Love to see more diversity in romance novels, for one, it's making the genre so much more inclusive. Told in dual point of views, there's such banter right off the bat that I love. Just hooks and pulls me in to want to keep reading. It's a sweet fake dating read that's fun, cute and a little sexy, however, some of the pacing seems just a tad hurried to me in parts.

“Fake It Till You Bake It” is a contemporary romance novel by Jamie Wesley.

Jada Townsend-Matthews was a contestant on a reality TV show like The Bachelor. In the end, she turned down the proposal - which many fans of the show via social media have expressed their anger at her. Ms. Townsend-Matthews, along with a friend, enters a cupcake store, owned by Donovan Dell, an NFL player, and two of his teammates/friends. She makes a comment - he is offended (but there’s some attraction between the two). Through a series of minor circumstances, Jada ends up working in Donovan’s shop.

Telling much more of the plot basically spoils some of the turns in this book. This book followed the standard romance formula - but in this case, the conflict wasn’t that huge an issue (at least in my opinion). The larger issue was the decision to fake date - and work that out with Donovan mostly wanting to always tell the truth and Jada being willing to bend it a bit.

There’s a lot of things thrown into this book - Jada has dyslexia (which is great for the author to bring up, but it didn’t really add to the plot - but I found some of Jada’s coping mechanisms interesting), Jada’s parents don’t regard the humanities as a real degree and they disapprove of her career choice(s), Jada’s grandmother owns the team that Donovan plays for, and Donovan’s father has a gambling issue. At times it seemed like these were filler things but they didn’t always add to the story (though the grandmother’s team ownership did play a part near the beginning). I did like the fact that the cast of characters seemed to be used enough to create interest in them as individuals. There is one chapter that is definitely “sexy time” heavy.

This was a light and fast read for me - which I rather needed after reading a number of heavier books. This book may be part of a series - as the ending was closed for Jada and Donovan, but left “cliffhanger” like for another character.

Last three days I was so focused on my dark fantasy challenge that made me more exhausted than I expected. I’m so happy to take a break and dive into this sweet, entertaining, feel good romance to heal my hurting little grey cells.

Fake relationship, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, high chemistry, a star football player who can make cupcakes and resilient reality star who turns into unpopular villanelle teaming up to rehabilitate public images and save the cupcake business: Great formula, favorite tropes, entertaining chapters, likable characters with great blend of reality show, football and baking businesses! I’m absolutely in! Jada and Donovan’s smart banters, fiery chemistry absolutely catch you unguarded. You never want to put this book down!

This book definitely is a dream comes true!
Just go blind and have fun!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Fake It Till You Bake it is a solid addition to the romance genre, and my first contemporary romance of 2022. This is a great book to read if you're into baking and/or The Bachelorette. This story weaves both of those elements in smoothly while also giving the main characters their time to develop. The main character, Jada, is the right amount of excitable and cautious while her counterpart Donovan is the right balance of serious and soft. I think the last third of the book was a little weaker, considering that seems to be where the real conflict of the story kicks in. I wish that the conflict of the two characters would have tied in more to Donovan's line of work, where this relationship should seemingly present more sketchy to the public, as it felt like that could have been an interesting way to weave in a final conflict. Regardless, this book was a fun read, and the end definitely draws in the reader for a much anticipate sequel.

A baking/sports/fake-dating romance, sign me up! I loved this book, it had me hooked - I didn't want to put it down. When I did finish it, I realized there is probably going to be a sequel!

I've never watched The Bachelor before, but I understand the concept of the show, and I enjoyed how the author included her own version of the show. Jada is a force, a firecracker, and not afraid to speak her mind - even when it can get her into trouble. Donovan and Jada are the cutest couple and their banter is adorable.

Definitely going to recommend this book to anyone who loves the whole fake-dating trope. So thankful that I had the opportunity to read this e-ARC. I can't wait to see what else this author has in store for the sequel. This book is being released on June 21, 2022. Run, don't walk to pre-order this one!

Rating: 5/5 Stars ★★★★★

Rating: 3 out of 5

Style/Trope: Fake dating, soft enemies to lovers, reality tv

Spice: 2.5/5

Jada turned down a proposal on reality TV, and her grandmother is threatening to cut her off from her trust fund. Her grandmother does offer her a job, at the cupcake bakery of a man who she insulted the day before. When she tries to convince him to date her in an effort to fix her reputation, how will he respond? And if they fake date, what will happen if it becomes real for one of them?

This dual-POV book was a fun ride. Jada and Donovan are both good characters and the author went through pains to try to give the characters depth through some backstories. It was fine, enjoyable but I wouldn't seek to buy this book or ultimately reread as it doesn't feel like it adds much. However, I do feel like the author is setting up a sequel between Donovan's sister Sloane and August who works in the bakery. That book I'd like to read.

Fake dating wins again with an Ex-reality star villain and a cupcake baking football player! Jada is all adorable chaos and Donovan needs a little shaking up. This was such a cute and fun read. You will not be disappointed and I’m looking forward to reading more from Jamie Wesley and hope to see more from the other characters.

I loved reading this! Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, and the characters in this story and their situations were unique. This was the perfect story to read curled up on my couch on my snow day. Highly recommend to romance lovers.

I didn't like this book, to put it bluntly. It was an average fake dating story but there wasn't a hook drawing me in. The setting was cute and had a lot of potential but the story failed to intrigue me. When it comes to romance novels that use popular tropes, I, as a reader, am always looking for how a specific book does a new take on the overused trope. This story, however, failed to introduce anything new which made the story very 2-dimensional for me.

I hate to give this book a poor review as I'm sure it could be a great mindless beach read for some, but I personally just found it boring.

There have been so many baking-themed romances over the past year and FAKE IT TILL YOU BAKE IT was a fun addition. I didn't connect to the protagonists as much as I wanted to, but it was an enjoyable read. Especially if you love baking, this will be a title to add to your Summer 2022 reading list.

Thiswas a sweet little cupcake of a novel. The idea of a bunch of NFL guys running. a bakery was a fun and unique one. The granddaughter is the perfect foil. I enjoyed this light romance.

This was a cute and a little steamy romance. This is perfect for fan of the Bachelorette - there is just enough character development and plot but overall an easy read.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and sexy. The relationship started as a fake but ended in love. The story was light and fun. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely enjoyed this book. The witty banter between Jada and Donovan made me fall in love with them immediately. This novel is the perfect blend of baking, sports, enemies-to-lovers, and fake relationships tropes.

I think what I loved most about this novel is that it featured strong, intelligent, and driven Black protagonists. It was refreshing to read a novel that was real - the characters weren't perfect but at the end of the day they were successful personally and financially. We need more stories with Black characters such as Jada and Donovan.

I highly recommend this book and if Jamie Wesley ever sees this review, I'd love to see a novel about Mrs. T!

A sweet and fun addition to the baking romance subgenre. A recommended purchase for collections where contempoary romance is popular.

In "Fake It Till You Bake It", professional football player Donovan Dell runs a San Diego cupcake business on the side. One day, socialite and reality star Jada Townsend-Matthews walks into his store with a friend and is rather derogatory about the store's aesthetics. Overhearing her, Donovan speaks up and sparks fly. After their "meet cute", Jada ends up working at the bakery and sparks continue to fly. They decide to fake a relationship when Donovan needs more customers and Jada needs better social media PR, but lines quickly get blurred. I enjoyed their chemistry and thought this was a cute and enjoyable romance novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This starts with a former reality tv star coming off declining a proposal on a bachelor-type show that landed her marked as the season’s villain. In an effort to gain access to her trust fund, Jana agrees to work at the cupcake shop of a professional football player. Through a series of events, the two make a deal to fake a relationship for the publicity and anyone who has ever seen a rom com knows how this ends.

I wanted this book to be a real meet cute, but it felt like there was a heavy lean into romance for a small piece. The story also got to the “conflict” very late in the store (almost 90%). The conflict also seemed to come out of left field and resolve without adding much of anything to the plot. I also think jump cuts in stories or movies are a really boring way to skip over the part of the story where the two main characters are meant to spend figuring out what they want.

I’m not totally sold on the couple even by the end. I think the details about Jana’s grandmother owning the team Donovan played for, Jana taking the job to earn her trust fund and Jana’s family problems centered around her learning disability all added up to a story that just felt like it was a bit of an over exaggeration of any possible situation that could be part of the story.

It’s a really quick and fun read for anyone looking for a sweet story with some spicy moments.

This was a really cute romance that I read in a day. I loved the witty banter between our characters and how much they try to deny the chemistry between them because they are so different.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

This is a very well written book. The plot is interesting and easy to read . The characters are relatable and you can’t help falling in love with them. You root for the 2 main characters the entire time. I throughly enjoyed reading this book!

A cute, quick read with heart that will resonate for members of the social media generation! Donovan and Jada's "relationship" takes social media by storm after her fall from grace on a Bachelor-like reality show. What comes next is a classic tale of a buttoned up baker and an impulsive influencer turned event planner winning hearts all over San Diego. Filled with sweet treats and strong supporting characters (including her football team owning grandmother), this book creates a world that can easily support follow-up books. Watching Donovan and Jada support each other through trials and tribulations made their HEA that much more satisfying.