This book wasn't bad but it wasn't amazing. There wasn't any part of the book that sparked my interest. I got most of the way through but unfortunately I couldn't finish it.

I haven't had the chance to pick up Jayci Lee's other books, but I dropped everything and read Booked on a Feeling because, like the protagonist, I am an overachieving lawyer slash bookworm with dreams of opening a bookstore one day 🙈

Booked on a Feeling features childhood best friends, Lizzy Chung and Jack Park, who become lovers after they team up to fix a failing bookstore in their hometown.

While Booked on a Feeling is a quick and easy escapist read, my issue is that that's all it was, despite its potential to be so much more. Since its pacing is on the slower end of romance books, I expected much more in-depth character development. However, the book ends up skirting heavy and serious topics, such as Lizzy's complicated relationship with her overbearing mother and Jack's feelings of inferiority to Lizzy, zeroing in on the storyline instead. I ended up feeling like I barely knew Lizzy and Jack, not to mention the other characters, and, while their childhood best friends-turned-lovers love story was cute enough for me to finish reading, I felt execution-wise Booked on a Feeling was having an identity crisis, i.e., as to whether it should be a cute or sexy romance, so there was some inconsistent bits here and there.

That being said, Booked on a Feeling nailed the representation of (women) lawyers - the feeling of hanging on a thread, the burnout, the competitive friendships, and the non-existent love life (or "convenient and practical" relationships) - and I love reading books about books, so while Booked on a Feeling didn't quite hit the sweet spot for me, I appreciate this book being out there.

What a cute read!! The characters, the romance, the banter…it all came together really well. I really wish there was more development on Lizzy’s mental health and how she overcame it throughout the plot line because I connected with Lizzy a lot over similar struggles in life. Overall, it’s a heartwarming story!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is my second Jayci Lee romance, and I'd have to say it is my favorite of the two so far! My favorite part was definitely the bookstore setting and how central books and reading were for our main character, Lizzy. I also enjoyed the scenes with delicious descriptions of the Korean food the characters ate. So mouthwatering!

Plotwise, it was a bit slow for me, and the steam/spice factor was definitely on the low side. This is tamer than other contemporary romance books I've read. I noticed that Jayci Lee's books focus more on the buildup to the steamy parts before quickly cutting to the next scene. While this is enjoyable for some, it is frustrating for me because I'm on the Team Ultra Mega Spicy side of romance!

Other than that, the story is so cute and fun, and honestly, the two MCs were so perfect for each other! I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read all of the author's future books!

to start off, i actually enjoyed this book a lot more than i thought i would. i love a slow burn romance and had been in desperate need of a light & enjoyable read.. this was what i needed! i loved the plot of this book and how it discussed topics of finding yourself (even in your 30s), anxiety, and the pressure of being perfect for your family.

this was a cutesy rom-com type of story with a friends to lovers trope! i would have loved to see more of the background of lizzy and jack on how they developed their friendship a bit more but i enjoyed this book nonetheless!

i would not go into this book with very high expectations of an epic romance but i would recommend for those wanting to read about two friends falling in love with each other as they learn what they want for their own life.

I really, really wanted to like this book but it just sadly wasn't for me, it was just a bit too sweet and sappy for me. However, if you are a fan of Hallmark movies and sweet, slow burns then you'd probably love this book. I think I just prefer a little less rot-your-teeth sweetness and a little more burning for each other. I also wish that the story had been developed a little bit more in the beginning before getting right into the thick of it. I needed a little bit more time to understand the background between the two main characters and how that led up to their relationship, it was just a little too unbelievable for me. It wasn’t a bad book, I think it just needed characters that were a little more realistic..

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC!

I’m not going to lie, for the first few chapters I wasn’t sure if this book was for me. It felt a little too bogged down in mundane details about lawyers and trails and I just wasn’t immediately hooked. But once Lizzy got to Weldon and her and Jack’s romance began to blossom, I was completely on board.

This is a very cute and fluffy friends-to-lovers romance between two sweet, highly likable characters. I loved Jack and Lizzy’s relationship a lot; it felt very real and not forced or problematic at all. The setting, the town and the bookstore, was cute and cozy, perfect for this cozy book.

I will say, I felt like the dialogue between everyone else in the book (excluding between Lizzy and Jack) felt kind of stiff but it didn’t distract too much from the story.

Overall, this was a fun, quick read and I definitely recommend!

4-4.5 stars. This was a cute friends-to-lovers story between Lizzy Chung and Jack Park, who have known each other since age 10. Although this one didn't have an overly angsty vibe and was sweeter than what I usually prefer, this still worked for me. Lizzy is a top-notch attorney working in Los Angeles while Jack is at the family brewery in a small town called Weldon. Both of them are discontent with their jobs, not feeling like they are where they truly belong. Lizzy, being a true book lover, is who every reader can relate to with how much she loves independent bookstores and holding books in her hand. Yet I really liked Jack because he was very down to earth and relatable in his insecurities wanting to explore beyond the family business. The way Lizzy and Jack slowly ramped up their chemistry due to close proximity was subtle, but not understated. I loved how the author made sure to highlight just how much they adored and respected the other person regardless of their achievements, but saw all of the internal core qualities that mattered. Lizzy battles with an issue that plagues her at her job due to the stress, but I liked seeing her be more assertive and vulnerable because she trusts Jack. For both of them, the path to each other also includes taking a trajectory of their own before they find their way back. Again, this was an endearing read that kept me rooting for the 2 main characters.

This was the perfect friends to lovers book I have read in awhile! The type A overachiever MC, the handsome and pining best friend that loves her from afar, discovering your dreams in your 30's. This book was everything!! Highly recommend!

After reading another book with a friends to lovers trope, I thought that trope just wasn't really for me. This book has proven that wrong. I loved these two friends and their path to being more than friends. I think some of it was that they had some nice snark in their conversations, which I like. But also I think it was because it was a very long friendship and used the trope of "guy falls first." All of those elements combined into something I enjoyed reading.

And much of it takes place in a bookstore, so bonus! And Lizzy is an avid romance reader so she actually comments (internally) on various tropes and situations that would show up in the books she reads versus her actual life.

These two friends are at places in their lives where they're not sure they are happy with their careers. And during a time when Lizzy is taking a well-needed break from her high-stress job, she and Jack (bffs for twenty years) decide to try out what it would be like for them to date. Both of them try to play off this trial relationship as not a big deal, but privately each realizes it is a big deal. But neither one thinks the other feels the same way so neither says anything. And each makes personal choices for their lives that they don't discuss with the other. It could be a complete mess (and it is for a time), but this is a romance book, so they figure things out eventually. And the ending scene is fabulous. (However, I didn't feel that the epilogue was truly needed for this book--and I usually love a good epilogue. I would have preferred to just end the book without that.)

So if you want a fun book that has a backdrop of books and reading along with the romance, give this one a try.

Thank you St Martrin's publishing press for giving me this ARC! I enjoyed it so much, especially the romance between Jack and Lizzy, it felt so sweet and they complimented each other so well, such as Lizzy's feeling like she has to live up to her mother's expectations and Jack's insecurities about his place at the Brewery. I loved how complex Jack and Lizzy were(even though alot of the book was them simping for each other) but I found Jayci balanced the romance between the characters and thier internal struggle perfectly, espically towards the end. And I will never shut up about Lizzy and I love her quirks and how books obsessed she is(because girl same) snd she's completing my dream of owning a bookstore and I love how she finally was able to find her own dream and not her mother's dream and same for Jack, and I loved how Jayci showed anxiety and how it was portrayed. Though the reason it has four stars is that sometimes I often found that Jacyi tended to over explain, such as she would show an emotion then explain that the character felt that emotion when it was kinda obvious and made the writing style slightly annoying but other then that I loved this ARC!

What an adorable story! Totally loved the friends to lovers 😍👏. They felt so genuine and adorable. This was the perfect book to read for a summer getaway or even just to escape from the comfort of home.

Absolutely loved this book! This author is quickly becoming one if my favorites! This book is from friends to lovers and it so cute! A must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! 📚

My HEART! 🥺😍 That feeling you get in your chest when you take that first sip of bubble tea is what reading this book felt like! I’m a sucker for a good friends to lovers romance trope and Jayci Lee understood the assignment! The cover initially drew me in and from the first chapter I was hooked! Everything about these characters felt genuine. I appreciated the fun, flirty take with charming references to Korean culture as well as the mental health representation.

I absolutely loved the beginning and the ending of this book. They were packed with action, cuteness and two friends falling in love. As a friends to lovers and second chance romance book, two of my favorite tropes, I almost DNFd this a few times. The middle chunk of the book was very repetitive. It felt like I read the same feelings and the same plot chapter after chapter. I had minimal back story on both characters and I never felt attached or invested in either one. I found myself skimming or reading at a very fast pace just to get thru because there was nothing new. No new plot twists or new stories… same ole thing over and over. At about 70% it picked back up again and I made it thru to the end. The epilogue was one of my favorite parts! In the end, I was glad to see what the outcome was, even though it was very predictable. It was still a cute story!

This was a super cute and cozy friends-to-lovers romance. Jack and Lizzy are an adorable couple, but only after years of unrequited love and miscommunication. Lizzy is a big city lawyer and Jack works for the family business in a small town. After decades of friendship, they both have feelings but neither one wants to risk losing the other.

I enjoyed the dual perspective, but there were a few parts where it felt muddy and it wasn’t clear whose point of view was being portrayed. I tended to look forward more to Jack’s point of view than Lizzy’s. In some places, the dialogue was fun and witty banter. In other places, it was awkward and almost forced. I feel like there was something lacking with both character descriptions and character development, so I struggled to really connect to them and stay interested.

Overall, it was a fun read with a slow but enjoyable romance. The backdrop of a small town bookshop was cute, but it wasn’t enough to make me fall in love with the story.

While this lighthearted read was enjoyable, I found it difficult to relate to the characters. Normally I love a "friends to lovers" romance, but this one just didn't really hit the mark for me. Jack and Lizzy were fun characters, but seemed unbelievable at times. I'm sure many others will enjoy this one, but it was not what I was hoping for. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

It's been a while since I read a romance novel. Granted, my choices back in the day were more recency romance novels so, on a whim (and motivated by one of my favorite stories in You've Got Mail), I decided to request this advanced copy and see what the fuss was all about.

I am not so much invested in the lovey parts of romance and, to be honest, I had to keep reminding myself that the continued references to how hot and steamy the character's feelings towards each other were forefront in all of our minds, but in spite of all of that, I was completely and totally charmed.

Plus, it centers around the love of books! How could I not be?

I think Booked on a Feeling successfully got me interested in picking up a contemporary romance here and there. I never thought I'd go back to the genre, but I needed something that was stress free, easy to read, feel-good, and just fun and this one definitely hit the mark.

This was a cute, sweet, predictable book. Childhood Friends to lovers, and the hero had been pining for her the whole time.

Lizzy and Jack were precious and even though I knew how the story would evolve, it was a fun, easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.

I had a hard time relating to the characters and found the writing a bit redundant. I had a hard time staying motivated to finish it.

I think this will be a lovely read for so many, it’s heartfelt and endearing, it just wasn’t for me this time.