The Book:
Battle Royal by Lucy Parker
Published August 17th 2021 by Avon
Date read: August 31, 2021
The Characters:
Sylvie
Dominic
Buy it on Bookshop.org | Amazon
The Plot (from Goodreads):
Four years ago, Sylvie Fairchild charmed the world as a contestant on the hit baking show, Operation Cake. Her ingenious, colorful creations captivated viewers and intrigued all but one of the judges, Dominic De Vere, the hottest pastry chef in London. When her glittery unicorn cake went spectacularly sideways, Dominic was quick to vote her off the show. Since then, Sylvie has managed to use her fame to help fulfill her dream of opening a bakery, Sugar Fair. The toast of Instagram, Sugar Fair has captured the attention of the Operation Cake producers…and a princess.
Dominic is His Majesty the King’s favorite baker, the go-to for sweet-toothed A-List celebrities, and a veritable British institution. He’s brilliant, talented, hard-working. And an icy, starchy grouch. Learning that the irksome Sylvie will be joining him on the Operation Cake judging panel is enough to make the famously dour baker even more grim. Her fantastical baking is only slightly more troublesome than the fact that he can’t stop thinking about her pink-streaked hair and irrepressible dimple.
When Dominic and Sylvie learn they will be fighting for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bake a cake for the upcoming wedding of Princess Rose, the flour begins to fly as they’re both determined to come out on top.
The bride adores Sylvie’s quirky style. The palace wants Dominic’s classic perfection.
In this royal battle, can there be room for two?
The Review:
Raise your hand if you adored Rosaline Palmer and immediately wanted more baking competition books?? I never knew this was something I needed in my life, but I definitely do now. This was my immediate thought when I read the synopsis of Battle Royal.
This book ended up being so much more! On top of the baking show, you have an enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity love story, a royal wedding, and even more professional competition.
These characters are so well written and have so much depth, and the side characters are just as good as the main characters. They all have complex backstories that made them seem way more real. I loved how there was a perfect mix of emotional scenes and humorous scenes. It made the whole book feel very well-rounded.
I was glad I had a physical book as well as the audio, because the POV was somewhat confusing to listen to. I kept mixing up Dom and Leo, and couldn’t immediately tell which perspective I was listening to. The narrator was great, though!
I absolutely can’t wait to read Pet and Matthias’s story next!
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