Battle Royal is a deliciously sweet foodie romance. Two rival bakers are forced into each other’s lives when they both end up as judges on a reality baking show that’s suspiciously similar to the beloved Great British Bake Off 😍

They also are vying for the biggest commission either of them can imagine - a royal wedding cake.

Honestly this book has every element I could possibly want - enemies to lovers, royalty, GBBO, bakeries!! Thankfully it was also well written witty, heart warming, and flat out adorable. Both of the main characters had depth and revealed sides of themselves to each other that made their connection feel so genuine. I adored how they brought out new traits and feelings in each other and made the other person better.

When these bakers are tapped to design the royal wedding cake, frosting flies and lines are crossed. The question is who will win the honor – Dominic with his traditional style or the sparkly stylings of Sylvie?

A Lucy Parker book is always a good time! I loved the couple. I loved being in their bakeries. I loved the royal side plot. It all added up to a wonderful reading experience for me.

Though this was an enemies-to-lovers romance, I could tell these two were clearly made for each other. Their aesthetics may have been night and day, but their level of talent, drive, and their work ethic were perfectly matched. They both held a professional admiration for each other, and after spending a great deal of time together, their appreciation grew into something more. I especially loved peeling back those layers on Dominic and seeing Sylvie discover what was hidden beneath his gruff exterior. He truly was a hidden gem. Seeing the type of person he became despite his past just augmented my affection for him.

Parker also created some delightful supporting characters. Pet, Dominic’s sister, was a delight. And then, there was Mabel. She had no filter, but she was the type of loyal friend who would help you hide the body. I found her hilarious and a source of many great comedic moments.

Can we talk about those bakeries? Dominic’s sounded classy and filled with delectable treats, but I was dying to go to Sugar Fair, Sylvie’s bakery. In my mind, I saw something a la Willie Wonka’s factory. Cocktails in the enchanted forrest and a BIG edible castle. Sign me up! The food descriptions were incredible as well. I have been known to go on about my love for cake, and oh! So much cake in this story. I adored hearing about it all!

Being part of the royal wedding cake design process was fantastic. I loved trying to envision these cakes in my head. I also enjoyed being on the set of Operation Cake. The mishaps, the successes, the challenges – all were so much fun to read about, and Parker did a great job pulling me into the onset action.

Overall: Another delightful romance from Parker! This was a brilliant introduction to this world, and I cannot wait to return.

This book was a great grump and sunshine love story that really hit all the right notes for me. Sylvie Fairchild is an upbeat, glittery, colorful, optimistic contestant on a baking show with Dominic De Vere as a cold, emotionless, hard judge. Ultimately they have bakeries across the street from each other, and chaos and romance occurs with Sylvie becoming a fellow judge on Operation Cake and both main characters going for the same royal wedding cake contract. I loved how this story leans into a lot of lovely romance tropes: rivals to lovers, baking for royals, and even some intrigue. It simultaneously made me laugh and cry, with the dialogue and character development. This was my first read from author Lucy Parker, but I will most definitely be reading more and recommending Battle Royal to anyone who wants a fun, well written, and thoughtful romance with lots of descriptions of delicious treats.

Battle Royal by Lucy Parker is about two competing bakers who find themselves both foes and allies in their quest to bake the perfect cake for a royal wedding. They also happen to be co judges in a TV reality Bake Off show. She also happens to be all rainbows and unicorns, intricate and outrageous fantasy baked creations while he happens to be the heir to one of the most renowned bakeries in all of England and yes his family has been baking royal wedding cakes for awhile now. Meet Lucy Parker’s newest romantic couple, Sylvie Fairchild and Dominic De Vere. Battle Royal was funny, poignant, sexy, witty and will make you hunger for cakes and sweets all the time! This couple started out as contestant and judge, business competitors, co judges and of course develops into a partnership in and out of the bedroom. They both have their own personal traumas regarding relationships but the way this was woven into the story and into the romance was very well done. There is also a mini plotline with regards to the royal wedding which was a nice way of bringing our couple together at the same time intriguing enough for readers to latch on to. Battle Royal is also filled with fantastic secondary characters that definitely adds dimension to the story!

Lucy Parker does it again! I Literally screamed when I got access to this book. I am definitely obsessed with her London celebrities series.
Like her other series this book has heart, witty characters, and sexiness. With British Bake off vibes, a grumpy, supposedly unemotional hero that already is annoyed with the heroine due to a unicorn cake mishap….this is the best way to spend your beach day. With a couple other side romance stories playing out to make it even more interesting and emotional- you won’t want to put this book down. This is a fantastic start to a new series and can NOT wait for certain side characters to take center stage. Read this book - you won’t regret it.

Look there isn't a Lucy Parker book written that I haven't loved. I've read them all, I've 5 starred them all, and this one is no different.

Really, it's 3 love stories in 1:
A poignant love story with a heartbreaking, bittersweet ending between the late Prince Patrick and his beloved, the late Jessica Maple-Moore.

A equally poignant love story with a vastly less heartbreaking ending between Princess Rose and her fiancé, Johnny Marchmont.

A delightfully effervescent and charming love story between the 2 MCs, the stodgy, uptight celebrity baker Dominic De Vere and the whimsical, free-spirited baker, Sylvie Fairchild.

It's the quintessential grump/sunshine romance, which Lucy Parker has done before to great success but it doesn't feel repetitive here. She breathes new life into this trope with the 2 MCs but also a plot that is quite heavy and has a LOT going on.

For a book that is so charming and sweet and lovely, there's a recurring theme of grief and loss and the idea of balancing one's desires with one's responsibilities that runs through the book. It's poignant and heartfelt and incredibly romantic, all the little ways that Dominic shows his adoration for Sylvie and vice-versa, the way Rose and Johnny prove their devotion to each other, and also the revelation of the true depth of Patrick and Jessie's love.

And then...Humphrey the asshole cat. IDK how Lucy Parker manages to write these ridiculous cats but omg, I love them. Humphrey could give Cat Richard a run for his money.

Actually, I don't know how Lucy Parker manages to be so consistently excellent - her books are ALWAYS a winner, always puts a smile on my face and a lump in my throat. This one is no exception.

This book was so so SO cute!!! I loved how the story focused not just on Sylvie and Dominic's adorable journey from enemies to lovers (best trope ever) but also brought in other plotlines--family trouble, difficulties of fame, even corporate espionage and mental health--without becoming cluttered or overwhelmed. I, for one, cannot wait for the next book to come out!

GBBS meets enemies-to-lovers in this absolute gem of a romcom. This is my first book by Lucy Parker, and I’m glad I decided to request a copy of this through netgalley because it did not disappoint!

Sylvie meets Dominic while competing on a baking competition show called Operation Cake. After a mishap involving a unicorn cake, Dominic, one of the judges, gives Sylvie the boot and the two have been enemies ever since.

Four years later the pair own rival businesses across the street from one another, and are both judges on the show that made Sylvie famous. Things change when news breaks of an upcoming royal wedding, and they both decide to throw their names in the ring to win the contract. Soon the lines between their relationship starts blur as working and competing against each other has brought them closer together.

While S&D are polar opposites (she’s sunshine and rainbows, he’s doom and gloom), their chemistry is present from the get go. It was great to see their characters develop from throwing barbs to actually admitting how they felt, and I loved watching them work together.

Five stars for one of my favorite tropes!

Battle Royal is the first in a fun new series by Lucy Parker. Four years ago, Sylvie lost her spot on a popular British baking show when her unicorn cake hit Dominic, one of the judges, in the face on national television. Four years later, they own rival bakeries in Notting Hill and Sylvie will be joining the show as a judge. At the same time, a royal wedding has been announced and both want to win the contract for a once=in-a-lifetime event. I absolutely loved this fun romance. It contains several of my favorite things- found families, British royals (these are fictitious), food competitions, and it takes place in London. I can't wait to see where Parker goes with the next book in the series!

This one was pretty sweet!

I love a good baking show as much as the next person so I was very excited for this enemies to lovers with the backdrop of a baking competition.

I wouldn't call them enemies, it's definitely more of a frenenmies "love to hate" kind of relationship And I think my favorite part of the book was how natural their progression was from dislike to like to love. They were both vulnerable and taken off guard by their attraction and it was great to see their slow burn.

I really liked learning more about their own backgrounds and what made them the way they were. I would have loved to have learned more. Especially with the subplot involving Pet and the other one with Jay.

Be prepared to want to bake after reading this. There were so many different concoctions in this book that I was dying to try!

Check this out on August 16th!

Battle Royal is the story of a baking show rom com that is just almost perfection. Sylvie competes on one of Britains best baking shows, but gets eliminated when her cake explodes on a judge who has given her a hard time through the entire competition. When she is asked to judge on the show a few years later, their enemy status only elevates. When they unknowingly end up competing to bake the wedding cake for an upcoming royal wedding, tensions go through the roof and competition turns to something more. I loved the characters, both main and secondary. I loved the baking setting both in the show and their individual businesses. I loved their families and their friends and mostly I just loved Sylvie and Dominic.

There have been a ton of great baking/cooking competition books this year, but for me Battle Royal takes the cake.

I didn’t know what to expect with Battle Royal, but I am so glad I read this book. The two main characters are total opposites. When Sylvie and Dominic meet on a baking show, he is the staid, grouchy judge who is the King’s favorite baker. Sylvie is the glitter queen, with pastel nail polish and streaks of pink in her hair. She also seems the only contestant to not back down from Dominic, until the unicorn cake.

Fast forward four years and now Sylvie owns the Sugar Fair bakery, right across from Dominic’s De Vere bakery, and she will be the newest judge on this season’s Operation Cake, with Dominic and Mariana, a food writer, as the other judges. Sylvie and Dominic’s style and personalities couldn’t be more different. Dominic goes for elegant minimalism. Sylvie thinks the more flamboyant, the better, with glitter and colors and all sorts of, well, more. Dominic is stiff and aloof; Sylvie is so positive and alive she lights up the room.

What I liked the most was how slowly Sylvie and Dominic were drawn together, others noticed it before they did. It was tiny things, a touch, a look, the way he placed his body to protect her, just lovely. This book made me laugh and cry and in the end, I was very satisfied.

Thanks to NetGalley for sharing this eARC; this is my honest opinion.

I have read all of Lucy Parker's previous books and they have all worked brilliantly for me. This one was no different. Grumpy - sunshine is favourite trope of mine in romance, adding bakers and reality TV shows and it's almost too good to be true.

I went in expecting light-hearted and fun romance, with lots of rival bakers shenanigans. This was not the case, but it was still amazing.

This was a touching, slow burn romance with two MCs who are opposites on the surface but deep down both are fiercely loyal to the people they love, both have suffered serious trauma in their past which they have taken a different approach to dealing with. He is distant, straight-lacd, keeping his emotions in check, following the rules and avoiding making human connections. She is the opposite - flamboyant, rule breaker, wearing her heart on her sleeve. In fact they both crave a deep connection, but are scared to give in to their feelings.

This story is not s romcom despite cover suggesting otherwise. Grief and loss and neglect take up a central place in it. It's heaertbreaking, very vivid and moving. The focus for me on how people who have been hurt in the past learn and dare to let people in again. There is a lot of happening here, both involving the MCs and the secondary characters. It's overwhelming at times but still the romance, the journey of the MCs towards each other shines through for me.

I felt the presentation of the hero's struggle with touch and spontaneity was well done, it felt real and relatable. The consent was brilliant, and just with respect to sex, but to touch in general. The romance was dreamy with great sexual tension. I loved how they worked as a couple, there was a strong sense of partnership despite the professional competition. I loved how their rivalry progressed with no dirty tricks and backstabbing between them.

There is plenty of dirty tricks on the reality show the MCs judge though. It showed the backstage rather than the glamour and success of reality TV cooking shows. It came close to Masterchef than GBBO in my opinion but it was still entertaining to see.

I am still not a fan of romances based of real life royal families. There were made up elements that made it feel distant though I still prefer

Don't like real royals, fake titles are used but still it was too close to reality.

Overall, this is an engaging romance, with some fun elements but mostly dealing with serious/heavy topics. I had some issues here and there but in end I really enjoyed it and can't wait for the next book in the series already.

CW: grief, parental neglect, loss of a parent/guardian, stabbing attack, stalking

Battle Royal was an absolute treat to read and it was the perfect recipe for the most enjoyable book for me. Enemies to lovers mixed with Lucy Parker's version of Great British Bakeoff?! Take. My. Money.

The story revolves around the two main characters, Sylvie and Dominic, who originally met on the competitive baking show, Operation Cake - Sylvie as the upbeat, glitter-obsessed contestant and Dominic as the very serious, very harsh judge. Sylvie was voted off the show by Dominic after an unfortunate malfunction with one of her creations that ended with Dominic getting cake catapulted straight to his head. Cut to 4 years later, we find Sylvie running her own bakery, Sugar Fair, that just so happens to be right across the street from Dominic's bakery, De Vere's. And to top it off, they are now also competing against each other for one of the biggest contracts of their careers, a cake for an upcoming Royal Wedding. So, so good.

What I liked:
- The natural progression of Sylvie and Dominic's relationship. I adored the pure, wholesome moments between them and they gave me all of the heart eyes. I love how little by little they shared their most vulnerable parts with each other and how in tune Dominic's body language was with Sylvie's. Also, the give and take with allowing contact and physical intimacy was just, ugh. Beautifully done. I loved the consent with even the littlest gestures, like hand holding and so on.

- The maturity of it all. I find that in a lot of these type of romances, towards the end, some minor inconvenience happens and gets blown out of proportion and causes a huge rift between the couple all because of poor communication. It was so refreshing to read about a couple that communicated so well and were simply honest with each other. Sure, there were some hiccups, but they dealt with them like mature, emotionally intelligent adults and I really appreciated that.

- The plot. It was fun and whimsical with plenty of emotional, heart wrenching moments. It's so much more than just a romance between two rivals and I was absolutely here for it.

- The supporting characters were wonderfully written and I am so excited for the next installment in this series.

What I didn't like:

- Every now and then, I'll have to look up words when I'm reading, but never as often as I had to with Battle Royal. Maybe I am just a complete dunce, but it was constant and it made me feel... well, like a dunce. Again, maybe it was just me, but it was something to note because it took me out of the story a few times.

- There were several parts where it was hard to follow what was going on. Partly because I wasn't sure who was saying what and partly because I just didn't understand what the author was talking about. This is not an issue that I deal with, if ever, and again, I only mention it because it took me out of the story.

Overall, though, I thoroughly enjoyed this and I give it a solid 4 stars. This was my first Lucy Parker and I will definitely be checking out her other books!

I was really vibing with this one in the beginning. Sure, it was hard to feel like it wasn't ripping off of the great British bakeoff - but the characters were appealing, and I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers tropes.
I would've said it was the perfect book for me, and I was happy to read the last 10% of the book until it finished... but then I saw that I was only about 30-ish% of the way into the book. Alas, it started to drag for me and I couldn't finish it in the end.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this advanced readers copy.

This book was far more than I expected- in a good way. It had sub-plot on sub-plot and much more trauma and angst than the cover suggested. Just when you think the emotional roller coaster is over, the author piles more complications on (the last minute thing with the friend felt like... a lot.) In the hands of a less-talented author, this would be a jumbled soup, not a nice layer cake. Honestly, IMO, this book leans more into Women's Fiction territory with it's multiple family trauma sub-plots and the (multiple) professional sub-plots and the (MULTIPLE) mystery elements. (And also... can I just say there are SO MANY SCULPTORS in England? And specifically, glass sculptors? Can't believe that profession is so popular... )

This book was 4.5 stars for & rounded up to 5 for my immense enjoyment of the book!


Sylvie & Dominic met 4 years ago on the televised baking competition, Operation Cake. Sylvie was a contestant to keep an eye out BUT Dominic always had something to say about her colorful and glamorous pastries. He was a bit (read: a lot) more conservative and traditional with his own pastry style which lead to some stern critique.

Fast forward and Sylvie now has the successful bakery of her dreams. She's only right across the street from Dominic who will now be her co-star as she returns to Operation Cake as a judge. It also turns out that both bakeries will be competing to secure a royal contract for an upcoming wedding.

This book was such a surprise to me. I liked the synopsis of the book but wasn't expecting it to exceed my expectations, which it did. The budding (slow-burn) romance between Sylvie and Dominic had me rooting for them from the start. I was in love with their Sunshine/Grumpy dynamics and how there was never any real malice in their professional relationship which lead to a very wonderful and low-angst romance/relationship. Like, I swear I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop (in their romantic relationship) or for some type of toxic behavior to happen but it didn't. This was a feel good book for me and I had so much fun reading this.

There was some other stuff going on besides the main plot of their romance and the royal contract. This includes a disaster of an intern, the baking show,, some emotional tension with Dominic's sister, and the royal couple themselves. I enjoyed all of these sub-plots and didn't feel that they took away from the main romance/plot. I did feel that one of the sub-plots was a little pointless and ended/resolved a little flatly for me, but that may also be my desire to see some chaos.

Overall this book was a great read and I found myself laughing at how funny it was and rooting for the couple the while time. I would also like book 2 right now!

Can't wait to see what else this author has in store for the characters we've been introduced to!

Thanks to netgalley who gave me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

6/10 stars

Adorable and sweet are the two words that first come to mind when describing this treat of a book.
Battle Royal follows Sylvie a whimsical baker who found stardom after appearing on the show Operation Cake, and Dominic, a stern, traditional baker who judged Sylvie on the show and ultimately sent her home. Four years after that, Sylvie has been invited as a judge for Operation Cake at the same time she and Dominic's bakeries are competing for the chance to bake the wedding cake for the recently engaged Duchess Rosie and her fiance.

As a Great British Bakeoff fan, I was ecstatic to start this book. And it also includes my favorite trope, enemies to lovers? Sign me up.

Let's start with the positives. Lucy Parker has a way of describing love that warms my heart. The way she talks about the different romantic relationships in this book is so precious and it made me fall in love with each and every one.

Sylvie was easy to root for both because she is an underdog but because of her kindness and magical aesthetic. Dominic's transformation from grump to love interest was well explained by his past. Even though the characters didn't have a ton of chemistry together, I could still see and believe that they were falling in love, even if the transition from enemies to friends was a little quick to me.

And what great side characters! Pet is so lovely and I think (and hope) the next book features her and the bodyguard. Mabel was funny and I loved whenever she appeared. Rosie and Jack's love story was my favorite part of this entire book. They were so wholly in love and it was beautiful to read.

The reason I gave this such few stars is that I didn't mesh so well with the writing style. I felt detached reading this even though I desperately wanted to lose myself in the story. It wasn't bad writing, it just didn't do it for me.

Overall, this was a cute story and I will definitely be checking out the next in this series when it comes out.

THis will appear on the RRT site soon. http://romrevtoday.com/

BATTLE ROYAL – Lucy Parker
Avon
ISBN: 978-0-06-304006-9
August 17, 2021
Romantic Comedy

London – Present Day

Four years ago, baker Sylvie Fairchild competed on Operation Cake, a hit baking competition show. Her beautiful and intricate designs were popular with viewers, but not for one of the judges, Dominic De Vere. He hated her and her cakes, which led to him voting her off the show. Sylvie has gone on to open a popular bakery, which has caught the attention of the Operation Cake producers…and a princess. Sylvie is hired to appear as a judge on the show’s newest season—alongside her old nemesis Dominic. She is also asked to be one of the few bakeries to present a potential cake design for the upcoming wedding of Princess Rosie. Dominic will also be presenting a cake design.

Dominic can’t stand Sylvie and is not looking forward to working with her on the set of Operation Cake. However, she also intrigues him as she wears her heart on her sleeve. She is not afraid to state her opinions and she will step in to help those in need. As the favorite baker of the royal family, Dominic feels that he has the inside track to win the coveted prize of baking the royal wedding cake. But the more he’s around Sylvie, the more he begins to realize how talented she really is. Okay, he might not agree with all of her designs, but they are fresh and innovative. Dominic also begins to find himself attracted to Sylvie.

It’s a battle of the sexes—and bakers—in BATTLE ROYAL. Sylvie has worked hard to get where she’s at—owning a successful bakery in London. It isn’t that Dominic hasn’t worked hard himself, but he was tutored in the business by his grandfather, who founded the bakery. His younger half-sister, Pet, also works at the bakery, though they’re still trying to rebuild a relationship after years apart. Meanwhile, Dominic and Sylvie meet with the future bride and groom to get a feel for what they want in a cake. They learn that she was fond of her late uncle, the Prince of Wales, who died a single man several years ago. Going through the late prince’s personal belongings (with the okay of the royal family) Sylvie and Dominic discover that he was once in love. Who was she and what happened to her? Why did they not marry? This is part of the quest that Dominic and Sylvie go on together. Will they discover the answers?

Things are a bit offbeat at times in this tale, but just what you can expect in a romantic romp from the author, Lucy Parker. Things don’t always go perfect between Dominic and Sylvie, nor with the people around them. As they work together, they grow closer—and begin to respect each other. The wedding and the Operation Cake production is just part of the background in BATTLE ROYAL. The main course is Dominic and Sylvie. Will their attraction lead to the bedroom? And if it does, will it be smooth sailing? Be prepared to chuckle and smile your way through the pages in this fun and hip tale.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

I have to say that I was a little unsure when starting Battle Royal. I'm not the biggest fan of baking shows, I know what is wrong with me, and the beginning of the book didn't quite grab me. But, I am such a Lucy Parker fan girl that I had faith and it totally paid off! Once I got going on this one I couldn't stop!

Sylvie was a delight and I am desperate to visit Sugar Fair or find something like it in real life because WOW, that would be the dream bakery. Dominic was a bit prickly but that made him so much more endearing as he opened up and we found out more about him. Lucy Parker's characters are always spot on and this book was no different. Her witty banter and dialogue is one of the best I've ever read and has me feeling like I'm talking to a friend by the end.

The romance was paced just right and I absolutely loved that once they were together, they were together for the long haul and we really got to see these two people find their way and support each other through the ups and downs as one does in a real relationship.

This book really got me with the emotions. I appreciated the way she talked about grief and loss as well as remembering that to love or have been loved even for a small amount of time is always worth it.

I did feel like maybe there was one too many storylines going on at once and I didn't particularly need or love Jay's revelation, but that was a small complaint to an overall wonderful book!

Also Pet was such a scene stealer! Every time she came on the page I wanted more, I am desperately hoping she will get her own book soon!

An ARC of this book was provided by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.