Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review!

I thought this book was pretty cute and enjoyed the read, but it definitely had some drawbacks! It’s a lighthearted romance about a reality star turned pariah and a football player who owns a failing cupcake shop. It had a lot of representation and reverse gender norms, which was good to read. It also has the fake dating trope which is one of my favorites!

The thing I didn’t like is it felt like there were too many things going on at the same time. I think if there hadn’t been so many plot points the author was trying to hit and she made Jada and Donovan’s relationship ebb and flow more naturally, it would have come off a lot better. It just started getting a little flat and repetitive after a while.

I do love that the ending really set this up for a series of interconnected romances - my favorite! With a bit more editing and finesse, I think this has the potential to be a very cute and enjoyable contemporary romance!

This book is a delight, I very much enjoyed Wesley’s debut. She writes characters that are charming, witty and incredibly likable. You will be cheering for Jada to figure out her life and for Donovan to realize that there is more to living than being successful. The romance is swoony and while the sex is a bit of a slow-burn it’s plenty steamy! Oh and beware, all the yummy cupcakes will make you mighty hungry. And I, for one, can’t wait to read the other shop partners/football players stories.

An enjoyable contemporary romance featuring a spoiled rich girl and a professional athlete. POC representation and all the tropes ;-)

This isn't my typical choice of novel, but the premise was interesting.

The opening chapter is really fun. Both the hero and heroine are famous, but neither knows who the other one is, making for an interesting interaction. There's a lot of tension in the beginning which adds to the awkward vibe. The supporting cast provides some entertainment too.

It's great to see a rom-com with diverse characters.

I didn't make it through the whole story as I'm a sweet/clean romance reader who is bothered by cursing, and a lot of sexual tension (that's not to say it's a terrible read - just not my personal preference).

If you like rom-coms with awkward moments, sexual tension and food, you'll probably enjoy this read.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Definitely a fun romance. not my typical read but the story was fast paced enough that I wanted to stick with it. Charming and delightful I would recommend to readers who enjoy a mix of light and a little bit of weight.

I liked the book. I don’t think I would reread it since it wasn’t a favorite, but it was certainly enjoyable while I did read it. I personally love celebrity romances, however, I do usually prefer them to be normal person and celebrity/royalty/etc. I found the romance between or two main characters to be a little lackluster and way to quick to the feelings, even for a romance novel. I still would love to check out more by this author and would still recommend this book to other readers. Every time I did pick up the book, I starting craving cupcakes, but I think that’s a little typical for a book about food.

This was a little bit of a struggle for me. I found Jada so entitled, it was hard to get in her corner. The animosity between her and the reality show seemed a bit contrived and prob could be eliminated without hindering the plot.

I loved this so much, I don't even know where to start! So here are 10 reasons to read this book:

1. If you would dive onto a concrete floor to save a cupcake.
2. Enemies to lovers.
3. Fake dating.
4. Grumpy/Sunshine? More like Grumpy/Grumpy.
5. A hilariously coincidental G.I Jada joke (iykyk)
6. August.
7. The CHEMISTRY.
8. Cupcake baking football players.
9. Did I mention August?
10. Honest and healthy communication between the love interests.

*I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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

It pains me to say this, but this book just didn't do it for me. The premise was cute, but the execution just didn't work. It was slow, repetitive and the characters were flat. The first 75% was tough to get through and I found myself skimming just to finish. Things picked up the last quarter, but I wish it didn't take so long for things to get interesting. Overall, the writing wasn't cohesive and felt like a paint by numbers approach to writing a book. It was formulaic and lacked the depth I was hoping for. I think the author is talented, but this one was a miss for me.

Cute romance about a spoiled girl hiding from a viral story and a good looking football player. They fake a relationship to stop the social media craziness in her life but end up falling in love for real. It was perfectly fine until the end…when the drama and the problem that caused their issues gets resolved in a matter of a few pages.

This was so sweet (pun intended!). Really fun story that combines really tv, pro sports, cupcakes, and love. I loved the strong female character in Jada, and thought the three football playing entrepreneur bakers were fantastic. Really cute romance that would make a fantastic spring/summer read.

Fake It Till You Bake It has my absolute favorite trope—fake dating/relationship. Jada and Donovan each had their own reasons for tolerating the other, but the chemistry was there. And after the slow burn, the sparks became an inferno. While it was initially hard for me to believe their emotional connection when they started out on such a bad foot, I still sensed their physical, which was wonderfully sprinkled throughout the book, building up to a very steamy moment between them.

The stakes didn't seem high enough for me, but it didn't stop me from enjoying this story and wanting to read more within the Sugar Blitz world with so many dashing men to satisfy that craving. I would have enjoyed more groveling after the black moment but was satisfied with their HEA. I must say the author has a very strong Romantic voice and I'm looking forward to reading more of her works.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this romance in exchange for an honest review.

This book started a little bit slow, but the pace picked up and it was a really cute story. Jada was a little bit annoying to me at the start, but she really redeemed herself as the story went on. The story also had me laugh out lout

This was the first book I've read by the author, but I would read another in the future.

I felt the story was corny and predictable, even with the implausible plot. (Incredibly hot football pro meets sassy, spoiled rich girl who needs him to give her a job) It is not a style of writing I enjoy, therefore I chose not to finish this book.

Fake-dating story line with just a fun approach to the common romance tropes. A fun quick read with great character chemistry.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A football player who owns a cupcake shop that’s slowing down in business, a reality star dating contestant hiding from angry fans, and a first meeting that doesn’t go so well. Jada Townsend-Matthews is the most reviled woman in America after turning down a proposal on a reality dating show. She’s keeping a low profile and just trying to get by, but when she agrees to go with her best friend to San Diego cupcake shop and snubs it before even trying it because she’s in a bad mood... she comes face to face with the owner who insists she tries his cupcakes before saying it sucks and to her surprise it doesn’t. Cue Donovan Dell, professional football player and owner of Sugar Blitz, a cupcake shop he runs with his teammates and friends. Jada’s grandmother offers her a job and if she can prove herself in the four months her grandmother will release her trust fund to her, to her surprise its to her grandmother’s favorite football player’s cupcake shop.... Jada will be working for Donovan the guy she got into an argument with. It doesn’t help that when a reporter mistakenly believes Jada and Donovan are an item they both realize they can use it to their advantage and Jada can keep the media off her back and Donovan can get publicity for his bakery. But what starts off as fake dating soon turns into real emotions as these two get to know each other better and that maybe all their banter and fighting is just a little headway for flirting and falling for each other. This was a cute story and I loved that you got to know both Donovan and Jada, both of them are dealing with stuff but they both are supportive and want to help each other. Definitely give this a read if you’re looking for a sweet romance!

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Wow this book was just so good and so easy to get lost in. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I just didn't want the story to end. I just couldn't get enough of these wonderful characters and I just loved getting to see their journey. I will most definitely be reading more stories from this wonderful author.

Brief Synopsis:
Jada a reality star from a dating show starts working at a cupcake shop owned by Donovan a pro football player. They start fake dating to help save Jadas reality stardom and save Donovans cupcake shop.

My Thoughts:
-I love a book with a fake dating romance troupe
-This book was sweet. I enjoyed the cupcake shop and how it was the center of the story
-I didn’t really feel invested in Jada and Donovan’s relationship. The characters and their relationship needed more development
- Overall if you enjoy a sweet enemies too lovers with a fake dating troupe mixed in this book is for you


Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this eArc in exchange for an honest review

I was given an eARC of Fake It Till You Bake it by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley. If you are looking for a fun, lighthearted read, I recommend fake it til you bake it. It involves the fake dating trope, pro-football players baking cupcakes, and a somewhat spoiled rich girl with family issues trying to gain access to her trust fund. Fake It Till You Bake It was the perfect break for some more challenging reads

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fake it Til You Bake It is the story of Dominic and Jada. Jada just turned down a proposal on a dating reality show, and Dominic, a NFL star, has opened a cupcake shop with two of his teammates. Jada comes into the shop and insults both the shop decor and the cupcakes which upsets Dominic. A week later he's agreeing to hire the granddaughter of his team's owner and in walks Jada, the said granddaughter. A meet cute turned into a boss/employee romance with a side of fake dating thrown in.

I enjoyed Dominic and Jada. Her struggles to find herself in a family of overachievers was realistic and well written. Dominic was a little less fleshed out than Jada but his personality did shine thru a bit. This was a slow burn, which I like, and the fake dating wasn't too egregious. I also really liked that Jada was given the time and space to find herself and how they found their way back to each other after the obligatory "big breakup:".

I was confused that she was able to ignore interviews about her reality show - I'm sure she would have been legally contracted to do follow up interviews. This also makes later developments with that plot not jibe well either. I also find it hard to believe a cupcake shop run by current NFL players wouldn't be full of people, if for no other reason than to ogle them. There would have been more focus on his dating a relative of the team owner both in social media and in the store- that would have been enough for tabloid fodder, regardless of the reality show.

All in All I did really like this book, and I'm interested in follow up books on the other two shop owners. Three stars.