Cover Image: For Butter or Worse

For Butter or Worse

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Member Reviews

A clever and fun culinary romantic comedy. Perfect for when you’re in the mood for a true comfort read.

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This had all the elements of a book I figured I would love, enemies to lovers/fake dating, and it involves cooking, but not only cooking but a cooking show!? I mean that's just up my alley. I felt like the first half of the book was really slow on the plot. We didn't get as much of the cooking show as I had hoped and it took me a month to get through. I was a little worried that I wasn't going to like it at all but then the last half picked up and I really enjoyed it. I liked the fake dating set up for this one and liked Nina a ton. Leo is kind of a prick but I feel like he came around in the end and did what he should have done all along. Overall, will be continuing the series.

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I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. The author did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! I would highly recommend it!

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I love a good romcom and this one was no different. I have read a few different books that take place at/in a culinary show and they always pay off. Maybe because I personally am a big Food Network. The characters in this one had really good chemistry. It's fun and heartwarming and a good light read.

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One of the best enemies to lovers romances I’ve read all year! The food descriptions and the TV show added so many lovely layers to Leo and Nina’s fake dating drama.

Both characters were fully fleshed out, and I loved their journey together and personally.

Highly recommended!!!

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Good book, but I personally couldn't get into it very much. It didn't suck me in and I wasn't invested enough to keep reading, though that is more due to my trope preferences rather than the quality of the writing.

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This book was ok. It was an enemies to lovers trope that I am quickly realizing that I don't like that much. The plot was interesting but I never felt the connection with the characters.

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DNF @ 44%. There was nothing wrong with this book, per se; however, by nearly the halfway point, I found both lead characters to be unlikable in addition to having no romantic chemistry.

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I'm finally playing catch up on some if the books I got as arcs and never got around to reading and this was one of them......i wish I had read them closer to the time it came out so I could have promited it properly because omg, i loved it💖 I loved the bantering between Nina and Leo and the progression of their fake dating relationship to realizing they actually have feeling for each other. They were adorable💕

Read if you like:
~Enemies-to-lovers
~Workplace romances
~Fake Dating
~Mental Heath Rep
~Bantering
~Slow Burn

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I think this book takes the prize as having two of the most infuriating MCs I've read. Both Nina and Leo were soooo stubborn and quick to jump to conclusions and assume, and Leo was especially nerve-scraping. He was SO in his feelings and sensitive. It legit got frustrating.

But the overall story was entertaining. I enjoyed the humor throughout. Loved Sophie. It was a cool enemies-to-lovers romance, overall.

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I wanted to love this, but between the half dozen miscommunications and the fact that I'm not entirely sure these characters actually liked each other, I was just missing something - chemistry or banter that wasn't mean - spirited. I wanted more of a foodie romance and less drama, but there was a loooot of drama. A lot.

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Not gonna lie, I'm kind of mad that this one didn't really work for me.

It has a lot of good tropes, but unfortunately those were all stacked against one element that never works for me: reality TV. I don't enjoy reality TV at all.

I don't know what it is, but 99% 0f reality TV just really grates on my nerves. So it wasn't all that shocking it didn't work for me here, but I'm still bummed about it.

It's better than a lot of enemies-to-lovers romances in that the relationship wasn't so painfully toxic that I ended the book wondering if they even liked each other, but it also didn't really fully feel like they were ever actually enemies anyway. The enemies part just resolved super quickly, very rom-com pacing.

The banter was good though. The writing too. I wouldn't mind reading some of this author's other work, I think.

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You can throw a rock and hit at least a dozen enemies to lovers romance books these days. So, what sets this one apart? I'm not sure that there is enough here to say that it rises to the top. For Butter or Worse follows two chefs, who host a cooking reality show. They have banter and snark, but Nina is tired of being painted as the villain. She wants to leave the show and set out on her own. Leo is a restaurant owner who used the dynamic between the two of them to put butts in the seats at his restaurant, so he's put off by her wanting to leave the show. In an effort to make her more likable (because women are only seen as likeable when they're in love and being snuggly with men?) and make him remain in trending status, they start fake dating. What follows is the predictable romp of fake dates and social media posts that eventually results in them realizing they have loved each other all along. I liked the banter and I liked the spice, which made this read a fun time. Although my socks weren't blown off, this book was a fun read.

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This was a fun steamy read. The enemies to lovers trope can be tricky but in this one it seems to happen just overnight. But I really did like the characters and the overall story.

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This story was so-so for me. While I think the writing in general was well done and very descriptive, I just couldn’t get behind the characters, particularly Leo. Their tension was palpable but Leo unfortunately didn’t improve for me enough to care as much as I wanted to.

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I love LOVED the banter between them! This was such a fun and entertaining read. The fake dating trope is one of my favorites and this book hit the spot for me!

Thank you NETGALLEY for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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A witty and charming story of workplace enemies whose undeniable chemistry comes to a boiling point in their fake dating scheme.

What I loved about this book is the sharp and witty dialogue from Nina and Leo's charm, which could make you wickedly grin! It's no wonder that these two had chemistry that could spark a kitchen fire even when they both tried to deny it. I also really liked the food similies throughout the story, making it deliciously descriptive. Family, friends, and the pressures of media are in the background of Nina and Leo's relationship as they navigate their fake dating and the real feelings that begin to bloom.

If you like the enemies to lovers trope, mixed in with your love of romantic comedies, you'll love for Butter or Worse (and look at the pun in the title, I mean, c'mon ;))

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I've tried to read this on many occasions and just can't get into it. I do apologies. I may go back to it in the future but it's unlikely.

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This was a delicious and "spicy" enemies- to- lovers rom com. I would highly recommend that you add this title to your library's collection.

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Fans of fake dating or reality cooking competition shows are sure to enjoy For Butter or Worse.

Nina and Leo go together like oil and water. As co-hosts thrown together on a new competitive cooking show, Leo’s banter gets under her skin and causes her to quit on live tv and then the paparazzi catch them in what appears to be a compromising situation. Oops. To save their careers, they hatch a plan to fake date each other.

This had several of my favorite tropes combined which I thoroughly enjoyed. The chemistry and banter between Nina and Leo was combustible; more than once their banter made me laugh. There was also good anxiety representation

- reverse grumpy / sunshine
- Fake dating
- Enemies to lovers

Make sure to keep some snacks on hand while reading because the food descriptions will make you hungry.

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