I love a good fake dating story as much as the next person but something about this book just didn’t work for me. I really struggled to get through it and didn’t really feel the connection between the main characters.

I had high expectations going into this one but found that overall the lead characters were not believable and I had trouble keeping my attention on the story.

I'm not a fan of the instalove trope and found that this instance didn't do it very well to begin with. Female lead was supposed to be likeable but was boring and it seemed like she had no friends. Trust fund girl used to having everything handed to her but also has a poor life. Male lead was a football character but we didn't see him working out or practicing.

I found there were weird conflicts that popped up throughout the book that supposed to be huge issues, but then resolved in one chapter.

Overall, this was about a cupcake shop - sounded delicious. Mains were good at baking, bad at business. This could have been a great story but I had difficulty keeping my attention hard to keep my attention.

This book was cute but I wasn't very into the fake dating trope, unfortunately. It fell flat for me. Overall this was an enjoyable read but not super memorable.

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

What I liked:

▫️Donovan! Ugh his austere principle, do as I say vibes, are 🔥🥵!

▫️Love this no-nonsense grumpy attitude versus Jadas sunshine one.

▫️The banter between Jada and Donovan is pure bliss and the epitome of #couplegoals

▫️ I loved the “bachelor” tv show vibes.

What didn’t work for me:

▫️ Honestly there wasn’t much to critique for me. But I do wish we had a little more open door action to the romance scenes. 😉

Overall I really enjoyed this and I’m looking forward to possibly more from this series and this author.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & St. Martin Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, this was very cute. I loved the enemies-to-lovers/fake dating tropes that were featured in this. Jada & Donovan were adorable and I absolutely loved their banter together. If you are looking for a light read or feel good romance, this for you.

After being in multiple reading slumps so far this year, this book was so welcome and exactly what I needed to read.

This was fine! I honestly didn't love the dialogue, it didn't feel naturally flowing to me, but the idea was really cute!

Fake it til you bake it is a cute, light-hearted read. This book centers around a fake dating couple featuring Jada, who is fresh off of a reality dating show, and Donovan, a professional NFL player and cupcake shop owner. I could feel the chemistry between them and the book got steamy at times which I enjoyed. It is a quick read and it’s rather predictable of course, but that’s what makes for an easy, fluffy read. I would guess based on the ending, this is going to be a series and we’re going to see a book on August next! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

Thank you St. Martins Press and Net Galley for an ARC in return for my honest review.

Ok first thing is first…. This cover is one of the cutest covers I’ve ever seen so I absolutely had to pick this one to read! It has everything you could want in a RomCom PLUS diversity. Loved it!

Cupcakes, professional football players, and a strong female protagonist who is able to be vulnerable and open to love even after being hurt before? We love to see it! This book was as sweet as the cupcakes the characters sold in their bake shop and had excellent character development and a hilarious and supportive (and only slightly meddle-some) grandma. Highly recommend!

This story is sweet, sexy and definitely a feel good read. Jada Townsend-Matthews endeared herself to the public, becoming the frontrunner on a poplar dating show. Unfortunately fame is fickle as she soon found out, becoming a target to a vitriolic public. Popular professional football player Donovan Dell. owns Sugar Blitz with his fellow teammate. From the moment Jada entered his shop, there is a tangible reaction,. Jada has the audacity to offer her opinions regarding his bakery. In an unexpected turn of events Jada ends up working at the bakery. This is where the story takes off. The story is told from a dual perspective which I think adds nuance to the story. I enjoyed the support that Donovan continually offered Jada support throughout their burgeoning romance.. Rounding out the story are loving, loyal characters August, Nicholas and Mrs. T
I would enjoy seeing other characters in this book get their own stories (especially August).

The sheer adorable-ness of this book is unmatched. The banter? the sass? the way I am going to be craving cupcakes for the next 4 months.

An adorable sweet, incredibly well written and overall incredible rom-com. The way each character is fleshed out, I felt like I connected with both them so personally and watching them fall in love? TOO PRECIOUS.

I cannot wait to get my hands on a solid copy

This book had a lot of my favorite tropes and plot additions: fake dating, enemies to lovers, food-related, set in a cupcake shop—what more could you need? However, the story, unfortunately, fell flat for me. The third-person dual POV made it hard to connect with either character, and the slow pacing meant that not much really happened at the beginning of the book. I ultimately DNFed at ~30% and the fake dating hadn't even started yet.

Fake It Till You Bake It is a sweet contemporary romance that highlights the dark side of reality tv. Jada Townsend-Matthews was the winner of a bachelor type tv show but when she got her proposal she shot down the star bachelor. Everyone seems to hate her between social media and the fans that have the nerve to get in her face. Donovan Dell is one of three professional footballers that run the Sugar Blitz bakery. Working because she needs to prove herself to her grandmother, Jada finds her groove planning events and serving cupcakes. And if saving face means faking a relationship with the hot Donovan, Jada isn’t above that either. A nice, dependable guy and a “bougy ” little rich girl find love over cupcakes in this fake relationship to true love romance that is a feel good delight as sweet as the cupcakes in the cupcake shop. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

A warm and fuzzy read. This was a sweet rom-com with one of my favorite tropes (fake dating!).

The main characters both saw character growth over the course of the book, especially Jada. I always appreciate when a book is about more than just falling in love, and over the course of the story Jada was able to find more of a sense of purpose in her life and start deciding what it is she actually wants.

It's so great to have more romance books centered around POC, and parts of this book seemed to hint at future sequels centered around the main character's friends, so I hope there are more to come!

A fluffy romance about a pro football player, a reality show star, and a sweet little bakery with cupcakes galore. What else do I need to say?

PROS: Let's start here. Great representation and diversity. Tropes galore: fake dating, enemies to lovers, love triangle. I loved the side characters and they really carried the story. Ending was great.

CONS: I never really felt the chemistry between the two main characters and couldn't connect with them. Transition to steamy scenes is abrupt and awkward. And it is a sloooowww burn.

Overall, I wasn't quite feeling it, but I will say that I've been in a rut of 3-star reads.

I wanted to like this book but didn’t. It was kind of cheesey. It went back and forth too much and didn’t have much of a plot I enjoyed. It needed more substance.

A really great story, charming, atmospheric, great characters. Filled me with warmth and spirit. Well written and flowed nicely, was romantic and funny, charming and full of fun. A great read, i really enjoyed it.

“I should have told you that I love you, and I’ll go to the ends of the earth for you.”

Omg this book! Don’t walk, run when it drops!!

This book has fake dating, and it was done in a way that I could feel Donovan & Jada’s chemistry from miles away! Their banter is amazing and so funny!! I loved the character development so much for both of them but specially Jada, she went from being kind of like a damsel in distress, not knowing things from the real world to becoming a strong woman and business owner. I loved the side characters also, Donovan’s friends were so funny and interesting.

I am a #JaDon fan

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me an ARC in exchange of my honest opinion.

Thank you netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I finished this a few days ago but I'm now just writing the review. A few days ago, I probably would have put this as 4 stars but now as i think about it I'm changing it to 5 stars. I genuinely loved this book. I loved the characters, and the cover is so beautiful.

I thought this book was a cup half full. Slow in the beginning but did pickup in the end. Overall, it was an okay read.