A quick, fun read. The characters were overall pretty delightful, and the descriptions of the setting and locales really made me feel as if I could picture the bookstores and the homes. My biggest grip was that the conflict between the two main characters seemed so forced. Each had their own personal demons that they wrestled with, but how these two would end up was never seriously in question. An enjoyable read, just not quite enough suspense for my taste.

Booked on a Feeling is a great representation of the friends to lovers’ trope. The banter between Lizzy & Jack is natural, fun and steamy. I was blushing HARD throughout the entire book. While this book isn’t about food in any way, Lee’s description of foods throughout the novel had my stomach growling. Lee’s writing style is incredabily easy to consume. Overall, a light enjoyable read.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This friends to lovers read was so sweet I may have a cavity now. I could not get enough of Jack and Lizzy. Between making Lizzy's career and personal struggles so relatable, and sharing Jack's insecurities and unease you can't help but fall for the characters and root for them.

A bit about the book: Lizzy is a big time corporate lawyer well on her way to making partner. After her first big win she starts to realize that anxiety and tension is eating her alive, so she decides to head to her best friends small town to spend some time staying near him and relaxing.

Jack works for his family brewery but knows that there is something else out there for him. The brewery just isn't his dream. Plus he has a huge secret he's been harboring about his feelings for his best friend so he is dying to live closer to her.

Once Lizzy shows up in Weldon this romance really takes off.

Overall I would totally recommend this one as a feel good romance read.

Lizzy and jack are absolutely on of my favourite couples. The book was heartfelt and it was a cute little read! I am a sucker for any book that revolves are puns bookstores and bookworms and this did the job perfectly! I would rate this book 4.5 stars only because it felt just a little slow at times

Booked On A Feeling was the cutest romance book I've ever read! The character development was so thorough and informative. Lizzy and Jack's life long relationship was incredible, who would want a man to show up for you like Jack shows up for Lizzy? The fact that this story includes a bookstore is the icing on the cake! Lizzy turning and surprising Jack like he did for her was a great turn in the plot and makes you want to keep turning the page. It feels like 3 weeks goes by so fast! Watching Lizzy and Jack overcome their fears, and lifelong anxieties while spending much needed time together is so beautiful. No spoilers here! Would definitely recommend reading!

After reading “A Sweet Mess”, I was very excited to read this story (especially with the involvement of books)! I loved the small cameos and mentions of characters from the previous books; the familiar setting of Weldon set the tone well for Jack and Lizzy’s story.

Although the beginning of the story felt out of place considering what was to follow, I appreciated the light shed onto individuals like Lizzy and Jack who feel trapped by standards, and are afraid of stepping outside of their boundaries to find their full potential. I’m always up for two characters who are genuinely good human beings with real ambitions, and these two did exactly that. The moment they finally became a couple, the real chemistry settled in and made me fully invested. However, the major conflict that had been building up resulted in an argument between the two that didn’t feel completely right. They were suffering from the same internal struggles, but couldn’t see eye to eye on that one fact — this trope is nothing new, but it did feel frustrating considering how mature Jack and Lizzy were in other aspects.

Overall, it’s a sweet romance that I would recommend to anyone looking for an adorable couple to invest themselves in! Thank you to NetGalley, Jayci Lee, and St. Martin’s Press for providing an ARC of this book for an honest review!

This story started as a five starred read ans stayed until end, I was wooed by the characters, heartfelt, genuine dialogues. I enjoyed the conclusion of the story.
It filled my eyes with tears and healed my soul.

Lizzy and Jack ’s beautifully heartwarming journey stole my heart!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Thank you so much to @netgalley for the opportunity to read my first ARC, "Booked on a Feeling" by Jayci Lee. Overall, I rated it a 3.75/5 stars!

What it was about: This novel told the story of Elizabeth "Lizzy" Chung who is an overwhelmed lawyer that just won her first big case, and her best friend Jack, who has been secretly pining for Lizzy since the two of them were 10 years old (they're 30 throughout the duration of the book) There is a twist towards the last 20% of the book, but ultimately, we find out if Jack & Lizzy are going to make it as a romantic couple in the end - if Jack is capable of getting himself out of that "friend zone".

What I liked: I loved that this novel talked a lot about the main characters "finding themselves". so to speak. They each discovered the reasons why they were unhappy at current job placements and worked to better each of their lives. I also liked that the characters were Korean, because I got to learn some new language/culture from this book. And lastly, I liked how mental health and panic/anxiety attacks were represented. The importance of self-care was clearly depicted through the author's words. And what better self-care than to surround yourself with a bunch of books? (in my opinion!)

What took points off: Some of the language was a bit too wordy/Hallmark'y. I enjoyed the romance between Lizzy and Jack very much, but the level of cheesiness was a bit too much at times.

However, the storyline was very engaging and kept me occupied the entire time. If I had the time, this is a book that I would have read straight-through, in one sitting. And it is also a book that I wouldn't mind doing a reread of in the future, either!

This book was cute and I loved the idea of a bookish themed book. The characters are super sweet and easy to fall in love with. I loved all the small bookstores included and has a super long tbr (very relatable.)

The fact that Jack has been in love with Lizzy since they were kids is just amazing. They fit together so well and I love how well they compliment each other.

The plot, the character development, the smoothness and satisfaction I felt while reading this book was spectacular and I'm definitely buying a physical copy of this book when it comes out!!

As an Asian-American book-lover, this fun romance was as comforting as a cup of warm tea. I don't normally read friends-to-lovers romance, so I felt like this was actually kind of refreshing too. Very relatable characters, just enough tension to give the story some drama, lots of references to food (and books of course)!

“Sometimes the path to the rest of your life has been in front of you all along.”

“Booked on a Feeling” is a super cute, multicultural romcom about Lizzy and Jack, two longtime best friends who are both trying to find their true passions in life.

One of the things I enjoyed most was the multicultural aspect of this book, specifically Asian culture. It also addressed other important aspects such as anxiety, overachievement due to fear of disappointing family and self exploration. I think this made Lizzy very relatable in the sense that most of us experience many, if not all, of those aspects at some point in our lives.

I wish there had been more details given about their friendship rather than, here are two friends who are afraid to tell each other their feelings. I also thought it was somewhat odd that Jack had feelings for her for a very long time and she fell in love with him in a matter of days. It all felt a little rushed.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It is an adorable, quick PG-13 love story. If you’re into the “friends to lovers” trope, you will enjoy this one.

I got an arc of this book on netgalley and absolutely loved it. The characters are slightly older [30s] which is where i am in my life so they felt every familiar and comfortable. They were real and they story seemed plausible which was wonderful. They felt like real people with actual anxieties and relationship problems. Not just the same old non-communicating problem so many books go through.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Booked on a Feeling: the combination of a magnificent earworm and a story about books?! AND with Asian-American leads? Sign me the eff up.

This was a perfectly enjoyable, fluffy little rom com. While I didn't necessarily love either Lizzy or Jack, I found that their characters were developed in ways where their thoughts and actions felt uniquely them. Their quips were entertaining, and chemistry believable. It at times felt maybe a little bit juvenile in the development of their relationship with one another.

I was 100% here for the descriptions of Korean dishes, and would happily read a book with those all day long.

I felt that the ending was a little too obvious for me to rate this book any higher. I knew from the first couple chapters how Lizzy's story would end, which made a lot of the middle & "surprise" at the end feel a bit lackluster.

Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee stirred up many emotions over the process deep reflection and self-discovery and I loved every second of it. It is not often that a book does justice the true nature of how hard and painful it is to recognize that the dreams we think will bring us true happiness and satisfaction won’t bring us such things, but this story does so, twofold. Wrapped up in a little bow is this story of love, passion, pain, beauty in the small things, and color brought to life by an individual having the courage to live a life they want to, instead of the life they think they have to live. Deeper meaning aside, the love that Jack and Lizzy share evoked excitement, giddiness, lust, relief, and many other emotions. The subtle sub-plot of the bookstore and the way books/stories play a role for Lizzy and Jack spoke truth to the many readers who use stories to widen one’s imagination, live in another person’s shoes, or escape reality for even the smallest of moments. The final thing I will note about this book that I personally loved was the way this story depicted asian community, culture, and generational expectations. This book gives a perspective, a voice, and first hand emotions to what it is like to have other people’s expectations, assumptions, and thoughts pushed on to you. In reading, I hope some who have not been subjected to such experiences gain some empathy to situations like these and recognize that it’s not always as easy as it sounds to just “do what you want.”

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange of an honest review.
**3.5 Stars

This book was very cute and fun! It was a very quick read and perfect if you're looking for something sweet and easy going. The main couple had really good chemistry and it was a good friends to lovers with plenty of pining. I do wish however that there was more of an explanation for Lizzie developing feelings for Jack instead of just one day waking up and finding him hot. There was a little awkwardness and the writing could feel a little disjointed at times during transitions, where I had to reread parts to understand how they got here.
But overall it was a sweet romance with a cute couple and that's all I really ask for.

I loved the chemistry between Jack and Lizzy. They were crazy about each other and had decades of friendship as a foundation for their romantic relationship. I would have liked for Lizzy’s mom to come around in the end and support her daughter’s decisions. I also thought the character of Shannon would have a more developed storyline. Maybe in a future book in the series? Overall, a cute read that started slow but ended happily.

I didn’t like this book much, so I’m just going to break it down into pros and cons:

Pros:
1) all the food sounded amazing
2) bookstores are cute
3) Asian romance representation!

Cons:
1) all the tension felt very overblown and contrived to me, even for a romance book.
2) the sex scene in this book felt very rushed and unsexy
3) there were several moments of weird critical body and food talk that felt unnecessary and out of place. I would not recommend this book for people with body image self consciousness or bad relationships with food.
4) Jack’s “I’ve loved you for 20 years” storyline and his obsession with being in the “friend zone” came off kind of creepy to me?
5) I’m job hunting, and Jack’s job hunt plus Lizzy’s dissatisfaction with being a lawyer (my field) just made me stressed the whole book.

I was so glad to read this book by an Asian American author, and see two Korean romantic leads. However, despite centering around bookshops (my favorite things) this book just did not land for me. When I finished it, my first reaction was “That was the most hetero thing I’ve ever read,” if that tells you anything. (No hate to straight romance novels more generally, which, as a woman interested in men, I read and like all the time.) I’m sure it will work for some romance readers, but it felt very cringey to me the entire time I was reading.

Booked On A Feeling book review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“𝚂𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍, 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐”

First off, I LOVED THIS BOOK!! It was a little slow in the beginning, but that part is important in setting up our understanding of Lizzy. The authors approach to anxiety, family issues, and self growth was perfect.

The plot: Lizzy Chung is an aspiring lawyer who is on track to become partner, but decides to take a break after a string of panic attacks in the court room. She rents an apartment above a local bookstore in Weldon, a small town in California, where her childhood best friend Jack lives working as a bookkeeper for his families brewery. Jack isn’t happy and is applying for jobs in LA, while Lizzy is not sure if she is happy with her busy life in LA. They have to figure out who they are before they can give their happiness a chance.

This is a soft, sweet, and easy read. It has adorable characters and amazing contemporary romance. Also who doesn’t love books about books!

Special thanks to NetGallery and St.Martins Press for sharing this digital arc with me in exchange for an honest review

*This is set to be released July 26, 2022*

I absolutely ADORED and fell in love with this book. Strong leading lady who knows what she wants yet is allowed to be confused about her future? Check. Strong leading male role that is sexy as hell, patient, can work a tool belt, yet also has his own flaws? Also check. Add in the BEST story backdrop setting of a bookstore and my heart. Was. literally. SWOONING.

I fell in love with the humor and dialogue between these two characters, their easy and witty banter, and the dual points of view and how their characters progressed and grew. I found myself feeling all of the emotions with this one. Swooning, frustration, smidge of anxiety, laughter, heart stabbing pain, excitement... oh and also HELLA turned on *Fanning face thinking of that car scene*.

Jayci Lee did an INCREDIBLE job with the spice and being tastefully done. I was thrilled to see the Asian/Korean community highlighted. As a predominately white female with stronger European roots mixed with Japanese heritage... I was excited to see some diversity here. I truly felt grateful to be immersed for a short period into the customs and culture of this community through food and language too. Jayci Lee has an amazing writing style that is informative, fun, fluid, and just laugh out loud funny. I enjoyed this read so much and if anything, I hope this review convinces someone to read this book too.

A book about book lovers and book stores, what could be better??

Lizzie is a lawyer who hasn't had the time or encouragement to find her passion.  In a fun twist, her best friend Jack has been in love with her since they were kids.  I was so happy to finally see a male lead secretly pining over a heroine instead of the other way around.

The small town of Weldon, CA was a place I'd love to spend more time in, well-described with fun characters.  

The book was unpredictable and I wasn't sure how it could end in happily ever after, it was a complete surprise to me.

You'll be rooting for Jack and Lizzie to find themselves as well as each other!

Foodie bonus:  I've never eaten Korean food but the amazing descriptions with small bits of Korean culture interspersed were delicious (pun intended)!