ARC Review: “A Sweet Mess” by Jayci Lee

“A Sweet Mess” by Jayci Lee

Publishing Date: July 14th, 2020

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction

Page Length: 320 pages (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

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. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

A Sweet Mess follows the story of Audrey Choi who is owns a bakery called Comfort Zone. Her bakery is her dream and is a popular spot with the locals. After meeting Landon, a food critic, and spending one night together her world is turned upside down. His bad reviews of her restaurant start to kill her business. Can Aubrey turn things around and can Landon make amends for his mistakes?

The story turns out with a “love at first sight” theme and then switches over to “forced proximity” as they have to share a villa for an upcoming cooking show. Because things went sour between Audrey and Landon so fast they have to work to build trust in each other. They share a lot of quick banter in their conversations which makes the reader laugh out loud and I liked seeing them bond over their love of cooking.

Audrey and Landon cant deny their passion for each other as they lodge in the villa. Its a cozy serene environment where they are hidden away from the world and can work on their (cooking) craft. Audrey is a fiery main character who is confident in her cooking skills. She knows she’s a good baker and is determined to prove to others that Comfort Zone is full of tasty treats. I admired her spontaneous nature and her inquisitive nature of trying new food combos in the kitchen. Landon has a hard exterior on the outside because hes been taken advantage of during his time off. But in reality he has the biggest heart under that hard exterior. That’s why he tries so hard with Aubrey to make things right.

Not only is this is a romance novel but it’s also about the power of food. Food is a source of comfort in many ways and you see the joy it brings to others. Especially when Audrey create special deserts for her customers. She puts a lot of love into her cooking and has the biggest heart. The food descriptions are so mouth watering in this book and I wanted to try all of the recipes described. It’s a lighthearted read with some angst, but overall it was a fun romance.

Final Verdict: