Piece of Cake

Narrated by Brittany Pressley
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Pub Date 20 Jun 2023 | Archive Date 20 Jul 2023

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Description

She’s only trying to save her job and her reputation.


Claire Sommers grew up as a society girl destined to have it all: tasteful Dallas mansion, high-powered career, hot and rich husband. Until a massive mistake left her reputation in tatters and trust fund frozen. Now the former debutante is scraping by as a magazine staffer in Nashville—trading in her diamonds and designer stilettos for rhinestones and cowgirl boots.


But all is not well in the world of print publications. Piece of Cake, the beloved Southern wedding magazine where Claire works, is one issue away from going under. Thankfully, Claire has a plan to save the day and the magazine—a reality show–style docuseries on the South’s most over-the-top and outlandish nuptials. And with country music royalty, Elvis impersonators, and enough drama to make your momma faint, it just so happens that Tennessee is the perfect setting for unscripted wedding day magic. Her boss loves Claire’s idea so much that she even brings in “The Brides’ Man,” New York native and social media star Dominic Gravino, to partner with Claire on the project, despite her protestations.


Dominic’s East Coast confidence and charisma clash with Claire’s Southern breeding and independent spirit as the two unlikely collaborators attempt to create a series that will save Piece of Cake. But in between million-dollar weddings, two-stepping bachelorette parties, and hot chicken fiascos, Claire and Dom discover they make a great team . . . on and off the job. But letting go of old hurts is harder than she imagines, and soon Claire realizes that she must come to terms with what happened in her past if she’s ever going to embrace the present.

She’s only trying to save her job and her reputation.


Claire Sommers grew up as a society girl destined to have it all: tasteful Dallas mansion, high-powered career, hot and rich husband. Until a...


Advance Praise

“. . . a laugh-out-loud peek into an alternate universe where weddings are a competitive sport and there’s no such thing as too much bling.” —Yvette Manessis Corporon, international bestselling author

“. . . a laugh-out-loud peek into an alternate universe where weddings are a competitive sport and there’s no such thing as too much bling.” —Yvette Manessis Corporon, international bestselling author


Available Editions

EDITION Audiobook, Unabridged
ISBN 9780785258926
PRICE
DURATION 9 Hours, 6 Minutes, 5 Seconds

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (AUDIO)

Average rating from 134 members


Featured Reviews

First of all, I loved this book! This is the story of Claire Sommers. Claire, a wedding planner, has a been trying to find her way in the world. She has always felt inferior to her successful sisters and made a mistake that alienated her from her family. In an attempt to move on she took a job at a bridal magazine in Nashville, as a writer. However the magazine is failing and may go under.

In comes Dominic Gravino, a wedding blogger, to hopefully save the day and the magazine. And maybe even win Claire’s heart.

This audiobook was very enjoyable. Brittany Presley is, as usual, excellent as narrator. She always makes characters come to life and books more enjoyable to listen to. And what a sweet story. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and their stories.

Mary Hollis Huddleston and Asher Fogle Paul created a story that is fun, engaging and heartfelt. But to be honest one of my favourite parts was the authors note at the end. It was the reminder of how difficult it is for young people these days. In the story Claire makes a big mistake and has to deal with the wrath of her family and past co-workers, however these days, with the advancement of social media, the audience, to a persons mistake, is so much bigger and difficult to come back from. Their acknowledgment of this is honest and genuine and leads me to hope they will pen a book for adolescents to help get this message across to a wider audience.

All in all I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. Many thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook for my honest review.

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This was so cute! Former wedding planner turned magazine contributor Claire was a lovable main character. She has to work with influencer Dominic on a project to try to save their magazine. I loved the insight into the wedding industry, the growth of Claire, and the sweet evolution of Dom and Claire’s relationship.

The narration was excellent!

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This book was super cute, funny and southern. I loved it. I highly recommend this to anyone that love a good romance and the charm of the south. Thanks NetGallery!

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It's such a cute story. It was an audio arc, and I would buy it when it comes out. You are rooting for the main character. She did a bad thing when trying to find her way as a wedding planner. When she has to work on weddings with her old coworkers, she tries to show how much she has changed.

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So very well written and narrated!
Another perfectly executed audiobook by the very talented Brittany Pressley. Her ability to switch to southern accents, different characters both male and female is impressive. She brought this story to life!
Team writers Asher and Mary have written this heartfelt story of forgiveness, understanding and lord of love.
Set in the wedding circuit an socialite gone rogue and an city boy living his dream become a team trying to save the company they work for.
Each wedding is a story about love, companionship, and overcoming obstacles. I hope to see more titles like this from this talented duo.

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Claire is working for the bridal magazine Piece of Cake. How much longer the magazine will last is unknown but things are tight. They try something new hiring a social media star Dominic to help create the docuseries about elaborate southern weddings. Of course if you have seen any Hallmark movie you know these two mix like oil and water. But along the way they see where they can use each other's strengths to make a go of this. But like a Hallmark movie you know it is not going to be smooth sailing at all. Claire goes home for her sister's wedding and she has to face her past there and the mistakes she made. Great summer wedding read.

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Piece of Cake; Authors Mary Hollis Huddleston and Asher Fogle Paul. Contemporary Romanitc 5/5 Stars

This was a perfect book to read/listen to for the month of June—Wedding Month. I listened to the book via the ARC I received from NetGalley . I was so enjoying this book that I would listen to it at my desk while working.

This book is set in Nashville TN. the main character is Claire Sommers, a somewhat disgraced “wedding planner” from Dallas who now works at a struggling local wedding magazine, Piece of Cake. Claire also has a strained relationship with her parents and sisters from her time working in Dallas.

The premise of this book is that Claire has presented an idea to her boss,.. adding Wedding Documentaries to the portfolio of the magazine. Her boss and the publisher’s decide to do a trial run of the idea but instead of having her do it they bring in a social influencer from New York to partner with her. Claire is not happy about this as her boss announces the new employee, Dominique Gravino at the staff meeting. “Dom” is a suave green eyed Italian who runs in instagram site as a guy’s guide to weddings. A first Clair is not happy having Dom partner with her but eventually she does understand that to make this a success she need Dom and the magazine needs them.

The adventures that Claire and Dom have the friendship that begins is sweet and funny. Unfortunately for Dom, Claire has a secret that could jeopardize all they have worked for. Can Claire make this right and will Dom and Claire’s relationship survive? Lastly, will they have a success or failure with the wedding documentaries? I love a book with a bit of drama and Claire definitely brings some drama to the book. The ending of this book is work the read.

A big thank you to NetGalley for ARC audio version of this book, to Mary Hollis Huddleston and Asher Fogle Paul for writing such a lovely book and to Harper Muse for publishing this book.

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I enjoyed Piece of Cake. From the beginning of the book, I was instantly invested in and loved the character of Clarie. After being exiled from her wealthy family, Clarie Sommers works for a wedding magazine called Piece of Cake. With the rise of streaming and the internet, magazines are constantly struggling due to a lack of subscribers, putting the magazine Clarie works for in danger of shutting down or being sold. This book emphasizes the remorse Claire feels for her past actions and her insecurities in her work and personal lives. Claire is described as very good at her job and hardworking, which I enjoyed reading.
In a pinch to keep the magazine up and running, Clarie gets put in charge of a docuseries where a cameraman named Dom comes across as arrogant. During this adventure of filming the docuseries, Clarie and Dom get closer while visiting six weddings and all the chaos at a wedding.
Dom and Claire had one of the most natural growing relationships I have ever read, and I enjoyed their story. This book has lots of personal and familial growth, and I enjoyed all the characters in this read!

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Tropes: one bed, he falls first, forced proximity

I loved this book! It was truly such a sweet book to read. Our FMC attempts to save the magazine she works for from shutting down by introducing a reality show docuseries on amazing/outrageous weddings in the south. Her boss brings in our MMC who is a straight man who specializes in wedding content. They fall in love but not without conflict that is a result of the FMC holding out a secret on why she left her career as a wedding planner to be a wedding content writer. The dynamic between the two characters was perfect and progressed naturally. I am also currently planning my own wedding and was inspired by the descriptive imagery the authors used with the wedding decorations!

This was such a sweet romance and I loved every bit of it. I listened to this in one sitting and am honestly planning to do it again already! Definitely will be following these two authors and anticipating their next release!

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Claire Sommers, socialite & wedding planner extraordinaire, moves to Nashville to rebuild her reputation after suffering self-inflicted disgrace in Dallas. Her new career as a writer for a wedding magazine, Piece of Cake, is going well until the economy threatens the publishing business. Enter New Yorker, Dom Gravino, a successful & famous IG blogger, to work with Claire & try to resuscitate the business.

Typical rom-com issues that must be overcome: parental estrangement, sibling rivalry, new co-worker distrust. Can Claire tackles these issues and rehabilitate her reputation ?

This is a fun rom-com, perfect for your summer entertainment, with very likable characters, amid a good storyline. The writers definitely knew the ins and outs of the wedding business. The settings in Dallas and Nashville were true to reality and added to my interest. I highly recommend the audio version as an escape from the summer heat!

The narration by Brittney Pressley was well done and she did a great job voicing the different characters.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
#PieceofCake #NetGalley
Pub Date 20 June 2023

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Piece of Cake by Mary Hollis Huddleston and Asher Fogle Paul was sweeter than wedding cake. I hope this duo is working on their next masterpiece! This book follows a charter from
their previous book. It can stand alone, but the other lends a richer backstory for the main character and is amazing so read or listen first if you can! As a Nashville native this book gets so much right about my hometown others miss. I loved seeing the characters grow and was so invested. This book feels modern and summery and timeless all in one!

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Piece of Cake is my new favorite book. I loved everything about it…the characters, the setting, the conflicts, the weddings, and on and on. Now, I have to read their first novel, Without a Hitch and wait patiently for their third novel!!

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This book totally reminded me of the Gilmore Girls with the way Claire was raised. Claire is trying to save her job and her reputation and keeps running into the past she was trying to forget. Claire has the ultimate plan to save the wedding magazine she works for but someone else is hired to take over her project leaving her as a helper. As annoyed as she was with Dom taking over the project she realizes they are a great team both in and out of the office.

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Claire Sommers is a Dallas debutante from an extremely wealthy family. However, a mistake shatters her reputation and freezes her trust fund, leaving her struggling to make ends meet as a staffer at Piece of Cake, a bridal magazine based in Nashville.

Adding to her troubles, Piece of Cake is on the verge of closure. When Claire suggests launching a wedding documentary, the magazine's editor, Michelle, takes action. However, Claire is taken aback when she discovers that the "Bridesman," Dom, a good-looking heterosexual influencer known for providing a male perspective on all things bridal, will be her partner on the project.

Initially, Claire greets Dom with an icy reception but warms up to him as she realizes they make a successful team. The pressure and complications they encounter during wedding shoots allow them to learn from each other. Will their combined efforts be enough to save the magazine?

To Claire's surprise, her little sister's wedding becomes the finale for the docuseries, a decision her mother shockingly agrees to without Claire’s knowledge. Not only does Claire have to endure attending the wedding without a date and facing judgment for her past, but she also has to collaborate with the very people she hurt in the past. Fortunately, Claire now considers Dom a friend and appreciates his moral support. The only hurdle is that while he knows she is in a form of self-imposed exile; he just doesn't know the reason yet.

As the wedding celebrations unfold, Claire and Dom find themselves developing feelings for each other. However, Claire's incomplete honesty and Dom's eventual departure when the series concludes and his contract ends create potential obstacles. Will these factors lead to disaster, and can Claire readjust to her former life after Dom has shown her the joys of having fun?

I was provided an advanced copy of the audio version of Piece of Cake in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse.

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I absolutely loved this book. Every bit of it was fun and engaging. The reader was very captivating and made me love the story. I listened to the entire book in one day because I couldn't stop listening!

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This was a sweet clean romantic comedy. I listened to this audiobook and although the narrator Brittany Presley is one of my favorite, I wish it had a male narrator as well. I laughed many times at Claire and her antics. I loved this story and the path that Claire takes to find herself and make a name for herself despite her upbringing in a rich prestigious family. This was a fun read and will be added to one of my favorites.

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