Get ready to meet your new cozy summer romance. The story follows the adorable book loving Lizzy taking a break from her high stress job in the hometown of her best friend. Who happens to be in love with her. What could go wrong right? As lizzy continues to recruit Jack to help her fix up the local bookstore the two keep getting closer and closer. This is definitely one for romance lovers as it feels like hanging out with your friends page after page.

Best friends Lizzy and Jack both have their own problems and insecurities. Lizzy is an over-achieving, hard-working lawyer, but she doesn't enjoy her job and is suffering terrible panic attacks. She’s left her high-pressure job in L.A. to go back to a small California town where her best friend Jack works as the business manager for his family’s micro brewery. He also is dissatisfied with his job and has higher ambitions. He’s also been in love with Lizzy since they were 10 years old. But he’s never said anything to her. Now they are working together to help renovate a local bookstore. Of course, they’re going to wake up to how deeply they are attracted to each other and start moving from friends to lovers.

I didn’t really warm up to either of these characters. The plot moves from a will-they-or-won’t-they sort of theme to then facing the problem of two people who have different ambitions and places where they want to work. Just as Lizzy is ready to settle down in the little town, Jack decides he wants a new job in L.A. It’s all going to work out, but I found myself just skimming through portions of the book waiting for them to resolve their problems rather than enjoying the journey of finding out how they would work things out.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

3.75 ✨ 1.5 🌶

Lizzy who is an overachiever has had her life mapped out for her, becoming a lawyer ✅, join a prestigious law firm ✅, make partner *in progress*! Hoping to check of the last in a few years && make her parent proud. But passing out from a panic attack during her first trial was not on the list. So she finds herself in the small city of Weldon for 3 weeks for vacation to figure out what went wrong. What better place to recharge than a beautiful small California town with her best friend Jack who had a decade long crush on her. He gets three weeks with the girl of his dreams! He’s a bookkeeper at his family’s brewery. He can’t risk their friendship, can he? When Lizzy decides to help the local bookstore revamp with Jack’s help of course. But the more time they spend together, the harder it is to ignore there might be more than just friendship between them!

This was a sweet, heartfelt romance with sweet characters. I love the friends to lovers vibe. Jack was truly amazing but doubted himself way too much. Lizzy of course was the overworked attorney trying to make partner. I like how the story gave an inside to having anxiety and gave techniques to help calm it down! I love when they finally got together.

I definitely enjoyed this book but there was a lot of redundancy in it. Like they keep pointing out that they’re just friends and nothing more. I also wish there was a back story on how they met and little more about how they grew up together. All we know is that they been best friends since age ten. Also, there’s not much spice. The spice that we do get ends before it get started! Like the scene just ends. Plus the story really doesn’t pick up until you’re almost half way through. I also wish we got to see them together a lot more before it ended. But I enjoyed it nonetheless!

Pick up your copy on July 26, 2022…

**Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!**

I’d love to interview Jayci for pop-culturalist. I actually found out about this book on tik tok!!Booked on a feeling is such a catchy title and the romance is swoon-worthy!

This book is #3 in A Sweet Mess series, but can be read as a standalone.

Here, we are introduced to Lizzy Chung, a corporate lawyer in Los Angeles who takes a mental health break in Weston, a small town she used to visit in the summers growing up, after having a panic attack at her first trial. Weston is home to her best friend, Jack Park, who works at his family brewery but longs for more in life - including her (not that she knows).

Told in alternating POVs we follow Lizzy and Jack as they come to terms with their own insecurities, finding their own way, all the while grappling with the growing feelings between the two of them - can they risk their friendship for a chance at something more? Is it love or attraction? What will happen when Lizzy has to go back to Los Angeles?

This was a sweet, swoony read! Kind of like a kdrama written down with the references to the food and traditions. We also get a glimpse of the Asian family dynamics - siblings living with their parents even though they're grown up, the parents' high expectations, the children's fear of disappointing their family. I especially liked the banter of the Park siblings.

I found that there was a great representation of anxiety disorders, with tips on how to cope, recognizing signs of a panic attack and burnout, not letting it take control of your life, and taking back control by cutting off triggers.

Jack's so cute with his feelings for Lizzy. It was so refreshing to see a romance hero pine for the heroine. I also liked Lizzy's (short) denial stage - but she was all out when she decided to cannonball into a relationship with Jack. The scenes after they got together were sexy without feeling vulgar.

Especially loved Jack figuring out his insecurities were all his own and not at all how people around him saw him and Lizzy standing up to her mother and fighting for a life she wants to live. I liked that they found themselves first before pursuing their relationship.

Notables quotes:
"Because I know you."
"He had to be good enough for himself before he could be free of his fears and insecurities."

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

Will post on instagram.com/readsbynaia and goodreads.com/readsbynaia by July 9.

DNF at 22% - I absolutely cannot finish this book. I am not even a quarter of the way through but it is mind-numbing how redundant the writing is with the concept that the main character , Lizzy, and her best friend, Jack, are only friends and nothing more. The mere thought of them being more than friends is simply ridiculous. Yet the only person they want to spend time with is each other.

It was starting to feel childish how every time they looked at each other it was again stated that they were only friends. Additionally, there is excessive dialogue with side characters that do not seem to be necessary or very relevant. The final straw for me was in Jack’s point of view where he was on a jog with Lizzy (and it is stated repeatedly that she is too busy as an emerging attorney to work out) and while she is bent over panting from the jog his narrative actually says “He’d be happier if she took better care of herself and made time to exercise, but she was still cute as hell”.

In conclusion, I found their conversations awkward, the writing redundant, and I will not be finishing this book. However, I would like to thank the publisher for generously providing the opportunity to read an electronic Advanced Reader Copy of this book via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

A friends-to-lovers romance with a strong theme of self-discovery. Lizzy should be on a high after a huge professional milestone, instead she feels empty and adrift. To regroup, she abandons the big city for a quiet vacation in the small town her best friend, Jack, lives in. While there, Lizzy finds herself helping a struggling bookstore find new footing with Jack’s help.

The humor was fun and I couldn’t help cheering for a successful HEA. All the Korean food descriptions had my mouth watering. I love the idea of finding one's purpose in a bookstore.

I received this as an ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lizzy has been working hard to advance her career and finally make partner at her top tier L.A. law firm. When she passes out at an important moment in her trial, she chooses to take some vacation at the small town where she spent her childhood summers.

Jack has been doing the bookkeeping and helping out where he can at his family's brewery in Weldon. He is surprised to find out that his best friend, and the girl he has been crushing on since childhood, will be spending three weeks in Weldon.

This is a cute friends to lovers rom-com that also has my favorite "books about books" trope. Lizzy and Jack are wonderful characters that have great chemistry and we get to read from both POVs. This is my favorite book in the series so far. All of the books in this series have been fun and quick to read.

Seeing all of the side characters from the previous books in the series made me very happy. I like to get little updates on where they are now.

I wanted to like this, but the two main characters were too cheesy. In particular, Lizzy’s quirkiness was too over the too. This would be a great read for someone looking for a very lighthearted romance, but wasn’t for me.

Booked on a Feeling has all of the makings of a perfect romance novel. An overachieving heroine, the hero who has loved her his whole life, and a smalltown bookstore that needs a makeover. It will make you crave Korean food like it's your full time job.

3.5 Stars - Booked on a Feeling

Booked on a Feeling follows Lizzy Chung, a high achieving attorney who struggles with anxiety. After having a panic attack during a pivotal moment in her career, she heads back to a small town called Weldon where she spent her summers with her childhood best friend, Jack Park.

This book is a cute story. It's romantic, it's fluffy and very bookish. I appreciated that the main character, Lizzy, loves bookstores and has a strong appreciation for literature! I also liked that this book feels very relatable in this time period as a lot of people, myself included, are going through major career changes. Lizzy has to work through this herself. Her mother expects the absolute best from her and has put pressure on her for her entire life.

The miscommunication aspect between Jack and Lizzy was frustrating for me. Both Lizzy and Jack are going through career changes but it's almost like a silent battle up until the very end. I think we could have gotten more out of the story if we got to see the characters support each other through that process. But I do think that Jayci did a really great job of writing Lizzy's fears and frustrations about her life transition.

For me the overall message in the book was about finding what makes you happy, pushing through your fears and of course, love. This book has friends to lovers, major bookish vibes and a small town romance that will remind you of a cute Hallmark movie!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5

Lizzy and Jack are best friends! They’ve known each other for decades so when Lizzie needs solace from her anxiety and job she turns to her best friend!

The more time they spend together the more they feel. What has been a lifelong friendship is now more but both have to decide what their future holds.

I can’t say whom I loved more. Lizzy is lost but she is not someone who just sits around. She fights for her passions and loves hard. She loves books and most importantly her best friend.

Jack loves his family! He helps with the family business but it’s not everything. He has dreams and goals and he wants a future with his best friend.

I loved the foundation that these two have and that they allowed each other to grow. They were so dang cute and funny and I just loved every second of it.

Booked on a feeling by: Jayci Lee
5/5⭐️

Childhood friends to lovers romcom!

Lizzy has worked her entire life to get into the big city L.A. law firm. When she has a panic attack during her first ever opening statement, Lizzy decides to take a vacation. It just so happens she wants to vacation in the small town her childhood best friend Jack lives in. Jack has been in love with Lizzy since he was ten, but hasn’t made a move because he doesn’t want to lose her friendship. He wants to get his dream job in L.A.. Lizzy falls in love with a local bookshop and with the help of Jack, she helps the owner revamp it.

I love Jack. He’s such a sweet pea.

I really liked how much this book integrated Korean culture in the storyline.

I had to stop reading for a second when Jack started singing Gangnam Style and doing the dance. The image in my head was too funny.

This was light, sweet, and silly.

2.5/5🌶 there was a lot of buildup to the spicy scene, but then it ended up fading to black. I wouldn’t count this as a spicy book, maybe steamy though!

Booked on a feeling releases July 26th!

Thank you to the author and publisher for this arc!

I had to DNF this one about 30% in. I couldn't get into the story because it felt almost as if nothing was taking place. I think the pacing of the story wasn't for me and it hindered how much I was able to enjoy the story. Maybe I needed to read Jayci Lee's prior book to gain the background because I wasn't a fan of the story just jumping straight in and not really giving us context. Oh well, this one just wasn't for me!

This is a sweet and fluffy romance book about two characters who have been friends for 20 years before speaking up about their feelings. I liked the banter and how the characters felt genuine. The main setting is a bookstore - so there are lots of references to the romance genre and it was nice to see a character with a more serious career enjoy romance books.

They each tackle issues related to their ambition - Lizzy is an overworked lawyer from Los Angeles and Jack works at his family’s brewery. While Lizzy is burnt out and needs a change, Jack wants to move out of his small town. Although I liked how the writer included this relatable storyline, it is also one of the sources of miscommunication, which was frustrating. The epilogue was also way too fast, given that the bulk of the book takes place over 3 weeks.

Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this one, and while I wasn't completely disappointed, I am never fond of romances where the entire plot hinders on poor communication between to grown adults. At thirty years old, omitting telling your romantic partner/best friend about a job opportunity seems pretty immature and the whole plot is really centered on this. It left me wanting more from the plot, and more from the book.

I also felt that there was some incongruence between the descriptions of the intimate scenes and the abrupt ending to them--it felt like the author was uncomfortable writing them, despite the lead up/foreplay.

Finally, the epilogue was sort of a mess? Who were all these people and why did they get names in the LAST chapter? I thought the bones were good, but it needs a find tuning before I'd rave about it.

Thank you to Net Galley and St Martins Press for a copy of this arc in exchange for my honest review!

Booked on a feeling was so cute! I give it 3.5 stars

This was such an entertaining and quick read! I really enjoyed how the author wrote the friends to lovers trope. It was a lot more detailed showing how they really knew each other. There was so much passion between Jack and Lizzy which I loved. It also made me so hungry whenever they were talking about their family making Korean food!

It was a slow start to the book but I still would recommend this book for anyone looking for a friends to lovers book with some diversity!

Rating: Solid Book, 3 stars

I mostly enjoyed Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee, but it wasn't a favorite. There were several things that frustrated me and prevented a higher rating.

Booked on a Feeling follows power attorney Lizzy Chung in big-city LA who suffers a panic attack as she prepares for her first trial as the lead attorney, and Jack Park, a business whiz who helped get his family's brewery business onto the map in small-town Weldon. Jack and Lizzy have been best friends since they were children, and Jack has always carried a torch for Lizzy. Lizzy decides to run away to Weldon for a three week vacation to deal with her anxiety and burn out. She befriends local bookstore owner and helps her turn things around for the store by volunteering a lot of TLC. Jack signs up to help, and sparks fly from there.

This was a very sweet, and rather slowburn, friends to lovers romance. I really liked both characters as they were very sweet and earnest. The food descriptions in this made me so hungry as I read it, and I really loved all the bookstore renovation and planning.

What didn't really work for me was the pacing of the book and the big misunderstanding. I felt like there was something off with the pacing at the beginning of the story. I don't think that we had anything really happen between the characters until about 35-40%(ish), and I felt like the tension and buildup up to that point was mainly accomplished by a lot of repetition. We spent time in Jack's head constantly following the same thought tracks, one of which was "I love this girl so much but can't tell her or I lose her forever" and same thing for Lizzy, one of which was "wow, I think I'm attracted to my best friend." To a certain point I would have been fine with that, but it was just done so many times to depict the yearning and the self doubt (when the characters were thinking of their careers and future plans), that it felt like I was being beaten over the head with it.

The Big Misunderstanding that pulls the characters apart for a time was one that the readers sees coming the entire book, and it was one that I was very impatient to just get out of the way. I felt like the slow pacing at the beginning, combined with that really left me feeling somewhat impatient with the book.

So while I liked the characters and believed the romance, I was somewhat let down by the pacing and plotting, and that kept this from being a higher rating.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Booked on a Feeling releases on July 26, 2022.

3.5 - Lizzy Chung is an overachiever who has flourished as a lawyer on her way to making partner at her firm. After a grueling trial, she decides to head to Weldon, CA to recover from burnout and spend some time with her childhood best friend, Jack Park. He doesn't expect her, but decides it's time to get over his longtime crush.

This is a typical romance that doesn't get too deep into the characters or their emotions. The relationship between Lizzy and Jack stays mostly on the surface as they figure everything out. They definitely have palpable chemistry from the beginning, and though this is a childhood friends-to-lovers romance, it certainly isn't a slow burn. Both of them are at a crossroads, unsure of how they want to continue on in their lives. They don't really communicate this to each other, so there is some miscommunication near the end that I thought really didn't need to be there and cause the overarching conflict. This book did handle parental pressure really well, showing that both Lizzy and Jack were afraid to disappoint their parents and that was a deciding factor in their chosen career paths,

My biggest issue with this book was the lack of depth. Lizzy has a panic attack at the beginning of the book and we don't get enough background or follow up on it, I've recently read books where this topic is handled incredibly well, but her it felt like just a plot device and not good representation. I think that this could be triggering for some readers as it's not treated with enough care. Additionally, there were a few unnecessary plot points and there is one that never gets resolved. Those additions took away from the overall story and that time could have been put to better use.

Overall, though, I enjoyed this book. It was a really fast read and a perfect summer book.

{Review has been submitted to Under the Covers Book Blog for posting as well. This review will appear on underthecoversbookblog.com after release date.}

When Lizzy Chung, a conflict-averse lawyer on her way to making partner, has a panic attack during a hearing, she knows there’s only one thing to do: take an extended holiday to Weldon, California where she can spend three weeks relaxing in the company of her best friend of twenty years, Jack Park. But when Lizzy gets to Weldon, she discovers new feelings and new dreams when she and Jack spend their days helping renovate the small-town bookshop and their nights becoming more than just friends. But as Lizzy discovers new passions, she must also decide her right path: stay in Weldon to be close to Jack, or return to her lawyer life in LA to appease her mom.

Booked on a Feeling was so much more than a friends-to-lovers romance. Lee gives readers a story about finding love, finding happiness, satisfying others versus living your own life, and the big, scary decision to change careers.

A highlight for me throughout this book was how quickly both Lizzy and Jack realized they had feelings for each other. There was no beating around the bush with these two; they knew they loved their best friend, and I loved the dual POVs so we could really see them both opening up to the possibility of more. Usually, friends-to-lovers romances tend to move at a slower pace, but Lee didn’t hesitate to have these two realize their feelings sooner rather than later.

The chemistry between Jack and Lizzy was definitely strong. Backed by twenty years of friendship, these two were definitely on the same trajectory, moving in sync when it came to life and career changes.

Both Lizzy and Jack were Korean-American, and I loved the dynamics in both of their families; Lee gave us the full spectrum, from overbearing, unsupportive parents to loving, doting parents (who will always make sure you’re fed well every single time you visit). Both of their parents played a big role in the paths they chose, and I was really glad to see both sides represented, rather than just Lizzy’s cynical mother who would only accept Lizzy if she was a successful lawyer.

As big of a role as romance plays in Booked on a Feeling, I loved how Lee handled the crisis-inducing career change. Especially when parental expectations are high, starting over in a new line of work can be extremely daunting. Lizzy definitely felt it, and her fears and uncertainties came through on the page. I thought Lee handled these worries and fears both delicately and head-on, showing readers it’s okay to change course.

I had a hard time putting Booked on a Feeling down. Jayci Lee gave us way more than a fluffy friends-to-lovers romance; this story dives into owning our own path while also dealing with both family and our own self-imposed expectations. This friends-to-lovers romance will be a hit for anyone who’s ever dreamt of changing careers (a love for bookstores will only make this book that much more enjoyable).