One of the best novels set around a reality TV baking competition that I’ve ever read. You really grow to care for the contestants and especially the love story at its heart.

Love at 350° was an absolute delight of a book. I'm a former professional baker and books with baking in them often make me cringe because they don't seem very accurate, but this book took so much care in describing the food and techniques that were used in the competition, and it felt so genuine. I really loved that Tori and Kendra were in their 40's because it added a level of maturity to their characters, which I don't always see in romances with younger characters. There was also really no drama between them throughout the story, which made it extra cozy. Lisa Peers is definitely an author I'll eager to read more books from!

Thank you Dial Press, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Queer, older main characters, foodie centric & Bay Area setting!

This hits all the notes for me and was a delicious audiobook as well. Be prepared for A LOT of food /cooking/baking descriptions and not a whole ton of romance - although there is tension.

Dnf’d at 10%. Wasn’t for me, thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. I think this book has a very cute premise and will work for some people.

This is possibly the first queer novel I read featuring middle-aged MCs and I loved it! I'm pretty late in reviewing it and it's been a while since I read it, so I'm amazed at how well I remember the story and that's saying something because I normally struggle with it.

I'm a foodie and though not into bakery at all, I loved the detailing on the reality TV show aspect of the story. It's a slow burn and the romance is definitely there, but the added suspense of the competition bought me onto the edge of my seat and I was addicted. Fellow reviewers have bought up how it was marketed as a rom-com and I'll admit, the novel's not big on that genre, but I don't really mind. It feels great to know the MCs up close and delve into other aspects for once, so I'm not cutting back on my rating due to this.

Speaking of the MCs, I love how they were not typecasted into tropes like 'Golden Retriever' or 'Grump' and instead there were so many layers too all the characters including the minor one's that the reader gets to relish. I've read MCs from a variety of age groups, but never come across such a well thought out expression of the empty nest syndrome and though it's just touched upon, it was an element that stayed with me. [This is with reference to Tori- mom to twin teenagers ready to go to university]

I love how different Kendra and Tori are in expressing themselves and seeing them grow as the story progresses was a delight. Tori is completely at home in front of the camera and builds deep bonds with her fellow contestants in a heartwarming manner. Kendra on the other hand is more reserved and thoughtful, her strong presence on the screen often coming off as harsh and foreboding. Then seeing their mannerisms of screen with people they feel comfortable with is a wonderful change and something that gave me insight into myself.

As I write this, I'm not sure how well I'm able to explain how much I LOVED this book and yes, I think I'm gonna reread it pretty soon too! I highly recommend this novel, if you're willing to let romance take somewhat a backseat and enjoy the journey!

Thanks to publisher for inviting me to read this ARC. This seems like it was going to be more romance centered. But that’s a marketing flaw in my opinion. But I do love a baking show plot line!!

This book was a cute read. Although the book felt like an entirely different book than what was marketed. Majority of the book was about cooking/baking and a tiny sliver of it was romance. I expected the book to be primarily romance with a sub trope of the chef aspect but that was not the case. Regardless, if you like hearing about cooking/baking with a splash of romance, this is just the book for you.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have a lot of feelings about baking books as a professional baker and there are a lot of things that make it a good fictional baking book in my opinion. This book has almost all of those. The baking and the baking competition are front and center in this book and everything was very well done. It is very reminiscent of the great British bake off So if that is not your jam, this book's not going to be for you.

If you're slightly obsessed with the great British Bake off and all things baking, this book is probably going to be for you.

Now that I've noted how prominent the baking in this book is, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the baking has overtaken the romance. For me I was fine with this. I liked the slow burn I liked the last minute figuring out how they were going to be together and I liked that they both had things in their own lives to focus on. However, this is marketed as a rom-com which it is not. It's more like a slice of life baking competition with a romance subplot. I was here for it but if you are expecting a romance to be front center, you might be disappointed.

I really especially loved Kendra. So many women in hospitality are treated like Kendra where they are either infantilized and patronized or we are called bitchy or bossy or cold. It is in fact possible to be a badass woman in the kitchen and maybe it's people's perceptions that need to change. I cannot count the amount of times that men have told me that I am too severe and that I need to be nicer when in reality I had the same level of severity as the men in the kitchen but they are allowed to have that and be respected and women are not for some reason. So I really appreciated Kendra and her no nonsense attitude and respect for food and baking. I liked that she was able to explore a little bit of a softer side but also was shown the respect she deserved by those who mattered.

I like Tori too. I liked her relationship with her kids but she was a little bit more forgetful for me. It was fine but she wasn't my favorite character.

So in summary, I'm definitely going to recommend this book to people who like baking books but also to folks who are looking for love stories that have substance to them where the romance isn't front and center but a little bit more subtle. This book also has no explicit scenes which is something that too much of the book community frowns upon but I think books with no explicit scenes or fade to black have their home in the romance world as well and should be celebrated just the same.

Lesbian MCs in their late 30s/early 40s (I don't remember actual ages)

I LOVED this book. The characters are so relatable and heartwarming and I love that they had solid communication from the start. The framing reference of the baking competition was super fun and didn't distract from the overall plot too. There's recipes at the end of the book which is always a plus for me!

📖My Thoughts📖

I’m always a huge fan of books that implement baking competitions or small town bakeries. I’m not entirely sure why, other than in the very rare occasion that I actually watch tv, those two types of shows seem to be my comfort. When you have one of those two elements and they’re in a romcom, then it’s “winner winner chicken dinner” and I just have to read it. Like any book, one of the main things I enjoy when I read, is seeing the characters grow and evolve. It just brings on these weird sense of pride in me for some reason. To see Tori and Kendra grow from their starting point was really inspiring. To be able to recognize your potential and chase after your dreams, even if it’s a bit later in your life than some people, is something very admirable. The main trope in this romcom is forbidden love, and let me tell you, it made me love the story even more watching it unfold, despite being frustrated at the same time. I’m a very empathetic person and I never considered that it would also have an impact on me with the books I read, but it most definitely did with this one. I really appreciate how the author was able to draw emotions from me simply by her depictive writing skills. I’m looking forward to reading more work by this author!
Thank you Netgalley, Lisa Peers and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book. 🥖🥖🥖🥖

I really enjoyed this book, I’m a sucker for books with chefs in them!
Tori is a contestant on a well known baking show, and she’s attracted to one of the judges, Kendra. Their romance is completely prohibited by the show’s rules, but they can’t seem to stop. Great characters and delicious dishes, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Love at 350° by Lisa Peers is a good fit for those seeking a heartwarming and lighthearted romance that explores the power of food and the complexity of human relationships.

Tori Moore, our endearing protagonist, enters the cutthroat world of a TV baking competition with dreams of launching her own bakery, while Kendra Campbell, the formidable judge, grapples with her own personal and professional dilemmas. The story was overall enjoyable with a diverse cast of characters competing for TV baking show glory. There was drama, comedy, and high jinks. However, the chemistry felt underdeveloped between Tori and Kendra.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC of Love at 350° in exchange for my honest review!

I've usually got love for rom-com books that throw cooking into the mix, but this novel doesn't wrap me up in the sweetness and the chuckles that I'd expected. It's sad, because I very much wanted to find chemistry between Tori and Kendra, but it just doesn't really build up to anything between them. I can't even call this a slow-burn romance, because again, the snuggly love is lacking. That being said, there is a breezy air to this that I like flowing through, and all the cooking got me positively hungry, too. But these elements aren't enough to leave me on an ultimately satisfied note once the conclusion arrives.

Overall, I'm officially rating Love at 350° 2.50 out of 5 stars, which I'll round down to 2 stars on Goodreads. I wish I could have had a better time with this, but hey, I'm still up for checking out more of Lisa Peers's work in the future.

This was such a refreshing romance. I really enjoyed reading a book where the main characters were propper adults. I loved the baking competition setting. As a fan of the tv shows it was a cozy comforting setting. Normally I don't particularly like a romance with no spice, but this was such a pleasant read I'm giving it a pass. Good character development, not too much reliance on the characters' insecurities to move the plot along which I appreciated (again probably because of the ages). Overall a very fun cozy rom com.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy to review.

Representation: Sapphic MCs

An American version of the Great British Bake Off with a forbidden romance between one of the contestants and judges during the show’s run. Tori Moore is a chemistry teacher, avid home baker, and moping about her twins leaving soon for school. The twins push her to apply for the show, if nothing but to have something to do and look forward to. She dreams of opening her own bakery one day, and the prize money would be very useful if she made it all the way. Kendra Campbell has a reputation for being ruthless and blunt with the contestants, and she’s been told she needs to shift that attitude for viewers wanting feel-good TV. She’s surprised by how challenging but rewarding giving encouragement is, and this is at the same time she’s struggling with how to keep her bakery empire afloat. They meet in the process of making the show, and they find it harder and harder to stay away form each other as their feelings for each other start to come to a boil.

Rating: 4.25/5 It was fun seeing how they adapted GBBO to an American version of the show, and I really enjoyed the “behind the scenes” vibe they had going. We were seeing everything as Tori was experiencing it, as a contestant, the stress and thoughts that happen over the course of baking something. I liked the drama, it was subtle enough to make it interesting, but didn’t feel forced to me. I appreciated how they were consistently aware of the power dynamic, the consequences of what could happen if they were found out while under contract. This was a fun, quick read, and if you like lesbian romance, this is a great pick.

Thank you to Dial Press Trade Paperback and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. This was a sweet slow burn romance between two women in their 40s who are part of a cooking network competition show. It was a quick read for me and I liked the characters within. Both Kendra and Tori had some growing to do and they made sense that they could be good for one another. If you want a feel good slow burn with a side of tasty food descriptions, pick this up. 3.5 stars.

4.75/5

If you are a rom-com and food competition lover like me, I highly recommend getting ready for this delectable debut from Lisa Peers! Love at 350° features queer female characters in their 40s which I loved, and the baking show competition aspect was chef's kiss. 💋 I highly enjoyed both Tori and Kendra's viewpoints and Tori actually gave me Elizabeth Zott from Lessons in Chemistry vibes due to her teaching background and chemistry approach to baking. There is so much talk about food and sweets that it will make you crave everything! It was also a bit like being behind the scenes on a competition show and that was interesting as well.

I literally listened to the same narrator almost twice in a row thanks to this book, and Barrie Kreinik was as fabulous for Love at 350° as she was for the other book. She makes a great one-woman show when it comes to narrating multiple characters, and I thought she captured their essence perfectly. This was a really lighthearted read, but at the same time it is about pursuing your dreams no matter what point you are at in your life and that is a message we could always use more of. This was a super quick and easy read that I would recommend to all rom-com lovers!

This was a Forbidden Romance RomCom meets the Food Network in all the best ways possible! It was such a cute and fun fluffy read that really puts a smile on your face! While this was a romance book, it was just mostly flirting, so I would have liked to see a little bit more of the relationship after the fact. It did feel like you were watching your favorite baking competition show and getting to see the behind-the-scenes of it! One thing I would have liked to see more of an epilogue though. It would have been interesting to see where Tori and Kendra's relationship went and even more than that, what Tori's show was!

I would definitely recommend this book if you have any interest in it, you won't regret it!