this is not a story of true love conquering all. Paris for all his endearing qualities can't seem to get out of his own way. His anxieties and insecurities prove to be too much for Tariq especially when Paris, centered on his own failures, cannot celebrate Tariq’s triumphs with him. As much as it pains him, Tariq steps away from Paris. And Paris has a moment of reckoning where he is forced to recognize that his anxieties and self doubts are something more. He faces his mental illness and finally gets the help he needs.

Alexis Hall's masterful wit and compassionate prose again shines through in this story of self-discovery and love within the high-stakes world of a TV baking competition. MCs Paris and Tariq navigate numerous heavy topics, such as anxiety, cyberbullying, and Islamophobia. While I found the characters to lack natural chemistry at points, this was a lovely story, rich with empathy and honesty about life challenges.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an advanced reader copy, in exchange for an honest review.

I unfortunately agreed with many of the baking show critics and found Paris irritating. I liked the book but think the first one in the series is far superior.

This book gave me all the feels. Paris and Tariq were so great together. Tariq was a saint. There’s no way I could have been that patient with Paris (while I sympathize, his issues would have been too much on top of my own). Yet the character development was great here, especially for Paris. I’m glad I got to be there for his journey of self-discovery. The story was so compelling and realistic and sweet that it was easy to forget I was reading. And while Paris could be annoying, I laughed so much while reading this. Not just at the awkward moments. But especially at the awkward moments.

I loved everything about this book. The Romance was perfectly imperfect, which is the way that I like it and Alexis Hall is hands down the best at writing a romance that is quirky and heartfelt.
On another level, this book made me feel seen. I loved it. I will recommend it to everyone I know, whether they want me to or not and I will probably read it every year just like I do Bridget Jones—because it is Bridget Jones-level good.

I just finished reading Alexis Hall's "Paris Daillencourt's Is About to Crumble," Let me tell you, it was quite the rollercoaster of emotions – in the best possible way!

First, thank Hall for crafting such a unique and intriguing title. It piqued my curiosity, and I'm glad I took the plunge into this literary adventure.

The story follows Paris Daillencourt, a wonderfully complex, flawed, and utterly human character. Hall masterfully navigates the intricacies of Paris's life, making it easy for readers to connect with his journey's struggles, triumphs, and messiness.

The narrative unfolds with a perfect blend of humour, heart, and a dash of romance that keeps you hooked from start to finish. The witty dialogue and Hall's writing style add an extra layer of charm, making the book a joy to read.

I must say that Hall does an excellent job portraying the beautiful chaos of life, love, and the city of Paris. The pacing is spot-on, and the story explores themes of self-discovery, relationships, and the messy yet beautiful nature of human connections.

While the title might be a mouthful, the story is a delicious literary treat. So, if you're in the mood for a heartwarming, thought-provoking, and downright entertaining read, "Paris Daillencourt's Is About to Crumble" is a fantastic choice.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Can't go wrong with Alexis Hall, Loved the rep and very sweet, cute interactions with the main characters.

thank you so much for the ARC but I just dfn this at some point at begging, it may be a good book for others but not my cup of tea. I really don't like the characters. But the cover is cute...

It’s hard to root for live when you can’t like one of the parts of the couple. They just did not seem compatible. It took me some time to finish this book because I had a hard time rooting for them.

I didn't love this QUITE as much as Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, but Alexis Hall is without a doubt one of my favorite queer romcom authors.

Paris Daillencourt is having a no-good, very bad time. For a person with undiagnosed anxiety constantly lurking and limiting him, baking is a welcome realm of certainty and careful attention to detail. But when Paris' roommate signs him up for a beloved baking show on TV to build his confidence, what was once a refuge becomes a battleground for Paris' mental health. Each week of challenges consumes his thoughts with worry and dark what-ifs about how others will surely fixate on even the smallest failure. At the same time, Paris trips and falls through a relationship with a co-contestant-- the new environments and social situations wreaking havoc on an already stressed-to-the-limit mental state.

My secondhand stress while reading this book was unreal. It's important to note that this isn't so much a rom-com as a story about coming to terms with mental health issues. It's a single POV, so you're with Paris and his perceptions constantly. Love interest Tariq makes an intriguing, engaging character rather than a one-note being. However, he's an accessory to Paris' experiences here. And while their story follows the basic arc of a romance novel in many ways, complete with a third-act breakup and a second chance, their beleaguered attempts to build a relationship sometimes feel more like symptoms of Paris' overwhelming anxiety rather than its own emotional journey.

The strongest part of this story for me is the way Hall conveys mental health to the reader. I found myself in a position of both relating to Paris and seeing the vastly different circumstances and details of our experiences. That concoction meant it was very easy to get lost in Paris' head and feel all that haunts him, a true feat. My favorite part didn't come until after 300 pages because finally FINALLY we see Paris start to deal with what he's experiencing. And we get to see him make friends with someone in a similar boat as him-- someone who isn't responding to what they think is his experience but sharing that journey instead. Honestly, if that was the plot of the whole book rather than a late arriving aside in an ostensibly romantic book, I would have been happier overall with the experience.

While I think this book is important and even powerful in many ways, it didn't quite hit the mark with me. I think it's in part because of the emotional experience of reading it. It's also about the fact it's a romance that emphasizes the youth of the participants as both struggle with the very real weight of mental health challenges with no preparation. There's immaturity all around, though there's also wisdom that reminds us people of any age have something valuable to say. It just means that the love story was ultimately less satisfying to me. They might go on to have a lovely relationship in the future, but I felt I didn't get to see it or build up an investment in their happiness as a couple. I was too distracted by seeing Paris fall apart. I recommend this book to readers who want to see a character triumph after a long battle with anxiety and for those who appreciate a romance where the love story can take a backseat to a deeper individual arc. Thanks to Forever for my copy to read and review!

I had a very hard time reading this book. I went in to it expecting a fun rom-com and it wasn't a rom-com at all. I ended up putting this down around the 25% mark. I've found with Alexis Hall's books that I either love them or hate them and unfortunately this book fell into that second category for me. I will say that the banter is absolutely top notch like every Alexis Hall book I've read but I couldn't get myself to care about the characters. It was also disappointing to be expecting a romance and this was more romance adjacent.

Quaint, yet slightly cringy. Paris is too in his head and takes far too long to seek help. You can't help but feel the way the tweeters in the book do. Every week, every episode, Paris spirals further and further, making you feel for him, but wishing he would get out of his own way. His relationship with his parents is heartbreaking, but he has found family in his roommate, and fellow Bake Expectations contestant, Tariq. I was more excited to read this book than I was the first, but I think I enjoyed the first more. I do look forward to book 3.

This is a dnf for me. I just couldn’t get into it nor did I like the characters, even though I tried. I got that Paris has anxiety and I could relate but to the amount he apologises for things was excessive and annoying to me. I know lots of people have loved this so it’s definitely a me thing.

This book wasn’t quite what I expected but I LOVED it anyway!! It was sweet and heartbreaking and I saw myself in our MC in ways that hit hard and also helped me. If you are in the mood for fluffy, this is not the book but if you want a bit more than fluff! Definitely pick this book up!

You know those books that almost feel too real that it's hard to look at them? That was my experience with Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble. From the get go, I adored the baking puns and reality television aspect. I enjoyed Rosaline Parker Takes the Cake and so it was an easy choice to listen to this sequel. And there were some thoughts and moments that felt so close to home I had to take a break. So much of Paris's perspective and reactions to his anxiety - including his narration - feels so raw, so vulnerable, and so similar to thoughts I have had, and I'm sure others have too.

if you hated the main character in Boyfriend Material, skip this one. if you found the main character in Boyfriend Material almost too unlikeable, this might not be for you. if, on the other hand, you related to the main character of Boyfriend Material maybe more than you’ve related to anyone ever, “Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble” (also by Alexis Hall) may be for you. (I did not read Husband Material so no need to concern yourself with that.)

Paris… etc.etc. is about a deeply anxious young man who goes on a baking show and falls for Tariq, a delightful, very not anxious young man. Please do check the author’s website for content warnings/information!!!

As someone who deals with severe anxiety,,, boy did I love this book. Yeah, I can see how being in Paris’s head would be annoying for those who haven’t lived like this, and that’s fine!!! Really!! You can just not read it!! But it is so beautiful to see all the parts of you that you can barely stand to look at put on a page and then treated with love and sympathy. Paris starts out as a deeply self-loathing character, which causes him to focus on only himself and hurt everyone around him. Simultaneously, the people around him want to be able to just fix him themselves without really acknowledging that this isn’t a solely willpower problem and he needs professional help.

There’s also a baking show.

I know this isn’t the most coherent review, but the value of this book to me truly is in Paris having the chance to receive treatment and grow and still be worthy of love the entire fucking time. I didn’t even get annoyed that the baking show was happening, despite the fact that I hate reality TV show themed books. The side characters were fun as well!

If you’ve ever struggled with *severe* (like. please understand. very severe) anxiety/OCD, I think you may find this relatable and cathartic. If not, please think twice before hate-reading and then leaving a review talking about what a horrible person Paris is to spend time with—real people live like this,,,,,, hi i’m one of them. also yes he actually does struggle to understand people to that level!!!!! it’s not just him being annoying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ugh anyways loved this one.

(Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!)

Thank you forever and netgalley for my gifted copy of this book. Unfortunately this is one that I will not be finishing. I tried several times to get into this book but struggled with the writing and the characters. This is purely a me thing and would still recommend it to other readers it just wasn't for me.

Such a cute and fun book. I loved Paris and Tariq and how good they were together. I loved the baking show aspect. I loved the mental health and religion discussions.