Overachiever Lizzy Chung and dependable Jack Park have been friends since they were kids. Lizzy is a career driven lawyer striving to make partner while Jack is bookkeeper at his family's brewery - never having left his hometown.

After a career changing trial victory, it leaves Lizzy burnt out and in need to a break. She surprises Jack with a three week vacation in his hometown - Weldon.

Years of friendship stand no match to the long-standing feelings each has for one another. The three week vacation passes by in a flash while they both work to overhaul a local bookstore and redefine their friendship in the process.

A great follow up to #thedatingdare in the A Sweet Mess series, Jayci lee continues to create beautiful stories!

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

“There was no need for any black coffee or a fairy godmother. She was already plenty badass.”

This story is warm and fuzzy and gives you all the feels. It’s comfortable and an easy read if you’re looking for a pick me up! Lizzy and Jack have been friends since they were ten, seeing each other only a few times a year while Jack is harboring a crush. When Lizzy stays in Jack’s hometown for a few weeks, it’s harder for Jack to pretend they’re just friends.

While there was little backstory for these two, I found myself loving Jack’s family. I wanted them to take me in and feed me, too! The major conflict was communication which tends to bug me a bit. Not much really happened that wasn’t their relationship while fixing up a bookstore. However, this story is just plain sweet and would kill as a feel good movie.

📚Read this if you like:
⁃ Friends to lovers
⁃ Dual POVs
⁃ Strong female characters
⁃ AAPI Representation

My ratings: 3.5 round up to 4

📖 Book Review 📖

Booked on a Feeling
Author: Jayci Lee
⭐️

Read if you love:
💗 Romantic Comedies
💗 Korean-American Representation
💗 Friends to Lovers Trope

I am so disappointed by Booked on a Feeling. It was the first book I DNF-ed in a really long time. So long, I can’t even remember when the last book I DNF-ed was.

While it had all the makings of a book I should have loved (a super cute cover, friends to lovers trope, Asian-American representation, and a main character who loves independent book stores), the writing was so bad. I made it through 30% of the book before I couldn’t take it anymore. It had an almost juvenile feel of writing and a love interest who was so lovesick, it made me uncomfortable.

I honestly struggled with DNF-ing this book, but there are so many books out there I still want to read and I have a limited time to read, that I decided it was better to stop and read a book I would enjoy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Booked On A Feeling by Jayci Lee is about a successful attorney in L.A. But the only thing Lizzy gets from her high-pressure job is terrifying anxiety attacks. Her best friend, Jack, comes into town to watch her at trial but she faints in front of the jury. Although she wins the case, she takes a three-week vacation as a break from her job stress, and she decides to visit Jack’s hometown. While there, Lizzy volunteers at a local bookstore to help the owner turn her store into a success. It also allows Jack and Lizzy to spend three weeks together daily and realize there’s more to their relationship than friendship. I loved so many things about the story. Well written. The two leads have a lot of magnetism. They are both in denial, although they can’t get enough of each other, and they both want to be successful. In the end, they realize that life may not be about business success but about finding that one person who is your home. I loved this cozy romance. #romance #career #hope #love #bookstore #onetruelove #cozyromance #todolists @netgalley @stmartinspress @authorjaycilee #netgalley #BookedOnAFeeling
📖
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read this book. Pub Date: July 26, 2022.

#bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #booksbooksbooks #readersofinstagram #reader #booklove #bookreader

ARC provided by St. Martin's Press. This will be published July 26th, 2022.

Sadly this was a DNF at 20%

I felt that this story had such a great concept, great representation, but it fell a bit short for me. I would have like to get to know the characters a bit better before jumping right in. I felt the story was a bit choppy at times and could have provided much more for the reader. I wanted to love this book but it just was not the book for me.

The perfect rom-com for anyone who wants a quick read that will have you smiling in every chapter. Booked on a Feeling is set in a bookshop and features the best friends to lovers romance. Female MC is a lawyer who is stressed out, and due to the pressures of her job, she takes a three-week vacation back home where her best friend lives. Jack Park, said best friend, has been in love with Lizzy for 20 years. Will they risk their friendship? This story shows how even fictional characters have anxiety and family issues and how not to let them control your life. As for the romance between the characters... I COULD FEEL the chemistry and tension. I was blushing so hard through the entire book. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

Cute, small-town charm friends to lovers story! This one is a slowww burn. Character driven with two likable characters. Lizzie is very relatable, especially for woman who struggle with workplace demands and work-life balance. Jack give big "golden retriever" energy. I thought the transition from friends to lovers was cute, albeit a bit unbelievable, especially since the two were friends for 20 years and Jack has been hiding his feelings for all that time. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this cute romance and would recommend to those looking for a light summer romance read!

Very sweet friends to lovers romance

Jack and Lizzy are so terrific together. Friends since childhood, Jack has kept his romantic feelings for Lizzy under wraps to preserve their friendship. But he still can't resist the idea of moving to L.A. to be closer to her.

Lizzy takes a few weeks of vacation in Jack's small town in order to reassess her life goals and address her anxiety and panic attacks. Getting her to-do lists in order gives her the opportunity to embark on a romantic relationship with Jack, but the conflicts that arise from her journey of self-discovery threaten to ruin not just the romance but the friendship, too.

I really enjoyed the pace of their romance, and thought the conflict that separated them was honest and relatable. The solution that led to their HEA was absolutely perfect, and I can't believe I didn't see it coming. It was also terrific to see characters from the earlier books and catch up on their current lives, too.

Low angst, low steam, with insightful dialogue and well-developed emotional connections, this book was a delight to read and couldn't have enjoyed it more. Highly recommended. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

3.5 ⭐️
This story was super cute! I love a friends to lovers trope, so I knew I would enjoy this. Lizzy and Jack have been friends since they were children, but Jack has been in love with Lizzy since the beginning. A bad experience at work leads Lizzy to move back to her hometown for a few weeks, and back to Jack. While there, they come to realize they’ve both had more than friendly feelings for a while.
While I did enjoy the story, I found myself a little bored at times and felt like Lizzy’s character was a little immature for me. There was also a third act miscommunication/break up, which is really just not a favorite of mine, personally. Overall, I enjoyed the story and Lizzy and Jack’s friendship turned romance.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Surprisingly, I didn’t dislike this book for the reasons I was worried I would. But I did dislike it.

As a lawyer, I’m weirdly particular about books with lawyer characters. I either need detail, but accurate detail, or as little mention of the ins and outs of their job as possible so I can ignore inaccuracies. Booked On a Feeling is very, very heavy on the details of Lizzy’s job, but it’s actually pretty accurate! I particularly enjoyed the way the pressure of the field was emphasized, and the portrayal of Lizzy’s professional burnout. A lot of why I powered through this was because of how relieved I was by this, honestly.

When I say detail heavy, I mean DETAIL HEAVY. And this applies to everything in the book. We get long descriptions about literally everything. Something that could be said in a sentence was said in a page. Dialogue was often chunky, too wordy, and without flow. It left virtually every page dragging—and what’s worse is that the descriptions and characterizations weren’t always consistent, either.

Despite these inconsistencies, Lizzy and Jack did feel like decently fleshed out characters, and I liked how the author incorporated her own Korean culture into the story. But, as much as I love best friends to lovers, and as much as there were some moments that hooked me, I just didn’t feel the chemistry between Jack and Lizzy. As this is a romance, that’s a huge hit for me. Part of it goes back to the overly detailed and awkward writing.

But, overall, this book is cute and positive and I can understand why some people like it. The writing style just wasn’t for me.

I was excited for this romance, but right out the gate the writing was extremely flowery, especially for the genre.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy!

What a nice and charming book! Lizzy and Jack are so wonderful as best friends who may want more as Lizzy takes a break from her hectic life to hang out with Jack, falling hopelessly in love as they spruce up a local book store. Jack is also seeking to make some changes in his life, and the two of them finding themselves apart and together really is the heart of this book.

It was great to see Lee bring back the main characters from the series previous books sparingly, letting Jack and Lizzy have their own story while easily folding into the larger Weldon, CA, universe. I loved having them fall in love while working in a bookstore and I loved how the author folded various aspects of their Korean heritage into the story. Some of the plot felt a little obvious at times, but Jack and Lizzy are so charming and lovely together.

Overall, this was a fun book and a great addition to Lee's Sweet Mess series. Does Alex get a book? I hope so, I would definitely keep reading about these families. This whole series has been so fun to read.

I hadn’t read the first two in this series but in the beginning I liked that it kind of just started without a lot of extreme backstory/story building. Unfortunately it did not last the old friends to lovers trope just doesn’t always work and it really didn’t for me in this case. I don’t get her reasoning or leaving a job that she dedicated so much time too. This was a cute story but I just could not get into it in the end.

Booked on a Feeling was a very sweet, friends to lovers story. Definitely worth a good 4 star rating - I’m very surprised by many of the extreme low ratings I’m seeing out there! They are totally unwarranted and unfair. This story is excellent, with Lee’s usual great writing, and everyone should give it a chance.

Lizzy is a lawyer and extreme overachiever, pushed by her parents. She’s in court trying her first case as lead, and passes out during a panic attack. After winning, she decides this is her time to take a break, and with a 3 week leave, goes to visit her best friend Jack in his small-town a few hours away, renting an Airbnb over a bookstore. She’s always wanted to run a bookstore (childhood dream), so helps the bookstore owner during her downtime, along with Jack, who’s also going through a bit of a job crisis. Spending all their time together brings them even closer…

I highly recommend this great friends to lovers, book lovers, escape from a high-stress and unloved work situation book to absolutely everyone! It’s very sweet and cute and has just the right steam level. It’s a solid 4-star, trending towards a 4.5 but not quite all the way there.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin. This is my honest feedback - thank you all so much!

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

DNF'd at 35%. Honestly, the book is boring and quite cringe-worthy at times.
I'll start by saying that I love that Jayci incorporates her Korean culture in her writing. Two stars simply for the wiring style.

Lizzy is a lawyer and she won her first trial. She's on the fast track to making partner at her firm, but she's burnt out. I get it, I'm in a demanding field... burn out sucks. But the thing that I have never done is take a three-week trip. And to not feel even the slightest bit of joy after her win? I don't buy it.

Jack works at his family brewery but he's also over it and he is looking for a career change. He wants to move to L.A. to be closer to his best friend, Lizzy, who he has been pining over for the last 20 years.

The weird flirtation and "noticing" each other's bodies for the first time feel forced and out of place. I think the line "He grinned and tapped her on the nose, and she... blushed." was an attempt to remind readers that there is supposed to be romance in this book. The line doesn't work. It is weird and out of place and frankly a weird thing for a grown man to do. Thus far, we've had very little exposure.

I found myself skimming the book, and skipping large paragraphs because I was bored. The thought of continuing on with the book made me turn to household chores just to avoid reading it.

Lizzy suffers from panic attacks. She escapes to bucolic Weldon and volunteers at a bookstore. She also ropes her best friend Jack to help. Jack has hopelessly been in love with Lizzy since they were kids. As they explore a tentative love match, will it strain their friendship?
I liked Lizzy’s love for books and lists. I liked that Jack had pined for Lizzy for years.
It’s a cute, schmaltzy, story about finding what realky makes you happy in life and really listen to what your moods and body are telling you.

I enjoyed this friend-to-lovers rom-com!

Lizzy and Jack have been friends since they were 10..,.and Jack has loved her since then. After an ill-timed panic attack has Lizzy passing out during a trial, she decides it’s time to take a break. That’s how she ends up spending 3 weeks in Weldon and realizing her feelings for Jack might be more than friendship.

I loved Lizzy and her bookworm loving heart! Jack was so sweet to her and I thought they made a fantastic couple. I always enjoy Lee’s own experiences are scattered throughout her stories. The events and outcomes in the story are predictable and it took me a bit to get into the story, but I’m glad I got to see Lizzy and Jack find themselves and each other in the end!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

What a feel-good fun to read rom-com. I really enjoyed reading this. It gave me the mid-week distraction from life I needed.

I loved the character of Lizzie. She is brave, and I felt like I could relate to the character struggling to find the courage to change her life and find one she is truly happy with. She is so happy and positive like a ray of sunshine, but still grumpy and sarcastic. I loved the development of her friendship with Shannon.

And Jack- he is book boyfriend goals! The only thing I didn’t like is that he was so in love with her from the very first chapter. So it felt like a verrrrrry slow burn. I loved his relationship with his family.

I loved the multicultural aspect- I love learning new things about different cultures. I loved the portrayal of the importance of family and the different expectations Korean families have for their children. I would have found a pronunciation guide helpful- there were lots of Korean terms used throughout the book just in regular context. The author did a good job of explaining what each one meant though.

I also loved the very subtle dual POV- how it just used stars to break up the chapters but it was very easy to tell the POV’s were changing. And I loved seeing their thoughts and worries about each other and their developing relationship run parallel- it really showed what a great pair they make together.

Things I didn’t care for- the timeline. I felt like the love match happened too early on, like we hit the climax in the first 30% of the book and then the rest was just going through the motions of that. I also found the author picked and chose what she went into a lot of detail on, and the points she went into a lot of detail on weren’t always super relevant to the story. I also would have enjoyed more of a backstory and flashbacks to their friendship the past 20 years.

Overall- I loved this book! It was cute, it was predictable and everything I love in a romance read.

super cute cover that drew me in! interesting choices from time to time coming from the characters but it was interesting getting to know them and sort of understand them as people.

Lizzy is a burned out lawyer who is feeling empty after a big work win. Jack, feeling stuck in his job at his family’s brewery, pines after his best friend Lizzy from a distance. But when Lizzy comes to town and starts fixing up a local bookstore, will these two follow their hearts and get their bookworthy happily ever after?

I liked this book! (3 stars is a liked in my book). I loved the sweetness of the romance between Lizzy and Jack. A good friends to lovers and second chance romance book! And while it was largely closed door (everything but sex was described), the chemistry between Lizzy and Jack was undeniable and felt authentic.

I also appreciated the talk about anxiety and how living up to your parents expectations isn’t how you should live your life. Plus, a good deal of the book takes place in cozy bookstores (swoon).

If you’re looking for a happy romance with minimal (but good) steam and spicy chemistry, this is for you!