The Book:
Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall
Published May 18th 2021 by Forever
Date read: May 24, 2021
The Characters:
Rosaline
Her daughter Amelie
Her best friend Lauren
Contestants Alan and Harry
Buy it on Bookshop.org | Amazon
The Plot (from Goodreads):
Following the recipe is the key to a successful bake. Rosaline Palmer has always lived by those rules—well, except for when she dropped out of college to raise her daughter, Amelie. Now, with a paycheck as useful as greaseproof paper and a house crumbling faster than biscuits in tea, she’s teetering on the edge of financial disaster. But where there’s a whisk there’s a way . . . and Rosaline has just landed a spot on the nation’s most beloved baking show.
Winning the prize money would give her daughter the life she deserves—and Rosaline is determined to stick to the instructions. However, more than collapsing trifles stand between Rosaline and sweet, sweet victory. Suave, well-educated, and parent-approved Alain Pope knows all the right moves to sweep her off her feet, but it’s shy electrician Harry Dobson who makes Rosaline question her long-held beliefs—about herself, her family, and her desires.
Rosaline fears falling for Harry is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Yet as the competition—and the ovens—heat up, Rosaline starts to realize the most delicious bakes come from the heart.
The Review:
This fun, light-hearted novel was exactly what I needed this weekend. Thanks to the ladies of @lovearctually for putting it on my radar!
Baking competitions are a guilty pleasure of mine, so I was so excited about this setting. I loved the behind-the-scenes of the show and seeing the relationships formed between the characters. I’m so glad there’s going to be another book in this series! But man did it make me want to bake.
I immediately fell in love with Rosaline and her determination to balance her career goals, her social life, and most importantly being a good parent. I need a character I can really root for in a book, and Rosaline certainly fits the bill. She was strong, ambitious, and always stood up for herself and her daughter.
Speaking of Amelie, she was probably my favorite character. I have a precocious, non-stop-question-asking youngster in my life as well that she really reminded me of, so I loved that connection.
This was my first advance listener’s copy from Hachette Audio, and I loved it so much. I thought Rosaline’s narrator perfectly fit her personality, and the audio was clear and well produced. I’m so excited to listen to more of their productions! I listened to this one at 2x speed.
Overall, I loved this funny, engaging, beautifully written story. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
Now, if you need me, I’ll be watching baking shows while I wait for the next book 😉
3 Comments
Comments are closed.