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From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

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This was a sweet book. It was not my favorite. This is the first book of this Author I’ve read. I liked it enough.

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"Booked on a Feeling" by Jayci Lee was a wonderful read! One I love a good friends to lovers book and this one was just what I was looking to read. Lizzy's experience with anxiety/panic attacks was very well painted and it is something I have experienced in my own life. It was well detailed and very accurate from my experience. I loved Jacks love for Lizzy. When the MMC is down bad, it is so great to read. I also appreciated the details of the Korean culture that was put in this book. When I came across the food they ate in this book I would immediately google and look at the recipes so I could in-vision it while reading. I also appreciated the the family dynamic/relationships for both main characters and how they the writer went about discussing them. This is definitely a book I would recommend and this book makes me want to read Jayci Lee's back list. I can't wait to listen to this on audible.

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I've definitely enjoyed this author's other books, but this one just didn't quite work for me. Friends to lovers is a great trope, but there was just not a ton of conflict or tension in the story in my opinion.

Definitely enjoyed the banter and characters just without the development that I had expected.

Would recommend if you're looking for a light romance palette cleanser!

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This was the perfect quick read for summer! This book gives you the quirky and relatable characters you need in your life. The quintessential story of a boy who loves the girl and the girl doesn’t know he loves her until the girl loves boy.

Lizzy and Jack’s story is a hometown romance there sparks erupt. Plus add in a struggling bookstore and it’s a recipe for LOVE.

Take a chance with Jack as he and Lizzy fall in love among the pages.

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Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

As having previously read the Dating Dare from Jayci Lee, I absolutely loved this book! The characters and love story were entertaining and captivating. Highly recommend!!

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Cute book, great addition to the Sweet Mess family! Tbh, not sure if any of the books will top book 1, but I’m loving the follow up on the family. I cannot wait for Alex’s story next.

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I was really hoping to like this book, but it just didn't happen.
Lizzy is a lawyer in Los Angeles and is doing pretty well for herself. But after a panic attack during a huge moment in her career, she decides that she needs to take some time for herself. She ends up heading to the hometown of her childhood best friend, Jack, for three weeks. While she's there, she rents an apartment over a bookstore and even makes friends with the owner. She also starts to develop feelings for Jack.
On the other hand, Jack has loved Lizzy for as long as he can remember. When she ends up in his hometown for three weeks, he is ecstatic. Although, he is determined to fall out of love with her so that their friendship doesn't get ruined.
By just reading this, you can see how predictable this story turns out to be. Lizzy quits her job and becomes the owner of a bookstore back in Los Angeles, Lizzy and Jack become a thing for like a total of a week, and then they have a huge fight. But like all good romance stories, they get back together in the last 5%.
This book was all description and limited dialogue. It was really hard to get through because so much of the information was repetitive. I ended up skimming the last few chapters and still was able to understand the ending. This book definitely was not for me, but if you love friends-to-lovers and are more of a description person than dialogue, you may really like it.
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

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I went into this book not really knowing much about it. This is my first Jayci Lee book, and it is the 3rd book in the series. At the beginning of this book, it feels like you’ve been dropped in the middle of a story that has already begun. We have 2 characters, Lizzie and Jack, who have been best friends for 20 years. There wasn’t much of an introduction to these 2 characters, but as I got further into the book I got more comfortable with their story.

The book opens with Lizzie, who is trying her first trial case as a lawyer. She has worked very hard to get where she is, but she suffers from pretty crippling anxiety. She is in the middle of her opening statement when she has a panic attack and passes out. She does recover from it and go on to win her case, but she is not content with her life afterwards like she thought she would be.

Enter Jack, who has been in love with Lizzie for pretty much the entire time they have known each other. He came to her first trial and was there to catch her when she passed out. After the trial ends and Lizzie is questioning her entire life and career, he is the person she goes to for support and to wind down. Jack works at his family’s brewery as their bookkeeper and as a waiter, but feels like he is not living up to his whole potential. He has secretly been applying for corporate jobs in LA, which has the added benefit of being closer to Lizzie.

Basically the set up has Lizzie and Jack on opposite sides in regards to their careers. Lizzie has been pushing hard (and is being pushed by her mother) to further her career and to make partner in her law firm, but she is faltering under the weight of such a high-pressure career. Jack has been working with his family and coasting along, but feels like he is spinning his wheels and not really making any progress in his life. Lizzie wants to slow down and Jack wants to speed up.

This dynamic sets us up for a pretty effective 3rd act break up, and it feels inevitable and genuine as a conflict. It’s one of those issues that you see coming from pretty much page 1, but you just can’t help but watch play out. There are some other elements of the story that are also telegraphed pretty early on, but do not take away from the overall effectiveness of the plot.

I really like the friendship between Lizzie and Jack, and how they eventually turn into a romance. I’m a sucker for friends-to-lovers anyway, but Lizzie and Jack felt genuine. Their banter was great, and the “oh no I can’t possibly be attracted to my best friend…or can I??” part did not get dragged out too long. Lizzie has a moment of “oh no he’s hot” that lasts for like a chapter, and then she is all in, 100% ready to ride the Jack train into the sunset. Jack is a little less trusting – he has been in love with Lizzie for so long and is so used to being “friend-zoned” (vomit, I hate that phrase so much) that he has trouble believing that Lizzie is genuine in her attraction to him and is afraid that it will ruin their friendship in the long term.

Basically, this book is super cute and has a trope that I love, so it was perfectly set up for me to enjoy.

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3.5 stars.

“She didn’t have much time to read for fun, but when she did, she always turned to her favorite genre—romance. Sure, it was a nice escape, but it was more than that. Those stories healed something inside her and made her feel less alone.”


This one was really cute. There were slow burn elements.... lots of JUST KISS ALREADY moments. Lots of cheesiness. And the conflict was indeed a conflict (and not just a tiny miscommunication). The resolution didn’t fully give me everything I wanted, but I did really enjoy the entire process of getting there.


Thank you so much to Jayci Lee, St Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


#BookedonaFeelingJayciLee #NetGalley

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I loved this book so much.
It gave me all the Hallmark vibe with a small town and a couple that fall in love when least expected.
Their reunion is not a planned one and the road to that happily ever after is definitely not easy especially since she had to take a huge decision that will change her life forever but it’s so worth it.
Loved the interaction and the romance so much.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

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This book was cute, but fell flat in many places for me.

First of all, the two main characters, Jack and Lizzy, aren’t even the same city until almost 20% through the book (not including Jack’s brief appearance in court). This can work sometimes, but the characters are barely even communicating and the book up to this point is mainly them both just being upset about where they are in life.

Then when there is some interaction, the attraction and sexual tension is almost immediate. This makes sense for Jack, who has been pining over Lizzy for decades, but Lizzy is acting like she has never seen this man before even though they are supposed to be best friends. It just seemed like a lot at once to me.

The tension and chemistry is so scrumptious for the middle chunk of this book, especially if you’re looking for a lighthearted, slightly steamy small town romance. But once the conflict happens, it is suddenly all gone all at once. All of a sudden you are back to basically reading two different stories about two people who suck at understanding themselves and even worse: NEITHER OF THEM ARE MAD AT THE OTHER PERSON AND THEY WANT TO BE TOGETHER. BUT THEY JUST DON’T TALK. AT ALL. As a reader, you literally just have to read about them pining for each other and hating their lives, once again. It was very dull to me.

Overall, this book was not bad. There is a lot of mundane, mildly depressing content in the beginning and towards the end, but the middle is so cute. I think in order to pull off the promised bookish romance, a lot of this stuff should have been condensed so the book could focus more on the actual romance. It was not my cup of tea, but I can see it’s redeeming qualities.

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2.5 stars ☆ Friends to lovers and guy falls first are always a superior trope to me but I think this book isn’t for me.

I’ve tried to like this book as much as I’ve wanted to but in the end, it was okay. I'm not going to lie that I’ve probably skimmed most parts from this book since I’m having a hard time enjoying it where there isn’t much going on and I felt like there is just something missing to it. I still recommend it, it's just this one wasn't for me that's all.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC !!

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✨ ARC Review ✨
***
Thank you to Netgalley and Jayci Lee for the ARC to review.
***
I needed a sweet and romantic read and Jayci Lee delivered. I absolutely loved Booked on a Feeling. The writing was amazing and the characters were 😍. I love Jack!!!! He was everything. Sweet, perfect, caring, funny, sexy, and just perfection. He stoled my heart in the first chapter. Lizzy was amazing and a great MC. Together, those two lit my heart on fire. I loved their banter, their friendship, and their chemistry. The story was so sweet and had just the right amount for spice. I loved the ending and the choices Lizzy made. I want to be her when I grow up!!!! This story left me smiling and feeling flutters in my heart.
***
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
***

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DNF at 43%. I felt like the story wasn't progressing as I hoped. There was very little backstory which would be fine if the main characters didn't have a lifelong history that I felt was missing. Even as Lizzy is taking a break from being a lawyer, it felt like law was abandoned altogether. Literally was not mentioned the moment she got back into her hometown. Maybe it comes later but it felt almost unnecessary to the story. She could have got burnt out from any job at all. This is all personal preference though, some people seem to have really enjoyed it.

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After lawyer Lizzy passes out during a trial, she takes a much-needed break to visit her best friend Jack. Spending her days helping out at a struggling bookstore, and hanging out with Jack in the evenings, she finds herself relaxed for the first time in a long time. She also starts having romantic feelings for Jack. She wonders if maybe it's time to leave LA for a slower-paced life. Little does she know that Jack has applied for a job in LA so he can be closer to her and pursue his own dreams apart from the family business. Being pulled in different directions, can Jack and Lizzy find a way to make their new-found romance work?

This is a sweet-and-steamy romance with a small-town feel, but it's not a small-town romance. I loved the way Lizzy and Jack worked together to save the bookstore. Beyond that, there was a lot of focus on the physical attraction between them. This book kept me guessing until the end.

CW: anxiety, parental bullying

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

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This book just made me feel good while reading it. I smiled a lot and it warmed my heart. The characters were sugary sweet (in a good way), and I was rooting for them the whole time.

I have really been loving friends to lovers tropes lately, and this was such a good example of friends to lovers. I loved Jack and Lizzy. This was just a good example of a cute, easy and quick read that I really enjoyed.

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30-year-old Lizzy Chung, avid list maker and perfectionist, is burned out from trying make partner at a prestigious LA law firm. As her anxiety continues to flare up and exhaustion takes over, Lizzy decides to take 3 weeks off to immerse herself in small town life. Lizzy travels back to Weldon, CA, home to her very handsome best friend, Jack Park, and the idyllic community where she spent her summers as a child. Unable to relax, she decides to help a local bookstore by giving it a much-needed facelift. She is so thankful for Jack’s help, but as they spend more time together, sparks fly and she suddenly finds herself wanting to be more than friends with Jack. Can she figure out how to be happy and does it include Jack?

Meanwhile, Jack has spent 20 years pining after his best friend. Having this extra time with her is wonderful, but he is struggling to hide his feelings for. He is also dealing with a career crisis of his own as he decides whether he wants to continue working for the family brewery.

This was a cute read. It is a classic case of “I have loved you for forever but don’t want to risk messing up our friendship.” I think friend to lovers can be a tough trope without a necessary dose of angst. I think overall, I just wanted more from the characters; a little more angst, a little more depth, a little more something.

This book does have anxiety representation but as someone who has anxiety, I did have trouble relating to Lizzy’s anxiety experience. Lizzy finds quick relief every time she takes medicine, which isn’t how I have experienced the condition. Personally speaking, medication has been helpful, but it isn’t a magic pill and still takes effort to manage. I do think everyone experiences anxiety differently, so it may better resonate for someone else.

I would still give this one a try if you enjoy friends to lovers, forced proximity and small-town romances.

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

I have posted my review to Goodreads, Instagram and Amazon. Amazon review is pending but link below should work once it has been approved.

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When we first meet Lizzy Chung she’s on the verge of a major turning point in her career. As a lawyer, her current case could be the break she needs to make partner. But in the middle of her opening statement, Lizzy passes out. With such a major misstep she figures furthering her career is now a case closed.

No stranger to panic attacks, Lizzy decides to approach handling them differently. So she leaves her high pressure job in LA behind, and heads to the quaint small town charm of Waldron for a little rest and relaxation. Not only is it where she grew up, it’s where her life long best friend, Jack Park, happens to still live as well.

While Jack is thrilled to have Lizzy back in town, he finds himself panicking for a different reason, his unrequited feelings for his best friend. While a part of him is itching to take their relationship to the next level, he doesn’t want to jeopardize their friendship. Besides, this is all assuming Lizzie feels the same way he does which can’t possibly be true, right?

Booked On A Feeling is a light read that is the technically the third in the Sweet Mess series, but could be read as a stand-alone as well. I didn’t read the other books, but I can say I didn’t connect with this one at all. The readers know that Lizzy is lost, but her frustration with her career seems to come out of nowhere as there is no build up. And speaking of build up, I found the relationship between Jack and Lizzy boring and forced, eventually succumbing to eye rolling cheesy love scenes. Oh and did I mention there’s Lizzy’s love for bookstores? It’s sort of a big deal in the book and yet not, all at the same time.

In the end, it’s sad to say, but Booked on a Feeling left me feeling more frustrated than anything else.

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3.5 star

This is Lizzy and Jack’s story. She is making a name for herself and achieving all her goals until she has a panic attack. After winning the case she heads off to regroup for three weeks. She meets up with her childhood friend Jack who has loved her forever. But he knows her life is not here. When they take on a project together, they build a deeper connection but will is be enough for them or will one have to give up their dreams to have a chance at winning the other? I didn’t really connect with the characters in this story, so it made the reading a story a little difficult.

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