I liked this book - fast moving plot, good characters, and fun to read. The author did a great job with the story, plot, and setting. Overall, I would definitely recommend!

This was a really sweet romance with a very interesting premise. A reality star from a dating show starts working at a bakery owned by a professional football player and they start fake dating. I really loved all the characters and found the story to be very entertaining and enjoyable.

This was a solid 3.5/5 read until the third act break up/resolution which was the dumbest thing ever.

(I am not a third act break up hater, but I need them to make sense and I need a decent resolution. If you show me a couple that breaks up for a dumb reason and then gets back together without doing the work I have a hard time believing the HEA.)

WHAT I LIKED

The concept of this book is so fun and you can tell the author just was having a blast with this. I mean football players who own a cupcake shop? We love to see it.

I loved Donovan’s family and the scene where Jada meets his mom was perfect.

As a note, his mom is named Sandra Dell and Sandra Dee (song) was stuck in my head for like an entire day after reading that scene.

The book club was over the top, but in the best way. I had a blast reading that scene.

The scene where they were talking about dyslexia, which Jada has, and when Donovan’s coaches underestimated his intelligence was great.

I am a sucker for a reality tv show setting and even though this book does not take place on a reality tv show, the plot is moved by the existence of a reality show.

The scene where Donovan and his friends watched the show was excellent.

Fake dating is a trope I really enjoy and it was a fun time here, even if I think the synopsis doesn’t really describe how it goes down.

I loved that Jada’s grandma owned a football team. Like?? An older Black woman owning an NFL team? Legendary.

I listened to a big chunk of this one while doing yard work and it kept me entertained which I appreciated.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Donovan. He was fine? But not my fave.

I was annoyed he didn’t understand social media. I got why he was written this way, but football players have plenty of opportunities for brand deals on social media and it just felt weird he didn’t understand the reach.

This is petty – but Jada’s mom implies that UCLA isn’t a good school when it’s usually ranked one or two in the entire country as the best public university?? Its a very desirable university for scientists too… So it just made her parents seem over the top bad in an inauthentic way.

The third act break up came out of nowhere and then was resolved super quickly. For context – I don’t dislike third act breakups, but I need them to make sense and the author/characters have to do the work to resolve it.
I need to see them have a solid resolution to believe in the HEA and that just wasn’t here.

Literally I was going to give this 3.5 stars and the ending made it a solid 3 star read for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed specific moments of this book, but the book as a whole was just average.

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!