Book Review: A Sweet Mess, written by Jayci Lee

Hello everyone! How are you all doing? I know, I know, that you must be getting tired of being asked this question! But, seriously, I hope you’re okay and even if you’re not..that’s okay too.

Today, I’m bringing you a book review of an adult romance that has A LOT of baked goodies and angst! Without any further ado, let’s dive into it…

A SWEET MESS by JAYCI LEE

Publication date: July 14th, 2020 
Publisher: Headline Eternal
Pages: 270
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary
Buy: Blackwells| Goodreads | Book Depository

Synopsis:

Is it time to bake a chance on love?

Aubrey Choi has been content running her highly successful bakery Comfort Zone, with dating the least of her priorities. Then a one-night-stand with gorgeous Korean hunk Landon Kim makes her want things she didn’t think she had time for. Too bad it turns out he’s a celebrity food critic whose scathing review of Comfort Zone goes viral and nearly destroys Aubrey’s business – and her fond memory of their night together.

Landon tries to clean up the mess he made by offering Aubrey a spot on the new celebrity cooking show he’s producing. To save her bakery and her reputation, she agrees – whilst vowing to protect her heart.

Will their pairing be a recipe for disaster? Or will the baker and critic finally admit that they have all the necessary ingredients for love?

– My Thoughts –

A Sweet Mess is a not so sweet, but messy love story.

It was a classic meet-cute, one you’ve probably seen in a very popular tv show. Girl and boy meet in a bar and they have sizzling chemistry…which means a one night stand, of course! Landon Kim is a celebrity food critic who’s just passing by Weldon, a small town where Aubrey Choi’s bakery is. Audrey had no idea that Landon would later write a scathing review that would destroy her comfort zone.

Landon later realizes that the cake he criticized wasn’t meant for him and that it was baked by none other than Aubrey- the beautiful woman whom he can’t forget- he decides to make things right for her. He has a plan that will save Aubrey’s crumbling business and reputation as well as his.

The plan Landon has in mind is to spend three weeks at a villa in wine country to help Aubrey prepare as a guest star on a famous television show. Can the two of them resist each other or is this another disaster in the making?

Insta-lust, Insta-love. I’ve never been a fan of the trope. In A Sweet Mess, Landon and Aubrey have this insta-lust that I wanted to ignore. I love a good slow burn, and that paired with an enemies-to-lovers romance is just *chefs kiss*. There was also a lot of telling instead of showing going on, which took the enjoyment out of my reading. I loved the mention of all the baked treats in the story, but I would have enjoyed it more if the author took the time to develop Aubrey and Landon’s relationship more. I also loved Aubrey’s friend, Tara and I hope that we will be getting a book about her soon!

Both the characters were Korean Americans, and they shared yet another similarity as well. The last few pages were full of emotions and miscommunication; I felt that a lot of it wasn’t explained well enough. Landon, in my opinion, didn’t grovel enough and the next thing you know, it’s a Happily Ever After.

Overall, I would recommend this if you’re looking for an adult romance with forced proximity, one night stand to enemies-to-lovers romance, and lots of yummy food.

Thanks to the publisher for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

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– About the Author –

Jayci Lee writes poignant, sexy, and laugh-out-loud romance every free second she can scavenge. She lives in sunny California with her tall-dark-and-handsome husband, two amazing boys with boundless energy, and a fluffy rescue whose cuteness is a major distraction. At times, she cannot accommodate real life because her brain is full of drool worthy heroes and badass heroines clamoring to come to life.Because of all the books demanding to be written, Jayci writes full-time now, and is semi-retired from her fifteen-year career as a defense litigator. She loves food, wine, and travelling, and incidentally so do her characters. Books have always helped her grow, dream, and heal, and she hopes her books will do the same for you.

Thank you for reading! Do you think you’ll read A Sweet Mess? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! 

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