I stayed up way too late finishing this book. I even read the included recipes and discussion questions (which I never do) because it is just That Good. Seriously, don't skip the book club discussion questions.

Alexis Hall is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. If you've read Boyfriend Material, the tone of Rosaline Palmer is going to be familiar. It's got that same high energy, jokey but emotionally engaged. The characters are all so vibrant, from the sesquipedalian eight year old to the quietly anxious electrician to the intimidatingly curseful producer.

Rosaline is a single mom from a privileged background, who goes on a baking show that is very similar to a great British baking show that I enjoy very much in order to win a cash prize and a better life for her family. There she meets Alain, a landscape architect with whom she has much excellent banter, and Harry, an electrician who is genuinely kind and willing to change his ways.

Throughout the course of the competition, Rosaline comes into her own. I really enjoyed that. There's also this lovely flow as the relationship that was so promising at the beginning slowly becomes toxic and the other relationship grows. I went into this without reading the blurb, so it took me a moment to catch up to the fact that's it's a love triangle (love V?) book. Really well done and so much fun to read.

I loved it.

CW: on page assault

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love Alexis Hall's body of work as a whole. Glitterland, Kate Kane, the Affair of the Mysterious Letter are all reads I've rated very highly, and the Prosperity series is probably one of my favourite works (I would read a million more and at least one of them I reread with a month of the first read). More than anything, I love how he plays with language, genre, and tropes.

So this book, a Great British Baking Show meets Romantic Comedy Film Probably With Hugh Grant In It, should have been right up my alley. Unfortunately, I personally didn't vibe with it as much as I thought I would, though there was still a lot I loved in it.

Things I loved:
- The baking scenes! This is what I love from watching a great deal of cooking reality tv. The baking segments themselves felt like the show, down to the construction of knowing someone would have to go home and not really wanting anyone to go after a point.
- Rosaline's entire narrative style. It's funny, quippy, upbeat, the exact sort of twee humor you get from the people on a baking show, never misses a beat. She's really fun to read.
- The use of the selected bakes and what each character was good at to really emphasize who they are.
- Amelie -- what a great kid! Not at all overplayed, she reads absolutely like a real kid with actual kid interests and personality.
- The conclusion and how it all felt when it came together. It was really lovely in every way, and very satisfying with everything that came before.

Things I didn't love so much:
- Until the end, every good moment <i>always</i> turned sour or had unpleasant specters looming over them. It felt like there were no scenes that were just allowed to be pleasant and feel like a reward or up-beat in the story structure -- they all had to turn into a down-beat. Basically, it felt like every time something nice happened, it was capped with something unpleasant happening at the end. It meant that I spent about 80% of the book tense and ready to flinch again and not trusting any nice moments. This seemed to be accurate to Rosaline's life as described, but it meant that it wasn't entirely a pleasant experience to be reading. I can enjoy books like this a lot if I go into them knowing it -- dark fantasies, etc -- but something about the twee premise vs the reality of how it played out and how inescapable a lot of it felt really was tiring. Realistic, though.
- On a reality tv note, something about it just didn't quite jive with how it feels like BBC reality tv shows go in my experience, though it's hard to put my finger on the exact detail of that. It might just be a combination of the emphasis on money as the premise of the story when the BBC is notoriously unwilling to reward money and the 'overproduced edits mean we know at least two of the characters who will be making it into the final' feeling (though that can be very realistic to reality tv depending on the season), but something about how the baking segments are shortened has something to do with it too.
- I didn't really jive with a lot of the romance love triangle setup, though I liked the final outcome of the romance. <spoiler>Alain never felt like he could be a genuine option for Rosaline, but he was of course the one she was seeing throughout the story. Which meant she kind of felt less like she was torn between them and more as if she was doing an emotional affair for a good part of it because she was just thinking about someone else when she was with Alain, you know? So that was just less will-she-won't-she and more I-wish-she-wouldn't. And it certainly ended up in an I-wish-he-wouldn't scene too, though that was obviously the deliberate breaking point. After that point the romance gelled a lot better, though -- it definitely did a good job of switching from when-it's-wrong-it's-wrong to when-it's-right-it's-right. And I'll stop using hyphens now.</spoiler>

So 3.5 stars, because a lot of what didn't work for me was baked into the story itself. That said, I think depending on the type of romances you like, it might work better for others! And it still had a lot of charm and some very sympathetic characters. I'll pick up the second book in the series when it's out, since I imagine it will have a different sort of setup and romance to vary the feeling of the book, while keeping the frame I really did like.

Single mum Rosaline Palmer enters Bake Expectations, in vain hopes of turning her life around for her and her eight year old daughter, Amelie. A bisexual woman, Rosaline does have to explain to others that no, she’s not gay, she’s not straight, it’s not a phase, and yes, her daughter is fine. Two male contestants are interested in her, Alain (a successful and posh architect) and Harry (a down to earth electrician) whomever will she wind up with?

My main issues with the book are thus: I spent the entirety of the novel wondering, is this a romance novel? For starters, she spends about 75% of the novel with Alain, an utter right wanker, who eventually tries to sexually assault her with his on-again off-again bicurious girlfriend Liv - and then when she calls him out on the assault (as she is locked in the bathroom), he tries to gaslight her. Once this happens, then she starts to look at Harry in a more favorable light - and it’s near the end of the novel! In reviewing the story beats for romances, the story does hit the beats - but with Alain, not Harry, who is her Happily Ever After. Other issues include Liv calling her and trying to get Rosaline to forgive her/absolve her. Why is this even in the story?

The setting of Bake Expectations was fun, the side characters were delightful, but all in all, this was not a perfect bake for me.

‘Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake’ is a deliciously presented dessert of a novel that is as charming as it is well written. If I could sum it up in one sentence, it would be: "I'd like some more of this, please and thank you."

Rosaline Palmer is a single mother with classist parents and a penchant for baking. When she lands a spot on the nation’s most popular baking show, she’s determined to win. Right out of the gate she meets Alain, a suave, erudite architect whom her parents would undoubtedly approve of. But then there’s the rougher-around-the-edges electrician, Harry, who is sweet, shy, and sincere. Who is always there for her exactly when she needs him. There’s also the small detail that they’re all contestants of the same show, which makes things... interesting. The question for Rosaline becomes, what does she actually want out of her life, and what will truly make her happy?

As with his previous novel, ‘Boyfriend Material,’ Alexis Hall delivers a witty, amiable, and emotional story surrounding fully actualized characters who leap off of the page. Hall really shines with his razor-sharp writing and deft commentary on societal issues in a way that makes you feel wholly invested. The way he infuses life into all of his characters (both primary and secondary) is a delight to read. By the end, you’ll feel as if you have a new set of friends. All of whom will make you laugh so hard you’ll spit out your drink. (Also, Harry is the cinnamon roll hero of all cinnamon roll heroes, and I love him so much.)

I cannot overstate how much I enjoyed this book. It was so joyful, but there were also heavier moments that only added to the depth and breadth of the narrative. Mark my words, this will be on all of the “best of” lists this year. I know it’s going to be on mine. Now, I'm off to watch some reruns of a certain British baking show before diving back in for a reread.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rosaline Palmer is stuck. She has a dead end job and is a single mom who can't seem to live up to her parents expectations. She manages to earn a spot in a reality tv baking competition that spices up her life and jump starts a series of life changes and discoveries.

I really enjoyed the behind the scenes aspect of being a contestant in a baking competition. The author did a great job of making you feel like you are right there in the thick of it. I do wish that more time was spent in this "world" as the story spends the weekends at the competition and the weeks back at home in the characters normal life. I felt that I wasn't getting enough of either world and could have used a little more depth in that regards.

The story also involves an interesting set of characters that I definitely felt somewhat invested in, but I would have loved more description of them. I had a really hard time picturing them and the few things used to describe them seemed repetitive instead of building upon one another to paint a complete picture.

There also seemed to be a lot of "lessons" going on in terms of being bi-curious, how to talk to bisexuals, how to talk to women, etc. Although I appreciate what the author was trying to achieve, I do wish it had been a little more subtle in the approach so that it felt less like a lecture at times.

There are two love interests in the story and the build up was good, I do wish, however, that more time was spent on the second rather than the first. Things wrapped up pretty quickly towards the end and I would have enjoyed less build up and more steady pacing as the book revealed the rest of the story. The same could be said with the lead's daughter. Her character was cute and funny, but I often found too much time dedicated to her rambling thoughts.

Overall, this is a really cute story with plenty of laugh out loud moments. It would be a great summer read and is certainly fun for anyone interested in baking.

It was so fun to go into this book without even reading the synopsis. What a ride! Truly, this was so funny, perfectly paced, and with fantastic three dimensional characters. It's so very British, charming, and witty. I love it when the awkward British-isms just fly off the page and into your tragically-American-but-wannabe-British heart! This was not quite the romance novel that I would have expected, but it was definitely a surprising and happy 5 star read for me! Some thoughts:

I have never once enjoyed a love triangle-like romance until this book! Especially having gone in blind it was a fun experience to try to see Alain through Rosaline's eyes all while Harry is becoming more and more charming and endearing. For me it was a pleasure to witness Rosaline's journey. (Again, the PACE of it was just... such a pleasure! It was not rushed.) I have a thing or two in common with Rosaline (having gotten pregnant at 19, too) and this story felt a lot more realistic when it comes to dating while being a dedicated and present mom than what the romance genre typically does with that trope.

Rosaline's character arc felt realistic. The reader can see that "she has it in her" to stand up for herself--she can certainly stand up for her daughter and we get glimpses of the bold, direct, and determined woman that is occasionally hiding underneath family pressure and effective gaslighting from absolute knobheads (picked that one up from the book! ;) )

This book is an absolute dream for fans of The Great British Baking Show (Or Bake Off!) It was so well done. I felt like I was reading GBBO fan-fiction. I love that I feel like I've watched a season of the show by reading this book.

So many more points I could gush about! I'm just so happy that this book exists!

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but there were a few things that kept me from loving it. I love reading books that give me a new perspective on life, or teach me a lesson. I so enjoy how books can put you in someone else’s shoes and help you see how they feel and what they experience. This book tried to address some important issues about feminism and sexuality, but it felt very preachy and unnatural. I also struggled to connect with the main character, Rosaline, and her choices for a main part of the book, and I down right hated one character (Alain). I did love Harry, Anvita, Lauren, and my favorite character was probably Amelie. I really liked the premise of the story, and started getting into it about 60% of the way in - when the book felt less preachy, and we start to connect with and respect Rosaline more. It is a cute story idea with a satisfying ending, but it did take me quite a while to get into it. I received an ARC from netgalley, and this is my honest review.

I really wanted to like this book. I enjoyed Boyfriend Material so much, mostly due to the banter. This book has the great conversations and quick wit, but it lacked in characterization and plot for me. There was a lot that I personally don't enjoy in this book -- a child, a love triangle of sorts, and lost of past drama. This isn't a romance but more of a women's fiction "finding herself" kind of book, and those books just usually aren't for me. If I'd know when I requested, I probably wouldn't have, but I did finish. It was a solidly written book, just not my kind of book. And that's OK. I'm still interested to see what this author does next.

SO CUTE!!! I can't. I really devoured this like a nice slice of cake that's in the story. Ugh. Thank you for the e-arc!

2.5 rounded up

Thank you to netgalley and Forever for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Maybe this just wasn't a book for me but I couldn't fully invest myself into the story. The characters were fun, especially the secondary ones. Rosaline was an enjoyable main character and you'll probably find yourself rooting for her throughout it. There's a love triangle which i'm not regularly a fan off. I couldn't really find myself caring much about Rosaline and Ailan at all which is the main couple throughout the book. Overall it was a cute read just not really for me.

If you like GBBS, pick this one up.

It follows Rosaline as she competes in a baking show, enters a relationship, and ultimately decides what she wants with her life.

I enjoyed this one, but not for the romance. I loved seeing the interactions between the contestants and Rosaline’s relationship with her precocious daughter.

This one will make you want all of the sweet treats, or to bake something, so be prepared.

CW - gaslighting, homophobia, biphobia, sexual assault

Ugh I don't like that I’m rating it a 2-star “didn’t like it”, especially after loving Alexis Hall's Boyfriend Material.

There were some fun elements to this one, but lots of things that just didn’t work for me. While I agree with the points being made about equality/feminism/etc, sometimes the dialogue came across as preachy. I had a hard time connecting to Rosaline and caring about the love triangle (some of the shifts in dynamic were a little hard to digest). I did love her best friend, she was a riot!

Sigh. Just a miss for me.

Thanks to Forever Publishing for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

A super funny and surprisingly thoughtful novel from Alexis Hall, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake is filled with GBBO-alike fun and a story about how accepting yourself is worth more than parental approval (or disapproval). The banter is especially well done!

I was so so thrilled to have received an arc of Alexis Hall's new book, and I was not disappointed! Alexis Hall's impeccable and hilarious writing style has become one of my favourites - to the point where I'll essentially read anything he puts out, no questions asked, because I know it'll be enjoyable.

Love triangles are tough - they're terribly complicated in real life and a lot of people don't like them in romance books because one of the two competing love interests is always obviously inferior to make the "decision" easier. The main character choosing is also often unlikeable due to an indecisive personality and it always feels a bit icky that they are leading on two people simultaneously. Well. I got absolutely none of that from Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake. Not only is Rosaline extremely relatable and genuine, both Harry and Alaine have their own character flaws and strengths.

Rosaline's daughter Amelia is the daughter that I want to one day have. Thoughtful, confident, and full of 8-year-old joy, I immediately fell in love with her. All the side characters were great and I had no complaints there.

This is a bit softer and lighter of a read than Boyfriend Material, but if you enjoy Alexis Hall's unique writing style, you'll love this book just as much. Highly recommended!

I had mixed feelings on this book -- on the one hand, Alexis Hall does banter SO well and I'd read it all day. On the other, I felt like the more serious aspect of the book felt a little too light-hearted. I think romance absolutely can handle more serious topics, and do it well, but something about this just felt a tiny bit off to me -- but not so much that it made me not enjoy the book! I don't know if I've ever read a love triangle before, and I found it so much fun, even though the whole time I wanted to yell at Rosaline for ignoring the obviously scrumptious Harry.

I’m a huge fan of Great British Bake Off so the premise pulled me in immediately. I also really connected to the main character Rosaline from page one. The main trope for the romantic aspect of the book is a love triangle, which I don’t mind, but I found the main LI Alain to be such a horrible, condescending jerk that I struggled through most of his scenes. I really liked Harry though. He’s shy and kind and is book boyfriend material. The GBBO references are spot on and it added an enjoyable element to the overall story.

Rep: Bisexual main character

CWs: sexual assault

I loved a lot of this book. Rosalind Palmer is a single mom, Cambridge drop out, and a constant disappointment to her wealthy and successful parents. She becomes a contestant on a bake show (think GBBO) and hopes through this experience she'll be able to prove to her parents that her life is not worthless or a disappointment. I truly appreciate the relationship she has with her parents, particularly her mother, because I think it's a very common one amongst children of second wave feminism. There's this persistent idea amongst a generation of women that in order to have a meaningful life, a woman must have a particular type of career and there's a strong classist thread to his idea (and this book). This is the crux of Rosaline's story. Her parents are disappointed that she had a child at 19, disappointed that she stopped her studies to be a doctor, disappointed that she hasn't gone back to college, and disappointed in her bisexuality. Through her time on the show, she grows to realize that she can be happy any way she chooses.

There are two things that I don't think are spoilers, but *maybe* they are, but I feel the need to point them out because I think you will have a more positive reading experience going into it if you are prepared. First, this is a love triangle. There's the person that Rosaline thinks she should like, and the person she actually likes. This tracks with her arc of trying to please her parents and moving on to pleasing herself. And secondly, I think this veers more towards "women's lit" than romance, in that it's not really about the romantic relationship as the crux of the story, but rather about Rosaline finding herself after a lifetime of trying to fit into her parent's mold. There are sexy times, with both main romantic interests, and ALSO CW: a sexual assault scene.

The writing is wonderful and witty. I loved all the secondary characters. The commentary on bisexuality and how it's woven into the story is *chef's kiss.* And if you're a GBBO fan, then you will absolutely eat this behind-the-scenes drama story up!

Cute book! Would make a wonderful tv show. Rosaline has an 8 year old daughter and is trying to juggle her job, being a single mother and being in the baking show! I really enjoyed seeing what they baked and all the relationships Rosaline made along the way

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC and ReadForeverPub for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall such a fun, witty, and smart read. I laughed out loud multiple times and was so enamored with Rosaline Palmer and her grand adventure into the chaotic world of a reality TV baking show.

Although there was a happy ever after type ending, this was more than romance because it really tackled Rosaline’s internal growth as a person. The lens she uses to view her own happy ever after changes as she grows as a person and reflects on her choices. I was rooting for her person growth as much as I was rooting for her on the baking show and I adored her daughter. That little girl stole my heart from the very first scene and I adored how she viewed the world and what she valued affected her mother's choices. Children are such amazing reflections and can be incredible bridges between adults and heavier topics.

The way the book was written in terms of the weeks on the show was super fun and made the entire read feel more of an immersive experience. I loved how the author broke the fourth wall and let the reader see the gritty behind the scenes of reality TV and highlighted how different it is from real life and how the contestants all interact with each other off set. All the characters on the show brought lots of fun to the book as did Rosaline’s friends and family back home. Without giving any spoilers, plot took a slightly unexpected but totally welcome turn and although I love a swoony romance, I’m really pleased with how this book played out. I adored the romance aspect with the hero and more than anything Roaline's overall growth.

I want to especially give praise for how this book handled gender identity and bisexuality with such respect and essentially normalized what should absolutely be normal. There was more than instance where Rosaline addressed her own sexuality with her friends, family, fellow contestants and then also asked to be identified and or addressed appropriately and with respect. The conversations that came from those situations were thoughtful and helped move the plot forward in a great way.

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake
by Alexis Hall
Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Forever
LGBTQIA | Romance
Pub Date 18 May 2021 | Archive Date Not set

This will be a great beach read this summer! I found this book delightful to read and the characters were believable in the British Baking Reality show! I found myself laughing out loud and will recommend this to our readers who want a cute romance. Thanks to Forever and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

4star