who is trying to regroup and find herself after breaking off an engagement on national television. I really liked the dynamic Jada and Donovan had with each other. The one thing I loved the most about this book was that it was a black romance; black romances are really hard to come around, and this story captured black love in a beautiful way. This book will make you laugh, swoon, and get you in your feels. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I will get a physical copy when it is released to the public. Fake it Till you Bake It comes out June 22, 2022!

The premise of Fake It Till You Bake It was really cute. The first chapter had a great hook. I struggled to like the main characters. I understand Jada had a lot of people judging her, but she was very harsh and hard to like. Donovan was so-so.
I expected a cupcake shop to be a bit brighter and warmer. I’d say 3.5 stars

First off, thank you too St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for allowing to me read this Digital ARC of Fake it Till You Bake It.

The total caught my attention and so did the cover - being that I love a good rom-com and this one was probably centered around baking LOL (which I love to do!)

This book is so cute! Matter of fact it's SWEET and leaves you feeling good! our MCs Jada and Donovan have an honest and truthful relationship (wow thats hard to come by). I love that its a little roll revsersal from traditional - he's the baker! plus if you're into dating shows, which I'm not but still cute part of the story, it will scratch that itch too! Super fun read, really enjoyed it!

Unfortunatley this sweet treat felt a bit salty and over baked for my taste.

I just couldn't connect with our main character. She felt too much, too insta-hungry for me and I rolled my eyes a lot.

The story had a ton of potential and seemed so cute, but unfortunately for me it never clicked.

This is a super sweet *pun intended* romance. I loved the characters and it was so fun to see a different side of the reality tv stars that we all think we know.
I thought the romance was cute but was wishing for more banter and a little more detail.
Super fun romcom for summer!

So much potential. Fake dating trope with a NFL player who is passionate about baking. I mean in what scenario is a cupcake shop not a perfect backdrop for a romcom?

Buuuut that’s as far as it got. Unfortunately the main gal Jada was so materialistic and superficial. She ruined the read for me, honestly. The characters seemed off. Something just didn’t click for me.

That said the cupcakes were the best part of this book. We love a sweet treat! 🧁

Overall, conceptually. Yes. Love it. But it didn’t play out well for me. Ty St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC. 💖