I’m a big fan of Great British Bake Off and I love when novels put their characters in similar competitions. It was partially for that reason that I read Alexis Hall’s Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake back in 2021 (review here). Unfortunately, I was really upset with one aspect of the plot and the rest of the book was soured. BUT. After reading more of Hall’s work, I thought I’d give the semi-connected series another go. And I’m glad I did as I enjoyed Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble.

Here’s the book’s description:
Paris Daillencourt is a recipe for disaster. Despite his passion for baking, his cat, and his classics degree, constant self-doubt and second-guessing have left him a curdled, directionless mess. So when his roommate enters him in Bake Expectations, the nation’s favourite baking show, Paris is sure he’ll be the first one sent home.
But not only does he win week one’s challenge—he meets fellow contestant Tariq Hassan. Sure, he’s the competition, but he’s also cute and kind, with more confidence than Paris could ever hope to have. Still, neither his growing romance with Tariq nor his own impressive bakes can keep Paris’s fear of failure from spoiling his happiness. And when the show’s vicious fanbase confirms his worst anxieties, Paris’s confidence is torn apart quicker than tear-and-share bread.
But if Paris can find the strength to face his past, his future, and the chorus of hecklers that live in his brain, he’ll realize it’s the sweet things in life that he really deserves.
Paris is, like some desserts, an acquired taste. He has pretty serious anxiety that he hasn’t addressed because he doesn’t know he needs to - he just thinks he is the way he is and that’s all there is to it. But he makes excuses for himself that I had no time for, especially after he started getting help. I’m not sure how much of the “omg I’m the worst ever” was part of the anxiety (Yes, I know it would be a huge part) but there were still some instances where I felt he should have behaved better. Perhaps I’m wrong. I don’t have anxiety like Paris so I can’t fully get into his head but I know it’s tough. I wish I could remember some of the specific examples but, alas, I read this one so long ago (oops).

I loved the baking show aspects of the book, obviously, and that the book was divided up by each episode. It helped keep track of time in a fun way. It was always fun to see what the bakers were making each week and I always liked when the whole cast was hanging out together.



The romance in this one was a delight - even with all of the awkward and terrible moments. I respected Tariq so much and wish I could be more like him. He knew who he was and wasn’t about to apologize for not being a stereotypical British baker. Is it wrong to say I think he might have been too good for Paris? It might be, right? Whether they were truly right for each other, I don’t entirely know, but the romantic in me was expecting more of a romance novel and so I was rooting for a Happily Ever After between the two of them.

Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble was a cute read with funny moments but a lot of really heavy topics and topics that should be tackled in contemporary reads. Alexis Hall doesn’t always deliver a total winner to me but I continue to read his books because I appreciate his talent and humour and the ability to make me look at the world a little differently than I did when I started the book.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by Forever via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

It's taken me way too long to write this review. I adore Alexis Hall's writing style. Freaking adore it. Paris Daillencourt was no different. The witty writing shone through. I was so, so excited to be able to pick up a book with relatable mental health content. But whew. I don't think I was prepared for how hard this would hit. I had to take so many breaks, because being inside Paris' brain was like being inside my own head. And I didn't necessarily like it. Which made me spiral too many times about if I didn't like Paris, how many people truly didn't like me, just because of how my brain works? It was kind of exhausting to think about.

Props to Alexis for how spot on the anxiety rep was. It really, really was so accurate. But also not easy to read about. Or review, apparently. Regardless, I love this baking show world and friend group, and would absolutely continue my journey with them. Thanks to Forever for a review copy!

I have... mixed feelings.
On one hand, I appreciate the anxiety representation and how Paris showed the negative sides of constantly being anxious however sometimes it was a big too much?
Alot of the book felt scripted, which technically speaking, every book is but conversations between characters felt like the author was writing a stand up sketch and every interaction needed at least 5 jokes.
Paris as a character is, complicated. He is insensitive at times and snobbish but alot of times its blamed on his anxiety/ low self esteem that is causing his words to come out so harshly. However Paris messing up happens constantly. The 30-60% mark was almost painful to read because the same scenes of Paris messing up happened repeatedly but then, he got diagnosed with GAD and got on medication and the book got more enjoyable.
Overall this book was messy. Paris as a character was interesting and he definitely wasn't perfect but I wish he would have gotten help sooner in the book as it would have made it more bearable. I also wish we would have gotten some final interaction with his parents, seeing as he consistently texts them and never hears a response. I think this book needed more guidance and time editing.

DNF @ 28%

I can't get into this one at all. Normally Hall's books work for me but this one sadly does not. The writing feels off and I just do not like Paris. Sad I couldn't connect. Hopefully Hall's next book is better for me.

I dunno if it was me or the book but I just couldn’t get into this one. I will probably try again at another time

I had a bit of a tough time getting through this one, just because Paris's anxiety was so intense -- not holding that against him! But it's definitely hard to read about.

Paris Daillencourt is about to Crumble tells the story of love and baking. Two very sweet things!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am a fan of the Great British Baking Show and queer romance so this had all the ingredients I loved. Alexis Hall is a very talented writer and always delivers. This book was no different.

I was given this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

Paris is a mess. He suffers from near-crippling anxiety if he steps one toe outside his routine. So when his roommate signs him up for Bake Expectations, he is an even bigger mess. There are Reasons for some of his inner monologue, but they are spoilery, so read the book to find out.

Tariq has more confidence in his pretty polished fingernail than Paris has in his whole being. And as they explore their attraction, there are some bumps as they adjust expectations of the other.

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble is Alexis Hall’s second novel in their recent food cooking competition series. However; I preferred the first novel to the second in this situation.

Paris had many quirks and characterizations that I enjoyed reading but quickly got annoyed with forty percent through. Every character has different reactions to different audiences; however. While I enjoyed the setting of the novel and the cooking competition, I wasn’t a fan of the endless self doubt that was featured throughout.

Alexis Hall is a brilliant writer. Top of my list for the best rom-coms out there. Also the cover is amazing. If you love LGBTQ stories with humor and heart look no further. Highly recommend

The second book in the Bake Expectations romance series is here! Thank you @readforeverpub for keeping me entertained.
Paris Daillencourt Is About To Crumble by Alexis Hall can definitely be read as a stand alone but is a companion to Rosaline Palmer Takes The Cake. Both are set in completely different seasons of a hit baking show call Bake Expectations and both are romances that deal with heavier topics and diverse casts.

I found Paris Daillencourt a little harder to read because Paris has significant anxiety, something he only recognizes and deals with halfway through the book, and I’ll be honest and say his anxiety was so much that it even spiked mine in real life. It was very realistic to the point that my brain thought it would be fun to play the “what if” game too and I had to stop reading for a few weeks.

But overall, the baking show as always is the best part. I love the other contestants and the descriptions of the bakes! Such a great read for a baking show watcher.

I enjoyed the first book but I realized this one wasn’t for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read this.

Okay. It was really good. Despite it being the second in the Winner Bakes All series it felt completely different to Rosaline. Like, it had the same Bake Expectations characters, and similar structure, but also not. There was a lot more post-show than what was in Rosaline, and I really enjoyed that. I don’t think the book would have worked if it had followed exactly the same structure.

This one goes on the list of "excellent books I will never read again" because my heart can't take going through Paris Daillencourt's mind again. He is so anxious that he made ME anxious, but watching him fall apart and put himself back together was a rewarding read. Alexis Hall is so incredibly talented at drawing out the vulnerabilities in his characters and immersing you in their viewpoints, and this is a masterclass in escalating tension in the depiction of mental illness.

This was not my favorite, but I think it was because I was expecting rom-com and it really didn't read that way to me. It was hard to want to continue, but not because of poor writing, just because it wasn't what I was expecting/needing at the time. I think this definitely has an audience and at another time/mood I may have enjoyed it more.

This book was good, but it was stressful. I really enjoyed the humor and the romance we got, but it was a lot less Romcom than I was expecting. Overall it was a solid read, and I relate a lot to Paris as a character with the anxiety but that’s probably why it was a little much at times. It’s hard to see a character you are rooting for fail so badly.

This book was just not it for me. Paris was an extremely unlikeable character which made it very difficult to read this book. There were also problematic anti-semitic comments made in the book. While there was a warning for islamophobia at the beginning of the book, I don't think it was enough for the amount of comments that were made.

4.5 rounded up to 5. I really love how Alexis Hall can take characters who should be unlikable and makes them so full of heart that you only want the best for them! Paris is a bit of a mess, to put it mildly, and his slow realization that the problem isn't him so much as it is an actual mental health issue (but also that he needs to take ownership of his actions even so) was a very tender read. I enjoyed the baking, the cast of characters, and most of all the romance and friendship between Paris and Tariq (and the platonic friendship with Morag).

I haven't read the first Winner Bakes All yet but it is on my list now, before book #3 comes out! Thanks to Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Genuinely, this was hard. I found it so hard to immediately root for Paris want that HEA - and even then it was SUCH a hard fought hea when we finally got there.
But I think I went in expecting a romance and was confused and almost frustrated that it wasn't. That being said, if you want something that isn't predictable with your typical romcom skeleton, this is for you.

As usual Alexis Hall knocked the rep out of the park! I love how genuine things like generalized anxiety play out. It doesn’t feel forced and that’s one of his greatest strengths as a writer!

I love the setting just as I did in the first book but I wish it was a bit different mainly because it felt like a rewrite of book 1 at times and that took me out of it a couple times.

The characters were the true stars as it should be and I really enjoyed how the contrast between the two.

A solid follow up but maybe not as good as the first.