I found the deeper topics of the book, like the type 1 diabetes representation, and dysfunctional family dynamic really well written. On the other hand though, I found most of the romance to be cringe-worthy.

The writing style for the majority of the book was light hearted which I did enjoy, but it did come off as immature, and not suited for adult characters or adult audiences. The main character's thought processes often involved unnecessary comparisons and felt dragged out. I much prefered the writing in the third act breakup, and wish it held some of that same serious tone throughout the book.

I found the Type 1 Diabetes representation to be very well written, and loved how it didn't take up that much room in the main character's life, while also being apart of her story. I also loved that the love interest was so keen on learning how to take care of her, in case an emergency did arise.

The dysfunctional family dynamics were also written well, and with sensitivity in mind. The ending of the book regarding the main character's mother was well done. The manipulation was heartbreaking to read about, and helped me emotionally connect with the main character, and root for her growth and success.

However, the lighthearted romance aspects were immature, and cringe-worthy. The nicknames were unnecessary, and the grand gesture after the third act breakup was built up, only to be underwhelming in the end.

Overall, I would recommend this book, but only if you like cheesier romance books with a slowwww slow burn.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was interested in the book based on the description, but comparing it to Crazy Rich Asians was so accurate. I honestly loved every page of this book, and really enjoyed the chapter titles.

The characters in this were more than just surface level. I found myself hating the parents because I wanted Ellie to have her own life and make her own decisions. I also understood the respect your elders conversation because I grew up hearing that a lot from my parents. However, I have never had to deal with meddling like poor Ellie did.

The plot was well done; we knew that Ellie and Alec knew each other from years ago but we didn't really know why Alec left so suddenly. The brother's best friend wasn't even the best part, fake dating... HELLO I'M HERE FOR IT! I love a good fake dating, and this didn't disappoint at all. There was so much emotion from both characters that I felt for them and wanted to know everything.

Most importantly is the representation. Not only are both characters first generation American, but Ellie is also a type 1 diabetic. The moments in this that show what a T1D person has to go through hurt me because people are still so uneducated on T1D and how they can live normal lives and eat the same things. It was also hard because T1D can be very isolating because so many people do not want to learn what you have to do in order to function. That hurt because so many people know how to use an epi pen for allergies, why can't they learn a bit about a hypo episode to help their friends. Ellies journey with her T1D was so important because she showed that she was strong and independent and could lead a very happy independent life despite having something that others see as a hindrance. I cannot express how wonderful this representation was.

Overall, I am now a big fan of Cynthia Timoti, I will absolutely be reading more from them.

This book completely surprised me. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be in the headspace to read it after reading a horror book. HOWEVER, I was hooked from chapter one. It gets straight to the good stuff immediately. The drama was not overdone and it all fit together perfectly! The family drama was definitely a topic I loved in the sense that it portrayed its okay to NOT agree with your parents, and they’re not to disrespect you.
100% recommend this book!!

After an ultimatum from her mother and a viral proposal gone wrong, Ellie Pang is ready to start over. She breaks out of the box her parents have put her in and moves across the country to start her own sugar-free bakery. Except the minute she walks into her new store, she sees the disaster in front of her. Luckily/Unluckily for her, Alec Mackenzie – her old crush turned nemesis – is in town and has contacts to help her. All he needs in return is a fake girlfriend. Except, as we all know, fake dating has a way of turning into something all-too-real…

Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice is a cute story of enemies to friends to lovers. Cynthia Timoti’s debut novel has a lot of promise, although I had mixed feelings about the story overall.

I was on board with Ellie’s move at the beginning. She’s determined to make the life and business that she wants, which I appreciated. But when Ellie gets around Alec, she can be kind of petulant and frustrating. Her reasons for being upset with Alec made sense when she was a teenager, but not so much years later. Alec is kind, hardworking, and a little stuffy. I liked him as a hero but wanted a bit more depth from him. The development of their romance was predictable with the expected obstacles, stubborn protagonists, and interfering third parties. It was entertaining enough, but not as much as I would have wanted from a love story. That being said, I think there’s a lot of promise and I want to see how Timoti’s work develops in the future.

Where Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice shines is in the Type 1 Diabetes representation. Ellie has T1D and you can tell Timoti knows what she’s talking about. The way she weaves T1D rep into the story is fantastic and it was central to Ellie’s character without making it the only thing interesting about her. I really appreciated the care and attention to detail that was given to not just how Ellie managed her T1D but also how she stood up for herself in the face of others’ reactions to it. I also really enjoyed watching her build her sugar-free bakery and wish there was more time in this story devoted to it because it was wonderful. While I liked but didn’t love Ellie and Alec’s love story, there’s enough to enjoy about Cynthia Timoti’s writing that I’m very much looking forward to reading more of her work.

REVIEW: Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice by Cynthia Timoti ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5)

Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice by Cynthia Timoti gave me mixed feelings while I was reading. The premise is engaging, featuring two main characters with a shared past who must work together to overcome their challenges. There’s plenty of banter and genuine chemistry between them. The story includes humorous moments, heartfelt scenes, and vivid descriptions that made me crave food.

✨ Food-focused romance with rivalry
✨ Small-town atmosphere
✨ Slowly intensifying tension
✨ Family secrets intertwined

I found the pacing to be occasionally uneven, and some emotional scenes didn’t resonate as strongly as I had wished. However, quirky characters, a charming setting, and detailed food descriptions made Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice an overall enjoyable read.

If you like fun, messy rom-coms with a dash of spice—and descriptions of food that make you hungry—this book could be for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group | Bramble for providing a free advanced copy for my honest review.

Brothers best friend, fake dating, and banter for days— Cynthia Timoti cooks up a perfect “sugar free” debut!

I can’t say enough good things about this book! Super easy with realistic but lovable characters. You can’t help but root for Ellie and her dreams of opening a sugar free bakery!

The chemistry between the two leads is wonderfully sweet and you can’t help but love the “it’s always been you” vibes! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by timoti!

Enjoyed this book, did find it a little slow to start. Liked that Ellie grew as a person into a strong, capable woman who stood up for herself. The struggles she faced are the same that real people face so I think it resonates with many.

Thank you NetGalley for the readers copy, the opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed this debut novel. I really enjoyed the cute story line and how the characters developed throughout. I love that the author used her own personal experience to personify the FMC!

It was just a cute read.

Thank you to Bramble and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was such an adorable & fun read! The author has this flowy and fun writing style that I really feel drawn to - it's easy to read, and it's easy to stay engaged and enjoying the writing.

Ellie, the fmc, won my heart over from the very beginning - declining a proposal because it's what she truly wants to do? That's brave. Then going viral because of it, and being disowned by her family, then having her family turn around and pay her boss to fire her because she shamed the family. Talk about toxic.... but Ellie decides to stand on her own. She leaves her family, she goes after her own dreams and desires - ultimately opening a bakery that focuses on making diabetic friendly cookies, pastries, and treats. She then reconnects with her first crush - her brother's best friend, and they end up fake dating. It's such a good journey that they go on and I love how it all wraps up with a good old "it's always been you" trope.

Thank you @brambleromance for the gifted copy!

Fake dating, second-ish chance romance, and a ton of sweet treats made this book a fun ride! I loved the Indonesian-Chinese rep and T1D rep- both made Ellie such a dynamic character. I think it was such a cool concept of having type 1 diabetes but working within your limits of food to open a low-sugar, low-carb bakery. And while the romance was good at times (hear me out…there’s a shower scene that…🙊) I think I would have liked this more as a finding yourself women’s fic than a romance with a MMC who, while redeemed himself in the end, was a bit sub par. There were moments that I really liked Alec, but the miscommunication caused by Ellie’s family left me frustrated at times.

The writing really helped you feel everything- anger, anxiousness, fear- so it pulled you right into the story. If you liked the antics of Crazy Rich Asians and Dial A for Aunties, you’ll enjoy this book!

Thank you Tor Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC of Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice. This is a warm, emotional, and empowering read that completely stole my heart! I absolutely loved the Asian representation and was especially moved by the inclusion of a main character with Type 1 Diabetes. Seeing Ellie Pang navigate life, relationships, and her dream of owning a bakery while also managing her health felt so authentic and important. We need more stories that show characters with medical conditions living fully, not as side notes, but as the heart of the story. After losing her job (thanks in part to her overbearing mother), Ellie takes a leap of faith, moving to a new state to pursue her dream of opening her own bakery. However, fate has a sweet surprise, she ends up in the same town as her longtime crush, Alec Mackenzie. When the two realize they can help each other out, their partnership quickly turns into something deeper, with unspoken feelings finally coming to the surface. The dynamic between Ellie and her mom was a lot at times but it added real depth to Ellie’s journey and showed just how much strength it takes to set boundaries and follow your own path. This book had me feeling everything, from joy and frustration to hope and love.

Ellie Pang is being proposed to by the most eligible bachelor right now, and her family is so excited for her to be potentially engaged to a man of their family’s standards, but when she says no to him in front of everyone, it creates a domino effect that makes her need to escape from her mother’s controlling grasp and influence. Ellie flies across the country to finally be independent on her own and open her own diabetes friendly bakery. But when there’s a tree through the roof of her leased storefront, she has to re-navigate her plan, and now is forced to accept the help of the boy (now man) that broke her heart 10 years ago. Alec worked hard to work his way up to a place where he can provide for his sisters and mother and grow a strong reputation for his company. With both of them needing help, they enter a fake relationship and end up blurring the lines between fake and real. Will they be able to build something together even with the disapproval of Ellie’s family?

Ellie and Alec have great chemistry from the beginning. Their relationship grows in a believable way, as they spend more time together, as Alec does more nice things for Ellie, and she becomes confused, does he care for her the way she cares for him? Ellie’s mother is a classic soap opera villain, consistently using her money and influence to try to manipulate and control Ellie. With jaw dropping bombs dropped throughout the book, you’re left in awe of how Ellie even survived childhood with her, and you almost wonder why her brother Eric still allows himself to be so close to her. Even though her brother doesn’t seem to have any issues himself with their mother, he manages to be fully supportive of Ellie and understands that her relationship with their mother is different. I really enjoyed reading this book. Ellie’s character is very strong, organized, and smart. But she is normal too and questions herself sometimes. Alec is also one that questions himself and his decisions. Ellie also talks a lot about her family’s Chinese-Indonesian heritage, giving a bit of understanding regarding the culture and languages.

This was a lovely story of second-chance romance mixed with brother's best friend. On one hand have Ellie who comes from a overly controlling Asian family that is solely concerned with status and their mega-business, who has had a crush on her brother's best friend Alec who on his part is mixed and was raised by his struggling single mom.

There's of course a big something that happened years ago that made them somewhat enemies and there's present time where they agree to a fake dating situationship that of course doesn't go as planned.

I really appreciated the diversity, the type 1 diabetes representation, and the whole starting a new business dynamic... those elements made the story a little more interesting. Otherwise we have a pretty predictable and cliché setup and resolution. It is still very enjoyable and a nice fast read.

I gave it 3.5 stars.

Salty, Spiced And a Little Bit Nice by Cynthia Timoti is an adorable romcom where the title tells it all with humor, heart, struggles, growth, swoons & just a dash of spice for the absolute sweetest treat. This is billed as Crazy Rich Asians meets Always Be My Maybe & I can totally see that. I loved both of those & I really enjoyed this.

Salty, Spiced And a Little Bit Nice is great for those looking to read…
🩷 Fake Dating
🩷 Brother’s Best Friend x Best Friend’s Little Sister
🩷 Chronic Illness Representation (Type 1 Diabetes)

I am always ecstatic to see chronic illness/disability rep. I was swooning over the fact he was researching her illness even when they were fake dating. He was such a fantastic hero & I love watching their relationship blossom as well as their personal growth.

I was fortunate enough to listen to the audiobook of this & it was so good! The narrator did a great job. I listened at 2x & it was the perfect speed for my ADHD brain.

If you are looking for a treat, I highly recommend Salty, Spiced And a Little Bit Nice.

Massive thanks to NetGalley, Bramble & Spotify Audiobooks for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

This was a cute book..
It was a fun read and a good debut for the author.

💛Forbidden Romance
💙Second Chance Romance
💚One Bed

Friendly warning:
The mother is truly awful in this book. If you have family trauma, this could trigger you.

This book had all of my favorite tropes! Best friends brother, forced proximity, second chance, grumpy/sunshine- so it should have been a home run! And to be completely honest, I'm not sure which part of it was a miss for me.

I had a hard time attaching to the characters in the story. Though I know there was supposed to be hostility, the FMC seemed to have a wrath that caused her to treat the MMC in a cruel way. I didnt believe their chemistry when it began because I did not believe their banter.

Overall, a lot of people really loved this book, so it could just be me!

A fake relationship that slowly turns real is always a solid foundation for a romance—and this book delivers that beloved trope with an extra layer of longing. Add in a childhood crush who vanished without a word, and you’ve got a story filled with tension, second chances, and undeniable chemistry.
Ellie is determined to build a life on her own terms, far from her controlling parents, by opening a sugar-free bakery. But when an unexpected accident puts her dream on pause, she’s forced to seek help from someone she hasn’t seen in a decade—Alec, her brother’s best friend and the boy who once broke her heart.
Alec offers assistance… with one condition: Ellie must pretend to be his girlfriend to help him close a business deal. What starts as a strategic arrangement soon becomes emotionally charged, as Alec proves himself attentive, passionate, and deeply considerate—especially when it comes to Ellie’s type 1 diabetes. The representation of her health condition is both respectful and well-integrated into the story, adding authenticity without overshadowing the romance.
The chemistry between Ellie and Alec crackles, and the spicy scenes are tastefully steamy without overpowering the emotional depth. Overall, this was a heartfelt, fun, and satisfying read. Highly recommend for fans of second chances, slow-burn heat, and sweet-but-sexy romances.
Thank you Tor Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

Do you like reading romcoms that have the following tropes: childhood friends, brother’s best friend, fake dating, overbearing parents, and a great rep for Type 1 Diabetes rep. The plot was well developed, the pace of the book is right on par for being a romance, the characters really make the book shine. They’re well developed and they’re easy to connect with, the chemistry/tension between these characters is chef’s kiss.

This book is about Ellie who has had her parents running her life, well her WHOLE life even as an adult. She can’t take that life anymore and gets a fire in her pants to change her life and prove that she can do it all on her own. She drives across the country to get away from her parents and to start her own sugar free bakery, because even though she has type 1 diabetes she still loves good tasting treats. Plus, she knows how to make them taste as though they’re not sugar-free and she wants to spread the love. However, life isn’t exactly what she thought it would be once she gets to her new shop and sees exactly what she got herself into. You will meet Alec, who is her brother’s best friend who just happens to be Ellie’s childhood crush too. After Ellie talked to her brother one night she finds herself running into Alec, all because he was asked to help look after her, but he has his own help he needs. After coming to an agreement that Alec will help her, she will help him by being his fake girlfriend to help get his family off his back. It’s a win win right?? What could go wrong? The banter between these characters was right on point, I loved that we got tension/chemistry between the bantering and the everything life activities. You will watch the fake couple start to realize that their fake feelings might be turning into real ones. I loved getting to see these characters learning more about themselves, watching their journeys, the vulnerability they show each other, the banter and the chemistry, and show much more than just made this book a must read.

I want to thank NetGalley and Tor for the opportunity to review this book

I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. Why? Well, in today’s world, escaping in a great story is reason enough. That the story spotlights Asian representation while being written by an Asian author AND she also uses one of her characters to bring attention to Type 1 diabetes, something her family is intimately familiar with, is that enough? No? Right! You came here for a review, didn’t you?

Now, have you read the synopsis of the book? Great! I don’t do summaries, I’ll tell you how a book has made me feel.

Now, I was groaning out loud and yelling, not at the FMC, Ellie, well her at times too, but mostly at her Mom! The conniving, the guilt, the restrictions she placed on her daughter were one thing, but not supporting her? It still makes my blood boil.

Her brother, Eric and his girlfriend (who also happens to be Ellie’s best friend) are super supportive of her.

When she finally has had enough, she goes for her dream and (this is where there would be spoiler’s).

Let’s just say, if I didn’t have an ebook copy, I probably would have thrown the book across the room, a few times, for frustrations with more than one character. Mostly, the MMC, Alec, but not for the reasons I originally thought at the time.

If you want a book that will give you all the feels, including butterflies at some of the sweetest words to cross a page and some, well, steamy moments I 100% recommend this book.

I would be totally invested in a follow up novel. A girl can dream, right? I would like to thank the author, Cynthia Timoti, Tor Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this amazing book. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own. As always, happy reading!

I HATED THE SECRET THIS MAN HELD FOR YEARS. LIKE FOR REAL. To the point and I find it hard to support this ending. I was like 'What the fuck!!!!!' and I get it. I do. He wanted to help and protect his family, but dude!!!! Ugh, her mom deserved the no-contact.