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Here for the Cake
A spicy, sassy, and swoony fake dating romantic comedy from Amazon Charts bestselling author Jennifer Millikin.
A week on an island sounds like the stuff of beach dreams, but for Paisley Royce, it's a nightmare. Her little sister is marrying her ex-college sweetheart, and Paisley is serving as maid of honor. To add insult to injury, nobody will let Paisley forget she’s single.
Bachelorette weekend changes everything when she runs into her old college frenemy, Klein Madigan.
Klein is still intelligent and funny, and somehow time has only made him more attractive.
Paisley is Klein’s ‘one that got away’, not that he’d ever admit it to her. A colossal misstep (and one terrible kiss) in college sealed their fate.
Or so they thought.
Klein’s an aspiring author allergic to social media. Paisley owns a digital marketing agency.
A brilliant plan is hatched: A trip across the country for a week of faking out her family in exchange for her firm marketing his work.
One hastily scrawled and signed contract on a bar napkin later, Paisley and Klein embark on a journey of tension, only one bed, and fake dating shenanigans.
Paisley’s goal is to survive the week.
Klein’s plan is to enjoy the sun, sand, and wedding cake.
But then there’s a scorching kiss to make up for that bad one in college.
And another kiss in a lighthouse during a thunderstorm. A gentle palm on Paisley’s lower back, and a reassuring hand squeeze under the table.
Everyone is convinced Klein and Paisley are the real deal, but as the week wears on, they begin to wonder if the only people they’re kidding are themselves.
A week on an island sounds like the stuff of beach dreams, but for Paisley Royce, it's a nightmare. Her little sister is marrying her ex-college sweetheart, and Paisley is serving as maid of honor. To add insult to injury, nobody will let Paisley forget she’s single.
Bachelorette weekend changes everything when she runs into her old college frenemy, Klein Madigan.
Klein is still intelligent and funny, and somehow time has only made him more attractive.
Paisley is Klein’s ‘one that got away’, not that he’d ever admit it to her. A colossal misstep (and one terrible kiss) in college sealed their fate.
Or so they thought.
Klein’s an aspiring author allergic to social media. Paisley owns a digital marketing agency.
A brilliant plan is hatched: A trip across the country for a week of faking out her family in exchange for her firm marketing his work.
One hastily scrawled and signed contract on a bar napkin later, Paisley and Klein embark on a journey of tension, only one bed, and fake dating shenanigans.
Paisley’s goal is to survive the week.
Klein’s plan is to enjoy the sun, sand, and wedding cake.
But then there’s a scorching kiss to make up for that bad one in college.
And another kiss in a lighthouse during a thunderstorm. A gentle palm on Paisley’s lower back, and a reassuring hand squeeze under the table.
Everyone is convinced Klein and Paisley are the real deal, but as the week wears on, they begin to wonder if the only people they’re kidding are themselves.
472 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 2, 2024
2098 people are currently reading
32977 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Millikin
26 books2,080 followersJennifer Millikin is a two-time recipient of the Readers Favorite award. She writes contemporary fiction with elements of romance, emotion, and hard-learned lessons. Her characters are flawed and authentic, and some parts of her stories are more fact than fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,263 reviews
August 8, 2025
✩ 4 stars ✩
What to Expect:
➼ Fake Dating
➼ Second Chance
➼ One Bed
➼ Found Family
➼ He Falls First
➼ The One that Got Away
➼ Family Drama
➼ Coastal Setting
➼ Duet Audio
➼ Dual First Person POV
This was such a great fake dating book! One of my new favs! 🙌🏻 I’m writing this review in the middle of watching The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 and I can’t help but see the similarities. I know everyone is rooting for Conrad & Belly to end up together, but I’d rather write in a fake date for him to take to the wedding that can end up being his soul mate. 😅
Okay… back to the book I’m actually reviewing. Something I really loved about this was that most of the people in the book knew that they were fake dating including all of her friends and his family. This added an extra layer to the development of their relationship and gave their status as a couple more validity when they finally decided to remove the “fake” from their dating status. When they were with her family, they played pretend, but their interactions with his family and both sets of their friends were completely genuine and authentic.
This is a second chance romance, but they never actually dated the first time around (which I prefer). They both had a crush on the other, but one specific interaction derailed them from becoming more. At first I thought it was pretty silly of her to be so upset about him harshly critiquing a story she had written for a class, but when I had all the details, I understood why she took this so hard (and you will too).
I also really appreciated how the toxic dynamics between her and her family were written. In the end, we see the beginning stages of reconciliation between her and her sister as well as her and her father, but the author didn’t try to gift wrap a perfect ending for us. They’d have a long road ahead of them if they wanted to strengthen their relationship. I was glad the author didn’t make it seem too easy because it would require a lot of time and effort from both sides.
I honestly really liked both MC’s but the MMC takes the cake (pun intended 😜). I’m a sucker for a “he falls first” romance, and I loved that he was still carrying a torch for her. He was very careful to let her lead and made sure she was really considering what she wanted along the way. Since so many people in her life had taken her for granted, I loved how much he loved who she was as a person and that he gave her space to truly be herself and say and do the things she wanted to.
This would be such a fun romance to close out your summer with! I’d definitely recommend listening to the audio since it was a duet narration if you can get your hands on it. 💖
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: Been wanting to read this one for a while! 🤗 Gonna listen to the audio while I work on getting some things done around the house.
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
What to Expect:
➼ Fake Dating
➼ Second Chance
➼ One Bed
➼ Found Family
➼ He Falls First
➼ The One that Got Away
➼ Family Drama
➼ Coastal Setting
➼ Duet Audio
➼ Dual First Person POV
This was such a great fake dating book! One of my new favs! 🙌🏻 I’m writing this review in the middle of watching The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 and I can’t help but see the similarities. I know everyone is rooting for Conrad & Belly to end up together, but I’d rather write in a fake date for him to take to the wedding that can end up being his soul mate. 😅
Okay… back to the book I’m actually reviewing. Something I really loved about this was that most of the people in the book knew that they were fake dating including all of her friends and his family. This added an extra layer to the development of their relationship and gave their status as a couple more validity when they finally decided to remove the “fake” from their dating status. When they were with her family, they played pretend, but their interactions with his family and both sets of their friends were completely genuine and authentic.
This is a second chance romance, but they never actually dated the first time around (which I prefer). They both had a crush on the other, but one specific interaction derailed them from becoming more. At first I thought it was pretty silly of her to be so upset about him harshly critiquing a story she had written for a class, but when I had all the details, I understood why she took this so hard (and you will too).
I also really appreciated how the toxic dynamics between her and her family were written. In the end, we see the beginning stages of reconciliation between her and her sister as well as her and her father, but the author didn’t try to gift wrap a perfect ending for us. They’d have a long road ahead of them if they wanted to strengthen their relationship. I was glad the author didn’t make it seem too easy because it would require a lot of time and effort from both sides.
I honestly really liked both MC’s but the MMC takes the cake (pun intended 😜). I’m a sucker for a “he falls first” romance, and I loved that he was still carrying a torch for her. He was very careful to let her lead and made sure she was really considering what she wanted along the way. Since so many people in her life had taken her for granted, I loved how much he loved who she was as a person and that he gave her space to truly be herself and say and do the things she wanted to.
This would be such a fun romance to close out your summer with! I’d definitely recommend listening to the audio since it was a duet narration if you can get your hands on it. 💖
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: Been wanting to read this one for a while! 🤗 Gonna listen to the audio while I work on getting some things done around the house.
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
October 24, 2024
This was wonderful.
Our FMC is invited to a wedding she can't skip, as it's her little sister's.
Small problem, the sister is marrying her ex.
AWAKWARD.
Don't you worry, our FMC runs into a familiar face who comes to the rescue, as a way to try and atone for his past.
Let's just say Kline is definitely a top-tier book boyfriend :)
The audio was also incredible and a duet so highly recommend trying it out if you are interested.
-----------------------------------------------
I had a good wedding-ish book this week. Can we keep the strike going?
Our FMC is invited to a wedding she can't skip, as it's her little sister's.
Small problem, the sister is marrying her ex.
AWAKWARD.
Don't you worry, our FMC runs into a familiar face who comes to the rescue, as a way to try and atone for his past.
Let's just say Kline is definitely a top-tier book boyfriend :)
The audio was also incredible and a duet so highly recommend trying it out if you are interested.
-----------------------------------------------
I had a good wedding-ish book this week. Can we keep the strike going?
April 30, 2024
What an adorable book! This book legit just made me smile almost the whole time. Klein & Paisley had such an instant connection. Their banter was fantastic. Chemistry was spot on. I loved how much Klein helped Paisley see how awesome she truly is. He was a rock for her even when she didn't know that is what he was being. They both pushed each other to be better. I liked their history together too. Man did they have a rocky start, but they couldn't ignore how they made each other feel.
Paisley is in a bad situation. Her sister is somehow marrying her ex. Her pretty serious ex. But Paisley being Paisley went along with it. She will be there for them. She will be smiling, and she will be happy. On the bachelorette party she runs into Klein. The same Klein who was probably the worst kiss of her life. Oh and did we mention that he then ghosted her. Now Paisley finds herself on the other side of a paper napkin contract in which Klein will be her plus one to her sister's wedding and she and her marketing firm will help Klein breakthrough on social so that he can get a meeting for his book that he wants published. The only problem is that Klein and Paisley don't know anything about each other. So they devise a plan to hang out for a few weeks to get to know the basics. The thins significant others would know. This helps Paisley start to realize she actually likes Klein. He is sweet and charming and witty and makes her feel good about herself. But he couldn't possibly feel the same right? This is a business situation not anything else...or is it?
Klein is dreaming. He has somehow found himself on an island with the woman who he let get away unintentionally. He now has a chance to prove himself to her that they could really be something. He doesn't care if he gets hurt along the way. He just wants to help her. He wants her to see how awesome she is. So he signs up to be her fake BF. He is going to be the best fake BF a girl could want. He just has to keep reminding himself it's fake. That the kisses are for show. But now they are kissing in the shower. In the ocean. On the bike. The lines have become blurry, but Klein knows he is not going to let Paisley go without saying how he really feels.
I had not read anything by this author yet and was pleasantly surprised. Like I said, I smiled the whole time. I loved their texting. Their nicknames. The slow burn into realization that they mean something to each other. I also found myself relating to Paisley's people pleasing ways. I liked how Klein helped her through those. I would definitely recommend this book. I want to thank Jennifer and Valentine PR for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Paisley is in a bad situation. Her sister is somehow marrying her ex. Her pretty serious ex. But Paisley being Paisley went along with it. She will be there for them. She will be smiling, and she will be happy. On the bachelorette party she runs into Klein. The same Klein who was probably the worst kiss of her life. Oh and did we mention that he then ghosted her. Now Paisley finds herself on the other side of a paper napkin contract in which Klein will be her plus one to her sister's wedding and she and her marketing firm will help Klein breakthrough on social so that he can get a meeting for his book that he wants published. The only problem is that Klein and Paisley don't know anything about each other. So they devise a plan to hang out for a few weeks to get to know the basics. The thins significant others would know. This helps Paisley start to realize she actually likes Klein. He is sweet and charming and witty and makes her feel good about herself. But he couldn't possibly feel the same right? This is a business situation not anything else...or is it?
Klein is dreaming. He has somehow found himself on an island with the woman who he let get away unintentionally. He now has a chance to prove himself to her that they could really be something. He doesn't care if he gets hurt along the way. He just wants to help her. He wants her to see how awesome she is. So he signs up to be her fake BF. He is going to be the best fake BF a girl could want. He just has to keep reminding himself it's fake. That the kisses are for show. But now they are kissing in the shower. In the ocean. On the bike. The lines have become blurry, but Klein knows he is not going to let Paisley go without saying how he really feels.
I had not read anything by this author yet and was pleasantly surprised. Like I said, I smiled the whole time. I loved their texting. Their nicknames. The slow burn into realization that they mean something to each other. I also found myself relating to Paisley's people pleasing ways. I liked how Klein helped her through those. I would definitely recommend this book. I want to thank Jennifer and Valentine PR for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
July 9, 2024
this book was simply a delight from start to finish. i was smiling the entire time i read it and it is a PERFECT beach read for summer!!!
klein and paisley shared one drunken kiss in college but a small phone mishap led to them… never speaking again. imagine paisley’s surprise when she’s out for her sister’s bachelorette party (who’s getting married to her ex!!!) and she runs into klein again and now has the opportunity to not show up single to her ex’s wedding. what could go wrong?
me? loving a blonde man? stop the presses. but klein was truly that good!!!!! he was so obsessed with her and never hesitated to stand up for her to her family of assholes (to be candid). paisley is a people-pleaser extraordinaire and i loved that even if he didn’t understand why she let people walk over her, he still supported her no matter what.
this book is funny, sexy, sweet, and just a giggly fun time!!!
klein and paisley shared one drunken kiss in college but a small phone mishap led to them… never speaking again. imagine paisley’s surprise when she’s out for her sister’s bachelorette party (who’s getting married to her ex!!!) and she runs into klein again and now has the opportunity to not show up single to her ex’s wedding. what could go wrong?
me? loving a blonde man? stop the presses. but klein was truly that good!!!!! he was so obsessed with her and never hesitated to stand up for her to her family of assholes (to be candid). paisley is a people-pleaser extraordinaire and i loved that even if he didn’t understand why she let people walk over her, he still supported her no matter what.
this book is funny, sexy, sweet, and just a giggly fun time!!!
May 27, 2024
4 Stars
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise, the MCs, the side characters, and the setting
The Not-So-Good: The amount of closure for this greedy reader
The Bad: Not necessarily bad, but I would've liked more groveling by the sister
Overall: This was cute and better than expected! When I read the blurb, I automatically thought of the movies, Wedding Date and Anyone But You. While this definitely had those vibes, it was also unique in its own way. I would've liked to have the farther glimpse into their future without having to sign up to get an extended epilogue, but that's me being greedy. Overall, I liked it.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Paisley and Klein's story. Paisley has to be maid of honor to her younger sister who is marrying her ex at a weeklong island wedding. She bumps into Klein, who unknowingly kinda broke her heart in college, and they realize that they can help each other out. Klein agrees to be her fake date and she agrees to use her marketing firm's resources to help him find a publisher for his book. They realize that the instant connection they felt one drunken night in college wasn't a fluke and those feelings start coming back. There is family drama, some funny moments, some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Paisley and Klein's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, they knew each other in college.
H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Klein. I liked him. I thought he might've been a little too perfect, but that might have also been because he seemed to fall first (and that's not my favorite)
h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Paisley. I liked her. I appreciated her loyalty and her personal growth in the story.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes, but mild
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends with a cute epilogue and what I would call a HEA ending , but he author offers an extended epilogue if you sign up (I'm not going to)
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise, the MCs, the side characters, and the setting
The Not-So-Good: The amount of closure for this greedy reader
The Bad: Not necessarily bad, but I would've liked more groveling by the sister
Overall: This was cute and better than expected! When I read the blurb, I automatically thought of the movies, Wedding Date and Anyone But You. While this definitely had those vibes, it was also unique in its own way. I would've liked to have the farther glimpse into their future without having to sign up to get an extended epilogue, but that's me being greedy. Overall, I liked it.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Paisley and Klein's story. Paisley has to be maid of honor to her younger sister who is marrying her ex at a weeklong island wedding. She bumps into Klein, who unknowingly kinda broke her heart in college, and they realize that they can help each other out. Klein agrees to be her fake date and she agrees to use her marketing firm's resources to help him find a publisher for his book. They realize that the instant connection they felt one drunken night in college wasn't a fluke and those feelings start coming back. There is family drama, some funny moments, some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Paisley and Klein's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, they knew each other in college.
H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Klein. I liked him. I thought he might've been a little too perfect, but that might have also been because he seemed to fall first (and that's not my favorite)
h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Paisley. I liked her. I appreciated her loyalty and her personal growth in the story.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes, but mild
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends with a cute epilogue and what I would call a HEA ending , but he author offers an extended epilogue if you sign up (I'm not going to)
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
June 1, 2024
This was slow. Like painfully slow. I struggled through majority of it hoping it would pick up. It was my first read by the author so I wasn’t sure what to expect and I’m not sure her writing style is for me.
It felt very long winded, extremely descriptive and lacking actual dialogue between characters at times. I struggled as there was not a whole lot of plot progression, character development or even chemistry between the characters. I found it hard to become invested in the them or feel any sort of connection between them as it all felt very surface level with some of it a little cringey at times.
I did find Klein very sweet, it was nice to have a mmc who had some emotional maturity and I loved the way he was with Paisley. There were a few witty moments I enjoyed, and I would have loved more of that.
It felt very long winded, extremely descriptive and lacking actual dialogue between characters at times. I struggled as there was not a whole lot of plot progression, character development or even chemistry between the characters. I found it hard to become invested in the them or feel any sort of connection between them as it all felt very surface level with some of it a little cringey at times.
I did find Klein very sweet, it was nice to have a mmc who had some emotional maturity and I loved the way he was with Paisley. There were a few witty moments I enjoyed, and I would have loved more of that.
May 10, 2024
“Paisley, you are the cake. I’m here for you. I’m here for your hard times and I’m here for you as you grow as person “
Fake Dating
Secons chance
One Bed
He Falls First
Amo los libros de fake dating y tuve la oportunidad de leerlo antes que saliera, gracias a que me enviaron el arc.
También es la primera vez que leo a autora y no será la última me gustó mucho su estilo.
Es una RomCom que fácilmente podría pasar por una película dominguera de los 90´s 00´s que fueron la mejor época.
Es lígera, divertida, con un toque de drama y no puede faltar el buen romance.
HISTORIA
Paisley y Klein se conocieron en la universidad y tuvieron un breve flechazo y un desastroso beso borracho, después por un malentendido no se vuelven hablar pero tienen juntos una clase donde Klein se vuelve el némesis de Paisley.
Años más tarde Paisley tiene que asistir a la boda de su hermana con su ex y durante una semana tendrán actividades antes de la boda, ella no quiere ser objeto de burla o lástima por lo que no puede ir siendo soltera.
Paisley y Klein se reencuentran y por una serie de sucesos, la familia de ella piensa que él es su novio.
Klein es un escritor que no tiene presencia en redes sociales por lo que ninguna editorial quiere firmar con él hasta que tenga un número de seguidores, por lo que hace un trato con Paisley ella le ayuda a través de su empresa de marketing y él se hace pasar por su novio perfecto y enamorado durante una semana.
PERSONAJES
Tanto Paisley como Klein me gustaron mucho como personajes tanto juntos como por separados.
Ella es una mujer que lucha por lo que quiere a pesar de su padre, construyó una empresa de cero y es exitosa, pero por otra parte también le gusta complacer a su familia y me gustó mucho que Klein le ayudo en ese proceso de poner límites.
Klein es un amor de persona, él siempre ha tenido un crush con Paisley por lo tanto su noviazgo no es tan fingido, es una persona reservada y un tanto tímida, pero cuando se trata de ayudarla siempre sale en su rescate.
El es leal a su familia y a los que ama y es una persona protectora.
Me gustó mucho el desarrollo de su relación era medio enemies, pero pasaron a ser amigos y los sentimientos que tenían en el pasado por el otro, recobraron vida con más fuerza, convirtiéndose en un amor verdadero, es medio slow burn y eso me encantó aunque no soy tan fan por que la transición de ser casi desconocidos a enamorarse no fue tan abrupta.
June 4, 2024
The beginning seemed so cute! But I was bored really early on 🫠😂 way too slow and the banter was not doing it for me. The fake dating didn’t even really start until like 60%?? And by then I was not invested in it anymore 😴
December 28, 2024
☆5 Word Daddy and Boss-lady Ace slay the longest wedding ever. 💖🥂😎💃🕺🏻
➳❦ “Paisley,” I center our faces so there is little else in our fields of vision. I need her to not only hear my next words, but absorb them, too. “There is no safer place for your heart than with me.”
Now THIS is the man to have at your back when facing your stupid ex, your bitchy sister marrying your stupid ex, and your even bitchier dad. And I could honestly feel the love between Paisley and Klein as it was growing amidst the beauty and perils of her beloved island. I could feel their longing, disappointments, hope, insecurities, sadness, bliss, outrage, and sense of wonder. They really saw each other and dove fully into all of their endeavors as a team, be it hoodwinking her family with the realest fake relationship ever, using social media storytelling magic to lure Klein a publisher, or building that sexual tension until it absolutely combusts off the page. I was glad the sad misunderstandings back in college were sorted out pretty early on after they meet again. I just loved them together in every way.
➳❦ Our first kiss was terrible, our second was hungry and desperate, our third was him staking a claim, but this one? It’s decadent. Slow. A note of reverence, a touch of relief.
Klein was pretty much the perfect book boyfriend, though I understood how Paisley might sometimes struggle to believe the smooth words of her “Wordsmith” IRL. I wasn’t totally sold on his name, but whatever. I loved how he stood up for her, but I loved it even more how Paisley went from the family doormat to kicking ass at that as well. She was relatable and awesome, as were the wonderful side characters. I hope Paloma and her infuriating architect get a book! Also I want “Coastal Grandma” Lausanne’s love story with Grandpa, please. This is my first read by this author, and it won’t be my last.
➳❦ “Paisley,” I center our faces so there is little else in our fields of vision. I need her to not only hear my next words, but absorb them, too. “There is no safer place for your heart than with me.”
Now THIS is the man to have at your back when facing your stupid ex, your bitchy sister marrying your stupid ex, and your even bitchier dad. And I could honestly feel the love between Paisley and Klein as it was growing amidst the beauty and perils of her beloved island. I could feel their longing, disappointments, hope, insecurities, sadness, bliss, outrage, and sense of wonder. They really saw each other and dove fully into all of their endeavors as a team, be it hoodwinking her family with the realest fake relationship ever, using social media storytelling magic to lure Klein a publisher, or building that sexual tension until it absolutely combusts off the page. I was glad the sad misunderstandings back in college were sorted out pretty early on after they meet again. I just loved them together in every way.
➳❦ Our first kiss was terrible, our second was hungry and desperate, our third was him staking a claim, but this one? It’s decadent. Slow. A note of reverence, a touch of relief.
Klein was pretty much the perfect book boyfriend, though I understood how Paisley might sometimes struggle to believe the smooth words of her “Wordsmith” IRL. I wasn’t totally sold on his name, but whatever. I loved how he stood up for her, but I loved it even more how Paisley went from the family doormat to kicking ass at that as well. She was relatable and awesome, as were the wonderful side characters. I hope Paloma and her infuriating architect get a book! Also I want “Coastal Grandma” Lausanne’s love story with Grandpa, please. This is my first read by this author, and it won’t be my last.
May 2, 2024
4.25✨
rtc!!! this was so so so cute
rtc!!! this was so so so cute
June 21, 2025
Based on all the amazing reviews, I’d hoped for something better. This was okay, but far from amazing.
This book felt long. With lots of description and very little dialogue in parts, it lacked a necessary progression needed to keep me engaged. When a story plays out this way, it's also hard to feel connected to the characters and I often felt myself wondering why these people liked each other in the first place. Klein was sweet, some of the things he did were endearing, but there wasn't much development with either character to make them feel fleshed out. The author could easily have trimmed about 75-100 pages of description and inner dialogue.
Am I being unfair? I don't think so. This book, like so many others I'm excited to read, has sat in my queue for weeks. I hoard that way. There are still books unread by my favorite authors because I hate the thought of not having something left from them to read. I've got novels/stories by Emily Henry, Ali Hazelwood, Pippa Grant, Abbey Jimenez, just to name a few. While others get FOMO, I get FONL (Fear of Nothing Left). My point? I WANTED to love this. I wanted to love it so much I was afraid to read it. Yes, I'm weird.
Moving on. Aside from the aforementioned "too long" issue, my primary criticism is with how the FMC is characterized. Paisley is a doormat. Paisley has allowed herself to be marginalized by her little sister (who I hated so much I purged her name from my brain), gaslighted by her father and basically ignored by her mother. I'm not sure how, as a sibling, one could not only sleep with but then marry a man who seriously dated the other sibling. I mean, maybe I'm old fashioned but it seems gross. How do you not think about it constantly? Especially during intimate moments? I would forever be wondering about how those moments played out with my siblings, hence the "gross" comment. But Paisley’s sister was annoyed that Paisley wasn’t throwing her a parade.
Also, Paisley was a little incongruous to me and made for an unreliable storyteller. She's commanding at work, being the owner of a rather impressive agency and clearly exceptionally skilled at what she does, but she can't have a conversation with her own sister about how absurdly inappropriate it is to date her longtime ex-boyfriend? It seems someone with enough backbone to launch and helm a business has to have fairly good communication skills. Especially when said business is MARKETING! The same can be said for her relationship with her father. You can design and manage an entire campaign for Klein but you can't tell your dad to kick rocks with his crap attitude? It seems like a lot of the "conflict" in this novel could have easily been rectified with a few basic conversations. With the exception of her relationship with her father, there's little in the way of complexity when it comes to resolving the other issues. So, in essence, the situation she finds herself in is one of her own making. If she were weak and we were watching that evolution into a stronger, more self-assured woman, I'd be on board, but she's not.
At the heart of what I abhorred about this novel is the relationship between Paisley, Shane (the ex-boyfriend asshat) and Paisley's little sister. It was awful and took so much enjoyment away from the story that I can literally point my finger at it and say "yep, that's where you failed". It's okay to create a villain and Shane and "she who shall not be named" do a great job of filling those roles. That said, if you're going to create characters for me to hate, you'd better do something useful with them. They have to serve a purpose other than to become annoyances and distractions for the reader. And that's what they were, annoyances and distractions. There was never any real resolution with these dipsh*ts. So the sister called off the wedding because Shane was an @sshat. Yay. In the meantime, you were a gaslighting, narcissistic, prissy mean girl. Shane gets a pass as he was clearly a d*ick from the word go. But Paisley's sister? No, dude. That's family and family should always come first. And that's why this didn't work for me. Creating that rift between sisters and not truly doing anything with it is unforgivable. There was not nearly enough resolution between any of these family members for me to be on board with that having been resolved but especially not between the sisters. Nope. I'm not down with it.
I stuck it out solely for Klein who was adorable and the rare emotionally mature MMC.
There were parts of this book which felt cute and/or funny, however, there were too many expanses of time between those scenes for me to consider this a solid read. And, yeah, also all of the above.
This book felt long. With lots of description and very little dialogue in parts, it lacked a necessary progression needed to keep me engaged. When a story plays out this way, it's also hard to feel connected to the characters and I often felt myself wondering why these people liked each other in the first place. Klein was sweet, some of the things he did were endearing, but there wasn't much development with either character to make them feel fleshed out. The author could easily have trimmed about 75-100 pages of description and inner dialogue.
Am I being unfair? I don't think so. This book, like so many others I'm excited to read, has sat in my queue for weeks. I hoard that way. There are still books unread by my favorite authors because I hate the thought of not having something left from them to read. I've got novels/stories by Emily Henry, Ali Hazelwood, Pippa Grant, Abbey Jimenez, just to name a few. While others get FOMO, I get FONL (Fear of Nothing Left). My point? I WANTED to love this. I wanted to love it so much I was afraid to read it. Yes, I'm weird.
Moving on. Aside from the aforementioned "too long" issue, my primary criticism is with how the FMC is characterized. Paisley is a doormat. Paisley has allowed herself to be marginalized by her little sister (who I hated so much I purged her name from my brain), gaslighted by her father and basically ignored by her mother. I'm not sure how, as a sibling, one could not only sleep with but then marry a man who seriously dated the other sibling. I mean, maybe I'm old fashioned but it seems gross. How do you not think about it constantly? Especially during intimate moments? I would forever be wondering about how those moments played out with my siblings, hence the "gross" comment. But Paisley’s sister was annoyed that Paisley wasn’t throwing her a parade.
Also, Paisley was a little incongruous to me and made for an unreliable storyteller. She's commanding at work, being the owner of a rather impressive agency and clearly exceptionally skilled at what she does, but she can't have a conversation with her own sister about how absurdly inappropriate it is to date her longtime ex-boyfriend? It seems someone with enough backbone to launch and helm a business has to have fairly good communication skills. Especially when said business is MARKETING! The same can be said for her relationship with her father. You can design and manage an entire campaign for Klein but you can't tell your dad to kick rocks with his crap attitude? It seems like a lot of the "conflict" in this novel could have easily been rectified with a few basic conversations. With the exception of her relationship with her father, there's little in the way of complexity when it comes to resolving the other issues. So, in essence, the situation she finds herself in is one of her own making. If she were weak and we were watching that evolution into a stronger, more self-assured woman, I'd be on board, but she's not.
At the heart of what I abhorred about this novel is the relationship between Paisley, Shane (the ex-boyfriend asshat) and Paisley's little sister. It was awful and took so much enjoyment away from the story that I can literally point my finger at it and say "yep, that's where you failed". It's okay to create a villain and Shane and "she who shall not be named" do a great job of filling those roles. That said, if you're going to create characters for me to hate, you'd better do something useful with them. They have to serve a purpose other than to become annoyances and distractions for the reader. And that's what they were, annoyances and distractions. There was never any real resolution with these dipsh*ts. So the sister called off the wedding because Shane was an @sshat. Yay. In the meantime, you were a gaslighting, narcissistic, prissy mean girl. Shane gets a pass as he was clearly a d*ick from the word go. But Paisley's sister? No, dude. That's family and family should always come first. And that's why this didn't work for me. Creating that rift between sisters and not truly doing anything with it is unforgivable. There was not nearly enough resolution between any of these family members for me to be on board with that having been resolved but especially not between the sisters. Nope. I'm not down with it.
I stuck it out solely for Klein who was adorable and the rare emotionally mature MMC.
There were parts of this book which felt cute and/or funny, however, there were too many expanses of time between those scenes for me to consider this a solid read. And, yeah, also all of the above.
Want to read
July 20, 2025no third act breakup??? count me in 😮💨
April 24, 2024
Ok...I'm going to be the first to admit here that I've basically been living under a rock. This was my first Jennifer book and it certainly won't be my last. I fully intend to go off the deep end and devour all of her books after reading this absolute perfection of a book. I'm also insisting that she and I become besties so I love that for us.
I am not even being dramatic when I tell you that I was absolutely GIDDY from the first word to the very last word in this book. Klein was honestly the best and most top tier book boyfriend ever. His wit surpassed all my expectations and the man had it BAD for Paisley. I'm talking 100% off the deep end, will never be over her, gone. And I was so here for every single second. The banter between those two was just off the charts. I couldn't get enough of it. I tried to slow down and savor this book but I basically blew through it because I just couldn't put it down.
I am going to need everyone to stop what they're doing and go read this book. I will forever be obsessed with them.
I am not even being dramatic when I tell you that I was absolutely GIDDY from the first word to the very last word in this book. Klein was honestly the best and most top tier book boyfriend ever. His wit surpassed all my expectations and the man had it BAD for Paisley. I'm talking 100% off the deep end, will never be over her, gone. And I was so here for every single second. The banter between those two was just off the charts. I couldn't get enough of it. I tried to slow down and savor this book but I basically blew through it because I just couldn't put it down.
I am going to need everyone to stop what they're doing and go read this book. I will forever be obsessed with them.
May 1, 2024
4.5 rounded up
What a delight! Thanks @valentinepr for my gifted copy- an enemies to lovers story that was SO SWEET. Plenty of spice and chemistry - a fake dating premise that had an original spin as well as great, open communication. I wasn’t sure about Paisley at first but she grew on me and I came to really enjoy her and was glad she grew a backbone. Klein was so dreamy! Definitely recommend to romance fans.
What a delight! Thanks @valentinepr for my gifted copy- an enemies to lovers story that was SO SWEET. Plenty of spice and chemistry - a fake dating premise that had an original spin as well as great, open communication. I wasn’t sure about Paisley at first but she grew on me and I came to really enjoy her and was glad she grew a backbone. Klein was so dreamy! Definitely recommend to romance fans.
May 2, 2024
happy release day!!! 🩵 bumped up my rating a little bc I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it 🥹
4.5🌟 this was so good!!! Such a cute, fun, sweet summery romance. I ate it UP. This book had just about everything I love in a romance. Fake dating, summery island setting, a man down BAD, an fmc with great character development, good pacing, and banter. The BEST banter.
Paisley and Klein knew each other in college and run into each other years later, with Paisley needing a date to her sister’s wedding to marry Paisley’s ex. Sounds crazy but it was fun and worked so well. The fake dating was excellent and so fun. The banter and tension was TOOOOO GOOD!! Klein was a man obsessed, a man in love, and I ATE IT UP.
The beachy island setting was so fun and makes for a perfect summer romance. The romance & their relationship development was so sweet and was paced so well. There was a little second chance vibe which I loved. Paisley’s character growth was so good too!! She was such a fun fmc. I love how fun this book was while also dealing with some more serious family dynamics and dyslexia representation!
The first 40% was a little slow but not necessarily in a bad way? I think it was a good build up to the rest of the story and their relationship. Overall really loved this read. Thank you to the author & Valentine PR for the arc!! 🫶🏼
4.5🌟 this was so good!!! Such a cute, fun, sweet summery romance. I ate it UP. This book had just about everything I love in a romance. Fake dating, summery island setting, a man down BAD, an fmc with great character development, good pacing, and banter. The BEST banter.
Paisley and Klein knew each other in college and run into each other years later, with Paisley needing a date to her sister’s wedding to marry Paisley’s ex. Sounds crazy but it was fun and worked so well. The fake dating was excellent and so fun. The banter and tension was TOOOOO GOOD!! Klein was a man obsessed, a man in love, and I ATE IT UP.
The beachy island setting was so fun and makes for a perfect summer romance. The romance & their relationship development was so sweet and was paced so well. There was a little second chance vibe which I loved. Paisley’s character growth was so good too!! She was such a fun fmc. I love how fun this book was while also dealing with some more serious family dynamics and dyslexia representation!
The first 40% was a little slow but not necessarily in a bad way? I think it was a good build up to the rest of the story and their relationship. Overall really loved this read. Thank you to the author & Valentine PR for the arc!! 🫶🏼
August 15, 2024
This book was truly a fun and delightful escape. It was everything I needed, and it gave me all of the happy tingles and I was a flailing pile of reader goo by the end. I could not put it down, and the romance made me so giddy. I just adore the hell out of Paisley and Klein both. Their chemistry is so contagious, I was grinning form ear to ear the entire time I was reading this. I loved every bit of this book.
Paisley somehow finds herself agreeing to be her sister’s maid of honor, who is marrying her ex! At the bachelorette party, Paisley runs into her old college frenemy, Klein and aspiring author. The pair find themselves in a fake dating scenario, her needing him to fake out her family and him needing her to help to promote his writing with the help of Paisley's marketing company.
I love so much about this book - I adored the constant back and forth banter between Paisley and Klein. They were hilarious and the underlying sexual tension was palpable. And while this is a bit of a slow burn there is so much chemistry, sweetness and passion simmering just below the surface the entire time that I savored every moment. Klein is going to rule over my heart for a long time. I fell head over heels in love with this swoony, witty, charming, drool-worthy man who is completely obsessed with his woman. Likewise, Paisley is so sassy and hilarious, yet so adorable. They went from frenemies to fake couple to lovers, all while on a wedding vacation. It was 200% entertaining. And slow burn sexy. And heartwarming. Jennifer Millikin delivers feel good vibes in spades.
This book is so adorably fun. Paisley and Klein made me laugh, made me swoon and filled my heart with all warm gooey feels. I laughed, I swooned, and I binge read it from cover to cover. This is one of those books that will put a smile on your face and keep it there. It was such an endearingly sweet romance, and I seriously loved it so so so so much.
Paisley somehow finds herself agreeing to be her sister’s maid of honor, who is marrying her ex! At the bachelorette party, Paisley runs into her old college frenemy, Klein and aspiring author. The pair find themselves in a fake dating scenario, her needing him to fake out her family and him needing her to help to promote his writing with the help of Paisley's marketing company.
I love so much about this book - I adored the constant back and forth banter between Paisley and Klein. They were hilarious and the underlying sexual tension was palpable. And while this is a bit of a slow burn there is so much chemistry, sweetness and passion simmering just below the surface the entire time that I savored every moment. Klein is going to rule over my heart for a long time. I fell head over heels in love with this swoony, witty, charming, drool-worthy man who is completely obsessed with his woman. Likewise, Paisley is so sassy and hilarious, yet so adorable. They went from frenemies to fake couple to lovers, all while on a wedding vacation. It was 200% entertaining. And slow burn sexy. And heartwarming. Jennifer Millikin delivers feel good vibes in spades.
This book is so adorably fun. Paisley and Klein made me laugh, made me swoon and filled my heart with all warm gooey feels. I laughed, I swooned, and I binge read it from cover to cover. This is one of those books that will put a smile on your face and keep it there. It was such an endearingly sweet romance, and I seriously loved it so so so so much.
September 15, 2025
this was so sweet shut up omg
January 25, 2025
Star Rating: 4🌟
Spice Rating: 2.5 🥵🔥
This was so cute?! Read via audio (but sure do have a physical copy that I tabbed as I listened…. Highly recommend) and this whole book was too god damn cute. From the first page this story hooked me in, and I found myself listening to it everywhere I went… and finished in no time. I loved the coastal setting of the island, I loved the fake boyfriend aspect that turned into more (but really their connection was undeniable from the start lets all be so honest), and I LOVED the aspect of the story of the damaging and imperfect view on family and family expectations. I thought it brought deeper meaning to the story, and I could really relate to that personally, so it made the story, and our FMC, hit in a more emotional way.
This was my very first Jennifer Millikin book, but it will not be my last! Actually, I requested an ARC for Penn by her and it JUST dropped into my kindle… so I know what I will be reading next 👀 Keep an eye out for a full review on both ‘Here for the cake’ and ‘Penn’ on my Instagram (linked below):💕
https://www.instagram.com/lovinmyshelf
Spice Rating: 2.5 🥵🔥
This was so cute?! Read via audio (but sure do have a physical copy that I tabbed as I listened…. Highly recommend) and this whole book was too god damn cute. From the first page this story hooked me in, and I found myself listening to it everywhere I went… and finished in no time. I loved the coastal setting of the island, I loved the fake boyfriend aspect that turned into more (but really their connection was undeniable from the start lets all be so honest), and I LOVED the aspect of the story of the damaging and imperfect view on family and family expectations. I thought it brought deeper meaning to the story, and I could really relate to that personally, so it made the story, and our FMC, hit in a more emotional way.
This was my very first Jennifer Millikin book, but it will not be my last! Actually, I requested an ARC for Penn by her and it JUST dropped into my kindle… so I know what I will be reading next 👀 Keep an eye out for a full review on both ‘Here for the cake’ and ‘Penn’ on my Instagram (linked below):💕
https://www.instagram.com/lovinmyshelf
August 12, 2025
I’m just 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐤𝐞🍰
Here For The Cake by Jennifer Millikin
🎂🎂🎂🎂🍰 (4.5 cakes😉)
I am in love with Klein & Paisley🩵 he is seriously a swoon worthy fake boyfriend! You can tell they have chemistry from the start, but will they act on the chemistry?
I really enjoyed Paisley’s journey to finding and loving herself again. It’s time for her to stop being the floor. She is strong, sassy as can be, and witty! Klein fits perfectly with her. He is gorgeous, has a smart mouth, and is head over heels for Paisley!
Their love story blossoms on the pages and gives you that slow burn tension. It was such a beautiful read & I am so grateful that I was able to receive an ARC!
Thank you @valentine_pr_ & @jenmillwrites 🎂💜
Here For The Cake by Jennifer Millikin
🎂🎂🎂🎂🍰 (4.5 cakes😉)
I am in love with Klein & Paisley🩵 he is seriously a swoon worthy fake boyfriend! You can tell they have chemistry from the start, but will they act on the chemistry?
I really enjoyed Paisley’s journey to finding and loving herself again. It’s time for her to stop being the floor. She is strong, sassy as can be, and witty! Klein fits perfectly with her. He is gorgeous, has a smart mouth, and is head over heels for Paisley!
Their love story blossoms on the pages and gives you that slow burn tension. It was such a beautiful read & I am so grateful that I was able to receive an ARC!
Thank you @valentine_pr_ & @jenmillwrites 🎂💜
June 26, 2024
Would have rated it 0 if possible
November 2, 2024
LOVE LOVE LOVE HOLY SHJT
August 17, 2025
EDIT REREAD 8/15-8/17/25
Yeah, this is such a cute cozy summer read. I honestly love the chemistry between Paisley and Klein. I love the slow burn, the forced proximity, the banter and teasing, and the second chance of this book.
I love that we get a before the wedding story and during the wedding weekend story. We get to know these character so much better and really see their romance bloom. It's beautiful.
I will definitely be rereading this every summer!
______________________________________________________
✨ARC REVIEW✨
YOU. GUYS. I'm in bliss.
You know that feeling when you've just gotten home from an amazing vacation and you have the post-vacay depression? That is literally how I feel right now after finishing this book.
I felt like I was on vacation, just having a grand ole time and vibing. I felt cozy and warm, basking in the sunset on the beach. I was giddy and smiling, laughing to myself - just absolutely enjoying this.
We have fake dating. We have second chances. We have "the one who got away". He falls first. There's one bed AND no third act breakup. You want cozy beach summer vibes? You got it? You want a MMC who speaks and you just...melt? You got it. You want CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT that'll leave YOU feeing proud? It's here!
Man...okay, let's talk about it.
The plot was great, I absolutely loved it. Paisley is the maid of honor in her sister's wedding - the only kicker is that her sister is marrying her ex-boyfriend. Awkward.
She couldn't say no...not because she doesn't wan to go but because she just wants to make everyone happy, despite her own feelings.
At the bachelorette party, they go to the bar in town and funnily enough Paisley runs into Klein, the bartender who's also an inspiring author, who also happens to be the guy she had a horrible kiss with in college AND ruined her love of writing.
Luckily, his coworker sees that they can both help each other out. Paisley can help give his socials a boost to get a publishing deal and Klein can be her fake boyfriend for the wedding week. PERFECT.
I absolutely LOVE that we got 6 weeks of them becoming friends before the wedding. I loved the pace of this. We get good relationship building with this. This is primal because then it doesn't feel so insta-love by the time we get to the actual wedding week. It feels like we can feel their growth as friends. We can feel their lusts turn into love. It's beautiful.
Paisley is an amazing character. I absolutely loved her. She's sassy, witty, sarcastic, funny, and has a heart of gold. She may have become someone who her family walks all over BUT NOT ANYMORE, BABY! I loved her growth. When Grandma said that Klein didn't bring her voice out of her, he just didn't suppress it from her - I absolutely LOVED that.
Klein...I don't even know where to start. I ABSOLUTELY love this man. He is such a man of words and oh my...did it do something for me. He is genuinely such a good person. He is so loving and nurturing and I AM JEALOUS OF PAISLEY THAT SHE GETS TO HAVE HIM. He's funny and quick-witted. He's charming and cheeky and just so damn good.
I absolutely LOVED watching these two fall in love. I LOVED IT. They had such good chemistry and their banter was super adorable. I love their teasing and I loved their inside jokes. I love what they brought out in each other.
The spice, you ask? WAS EVERY-THING. There are a few scenes in particular that had ME BLUSHING (the pantry scene, Shane trying to talk to Paisley outside her door, Paisley taking away the "pain" form the jellyfish sting) IT WAS PERFECTLY DONE.
We have some great side characters. Grandma is a true one.
Serena and Shane - that whole thing just felt so wrong and hurtful and I'm just so glad Paisley got to speak her mind and stand up for herself.
Klein talking to Paisleys father...that was the moment I truly fell in love with this man. He has her back. He cares for her. He wants to protect her and doesn't want to see her sad. God, I love him.
I just love how cozy this book was. I truly felt all the vibes this was giving. I felt like I was there, honestly.
This was beautifully written. I'm so sad it's over. I love these two so much. Jennifer absolutely CRUSHED this book.
Thank you so much to Jennifer Millikin and Valentin PR for the ARC copy!
Yeah, this is such a cute cozy summer read. I honestly love the chemistry between Paisley and Klein. I love the slow burn, the forced proximity, the banter and teasing, and the second chance of this book.
I love that we get a before the wedding story and during the wedding weekend story. We get to know these character so much better and really see their romance bloom. It's beautiful.
I will definitely be rereading this every summer!
______________________________________________________
✨ARC REVIEW✨
YOU. GUYS. I'm in bliss.
You know that feeling when you've just gotten home from an amazing vacation and you have the post-vacay depression? That is literally how I feel right now after finishing this book.
I felt like I was on vacation, just having a grand ole time and vibing. I felt cozy and warm, basking in the sunset on the beach. I was giddy and smiling, laughing to myself - just absolutely enjoying this.
We have fake dating. We have second chances. We have "the one who got away". He falls first. There's one bed AND no third act breakup. You want cozy beach summer vibes? You got it? You want a MMC who speaks and you just...melt? You got it. You want CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT that'll leave YOU feeing proud? It's here!
Man...okay, let's talk about it.
The plot was great, I absolutely loved it. Paisley is the maid of honor in her sister's wedding - the only kicker is that her sister is marrying her ex-boyfriend. Awkward.
She couldn't say no...not because she doesn't wan to go but because she just wants to make everyone happy, despite her own feelings.
At the bachelorette party, they go to the bar in town and funnily enough Paisley runs into Klein, the bartender who's also an inspiring author, who also happens to be the guy she had a horrible kiss with in college AND ruined her love of writing.
Luckily, his coworker sees that they can both help each other out. Paisley can help give his socials a boost to get a publishing deal and Klein can be her fake boyfriend for the wedding week. PERFECT.
I absolutely LOVE that we got 6 weeks of them becoming friends before the wedding. I loved the pace of this. We get good relationship building with this. This is primal because then it doesn't feel so insta-love by the time we get to the actual wedding week. It feels like we can feel their growth as friends. We can feel their lusts turn into love. It's beautiful.
Paisley is an amazing character. I absolutely loved her. She's sassy, witty, sarcastic, funny, and has a heart of gold. She may have become someone who her family walks all over BUT NOT ANYMORE, BABY! I loved her growth. When Grandma said that Klein didn't bring her voice out of her, he just didn't suppress it from her - I absolutely LOVED that.
Klein...I don't even know where to start. I ABSOLUTELY love this man. He is such a man of words and oh my...did it do something for me. He is genuinely such a good person. He is so loving and nurturing and I AM JEALOUS OF PAISLEY THAT SHE GETS TO HAVE HIM. He's funny and quick-witted. He's charming and cheeky and just so damn good.
I absolutely LOVED watching these two fall in love. I LOVED IT. They had such good chemistry and their banter was super adorable. I love their teasing and I loved their inside jokes. I love what they brought out in each other.
The spice, you ask? WAS EVERY-THING. There are a few scenes in particular that had ME BLUSHING (the pantry scene, Shane trying to talk to Paisley outside her door, Paisley taking away the "pain" form the jellyfish sting) IT WAS PERFECTLY DONE.
We have some great side characters. Grandma is a true one.
Serena and Shane - that whole thing just felt so wrong and hurtful and I'm just so glad Paisley got to speak her mind and stand up for herself.
Klein talking to Paisleys father...that was the moment I truly fell in love with this man. He has her back. He cares for her. He wants to protect her and doesn't want to see her sad. God, I love him.
I just love how cozy this book was. I truly felt all the vibes this was giving. I felt like I was there, honestly.
This was beautifully written. I'm so sad it's over. I love these two so much. Jennifer absolutely CRUSHED this book.
Thank you so much to Jennifer Millikin and Valentin PR for the ARC copy!
August 11, 2025
Okay I went into this book completely blind and I loved every second of it.
- second chance
- fake dating
- insta-love
- man obsessed
- NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP OR MISCOMMUNICATION
From start to finish, I was invested in this world & these characters. I just loved it so much and it will be a top read of 2024 for me.
Read it read it read it!!!!
- second chance
- fake dating
- insta-love
- man obsessed
- NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP OR MISCOMMUNICATION
From start to finish, I was invested in this world & these characters. I just loved it so much and it will be a top read of 2024 for me.
Read it read it read it!!!!
August 27, 2024
So the MC is trying to market him online by making him post about his fake dating while they are literally trying to convince her family they are dating? And somehow, this isn’t a concern because her research shows that her family definitely won’t find out?!
If you don’t understand how social media platforms' algorithms work, don’t write a book with a plot centered around them.
If you don’t understand how social media platforms' algorithms work, don’t write a book with a plot centered around them.
July 13, 2024
this is the first book i’ve read in almost two months and i LOVED it. i bought this to read on a flight this weekend but here we are. they were adorable. i couldn’t put it down
September 22, 2024
DNF 41%
Найкраще в цій книзі це обкладинка. Герої ніякі, хімії та гумору немає. Може далі було б краще, але я прочитала майже половину книги і нічого не відбувалося. Короче, нудятина
Найкраще в цій книзі це обкладинка. Герої ніякі, хімії та гумору немає. Може далі було б краще, але я прочитала майже половину книги і нічого не відбувалося. Короче, нудятина
April 17, 2025
Here for the Cake is a new standalone from Jennifer Millikin, which is a new to me author. This book has all the vibes!
🧁Fake Dating
🧁Second Chance from a bad kiss in college
🧁One Bed
🧁Forced Proximity
🧁MMC Falls First
🧁Possessive MMC
🧁Cinnamon Roll MMC
🧁Sassy MFC
🧁Self-made MFC
🧁Family Drama - Sister is Marrying heroine’s ex!!
🧁Witty Banter
🧁Fantastic Nicknames
🧁No Third Act Break Up
🧁Beach Vibes
🧁Wedding Vibes
Paisley and Klein signed a contract that was mutually beneficial. Klein would be a fake date to Paisley’s little sister’s week long beach wedding to Paisley’s ex-boyfriend as Paisley is supposed to go as the maid of honor. Paisley would help Klein market himself and his book in order to get published for 6 months. They were going for the cake, but stayed for the longing, the spice, and sweet romantic moments between Paisley and Klein as they navigated dysfunctional family shenanigans. I did not know what to expect when I requested the ALC because I requested it for the cover, but it was the robust story that I listened to. The well developed characters, the feeling of being on the beach, the angsty messiness of the set up, or the sweet romance that developed between Paisley and Klein. Also, Aaron Donahue and Hannah Chiclana did such a great job narrating Here For The Cake.
This book made me smile and I loved it! Thank you to Valentine PR and Jennifer Millikin for ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
🧁Fake Dating
🧁Second Chance from a bad kiss in college
🧁One Bed
🧁Forced Proximity
🧁MMC Falls First
🧁Possessive MMC
🧁Cinnamon Roll MMC
🧁Sassy MFC
🧁Self-made MFC
🧁Family Drama - Sister is Marrying heroine’s ex!!
🧁Witty Banter
🧁Fantastic Nicknames
🧁No Third Act Break Up
🧁Beach Vibes
🧁Wedding Vibes
Paisley and Klein signed a contract that was mutually beneficial. Klein would be a fake date to Paisley’s little sister’s week long beach wedding to Paisley’s ex-boyfriend as Paisley is supposed to go as the maid of honor. Paisley would help Klein market himself and his book in order to get published for 6 months. They were going for the cake, but stayed for the longing, the spice, and sweet romantic moments between Paisley and Klein as they navigated dysfunctional family shenanigans. I did not know what to expect when I requested the ALC because I requested it for the cover, but it was the robust story that I listened to. The well developed characters, the feeling of being on the beach, the angsty messiness of the set up, or the sweet romance that developed between Paisley and Klein. Also, Aaron Donahue and Hannah Chiclana did such a great job narrating Here For The Cake.
This book made me smile and I loved it! Thank you to Valentine PR and Jennifer Millikin for ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 1, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶.5
💘Fake dating
💘One bed
💘He falls first
💘The one that got away
From the moment Paisley and Klein crossed paths in college, their story took unexpected turns. Their initial encounter, marked by a disastrous kiss, set the tone for their tumultuous relationship. However, it wasn't just the awkward smooch that left Paisley with a sour taste; there was an incident that ignited a fiery disdain towards Klein.
Fast forward several years, and Paisley finds herself in need of Klein's assistance. When her sister decides to marry Paisley's ex, Paisley enlists Klein to pose as her boyfriend. In exchange, Klein seeks Paisley's help in boosting his career as an author.
The chemistry between them is off the charts, and as they navigate through their faux romance, they begin to unravel the misunderstandings from their college days. I really enjoyed how their relationship evolved, and I think the nickname 'Word Daddy' perfectly encapsulates Klein's character.
I absolutely loved the character development throughout the story and how much they supported each other.
Being Brazilian myself, I'd love to see a story featuring Paloma.
This is the first book I've read by Jennifer Milikin, and I'll definitely be reading more of her books.
Thank you so much, Valentine Pr, for sending me this ARC.
🌶🌶.5
💘Fake dating
💘One bed
💘He falls first
💘The one that got away
From the moment Paisley and Klein crossed paths in college, their story took unexpected turns. Their initial encounter, marked by a disastrous kiss, set the tone for their tumultuous relationship. However, it wasn't just the awkward smooch that left Paisley with a sour taste; there was an incident that ignited a fiery disdain towards Klein.
Fast forward several years, and Paisley finds herself in need of Klein's assistance. When her sister decides to marry Paisley's ex, Paisley enlists Klein to pose as her boyfriend. In exchange, Klein seeks Paisley's help in boosting his career as an author.
The chemistry between them is off the charts, and as they navigate through their faux romance, they begin to unravel the misunderstandings from their college days. I really enjoyed how their relationship evolved, and I think the nickname 'Word Daddy' perfectly encapsulates Klein's character.
I absolutely loved the character development throughout the story and how much they supported each other.
Being Brazilian myself, I'd love to see a story featuring Paloma.
This is the first book I've read by Jennifer Milikin, and I'll definitely be reading more of her books.
Thank you so much, Valentine Pr, for sending me this ARC.
July 27, 2024
Ummmm I freaking loved this book??
the banter, the flirting, literally everything about this book was a 10/10
this honestly might be one of my new top favorite fake dating romances!!!
the spice was spicy too, like wow wow wow
I love this book so much and can’t stop thinking about it, like I can’t recommend it enough!!
the banter, the flirting, literally everything about this book was a 10/10
this honestly might be one of my new top favorite fake dating romances!!!
the spice was spicy too, like wow wow wow
I love this book so much and can’t stop thinking about it, like I can’t recommend it enough!!
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