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A Sweet Mess #1
A Sweet Mess
Korean-American author Jayci Lee delights with A Sweet Mess, a delicious and light-hearted romantic comedy that readers will devour and ask for more.
Aubrey Choi loves living in her small town nestled in the foothills of California, running her highly successful bakery away from the watch of her strict Korean parents. When a cake mix-up and a harsh review threaten all of her hard work and her livelihood, she never thought the jaded food critic would turn out to be her one-night stand. And she sure as hell never thought she’d see the gorgeous Korean hunk again. But when Landon Kim waltzes into her bakery trying to clean up the mess he had a huge hand in making, Aubrey is torn between throwing and hearing him out.
When she hears his plan to help save her business, Aubrey knows that spending three weeks in California wine country working with Landon is a sure recipe for disaster. Her head is telling her to take the chance to save her bakery while her heart—and her hormones—are at war on whether to give him a second chance. And it just so happens that Landon’s meddling friends want them to spend those three weeks as close as possible...by sharing a villa.
When things start heating up, both in and out of the kitchen, Aubrey will have to make a choice—to stick it out or risk her heart.
Aubrey Choi loves living in her small town nestled in the foothills of California, running her highly successful bakery away from the watch of her strict Korean parents. When a cake mix-up and a harsh review threaten all of her hard work and her livelihood, she never thought the jaded food critic would turn out to be her one-night stand. And she sure as hell never thought she’d see the gorgeous Korean hunk again. But when Landon Kim waltzes into her bakery trying to clean up the mess he had a huge hand in making, Aubrey is torn between throwing and hearing him out.
When she hears his plan to help save her business, Aubrey knows that spending three weeks in California wine country working with Landon is a sure recipe for disaster. Her head is telling her to take the chance to save her bakery while her heart—and her hormones—are at war on whether to give him a second chance. And it just so happens that Landon’s meddling friends want them to spend those three weeks as close as possible...by sharing a villa.
When things start heating up, both in and out of the kitchen, Aubrey will have to make a choice—to stick it out or risk her heart.
315 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 14, 2020
297 people are currently reading
20984 people want to read
About the author
Jayci Lee
58 books1,264 followersJayci 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 1,349 reviews
April 1, 2022
So much delicious food, wine tastings, mouth-watering pastries, chemistry that can put an entire skyscraper into flames, an amazing Korean couple, one night stand-enemies- coworkers- friends-lovers story! Yes, it seems like the best combination to jump in! My fingers already started to get twitchy to give full five stars, as soon as I read the blurb and intrigued by this plot which is so much better than the last ultra-cheesy- Royale with cheese kind of Christmas movies hit the Netflix.
A small detail: Do publishers work with some illustrators for rom-com books? When I look at the covers of the rom-coms I lately consumed, I feel like living a dejavu! I’ve seen this figure before kind of confusion! Anyways let’s get back to discuss this book!
But I have to admit this book gave me complex feelings from the beginning to the end. At first: Pastry-chief Aubrey Choi saves the day and clears the mess her teenage assistant accidentally created by mixing the orders and serving a peanut butter, bubble gummed cake to a food blogger which was cooked for a sweet little girl’s birthday. She cooks another cake for the girl and she meets a charming guy at her best friend’s bar, having a one night stand! And surprise, surprise she finds out the guy she had pant meltingly incredible sex was the same guy, the evil, cocky food-blogger who wrote a shitty review and ruins her business.
Well, I found this part a little problematic because how only one review destroys a local business forever and Landon Kim (douchebag who is responsible to ruin sweet Aubrey’s business reputation.) thinks the Aubrey had sex with her because she wanted a good review. Yes…. The book started solid three stars for me…
But then Landon understands his mistake and offers her a Godfather-ish offer she cannot refuse (Nope, he didn’t send her horse head to show his determination) and asks her to be guest star of a famous TV show and share some her recipes for damage control. This means a trip to wine country for three weeks, tasting gallons of wines ( YES I ACCEPT! I ACCEPT! I ACCEPT! Oh sorry, nobody asked my opinion, hero just asked it to heroine, dammit! Anyways I cannot cook and if I became a guest star of cooking show, it turned into forensics crime scene with my culinary skills.)
So thankfully Aubrey also says yes and throughout their three weeks agreement, we see how their chemistry grows and how they feel for each other. Those parts changed my mind and I decided to give 5 stars! Because it was hot, sexy, romantic, sweet, swoony, tasty and of course a little bit nasty!
And then as every rom-coms THE ANGST PARTS knocked the door. I wished the author never opens that door to that frustrating angst parts because the reason this lovely couple’s breakup didn’t work for me. I found those parts as soap opera meets daytime TV melodramas kind of unnecessarily exaggerated and dramatic. And my stars start to move between two to three.
At least ending gave me too many: awwwww, ohhhhh moments and sighs.
So I summed stars and averaged them which resulted as 3.6666666 (Oh yes, I’m obsessed with numbers) and I thought there so many things I liked about this book. The characters’ back stories, romanticism, witty dialogues, daddy issues, lovely mothers, great wines, greet foods, yummy pastries so I decided to round up my stars to shiny four.
I love Korean culture, including TV series (Good Doctor is also Korean show adapted to US TV), BBQ restaurants (once a week I found myself to eat meat till I pass out), traditions, family values, movies (If you don’t watch “Parasites”, probable best foreign movie Oscar winner, go and see it) so it’s impossible for me not to easily connect with characters and resonate with their family stories, their different perspective, importance of traditional values.
Overall: I enjoyed it. Period.
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin to share this enjoyable ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review.
A small detail: Do publishers work with some illustrators for rom-com books? When I look at the covers of the rom-coms I lately consumed, I feel like living a dejavu! I’ve seen this figure before kind of confusion! Anyways let’s get back to discuss this book!
But I have to admit this book gave me complex feelings from the beginning to the end. At first: Pastry-chief Aubrey Choi saves the day and clears the mess her teenage assistant accidentally created by mixing the orders and serving a peanut butter, bubble gummed cake to a food blogger which was cooked for a sweet little girl’s birthday. She cooks another cake for the girl and she meets a charming guy at her best friend’s bar, having a one night stand! And surprise, surprise she finds out the guy she had pant meltingly incredible sex was the same guy, the evil, cocky food-blogger who wrote a shitty review and ruins her business.
Well, I found this part a little problematic because how only one review destroys a local business forever and Landon Kim (douchebag who is responsible to ruin sweet Aubrey’s business reputation.) thinks the Aubrey had sex with her because she wanted a good review. Yes…. The book started solid three stars for me…
But then Landon understands his mistake and offers her a Godfather-ish offer she cannot refuse (Nope, he didn’t send her horse head to show his determination) and asks her to be guest star of a famous TV show and share some her recipes for damage control. This means a trip to wine country for three weeks, tasting gallons of wines ( YES I ACCEPT! I ACCEPT! I ACCEPT! Oh sorry, nobody asked my opinion, hero just asked it to heroine, dammit! Anyways I cannot cook and if I became a guest star of cooking show, it turned into forensics crime scene with my culinary skills.)
So thankfully Aubrey also says yes and throughout their three weeks agreement, we see how their chemistry grows and how they feel for each other. Those parts changed my mind and I decided to give 5 stars! Because it was hot, sexy, romantic, sweet, swoony, tasty and of course a little bit nasty!
And then as every rom-coms THE ANGST PARTS knocked the door. I wished the author never opens that door to that frustrating angst parts because the reason this lovely couple’s breakup didn’t work for me. I found those parts as soap opera meets daytime TV melodramas kind of unnecessarily exaggerated and dramatic. And my stars start to move between two to three.
At least ending gave me too many: awwwww, ohhhhh moments and sighs.
So I summed stars and averaged them which resulted as 3.6666666 (Oh yes, I’m obsessed with numbers) and I thought there so many things I liked about this book. The characters’ back stories, romanticism, witty dialogues, daddy issues, lovely mothers, great wines, greet foods, yummy pastries so I decided to round up my stars to shiny four.
I love Korean culture, including TV series (Good Doctor is also Korean show adapted to US TV), BBQ restaurants (once a week I found myself to eat meat till I pass out), traditions, family values, movies (If you don’t watch “Parasites”, probable best foreign movie Oscar winner, go and see it) so it’s impossible for me not to easily connect with characters and resonate with their family stories, their different perspective, importance of traditional values.
Overall: I enjoyed it. Period.
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin to share this enjoyable ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review.
April 5, 2021
This book had such a promising start. He's a food critic and accidentally gets a cake meant for a 7-year-old's birthday party at our heroine's bakery. He writes a nasty review and really hurts the heroine's business. Little did he know, the hero actually had a one-night-stand with the bakery owner while he was in town. Now he wants to make it up to her.
I was really loving the beginning of this book, but things went down hill, especially with the lats 20%. This wasn't the most interesting read as Aubrey move into a villa with Landon as she films a show to try to get more exposure for her bakery. She goes to some wineries. She bakes. He cooks for her. That's pretty much it. I did love how much food was actually in here and it definitely made me hungry. But, 20% from the end, my least favorite tropes came into the picture. And I could care less about the book. I was hoping the ending could save this book, but something happened that I didn't enjoy and that was the conflict for the rest of the book. Unfortunately, I didn't love this one and wish it took a different path at the end.
I was really loving the beginning of this book, but things went down hill, especially with the lats 20%. This wasn't the most interesting read as Aubrey move into a villa with Landon as she films a show to try to get more exposure for her bakery. She goes to some wineries. She bakes. He cooks for her. That's pretty much it. I did love how much food was actually in here and it definitely made me hungry. But, 20% from the end, my least favorite tropes came into the picture. And I could care less about the book. I was hoping the ending could save this book, but something happened that I didn't enjoy and that was the conflict for the rest of the book. Unfortunately, I didn't love this one and wish it took a different path at the end.
September 27, 2021
I think it's a good thing to go into books with low expectations, because then you might end up really liking it.
Let me tell you a story about my reading experience with A Sweet Mess.
Months and months ago, I saw it on Netgalley as READ NOW. Then life got in a way and blablabla, and I picked it up a year after it's release (feel free to judge me, I don't mind) when the reviews were already out there, and many of them weren't so generous.
I picked up the book with low expectations, thinking I would be bored most of the time, and boom, I was having an awesome time, fell in love with the writing style (especially with dialogues between characters which I found meaningful and deep at times, but more often just entertaining) and I got attached to characters whom stories made me understand where they came from.
This is a romance in which characters get together and then separate because if conflicts and miss communication (or lack of it to be fair) so I do understand why it wouldn't be appealing to a part of romance audience. To me, it was done right and I enjoyed following their journey to each other.
There were some smut scenes but they weren't too explicit. However, I wouldn't recommend this to minors.
Right after finishing A Sweet Mess I went into The Dating Dare, and guess what: I loved that one even more!
I guess Jayci Lee should find her spot on my list of authors who's work I am eagerly anticipating.
Let me tell you a story about my reading experience with A Sweet Mess.
Months and months ago, I saw it on Netgalley as READ NOW. Then life got in a way and blablabla, and I picked it up a year after it's release (feel free to judge me, I don't mind) when the reviews were already out there, and many of them weren't so generous.
I picked up the book with low expectations, thinking I would be bored most of the time, and boom, I was having an awesome time, fell in love with the writing style (especially with dialogues between characters which I found meaningful and deep at times, but more often just entertaining) and I got attached to characters whom stories made me understand where they came from.
This is a romance in which characters get together and then separate because if conflicts and miss communication (or lack of it to be fair) so I do understand why it wouldn't be appealing to a part of romance audience. To me, it was done right and I enjoyed following their journey to each other.
There were some smut scenes but they weren't too explicit. However, I wouldn't recommend this to minors.
Right after finishing A Sweet Mess I went into The Dating Dare, and guess what: I loved that one even more!
I guess Jayci Lee should find her spot on my list of authors who's work I am eagerly anticipating.
December 26, 2021
(1.5/5)
Dear god. What the hell did I just read.
- my first thoughts after finishing this book
A Sweet Mess was not at all sweet, at least to me, and entirely too much of a mess. Seriously. Where do I even begin with this one?
Aubrey Choi is a successful bakery owner living in a small-town in California. A mixed-up order leads a gummy worm-filled bundt cake straight down the throat of widely acclaimed food critic Landon Kim - who also just so happens to be her one-night stand. One harsh review later, Aubrey's business is going down the drain, and Landon suddenly shows up to help her out. Of course, the entire time, they're fighting their mutual attraction to one another. Will they be able to save Aubrey's bakery and fInD LoVe?Yes, apparently.
My biggest problem with this book was Aubrey and Landon's relationship. It felt entirely too insta-love-y to me, and never at any point did I feel like they were actually developing a relationship - it was just built off of mutual horniness, rather than anything substantial. The entire book, in fact, was filled with lustful yearning between the pair.
To fix the matter with Aubrey's bakery being put nearly out of business, Landon decides to invite her as a guest chef on a cooking show of his friend's, and while filming, they end up in a "there's only one house" situation. It would be really damaging to both of their reputations for reasons unknown if the public were to find out that they were sleeping together, so they decide to keep it a secret.
Throughout the book, I got the feeling that most of the plot devices were just that - plot devices. I'm sure that if certain things were delved into more, we wouldn't really be left with any conflict for the novel to be centered around at all. Which, in turn, left me feeling that this book was very empty and somewhat pointless.
Then, of course, was the To say that I was annoyed by how this trope was dealt with in the book would, in fact, be an understatement. Aubrey and Landon could have communicated clearly with one another about what they wanted and what they were thinking, but noooo. Why be mature adults discussing important life decisions when you can just be angsty, brooding, hormonal teenagers instead, am I right?
The characters did not have any weight to them at all. They were chariactures of tropes and had no personality holding them together, Landon more so than Aubrey. Seriously. I couldn't tell you a meaningful thing about the guy even if I tried. They didn't "grow" as characters whatsoever, but then again, neither did their relationship, which was, again, built off of sexual tension that was just manifested into existence.
The whole food aspect of this book was really downplayed, considering the main plotline and the fucking cover of the book. It was actually really cool to read about whenever it was included, but unfortunately, it wasn't included all that much.
I kind of wish that there was more of an emphasis placed on the cooking show instead of Aubrey's internal monologue consisting of thirsting after Landon 24/7, because then we would have gotten to see more of the food, which, honestly, was one of the biggest things that drew me to this book in the first place.
One of the only tolerable aspects of this book, as well as one of two tolerable characters in this circus, was Aria, Landon's chef friend and the host of the cooking show Aubrey guest-starred in. She had her own thing going on with a different romantic subplot playing out between her and a different character in tandem to Aubrey and Landon, but she was amazing. She, and Aubrey's friend Tara pretty much made up the entire cast of characters that I was okay with. And that's saying something, because they were pretty minor characters, all things considered.
It was interesting to read about Aubrey and Landon's pasts, no doubt, but I felt that it held little bearing on the story at hand, if that makes sense. It almost felt like an info-dump, just something that we should know about the characters but nothing that would actually come into play in the story. It, of course, didn't help that Landon's past was expressed very limitedly.
The writing was alright, generally speaking. I remember at certain points having to close my laptop and sit with my head in my hands for a few moments before regaining a semblance of sanity to be able to continue, but for the most part, the book was simple/readable and not too info-dump-y.
The ending and the resolution were just not it for me. You're telling me that after everything I went through reading about these clowns refuse to get together, then get together, only to fall apart, they just spontaneously were able to fix everything and make it work?? Um, no. It felt incredibly rushed and not all like the conclusion that you would be expecting for the conflict that was directly preceding it. In less words, I was upset and disappointed.
Overall, I stand by what I said - this book is a mess. I didn't enjoy it much at all, and a very big part of that was how disasterous the main relationship was to me, as well as the lack of food in a book centered around a baker and a food critic. I mean, come on people, it doesn't get much simpler than that!
Dear god. What the hell did I just read.
- my first thoughts after finishing this book
A Sweet Mess was not at all sweet, at least to me, and entirely too much of a mess. Seriously. Where do I even begin with this one?
Aubrey Choi is a successful bakery owner living in a small-town in California. A mixed-up order leads a gummy worm-filled bundt cake straight down the throat of widely acclaimed food critic Landon Kim - who also just so happens to be her one-night stand. One harsh review later, Aubrey's business is going down the drain, and Landon suddenly shows up to help her out. Of course, the entire time, they're fighting their mutual attraction to one another. Will they be able to save Aubrey's bakery and fInD LoVe?
My biggest problem with this book was Aubrey and Landon's relationship. It felt entirely too insta-love-y to me, and never at any point did I feel like they were actually developing a relationship - it was just built off of mutual horniness, rather than anything substantial. The entire book, in fact, was filled with lustful yearning between the pair.
To fix the matter with Aubrey's bakery being put nearly out of business, Landon decides to invite her as a guest chef on a cooking show of his friend's, and while filming, they end up in a "there's only one house" situation. It would be really damaging to both of their reputations for reasons unknown if the public were to find out that they were sleeping together, so they decide to keep it a secret.
Throughout the book, I got the feeling that most of the plot devices were just that - plot devices. I'm sure that if certain things were delved into more, we wouldn't really be left with any conflict for the novel to be centered around at all. Which, in turn, left me feeling that this book was very empty and somewhat pointless.
Then, of course, was the To say that I was annoyed by how this trope was dealt with in the book would, in fact, be an understatement. Aubrey and Landon could have communicated clearly with one another about what they wanted and what they were thinking, but noooo. Why be mature adults discussing important life decisions when you can just be angsty, brooding, hormonal teenagers instead, am I right?
The characters did not have any weight to them at all. They were chariactures of tropes and had no personality holding them together, Landon more so than Aubrey. Seriously. I couldn't tell you a meaningful thing about the guy even if I tried. They didn't "grow" as characters whatsoever, but then again, neither did their relationship, which was, again, built off of sexual tension that was just manifested into existence.
The whole food aspect of this book was really downplayed, considering the main plotline and the fucking cover of the book. It was actually really cool to read about whenever it was included, but unfortunately, it wasn't included all that much.
I kind of wish that there was more of an emphasis placed on the cooking show instead of Aubrey's internal monologue consisting of thirsting after Landon 24/7, because then we would have gotten to see more of the food, which, honestly, was one of the biggest things that drew me to this book in the first place.
One of the only tolerable aspects of this book, as well as one of two tolerable characters in this circus, was Aria, Landon's chef friend and the host of the cooking show Aubrey guest-starred in. She had her own thing going on with a different romantic subplot playing out between her and a different character in tandem to Aubrey and Landon, but she was amazing. She, and Aubrey's friend Tara pretty much made up the entire cast of characters that I was okay with. And that's saying something, because they were pretty minor characters, all things considered.
It was interesting to read about Aubrey and Landon's pasts, no doubt, but I felt that it held little bearing on the story at hand, if that makes sense. It almost felt like an info-dump, just something that we should know about the characters but nothing that would actually come into play in the story. It, of course, didn't help that Landon's past was expressed very limitedly.
The writing was alright, generally speaking. I remember at certain points having to close my laptop and sit with my head in my hands for a few moments before regaining a semblance of sanity to be able to continue, but for the most part, the book was simple/readable and not too info-dump-y.
The ending and the resolution were just not it for me. You're telling me that after everything I went through reading about these clowns refuse to get together, then get together, only to fall apart, they just spontaneously were able to fix everything and make it work?? Um, no. It felt incredibly rushed and not all like the conclusion that you would be expecting for the conflict that was directly preceding it. In less words, I was upset and disappointed.
Overall, I stand by what I said - this book is a mess. I didn't enjoy it much at all, and a very big part of that was how disasterous the main relationship was to me, as well as the lack of food in a book centered around a baker and a food critic. I mean, come on people, it doesn't get much simpler than that!
July 29, 2020
2.5 stars
Is it just me or has there been an abundance of rom-coms/romances published this year with a love interest who is somehow tied to a restaurant/pastry shop that is strapped for cash and/or on the brink of going under??? Bonus points if said restaurant/pastry shop is family-owned. Off the top of my head, I can think of, like, three books fitting these criteria that were published in the last two months alone: The Marriage Game, Recipe for Persuasion, and Kiss My Cupcake. With the exception of Kiss My Cupcake (which I haven't had the chance to read yet), all of the aforementioned books were rather bland, unsavory, [insert other food-related adjective for meh here] books whose heroines seemed to think they had more baggage than an airport baggage claim—all because Daddy refused to buy them the latest iPhone for their tenth birthday, or some other equally traumatizing encounter. And now, I have the great displeasure of adding A Sweet Mess to this list of timely classics.
To put it bluntly, in case it wasn't already clear, A Sweet Mess was a not-so-sweet mess. Maybe I'm being a touch unfair. There's nothing really wrong wrong with it, except it had a lot of elements that I just don't like. Namely: love at first sight; a wish-washy heroine who was all woe is me and damaged over nothing and couldn't make up her damn mind if her life depended on it; a "conflict" that was nonexistent or, at best, a molehill made out to be a mountain; events/circumstances that were just so contrived and out of touch with reality that I couldn't suspend disbelief or stop pointing out how unrealistic things were the whole time I was reading the book.
I've gotten pretty good at sussing out these books early on and, unsurprisingly, my spidy senses were already tingling by the second chapter. So, suffice it to say that I knew what I was getting into and that this wouldn't be the book for me from almost the very beginning. And yet, I persevered 'cuz Mama didn't raise no quitter. See also: pretty cover. But, in retrospect, the book is hardly to blame. I practically went in knowing that it wasn't my type of book and that I wouldn't like it, but I decided to read it anyway. It would be kinda like if my sister, who "only reads erotica" (her words, not mine), picked up It by Stephen King hoping for some kinky sex, only to be let down when—plot twist!—there was no such sex, and proceeded to give it a one-star rating because it just didn't do it for her. No shit, Sherlock.
So, consider this a two-star book if you're like my erotica-loving sister reading Stephen King, and a four-star book if you're actually a horror reader—and by horror reader I mean love-at-first-sight-er, in this case.
Is it just me or has there been an abundance of rom-coms/romances published this year with a love interest who is somehow tied to a restaurant/pastry shop that is strapped for cash and/or on the brink of going under??? Bonus points if said restaurant/pastry shop is family-owned. Off the top of my head, I can think of, like, three books fitting these criteria that were published in the last two months alone: The Marriage Game, Recipe for Persuasion, and Kiss My Cupcake. With the exception of Kiss My Cupcake (which I haven't had the chance to read yet), all of the aforementioned books were rather bland, unsavory, [insert other food-related adjective for meh here] books whose heroines seemed to think they had more baggage than an airport baggage claim—all because Daddy refused to buy them the latest iPhone for their tenth birthday, or some other equally traumatizing encounter. And now, I have the great displeasure of adding A Sweet Mess to this list of timely classics.
To put it bluntly, in case it wasn't already clear, A Sweet Mess was a not-so-sweet mess. Maybe I'm being a touch unfair. There's nothing really wrong wrong with it, except it had a lot of elements that I just don't like. Namely: love at first sight; a wish-washy heroine who was all woe is me and damaged over nothing and couldn't make up her damn mind if her life depended on it; a "conflict" that was nonexistent or, at best, a molehill made out to be a mountain; events/circumstances that were just so contrived and out of touch with reality that I couldn't suspend disbelief or stop pointing out how unrealistic things were the whole time I was reading the book.
I've gotten pretty good at sussing out these books early on and, unsurprisingly, my spidy senses were already tingling by the second chapter. So, suffice it to say that I knew what I was getting into and that this wouldn't be the book for me from almost the very beginning. And yet, I persevered 'cuz Mama didn't raise no quitter. See also: pretty cover. But, in retrospect, the book is hardly to blame. I practically went in knowing that it wasn't my type of book and that I wouldn't like it, but I decided to read it anyway. It would be kinda like if my sister, who "only reads erotica" (her words, not mine), picked up It by Stephen King hoping for some kinky sex, only to be let down when—plot twist!—there was no such sex, and proceeded to give it a one-star rating because it just didn't do it for her. No shit, Sherlock.
So, consider this a two-star book if you're like my erotica-loving sister reading Stephen King, and a four-star book if you're actually a horror reader—and by horror reader I mean love-at-first-sight-er, in this case.
July 6, 2020
This was an adorable book about food, love & second chances. I loved Aubrey so much; her drive, her compassion and her love for baking. Landon was overall a great character but went about saying and doing things all wrong alot in this book.
I wish it had more with both of their families and that it would come full circle with that but overall if you love books with baking & food definitely check this one out!
I wish it had more with both of their families and that it would come full circle with that but overall if you love books with baking & food definitely check this one out!
July 13, 2020
Food descriptions in Jayci Lee's newest novel are just mouthwateringly delicious!
Our protagonist Aubrey Choi is the owner of a small, but very successful bakery Comfort Zone. She is living through a minor emergency at the beginning of the book. Her part time assistant served somebody Aubrey's creation that was designed to go to a six year old birthday girl. Aubrey bakes another identical cake and saves the day. Later in the evening she meets Landon Kim, a gorgeous Asian American and is immediately attracted to him. She has no idea that Landon is a famous food critic whose car happened to break down on his way to a restaurant he was supposed to review. The couple spend an amazing night together thinking they are never going to see each other again. Landon never made it to his assignment, but his boss needs an article to fill the gap, so why not write about the cake abomination he was served earlier on the day - it was amazingly tasty, but also contained strangest fillings possible. Surely this must have been due to the arrogance of the pastry chef...
Landon's article has a more significant effect than he expected. A lot of Aubrey's business came from tourists and online orders which disappear almost overnight, just when she already committed herself to her new premises and needs money to rennovate them. Aubrey and just about everyone in her small town begs the editor to give her a second chance, especially since Landon's unfortunate experience was due to an honest mistake. Landon refuses to review Aubrey's bakery again, but would like to correct the consequences of his actions by offering her a place on a cooking show which would involve a week of filming and two weeks of tasting local wines. Aubrey knows this is her chance to save her bakery, however hard it might be to work with and stay in the same villa as Landon...
There are lots of good things about this novel, Aubrey and Landon's passion for food being just one of them. I'm not a big fan of insta-love, but Aubrey and Landon's first encounter was more of insta-attraction with no strings. Later the protagonists do find out more about each other and have time and space to let their feelings grow. There is a lot of tension building and even a few fairly melodramatic moments in the last third of the book. Part of the conflict comes from their childhood/adolescence experiences that shaped their ideas on love, relationships and family. As usual, clear communication would have saved them from a lot of misunderstandings and heartache.
Cute, emotional, full of traditional romance tropes, A Sweet mess is an entertaining read, recommended to anyone who loves food (esp.Korean food) and cooking.
Thank you to Edelweiss and St:Martin's Griffin for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
Our protagonist Aubrey Choi is the owner of a small, but very successful bakery Comfort Zone. She is living through a minor emergency at the beginning of the book. Her part time assistant served somebody Aubrey's creation that was designed to go to a six year old birthday girl. Aubrey bakes another identical cake and saves the day. Later in the evening she meets Landon Kim, a gorgeous Asian American and is immediately attracted to him. She has no idea that Landon is a famous food critic whose car happened to break down on his way to a restaurant he was supposed to review. The couple spend an amazing night together thinking they are never going to see each other again. Landon never made it to his assignment, but his boss needs an article to fill the gap, so why not write about the cake abomination he was served earlier on the day - it was amazingly tasty, but also contained strangest fillings possible. Surely this must have been due to the arrogance of the pastry chef...
Landon's article has a more significant effect than he expected. A lot of Aubrey's business came from tourists and online orders which disappear almost overnight, just when she already committed herself to her new premises and needs money to rennovate them. Aubrey and just about everyone in her small town begs the editor to give her a second chance, especially since Landon's unfortunate experience was due to an honest mistake. Landon refuses to review Aubrey's bakery again, but would like to correct the consequences of his actions by offering her a place on a cooking show which would involve a week of filming and two weeks of tasting local wines. Aubrey knows this is her chance to save her bakery, however hard it might be to work with and stay in the same villa as Landon...
There are lots of good things about this novel, Aubrey and Landon's passion for food being just one of them. I'm not a big fan of insta-love, but Aubrey and Landon's first encounter was more of insta-attraction with no strings. Later the protagonists do find out more about each other and have time and space to let their feelings grow. There is a lot of tension building and even a few fairly melodramatic moments in the last third of the book. Part of the conflict comes from their childhood/adolescence experiences that shaped their ideas on love, relationships and family. As usual, clear communication would have saved them from a lot of misunderstandings and heartache.
Cute, emotional, full of traditional romance tropes, A Sweet mess is an entertaining read, recommended to anyone who loves food (esp.Korean food) and cooking.
Thank you to Edelweiss and St:Martin's Griffin for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
January 23, 2021
What a mess.
July 23, 2020
This book BAKED me happy! A cup of romance... A heaping teaspoon of humor... A sprinkling of steam... A dollop of friendship... A peppering of family... A pinch of angst... Jayci Lee has written a sweet and charming romcom that made me swoon, smile and crave cake. Girl meets boy. Girl and boy have instant attraction and end up sleeping together. Girl and boy are certain their paths will never cross again. Boy mistakenly gets cake with gummy worms in it from girl’s bakery. Boy writes negative review of girl’s bakery. Girl is pissed at boy. Boy tries to redeem himself. Girl is not having it, but girl cannot deny chemistry between girl and boy.
This book was a lot of fun! The audio was narrated by Natalie Naudus. She did a wonderful job with Aubrey and Landon‘s voices. The story is told in third person and sometimes I have trouble connecting with books told in third person, but the audio narration really immersed me in the story. As much as I liked this book I have a couple tiny niggles. I found it hard to believe that Landen’s one review of Aubrey‘s bakery would damage her business so tremendously. But admittedly I’m not up on the food critic scene. Also the final bit of drama in the story was so annoying, I felt like a lot was made out of nothing. But all in all this was a delightful story. I loved both Landon and Aubrey, the food, the friendship, their moms, and the HEA.
This book in emojis 🍰 🍓 🥧 🍷 🛀🏼 👩🏻🍳
*** Big thank you to St. Martin’s Press & Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
This book was a lot of fun! The audio was narrated by Natalie Naudus. She did a wonderful job with Aubrey and Landon‘s voices. The story is told in third person and sometimes I have trouble connecting with books told in third person, but the audio narration really immersed me in the story. As much as I liked this book I have a couple tiny niggles. I found it hard to believe that Landen’s one review of Aubrey‘s bakery would damage her business so tremendously. But admittedly I’m not up on the food critic scene. Also the final bit of drama in the story was so annoying, I felt like a lot was made out of nothing. But all in all this was a delightful story. I loved both Landon and Aubrey, the food, the friendship, their moms, and the HEA.
This book in emojis 🍰 🍓 🥧 🍷 🛀🏼 👩🏻🍳
*** Big thank you to St. Martin’s Press & Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
dnf
September 12, 2020I’m extremely bored with this one so I think I may need to read it at a different point. I got about half way through and I’m still not into the story.
July 14, 2020
A Sweet Mess is an emotional, sweet, steamy, and obviously funny romantic comedy. The main characters Aubrey and Landon have serious chemistry and the author, Jayci Lee, does a great job translating that chemistry on page. The steam level in this one is high, but it also more of a fade out read when it comes to the more detailed intimate aspects. This story is written in third person point of view, and that is honestly my only complaint. I personally can not connect as well with the characters when that is the perspective it's written in, BUT I will say that it was slightly easier with A Sweet Mess. The story just has a good flow, and I think that's why I was able to connect as well as I did. I will say, without giving things away, that there are a few trope-y plots going on in this one that I personally enjoyed, but I think may bother some people.
All in all though, this was a good romcom read. Would I purchase it for myself? Probably not. It's an enjoyable read, and an easy one at that though, and I would for sure recommend it to anyone who loves a well written, trope-y romcom.
Available NOW!
*ARC
All in all though, this was a good romcom read. Would I purchase it for myself? Probably not. It's an enjoyable read, and an easy one at that though, and I would for sure recommend it to anyone who loves a well written, trope-y romcom.
Available NOW!
*ARC
August 14, 2021
4 Stars for A sweet Mess (audiobook) by Jayci Lee read by Natalie Naudus.
This was a fun romance set in the culinary world. The book had great characters and situations. I’m looking forward to listening to more stories by this author.
This was a fun romance set in the culinary world. The book had great characters and situations. I’m looking forward to listening to more stories by this author.
January 6, 2020
I give this book two out of five stars for poor dialogue construction, lack of connection to the characters, and a lot of manuscript construction mistakes an editor should have caught. The good news is, my review is based on an ARC through NetGalley. I read this book in January 2020 and the publication date posted is July 2020, which means the author and publisher hopefully plan to do some major edits and revisions before this gets released for publication.
Some of the things I had problems with:
1) Poor dialogue construction:
a. The characters all sound the same-none of them have their own unique voice aside from the child Andy, the kid who thinks peanut butter and gummy worms should be cake filling. Even a thorough line edit would improve this.
b. American’s born on the West Coast, and born pretty much everywhere else in the United States, don’t swear using the term “bloody”. We leave that to our cousin’s in the U.K.. Its use by American's is generally considered strange and a form of cultural appropriation. The average American does not have "bloody" in their cursing lexicon, so having a highly educated, born and raised Asian American hero using it is odd. Then to have the upper class born and raised Asian American female use it makes the dialog bizarre.
2) I don't like insta-love stories, and I didn't feel any real connection between the characters. The reader is told a connection exists, but never really shown its development aside from a few blushes and electric touches. I get that in order for the conflict of “no second reviews” to work, there had to be a greater moral and even potential legal liability issue to occur. It’s why the protagonists had to fall into bed together to begin with, right? No, I'm not convinced. Did they really need a one night stand in order for the same issue to be a conflict? Why couldn’t the paparazzi said to be following around the most eligible bachelor and famous food critic be the problem? A few pictures of him cuddled up with the heroine at the taproom and published would cause the same inferred but not confirmed relationship that puts the no second review rule into effect. I’m throwing that out there, because the respect factor for both characters drops dramatically with their choice of falling into bed and then falling into “insta-love”. Most romance readers HATE insta-love, me included, and if their connection can become a little more plausible/realistic/healthy adult life choice in the beginning the overall enjoyment of their story will increase. Plus it just creeps me out that the heroine paints herself into a situation that replicates what some of her daddy issues are about.
3) Someone please edit this before July 2020.
a. There is an overabundance of the author failing to resist the urge to explain (RUE).
b. There were a couple really awful sentences where I seriously didn’t know what was being said or conveyed. There was one line where I couldn’t tell if the hero was asking a question or giving a command.
c. The transitions are problematic. The scene where the hero first returns to the office after being stranded in the Sierra’s flows from him having a confrontation with his boss to him suddenly returning from a month overseas. I read that page twice trying to see if it was just me reading too fast for comprehension, but no there needs to be a much cleaner transition there. Most of the narrative would be improved by a clear delineation in the point of view shifts. A good space between paragraphs or even just a chapter break. Those transitions were really rough, and border on head hopping.
d. There’s strange formatting around some of the character dialog, where something is said and then immediately followed by an action being taken by a different character that is unrelated to the statement made.
*I hope this work gets some editing TLC and I am willing to take a second look and modify my review in the future if it does.
Some of the things I had problems with:
1) Poor dialogue construction:
a. The characters all sound the same-none of them have their own unique voice aside from the child Andy, the kid who thinks peanut butter and gummy worms should be cake filling. Even a thorough line edit would improve this.
b. American’s born on the West Coast, and born pretty much everywhere else in the United States, don’t swear using the term “bloody”. We leave that to our cousin’s in the U.K.. Its use by American's is generally considered strange and a form of cultural appropriation. The average American does not have "bloody" in their cursing lexicon, so having a highly educated, born and raised Asian American hero using it is odd. Then to have the upper class born and raised Asian American female use it makes the dialog bizarre.
2) I don't like insta-love stories, and I didn't feel any real connection between the characters. The reader is told a connection exists, but never really shown its development aside from a few blushes and electric touches. I get that in order for the conflict of “no second reviews” to work, there had to be a greater moral and even potential legal liability issue to occur. It’s why the protagonists had to fall into bed together to begin with, right? No, I'm not convinced. Did they really need a one night stand in order for the same issue to be a conflict? Why couldn’t the paparazzi said to be following around the most eligible bachelor and famous food critic be the problem? A few pictures of him cuddled up with the heroine at the taproom and published would cause the same inferred but not confirmed relationship that puts the no second review rule into effect. I’m throwing that out there, because the respect factor for both characters drops dramatically with their choice of falling into bed and then falling into “insta-love”. Most romance readers HATE insta-love, me included, and if their connection can become a little more plausible/realistic/healthy adult life choice in the beginning the overall enjoyment of their story will increase. Plus it just creeps me out that the heroine paints herself into a situation that replicates what some of her daddy issues are about.
3) Someone please edit this before July 2020.
a. There is an overabundance of the author failing to resist the urge to explain (RUE).
b. There were a couple really awful sentences where I seriously didn’t know what was being said or conveyed. There was one line where I couldn’t tell if the hero was asking a question or giving a command.
c. The transitions are problematic. The scene where the hero first returns to the office after being stranded in the Sierra’s flows from him having a confrontation with his boss to him suddenly returning from a month overseas. I read that page twice trying to see if it was just me reading too fast for comprehension, but no there needs to be a much cleaner transition there. Most of the narrative would be improved by a clear delineation in the point of view shifts. A good space between paragraphs or even just a chapter break. Those transitions were really rough, and border on head hopping.
d. There’s strange formatting around some of the character dialog, where something is said and then immediately followed by an action being taken by a different character that is unrelated to the statement made.
*I hope this work gets some editing TLC and I am willing to take a second look and modify my review in the future if it does.
Read
July 17, 2020This one is a tough one for me. Romance is so taste-specific (wow - bad pun!) and there were things I liked and other things that I really struggled with.
On the plus side: I love the overall premise of two Korean-American foodies meeting cute and finding a culinary happily every after. That gets an A++++ from me. The opening meet cute was funny and sweet. The small town setting was charming and then the action moved to wine country *raises glass*. I loved Tara, Aubrey's best friend and their relationship. The food descriptions (she's a pastry chef, he's a food critic and aspiring restauranteur) were awesome. There was a recipe for Bulgogi at the end and I'm trying it. *Chef's kiss* for all that.
On the negative side: For me as a romance reader, the "one night stand that gets awkward" trope can be hard to pull off. This premise and couple gave off a funny, sweet rom com vibe to me, not a dark, sexy "meet in a bar and rip each others' clothes off thirty minutes later" vibe. (I don't object to the one night stand at all in principle but it just didn't seem to fit the vibe of the story or have enough set-up to be plausible for me.)
I could have gotten past that but also really struggled with some of the other tropes used to keep the couple apart. I am also REALLY REALLY REALLY not a fan of the trope. When that happened I was like nooooooooooo, not that. Please not that.
In addition, there were some narrative and formatting issues. I was reading an ARC and I really hope the formatting is improved in the finished copy. I think having multiple POV shifts occur mid-chapter is super confusing (this was third person close POV that shifted from Aubrey's to Landon's) and because there was no formatting indication that the POV had changed (like empty space on the page or a divider) sometimes I'd be reading for a while until I realized I was not reading his POV but hers, and vice versa. That was frustrating and made the story harder to relax into.
I'll definitely check out other books by this author because I think most of my issues were plot- and trope-specific. And if you're okay with the tropes I disliked you'll be fine.
Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Let's be friends on Bookstagram!
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!
On the plus side: I love the overall premise of two Korean-American foodies meeting cute and finding a culinary happily every after. That gets an A++++ from me. The opening meet cute was funny and sweet. The small town setting was charming and then the action moved to wine country *raises glass*. I loved Tara, Aubrey's best friend and their relationship. The food descriptions (she's a pastry chef, he's a food critic and aspiring restauranteur) were awesome. There was a recipe for Bulgogi at the end and I'm trying it. *Chef's kiss* for all that.
On the negative side: For me as a romance reader, the "one night stand that gets awkward" trope can be hard to pull off. This premise and couple gave off a funny, sweet rom com vibe to me, not a dark, sexy "meet in a bar and rip each others' clothes off thirty minutes later" vibe. (I don't object to the one night stand at all in principle but it just didn't seem to fit the vibe of the story or have enough set-up to be plausible for me.)
I could have gotten past that but also really struggled with some of the other tropes used to keep the couple apart. I am also REALLY REALLY REALLY not a fan of the trope. When that happened I was like nooooooooooo, not that. Please not that.
In addition, there were some narrative and formatting issues. I was reading an ARC and I really hope the formatting is improved in the finished copy. I think having multiple POV shifts occur mid-chapter is super confusing (this was third person close POV that shifted from Aubrey's to Landon's) and because there was no formatting indication that the POV had changed (like empty space on the page or a divider) sometimes I'd be reading for a while until I realized I was not reading his POV but hers, and vice versa. That was frustrating and made the story harder to relax into.
I'll definitely check out other books by this author because I think most of my issues were plot- and trope-specific. And if you're okay with the tropes I disliked you'll be fine.
Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Let's be friends on Bookstagram!
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!
July 30, 2020
A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee highlighted how important communication was in any relationship. If only the characters featured in this book had communicated with each other, they could have avoided half the problems encountered in this story. With that being said, this proved to be a sweet story involving food (I am sure I packed on some pounds just reading about all those baked goodies) and romance.
The story introduces Aubrey and Landon, two driven, ambitious and compassionate characters who shared a love for food. Aubrey specialised in baking, while Landon was a well-known food critic.
The banter between the main and secondary characters was fun and cute. I especially enjoyed Aubrey’s interaction with her best friend, Tara. Tara was what one would call the life of the party.
I am on the fence as it relates to the romance. I loved the outcome which I found sweet and adorable, but I was not a fan of the journey it took to get there. The many obstacles in the form of abandonment and daddy issues, failure to communicate, pride and cowardice proved to be the major hindrances in their journey to a happily ever after. Landon did something that had me fuming, and frankly I thought Aubrey should have made him grovel a lot more. I never felt the connection between them. I believe that the fact that the reader was told of the chemistry between the characters instead of it being showed was a contributing factor.
The story featured the POVs of both main characters, which I had no issue with. However, what I found frustrating was the there was no warning when a change in the POVs occurred, therefore it took me awhile to figure out which of the character’s POV I was reading. The fact that this was an ARC may have been a contributing factor to the confusion surrounding the change in POVs. I sure hope that is the case.
Conclusion/Recommendation
I had hope to love this book, but unfortunately I would have to settle for liking it. Would I read more from this author, maybe?
This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading
The story introduces Aubrey and Landon, two driven, ambitious and compassionate characters who shared a love for food. Aubrey specialised in baking, while Landon was a well-known food critic.
The banter between the main and secondary characters was fun and cute. I especially enjoyed Aubrey’s interaction with her best friend, Tara. Tara was what one would call the life of the party.
I am on the fence as it relates to the romance. I loved the outcome which I found sweet and adorable, but I was not a fan of the journey it took to get there. The many obstacles in the form of abandonment and daddy issues, failure to communicate, pride and cowardice proved to be the major hindrances in their journey to a happily ever after. Landon did something that had me fuming, and frankly I thought Aubrey should have made him grovel a lot more. I never felt the connection between them. I believe that the fact that the reader was told of the chemistry between the characters instead of it being showed was a contributing factor.
The story featured the POVs of both main characters, which I had no issue with. However, what I found frustrating was the there was no warning when a change in the POVs occurred, therefore it took me awhile to figure out which of the character’s POV I was reading. The fact that this was an ARC may have been a contributing factor to the confusion surrounding the change in POVs. I sure hope that is the case.
Conclusion/Recommendation
I had hope to love this book, but unfortunately I would have to settle for liking it. Would I read more from this author, maybe?
This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading
October 1, 2020
Don’t read
A Sweet Mess
on an empty stomach or you’ll crave baked goods!!
Aubrey Choi is living her dream. Her bakery, Comfort Zone, is thriving, so much so that she’s planning to expand to larger space. It doesn’t leave her time for romance, however, but when she meets a handsome stranger at her friend’s brewery and they spend the night together, she starts to wonder what she’s missing.
It turns out that the stranger is food critic Landon Kim, and he’s about to write an unflattering review of Comfort Zone because of a mix-up he experienced. The review really hurts Aubrey’s business and puts her expansion—and the future of her bakery—in jeopardy.
When Landon realizes the review was unfair and finds out about its impact on Aubrey’s business, he vows to make it up to her. He lands her a stint on a friend’s cooking show, but there’s a catch: she’ll need to stay with him in a villa in California's Wine Country for a few weeks while the show is filmed.
They both know they have to keep things professional between them or it could hurt both of their reputations. But given their intense chemistry and the depth of their growing feelings for one another, that gets harder and harder to do.
Is a chance at love worth the risks to both of them? Are people destined to be together? Love is on the line for two people who have never really trusted their hearts.
I really enjoyed this. It was fun, sexy (not too steamy), romantic, and absolutely hunger-inducing. Jayci Lee is a terrific writer—I’ve read this and a more traditional romance she wrote and both are very different. I could easily see this as a television movie.
The book even has recipes—but I wanted one for the chocolate cake with peanut butter filling, lol!!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Aubrey Choi is living her dream. Her bakery, Comfort Zone, is thriving, so much so that she’s planning to expand to larger space. It doesn’t leave her time for romance, however, but when she meets a handsome stranger at her friend’s brewery and they spend the night together, she starts to wonder what she’s missing.
It turns out that the stranger is food critic Landon Kim, and he’s about to write an unflattering review of Comfort Zone because of a mix-up he experienced. The review really hurts Aubrey’s business and puts her expansion—and the future of her bakery—in jeopardy.
When Landon realizes the review was unfair and finds out about its impact on Aubrey’s business, he vows to make it up to her. He lands her a stint on a friend’s cooking show, but there’s a catch: she’ll need to stay with him in a villa in California's Wine Country for a few weeks while the show is filmed.
They both know they have to keep things professional between them or it could hurt both of their reputations. But given their intense chemistry and the depth of their growing feelings for one another, that gets harder and harder to do.
Is a chance at love worth the risks to both of them? Are people destined to be together? Love is on the line for two people who have never really trusted their hearts.
I really enjoyed this. It was fun, sexy (not too steamy), romantic, and absolutely hunger-inducing. Jayci Lee is a terrific writer—I’ve read this and a more traditional romance she wrote and both are very different. I could easily see this as a television movie.
The book even has recipes—but I wanted one for the chocolate cake with peanut butter filling, lol!!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
June 28, 2020
5 - "You’re worth every risk…" Stars!
I love discovering a new author and Jayci Lee has added herself straight to my auto-buy list with A Sweet Mess. Great story, likeable characters, beautiful locations and an easy to read writing style. I read Aubrey and Landon’s story in a day.
As farfetched as it sounded, they had met by pure chance… A food critic and a baker. It was fucking serendipity…
A little bit of forbidden to the romance aspect, and with a storyline built around food and cooking, I was hooked. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, the drama and angst is nicely balanced and doesn’t weigh down the book either, and I loved it from start to finish.
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.
I love discovering a new author and Jayci Lee has added herself straight to my auto-buy list with A Sweet Mess. Great story, likeable characters, beautiful locations and an easy to read writing style. I read Aubrey and Landon’s story in a day.
As farfetched as it sounded, they had met by pure chance… A food critic and a baker. It was fucking serendipity…
A little bit of forbidden to the romance aspect, and with a storyline built around food and cooking, I was hooked. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, the drama and angst is nicely balanced and doesn’t weigh down the book either, and I loved it from start to finish.
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.
March 3, 2020
Totally enjoyed this book. It was just so romantic all the way through. well, except for the bumpy road.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This book was a wonderful twist on a classic romance. Starring a baker who is enjoying some amazing business growth, she meets a guy who she immediately falls for. Sparks are Flying! It’s a wonderful beautiful connection even though it was just one night.
But then things become real and her business grinds to a screeching slow down. The worst thing is it’s because of him. And when she finds out she has the ability to get some money to get her business back on track, it also involves him. And what a sweet mess it is!
The one thing that struck me about this story is not only are the characters real and humorous, but their connection is literally on fire. The story is one long foreplay session.
Filled with romantic and sensual heat, these two can fire up your kindle. The author writes, with intense passion, a story that will capture your attention and light up your soul.
With typical ups and downs, these two weather many storms, but they are true to their feelings and the happily ever after is sweet and just so romantic.
A delightful story you will fall in love with. I can’t wait for more from Lee.
* copy received for review consideration
Full Review - https://amidlifewife.com/a-sweet-mess...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This book was a wonderful twist on a classic romance. Starring a baker who is enjoying some amazing business growth, she meets a guy who she immediately falls for. Sparks are Flying! It’s a wonderful beautiful connection even though it was just one night.
But then things become real and her business grinds to a screeching slow down. The worst thing is it’s because of him. And when she finds out she has the ability to get some money to get her business back on track, it also involves him. And what a sweet mess it is!
The one thing that struck me about this story is not only are the characters real and humorous, but their connection is literally on fire. The story is one long foreplay session.
Filled with romantic and sensual heat, these two can fire up your kindle. The author writes, with intense passion, a story that will capture your attention and light up your soul.
With typical ups and downs, these two weather many storms, but they are true to their feelings and the happily ever after is sweet and just so romantic.
A delightful story you will fall in love with. I can’t wait for more from Lee.
* copy received for review consideration
Full Review - https://amidlifewife.com/a-sweet-mess...
June 15, 2020
This was such a cute romance that was full of all of the angst and drama (while still remaining funny). If you are a fan of "The Kiss Quotient" by Helen Hoang or "The Hating Game" by Sally Thorne, I'd highly recommend checking this one out as well.
It was a fun read and surprisingly, I still really enjoyed it when my least favourite trope was introduced (no spoilers, don't worry).
At its core, it was a fun romantic comedy that had everything a romance lover would want in a story. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.
***Thank you to the author Jayci Lee and publisher St. Martin's Griffin for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review***
It was a fun read and surprisingly, I still really enjoyed it when my least favourite trope was introduced (no spoilers, don't worry).
At its core, it was a fun romantic comedy that had everything a romance lover would want in a story. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.
***Thank you to the author Jayci Lee and publisher St. Martin's Griffin for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review***
dnf
June 13, 2020DNF at 16%
I wasn’t enjoying it and so I stopped. YMMV.
Unrelated to the content, but worth bitching about: the cover is terrible. The publisher should be ashamed for whitewashing the Korean MCs in the ugliest cover I've seen all year. Do better for your BIPOC authors because this cover is a disgrace.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn’t enjoying it and so I stopped. YMMV.
Unrelated to the content, but worth bitching about: the cover is terrible. The publisher should be ashamed for whitewashing the Korean MCs in the ugliest cover I've seen all year. Do better for your BIPOC authors because this cover is a disgrace.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 2, 2020
Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Griffin and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
I read a book by Jayci Lee back in January/February I think? And I absolutely loved it. It was so beautiful and refreshing seeing an asian couple on a book cover. And the story was compelling, sexy and definitely up my alley. So of course I had to request this title.
It worked.. but also not.
1) I'm very not happy about this cover, it definitely hides the ethnicity of the characters - which are korean - and from this cover you can't really see it. I don't agree with the publisher's choice for this one and I'm a bit disappointed and sad about this.
2)The beginning of this book was absolutely incredible, i loved their chemistry and banter was really funny and sweet. Their built up was well done and the writing was as beautiful as I remembered. I really did like it until probably 70% in so this is why it's a 3 stars and not a 2.
3) now to my issue. I don't mind miscommunication most of the time in romances, which is an unpopular opinion, but let me just say as a person with issue with communicating my feelings I get it.
But here it literally made me exhausted. It was just stupid. I don't get it why this choice was made. My rating dropped like a meteorite after this.
The ending was cute but I couldn't get over my feelings for that particular scene, so the book went from great to average.
I read a book by Jayci Lee back in January/February I think? And I absolutely loved it. It was so beautiful and refreshing seeing an asian couple on a book cover. And the story was compelling, sexy and definitely up my alley. So of course I had to request this title.
It worked.. but also not.
1) I'm very not happy about this cover, it definitely hides the ethnicity of the characters - which are korean - and from this cover you can't really see it. I don't agree with the publisher's choice for this one and I'm a bit disappointed and sad about this.
2)The beginning of this book was absolutely incredible, i loved their chemistry and banter was really funny and sweet. Their built up was well done and the writing was as beautiful as I remembered. I really did like it until probably 70% in so this is why it's a 3 stars and not a 2.
3) now to my issue. I don't mind miscommunication most of the time in romances, which is an unpopular opinion, but let me just say as a person with issue with communicating my feelings I get it.
But here it literally made me exhausted. It was just stupid. I don't get it why this choice was made. My rating dropped like a meteorite after this.
The ending was cute but I couldn't get over my feelings for that particular scene, so the book went from great to average.
April 8, 2020
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A Sweet Mess was a cute little romcom kind of book. Definitely needed to switch things up genre wise and I feel like I zoomed through this one. In it, you will meet Aubrey and Landon. She is a pastry chef and has her own bakery. She just loves everything that has to deal with baking and making her customers happy. Until the day that Landon walks into her life.
Honestly, it was kind of funny on what happened before they met but once they did - sparks flew. Of course, these two had their fair share of drama as well. It kind of reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians is a way. Or even any sort of romcom on hallmark or lifetime channel. I could also see it being a movie as well .. and I would definitely watch it just to laugh at the funny scenes.
The only thing I loved, and super jealous of, is her freaking visit to the wine country! UGH, a three week dream vacation for me.. and she got to go. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book and this couple. It was very cute and something that I just needed without knowing it.
A Sweet Mess was a cute little romcom kind of book. Definitely needed to switch things up genre wise and I feel like I zoomed through this one. In it, you will meet Aubrey and Landon. She is a pastry chef and has her own bakery. She just loves everything that has to deal with baking and making her customers happy. Until the day that Landon walks into her life.
Honestly, it was kind of funny on what happened before they met but once they did - sparks flew. Of course, these two had their fair share of drama as well. It kind of reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians is a way. Or even any sort of romcom on hallmark or lifetime channel. I could also see it being a movie as well .. and I would definitely watch it just to laugh at the funny scenes.
The only thing I loved, and super jealous of, is her freaking visit to the wine country! UGH, a three week dream vacation for me.. and she got to go. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book and this couple. It was very cute and something that I just needed without knowing it.
August 5, 2020
I think this book is perfect for anyone who appreciates a Harlequin Romance. A lot of events just happen for steam factor and while it's cute, it's not 100% believable. I also didn't enjoy the ending as much as I wanted because of how the trope was handled. I enjoyed the asian-american rep in this book, family relationships, and issues both characters had to go through. It's still a good read!
Thank you SMP Romance for sending me copy!
Thank you SMP Romance for sending me copy!
July 5, 2022
This was actually so cute. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook, the narration was done super well. Thoroughly enjoyed this
July 12, 2020
Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Griffin and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
A Sweet Mess centers on Aubrey Choi, a young woman who owns a brand new bakery, Comfort Zone. Aubrey has an intense one night stand with a hot stranger she meets at her best friend's brewery -- a stranger who turns out to be famed food critic Landon Kim. Prior to meeting Aubrey, Kim received the wrong order from Comfort Zone and after nearly choking to death on gummy worms, writes a scorchingly bad review which sends the fledgling bakery into a tailspin. After finding out that Aubrey owns the bakery he torched, Landon embarks on an endeavor to help Aubrey save Comfort Zone from financial ruin while attempting to preserve both of their professional reputations.
This book has a lot of great ideas, but it tries to force too many different plot points into one book. There's family drama, there's an accidental pregnancy, there's a cooking show, there's love at first sight, enemies to lovers, *and* forbidden love elements at different points -- it's just too much. The "will they, won't they" between Aubrey and Landon never really makes a ton of sense, as both characters whiplash back and forth between wanting to be together and believing there's no way they could make it work. I had high hopes because I love Hallmark movies and this had all the trappings of a Hallmark in novel form but it doesn't quite pull it off.
A Sweet Mess centers on Aubrey Choi, a young woman who owns a brand new bakery, Comfort Zone. Aubrey has an intense one night stand with a hot stranger she meets at her best friend's brewery -- a stranger who turns out to be famed food critic Landon Kim. Prior to meeting Aubrey, Kim received the wrong order from Comfort Zone and after nearly choking to death on gummy worms, writes a scorchingly bad review which sends the fledgling bakery into a tailspin. After finding out that Aubrey owns the bakery he torched, Landon embarks on an endeavor to help Aubrey save Comfort Zone from financial ruin while attempting to preserve both of their professional reputations.
This book has a lot of great ideas, but it tries to force too many different plot points into one book. There's family drama, there's an accidental pregnancy, there's a cooking show, there's love at first sight, enemies to lovers, *and* forbidden love elements at different points -- it's just too much. The "will they, won't they" between Aubrey and Landon never really makes a ton of sense, as both characters whiplash back and forth between wanting to be together and believing there's no way they could make it work. I had high hopes because I love Hallmark movies and this had all the trappings of a Hallmark in novel form but it doesn't quite pull it off.
August 27, 2021
A Sweet Mess is sweet story indeed. It has all the feels. The culture, the family background and the sweet, romantic romance.
Aubrey and Logan stole my heart. Their story fron ONS to becoming romantic couple is full with moral messages. Both need to overcome their past to get their HEA.
This is my first read by Miss Lee and certainly will not be my last. Although the ending is bit rushed, overall I am very entertained with the book.
4 stars
Aubrey and Logan stole my heart. Their story fron ONS to becoming romantic couple is full with moral messages. Both need to overcome their past to get their HEA.
This is my first read by Miss Lee and certainly will not be my last. Although the ending is bit rushed, overall I am very entertained with the book.
4 stars
July 10, 2020
I loved this book! Not only is it brilliantly written but the story is engaging and lovely. Our heroine has a successful bakery and a handsome fiancé. Then after one horrible day, she has neither. Now can the man who was just supposed to be a one night stand save her failing life? Can he help her find happiness? And can she help him?
A wonderful romance with two people who love to cook and lots of misunderstandings. .
A wonderful romance with two people who love to cook and lots of misunderstandings. .
July 10, 2020
A Sweet Mess is an adorable love story about Landon Kim a workaholic food critic and Audrey Choi a successful bakery owner. The two meet and have a one night stand thinking they will never see each other again.
But when Landon writes a scathing review of Audrey’s bakery Comfort Zone, not realizing she is the shop owner, disaster looms. Audrey’s business begins to fail just as she has signed a contract to expand. Audrey confronts Landon but unfortunately he has a never retract policy and refuses to write another review.
Landon feels terrible and decides to make it up to Audrey. He offers her a paid spot on a TV cooking show which his best friend hosts. Audrey is to design three new dishes and debut each on the show. Audrey, who is desperate to save her business agrees to the arrangement.
There is only one catch. They must share lodging for the duration of her stay which both of them are afraid will go terribly wrong. But they agree and of course sparks begin to fly. But something deeper begins to happen.
This story goes beyond your regular boy meets girl and they fall in love. Added to the plot are values such as the importance of family and how even though there can be disputes the love of one’s family never dies. Family can pick up where they left off any time. It also delves into how the trust you learn from your family at an early age can mold how you accept yourself and others later in life.
Entwined in the story are beautiful descriptions of wineries, villas and food. And of course who can resist a happy ending?
Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sGriffin #JayciLee #ASweetMess for the advanced copy. The book will be out on July 14.
But when Landon writes a scathing review of Audrey’s bakery Comfort Zone, not realizing she is the shop owner, disaster looms. Audrey’s business begins to fail just as she has signed a contract to expand. Audrey confronts Landon but unfortunately he has a never retract policy and refuses to write another review.
Landon feels terrible and decides to make it up to Audrey. He offers her a paid spot on a TV cooking show which his best friend hosts. Audrey is to design three new dishes and debut each on the show. Audrey, who is desperate to save her business agrees to the arrangement.
There is only one catch. They must share lodging for the duration of her stay which both of them are afraid will go terribly wrong. But they agree and of course sparks begin to fly. But something deeper begins to happen.
This story goes beyond your regular boy meets girl and they fall in love. Added to the plot are values such as the importance of family and how even though there can be disputes the love of one’s family never dies. Family can pick up where they left off any time. It also delves into how the trust you learn from your family at an early age can mold how you accept yourself and others later in life.
Entwined in the story are beautiful descriptions of wineries, villas and food. And of course who can resist a happy ending?
Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sGriffin #JayciLee #ASweetMess for the advanced copy. The book will be out on July 14.
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