Baking Me Crazy

Joss and Levi have been the best of friends the moment they met five years ago. But while Joss never saw past friendship, Levi had been harboring feelings since the first time he’s laid eyes on her. It was the Buchanan curse, after all. But when circumstances push Levi to finally make his move, it’s only a matter of time before he finds whether rocking the boat is for the best… or for worse.

We see Jocelyn bitter and jaded because of the struggles that comes with her disability but beyond the circumstances she’s been put through, she experiences what any twenty-one-year-old would: dating troubles and figuring out exactly what to do with her life – just with bigger baggage attached. Though Joss excels in physically navigating her surroundings, at times it comes as overcompensating for what she lacks in every other aspect of her life. She’s unwilling to walk, and not because she can’t do it but because she’s not (and never will be) good at it. Her wheelchair is her security blanket and leaving its confines scares her – and rightly so – but her weakness only goes to show that she’s human too, which makes Joss all the more a compelling character.

Levi, as a character, was interesting in the sense that he’s initially portrayed to be perfect, can do no wrong, and is loved by all, but once it comes to light that he’s been in love with Joss and that there’s a possibility of her falling for someone else, we see him crack and struggle with the consequences of what it truly means to love someone who’s looking for love somewhere else. But this doesn’t deter Levi, in fact, it only urges him more to win Joss’ heart yet he never crosses that line of pushing her into something she doesn’t want. He was so patient with her and it’s commendable that once they get together he acknowledges that while he said “I love you” first, he doesn’t expect Joss to say it back straight away when he’s had years to love her in secret and she’s only had months.

The romance, while upfront from Levi’s point of view, on the one hand, did a stellar job of letting it creep up on you the same way it did for Joss. What was evident since the very beginning was how solid their friendship was, which is why it doesn’t come as a surprise once you see the shift in their relationship. These characters going from friends to lovers felt authentic, and Karla Sorensen wrote them with such finesse individually that when we see them finally come together, it feels nothing but right.

The side characters like Sylvia, Connor, and Joy were a delight, and Joss’ and Levi’s romance was one of a kind. This book oozes sweetness on every page and it was hands-down a cute, quick, heartwarming read.

P.S. The book is set in Green Valley, Penny Reid’s fictional universe from the Winston Brothers series so it’s fun to watch out for little appearances from beloved characters like Jackson James, Ashley, Cletus, and Jennifer Winston!

This was my first Smarty Pants Romance and my first book by Karla Sorensen. I enjoyed it. It was a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

I didn’t give it 5 because I found Joss kind of annoying sometimes. I did like the way her disability was portrayed. And I understand that she was only 21 and very sheltered and kind of self-restricted because of her disability. But I found her fear and naivety a bit irritating.

Levi was a good hero. He was had oodles and oodles of patience. It was a miracle he lasted as long as he did before telling her his true feelings.

There’s no curse words in this book. There’s two sex scenes. The second one being very vague and then former being much more descriptive.

I’m looking forward to reading more Smarty Pants books!

Such a sweet story. Loved it, laugh with it (as always) love your sense of humour. Broke my heart to think that Levy could be without her if she hit it off with Andy, got really upset!!!!
The biggest thing about her books, the thing the really touches me Everytime is the real people, the real fellings, their imperfections, their mistakes. Loved it! Congratulations, hope you keep writing many more.

I just love the story of Jocelyn and Levi! This is the kind of love that I wish everyone could experience. The two of them just make my heart melt. Jocelyn is such a strong, fierce, beautiful woman. Levi is just so sweet and loyal. It had to be so hard to love her so much and keep it a secret for so long. Sometimes you just don’t see what is right in front of you. I highly recommend this book!

Audiobook. Wow… So this is a really difficult review for me to write, mostly because I don’t feel like this (audio)book lived up to my expectations and I’m struggling trying to figure out if I just held it too high or if it was all on it’s own merits. Also, the narration is SUPERB ~ which sounds great, except when I distill down to the story itself the narration should not “save” a story. On some level I think that’s what happened here. Ultimately, I’m going with 3 stars. It was a cute story ~ but it was merely “OK”. Not something I’d listen to again or rave to others about.

I think this book suffered from being too long and too short at the same time. We heard a LOT from Joss. Especially her internal musings and mostly grumbling. She’s quite the negative person. I can empathize on some level, but it wasn’t balanced well either by other characters in the book or her personal epiphanies in regards to Levi or moving. Even to the very end, including the epilogue, she felt like a curmudgeon dragged along into her “happily ever after”.

I adored Levi & Joss’s friendship ~ but almost exclusively when Levi was describing it. He seemed to know her so completely, not just for his romantic aspirations, but he obviously truly loved his friendship with her on a platonic level as well. Joss seemed to expect it as the only person she let into her life and tolerated on any meaningful level.

We are in Green Valley, so it’s hard not to compare the similarities between Levi & Joss and Duane & Jessica (Truth or Beard by Penny Reid) ~ especially in terms of the h’s obliviousness to the H’s interest in them. The difference is that Reid spent a significant amount of time on letting readers in on Jessica’s journey through her surprise and we fell in love with Duane right along with her. We knew Duane had a lot of time to process his connection to Green Valley and felt confident he was making the right decision to follow Jessica and her wanderlust. We get very little of this with Levi & Joss. Frankly, it felt like Joss was more interested in experiencing sex than any actual emotional relationship with Levi. Her decision to move with Levi also felt underdeveloped. The last few chapters felt clipped and the HEA was a “because I said so” by the author.

Secondary to Levi & Joss were all the other Green Valley characters and Levi’s extended family. It was lacking as a world-building attempt. Which says a lot considering what an extensive world Reid has created. I expected to anticipate seeing these characters in future books/series. Except, not. Some of their appearances were awkward and lacked cohesion. I wish the author would have spent more time connecting these characters and bringing the Green Valley of their lives to us. There aren’t any significant appearances from familiar Green Valley characters. Not even secondary or tertiary ones. Jenn has a few lines, Cletus has one, Jackson is mentioned in passing, and everyone else is completely new. Which would probably be fine, except they are so underdeveloped.

This book was short. One of the things I really enjoy about Penny Reid’s stories is how long they are and the immersion that gives the reader/listener. This audio was just under 7 hours, making it about *half* the length of WB or KITC books. It shows. It may seem unfair to continue to compare this author to Reid, but the fact is ~ this is touted as “Pennyverse”. Just as Joss is described as “Green Valley Lite” this book holds the same title.

What drew me into this universe was because I am a huge fan of Penny. I am so glad that I signed up for these books, I haven’t read one that disappointed me. It was exciting to meet new authors and characters that fit into this world.

Baking Me Crazy is a highly entertaining and educating first start to this universe. Be expecting good things to come.

One of my favorite trope is portrayed in this book. Friends-to-lovers will always reign high on my book list. Joss and Levi delivered fully. This trope was written in a way that I wasn’t totally expecting.

The fact that Levi fell for Joss when she wasn’t looking was fantastic. I have read to many times when it’s the female character that is harboring “secret” feelings for the hero. But alas fate wouldn’t be on his side for some time. They meet as teenagers and then the story jumps ahead in time with Levi still carrying those same feelings around.

Except he’s more in love now than before.

Joss was as clueless as a newborn baby. She has this eternal struggle going on that made her not see things that were so clearly blatant to others. She’s not the lay down and take it kind of girl, despite her new reality.

When he realizes that Joss is ready for more with someone and a new man enters their twosome, when Levi finds the courage to tell Joss how he feels. I mean I understood why he kept them secret to himself but men sometimes are just not as proactive as they should be. But there’s no way that he’s going to let another man take away his friend and potential lover.

I am already going to say that I would recommend any book that is going to be placed in this universe. Because Penny has never written a book that I didn’t like. So I am positive that the Smartypants Romance Series is one that you won’t want to miss.

So pick up Baking Me Crazy so you don’t miss out on the fun and romance.

Baking Me Crazy is the perfect craving for a sweet tooth! This delightfully funny “friends to lovers” story will have your cheeks hurting from smiling so hard. The exact blend of comedy and romance, with a slow burn leaving you in the friend zone, will have you hooked from the start. The characters will win your heart and have you not wanting the story to end. This was my first Karla Sorensen book, but I immediately bought it in paperback when I was only a few chapters in. A wonderful start to the Donner Bakery series and I can’t wait for more (and more cameos!)

Y’all. I have a new favorite book of the year, Karla Sorensen’s Baking Me Crazy. Levi and Joss stole my heart and I never want it back. I read this book cover to cover in one sitting and laughed, cried and swooned my way through the entire thing. If best friends to lovers (with a bit of a “curse” twist) is your thing, you have to read this book. You won’t be disappointed.

There are plenty of things to love about Baking Me Crazy, but I really want you to discover most of them yourself. Joss was AMAZING. I can’t stress that enough. Her strength — both inside and out — was admirable. I have a total girl crush on her. (Can we be best friends?) And speaking of crushes? Levi. Oh, Levi. He’s the best of the best book boyfriends and I just loved him so much. His devotion to Joss made my heart so happy. I loved their friendship and I caught a major case of feels while their story progressed. There’s a good bit of a slow burn as these two work things out, but the payoff is worth it. Oh, the swoons!

I had seriously high hopes for this new Smartypants Romance line and we’re off to an amazing start with Baking Me Crazy. I’m also super greedy and want to read all the others. Like, right this second. If they’re even a fraction as good as this book, I’m going to be one happy reader. I can’t wait to dive into them. I’m hoping for even more cameos from some of my favorite characters from Penny Reid’s books and some of the folks I meet along the way, too. I always have such a tough time giving up my faves, so seeing them again always makes me all mushy happy inside.

Favorite Quotes:

We all had shit we dealt with—things that made life hard sometimes—and mine was just simply more visible to the naked eye because I sat in it every single day.

“The worst part of going on a date with someone new is that you have no idea if it’s going to be the longest two hours of your life, or if you’ll walk out of that dinner feeling like you met the person you’re going to marry.”

“You are stunning, by the way. It’s like trying to look at the sun.”

I went into this book thinking it would be a classic friends to lovers romance, it was that but so much more. There is a depth to this book that will suck you in! Levi and Jocelyn are best friends, what Jocelyn does not know is that Levi fell in love with her at first sight. This book is a slow burn romance that will have you savoring each moment. There are sweet and funny moments that are mixed in with all the feels. The cast of characters that we get to meet in this story just add too the joy for the reader, I want to hang out with Joy and Levi’s family… like all the time! Karla Sorensen has done an amazing job add diversity to her story seamlessly, she did such an amazing job exploring Jocelyns experience. This story will bring a smile to your face from page one until you read “The End”.

4.5 Stars
This is the first book in the series and it kicks off with a bang. I love a good friends to lovers romance. That’s what makes things between Jocelyn and Levi so special. Though Levi has always had romantic feelings for Jocelyn, but she hasn’t returned romantic feelings. Levi needs to step up his game so Jocelyn can see what has always been right in front of her before Levi losses his opportunity to someone else. I loved this book because it delivers on the humor, but also plenty of feels. This is a make you feel good story that I just devoured. I didn’t want to put it down because I wanted to see Levi to get his girl. Jocelyn is a very inspirational character and it made my heart happy that she has Levi and his family in her corner. I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series.