2.5* rounded up

This was a slightly boring romance, to be honest. The premise of Jada being on a reality dating show and Donovan being a football player sounded fun and it could make for a good story. However, Donovan's career as a football player didn't seem to do much for the story. He could have been a normal guy or have some other crazy profession, it felt like the football aspect played such a small role in the story.

Jada and Donovan didn't really do anything for me as a couple either. I wish they had more chemistry, I guess? I don't know, just something about them together didn't really fit.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute light-hearted romance. It has all your favorite tropes: slow burn, enemies to lovers, and fake dating. Add in cupcakes and the drama of reality TV and it’s the perfect recipe for a romance!

This books was so fun. The premise is so cute and the writing totally delivered. I want to read more from this author.

I DNF'd this book, I could not get into the characters and was not very interested in the storyline. I also didn't like the fast forwarding in the time line without going over what happened, I felt like I missed a lot when the book skipped ahead.

I love a good fake dating story but this was not it for me. There was no chemistry between the two MCs, I was bored for most of the book.

I also disliked out MC Jada immediately. She was a spoiled rich girl who complained about everything. Can’t relate.
The male MC Donovan started out okay, that is until he called her bougie over and over. I’m surprised I didn’t quit the book for that reason alone.

Unfortunately I wasn’t a fan of the book.

This one was really cute! I enjoyed the character dynamic. If you love reality tv and baking this one is for you!

Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley has some of my favorite rom-com tropes: fake dating, bake shops, professional athletes, reality TV starts. A real mash-up of greatness. This is a super cute read!

Many thanks to the author, publish, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Well, this book had me craving cupcakes. Donovan always has a game plan, on the field or off. During football season he’s a professional football player. Off season he runs a bakery with fellow teammates.
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Jada was hoping to take her fifteen minutes of fame from a reality show and become an influencer. Instead she’s hiding out and finds herself working at the bakery and faking a relationship with Donovan to save her reputation and the bakery. Just like any good fake dating relationship they of course fall in love. I really liked the two of them together and the growth of both of these characters throughout.
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Thank you #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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The best part about this book was the cupcakes. I usually love the fake dating trope, but the characters in this book have no chemistry.

A snooze. I was utterly disappointed, and the love story just fell...flat. The premise was cute but the execution was boring.

I found this to be a really cute book! But be warned, you will crave cupcakes the whole time you read it. This is a really fun and quick read. I would recommend it!

Sweetly heartwarming, emotional, yet fun small-town journey that was filled with intriguing charters, witty banter and simmering passion. Highly entertaining and emotionally trilling journey that was so hard to put down.

3.5 stars

This was a fun, fluffy book that also touched on some more serious issues. The initial meet-cute was sweet, and the plot itself was fine, although the expected misunderstanding near the end was a bit underwhelming. Overall, it was a nice little rom-com.

Cute romcom from a new to me author.

From Jada and Donovan’s rather eventful first meeting, the author keep me turning the pages til the end. Their banter was adorable and the buildup to the steam drove me nuts but didn’t disappoint when they finally got down and dirty.

Look forward to reading more from the author.

3,5*
Pros: I love a good culinary context, so this story centered around baking hit the spot. PoC protagonists and cast. Super cute moments. Steamy and engaging dynamic between the two leads. Also delves into the dangers of reality TV and cyberbullying. Dyslexia representation.
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Cons: Immediate sexualization of both leads. Clunky descriptive style.

I really enjoyed this book! It's an adorable fake dating story centered around great characters. The female lead Jada is a little standoffish at first but I grew to like her character and root for her and Donovan.

If you're looking for a cheesy romcom type book this is the book for you!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy via Netgalley.

I could have sworn I gave feedback on this but I’ll write thee review again. I love that we have two black mc’s in a book that’s not indie (while k live my indie authors) is amazing!

I loved cupcake based stories since I love the great British baking show.
Donovan who is a prior pro football player has opened a cupcake shop and Jada joins him after failing at adulting.

What follows is a cute romance with a lot of baking, some tension and a fake dating trope. Who doesn't love a fate dating trope. Ammarite?

I totally picked Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley up based on the cover and title, and even though it does have steam, it's something I could definitely see on the Hallmark channel or as a Lifetime movie. It is mostly a lighthearted read, but Wesley also talks about pressure from overbearing parents as well as dyslexia which isn't a topic I see all that much in books. I really liked the viewpoint changes between Jada and Donovan, and having this story set mostly in a cupcake shop made me crave them like no other. Like cupcakes, the relationship between our MCs is super sweet and I really liked the chemistry between them. This is in the fake-dating/enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance tropes which I am a huge fan of, and I was rooting for our couple from the very first chapter. They were completely adorable together despite their initial meet-cute, and Wesley did a great job of creating a romance that basically reads like a romcom with open-door spice.

Kassiopia DeVora is the narrator for the audiobook, and even though it was a bit of a bummer that Donovan didn't get a male narrator, I thought DeVora did a splendid job and I enjoyed listening to her very much. Besides Jada and Donovan, my favorite character was Jada's grandmother by far. She was whip-smart and didn't have time for anyone's nonsense, making her a great addition to the story. Fake It Till You Bake pretty much ended how I expected it would, but it also had a touch of a cliffhanger, so I see a series coming! I thought this book was a lot of fun, and it would make an excellent palate cleanser after a heavy read. Now that Christmas is only about a month away, I am craving more of these cute romances, and even though this one doesn't have a holiday setting, I recommend it if you want something to give you the warm and fuzzies while also making you laugh.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a super fun and cute read but overall I felt the storyline was a little hectic while also lacking something. The two extremes of Jada having been on a reality tv show and ending up working in a cupcake store with a pro NFL football player (who loves baking????) because she's lived a privileged life was a little over the top for me.
But all in all, I'll read anything about baking, meet cutes, and romance novels!