Reading this book was lovey. It gave a slow but natural progression to an almost enemies to lovers setting. Football player Donovan and soul-searching Jade couldn’t be more opposite with Donovan’s need for order and structure vs Jada’s impulsive personality. An unexpected dive into fake dating to help Jada’s reputation as well as the reputation of Donovan’s bakery leads to the couple getting to know each other beyond the surface level and unexpectedly falling in love. I love the fake dating trope and would love to have seen even more of their fake dating in public spaces! Their relationship grew naturally and you could see how opposites could actually attract. I also finished the book looking forward to August’s love story and Nicholas’s love story. I would have loved to have seen a little more of Jada’s story but it was mostly balanced and I wasn’t left too wanting. Would definitely recommend to those who love a fake dating story with a small splash of enemies to lovers.

This is an excellent romance story. I really enjoy the stories where the opposites attract.
Jada is hiding from a bad experience with a reality dating show when she meets Donovan. Donovan is a professional football player that recently opened a cupcake shop with two of his teammates. Despite being a professional football player the business is not going well. Jada finds herself working for him, and the next thing she knows people are talking about them dating. But really they're not. But instead of setting the record straight, they decide to keep up the act because it turns out to be good for both of them. It's not a problem until feelings get involved.

I know it's weird to say a book is cute, but this was definitely a cute book. I am very glad that I was able to read this book and I would recommend it to everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Edelweiss publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an honest review given for the ARC that was received.
The sugar in this read is sweet and rewarding. Loved that Jada and Donovan wete honest and truthful with each other throughout the entire book with no secrets. The love of family even though certain members set limitations on their love just because hero and heroine chose to be their true selves regardless of the disapprovals that were given.

Fake it Till You Bake It was a light hearted read featuring Donovan, a pro football player / cupcake bakery owner and Jada, a former contestant on a “Bachelor” esque dating show who also happens to be the granddaughter of the San Diego football teams owner. Cue a fake relationship trope with a little dating show drama and The Game tv show and you pretty much have read this book.

Overall the story was cute but the characters could have used a bit more development. Their love story was a little rushed and we didn’t get to fall in love with them and their love story. All in all, love seeing more and more stories featuring BIPOC love but want a little more depth.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was SUCH a fun read! Loved seeing men baking, but also loved the dating show angle. I think the couple's relationship was authentic and well-developed, and I look forward to more books (cause I wanna know the other guys's stories now too)!

Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley **** (Amazon *****) 10/04/2022
(Book 1)

Fun, charming, cupcakes, fake relationship, sexy, reality tv, football.

This was a really fun fake-to-real relationship trope. Jada is in her mid-twenties, rich, chaotic, headstrong and still trying to find her purpose in life especially after being on a romantic reality TV show. Donovan is a 30-year-old private, organized, precise, football player and cupcake bakery owner, with his two best friends and teammates. Their meet-cute is the opposite of love at first sight and simply adorable as they are both attracted to yet can’t sand each other.

I found it refreshing that it took about 1/4 of the book to get to the fake dating part. This really helps develop each character on their own and build a foundation of their feelings making the shift from fake to real feel organic and natural. Though this book was a bit of a slow burn it still managed to be quite sexy as they fight off their attraction to each other. I loved how they supported each other and how they both grew. I did however find the ending to be a bit too quick. I know Jada made a choice that was meant to surprise us but it came on pretty fast. That being said I still really enjoyed this sweet, sexy and delicious romance. I’m so very excited for August’s book, he seemed so sweet and stoic.

Special thank you to #NetGalley, #JamieWesley and #StMartinsGriffin for sharing this digital copy for my honest thoughts on #FakeItTillYouBakeIt.

I love the fake dating trope! I also love baking so I was excited about this book! It is such a page-turning, easy read. Really great for anyone who's looking to dive into a book and tune out the world for a little while! I really hope this is going to be a series!

While there were a few parts where I felt like the plot was a little slow, there was chemistry with the characters the whole way through. Love this book!

A cute and quick read centered on a fake dating romance trope between a professional football player, Donovan, and a former reality TV contestant, Jada. They work together in the bakery that Donovan owns with two of his teammates and through a series of baking mishaps, they each find their strengths in business and make a great pair.

I enjoyed the light-hearted dialogue and easy reading. If you’re looking for a book without the graphic scenes and with a lighter storyline, this would be a great choice. If you’re looking for deep character development woven into the romance, then this may not hit the mark. I hope the other bakery owners get a storyline like others have speculated – I’d read those, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this!

Fake It Till You Bake It is a cute, light, contemporary romance with the fake dating trope. The fake dating came about early and I really liked that, especially after Jada and Donovan’s disastrous first meet. And they kept being thrown together for appearances which is another favorite tactic of mine.

I love the bakery setting and the three footballers running the business. I can see a fun trilogy with these guys. Jada and Donovan had opposing personalities and helped each other grow which was nice to see.

Something didn’t sit right with the break up bit, but then again, I was enjoying their relationship and could’ve just kept reading haha. I loved reading this story and can’t wait for more.

Fake dating is a favorite trope of mine, and I thought the premise of this book was super cute. It's clearly the start of a trilogy for each of our football bakers. The little community of the bakery is one of my favorite parts of the book. Mrs T gave strong Lady Danbury from Bridgerton vibes which was also appreciated. What I didn't like was the end, the career success so suddenly and the immediate repair of the relationship was a reach. It's too much of a jump from birthdays at a cupcake store to charity galas. There was also something off about the dialogue. I liked it, but I didn't find myself needing to pick the book back up.

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 and agree to a fake date each other, till it’s not fake anymore.
Fake it till you bake it is a cute and light-hearted read. I enjoyed the banter between Jada and Donovan, it was adorable and Jada thinking of Donovan as Professor Dill was funny. Not to mention their chemistry, which was off the charts Hot. I liked the premise, footballers turn bakers and the characters, only the breakup felt surreal.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a contemporary romance. I didn't like the language or some of the content of this book. Will try again.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Okay, first off- WOW! A few years ago, I started reading contemporary romances only once in a while and only when they caught my eye. They usually aren't my go-to genre but OH MY GOSH! This book had me blushing and giggling along with the MCs. What's not to love about Fake it Till You Bake it? POC characters, fake dating, an adorable cupcake shop, slow-burn, and spicy spice. This book had me hooked from the first chapter, the characters are so loveable and I loved their growth and dynamic throughout the story. I feel like Wesley did an amazing job with not only the writing and the plot but I never once felt like the story was rushed in any way. I would HIGHLY recommend this book for romance lovers and to romance dabblers, like myself.

I love fake dating tropes they are one of my favorite and this was such a cute fun read. It’s one of those stories that makes you happy. I really loved Jada and Donovan. I really appreciated how Jada seemed closed off and uptight but she was really just trying to protect herself after the world deemed her a terrible person for turning down a proposal on a reality dating show. I loved how the story addressed how many times women are vilified in media vs men but it never felt preachy. I love how Donovan and Jada are very different personalities but I felt like their differences made their banter and chemistry feel more real.

The pace in the beginning is a bit slower and there’s quite a bit of build up before Jada and Donovan really get together but it’s not unbearable. The side characters are amazing and Mrs. T, August and Nicholas were amazing additions. I’m excited to see if maybe the next book is about August.

The ending was good and I enjoyed the epilogue. I do wish so often that romance books wouldn’t have miscommunication be the crux of the issues but it always seems to happen.

Overall a cute happy book filled with fun witty banter.

Thank you St. Martins Press / St. Martins Griffin for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Hot on the heels of a dramatic exit of a reality dating show, Jada is floundering. Not sure of her place in life she’s facing the disapproval of rapid reality fans as well as her intellectual family.

When she first meets Donovan, a football star who also owns and runs a cupcake shop, they clash in a war of words.

When circumstances force them together, a fake dating plan to help her image and boost his business ensues.

I love a good fake dating, enemies to lovers plot and this was a quick, fun, lighthearted read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I enjoyed this book! I love fake dating stories because you just know they'll catch feelings and try to not acknowledge them. It's so rewarding when they admit it. Donovan and his co-owners and team mates run a small cupcake shop when they are not playing football, which is where the book starts. Jada and Donavan's meet cute was a great start to their story. Overall, one of my favorite things about the book was how Jada grew throughout. I loved watching her transformation and learning more about herself and her capabilities. It was the first book by Jamie Wesley that I've read, I can't wait to read more.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The title and synopsis really drew me into the book. Unfortunately, I don't feel like I read the book I was lead to believe I was reading. I didn't even remember this involved the fake dating trope until it was introduced practically a third of the way into the story!

The biggest problem is pacing. A lot of this story drags but then moments that shouldn't be rushed are almost glossed over. I had trouble staying interested. Honestly, I think I finished it because it's not that long. It was rather predictable.

I also couldn't connect to the characters, though it's not their fault. They are decently done but I was too often told how they were feeling instead of experiencing it. I didn't get to take that journey with them. Mrs. T is by far the most interesting character and she's hardly in it.

This is obviously setting up a series of books but as it stands, I don't know that I'd keep going with them.

I thought this was so CUTE! I have always loved books that have some enemies-to-lovers trope. And what's not to love about cupcakes! I think Donovan and Jada were such a cute couple and I hope we get to see them in the sequel? I wish the breakup didn't happen, but that's just me being selfish... I 100 percent recommend this book!

Donovan & Jada.
Fake Dating and Enemies to Lovers (kind of)

Donovan is a pro football player & a baker who co owns a cupcake shop. Jada is a breakout reality tv star (or villain depending on who you ask). With a not so cute meet these two clash personalities at her very first visit to the cupcake shop. Jada is in her finding herself season. Donovan has a plan and a spreadsheet to go with it. These two couldn’t be more different. When they cross paths again in her grandmothers office who also happens to own the team he plays for and it’s another not so cute meet.
Jada ends up working in the cupcake shop. She is recognized by customers, fans, and haters. Her lies are catching up with her and she puts Donovan on the spot, and now they have to continue the ruse. The social media buzz creates much needed business for the bakery so this thing between them is not all bad or is it?

This is a cute story. I mean who doesn’t love a man that knows how to bake. The fake dating to real dating wasn’t a given even though it was apparent to everyone else.

I give it 4.5 stars. There a few pop cultures references and odd word choices that don’t transition well.
I recommend this book.
I was provided an arc by NetGalley and St. Martins Griffin in exchange for my honest review

Maybe I shouldn't have requested this as ake dating is my least favorite trope, but I wanted to read a romance genre book with two Black leads. While the book had its moments, overall the characters came across as bit flat and their chemistry was underwhelming.