*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I remembered enjoying Fake It Till You Bake It when I read it a few years ago, so I was happy to read the follow up following August's romance. I love that August is a quiet "actions speak louder than words" sort of guy and I liked following his point of view. I also liked that Sloane was unwilling to take less than she felt she deserved. While I didn't necessarily fully buy into the romance, I think that might be more to do with the second chance nature of it. We get some flashbacks to 12 years prior and what happened between the two of them, but while I kept reading because I wanted to know what exactly caused them to fall apart, I never bought into the tension they had. I also found some of the plot beats related to opening the second location for Sugar Blitz a little forced.

That being said, I thought this was well-written and a fun way to pass an evening. If you like slow burn (ish? Their first kiss isn't until halfway through the book but it gets pretty steamy pretty quickly after that) and/or celebrity love interest and/or brother's best friend, I recommend this! And I am very much looking forward to a potential Nicholas book.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It was so wonderful from start to finish. It is the second in a series, but it can be read as a stand alone.

I DNF’d this arc sadly. I didn’t feel connected to the characters and it was a bit too much of a slow burn. Nevertheless, thankful for the publisher granting me this ARC.

Football player August was supposed to be a silent partner in the local cupcake shop, but when he accidentally went viral on social media ranting about how baking isn’t a threat to masculinity, he’s suddenly the hottest topic in town. With a new location in the works, the rest of his business partners decide to capitalize on his new fame and hire a social media manager to help build the brand.

It’s none other than his best friend’s sister, who’s haunted his dreams for years. Sloane has her own hangups, since she’s crushed on August since she was a teenager, but she knows this job could help launch a career. The juxtaposition of a football player who’s also a baker sounds like such a fun storyline.

However, this didn't quite live up to expectations. The pacing felt too slow and ultimately the story drug out a bit.

A Legend in the Baking combines all of the things that makes a memorable romance he's her brother's friend, she's super work focused but could use the help thats being offered. I'm always a fan of a sweet MMC that isn't aware of his aura and how attractive he is which of course was tension for our girl Sloane! The plot points and tension were delightful and I was rooting for their second chance from their first encounter to that hot make out session! This series is the cozy romance I needed!!

Meh Again

Even though I didn’t enjoy the first book in this series, I was still looking forward to this follow up book. I liked this one a little bit more, but it was still underwhelming. Nothing about the book really jumped out and made me love it. August had some likable qualities. His angst about dealing with the public got to be annoying. Sloane was super dramatic, but I guess she was okay. Their background story was more interesting than the current courtship. I was glad that they finally stopped fighting it. I’m glad that I was able to remove this from my TBR pile.

A Legend in the Baking is the second book in the Sugar Blitz series. Although I didn't enjoy this one as much as Fake it Till You Bake it, It was a fun story. Sugar Blitz is a bakery that specializes in cupcakes, owned and operated by 3 members of the local football team. August Hodges is the silent partner and is much happier in the kitchen and the shadows. That is until his impromptu feminist rant about how women bakers are the backbone of the industry and baking cupcakes isn’t a threat to masculinity goes viral, making him the hottest bachelor in town. He is suddenly wanted for interviews with magazines, newspapers, radio shows and TV outlets. While August and his partners are trying to open a new location, August is the distraction from those that are against their expansion, afraid they will be priced out of their own neighbourhood with urban renewal. Not only is August dealing with his sudden popularity, but one of his partners, Donovan, has hired his sister to manage their social media. August and Sloan both had crushes on one another when they were younger, but now that they are adults, can they resist the pull? Will Sloane be able to manage the protests and picketers, as well as showcase August to put Sugar Blitz in the best light?

A Legend in the baking is a slow burn romance, with August and Sloan fighting against the chemistry that has between them for years. I enjoyed both characters but Sloan did frustrate me at times. She is a smart, business woman, but her emotions seemed to rule her behaviour many times, which isn't the best way to present a female MC in my humble opinion. I loved August. He was sweet, shy, didn't want to hurt anyone and a big teddy bear. The competition that Sloan was in for a new job added to the story, showcasing her business sense, but also showed that she can be manipulative at times. Themes in this story include advancement in the workplace, perceptions of women and their place in the working world, family relationships, standing up for yourself, sports players and the perception of them. urban renewal and it's effects and of course romance. This was an enjoyable story, but didn't have the same humor or banter that the first book had. It was more of a romance with some fun banter, and a lot of heat and chemistry. it did have some open door romance which I skimmed. I am looking forward to Nicholas' story coming up.

Slow Burn for the win!

I am usually not the biggest fan of slow burn romances, but Jamie did an amazing job with this one! The anticipation, the longing looks, the brief touches... I was dying for it! It was the perfect amount to keep me hooked all the way through. I appreciate the close attention to detail that she used throughout the whole story. It brought it up to another level. I am so happy I got to read this. Recommending it to my friends as we speak!!

I enjoyed this sweet second chance romance! 3 good looking San Diego pro football players opened a cupcake shop to keep them busy during the off-season and after retirement. One of them, Augustus, goes viral when he talks about equality, and the internet dubs him the “Sugarbae”. The shop is jammed!
They want to take advantage of the buzz, so they hire the sister of another partner. Sloane is a social media maven in between jobs. One problem, however. She and Augustus have had a thing for each other for years. How will Sloane promote Augustus, now San Diego’s most eligible bachelor, when she wants him for herself?
The romance is satisfying and the cupcakes sound divine, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received an advanced copy of “A Legend in the Baking” by Jamie Wesley, the second book in the “Good things come to those who bake” series, which follows a cupcake store owned by three professional football players. Book 1 follows Jada and Donovan, and Book 2 tells the story of Donovan’s little sister, Sloane Dell, who has long nursed a crush on Donovan’s best friend, business partner, and teammate, August Hodges.

Recently divorced, August becomes a viral sensation after confronting a trio of sexist bros in his shop and out-of-work social media manager, Sloane, agrees to help her brother and friends with publicity as a second bakery location opens.

I loved the setup of this book and the flashbacks of the friendship that develops between Sloane and August. I liked that the failed first marriage felt realistic and part of a complex history and story for August. I think having flashbacks from August’s perspective would have been helpful to the reader.

The first half of this book was excellent, but the second half was less focused. An unexpected intimate moment between the couple was handled poorly by the author. This wouldn’t have been fatal but - when August finally asks Sloane to give him a second chance (or third if you count the kiss as the second chance, which I certainly do not) - she hesitates, and the last portion of the book is Sloane dithering about whether she should pursue a relationship with the person she has loved all her life. The resistance to the relationship despite years of friendship, growing attraction, and mutual goals just felt so contrived as a means of creating third act tension.

I will read other books from this author, and enjoyed much of this story, but not quite a touchdown. 3.5/5

This is a best friends little sister romance. They’ve had a connection for more than a decade but it was never fulfilled because she played her hand and crapped out. Now years later they are working together on a project that keeps them close and that same connection surfaces along with some chemistry and them boom …
This story was a little slow in the movement. The characters have great chemistry and I appreciated the glimpse of their past Interactions. If you like romance where they are fighting the inevitable then this book is for you. .

What a great concept. It isn't often you see a "manly man" football player as a baker. I really enjoyed this book and I want to go buy the first book in the series.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the #AdvanceReviewCopy

Genre: Romance
Release Date: Nov 2024

Summary: 3 professional football players own a bakery and are opening up a new location. One of the owner’s sister joins the team as a social media manager to help both the bakery and herself. The problem is she must work with the man she’s loved for 12 years who also happened to break her heart once. This is book 2 in a series but so far each book has its own main characters and plot so this can definitely be read as a stand alone. What you’ll gain from reading book 1 first is history on the bakery and a couple of names will be familiar but that’s pretty much it.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed it overall. It is a slow burn and the story got a bit muddy in the middle and the ending dragged just a tad but other than that it was well written, and the main characters were well developed with a lot of spark. There are a couple of extremely heated moments during the ‘getting together scene’. But other than those scenes the spice level is low.

This released before Christmas so it is available for you all now.

Overall, I rate this 3.5 stars.

This was a cute little rom com that I absolutely loved! I love the cupcake baking football player--i havent seen a character like this in many books which was refreshing!

Thanks for the digital copy!

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.25⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: contemporary romance📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A cute and fun read but get comfortable because you’ll be waiting a long time before the romance shows up

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Very slow burns
All the tension
Found family
Brothers best friend
“childhood” friends to lovers
Football player/ cupcake shop owner MMC
Social media consultant FMC
Forced proximity
workplace romance
Dual timeline

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
August is the ~sweetest~ and most humble book boyfriend ever

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
the past miscommunication
it took foreverrrr for them to finally get together
some of the things younger Sloane did
the whole social media setup and Sloane basically using August

This was a great book to read throughout the holidays - where in between the chaos, you read a little bit here and there. The main characters were delightful and now I need to go back and read book 1 in the series! So glad he went after his happiness.

The characters were believable in the flaws while also being so likable. This was also a perfect winter read because the cozy vibes were so strong.

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

This book was as sweet and fluffy as a batch of cupcakes fresh out of Sugar Blitz's ovens! August Hodge, the quieter co-owner of the shop, wins hearts (and the internet) by standing up for women in the most swoon-worthy way. Cue collective feminine sigh. Enter Sloane Dell, a social media manager determined to prove herself without relying on her millionaire brother—who, by the way, is also August’s longtime bestie and Sugar Blitz co-owner.

While this was a cute, light read that stayed mostly on the surface, there were moments that hinted at deeper emotions. I found myself wishing for a few more of those moments to really sink my teeth into. Initially, I was leaning toward a 2-star rating, but let me tell you—when the spice scene hit, it hit. Whew, August, you’ve got layers, my guy. That steamy moment alone earned this book an extra 0.5 stars. 🔥

I’d love to see the author dig deeper into character development and plotlines in future books, but I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for Nicholas’s story. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC! Final verdict: 2.5 stars.

This book has a lot of potential, a lot of tropes I generally enjoy. While I appreciate the romance, this one felt the same as many others. I enjoyed it, it just wasn’t anything new. It was well written, and a good time. But I didn’t see anything worth a recommendation.

I love Jamie Wesley! It's an incredible read and a great love story. This book is perfect for the fall season and has great Thanksgiving vibes. The main characters were so fun to read. I hope you all enjoy..