A Sweet Mess
By: Jayci Lee
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Pages: 320
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this book.
Summary (Provided by Goodreads): 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 her gorgeous Korean unicorn 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.
First Impressions
I was sent this book to review and was immediately drawn in by the cute cover of this book. When I read he summary I had a feeling it would be right up my alley. I also have been trying to diversify the authors that I read, so that definitely made this book appeal to me a little bit more.
What I thought
Woah! There is a lot to unpack here.
Aubrey own a bakery in a small town in California. Landon is a famous food critic. When he stumbles into her bakery, he accidentally buys a cake made for a 6 year old, stuffed with gummy worms. Later that night, he meets Aubrey at a bar. Neither of them knows who the other one is until Landon’s negative review about Aubrey’s bakery comes out, threatening the livelihood of her business.
And that’s all only within the first 20% of the book!
So much happens in this book. It has so many romance novel tropes all rolled into one and I enjoyed every minute of it.
I loved Aubrey. She was strong and independent and determined to make her own way in the world. I also liked Landon, and their chemistry leapt off the page. There was a big pull of will they/won’t they that kept me intrigued from page one. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to them and how they would ultimately end up together.
There were also some side characters, specifically Tara, Aubrey’s best friend, who I really hope get a spin off novel. I would love to read more about the town and Tara. There were also some delicious sounding recipes in this book. I think there was only one that was given in the back, but it definitely had me craving some baked goods.
If you are a fan of romance novels, I highly recommend checking this one out. There is so much that happens and it kind of breaks the typical pace. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen another surprise was thrown in. It brought a smile to my face every time I picked up this book and I look forward to reading more by Lee in the future.