I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Fake It Till You Bake It: A Novel by Jamie Wesley Series: Sugar Blitz #1
Also in this series: A Legend in the Baking: A Novel
Published by Macmillan, St. Martin's Griffin on June 21, 2022
Genres: Fiction / Romance / African American & Black
Pages: 336
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley
Buy on Amazon, Buy on Indigo
Goodreads
A reality TV star and a cupcake-baking football player pretend to be a couple in order to save his bakery in this sweet and sexy romance.
Jada Townsend-Matthews is the most reviled woman in America after turning down a proposal on a reality dating show. When she comes home to lick her wounds, Jada finds herself working at San Diego's newest cupcake bakery, Sugar Blitz, alongside the uptight owner and professional football player Donovan Dell.
When a reporter mistakenly believes Jada and Donovan are an item, they realize they can use the misunderstanding to their advantage to help the bakery and rehabilitate Jada's image. Faking a relationship should be simple, but sometimes love is the most unexpected ingredient.
Fake it Till You Bake It is a sweet confection of a novel, the perfect story to curl up with and enjoy with a cupcake on the side.
Review
I never thought I’d root for a reality TV star and a football player-turned-baker, but here we are. Jamie Wesley’s romance novel Fake It Till You Bake It hits that sweet spot between guilty pleasure and genuine heart, and I couldn’t put it down.
The setup is delicious: She’s famous for saying “no” to a proposal on national TV. He’s an ex-NFL player who traded touchdowns for buttercream frosting. When his bakery needs saving, they cook up a fake relationship that starts to feel surprisingly real.
What makes this book work isn’t just the chemistry (though there’s plenty of that). It’s how Wesley tackles the messy stuff – finding yourself in your twenties, dealing with family expectations, and figuring out what you actually want versus what everyone else wants for you. The struggles feel real, even if the setting sounds like a Hallmark movie pitch.
Speaking of setting – Wesley brings San Diego to life, especially the cozy little cupcake shop at the heart of it all. You can practically smell the vanilla in the air and hear the bell chime as customers walk in. Though I will say, as someone who wanted more football references, the NFL backstory feels a bit underbaked.
But that’s a minor gripe. Fake It Till You Bake It is like the perfect cupcake – familiar enough to be comforting, but with just enough surprise to keep you coming back for more. If you’re into fake dating tropes, food-centered romance, or just watching two stubborn people realize they’re perfect for each other, this one’s worth your time.
4/5 stars – would definitely recommend with a cupcake on the side.
