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A Sweet Mess #3
Booked on a Feeling
Jayci Lee's romcom Booked on a Feeling features an overachieving lawyer. A failing bookstore. A childhood friend. And the chance of a lifetime�
Lizzy "Overachiever" Chung, Esq. has her life mapped out
* Become a lawyer. Check.
* Join a prestigious law firm. Check.
* Make partner. In progress.
If all goes to plan, she will check off that last box in a couple years, make her parents proud, and live a successful, fulfilled life in L.A. What was not in her plans was passing out from a panic attack during a pivotal moment in her career. A few deep breaths and a four hour drive later, Lizzy is in Weldon for three weeks to shed the burnout and figure out what went wrong. And what better place to recharge than the small California town where she spent her childhood summers with her best friend, Jack Park.
Jack Park didn't expect to see Lizzy back in Weldon, but now he's got three weeks to spend with the girl of his dreams. Except she doesn't know of his decades-long crush on her--and he intends to keep it that way. She's a high-powered attorney who lives in L.A. and he's a bookkeeper at his family's brewery who never left his hometown. He can't risk their friendship on a long shot. Can he? When Lizzy decides that the local bookstore needs a little revamp, of course, Jack is going to help her bring it back to life. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to ignore there might be more than just friendship among the dusty shelves and books...
Sometimes the path to the rest of your life has been in front of you all along.
Lizzy "Overachiever" Chung, Esq. has her life mapped out
* Become a lawyer. Check.
* Join a prestigious law firm. Check.
* Make partner. In progress.
If all goes to plan, she will check off that last box in a couple years, make her parents proud, and live a successful, fulfilled life in L.A. What was not in her plans was passing out from a panic attack during a pivotal moment in her career. A few deep breaths and a four hour drive later, Lizzy is in Weldon for three weeks to shed the burnout and figure out what went wrong. And what better place to recharge than the small California town where she spent her childhood summers with her best friend, Jack Park.
Jack Park didn't expect to see Lizzy back in Weldon, but now he's got three weeks to spend with the girl of his dreams. Except she doesn't know of his decades-long crush on her--and he intends to keep it that way. She's a high-powered attorney who lives in L.A. and he's a bookkeeper at his family's brewery who never left his hometown. He can't risk their friendship on a long shot. Can he? When Lizzy decides that the local bookstore needs a little revamp, of course, Jack is going to help her bring it back to life. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to ignore there might be more than just friendship among the dusty shelves and books...
Sometimes the path to the rest of your life has been in front of you all along.
312 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2022
492 people are currently reading
37.8k people want to read
About the author
Jayci Lee
53books1,137followersJayci Lee writes poignant, sexy, and laugh-out-loud romance featuring Korean American main characters. Her books have been in O, The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly, Hollywood Reporter, E! News, and Women’s World. Jayci is retired from her fifteen-year career as a litigator because of all the badass heroines and drool worthy heroes demanding to have their stories told. Food, wine and travel are her jam. She makes her home in sunny California with her tall-dark-and-handsome husband, two amazing boys, and a fluffy rescue.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,259 reviews
January 9, 2023
Such a heartfelt, sweet romance with lovely characters warming your heart! It’s a great example of feel good reading!
I think Lizzy and Jack may be the sweetest characters the author gave life. Especially Jack: caring, supportive, gentle, lovable book boyfriend you want to give millions of hugs!
The author’s genuine approach to anxiety issues, family problems, self growth, discovering yourself was quite satisfying.
Let’s take a quick look to the plot: Lizzy Chung, aspiring lawyer who’s destined to be partner of the law firm she’s been working for, decides to take a break after sudden meltdown at the court ( even though after the recession, she returned back to court and kicked asses).
She rents a studio apartment in Weldon: a small town in California, nestled in the outer edges of Sierra Nevada where her best/ childhood friend Jack lives, working his family’s brewery as bookkeeper.
Jack is in love with her since they’re ten but he keeps his feelings to himself and seeing Lizzy in his town for holiday break rekindles the feelings he’s restrained! When they team up for saving the Sparrow Bookstore: a struggling local store that is needed to be brought back, they start spending more time and their mutual attraction slowly makes things more complicated.
Jack is not happy to work in family brewery business because he’s not into brewery just like his twin brother Alex and his sister Tara did. He applies a job at LA even though it’s is entry level for chasing his dreams as Lizzy is not sure what she wants to do with her life.
They have to find themselves at first to give their happiness a chance! Will they succeed to do that?
Well, these guys were so lovely! If I didn’t like them so much, I could scream at their faces for being stubborn to admit how they feel for each other. Those angsty parts and their insecurities, second thoughts about themselves truly irritated me!
Overall: it was still soft, sweet, easy to read, beautiful romance with very likable characters earned my bookish, second chances four stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
I think Lizzy and Jack may be the sweetest characters the author gave life. Especially Jack: caring, supportive, gentle, lovable book boyfriend you want to give millions of hugs!
The author’s genuine approach to anxiety issues, family problems, self growth, discovering yourself was quite satisfying.
Let’s take a quick look to the plot: Lizzy Chung, aspiring lawyer who’s destined to be partner of the law firm she’s been working for, decides to take a break after sudden meltdown at the court ( even though after the recession, she returned back to court and kicked asses).
She rents a studio apartment in Weldon: a small town in California, nestled in the outer edges of Sierra Nevada where her best/ childhood friend Jack lives, working his family’s brewery as bookkeeper.
Jack is in love with her since they’re ten but he keeps his feelings to himself and seeing Lizzy in his town for holiday break rekindles the feelings he’s restrained! When they team up for saving the Sparrow Bookstore: a struggling local store that is needed to be brought back, they start spending more time and their mutual attraction slowly makes things more complicated.
Jack is not happy to work in family brewery business because he’s not into brewery just like his twin brother Alex and his sister Tara did. He applies a job at LA even though it’s is entry level for chasing his dreams as Lizzy is not sure what she wants to do with her life.
They have to find themselves at first to give their happiness a chance! Will they succeed to do that?
Well, these guys were so lovely! If I didn’t like them so much, I could scream at their faces for being stubborn to admit how they feel for each other. Those angsty parts and their insecurities, second thoughts about themselves truly irritated me!
Overall: it was still soft, sweet, easy to read, beautiful romance with very likable characters earned my bookish, second chances four stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
July 15, 2022
2.5*
Not my cup of ☕️
Lizzy is an attorney who just won a huge case! She should be celebrating!
But does she find any joy in this victory? Short answer…No.
Wasn’t the firm proud of her, offering her additional work? Short answer�.yes!
So why, and more importantly how does she just up and leave. She devoted herself fully as an associate, fighting for the partnership in a highly competitive law firm. Despite all the sacrifices she turns around and takes a 3 week vacation. Hmmm�..🤷🏻♀�
Lizzy decided to spend time with her long-time friend Jack in his hometown of Weldon. But he has more than friendship on his mind. Can the two get on the same page and possibly find romance?
This just read too much like a YA book. But as the heat intensified between the two characters, it just felt off.🙈 I could not get behind this romance.
I listened to the audio version and I had some difficulty with the narration. As the narrator paused a second or two between every single sentence! And I mean every! These dramatic pauses just drove me nuts! I tried increasing the speed but that didn’t help. The gaps were still there but now with a rushed narration.
Sadly the negatives outweighed the positives (perhaps the cover art) and it ended up not being a good fit for me.
Hoping you will have better luck if you give this one a try.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media
Not my cup of ☕️
Lizzy is an attorney who just won a huge case! She should be celebrating!
But does she find any joy in this victory? Short answer…No.
Wasn’t the firm proud of her, offering her additional work? Short answer�.yes!
So why, and more importantly how does she just up and leave. She devoted herself fully as an associate, fighting for the partnership in a highly competitive law firm. Despite all the sacrifices she turns around and takes a 3 week vacation. Hmmm�..🤷🏻♀�
Lizzy decided to spend time with her long-time friend Jack in his hometown of Weldon. But he has more than friendship on his mind. Can the two get on the same page and possibly find romance?
This just read too much like a YA book. But as the heat intensified between the two characters, it just felt off.🙈 I could not get behind this romance.
I listened to the audio version and I had some difficulty with the narration. As the narrator paused a second or two between every single sentence! And I mean every! These dramatic pauses just drove me nuts! I tried increasing the speed but that didn’t help. The gaps were still there but now with a rushed narration.
Sadly the negatives outweighed the positives (perhaps the cover art) and it ended up not being a good fit for me.
Hoping you will have better luck if you give this one a try.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media
October 7, 2022
If you keep up with my reading (which isn’t too hard to do since it has been pretty slow this year but I am on a mission to change that) you know I loved The Dating Dare and A Sweet Mess. In matter of fact, I pronounced myself a fan of the series, so when Booked on a Feeling was about to come out I was as happy as one romance lover can be.
I was looking forward to get back to a small town Weldon as I missed that cozy feeling this series provides.
In the third installment, when it comes to that cozy feeling, the author didn’t disappoint.
However, the sense of humour lacked and after I finished the book I realized I didn’t laugh out loud. Not even once, and that realization turned into disappointment.
The writing style was good and I flew through the pages.
Still, even if the chemistry between the two MCs was good and their reasoning for not acting on their feelings made sense at time, after a while all the miscommunication (or the lack of it) and “will they or won’t they� agenda started to get on my nerves, and I just wanted them to find the way to each other and be over with.
The obvious story development without any surprises or the fact that the main “bad guy� was countries away didn’t help either.
Overall, I did like the book but it isn’t even comparable to it’s ancestors.
Yet, I am happy I read Booked on a Feeling and will gladely continue with the series if the author decides to write more books (which I hope she will).
I was looking forward to get back to a small town Weldon as I missed that cozy feeling this series provides.
In the third installment, when it comes to that cozy feeling, the author didn’t disappoint.
However, the sense of humour lacked and after I finished the book I realized I didn’t laugh out loud. Not even once, and that realization turned into disappointment.
The writing style was good and I flew through the pages.
Still, even if the chemistry between the two MCs was good and their reasoning for not acting on their feelings made sense at time, after a while all the miscommunication (or the lack of it) and “will they or won’t they� agenda started to get on my nerves, and I just wanted them to find the way to each other and be over with.
The obvious story development without any surprises or the fact that the main “bad guy� was countries away didn’t help either.
Overall, I did like the book but it isn’t even comparable to it’s ancestors.
Yet, I am happy I read Booked on a Feeling and will gladely continue with the series if the author decides to write more books (which I hope she will).
July 22, 2022
Lizzy Chung had her entire life planned out. She was going to make her parents proud, be successful, and live happily ever after. At least that was the plan. But plans go awry, and after a panic attack in court, she jumps in her car and heads to Weldon where she spent her childhood summers with her best friend, Jack Park.
Jack Park has had a crush on Lizzy for so long and is happy that he gets to spend three weeks with her. When Lizzy needs his help saving the local bookstore, he agrees and the sparks fly!
This was an enjoyable read with a sweet romance. It's all about the journey with romance books and this one was a sweet one. When you have feelings for a friend do you take the chance and risk the friendship? The struggle is real!
This is a very nice book for summer!
#BookedonaFeeling #NetGalley
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at
Jack Park has had a crush on Lizzy for so long and is happy that he gets to spend three weeks with her. When Lizzy needs his help saving the local bookstore, he agrees and the sparks fly!
This was an enjoyable read with a sweet romance. It's all about the journey with romance books and this one was a sweet one. When you have feelings for a friend do you take the chance and risk the friendship? The struggle is real!
This is a very nice book for summer!
#BookedonaFeeling #NetGalley
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at
April 10, 2022
ARC provided by St. Martin's Press. This will be published July 26th, 2022.
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.
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.
April 7, 2022
Okay, so Lizzy and Jack are my absolute faves! Lizzy is trying to please her mom with her career yet realizes it might not be what she truly wants in life. Jack feels the same way about his job at his family's business. They're besties since preteen years and literally so complimentary to one another. I feel inlove with both of them! I am ALWAYS up for bookish themed books, this has alot of great small bookstores included in it. Lizzy even has a TBR list as long as mine yet wanting to buy more books. (I think we can all relate to her!) I loved the character development that happens and how the story just flowed so seamlessly throughout. Great light read! Tons of laughs in between the cuteness!
This ARC was given to me to review from the publishers and NetGalley. All comments above are solely my true opinion after reading this book.
This ARC was given to me to review from the publishers and NetGalley. All comments above are solely my true opinion after reading this book.
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July 29, 2022Contemporary romance with Korean-American MCs. Lizzy, a lawyer who hates conflict, and Jack, a rather aimless numbers guy working for his family brewery, are best friends forever, and this is a slow-burn friends to lovers romance. Jack is perhaps overly conscious of not wanting to ruin the friendship to the point of ignoring clear verbal requests along the lines of 'please have sex with me', and his insecurity didn't quite feel grounded enough to justify his hesitation with her. (He's gorgeous, got abs, great at numbers, evidently sufficiently qualified to score a great job when he applies, and good with his hands. Really not seeing the problem here. I'll take three, please.)
I liked Lizzy's struggle to recognise what's wrong for her in her hyperachiever LA Law life, and how it takes her a while to get there (can't help feeling she romanticises running a bookshop, but this is a romance so live with it). Loved some of the meta references. The hero tuts dismissively at an old skool romance cover, not because he's a snob, but because he doubts the guy has sufficient core strength to hold a drooping woman at that angle. I howled.
I would have liked a resolution of the plotline about Lizzy's demanding mother, which disappears. We don't find out her reaction to Lizzy's life change, if Lizzy even tells her or goes no contact or what, and it was such a real-feeling issue, I wanted to see her make a decision. And the third act breakup was a problem for me. If you have a big row at 80% and don't talk to one another for two months, I will struggle to believe fully in the HEA because what happens the next time you have a big row?
Lively writing and a vivid small-town setting. If anyone can tell me what the title's referring to I'd be grateful because it's clearly a pun/rhyme but I don't know of what and it's annoying me. :P
I liked Lizzy's struggle to recognise what's wrong for her in her hyperachiever LA Law life, and how it takes her a while to get there (can't help feeling she romanticises running a bookshop, but this is a romance so live with it). Loved some of the meta references. The hero tuts dismissively at an old skool romance cover, not because he's a snob, but because he doubts the guy has sufficient core strength to hold a drooping woman at that angle. I howled.
I would have liked a resolution of the plotline about Lizzy's demanding mother, which disappears. We don't find out her reaction to Lizzy's life change, if Lizzy even tells her or goes no contact or what, and it was such a real-feeling issue, I wanted to see her make a decision. And the third act breakup was a problem for me. If you have a big row at 80% and don't talk to one another for two months, I will struggle to believe fully in the HEA because what happens the next time you have a big row?
Lively writing and a vivid small-town setting. If anyone can tell me what the title's referring to I'd be grateful because it's clearly a pun/rhyme but I don't know of what and it's annoying me. :P
November 8, 2022
This was simply adorable. Friends to lovers, small town, he's been in love with her since forever!
June 23, 2022
Best friends to lovers trope >>> I loved this book. It was a pretty fast read. I loved Lizzy and Jack so much. There wasn’t too much spice but UGH I could feel the chemistry between these 2 characters.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
April 28, 2022
Sweet, heartwarming, and absolutely adorable.
I don't tend to give romance books many 5 star ratings, because as we all know, they tend to follow the same formulas so it can be difficult for them to stand out from the rest, but there is something about this book that I just absolutely loved. The author played into some of the romance stereotypical tropes in such an endearing, self-aware way that I found it so hard not to enjoy.
Jack and Lizzy are such charming characters in a friend to lovers romance that just melted my cold little heart. When I read any book during the week after work, I am always looking for something to decompress with and eliminate the stress of the day, and this was exactly what I needed this week, and is ironic, as that is exactly what Lizzy is looking for with her "vacation".
Booked on a Feeling had lovely characters, a compelling friends to lovers romance, trying to meet parental or life expectations, self discovery, and even a character working with trying to understand her struggle with anxiety and what causes it. I really just enjoyed this so much and I highly recommend taking a look!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH to NetGalley and the always reliable St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Booked on a Feeling has an expected publish date of July 26th, and I definitely plan on picking up a physical copy!
I don't tend to give romance books many 5 star ratings, because as we all know, they tend to follow the same formulas so it can be difficult for them to stand out from the rest, but there is something about this book that I just absolutely loved. The author played into some of the romance stereotypical tropes in such an endearing, self-aware way that I found it so hard not to enjoy.
Jack and Lizzy are such charming characters in a friend to lovers romance that just melted my cold little heart. When I read any book during the week after work, I am always looking for something to decompress with and eliminate the stress of the day, and this was exactly what I needed this week, and is ironic, as that is exactly what Lizzy is looking for with her "vacation".
Booked on a Feeling had lovely characters, a compelling friends to lovers romance, trying to meet parental or life expectations, self discovery, and even a character working with trying to understand her struggle with anxiety and what causes it. I really just enjoyed this so much and I highly recommend taking a look!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH to NetGalley and the always reliable St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Booked on a Feeling has an expected publish date of July 26th, and I definitely plan on picking up a physical copy!
June 30, 2022
This is a cute romcom. It centers around Lizzy, an attorney, and Jack, a brewery worker. Lizzy and Jack are best friends since childhood. Lizzy has been living in Los Angeles and working through her life checklist. She's currently working on becoming a partner at the law firm where she is employed. After she won her first case she begins to reevaluate her profession and what makes her happy. She takes some time off and goes to the small town of Weldon, where her best friend Jack lives. While there they reconnect and their friendship has the potential of becoming something more.
I found this book fun and the story cute. However, I was thrown a little by the unbelievability of a serious attorney - as Lizzy was supposed to be - behaving the way she does. Also, sometimes I was a little bored with the teenage-like romance of these two adult characters. There wasn't a lot of depth to the characters either.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on July 26, 2022.
I found this book fun and the story cute. However, I was thrown a little by the unbelievability of a serious attorney - as Lizzy was supposed to be - behaving the way she does. Also, sometimes I was a little bored with the teenage-like romance of these two adult characters. There wasn't a lot of depth to the characters either.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on July 26, 2022.
Read
July 28, 2022 If you've read A Hot Mess and The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee , you'll be delighted to come back to the fictional town of Weldon with the most creative desserts ever, and weird, but hilarious beer names-No Joke!
Let me count the reasons why you should read the book:
-Food descriptions!!! Lovers of Korean cuisine, don't miss this ode to taste, flavour, texture, and comfort Korean dishes bring to weary souls all over the world.
-Quite a large part of the book is set in a bookstore! Jayci Lee even includes a little tirade against people who don't understand the importance of reading romance- human connection and guaranteed HEA, anyone?
- Friends-to-lovers trope. It is one of my favourite tropes, although it isn't easy to create the right kind of tension. Our protagonists Jack and Lizzy have known each other since they were ten, and at least one of them has had a massive crush on their BFF.
-Likeable characters at a crossroads in their lives... Lizzy is an attorney and a litigator as well, so everyone expects her to be super-ambitious and thrive on fight and conflict, while she is struggling with anxiety and needs to think hard whether she is pursuing the right kind of career for her. Lizzy takes charge and acts, once she has a clear picture of a problem, be it a professional burnout or a love interest that is just too slow to take things to the next level. She didn't particularly strike me as a high energy person, but her excitement about ticking off 'done' items off 'to do ' lists was positively contageous.
Jack refuses to be a victim of his own insecurities- he might be the business mastermind behind the family brewery business, but it isn't his passion that drives it, and it isn't his dream, so, fair enough, Jack is ready to step out of his comfort zone and venture into a brave new world. What he doesn't want is to lose his BFF- Lizzy...and we all know that going from friends-to-lovers is a journey that can be undertaken only with the right person and at the right time. My only niggle is his propensity to use verbs 'have' and 'possess' in the context of love-making.
- Romance. There a few scorchingly hot moments, but it's all about build-up, tension, and passion.
-Steady-paced and low-angst- did you really want lots of drama and tears in this heatwave???
Sweet and entertaining, Booked on a Feeling is perfect for readers who love food descriptions, traditional tropes, small town setting, and HEA. Can't wait to read Jack's twin brother's story!
Thank you to NetGalley and St.Maritn's Griffin for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
Let me count the reasons why you should read the book:
-Food descriptions!!! Lovers of Korean cuisine, don't miss this ode to taste, flavour, texture, and comfort Korean dishes bring to weary souls all over the world.
-Quite a large part of the book is set in a bookstore! Jayci Lee even includes a little tirade against people who don't understand the importance of reading romance- human connection and guaranteed HEA, anyone?
- Friends-to-lovers trope. It is one of my favourite tropes, although it isn't easy to create the right kind of tension. Our protagonists Jack and Lizzy have known each other since they were ten, and at least one of them has had a massive crush on their BFF.
-Likeable characters at a crossroads in their lives... Lizzy is an attorney and a litigator as well, so everyone expects her to be super-ambitious and thrive on fight and conflict, while she is struggling with anxiety and needs to think hard whether she is pursuing the right kind of career for her. Lizzy takes charge and acts, once she has a clear picture of a problem, be it a professional burnout or a love interest that is just too slow to take things to the next level. She didn't particularly strike me as a high energy person, but her excitement about ticking off 'done' items off 'to do ' lists was positively contageous.
Jack refuses to be a victim of his own insecurities- he might be the business mastermind behind the family brewery business, but it isn't his passion that drives it, and it isn't his dream, so, fair enough, Jack is ready to step out of his comfort zone and venture into a brave new world. What he doesn't want is to lose his BFF- Lizzy...and we all know that going from friends-to-lovers is a journey that can be undertaken only with the right person and at the right time. My only niggle is his propensity to use verbs 'have' and 'possess' in the context of love-making.
- Romance. There a few scorchingly hot moments, but it's all about build-up, tension, and passion.
-Steady-paced and low-angst- did you really want lots of drama and tears in this heatwave???
Sweet and entertaining, Booked on a Feeling is perfect for readers who love food descriptions, traditional tropes, small town setting, and HEA. Can't wait to read Jack's twin brother's story!
Thank you to NetGalley and St.Maritn's Griffin for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
November 26, 2022
This was cute, but nothing memorable. Because the couple here were childhood friends, you just get dropped into the story with no prior development to their connection and history, so it was quite hard to connect to the characters.
October 6, 2023
What a sweet sweet story. I never expected Miss Lee gives me a sweet, funny small town romance. Good thing I did not have high expectation for Booked on a Feeling. I dove in blind. The Korean cooking and hospitality are captured perfectly in the story. Especially the hangover cure.
Both Lizzie and Jack are perfect couple with Jack hopeless romantic. He has been in love with Lizzie for 20 years. They are childhood friend BTW. I do love how they support each other. Miss Lee also done great job showing and telling the relationship between Jack and Lizzie. Some of them are sweet, tender and some of them are funny and lighthearted.
Overall a very good book.
4 stars
Both Lizzie and Jack are perfect couple with Jack hopeless romantic. He has been in love with Lizzie for 20 years. They are childhood friend BTW. I do love how they support each other. Miss Lee also done great job showing and telling the relationship between Jack and Lizzie. Some of them are sweet, tender and some of them are funny and lighthearted.
Overall a very good book.
4 stars
September 22, 2022
3.75� rounded up.
First of all I am mad that I haven't read book 1 & 2 and hope I didn't miss out on anything.
Featuring ~ dual 3rd person POV, lawyer, panic attack, bookshop, friends to lovers
Lizzie needs a break from lawyering and heads to the small town of Weldon and hangs with her bff, Jack, for 3 weeks. As they spend more and more time together, their attraction for each other grows. Can they be friends with benefits or will one of them want more?
The bookshop setting was lovely and I liked that Lizzy was on a journey to find what truly makes her happy. They have some nice banter and the karaoke scene sounded like a good time too. All in all, a fun quick read/listen.
Side note ~ I really can't stand where there are medaling parents to their adult children ~ Lizzy's mom really bugged me!
I was able to listen to the final version on audio as well, so I went back and forth reading and listening. Cindy Kay did a fine job narrating for 9 hours and 41 minutes, easy to follow at 2-2.5x
*Thanks to St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
First of all I am mad that I haven't read book 1 & 2 and hope I didn't miss out on anything.
Featuring ~ dual 3rd person POV, lawyer, panic attack, bookshop, friends to lovers
Lizzie needs a break from lawyering and heads to the small town of Weldon and hangs with her bff, Jack, for 3 weeks. As they spend more and more time together, their attraction for each other grows. Can they be friends with benefits or will one of them want more?
The bookshop setting was lovely and I liked that Lizzy was on a journey to find what truly makes her happy. They have some nice banter and the karaoke scene sounded like a good time too. All in all, a fun quick read/listen.
Side note ~ I really can't stand where there are medaling parents to their adult children ~ Lizzy's mom really bugged me!
I was able to listen to the final version on audio as well, so I went back and forth reading and listening. Cindy Kay did a fine job narrating for 9 hours and 41 minutes, easy to follow at 2-2.5x
*Thanks to St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
May 13, 2022
Booked on a Feeling is the perfect rom-com for any "friends to-lovers" or "books about books" fans. I absolutely love Jayci Lee's writing style, and although this book's premise didn't draw me in as much as the previous two of hers, I loved the characters. The anxiety representation was great, and the love interest was pining so much, it made for such a cute story. Overall, I'm really glad I picked this up and definitely recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and and St.Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and and St.Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 22, 2022
Booked on a Feeling is such a wonderful contemporary romance! I loved the characters, the messages, and, of course, the swoon-worthy love story. Lizzie and Jack have a decades-long friendship. They know each other better than anyone else, though Jack has a secret. He’s loved Lizzie since they were kids, but he is afraid to tell her and lose their precious friendship.
When Lizzie takes a leave from work, she stays in Jack’s hometown to spend time with him and reevaluate her life. After all, he’s been her best friend since they were kids, and he has always been a great support to her. But when Lizzie realizes that her feelings for Jack have grown into more than friendship, they both have to decide what and who they want in their future.
I loved Lizzie and Jack’s friends-to-lovers romance! They have amazing chemistry, and the yearning, the angst, and the spice are all fantastic. It’s pretty obvious from the start that their feelings are more than friendly, but both are afraid to admit their feelings have changed because they don’t want to ruin what they already have.
In addition to their relationship woes, Lizzie and Jack are both going through personal and professional struggles, including changing careers, living up to family expectations, and more. I found their relationship and struggles really relatable. Lizzie, for example, doesn’t love her job and feels like she’s going through the motions because of the immense pressure her mother puts on her, and she’s at a breaking point. Helping at a local bookstore might just be the push she needs to live her truth.
Jack works in the family business and is content but not happy. However, he struggles to take the step and work elsewhere for fear of upsetting his family. Both characters have hard, life-changing decisions to make, and those are never easy. I find it interesting that Jack and Lizzie both fear upsetting their family but for different reasons. I think there are some great messages here about following your dreams and being true to yourself.
There are also some strong messages about family and acceptance, especially in Jack’s dynamic family. They are so supportive and welcoming, and they are very close. I love this tight-knit group but can see why Jack struggles so much to find his own path. His family stands in stark contrast to Lizzie’s family, who are distant and unsupportive. The food love is also on point, and there are so many scenes that made me hungry! From mouth-watering bakery cupcakes to delicious home-cooked meals, everything sounded delectable, and I would especially love to try some of Jack’s chili.
A heartwarming story about friendship, love, and following one’s dreams, Booked on a Feeling is a charming contemporary romance. Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
When Lizzie takes a leave from work, she stays in Jack’s hometown to spend time with him and reevaluate her life. After all, he’s been her best friend since they were kids, and he has always been a great support to her. But when Lizzie realizes that her feelings for Jack have grown into more than friendship, they both have to decide what and who they want in their future.
I loved Lizzie and Jack’s friends-to-lovers romance! They have amazing chemistry, and the yearning, the angst, and the spice are all fantastic. It’s pretty obvious from the start that their feelings are more than friendly, but both are afraid to admit their feelings have changed because they don’t want to ruin what they already have.
In addition to their relationship woes, Lizzie and Jack are both going through personal and professional struggles, including changing careers, living up to family expectations, and more. I found their relationship and struggles really relatable. Lizzie, for example, doesn’t love her job and feels like she’s going through the motions because of the immense pressure her mother puts on her, and she’s at a breaking point. Helping at a local bookstore might just be the push she needs to live her truth.
Jack works in the family business and is content but not happy. However, he struggles to take the step and work elsewhere for fear of upsetting his family. Both characters have hard, life-changing decisions to make, and those are never easy. I find it interesting that Jack and Lizzie both fear upsetting their family but for different reasons. I think there are some great messages here about following your dreams and being true to yourself.
There are also some strong messages about family and acceptance, especially in Jack’s dynamic family. They are so supportive and welcoming, and they are very close. I love this tight-knit group but can see why Jack struggles so much to find his own path. His family stands in stark contrast to Lizzie’s family, who are distant and unsupportive. The food love is also on point, and there are so many scenes that made me hungry! From mouth-watering bakery cupcakes to delicious home-cooked meals, everything sounded delectable, and I would especially love to try some of Jack’s chili.
A heartwarming story about friendship, love, and following one’s dreams, Booked on a Feeling is a charming contemporary romance. Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
August 4, 2022
A friends to lovers romance set in a bookstore? I thought this would be a guaranteed five star read. While there were certain elements I loved, overall, it was not my favorite.
Let us start first with the positives. I love that this book was set in a bookstore and that the MC shared my same love of books. I also appreciated the anxiety rep as someone who suffers from it herself. Friends to lovers is my favorite of the tropes so I enjoyed that aspect of the story as well and really enjoyed getting to see the progression of their relationship.
As for the negatives, books told in third person never allow me to truly connect with the characters and this was no exception. By the time to conflict was underway, I realized I had zero emotional attachment to either Lizzy or Jack, and if you know me, this is key to whether or not I will enjoy a book. I also felt that it was a bit too much of a slow burn for me and I really struggled at times to get through it.
Overall, I found it to be okay. Others who love the elements of this one, will probably really enjoy it, so if you are on the fence, but this is the kind of story you normally love then I would say to give it a try.
Thank you to NetGalley and SMP Romance for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Let us start first with the positives. I love that this book was set in a bookstore and that the MC shared my same love of books. I also appreciated the anxiety rep as someone who suffers from it herself. Friends to lovers is my favorite of the tropes so I enjoyed that aspect of the story as well and really enjoyed getting to see the progression of their relationship.
As for the negatives, books told in third person never allow me to truly connect with the characters and this was no exception. By the time to conflict was underway, I realized I had zero emotional attachment to either Lizzy or Jack, and if you know me, this is key to whether or not I will enjoy a book. I also felt that it was a bit too much of a slow burn for me and I really struggled at times to get through it.
Overall, I found it to be okay. Others who love the elements of this one, will probably really enjoy it, so if you are on the fence, but this is the kind of story you normally love then I would say to give it a try.
Thank you to NetGalley and SMP Romance for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
April 16, 2022
it's soo cheesy it's cringey. and i cannot believe jack is a 30 year old man because he acts like he's 15
June 4, 2022
Dnf at 40%
I really tried
I really tried
April 13, 2022
I went into this one with pretty lofty expectations because I liked previous two books in this series and cover is pretty. Unfortunately though, it did not end up living up to the hype for me. I really liked the premise but I struggled to care at all for either of main characters. Overall, this was really underwhelming, I think people will enjoy but it but for me it didn't work.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 30, 2022
Thank you NETGALLEY and ST. MARTINS for the arc!
Booked on a Feeling is a romcom about two childhood friends who have gone their separate ways in life but are still very close. Lizzy is in LA pursuing her� “dream� of becoming an attorney. She’s on track to make a partner and after winning her first case, she starts to realize that maybe this profession isn’t quite for her. Blaming it on “burnout,� she moves to the small town of Weldon where her best friend since childhood lives with his family, Jack.
Lizzy rents a small apartment above a bookstore owned by a single mother and she takes it upon herself to help the bookstore out. Jack, of course, gets dragged in because how could he say “no� to the girl that he’s been in love with since he was 10? Jack is a sweet book-boyfriend who valued his friendship too much to make a move. Lizzy (who is also very sweet) is productive and always busy. Before this trip, she never really thought of Jack in a romantic light.
I liked Lizzy’s and Jack’s characters most of the time. They both weren’t awkward throughout the book, their relationship was adorable, and they were the cutest nerds. Besides that, I just had irks with the writing and how the story was executed. These things just really prevented me from enjoying this book more than I did. Yes, it was fun at times, but it didn’t stand out that much.
I did like how realistic their own problems were. Lizzy felt the need to please her mother who wanted her to be an attorney, so she pushed everything away. She forgot about her own dreams and felt overwhelmed with the thought of tackling them since she had worked so hard for her job. Meanwhile, Jack worked at his family’s brewery as the “numbers man,� handyman, and a waiter. He just felt like he wasn’t contributing as much as everyone else since his siblings brewed, his mom cooked, and his dad helped around everywhere. (Jack was contributing a lot.)
Anywho, they were still cute but I've read quite a few romance books that I enjoyed a lot more.
Booked on a Feeling is a romcom about two childhood friends who have gone their separate ways in life but are still very close. Lizzy is in LA pursuing her� “dream� of becoming an attorney. She’s on track to make a partner and after winning her first case, she starts to realize that maybe this profession isn’t quite for her. Blaming it on “burnout,� she moves to the small town of Weldon where her best friend since childhood lives with his family, Jack.
Lizzy rents a small apartment above a bookstore owned by a single mother and she takes it upon herself to help the bookstore out. Jack, of course, gets dragged in because how could he say “no� to the girl that he’s been in love with since he was 10? Jack is a sweet book-boyfriend who valued his friendship too much to make a move. Lizzy (who is also very sweet) is productive and always busy. Before this trip, she never really thought of Jack in a romantic light.
I liked Lizzy’s and Jack’s characters most of the time. They both weren’t awkward throughout the book, their relationship was adorable, and they were the cutest nerds. Besides that, I just had irks with the writing and how the story was executed. These things just really prevented me from enjoying this book more than I did. Yes, it was fun at times, but it didn’t stand out that much.
I did like how realistic their own problems were. Lizzy felt the need to please her mother who wanted her to be an attorney, so she pushed everything away. She forgot about her own dreams and felt overwhelmed with the thought of tackling them since she had worked so hard for her job. Meanwhile, Jack worked at his family’s brewery as the “numbers man,� handyman, and a waiter. He just felt like he wasn’t contributing as much as everyone else since his siblings brewed, his mom cooked, and his dad helped around everywhere. (Jack was contributing a lot.)
Anywho, they were still cute but I've read quite a few romance books that I enjoyed a lot more.
June 12, 2022
I am always there for book themed books and especially for rom-coms so I was beyond excited for this one. Unfortunately the execution felt a little flat for me. I had a very hard time getting into this book and then staying engaged when I did finally start to get into it. Lizzy and Jack are best friends living a few hours apart. Lizzie is a lawyer on track to make partner who has just won her first trial. Jack works for his family’s business but dreams of seeing what else he could do with his skills with numbers and finances. Both of them have hidden attraction towards the other and like most friends to lovers no insight about how the other truly feels. I did like the cultural references and the interactions between Lizzy and Jack’s family. Both Lizzie and Jack had good potential as characters but I felt like Jack especially needed more fleshing out.
May 26, 2022
Awesome friend to lover story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is never a bad day when you can sit and devour a Jayci Lee book. I just love her storytelling and the way she develops her stories.
Families that are a bit interwoven, yet stand-alone stories are bursting with deep feelings and love. Booked on a Feeling is a friend to lovers trope that is so full of the true-to-life anxiety we get over decisions, family issues, and fear. You can literally put yourself in the character’s place at some points throughout.
I love the lifelong connection between these two best friends, and the slow-to-rise feelings are there, just squashed � for now. Lee beautifully joined these two with fire and steam that leaves you begging for more.
Beautiful characters, laughs, tears, and a whole lot of raw feelings. This book was heartfelt from start to finish! If you have not experienced a Jayci Lee story yet, you are seriously missing out.
* copy received for review consideration
* full review -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is never a bad day when you can sit and devour a Jayci Lee book. I just love her storytelling and the way she develops her stories.
Families that are a bit interwoven, yet stand-alone stories are bursting with deep feelings and love. Booked on a Feeling is a friend to lovers trope that is so full of the true-to-life anxiety we get over decisions, family issues, and fear. You can literally put yourself in the character’s place at some points throughout.
I love the lifelong connection between these two best friends, and the slow-to-rise feelings are there, just squashed � for now. Lee beautifully joined these two with fire and steam that leaves you begging for more.
Beautiful characters, laughs, tears, and a whole lot of raw feelings. This book was heartfelt from start to finish! If you have not experienced a Jayci Lee story yet, you are seriously missing out.
* copy received for review consideration
* full review -
April 25, 2022
this was a sweet, lighthearted & fluffy childhood-friends-to-lovers read with great food and a bookish smalltown vibe!
i was instantly drawn to this book because of the title and cover, and while overall it was an enjoyable read, i cant say i loved it as much as i expected to. it started off super slow, and i was confused and personally had no clue what was going on in the first chapters because of all the legal jargon. while this book had a lot of potential to be an amazing read, it fell flat for me. i found myself bored a lot during this book, and while it was cute, it wasnt very exciting. it was predictable, and didnt hold my interest.
the charachters and storyline just felt very one dimensional, and while there was tension, i feel like there was no real build up or growth. i wish we knew more about jack and lizzy’s friendship. we know theyre childhood best friends, and that jack has a long standing crush on lizzy, but i think i would have connected more with these characters if there was more background on said friendship.
while this book wasnt exactly for me, if youre a fan of the friends to lovers trope, and like cute romcoms, i would definitely recommend checking this one out when it’s released.
thank you to netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
release date july 26th, 2022
i was instantly drawn to this book because of the title and cover, and while overall it was an enjoyable read, i cant say i loved it as much as i expected to. it started off super slow, and i was confused and personally had no clue what was going on in the first chapters because of all the legal jargon. while this book had a lot of potential to be an amazing read, it fell flat for me. i found myself bored a lot during this book, and while it was cute, it wasnt very exciting. it was predictable, and didnt hold my interest.
the charachters and storyline just felt very one dimensional, and while there was tension, i feel like there was no real build up or growth. i wish we knew more about jack and lizzy’s friendship. we know theyre childhood best friends, and that jack has a long standing crush on lizzy, but i think i would have connected more with these characters if there was more background on said friendship.
while this book wasnt exactly for me, if youre a fan of the friends to lovers trope, and like cute romcoms, i would definitely recommend checking this one out when it’s released.
thank you to netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
release date july 26th, 2022
May 1, 2022
Tropes: Friends to lovers, second chance, boy falls first.
This book was sweet, easy to read, and it had the perfect amount of angst. The fact that the two main characters, Jack and Lizzy, go from friends to lovers while fixing up a bookstore together was adorable!! While the book centres on Jack and Lizzy’s romance, I really loved how the author tackled anxiety, self-doubt, and the uncertainty one experiences while switching careers.
Overall this book was cute, fluffy, and a delight to read! If you enjoy a good friends to lovers where the boy falls first, then this is the book for you! 3.5 stars.
ARC provided by Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.
This book was sweet, easy to read, and it had the perfect amount of angst. The fact that the two main characters, Jack and Lizzy, go from friends to lovers while fixing up a bookstore together was adorable!! While the book centres on Jack and Lizzy’s romance, I really loved how the author tackled anxiety, self-doubt, and the uncertainty one experiences while switching careers.
Overall this book was cute, fluffy, and a delight to read! If you enjoy a good friends to lovers where the boy falls first, then this is the book for you! 3.5 stars.
ARC provided by Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.
November 17, 2022
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Booked on a Feeling is the third installment within the A Sweet Mess series. Sometimes you need a really cute romcom to jump into. Or maybe that's just how I feel from time to time. Either way, I really enjoyed jumping into this book because it was just way too adorable. It also doesn't hurt that I just really liked getting to know Lizzy and Jack throughout this.
On top of that, I was also impressed with the anxiety representation. Now I don't suffer from this, but I do know a lot of people who do. It's kind of rare (for me) to dive into a book where this is represented so clearly in a main character. Add a slow burn, friends to lovers, romance and I was completely hooked.
In the end, I'm really happy that I got the opportunity to dive into all three books of this series via NetGalley. If another one comes by my, I will be over the moon because Jayci's writing is so easy to get lost in. Definitely can't wait for her next book!
Booked on a Feeling is the third installment within the A Sweet Mess series. Sometimes you need a really cute romcom to jump into. Or maybe that's just how I feel from time to time. Either way, I really enjoyed jumping into this book because it was just way too adorable. It also doesn't hurt that I just really liked getting to know Lizzy and Jack throughout this.
On top of that, I was also impressed with the anxiety representation. Now I don't suffer from this, but I do know a lot of people who do. It's kind of rare (for me) to dive into a book where this is represented so clearly in a main character. Add a slow burn, friends to lovers, romance and I was completely hooked.
In the end, I'm really happy that I got the opportunity to dive into all three books of this series via NetGalley. If another one comes by my, I will be over the moon because Jayci's writing is so easy to get lost in. Definitely can't wait for her next book!
July 25, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review! will be published on July 26th, 2022!
I want to preface this by saying that this is the third book in a series and I haven't read the other two yet. You don't have to read the first two books in order to understand what happens in this one, but there are references to the other characters in the other books and they do make appearances here and there. I've heard people say they liked the first two whereas this one fell a little flat. While I can't speak on the first two books, I can agree that Booked on a Feeling was unfortunately disappointing for me despite my initial excitement when I got the ARC on NetGalley.
The things I loved about this book:
1. The Asian-American representation: As an Asian American myself, I do appreciate AAPI representation in books whenever it comes up. No, I'm not Korean like the characters are, but it was nice to see aspects of their culture represented through the food, customs, and ways the characters address their elders and family members in the story.
2. It's a book about books!: Jack and Lizzy are both readers and they spend the majority of the story renovating a small indie bookstore in Weldon. I love that for them! The fact that Lizzy finds comfort in books and loves reading is something that made me grin while reading the book.
3. The mental health representation: This came in the form of Lizzy and her anxiety and I'm glad that we got this representation with her!
4. The unfortunate but very real expectations both Jack and Lizzy's families had for them despite both of them wanting to do other things that would otherwise disappoint them: I'm going to get on a little soap box for this because this part of the storyline resonated with me a lot as an Asian American and I'm glad Jayci Lee put this in the storyline. Don't get me wrong, this happens in every culture, but speaking from experience as a Vietnamese-American, I feel like this happens a lot with Asian families and I could relate to both Jack and Lizzy's struggles when it came to this topic.
I get that parents set pretty high expectations for their children and somewhere along the way, the children start to realize that what they're doing isn't what they want to do, but rather what their parents or other family members want/expect them to do. This is especially true with Lizzy, whose mother expects her to make partner at her firm in the next couple of years, yet Lizzy realizes that all being a lawyer does is worsen her anxiety.
Parents want what's best for their children, but sometimes it does get to the point where the parents are vicariously living what they wish their lives could've been through their children, and trust me, as someone who's lived through this growing up, it's pretty exhausting and frustrating. Yet at the same time, you don't want to disappoint them because of the sacrifices a lot of Asian parents make by moving out of their home country to a better place so their children can live a better life than they did growing up so you just go along with it to get their praise/approval. In Lizzy's storyline with her mother, her mother compares her to her friends' other "successful" children (as if Lizzy wasn't already successful herself making the money she does as a lawyer) and I can see why Lizzy is constantly frustrated and upset at her job- she's constantly seeking her approval, but no matter what she does, she will never reach her already-high expectations. I cheered when Lizzy stood up to her mom and started living life for herself and what she wants to do.
What I didn't like:
1. The romance and how it developed: Okay, don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good friends-to-lovers story; it's one of my favorite romance tropes with all of the mutual pining and feelings. However, the book breakdown ended up being something like this: the first 30% was actual plot, the next 50% was smut with Lizzy and Jack not being able to keep their hands off each other, and then the last 20% was actual plot again. Obviously, a few smut scenes are expected in any romance book and they don't all have to be super detailed or whatnot and other people may enjoy reading all the smut, but it was getting to the point where I'd get to another page where they're wanting to have sex again and undressing each other with their eyes, and then a few pages later I'm like, "Oh, they're at it again...for like, the fifth or sixth time..." Like, for 2 people who made it very clear that they wanted to take things slow and take things day-by-day in their relationship, they threw that out the window within a week lol.
Also, some of these lines in the book gave me the ick that I had to put the book down and walk away. I know there's WAY worse out there in other books with loads of trigger warnings compared to this one, but for a rom-com, it seemed a bit...much. Like, I did NOT need to know that Lizzy wanted to "purr and rub up against" Jack like a cat and when Jack wanted to masturbate, I could've gone on with my life without reading ANY of that.
2. The somewhat slow start: The first few chapters in the book are about Lizzy's trial and her job as a lawyer and it was all somewhat boring. It felt like forever until the plot started to speed up a little when Lizzy went to Weldon for vacation.
Overall, this unfortunately fell flat for me, but I do appreciate the Asian American representation and the main setting being a bookstore lol. I may consider reading the first two books in this series and hope that they work better for me than this one did!
2.5 stars (rounded up to 3 for the Asian American rep)
--
Trigger warnings: estranged parent/child relationship, anxiety attacks
I want to preface this by saying that this is the third book in a series and I haven't read the other two yet. You don't have to read the first two books in order to understand what happens in this one, but there are references to the other characters in the other books and they do make appearances here and there. I've heard people say they liked the first two whereas this one fell a little flat. While I can't speak on the first two books, I can agree that Booked on a Feeling was unfortunately disappointing for me despite my initial excitement when I got the ARC on NetGalley.
The things I loved about this book:
1. The Asian-American representation: As an Asian American myself, I do appreciate AAPI representation in books whenever it comes up. No, I'm not Korean like the characters are, but it was nice to see aspects of their culture represented through the food, customs, and ways the characters address their elders and family members in the story.
2. It's a book about books!: Jack and Lizzy are both readers and they spend the majority of the story renovating a small indie bookstore in Weldon. I love that for them! The fact that Lizzy finds comfort in books and loves reading is something that made me grin while reading the book.
3. The mental health representation: This came in the form of Lizzy and her anxiety and I'm glad that we got this representation with her!
4. The unfortunate but very real expectations both Jack and Lizzy's families had for them despite both of them wanting to do other things that would otherwise disappoint them: I'm going to get on a little soap box for this because this part of the storyline resonated with me a lot as an Asian American and I'm glad Jayci Lee put this in the storyline. Don't get me wrong, this happens in every culture, but speaking from experience as a Vietnamese-American, I feel like this happens a lot with Asian families and I could relate to both Jack and Lizzy's struggles when it came to this topic.
I get that parents set pretty high expectations for their children and somewhere along the way, the children start to realize that what they're doing isn't what they want to do, but rather what their parents or other family members want/expect them to do. This is especially true with Lizzy, whose mother expects her to make partner at her firm in the next couple of years, yet Lizzy realizes that all being a lawyer does is worsen her anxiety.
Parents want what's best for their children, but sometimes it does get to the point where the parents are vicariously living what they wish their lives could've been through their children, and trust me, as someone who's lived through this growing up, it's pretty exhausting and frustrating. Yet at the same time, you don't want to disappoint them because of the sacrifices a lot of Asian parents make by moving out of their home country to a better place so their children can live a better life than they did growing up so you just go along with it to get their praise/approval. In Lizzy's storyline with her mother, her mother compares her to her friends' other "successful" children (as if Lizzy wasn't already successful herself making the money she does as a lawyer) and I can see why Lizzy is constantly frustrated and upset at her job- she's constantly seeking her approval, but no matter what she does, she will never reach her already-high expectations. I cheered when Lizzy stood up to her mom and started living life for herself and what she wants to do.
What I didn't like:
1. The romance and how it developed: Okay, don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good friends-to-lovers story; it's one of my favorite romance tropes with all of the mutual pining and feelings. However, the book breakdown ended up being something like this: the first 30% was actual plot, the next 50% was smut with Lizzy and Jack not being able to keep their hands off each other, and then the last 20% was actual plot again. Obviously, a few smut scenes are expected in any romance book and they don't all have to be super detailed or whatnot and other people may enjoy reading all the smut, but it was getting to the point where I'd get to another page where they're wanting to have sex again and undressing each other with their eyes, and then a few pages later I'm like, "Oh, they're at it again...for like, the fifth or sixth time..." Like, for 2 people who made it very clear that they wanted to take things slow and take things day-by-day in their relationship, they threw that out the window within a week lol.
Also, some of these lines in the book gave me the ick that I had to put the book down and walk away. I know there's WAY worse out there in other books with loads of trigger warnings compared to this one, but for a rom-com, it seemed a bit...much. Like, I did NOT need to know that Lizzy wanted to "purr and rub up against" Jack like a cat and when Jack wanted to masturbate, I could've gone on with my life without reading ANY of that.
2. The somewhat slow start: The first few chapters in the book are about Lizzy's trial and her job as a lawyer and it was all somewhat boring. It felt like forever until the plot started to speed up a little when Lizzy went to Weldon for vacation.
Overall, this unfortunately fell flat for me, but I do appreciate the Asian American representation and the main setting being a bookstore lol. I may consider reading the first two books in this series and hope that they work better for me than this one did!
2.5 stars (rounded up to 3 for the Asian American rep)
--
Trigger warnings: estranged parent/child relationship, anxiety attacks
October 17, 2022
Childhood friends to coworking volunteers to lovers.
Tags: childhood friends to lovers, bookstore au, male lead falls first, hurt-comfort
CWings: parental expectations, child abandonment
Tags: childhood friends to lovers, bookstore au, male lead falls first, hurt-comfort
CWings: parental expectations, child abandonment
December 11, 2023
Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating mixed with Happy Place
spice: 🌶️🌶️. had some hot scenes but then FADED TO BLACK, like hello why did u give up right when it was getting good??????????
he loved her first. childhood friends to lovers. Jack is 'cute blushing omg i can't handle her actually saying the things ive dreamed about her saying im so flustered does she rlly think im cute shes cuter.' he's so adorable i wanna make my body a permanent hug around his. is that clingy thats clingy.
forgot to say thank u to netgalley for giving me this like soooooooo long ago. life got overwhelming. reviewing got hard. books felt longer. but anyway it's here now! my honest opinions! take it or leave it (pls dont leave it)
spice: 🌶️🌶️. had some hot scenes but then FADED TO BLACK, like hello why did u give up right when it was getting good??????????
he loved her first. childhood friends to lovers. Jack is 'cute blushing omg i can't handle her actually saying the things ive dreamed about her saying im so flustered does she rlly think im cute shes cuter.' he's so adorable i wanna make my body a permanent hug around his. is that clingy thats clingy.
forgot to say thank u to netgalley for giving me this like soooooooo long ago. life got overwhelming. reviewing got hard. books felt longer. but anyway it's here now! my honest opinions! take it or leave it (pls dont leave it)
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