While BATTLE ROYAL shares some similarities to one of my all-time favourite Parker reads, and obviously by the above rating I really loved it, I'll admit this might end up being on the bottom rung of my top five favourites from this author. Which just goes to show you how much I love her books because so many of them are so great. <b>But</b> it's easily the one that made me cry the most.

"<i>Some of us have compassion for others. It's called empathy.</i>"
"<b>Some of us would hug a rabid squirrel if it shed a few tears and burbled an improbably sob story. It's called gullibility.</b>"

This story is doing a lot plot-wise, which may actually be what works against it a little bit, only because sometimes certain elements don't quite get the full attention they deserve, or are tied-off pretty quickly and conveniently, but despite all that, I enjoyed everything that was done. And was also, like, moved by much of it; see aforementioned tears.

"<i>[..] it's way too.. not beige to come from your kitchens.</i>"
"<b>A neutral palette is universally appropriate.</b>"
"<i>That's not how you pronounce 'dull'</i>."

The obvious plot points to note are easily deduced by both cover and summary; there's a pair of rival grumpy/sunshine bakers who feature not only on a GBBO-like baking competition but also are competing to win the royal wedding cake contract. But what's less obvious? Is the lovely infusion of found family dynamics. As well as complicated biological-family relations. Less lovely but just as emotional? The talk and processing of loss and grief.

"<i>Jealousy is a destructive, pointless emotion and a complete waste of time.</i>"
"<b>Fairly annoying, then, that it's seeping from your pores right now?</b>"
"<i>Very.</i>"

Like many romances these days, we're getting more bang for our buck and within the pages of this cutesy adorable outside is a lot of substance. Which isn't to say the cutesy adorable ones aren't just as satisfying. But I definitely picked this up for something joyful and fun and I got that.. and tears. That's all I mean. And I don't remotely regret getting more than I wanted. There were plenty of laughs (full out cackles a time or two) and I really enjoyed watching these two opposites fall for each other amongst all the other excitement happening around them. Bonus points because they are a bit older than the typical romance protagonists and, as always, Parker makes the steamy moments steamy and a little silly and all around endearingly real.

"<i>You have the table side manner of the shark from <b>Jaws</b></i>."

Though I maybe didn't come off as strong about my love for this one, I think that's a combination of having too many top top favourites from the author and also just because this one, despite the emotes, was a bit of a softer touch. A slower, gentler, burn of a story.

"<i>I'm equal parts terrified and aroused.</i>"
"<b>What an excellent relationship motto for us.</b>"

All that to say : this is a definite recommend. And I can't wait for the next in the series.

All these romances with baking competitions? I'm into it. With any competition, comes rivalries. And since rivals to romance is one of my favorite tropes, Battle Royal is definitely down my alley. Funnily enough, the baking competition - which was initially my main intrigue - ended up being my least favorite element. Battle Royal also features rival bakeries for an upcoming wedding which ended up stealing the show for me.

Sylvie and Dominic wormed their way into my heart. The scenes of them getting to know each other, of their banter and conversations - those stole my heart. And I felt like their judging of Operation Cake was another element thrown into the mix. But at the end of the day, it was my least favorite because I felt it took time away from Dominic and Sylvie's stories, their rival baking styles, and the competition for the contract. I understand from a writing perspective that the judging is part of the reason they're back in each other's orbit, but it was certainly my least favorite element.

I was so excited to read this book after seeing so many positive reviews but I just could not get into it. There was a lot going on with all of the different subplots, and it was a very typical romcom so it was easy to predict what would happen next. I do love the enemies to lovers trope and I really enjoyed the baking theme. I can see how people would enjoy this book, it just was not for me.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

So this was a super fun read and I loved the Operation Cake baking show competition aspect with the main characters being judges and dealing with Dominic being the deciding vote to vote Sylvie off the show for her season four years prior. So we have competing bakeries that are right across the street from each other Sugar Fair is frivolous and fun while De Veres is a veritable British institution. In the midst of this Princess Rose gets engaged and now both bakeries are competing for the contract to bake the royal wedding cake and of course they start to fall in love and end up working together to present the idea for the royal wedding cake. Just a great read and I really loved all the talk of baking and when they were describing the behind the scenes for the baking competition.

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

Sylvie Fairchild is invited to be a judge on Operation Cake (think British Bakeoff). She was a contestant four years ago and was eliminated when her cake exploded into Dominic De Vere. Now she owns her own cake shop across from his. Dominic still is as traditional and grumpy as he always was. Sylvie likes to add whimsy, color and better yet edible glitter. Of course these two are going to clash and attract. Now in addition to working on the tv show they are competing for the chance to provide the wedding cake for Princess Rose, fourth in line for the throne.

I really enjoyed this book and there are genuinely funny moments. But as a whole it takes awhile to get going. I think there are too many subplots. Figuring out the cake flavor profiles, the mystery of the royal uncle, who is stealing Sylvie's ideas, Pets relationship with Dominic, Sylvie's relationship to Jay etc... They all get resolved but it makes the book overly long and pulls focus from Sylvie and Dominic. This is the first book in a new series and I will look forward to the next. Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy Parker’s new romantic comedy Battle Royal became a must-read for me as soon as I learned that it features a reality TV baking show and two rival bakers who truly cannot stand one another. Not only are these rivals forced to serve as judges together, but there is also a battle royal where the two rivals go head-to-head as they each try to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to design and bake a cake for a royal wedding. This sounded like the perfect recipe (pardon the pun) for entertainment and Lucy Parker sure delivers!

I loved the main character Sylvie Fairchild from the moment she’s introduced. She is a charming ray of sunshine and her shining personality comes through in every whimsical, often glittery, creation that she bakes in her shop, Sugar Fair. Four years ago, she appeared on her way to victory on the reality TV show, Operation Cake, until the famous (and sexy) pastry chef, Dominic De Vere, voted her off the show and pronounced her as lacking in talent and relying on gimmicks. When Sylvie is offered the opportunity to serve as a judge on the same show, she reluctantly agrees to do it even though it means she’ll have to deal with Dominic again.

In addition to serving as a judge on the reality show, Dominic also owns a well-respected bakery that is often used by businesses in the area and even by the palace at times. Sylvie snarks that everything Dominic bakes is beige and colorless, just like his personality.

I loved the tension between Sylvie and Dominic as the sparks flew between them. It became clear pretty quickly that what they were feeling for each other wasn’t hate at all and it was very entertaining to watch their relationship grow and evolve, especially as they each vie for the contract to bake the royal wedding cake. It also becomes clear that they have more in common than they ever realized, particularly as it relates to loneliness and loss.

Battle Royal also features a fabulous cast of lovable secondary characters, including Dominic’s sweet sister Pet, as well as Sylvie’s coworkers at Sugar Fair, who, although they love to snark at each other all the time, are loyal to Sylvie above all else and were definitely her found family. These characters were all so great. I became very invested in all of them and I’m hoping we’ll see them in future books since this is apparently the beginning of a new Palace Insiders series.

If you enjoy romances that feature rivals to lovers and sunshine personalities versus grumpy, Battle Royal is the book for you!

This such an incredible romance. The non sexual intimacy between the main characters makes this book extremely comforting for me as an ace-spectrum reader. I loved the slow paced yet quick romantic development, I love the expanded relationships with all secondary characters, and most of all I loved how the layers were peeled back for both the main characters as they got to know each other's quirks, backstories, and tragedies that fed into their personalities. I can say with conviction this has hit the top of my list for favourite romances of all time.

Fans of the Great British Bake Off and of royal weddings will delight in this mashup that includes two couples fighting for each other. This enemies-to-lovers romance of rival bakers vying to be the next baker for a royal wedding includes lots of side characters but perhaps a bit too much plot with multiple storylines converging. Our grumpy hero Dominic De Vere and sunshine heroine Sylvie Fairchild first met years ago when she was a contestant on the baking show and he was a judge. With an epic fail that included Dom being shot in the face with basically a glitter bomb, Sylvie gets voted out of the competition. But four years later, they now have rival baking shops across the street from each other. His traditional style rubs her the wrong way but her eccentric shop is only mildly successful. So when offered the chance to redeem herself and become a judge on the baking show too, she jumps at it.

Throw in the competition for making the next royal wedding cake and you definitely have a great Battle Royal!

I can't wait to read more in the series!

Lucy Parker's latest has everything I want in a contemporary romance – characters I fell for immediately, swoony, slow burn enemies to lovers, a fantastic premise, and loads of charm. I adored Battle Royal from its opening pages and devoured this book as quickly as Sylvie devours good chocolate.

Sylvie and Dominic couldn't be more different – in their approach to their bakeries or their personalities. Sylvie already loathed Dominic when she earned his ire while she was a contestant on Operation Cake four years ago, She's very surprised when the show invites her back to serve as a judge alongside Dominic, but she can't pass up the opportunity for increased exposure and sales for her charming bakeshop in Notting Hill. When Dominic and Sylvie learn they're both in the running for the cake contact of the year – the wedding of the royal princess – they can't decide which runs hotter – their attraction for one another or conflicting styles.

The chemistry and sparks between Sylvie and Dominic were fantastic. I loved their banter and the barbs that flew between them. The side characters – particularly Rosie, Johnny, Mabs, and Pet – were just as nuanced and sincere. I loved everything about this book. I am so excited Lucy Parker is continuing this series. I can't wait to see what she does next. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Avon for providing me with a copy of an e-arc.

I love a Lucy Parker book, no doubt. But this is the start of a new series, and you never know what might happen, even when it's from a favorite author.

No need to fear! This is the grumpy-sunshine, GBBO-style competition, rivals-to-lovers with a bit of modern-royals glamour to top it all off that I needed.

I won't bother recapping the plot. I'll just talk about what I loved and think was done well:

The food details were wonderful--tried-and-true from Dominic, quirky and inventive from Sylvie (and abysmal from another character). I adore food in books, always!

Dominic and Sylvie have a history, most of it horrid. But things improve throughout the story, and I appreciate so much that they've got each other's backs when things go wrong. While they are technically in competition for the chance to make the royal wedding cake, they aren't awful to each other. The awfulness comes from another quarter entirely. Nicely done!

The royal love story is a lovely gem hidden inside the larger tale of Dominic and Sylvie. Dom and Sylvie's closest friends and family members are interesting without stealing the show, and I wouldn't mind seeing some of them with books of their own.

There is a mystery--a tertiary or even quaternary subplot--that was fascinating to me. Sometimes, I feel like authors have too much going on, and it pulls focus from the main relationship. This time, I thought they all shed light on the main characters and their development, so nothing was gratuitous.

All in all, a lovely story. I think this will turn out to be right up there with my other LP fave, Act Like It.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

Lucy Parker is the queen of grumpy-sunshiny romances, absolutely my favorite kind of pairing in Romancelandia, so I knew I would love this book, but adding in a GBBO inspired reality TV show was the literal icing on the cake. I have no doubt this is going to be one of my top reads for the year. I found it to be filled to the brim with witty banter, warmth, love, high emotional stakes, and best of all, scrumptious sounding sweets and cake.

Dominic is a stern, straight-laced, take no prisoners owner of one of the most prestigious confectioners shops in London. Due to financial pressures and the need to keep a high profile for his shop, he has a side gig judging on the most popular baking show on TV, however he's well-known for his pithy criticism and the withering glare that can dissolve any contestant into tears.

Sylvie is an adorable, imaginative, glitter and fairy tale loving baker, who appeared on the baking show as a contestant 4 yrs ago and memorably pelted Dominic in the face with a misfiring unicorn cake. In the ensuing years, she opened a shop reflecting her own unique style right across the street from Dom and as the story opens, not only has she been invited back to the show as a judge, she's also determined to win a contract to supply the wedding cake for a high profile royal wedding and will be competing directly with Dom for that contract.

The sparks between this mismatched, yet perfectly matched, pair are incendiary but more importantly, the warmth, care, and love that grows between them as they slowly reveal their true selves to each other while dealing with various personal and professional crises is absolutely heartwarming. I could read about these two all day with a smile on my face. Also, by the end of the book, it’s clear who the next couple in this series is going to be and I’m so there for it.

Super cute enemies-to-lovers with a GBBO spin. Sylvie was a contestant who infamously blew up a glittery unicorn in frosty judge Dominic's face during her time on a Bake Off-esque show. Three years later, she is the owner of a rainbows and glitter bakery, right across the road from Dominic's very traditional family bakery. She accepts a judging spot on the show she was kicked off of, and while filming the season, she and Dominic find themselves battling each other for the contract of a royal wedding cake.

I really enjoyed how thoroughly every character was developed. Dominic's childhood, along with his relationship with his sister, was heartbreaking and definitely plays into his icy exterior, and Sylvie's similar background (and completely opposite sunny disposition) made them a sweet couple. I also super enjoyed them trying to figure out the Midnight Elixir recipe and desperately want to visit Sylvie's Dark Forest.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I loved this romance between two rival bakers! Lucy Parker is one of the strongest writers of contemporary romance and "Battle Royal" does not disappoint. The intersection of food and romance was wonderful, the description and atmosphere superb (for example, the heroine's underground dungeon room where she concocts her fancy cocktails- I want to go there!) Fans of Laura Florand's romances that center around chocolate in Paris will love this one too!

This book had so many elements that I love reading about in romance books.

It has:
🧁 grumpy/sunshine trope
🧁 enemies to lovers
🧁 forced proximity (they work across the street from each other)
🧁 royalty romance (subplot)
🧁 focus on healing and family (biological and self made)

I enjoyed the humorous banter and quips littered throughout this book. The little comments sprinkled here and there reminded me of Lorelei Gilmore’s sense of humor when she banters, especially with Rory. The pacing of this story started off slowly for me, so I had a hard time staying focused in the first half of the story despite liking the characters and the general idea of the story. Two competitive bakeries across the street from one another have to compete for a royal wedding cake job opening while also working together on a baking reality show. The second half of the book picked up more and I found it easier to read for longer amounts of time and get swept up in the characters and feel invested in the ups and downs of the story. I really enjoyed the way the story progresses throughout the second half of the book, all the twists along the way and the conclusion with its own happily ever after for our main two characters. While it took me longer to get into the story, I did enjoy reading it and seeing how everything would work out so that all the romantic couples could find their own hea.

Content: abandonment, adult language, minor mention of mental health, one open door scene

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Battle Royal is everything I didn’t know I needed. It is a baking competition, rivals to lovers, and a grumpy/sunshine romance. They are two rival bakers that do not get along. Sylvie prefers to bake colorful cakes whereas, Dominic prefers to bake minimalistic cakes.

It begins with an event that occurred four years ago. Sylvie was competing on Operation Cake, a baking show when everything went wrong. Dominic was, and continues to be, a judge on Operation Cake, which is how the two met and the rivalry began. When everything started to go wrong, Sylvie was proudly displaying her unicorn cake. The cake ended up sprinkling glitter all over Dominic's face. Or, more accurately, all over him, but most importantly, his face. She was unfortunately eliminated shortly after that.

In the present, Sylvie and her closest friend Jay own and manage Sugar Fair, a bakery. Oh, and guess who is directly across the street... That's correct, De Vere's, Dominic's well-known bakery. However, a new season of Operation Cake is about to begin filming. The one and only Sylvie Fairchild will be joining them as the new judge. That's not too bad. Except now they've discovered they will be competing to make a wedding cake for the forthcoming Royal Wedding. And they both want their cake to be the one chosen by the royal couple.

Dominic's sister, Pet, has stepped into being his PA just until his original PA gets back from an injury. Before Dominic left for his first day on the show, Pen cut out a silhouette of both the judges, Sylvie and Mariana. Only to have kept the silhouette of Sylvie in his office and tuck it into the edge of a photo frame on his desk. And every time he looks at it, the constant grumpy man suddenly feels his mood changing.

The two of them are chosen to prepare the Royal couples wedding cake, and the pair has a lot of ideas for what they want on their cake. Like Johnny's favorite drink, which he wants as a cake flavor, but it's a secret recipe, so they have to figure it out. Rosie wants a cake with a portion of her great uncle Prince Patrick on it, but no one knows much about him. Now the two of them must not only figure out what this drink is and how to turn it into a cake, but they must also research Prince Patrick's background. Isn't it simple? No, not at all. As a result, the two of them will have to collaborate to figure out some of this.

The development of their relationship continues to grow throughout the book. There are so many sweet, gentle touches that make you swoon because it is just that good. They can not seem to take their hands off of each other. Their first kiss has a magic touch to it. They compare hand sizes, which freaked me out since it was so fucking cute. You also get to observe Dominic look after Sylvie not just while she was sick, but also when she got scared by someone. That was the first time she hugged him and sobbed into his neck.... yep, I'm obsessed. I could go on and on about how beautiful they are together, but I don't want to spoil everything for anyone interested in reading it. I have a really good feeling this book is going to be extremely popular.

I can not wait for the next book!!!!

*Thank you to NetGallery for the ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Although Sylvie's bakery is doing well, she needs more exposure for her business to take off. She is offered an opportunity to be a judge on a television baking competition that she competed in four years ago. The only catch is that she will have to work side-by-side with Dominic, the man who voted her off the competition years ago. Not only was he a jerk to her when she competed, he also owns the bakery across the street. Sylvie pushes aside her pride to work with her nemesis and when they are pitted against each other for a royal wedding cake commission, they have to spend even more time together. Things really heat up in the kitchen between these two enemies!

This was a fun and enjoyable enemies-to-lovers romance. If you enjoy cooking competitions and British rom-coms, this book is for you! All of the twists towards the end kept the story interesting and set up a great HEA for the book.

The subplots about the Princess and her fiancé, Prince Patrick, and Jay were a bit over the top and predictable for me, but they added a bit of entertainment factor to the story.

My favorite character was Dominic's sister, Pet (short for Petunia). She is so fun, vibrant, cheery, and full of life! I am hoping one of the future books in this series is about her.

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥
⚠️: grief, mention of emotional neglect, fatal car accident

Heat Factor: A little bit of spice to go with all those sweets
Character Chemistry: The way she she makes his eye twitch
Plot: Rival bakery owners compete on bid for royal wedding cake (plus a bunch of other stuff)
Overall: I feel very emotionally manipulated right now; this is not *necessarily* a bad thing

I picked up Battle Royal because I’ve heard good things about Lucy Parker, and because the blurb touted this as a GBBO-inspired romance. And I love GBBO. However, while a baking competition does feature in this romance, it’s more of an aside—the more substantial sideplot that drives the romance is British Royal Drama.

Once I got over my discombobulation about reading a lot more about the love lives of various royals than I was bargaining for, I can say that I really enjoyed this one, with a few asterisks.

So, the premise. Sylvie and Dominic own dueling bakeshops across the street from one another. Sylvie’s cakes look like a unicorn dusted them with rainbows and sparkles; Dominic is into classic minimalism. They first met four years ago, when Sylvie was a contestant on GBBO, and Dominic a judge; she was eliminated when her unicorn cake exploded and whacked him in the head. Now, Sylvie has been tapped to join the judging team. And also, Sylvie and Dominic are both competing for the bid to make the cake for an upcoming royal wedding. And then they end up spending a lot of time together as they research details for the royal cake.

Sylvie and Dominic have a lovely energy to their interactions. Dominic is icy and scary and Sylvie just wants to poke at him (and cover his life in glitter). For his part, Dominic is repulsed by Sylvie’s aesthetic—but he also really wants to touch the purple streaks in her hair. And while they may be outwardly disdainful of each other, from a very early stage in their relationship they become very gentle with each other as they slowly reveal themselves. So I liked that.

The book is also very funny. Sylvie and Dominic both have a bit of sarcastic streak, which bleeds out into the narration. But Battle Royal is also really melancholy, as Sylvie and Dominic (and various secondary characters) deal with grief and work through the reality that sometimes love stories don’t work out. The juxtaposition of these two tonal ranges heightened the emotional manipulation I felt. In this way, Battle Royal felt very similar to Love at First by Kate Clayborn (which inspired a whole post by moi about how sometimes emotional manipulation is exactly what I want in a romance).

Here’s my asterisk: there’s a lot of plot in this book. There’s the GBBO plot, there’s the royal wedding plot, there’s the guy who’s stealing Sylvie’s recipes plot, there’s the we have sad histories plot, plus even more subplots that I won’t get into because I don’t want to get into spoiler territory. Now, an intricate web of a story is not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case, it didn’t quite hang together.

The descriptions of the cakes were lovely, though.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Okay so I adored this! This is my first Lucy Parker and while I have heard good things about this author, I still had little to no expectations going into this. I thought this would just be a quick, fun romance. And while it certainly was, there was depth and beauty to this that surprised me. While the romance between Sylvie and Dominic was quirky and banter-filled, there was such a unique intimacy that forms between them. It felt like I was being let in on a secret, watching their relationship develop. I loved the reality tv show setting, and also the "battle" between the two bakers on who gets to bake the royal wedding cake was delightful. Though this was an opposites-attract romance, I liked how the core of the persons was the same. Also, lord knows I love a touch-starved hero and two lonely people coming to find happiness for.... reasons and BOY did Lucy Parker deliver. The pacing of this was whipcrack fast and had that signature dry, quick British wit that I love. I found it to be quick similar to Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall (in terms of tone, and banter) so if you liked that then I am sure you'll love this!

Absolutely loved this fun and emotional romance. I will definitely be going back and reading Lucy parker's back list. This was a combination of great british bake off and royalty.

This book was not at all what I was expecting. With a cover like this, I thought I was getting a light hearted, easy, enemies-to-lovers/Grump and Sunshine romance. I got so much more.

The heart wrenching moments took me by surprise and one in particular mirrored my own personal experience with grief. So much so that I had to put the book down to sob while I relived the moment. That level of grief never really goes away, just becomes easier to deal with over time. Even then, there are still moments that sneak up on you like it did for the characters (and to me).

Lucy Parker managed to balance the poignant with the light hearted moments that made this book overall so incredibly enjoyable and moving.