I received this book as an eGalley.

I haven't read the first two books in this series, but it didn't feel like I was missing anything vital.

Overall, a cute read. Perfect amount of yearning. The main couple has good chemistry and banter. There are spots of hilarity in their inner monologues, as well, especially when they're in denial.

The narrative switches back and forth between the two main characters' viewpoints, and you're really in their heads sometimes. At other times, the characters have fully-formed personal epiphanies kind of out of nowhere. But you don't see the progression from vague idea to complete thought, which made some of the character development feel rushed, especially toward the end.

I also wanted Lizzy to feel more consistent. The author played around with some great ideas briefly, but I would have liked to see them pop up more than once or twice. For example, she is a lawyer, and she uses her skill of being inscrutable and giving noncommittal answers in a way that makes people notice that she's probably a good lawyer once. And she loves romance novels, and toward the end, she describes her relationship using romance tropes and tries to orchestrate a chance meeting, but she doesn't seem to use the romance plot filter for her life before that. And there would have been plenty of opportunities for her to at least note the similarities her life had to a romance plot (big city lawyer goes to small town, falls in love with local and learns to slow down and appreciate life). I really liked the glints of self-awareness when they happened and wish they were more present in Lizzy. But none of us are perfect or necessarily consistent, so it's not really the biggest deal.

In summary, I had fun reading this and felt invested in the characters enough that I made a ton of Kindle comments that were just, "OMG TALK TO EACH OTHER."

3.5/5

This book was good, but it took me a while to get into it. After a few chapters, I really enjoyed it. There was great chemistry between the characters and left me feeling happy. Overall, it was cute and quick read.

ARC supplied by St. Martin’s Press.

I love cheese as much as the next person but this book was so cheesy I couldn’t finish it. Each character felt stiff and cookie cutter, none of them had chemistry, and all the conversations felt unnatural and pointless. It also had multiple scenes that were unnecessary to the plot and character building. There was also a lot of description that seemed excessive and would make the book feel really dated in a year or two.

I really had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately it fell short.

(Did not finish)

An absolutely adorable read!

Small town vibes, beer and books! Got the opportunity to read this book early thanks to netgalley. Loved the characters and the sweet vibe.

I have been reading a ton of high fantasy lately and this was the perfect palate cleanser. A sweet fun romance, with just a bit of spice.

Would definitely reccomend adding this to your TBR when it comes out!

This was the CUTEST story that found me at the perfect time. I'm always a sucker for a good love story and this one had a bookstore and two stories of self discovery. This book had the perfect mix of fun, flirty, and serious. I look forward to reading more by this author!

3.5/5 ⭐️

As a fellow (almost) lawyer I understand Lizzy’s pain all too well. I appreciated the accurate legal references and the realisticness of how hard a career in big law is. I think some readers might be inclined to skip the first chapter, while the legalese was understandable, it’s still boring.

I wish there was more about Lizzy and Jack’s friendship instead of just “here are two best friends with no background.” While Jack pined for Lizzy for years, she seemed to fall head over heels in a matter of two days?

Their relationship is cute, I will give them that. The sex scenes were surprisingly spicy, but the author seemed to pull back in the middle of each scene. I took it as not being sure whether this was supposed a YA or a NA book, so it tried to bridge the two worlds. Overall, the characters are likeable and I was rooting for them to be together and achieve their dreams.

Note: my original rating is a 4.5⭐️

I’ve never been one to really read books with the friends to lovers trope…but this book has completely changed my view of that and now I want to read more! Lizzy and Jack were seriously so cute and I adored their relationship so much. Also, the tension between them was 🔥🔥 Sometimes it was a bit too much because it seemed like every time they had a “moment” it turned steamy instead of sometimes being just romantic/sweet. It’s perfectly fine though because I know some relationships are like that, for me personally it was just a lot.

I really enjoyed the storyline as well. Lizzy is a lawyer from a big city, and Jack runs the accounting part of his family’s brewery business. They live about 4 hours apart, but she takes a 3 week vacation to visit him there. She starts to find out things about herself, and realizes that she doesn’t have to do what makes others happy. It’s not all about making money, following your parents wishes, etc. She decided to do what makes her happy, and I love what she ended up doing with her life. I really enjoyed that aspect because I feel like that’s such an important message to do what makes YOU happy.

Something that I wasn’t a fan of — the miscommunication trope. They both were not telling each other something (and it was a big something) because they didn’t want the other one to get their hopes up/move too fast/they didn’t think the other one felt the same. And I’m just sitting here like 😑

Overall I’m super glad that I got to read this book! It was such a lovely read and I will definitely be buying a physical copy of it when it comes out in July🥰

4.5 rounded down

I LOVED this book!

Friends to lovers??? Falling in love while volunteering at a book store together?? Say no more!

Jack and Lizzy are PERFECT in every way, I loved them individually as characters and together as a couple. I related to both of them on so many levels and even when I was frustrated with them toward the end, their decisions and thought processes always made sense to me.

Lizzy is such a special character to me because at times it felt like looking in a mirror. A lawyer with anxiety?? Who hates billable hours?? Who would rather be in a bookstore/curled up with a book?? I was rooting for her this entire book and seeing her journey and seeing her find herself and what she really wants out of her life made me so happy. The same goes for Jack, he’s a very loyal, witty, and hardworking man and I loved seeing his dynamic not only with Lizzy, but with his family. I loved that while Lizzy was on her journey, Jack was on one of his own, trying to make sure that his dreams came true and that he was fulfilled by the life he’s living. That’s also something that I loved about their relationship. They made sure that they were not only happy with each other, but happy in their own lives. Instead of one of them having to make some sacrifice for the other, they figured things out and found a way to make it work while maintaining their dreams.

Outside of our main characters, I loved the setting of Weldon and especially the Sparrow. I think fixing up a local bookstore was such a cute idea for a romance novel! I also loved the side characters and think they really helped round out the book and made everything feel more fully realized.

Lastly, I wanted to mention that I thought the author did an amazing job with the anxiety representation. Lizzy’s anxiety and how it presents and the way she works through it was very realistic and accurate and I really appreciated seeing that portrayed properly in a book. I also appreciated that the legal terms used in the book were correct. It’s a minor thing but that’s a pet peeve of mine when legal concepts are thrown into a book and aren’t properly used and that wasn’t an issue here at all!! Everything mentioned made complete sense and that kept me immersed in the experience!

Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend reading this when it comes out in July!

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for this ARC!

The characters were a little flat to me, and although I'm a big fan of almost any friends-to-lovers book, I'm almost never a fan of the miscommunication trope, unfortunately.
I thought this book was written really well, and would love to read some of the author's past work, but I don't think that this was the book for me, which was a little disappointing!
This book had everything that I normally love. Who wouldn't want to read about two best friends who revamp a little bookstore together?
This book had cozy vibes, and great characters that just- fell a little bit too flat. I know that this is a standalone in a series, but we never get a lot of background on them. If a book is a standalone, I wish they would at least recap the friendship. Additionally, I thought that their relationship was simply... juvenile? It's a classic hallmark-y book that's great for a light read when you're not wanting anything too heavy, but just know that the miscommunication *will* drive you insane.

Maybe I would have liked this book more if I had not read it straight after Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club, and I might have been saturated with the "Asian parents are unreasonable and we cant be happy because we need to fill parental expectations" storyline. However, even without that its just an ok book. It was, in my hallmark channel ranking, what I would call a predictable and naughty. I knew exactly how it would end up from chapter 2 and the buildup to it was not as fun. There was too much chemistry and too little backstory for my taste. I want to know more about their background, why were they friends, why did jack never say a thing for 20 years. Also the mom, really what is up with asian mothers in literature (or at least my literature this month) Are they really this stereotypically bad? The big positive: I loved all the book talk and kind of want a bookstore to sit down and read in now.

This is a delightful book about a man and woman that have been best friends since they were little. . Both are having doubts about their careers and where their life is heading. Taking some time off ends up becoming a full time job helping a woman get her bookshop into shape. Things start to get quite hot and steamy as the story unfolds. The typical storyline that most romance novels have but the inclusion of a bookstore gives it a fun twist for anybody that loves to read. A fun and Quick read. Thanks to St Martin’s Press for the chance to read the arc.

I enjoyed this next story in the series and getting more writing from this author! This was just what I needed and I enjoyed the characters. I can’t wait to discuss more with others once it is released!

I’m embarrassed to say that out of the hundreds of romance novels I’ve read, I haven’t actually read a friends to lovers romance. I tend to enjoy enemies to lovers so I thought friends to lovers might be boring. I was very wrong...

After a panic attack hits at a time when Lizzy should be thrilled with her accomplishments, she decides to go out of town taking a 3 week vacation close to Jack, her best friend of twenty years. After only a few days there, she starts becoming a little too aware of him and they have to figure out how their friendship will move forward while they also work to discover what they individually really want out of life.

I struggled with Jack’s point of view being realistic. For the first quarter of the book, I felt like all he was thinking was how much he loved Lizzy and couldn’t stop thinking about her but needed to stop thinking about her. It was maddening but not in a sweet way. Second, I don’t know of any straight man that says “cute“ or “adorable“. Many times he talks about different habits or traits of Lizzy’s being cute. I asked my husband what a man would actually call an endearing trait in his head and he couldn’t even articulate it. He just usually chuckles, gives me a look or just knows that’s what I do but he’s not actively thinking “that list-making she does is so cute”.

I did enjoy the spicy buildup of their romance though! I loved the development of the little book store and their growth as they found their paths and each other. I give this 3.5 stars.

A sweet friends-to-lovers romance. Lizzy is an associate at a big firm gunning for partnership. Jack is her childhood best friend who lives in a small town four hours away. They try dating. Plot ensues. Lee has a knack for capturing her character’s fears. They don’t say the right thing or act perfectly because they’re human and flawed and that’s why you’re drawn to them. Booked on a Feeling is a quiet, slow book. You root for these kids to figure it out but you’re not going to lose sleep or sob over it. And that’s okay! Sometimes you’re in the mood for a low-angst friends-to-lovers.

I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

this book may have had a slow start but the rest was very enjoyable! i'm not always the biggest fan of friends to lovers but this book was really sweet and Jack was a great boy best friend turned boyfriend! i loved Jack's mom and the talk about Korean food really made me wanna go out and get some. the miscommunication trope was kinda annoying but we'll look past that.

overall this is perfect if you're looking for a sweet, friends to lover rom-com, and it's not very long so you can definitely read it in one sitting.

This was such an adorable and sweet romance. A friends to lovers, guy falls first story taking place in a bookstore!! The characters were so relatable and I enjoyed seeing their character development throughout the story. My only problem is that I hate miscommunication trope in romance books. But this was still a super cute and easy read.

Childhood friends to lovers? Say no more… except I will. Lizzy is on her way to become partner in a successful law firm. Jack feels stuck in the family business and is desperate for a change. When Lizzy shows up in town Jack has to decide what to do with a 20-year long crush on his best friend. What mess will the inevitably make of their friendship? Let’s find out!

Read if you like: friends to lovers, second chance, following your dreams, falling in love in a bookstore, the guy falls first, clueless yet driven leading lady.

Lizzy’s life is going according to plan. She’s on track to live the dream her family has helped build for her, but something is off. So, she turns to her most reliable source of comfort, her best friend Jack. Jack has been in the same town for what feels like his whole life. He’s been vital in launching his family’s brewery and putting them on the map. But now, he’s an unessential part of the team and he needs a change. Just as he’s contemplating his next step his best friend and long-time crush shows up for an extended vacation. The next 3 weeks will change everything.
Good thing the local bookstore needs remodeling and our duo both need to be productive to feel fulfilled.

I really wanted to love Booked on a Feeling. But I’m just in like with it. The second half of the book was better than the first so it ended on a high note but, unfortunately, a lot the writing fell flat.

The first half felt a little perfunctory. Phrases were repeated too often. Basic side characters were plugged in for plot. And our leading duo’s personalities didn’t shine through. Heck, we have a friends-to-lovers plot and NOT A SINGLE CHARACTER commented on their chemistry until they were at least realizing there was a page for them both to be on… and that was over halfway through the book. And there were ample opportunities: friends, family members, and even a random dude in a park… nothing. Where’s the lead up? There was none. It’s just Lizzy and Jack against the plot.

The way it felt to me was the plot from 60% to the end was what she knew wanted to write but then had to figure out how to get to that point in the story. The beginning was a bit bland to be honest. I was gearing up for a total Halmark-esque no spice, maybe some steam, romance until about 30-40% through and Jack finally felt alive on the page and made me think otherwise. I’m giving it a 2 on the 5-point pepper scale. It probably has too much spice for the non-spicy folks, but spicy folks will scoff at the setup and fade to black. Basically, you get spice prologue and spice epilogue but no spicy chapters.

However, after 60%, there were times I was laughing out loud and I never stopped rooting for our duo. It just seemed that everything else was basic. Family. Basic. Background. Basic. Actually, I never did understand how these two met. Was it a prep school? Their families knew each other, but other than that it was very unclear. I did appreciate Jack; he maintained a great mindset through the whole story when he’d been pining for so long. Poor clueless Lizzy.

I’m hoping that the editing team will make this gem shine because, like the bookstore, this story has potential.

Well this book was absolutely adorable! Such a sweet and fun read! It had me smiling and I loved the two main characters Lizzy and Jack. They had such a sweet relationship! I also loved the authors approach about anxiety and self growth. It made this book that much more relatable. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Jayci Lee!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this arc.!

Very predictable but, cute. I love a friends to lovers romance. Also love when a bookstore is involved. Jack and Lizzy were superficially cute but, not a lot of depth to them.

Sadly this was a DNF at 30%.
30% and nothing pertinent had happened, reading was very boring, and I kept skimming trying to get to the good stuff which I, unfortunately, didn't find. No background on the characters—it just pushes you into a story (which works sometimes), but in this ensemble, it lacked. This made it hard to connect to the characters, especially when this is supposed to be a 'friends to lovers' trope... already incredibly hot and bothered about each other gave me nothing to work with or grow upon. I'm disappointed because the story premise and multicultural representation are things I always look for in my reading. This just didn't work for me.