Tag: Jayci Lee

REVIEW: Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee

REVIEW: Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Lizzy Chung is about to kick off the biggest trial of her life so far. But before she can get rolling on her opening argument, she has a panic attack and blacks out. When she comes to, Jack is there. Her best friend, always there when she needs him.

While Lizzy recovers and goes on to win her trial, there’s no joy in it. No sense of accomplishment. So she takes 3 weeks off in Weldon, where Jack lives. She’s staying in a studio apartment over a bookstore in need of some TLC. It will be just the break Lizzy needs.

Meanwhile, Jack is looking for purpose in his own life. He’s secretly applied for a job in LA, where he could be closer to Lizzy. But as Jack is preparing for his big move, Lizzy is wondering if LA is where she even belongs.

Review

I enjoyed this contemporary romance centered around a bookstore. The bookstore bits – and Lizzy’s love of checking things off a to do list – were delightful.  I also enjoyed the identity/self-discovery elements for both Lizzy and Jack. While the eventual conflict was no surprise, I did enjoy the individual character journeys, especially Lizzy’s which felt more developed.

Jack and Lizzy have great chemistry together. And the will-they-or-won’t-they progressed just far enough to be enjoyable and not dragged out.

This has a definite Hallmark movie feel. The pacing, the “predictable” conflict (not a complaint or judgement – just a description), the resolution follow a fairly standard layout. This can make for a satisfying “comfort” read.

Contemporary romance fans and fans of the series will want to pick this one up to see how things continue to develop for this community. You can read my review of book one, A Sweet Mess, here.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee

REVIEW: A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Comfort Zone, Aubrey’s bakery, is her life. It’s popular with the locals and with out-of-towners who stop in on their way somewhere else or place orders. In fact, the shop is doing well enough that Aubrey is planning an expansion and a move to a new location.

Landon was only in town because of a blown tire. He had been travelling to do a restaurant review before leaving the country for a month for work. Now he has no review, and he’s in this tiny town for the night. He essentially does two things during his short stay – hook up with Aubrey after a couple drinks in her friend’s bar and buy a chocolate cake from a local bakery.

Instead of getting Aubrey’s shop special chocolate cake, her teen sales girl sold Landon a specialty cake for a kid’s birthday party. Landon was NOT a fan. He never met the baker, but he needed a replacement review. He felt he had a duty to warn customers, so he blazed the baker and Comfort Zone. And Aubrey’s business dried up.

Landon doesn’t find out about the cake mix up until it is too late to change anything. Out of guilt and a sense of responsibility, he invites Aubrey to be a guest on a cooking show he’s producing.

No one can know about their personal connection. They’re both professionals. They can keep their distance. But Landon will have to be on set for his job. And they are sharing a villa during the taping.  And their connection is electric whenever they get close to one another. How will this ever work?

Review

This was great! I loved the characters in this. Their predicament was intriguing. Their chemistry was fierce. There’s terrific back-and-forth, will-they-or-won’t-they tension for ages. And I loved the resolution.

Fans of Hallmark movies should check this out. While there’s more heat here than you will find in a Hallmark movie, the layout of the story will feel familiar. It follows similar beats. The fall-apart moment near the end is just what you would expect if you’ve watched as many Hallmark movies as I have. But the characters and the resolution help this stand out from the crowd. I loved how this one wrapped up.

The food descriptions in the book will leave your mouth watering. There’s only one recipe in the book, which is a shame for those who like to try new recipes. Everything in this sounded amazing.

Don’t miss this yummy contemporary romance with excellent characters. The setting is great; the family and friends we get to meet are fantastic as well. I loved the strong women in this book! Be sure to check it out. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½