I adored this novel! I was expecting something light and fun, but this also really had heart. The concept of a cozy British baking competition (you know the one) as a major part of the background thoroughly delighted me. Sylvie and Dom were so different, but clearly passionate about their jobs - something that appeals to me. They both grew as people throughout the course of the book. I loved the subplots, particularly the royal-related section. I didn't know what to expect coming in, but now I'm going to have to go back and read Parker's other novels!

I loved the premise of Battle Royal and had a lot of fun reading it! However, I did feel like there was a little too much going on at times, and so much of it going on very slowly. I also found that the POV changed quite a bit, and I frequently got confused as to whose perspective I was reading. That's probably just a me thing though! Still, it's incredibly cute, and I really loved the banter between Sylvie and Dominick. It also features one of my favorite tropes - grumpy + sunshine! Overall, I enjoyed it and would give it a 3.5.

Battle Royal is the first book in a new series by Parker, and it represents a tonal shift from her previous stories. While this story still has the signature humour and the grumpy/sunshine dynamic I have come to expect and love in her work, it also went a little deeper into themes of grief and loss than her earlier novels. It’s a lovely, funny, tender romance, but I’m not sure I’d call it a romantic comedy. I loved it. While it did have minor flaws, it more than made up for them with humour, tenderness, and food porn. And most of all, it was packed full of the sort of characters I want to spend my literary time with.
I'll definitely be re-reading this one, and I can't wait for the next story in the series.

I've read enough of Lucy Parker's books to know that that I'd enjoy the heck out of this title. I fully expected to laugh and I did. Lucy's banter-filled dialogues and comedic internal observations are hilarious.

I anticipated how amazingly well she fleshed out Sylvie and Dominic's characters and how skillfully she developed their adversarial relationship into swoony, touchy-feely love. The slow build-up into that first tender kiss was so achingly sweet. And hot.

I also suspected she was going to introduce absolutely fascinating secondary characters whose stories we'd want to read next. I desperately want to read more about adorable Pet, scary Mabel, and dear, poor Jay.

I hadn't expected I would cry so much. Dom's childhood back story and Sylvie's loss of family had me reaching for my crying blanket. For this reason alone, I'd give this book all the stars. Battle Royal quite possibly could be one of my top 2 favorites of Lucy's books along with Act Like It.

What do you get when you cross the queen of extravagant flair and the king of classic elegance? An enemy-fueled baking disaster. Sylvie and Dominic have a tense past from their days on Operation Cake together, when four years later, the pair is thrust together as judges on the same show and competitors vying for the royal cake contract that could catapult both of their careers to the next level.

Sylvie is determined, yet playful and will stop at nothing to achieve success. Dominic is terse and grumpy, but is much softer than he leads on. But together, they have obvious chemistry. I loved how they had a shared bond over tough upbringings, which made their relationship develop quickly, after so many years at odds with each other. This opposites attract, open door romance is perfect for lovers of British baking competitions or Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake.

I went into the book with very high hopes, because so many of my friends raved about it, but ultimately, it fell short of my expectations. The book had a slow start and once Sylvie and Dominic finally got together, I wasn't very invested in their relationship. The POV also changed quite frequently, which caused me to have to go back and reread certain sections to make sure I knew whose head I was in at that moment.

I think to truly appreciate this book, you have to be well-versed in British humor, which sometimes I have a hard time with as I'm reading. Several friends have listened to the audiobook and have mentioned that it does a wonderful job with the nuances of subtle humor that I lacked reading it. I think if I would have listened, I more than likely would have enjoyed the book more.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I love Lucy Parker's writing. Her voice is one I enjoy regardless of setting or anything else.

I really enjoyed getting to know Sylvie and Dominic. I always enjoy the opposites attract tropes and this was no exception. It was quite interesting how different these two were and it was fun to see how things worked out. I really liked that while neither had a perfect childhood they both had some good memories. I loved how they began to open up to each other. I also loved how it lended well to personal growth for both characters throughout the book

Sometimes side characters don't do much for me, but I really liked Pet. I'm hoping she gets featured in a future book in this series.

Reality television and baking in general are not my favorite - but that shows you how good Parker is - because I still really enjoyed this book. The reality television parts were appropriately dramatic and the cake parts had me wishing sugar didn't have such a bad effect on me.

I look forward to more in this series and reading a new Parker book has me wanting to reread her first series.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

When Sylvie and Dominic DeVere met four years ago on the set of the cooking competition Operation Cake! it was loathe at first sight. Dominic was the judge who embodied tradition, minimalism and whites and ivories, while Sylvie was the competitor whose unicorn glitter cake exploded all over Dominic. Needless to say, Dominic immediately voted to eliminate her from the season finale...

Four years later, Dom and Sylvie have bakeries across the street from one another in Notting Hill. And in four years, they’ve only said a handful of words to each other - that is, until Sylvie is invited to be a judge on this season’s Operation Cake!. Sylvie and Dom now find themselves not only judging the competitors, but also competing against each other to nab the honor of creating the cake for a very different type of royal wedding.

This was a spun sugar delight of a read. I loved Sylvie and Dom, and I loved that there were no misunderstandings or arguments that, despite their fear of love and loss, couldn’t be solved by some easy communication. I do wish we’d had more of that communication between our hero and heroine, actually. I almost felt as though Dom and Sylvie could have used just a little more fleshing out as a couple. But it really is just the difference between a delicious brownie and a delicious brownie with ice cream on top.

I’m a complete sucker for a grump/sunshine trope, and this hit the spot. Mabel and Pet were great secondary characters, and I definitely laughed out loud several times. I may have also swooned a little because the physical affection and sexual chemistry was swoony **sigh**

This was the perfect way to ease into a quiet weekend - although now I think I have to bake a cake!


A huge thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for this ARC! And thank you, Lucy Parker for writing this delightful romcom!

Bookstagram review coming soon!

Lucy Parker does another smashing job of bringing all types of human emotion to her characters and her readers with this funny, often poignant, tear-inducing, swoony romance between two rival bakers. First having met as judge (Dominic) and contestant (Sylvie) in a 'Great British Bake-Off' type show, 4 years later Sylvie has started her own whimsical bakery (across the street from Dominic's well established respectable business) but has also been given the chance to become a judge for a season on the show that launched her career. Of course, she'll have to work WITH Dominic instead of having to hear his acerbic critique of her own work. It's a classic enemies to lovers trope that this author does so well.

And then as luck (and a little sneaky trick) would have it, they both end up vying for a contract to bake a cake for the upcoming royal wedding of a Princess who strains at the bonds of royal etiquette and her very unsuitable (to her family at least) choice of a non-royal groom. Add to that mixture a best friend with secrets, a sister trying to find her way into her estranged brother's life, a plagiarizing competitor, grief from losses that still hurt, and delicious sounding cakes and chocolates and confectioneries, AND a reality baking show with all its drama and you have in a nutshell, a terrific read that will keep you turning the pages and wishing at the end that book 2 in the series was already out! There's no doubt this one will be on my reread shelf.

Review will be posted at sale sites during release week.

3/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I have to admit I'm a little disappointed by this book. I will say I think I personally went in with too high expectations so that contributed to my disappointment. I just wasn't a big fan in general about this book. I like the writing just fine, and the characters were okay. I think a lot of it had to do with the pace of the book. I think it moved just a bit slow for my personal preference. I'll also say that I wasn't the biggest fan of the characters. I just couldn't seem to connect to any of them so it was difficult to really feel invested. That being said I did really enjoy the baking and creativity that went into that. I think those were some of my favorite parts. It also really made me crave cake while reading. Overall it was an average read for me. If you're interested I would say give it a read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars

I loved this book. I loved it so much. I knew from reading the plot that I would, but I didn’t expect to become OBSESSED with it. I need everything that Lucy Parker has ever written.

Battle Royal is about two rival bakers, Sylvie and Dominic. They first clash when Sylvie is a contestant on a popular British baking show and Dominic is the judge. They then continue their rivalry when their bakeries end up located across the street from one another. Sylvie is whimsical, creative, and loves glitter. Dominic is rigid, cold, and believes in tradition (aka his cakes are perfect, but boring). The two then start competing to bake the wedding cake for a huge royal wedding AND THEY FALL IN LOVE.

I laughed out loud on the first page of this book and immediately loved Sylvie. She was the perfect main character. Her internal dialogue and her banter with Dominic was top notch. Dominic was the perfect foil for her and their chemistry was *chef’s kiss*. This is a must read for romance fans and Lucy Parker is now an auto-buy author for me. Give me a sequel. I need more banter.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The cover and the title of this book do not even begin to encompass how deep and beautiful this book is. I was absolutely in awe at the depths we saw of both characters, of how natural and incredible this story and this book was, and I genuinely could not put it down. Really the only thing that works against it is that there were some moments of writing that were a little more uncomfortable to read, and the neat and tidy happily ever after was a little bit less realistic. In all honesty though I am more than happy to push those things aside because this book is just such a fun read, but there’s also so much nuance and meaning artfully worked in, I could rave for ages.

Without a doubt, the absolute best part of this book is the characters, and there are so many good ones. To start with, Sylvie Fairchild is just so incredible, not only in her resoluteness of character but in the depth of her arc. Throughout this book we see her ultimately grow even deeper into herself, not as a way of rejecting the Sugar Fair esque version of herself, but more resolutely into it. Lucy Parker does a truly incredible job of taking two characters that ultimately look very different and crafting them into a couple that only betters their individual selves. The same is true for Dominic as he learns and grows in the rearview of past traumas. Neither of them are perfect but their characters are so stunning, and they work together so well it’s incredible. I was never unaware that this book was not about blushing young adults or those newly coming into their own, but of two people who had been through life and continued to weather it, but the most obvious indicator was that despite the inherent tension of the relationship as rivals, these two work so well together. They communicate like actual adults and their love story is all the better for it. Lucy Parker never relied on needless tension between the two to ramp up the story, instead focusing on blossoming something beautiful. I could genuinely talk foever about how good and healthy of a relationship this is, but I’d be loathe to miss talking about all the other wonderful characters and moments in this story.

A mark of a truly wonderful book, and one this book possesses, is that the supporting characters are just as incredible as its main characters. And while not every character was as deeply fleshed out as Sylvie and Dominic, they still came alive on the page. Pet, as Dominic calls her, was such a lovely extension to Dominic’s story (and one I expect we’ll be seeing more of in the continuance of the Palace Insiders series), and the story overall. Her pain and love was as clear on the page as anything else, and I am genuinely so excited to see her story continue in the future, and her character become even more vivid. I have to mention Mabel, who I both fear and want to meet in person, such a resolute person in the midst of chaos. She’s not a central focus but I can picture her as clear as day. The same can be said for Mariana, or Liam, Rosie, Johnny, or Jay. This book introduces you to so many wonderful characters and all their little stories along the way, whether their love stories tragic as Patrick and Jessie, or beautiful as Rosie and Johnny’s.

This all to say, this was a great book, and I so loved reading it. There’s drama and tension in just the right amounts, but ultimately the most love is put into the essential part of this book, the romance. There are very few things about this book I would change, and none of them are in the essential story or the characters, who now hold a special place in my heart.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

🍰 Q: what’s your fave kind of cake? Mine is white wedding cake 😍.

I’ve written about my love of Lucy Parker books, cake, & enemies to lovers before & Battle Royal brings all of those interests together in a very delightful way 🤩.

Four years ago Sylvie Fairchild was a contestant on a reality tv baking competition judged by the grumpy Dominic De Vere, pâtissier. She got on his nerves before her cake accidentally attacked his face so imagine how she grated on him after.

Now, Sylvie is partial owner of Sugar Fair, a whimsical, creative baking enterprise across the street from Dominic’s long-famous, super traditional patisserie.

They aren’t friends. But they are competitors when a baking contract—to make a cake for a Royal wedding, no less—pits them against each other.

These leads are: I’m-Ms.-Congeniality-with-everyone-but-you & I-Am-Grumpy-with-Everyone-but-I’m-Weirdly-Fascinated-By-You-But-Also-I-Don’t-Like-You & I love it. The competition brings them closer together & it also gives each a new appreciation for the other’s very different aesthetics.

The emotional intimacy between them is top-notch & Lucy Parker knew exactly how to play on my heartstrings—especially in regards to touch. There’s even a freaking sick bed scene & please respect my privacy & how I feel about Dom being a silver fox 🥵.

I CANNOT WAIT for the next book in the series because I need more of these good feelings.

4.5 ⭐️. Release date: 08/17.

3.5 out of 5 stars

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be "cute!" Battle Royal follows two bakers, Sylvie and Dominic, who met when she was a contestant on a reality baking show he judged. They were immediate polar opposites and her sunshine attitude fights with his grumpiness at every turn. They are once again at opposite sides when they're pitted against one another for the job of baking a royal wedding cake.

I love when book couples are super touchy feely and these two couldn't keep their hands off of each other. The slow burn and banter were so good and I just loved the dialogue in this overall. My issues come from the side plots surrounding the romance. There's a bit of a "mystery" here that the two leads try to work out and I was completely uninterested in it. I understand what it was adding for our side characters storyline, but I was just so bored by how long they would dwell over research for full chapters.

The clear set up for book 2 was nicely done and I am interested in picking that up when it comes out, and in seeing more of Sylvie and Dom.

I really enjoyed this book. This is my first book by Lucy Parker, but it won’t be the last. I love a grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers book and figured by blurb and cover that this was going to be full of banter and competitiveness. I’m also a fan of a certain British baking show (although the fictional baking show in this book only plays a small part), so felt this was right up my alley.

I was expecting a rom-com, but what I got was a surprisingly emotional book at its heart. There’s definitely plenty of humor, swoon, and steam, but there are parts that just tug at your heartstrings.

They both have trauma in their past and at times, it’s just heartbreaking, but it helps them get closer. I loved that they weren’t vindictive with each other, even though they’re in a competition and that they were there for each other.

I feel like the book alludes to another possible book or two (Pet and possibly even Jay, although not together) and I’d love to see how those will play out. I really loved Pet. I also hope we see more of Mabel, because she’s a spit fire.

Thank you to Avon/Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 Stars

I mostly enjoyed this book. Here are some quibbles before I get to the nitty gritty.

The story has the main characters kind of odds as judges in a bake off show as well as both vying for a contract to make a cake for a royal wedding. It felt like too much. I would have preferred only one of them. I felt like the bake-off story line was under developed and if you took it out, nothing would be missing.

There are multiple story lines and romances happening. Not only are Sylvie & Dominick falling in love, but there is are two side stories of romance. Both were interesting but at times took away from the main story.

There are also two "mystery" type things happening. One of them could have been cut out. Both ultimately served a purpose but it was a lot going on.

Both Sylvie & Dominick are sad and lonely. They aren't necessarily loners though. Both have a small but loving found family. I do wish I got to see at least one scene from both of them that wasn't centered on their bakeries, but I think that is just who they are. Definitely a me thing.

Most importantly-- this is a SAD grief book. Both main characters have lost their primary care givers. Both are still grieving this loss (because grief is a continuum and never stops). There were some scenes that were hard to read. Sylvie has a flash back to a pivotal moment in her life and it was brutal. I had to take a break. But Dominick was right there for her. Holding her up physically and emotionally. Queue the swooning.

This book is more rom than com. It is emotionally heavy through the majority of the book. It was reminiscent of Laura Florand's chocolate series.

I really enjoyed the emotional arc of the relationship of S&D. They both had really good found family. Parker did a good job of piquing my interest for what I assume will be the next book. The things I listed above that I did not enjoy did not take away from my overall enjoyment and appreciation for this book.

CW: dead parents, dead grandparent, dead aunt (FMC has an on-page flashback to when the aunt died), mentions of childhood neglect, side character is stabbed (onpage)

ARC received for free from Avon via Netgalley.

Battle Royal by Lucy Parker
Contemporary romantic comedy. Set in Notting Hill, London.
Professional bakers Cecilia and Dominic meet again as judges on a TV show competition. Their attraction to each other plus a shared opportunity has them spending time together. Of course that leads to a romance but they have plenty of obstacles to deal with before their HEA.

I absolutely adored this book. Plenty of humor, easy to imagine situations, a few sexy scenes and some emotionally deep issues cover the themes of everything you want in a romance.

In Sylvie’s opinion, Dominic is too rigid and stoic. Below are a few short thoughts of hers as she gets to know him better.

Excerpts:
“She assumed that once she’d driven off in the early hours of the morning, he went back inside, plugged himself into a power outlet, and recharged his cyborg battery.”

“It’s easier to absorb and act on constructive criticism if it’s softened by the acknowledgment of successes. You could aim for one proper compliment every hour. Maybe an occasional smile.”
A fraction of a scowl appeared instead. “Our job is to perform an honest critique.”
“I’m not suggesting you go overboard. We don’t want to stun the nation senseless. Two or three teeth at most.”

Even if he could be surprisingly nice when he was sozzled.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to gift.

Looking for a cake battle with a side of some hot, steamy romance? Look no further than Battle Royal.

Sylvie Fairchild and Dominic De Vere are as opposite as they could be as bakers. Sylvie is all about whimsy and not only owns a bakery but also has a "potions" bar where groups will make their own "potions" in cauldrons. Dominic has a more refined palate that heavily features only black and white in their color scheme.

When the newest royal engagement is announced, Sylvie and Dominic both submit proposals. After all a royal wedding cake would be a huge boom for business. They both have their eye on the prize to take down the competition. Besides being dueling bakers, Sylvie and Dominic are also judges on Operation Cake, a GBBO like competition show. As the season goes on and their royal cake competition intensifies, they begin to notice some deep rooted attractions towards one another.

This is my first book from Lucy Parker but it won't be my last. Battle Royal is an opened door romance with steamy sex scenes. If those aren't your thing you can easily skim them and it won't imped your knowledge of the story. I loved the chemistry between Sylvie and Dominic. As a reader, you get to see how each character changes as their chemistry intensifies. The secondary characters in the novel are also so lovely. I foresee Pet, Dominic's sister, being a bigger part of the second book in the series based on the little bit of the synopsis we know. Grab some cake and curl up with Battle Royal.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for allowing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It's tough to put into words how fantastic this book is.  Dominic and Sylvie first met when she was a contestant on a televised baking show and he was the judge.  After a catastrophic event, Sylvie is booted off the show and the two don't work together for another four years when she returns as a judge.  In that time, she has also opened up her own bakery directly across the street from Dominic's.  Not only are the now having to work together but they are also competing for the same exclusive contract to bake the cake for a royal wedding.

From the cover and several descriptions I had seen, I went into this one expecting a romantic comedy.  While there are definitely parts where I laughed and a lot of witty banter, this book is so much more.  It's a deep soulful romance between two people who have had serious past hurts and loss.  The writing is so heartbreakingly beautiful.  Parker perfects the concept of showing instead of telling.  Her writing craft is so vivid and colorful you could almost see, feel, and taste everything going on.  It's truly a delight of an experience.  

There have been books that have taken me awhile to finish because I just had a tough time staying engaged.  I was so engrossed with this book and its characters that it took me more than one sitting simply because I wanted to savor it.  I read, re-read and highlighted lines as I went.  In addition to Sylvie and Dominic, the other characters in the book were so well written that I wanted to know more of their stories.  I just can't get over how much this one really got to me.  I would recommend it to any fan of the genre but especially to those who love the grumpy sunshine trope as well as fans of Boyfriend Material.

If one of the MC's of a book is a baker, I am in, but two? I am all about it!
Sylvie was on Operation Cake years ago, and Dominic was a judge. A judgey, judge that thought she was just all annoying sparkles and rainbows and going no where. His family has one of the oldest bakeries around and they focus on authentic, clean, sleek designs.
Slyvie is back to judge the show with Dominic this time, because since her season, she has went on to open a bakery that is doing great! She is less than happy to be stuck with Stone Cold Dominic, but she is willing to make it work for the sake of the show.
Fast foward to the princess annoucing her engagement. Dominic's bakery is invited to present a cake to be chosen for the wedding; Sylvie presents one too, even if she wasn't asked. In the end it is down to the two of them dueling it out to be the winner and showcase their baked goods at the wedding of the year.
Dominic and Sylvie are thrust together in situation after situation and soon they are working together. Neither of them knows how it happened, but now that they are in each other's lives, they are afraid to see what it would be like without one another. With each layer of cake that is made, another layer falls away between them and they realize there's more here than meets the eye.
There was a little bit of mystery, a little bit of angst and a lot of sweet treats in this one and I was here for it. Thank you to Netgalley, Lucy Parker and Avon for an early copy.

This was such a delightful read! If your as big of fan as I am of GBBO then this book is the perfect getaway read. I really enjoyed all the characters and of course the imagery of the baking shops. Its an enemies to lovers with a grumpy hero. I'm hoping that there will be at Pet story. Thank you to Avon\HarperCollins and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.