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 loved this book! I instantly fell in love with Lizzie and Jack along with their adorable back story. As I was reading I did not want to put the book down and wanted to read ahead to find out how it all ended it was that good. Finally a romance book that is filled with love, a healthy relationship, and intelligent characters. The book was well written with each chapter leaving me wanting more. Such a relatable story with a perfect ending. I would 100% recommend this to friends, family, and even strangers. I cannot wait to read more of Jayci Lee books now.

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.

This was a cute read. It took me a bit to get into and if I am being honest and wasn’t a fan of the first two chapters. This is a friends to lovers romance and a bit of a slow burn. Lizzy and Jack’s chemistry was undeniable. I found myself getting frustrated with Jack at times as he wanted to “take things slow” and I was internally yelling “Just get it on already”. With that being said, there is a small amount of spice in this book but nothing too crazy, scenes were mostly fade to black. I loved Lizzy’s growth throughout this novel and I also loved the authors approach about anxiety. It made this book that much more relatable. This book is an adorable Rom Com but felt more like a hallmark cheesy movie but it is a great look into what life can be like when you start chasing your own dreams, instead of the ones laid out for you. I gave this a 3/5 stars just because It took me about 50% percent of the book to fully get me invested, it was pretty predictable, and it pains me to say but although it’s a quick and easy read, it was ultimately pretty forgettable. I recommend this book if you are looking for a light and easy read. I will defiantly be checking out other books from Jayci Lee.

*Thank you NetGalley, Jayci Lee, and St. Martin's Press for the ARC*

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)!

Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a sweet romcom about Lizzy and Jack, two longtime best friends who are finding out their true passion in life, and doing so alongside one another.

I loved all the silly and cute banter between the characters; It was a great palette cleanser after all the darker romance I’ve been reading.

However, third person POV (personally) has never been my go to so it took a little bit of time for me to get into this book.

At about 40% in, you start to see their relationship start to build. By the time you’re at 60%, you’re like okayyyyyy here we go. And then it fades to black. I’m not sure if this is YA or NA because the feel of the romantic/love making scenes had verbiage that would lean towards NA, but then it kind of cut flat and went back to the lightheaded YA tone. Personally, I would have enjoyed more background about their relationship and growth as far as how the intensity of their love seemed to be going.

The ending was super sweet! Overall, it was a cute read for anyone needing a small town vibe/friends to lovers/silly banter/HEA type of romcom to read next!
3 stars!

great romance about friends to lovers and trying to find oneself . I loved that she took a break but found a place to work and help in the bookstore. I loved the family and friends. I loved the slow burn romance and not wanting to change it but wanting to try. I loved the bookstore .

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book has a cute premise. I think some of the elements were harder to get into, such as Jack being best friends with this lady and her being a lawyer and never picking up on how he might be treating her differently because he loves her. It was a cute read but I wish there would've been more dimension.

This book was a really cute and fun read! It was a super easy read and I finished it pretty quickly. The characters were like able, however I do wish they would have been a bit more fleshed out. Overall I think this was a sweet read, nothing too deep. It was a great pallet cleanser!

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

Elizabeth Chung is an excellent attorney who is up for a promotion to become a partner in her firm but once she finally had her first win, she didn't feel right, so she planned a three week vacation in Weldon, where her best friend lives.

Jack Park is a bookkeeper and part-time owner of his family's microbrewery; even though he helped it grow into a successful business, he often feels insecure that he is spending his life doing something he didn't feel passionate about; hence he applied for a job in L.A to prove himself and to be near his best friend.

Booked on a Feeling is about two childhood friends that are finding their passion and proving it to their self while realizing their hidden feelings with each other.

I love that this book is about finding one's dream and they should chase it and don't let what others say let them feel guilty about it.

I never thought I'd like this trope; it exceeds my expectations. I appreciate Jack's self-control and waited for the right time, but I felt frustrated that they didn't communicate properly, causing unnecessary conflicts.

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

This book fell so flat for me, which sucks because I am always so in for a love story that involves books.

Lizzy is so close to making partner at her law firm, until she passes out during a big career moment. Suddenly Lizzy is taking a break from her career and going to Weldon to be with her best friend, Jack. What Lizzy doesn't know is that Jack has been in love with her for about a decade. Three weeks in Weldon change everything, Lizzy is questioning her career choices, and Jack is ready to take a risk on his feelings.

The blurb for this book sounded right up my alley, so I was disappointed when the character's didn't feel complete to me. There was no background that made their feelings for each other believable, and most of the draw to each other was pointed out as attraction and being childhood best friends. The portrayal of their feelings reminded me of middle schoolers crushing on each others.

Everything felt rushed, but also super slow and dragged out. I feel like if the characters were better developed I would have enjoyed this a lot more.
Thank you so much Netgalley, Jayci Lee ,and St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

↠ 2 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I'm not usually a romance novel reader, but I picked this one up for the promise of some bookishness (which it thoroughly delivered). I'm a sucker for anything set in a bookstore or library as I know many bookish people are.

I found some of the dialog to be a bit cringey and the plot to be fairly (okay really) predictable, but I feel like that's just part of the romance novel territory. Either way, it took me out of the story via eyeroll at points. Overall it was a pretty fun read though.

It may be a part of the author's A Sweet Mess series, but it stands well on its own as well. Some of the characters and locations may be more familiar if you've read the others (as I learned from reading synopses after the fact), but you will never be lost without having read them.

Crossposted to Goodreads at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4655055324