This was a friends to lovers romance. I liked both Lizzy and Jack and their friends & family. My favorite parts were the bookstore scenes. I didn’t realize it was part of a series when I picked it up, I don’t think that affected my enjoyment. Overall a decent read.

Can friends really stay just friends?

What starts out as a friendship - then a fling might turn into something more? That's if Lizzy and Jack can move past their own anxieties and figure out what risks they're willing to take. All while navigating growing careers that might not bring them closer together... I really enjoyed how Lee worked through Lizzy's anxiety the most though. Hearing a character work through her thoughts and deal with her anxiety was relatable, all while navigating life and love.

This was an adorably sweet best friends to lovers story that I couldn't read fast enough!! Lizzy is a type-A, list-loving lawyer who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks and when one gets so bad she passes out in court she is forced to take a break, returning to her home town and best friend, Jack (who has been pining after her for years)!

Where Lizzy is searching for what will make her happy, Jack knows his happiness doesn't lie in the family brewery. Together Lizzy and Jack start hanging out and take a chance to see what might be between them. As Lizzy spends more and more time at the local bookstore, she realizes her true happiness can be found with books and she's no longer willing to live her life just to please her mother.

Full of heart, humor and some great steam - this was the perfect end to Jayci Lee's Sweet Mess series with an epilogue that is sure to make your heart gooey. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copies. Recommended for fans of The banned bookshop of Maggie Banks, The boy with the bookstore or Better than fiction.

I really enjoyed this one! The banter between Lizzy and Jack was super cute and I loved the angst. Lizzy's love of reading and the bookstore was perfect for a book lover like myself! The only thing stopping me from giving this 4 stars was that I wish there had been more back story with Jack and Lizzy. We were told they were best friends since they were 10, but nothing too involved was said about it. If we had more of a look into their prior relationship, I think I could have seen them as a couple better. I loved that Lizzy had to figure out what she wanted for herself on her own, as I think sometimes this is something that books overlook. Overall, this was great and I will be recommending to friends.

I enjoyed this book overall but I had some issues with the plot.
FIrst of all this is a miscommunication trope so I was kind of disappointed when I saw it happen.
The love aspect of the story is really cliché and cheesy so if you like these kinds of books this book is for you.
I felt the story was a bit rushed. Jack reunited with Lizzy and already has 3 options planned out. They were already in love before the halfway point. This wasn't the slow childhood best friends to lovers I was hoping for.

Now for whatI did enjoy, I liked that the story revolves around finding what makes you truly happy. This story is about not following your parent's dreams but following your own!
The romance was cute in some parts but very cheesy!

I recommend if romance is usually your genre of choice

This book was really sweet. I love a good friends to lovers story, it is one of my favorite tropes. I was a little confused on when/how they were in school together though. It says they were, but also talked about them being from different towns and she didn't grow up where his family lives and has been living with their company. So that part felt like a plot hole or I just didn't understand. I loved all the book talk, independent book store love, redoing a book store, and finding yourself in a passionate job that doesn't suck out your soul. I really loved that journey for her. I also really hated their break up and felt he was so selfish, but ultimately once they talked again and I fully understood him and why he left for LA anyway despite what she wanted. I love that she actually came back even though it wasn't for him. I think the ending turned out way better than I originally thought it would.

Really cute story. Jack was dreamy and I loved him. I also liked how the author touched on normal everyday issues with family, anxiety, and self discovery. There were times that Lizzy was annoying and I wished her to respond differently but that is how life works. The banter and slow burn between her and Jack was satisfying and had me on the edge of my seat until they finally discovered the mutual feelings. I really enjoyed this one.

This was a cute and sweet romance. I don’t think it added anything new to the genre, however, I love the careers that Lizzy and Jack had. Working in a brewery is a bucket list item for me!

2 1/2 stars (rounded up). I really wanted to love this book, and liked the overall storyline, but the characters just didn't do it for me. I felt like they were very stilted and hard to cheer for. They weren't warm and didn't come alive off the page for me. I definitely found the Korean family interactions very believable based on what my friends have experienced.

Also a little nitpick point, but an attorney trying their first case would not be nearly up for partner at a huge firm.

Thank you to the author and publisher for an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I think the “friends-to-lovers” trope just isn’t for me. This book was slow and the relationship felt forced. The attempt at sexual tension was awkward in my opinion. The whole thing was super drawn out and then we only got fade to black scenes.

The ending also felt super abrupt. There was so much build up and then the ending just came suddenly with little to no real conflict. I think that’s why I was bored - there wasn’t enough conflict to keep me interested and make me care about the characters and their lives.

There were definitely bright spots - Lizzy is very relatable to me with her love of checklists and drive to get things done. She’s tenacious and loving and genuine. I enjoyed her friendship with Shannon. But that wasn’t enough for me in this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I literally forgot I had to give feedback on this book because I read it so long ago but anyway. I really liked the childhood bet friends to lovers aspect of this book it was really cute. It wasn't my favorite though I think I just did not connect with the characters that much. It was still cute though.

Lizzy Chung has worked her whole life to be the perfect lawyer her parents always wanted, so why does she feel crippling anxiety, even when she wins a case? Jack Park, her best friend, has been floating along in his life shadowed by his twin brother and little sisters brewery dreams, but he feels like he finally wants more. These two best friends find themselves in the same town figuring out their entire life paths while also finding love they didn't realize they had for each other in Booked on a Feeling.

While this was a cutesy romance book and was a quick and easy read, it didn't really grab me as some others books that I have read lately. It felt like at points it drug on for far too long, especially because we all know the friends to lovers troupe in romance novels. I did love the representation of both Jack and Lizzy's Korean heritage. It's very nice to see diversity in romance! It just felt like the book was something that I have read time and time again, didn't seem to be a fresh take like I was craving.

I received a review copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and I voluntarily provided an honest review. This does not affect the opinion of the book or the content of the review.

Rating: 1.5
I liked the plot of the story, but I didn't like the execution. The dialogue felt forced and cheesy and I didn't like the main characters, especially the guy. None of his choices made sense.

In this friends-to-lovers story we meet Jack and Lizzy who have been best friends their whole lives. We witness their relationship change as they are pulled to lean on each other while they are each struggling with issues threatening their own personal happiness. What unfolds is a slow-burn romance that is very sweet; Jack and Lizzy take great care of each other’s hearts. Equally as tender is Jacyi Lee’s treatment of mental health issues - her portrayal of anxiety and panic is very real and relatable. As a book lover, I enjoyed reading about Lizzy’s love of bookstores and the work she did to help rehab one.

While these characters are certainly lovable, this book was hard to finish. There were many points throughout the book that seemed to drag on. I felt a lot of the dialogue between the main characters was immature, and the conflict between them predictable.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a very light-hearted romance, especially those who have read and enjoyed the first two books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest review.

Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee is book three in the A Sweet Mess series. Each book is standalone so you do not need to read the others prior. However, I always recommend it as it helps with knowing all characters. Lizzy is career driven to becoming a lawyer and making partner. When she runs into her childhood friend Jack, sparks begin to fly as Jack has always had a thing for Lizzy. This is a sweet romance without a lot of steam. Overall a cute and fun read.

Thanks to Jayci Lee, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

Lizzy Chung is a successful lawyer about to make partner, when she suffers an anxiety attack giving opening statements, she decides she needs a three week vacation to destress and think about her future. Jack Park, Lizzy's best friend since childhood, lives in a small town and is the book keeper for his families brewery. Jack feels unneeded in the business and is trying to figure out what he wants as well. Lizzy takes her three week vacation, in Jack's small town Weldon where the two of them get closer than they have ever been.

I enjoyed this book, it was a cute small town, friends to lovers romance. However, I nailed the ending within the first 50 pages of the book and then had to wait for the Lizzy and Jack to also figure out the ending. Overall, it was a cute summer read.

Wow what a book. This was so cute and charming from the beginning to the end. Absolutely loved the chemistry these two shared.

A friends-to-lovers rom-com troupe featuring Korean characters! What an adorable premise. I love how Jayci Lee described the food the characters ate in such detail. I was drooling and haven’t eaten Korean food for years. The characters Jack and Lizzy were adorable and I love how they had been life-long friends. The addition of a brewery and bookstores was just a bonus. This was a great rom-com and one I would totally pick up at the bookstore.

3.5/5

Sweet, easy, and cute friends to lovers romance.

Lizzy Chung needs a break from her stressful job as an L.A. lawyer after she suffers an anxiety attack. Visiting her best friend, Jack, in the small town of Weldon is the perfect getaway she needs. Jack Park is working as the bookkeeper at his family’s brewery, and he’s been in love with Lizzy for years. Can he put his feelings aside for their friendship? Or make her fall in love with him?

Overall such a cute idea for a story, but this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The dialogue felt a little awkward, and the characters, who are in their 30’s, seemed immature. However, if childhood friends to lovers is your favorite trope, you might enjoy this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eArc!

Small town romance. Just couldn’t feel the connection between the two main characters. I felt it slow paced because of that. I wanted more, but just couldn’t pique my interest.