Let me start by saying that I really enjoy Alexis Hall's writing and humor. With that said though, I really struggled with this book. My main struggle was that it was too long and some parts got very repetitive. I enjoyed the second half of this book much more than the first. I will say that the anxiety representation is wonderful. I could see it as being difficult to read, but I felt like it very accurately showed what it could be like for someone realizing and getting help for their anxiety.

The romance itself was lackluster to me as well. I think a lot of people are expecting this to be a romance, but the romance is more of a subplot to me. Many negative reviews that I've seen have mentioned that, so I feel like it needs to be pointed out that the rest of the storylines within the book stand out more than the romance.

Overall, I would recommend this to fans of other Alexis Hall books, but to people who haven't read other books of his, you can probably skip this one.

Although this is funny, I wouldn't call it a romcom. Paris's mental illness makes this a difficult read at times, particularly since his experiences hit so close to home. I really enjoyed it and thought that Hall did a great job with the portrayal of anxiety and with the story overall, but I would handsell for those looking for a more serious/heavy romance, rather than for someone looking for a light romcom.

I was exhausted by the time I finished this book. There were things that I did like about the book but it wasn’t the romantic escape that I had hoped it would be. A big part of my issues may have been that I was expecting an entirely different book than the one that I got. I had hoped for a nice romance but instead, I felt like I spent the entire novel in Paris’s head dealing with his anxiety.

Paris is a contestant on a baking show, Bake Expectations, where he meets Tariq. Paris deals with a lot of anxiety so being on the show is a lot for him. We spend the book in Paris’s mind so we know all of his worries, insecurities, and doubts. I think that mental health is incredibly important but so much of this book is repetitive and predictable that it just wasn’t all that enjoyable. I honestly spend enough time in my own mind dealing with my own insecurities that I just couldn’t handle the constant stream of it coming from Paris.

I did like Tariq and really appreciated the fact that he is Muslim. I liked that he held true to his beliefs and his religion played such an important role in the story. Tariq’s roommates were a lot of fun and there were some truly funny moments in the book. I didn’t really feel any between Paris and Tariq so it was really hard to get excited by the romantic aspect of the story.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Ewan Goddard did a great job with the story. I liked the voices that he used for the various characters and I thought that he added a lot of emotion to his reading. I thought that he had a very pleasant voice which made it easy to listen to this book for hours at a time. I do feel that his narration added to my enjoyment of the story.

I think that a lot of readers will like this one a lot more than I did. I thought that the story did have some great moments but I found the bulk of the story to be tiring as a reader just looking for a bit of entertainment. I do hope to read more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Forever and purchased a copy of the audiobook.

Paris deals with overwhelming anxiety and insecurities. When his roommate enters him in Bake Expectations, he is certain that he will be the first to be sent home. Not only does Paris win the first challenge, he starts to fall for the cute and confident Tariq. Will Paris be able to embrace his skill and a budding romance? Or will he crumble to the pressures of the show and his own anxieties?

The Great British Bake Off but make it a romcom. I love Hall’s signature sharp-tongued witty banter. There were so many lines in this one that had me cackling out loud. I really enjoyed reading this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review *

I’m about 20% in but I’ll be finishing this at a later date. I think it’s promising, since I loved Rosaline Palmer, but Paris is reminding me of myself before I went on anxiety meds and it’s not a fun time being reminded of it.

I came to this book because i love games and competitions, especially baking. What I didn't expect was the discussion about mental health and social anxiety. What an unexpected read!

On the surface this should have worked for me. I adored Love & Other Disasters where two people met on a cooking show, bantered, and boom: love. This had a similar premise. They meet on a baking show and immediately have a meet-disaster where Paris accidentally gives Tariq a bloody nose on camera with a refrigerator door.

Ooh boy. I'm a person with anxiety and cannot handle secondhand embarrassment so following along in a story where we see every single anxious thought that Paris has was a struggle. The poor guy was so in his head even though he was doing fairly well in the competition.

I hated that Paris would text his folks almost weekly and never seemed to have a response back. He just didn't have very many people in his corner and I find that just so sad. He was horrifically awkward but his heart was usually in the right place. The fact that no one took him by the hand years ago and said look, your brain is a liar and we'll get you help was painful for me.

There were some funny parts but the stand out part of this book was the discussion about sexuality and religion. There are very few Muslim love interests in mainstream romance and even fewer unapologetically gay Muslims so this was an interesting story to follow about how important his faith was to him.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

The character of Paris gets 1 star, but the overall premise of the baking show bumps it up to 2.

Dude. This was no Rosaline Palmer. It's been a while since I've wanted to slap a character that badly. I was glad when Tariq finally called Paris out about making everything about himself - even his apologies.

I just couldn't stand how he let his anxiety be his excuse for EVERYTHING. Pushed past your sexual boundaries, questioned your religion, and said something mildly racist? Must be the anxiety. Boyfriend won a challenge, but I didn't so I can't say congratulations? Must be the anxiety. Dude. I get that anxiety is a real thing, but it doesn't excuse anyone for being an a**hole. I know Paris eventually went to therapy, but it almost felt like too little too late at that point.

Sigh. I don't know if I'll go onto the next. This was a big letdown for me.

Alexis Hall is always a treat -- there's not a novel of his that I won't gleefully add to my TBR stack! I was a fan of ROSALINE PALMER and was excited to return to the same universe in PARIS DAILLENCOURT. Hall does an excellent job of conveying the main character's overwhelming anxiety--so much so that at many points, I found the novel difficult to read.

I had just been talking to someone about someone writing a story set during something like the Great British Bake Off when I saw this book on NetGalley and immediately requested it! I had no idea it was the second in a series, and I definitely need to look up the first one now.

Paris Daillencourt is always worrying about the worst ways a situation can go. When his friend enters him into a televised baking competition to push him out of his comfort zone, he has an all new list of things to panic over.

Emotionally speaking, this was actually kind of a difficult read for me. My anxiety has never been as bad as Paris’s, but I was able to recognize my own in his worries. The cyclical nature of his anxieties, the panic attacks, the thinking the worst. It all resonated very strongly with me, so I needed to occasionally put this book down.

The secondary cast of characters are delightful, if a little flat and stereotypical. But given that we spend the whole book in Paris’s head, it makes sense that he doesn’t take the time to really get to know anybody.

I also genuinely appreciated the care given to Paris’s mental health and the importance of him eventually getting help. Therapy and medication are both valuable tools, but they both only help because Paris is also willing to put in the work.

This was a charming read, and I look forward to starting the first one in the series as well as getting excited for the third one! Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This was a cute and fun LGTBQ+ contemporary romance. Paris is a hot mess. He's got a cat, a degree, a roommate and a love for baking. But, his constant self-doubt and second-guessing have left him a hot mess. His roommate enters him into the country's biggest baking competition (think The Great British Bake Off) and he's excited and nauseas at the same time, thinking he'll be the first one sent home. To his surprise, he wins the first challenge, despite hitting a fellow contestant, Tariq, in the face with his refrigerator door. But, the public scrutiny is harsh, interacting with the fellow contestants is nerve-wracking, and Paris spirals.

He apologizes to Tariq, constantly, to which Tariq brushes it off and teases him that he'll have to charge him every time he apologizes if Paris doesn't stop. Tariq is fun, outgoing and understanding, so they seem like complete opposites. Paris bungles asking Tariq out, but eventually they get on the same page and start to see each other.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the cute banter between Paris and Tariq. The author did a good job depicting Paris' anxiety, and I really feel for people suffering from it. It was exhausting just reading his constant inner dialogue, so I can't even imagine having to actually live it. I can see how it was exhausting for Tariq trying to have a relationship with Paris, especially since he didn't really understand it as much as he thought he did. It seemed like he thought Paris should be able to just "shut it off". Wrong.

The parts of the book that dealt with the baking show were fun and it was a hoot learning about the other quirky characters. The book also touched on the casual cruelty of social media and how it affects people that are targeted. This book had a fairly good balance between the fun and levity of the baking show and Paris' battle with anxiety and the dark sides of social media. Overall, it was an enjoyable read that I recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing). All opinions are my own.

I love Alexis Hall and I was excited for this book, but unfortunately, I had to DNF. It was just very difficult for me to get invested because of the tone and the characters, and then I ultimately made my decision to pause reading based on other people's reviews that discussed the content warnings more specifically. Had I known more about the specifics of the content warnings, I would probably not have picked this one up.

Yet another sweet rom-com-dram from Alexis Hall! Paris Daillencourt is an extremely anxious University student whose flatmate signed him up to compete on the national baking competition show. He's a sweetie who can't seem to understand that he has anxiety though, questioning himself even when he wins competition weeks. Tariq is another competitor that takes an interest in Paris, and things are good, until all that anxiety pours over and gets in the way.

This was kind of a hard read for me for a while. Paris' anxiety was a little to relatable for me and stressed me out, ha! He does eventually begin to work on himself, but the process to get there was rough. (And also relatable...says the 30-year-old who was diagnosed with GAD 6 years ago and only just now started therapy.)

Anyway, I really enjoyed this read, even with the stressful bits! I always appreciate a more realistic, messy romance, and Hall is an expert at writing those!

Thanks to Netgalley and Forever for the e-ARC and ARC!

Alternate title options: Paris Daillencourt is Exhausting. Paris Daillencourt Needs Therapy.

I appreciate Hall's inclusion of anxiety, but Paris spends SO MUCH TIME in his own head full of self-doubt and thinking about worst-case-scenarios and the repetition got old quickly.

I enjoyed the baking competition show elements of this one, but it wasn't enough to get past Paris' annoying character. The romance was also lacking and comes secondary to Paris' (very slow) growth.

While it's technically second in the Winner Bakes All series, it can be read as a standalone -- the Bake Expectations show and judges are the carry over from Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake. Overall not a favorite for me and I don't think I'll continue when there's an inevitable third book series..

Thank you Forever Pub and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

PARIS DAILLENCOURT IS ABOUT TO CRUMBLE by Alexis Hall is a romantic comedy that takes place over the course of a television baking competition. The story starts as a standard Alexis Hall delightful romcom with the perfect balance of rom and com. Even while dealing with very real issues, Hall manages to keep the laughs coming. In all his books, Hall writes perfectly understandable disagreements and misunderstandings in which the reader can sympathize with both characters, and this is no exception. Meanwhile, the romance develops believably, and the quirky side characters are lots of fun. Reader, beware that Paris's anxiety can be difficult and frustrating to read and won't be for everyone. This book also breaks genre conventions in some important ways.

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Genre: Romance / RomCom
Format: Kindle eBook and Audiobook
Date Published: 11/1/22
Author: Alexis Hall
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Narrator: Ewan Goddard
GR: 3.73

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Paris Daillencourt is a recipe for disaster. Despite his passion for baking, his cat, and his classics degree, constant self-doubt and second-guessing have left him a curdled, directionless mess. So when his roommate enters him in Bake Expectations, the nation’s favourite baking show, Paris is sure he’ll be the first one sent home. But not only does he win week one’s challenge—he meets fellow contestant Tariq Hassan. Sure, he’s the competition, but he’s also cute and kind, with more confidence than Paris could ever hope to have. Still, neither his growing romance with Tariq nor his own impressive bakes can keep Paris’s fear of failure from spoiling his happiness. And when the show’s vicious fanbase confirms his worst anxieties, Paris’s confidence is torn apart quicker than tear-and-share bread. But if Paris can find the strength to face his past, his future, and the chorus of hecklers that live in his brain, he’ll realize it’s the sweet things in life that he really deserves. My Thoughts: If Alexis Hall is writing it, I am READING it! I adore this author’s style. This is book no. 2 in the Winner Bakes All series. This works as a stand alone, you do not need to read the first book for this one to make sense. The first book is Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, which I also loved. I adored Paris, even through he is suffering from a silent mental health issue of General Anxiety Disorder. Some people may not like Paris, but I knew a good person was under the self-loathing and at times, awful behavior person. The Muslim representation was done very well with grace. Paris and Tariq were just perfect together, they truly did balance each other out. The supporting characters, especially the four Dave’s and the sex goddess was just fabulous! The characters were well developed with depth, witty banter, excellant chemistry, and creative. The author’s writing style is complex, funny, endearing, intriguing, and brilliant. This is the fourth novel I have read from Hall and I will read anything by this author, auto buy for me! I HIGHLY recommend this book, if you loved the London is Falling series, you will LOVE this one. This published at the beginning of the month. While I got approved for the ebook, I got a little behind on reviews, so I waited to get the audiobook and it was excellant and finished in 2 days. Content warning: mental health issues.

Thank you to both Read Forever Publishers and Netgalley for my advance review copy.

Alexis Hall’s characters are basically guaranteed to be hot messes, and Paris doesn’t disappoint. 🫶🏼

Paris’s undiagnosed anxiety disorder leaves his brain a chaotic, unpredictable mess, and competing on Bake Expectations isn’t exactly a recipe for calm, cool, collectedness.

The romance in this one is different than any other book of Hall’s (that I’ve read, anyway). Paris’s love interest is a devout Muslim. Tariq, while openly gay, keeps it halal, prays faithfully, and is saving sex for marriage.

A lot of their conflict stems from Paris and his anxiety, and also his lack of sensitivity toward Tariq and the intersection of his cultural, sexual, and religion identities.

Was it my favorite Alexis Hall? No. Boyfriend Material is basically impossible to beat, but it was a fun, fast read which also normalizes therapy and getting the help you need.

I’m grateful for the positive ending, and I’m glad that both Paris and Tariq find love and acceptance. And now I want to bake biscuits roses de Reims. 💛

Paris Daillencourt has a lot on his plate and is not dealing with it very well. His anxiety is undiagnosed and untreated which certainly leads to difficulty in reading his thoughts and actions. He and Tariq give in to some flirtation and begin dating but Paris’s insecurities (and Tariq’s need to fix) get in the way of their budding romance. This book didn’t resonate with me in the ways I was hoping it would but perhaps it will for you.

Paris Daillencourt objectively has a lot going for him: a degree, a cool cat, an awesome bestie, and a lot of baking skills. He also has a metric megaton of anxiety and self-doubt. So when he ends up on Bake Expectations thanks to his best friend entering him, his anxiety is the fiercest competitor, undermining both the competition and his growing relationship with fellow contestant Tariq.

I’m going to be frank in this review; the only reason I didn’t give this book one star is because I finished it. I have read and loved other works by Hall, but Paris Daillencourt was very firmly not the book for me.

As someone who has anxiety, I understand how debilitating anxiety can be. Maybe for some readers, the novel-length anxiety attack that was Paris’ character would be affirming or entertaining in some way. For me, it was a big miss. It’s hard for me to root for a protagonist who in no way, shape, or form roots or advocates for themself. Like. At all.

The only thing more jarring to me than Paris’ self-deprecation was his unexamined privilege. There was just… an extreme cognitive dissonance in the way Paris moved through the world that was never challenged enough in the narrative for me. The few sections that brush up against Paris’ ignorance are clumsy at best, and that’s being generous. He behaves in really crappy ways; some of them can be explained by anxiety, but some of them are all him, and he never really takes accountability for it.

Most of all, I didn’t buy into the romance between Tariq and Paris, which is kind of essential for a romance novel. Is being tall and cute truly all it takes for allosexuals? Because that’s about all I ever remember Tariq mentioning about Paris. Maybe my aspec self is just too far disconnected from the typical dating experience to empathize. Beyond that, Tariq is warm, loveable, and far more patient with Paris’ behavior than I would be in his position. And while we’re at it, Morag deserves better too.

In short: This one was a huge, overblown mess for me and won’t be a book I recommend. As always, maybe it will land better for other readers.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

I was unsure what to expect when I first started this book. I made the mistake of reading reviews before reading it for myself and noticed a lot of mixed feelings... some I agreed with, lots I did not. I am inclined to agree that Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble is not a romance. It has a romantic subplot, but it is by no means the main focus of this story. I, however, was not bothered by this. Paris and Tariq have chemistry, but each have their own issues and baggage that may make a relationship difficult in the long run, but they are only 20 years old for goodness sake! Will they be together forever and ever? Heck if I know, but that's OK and it doesn't take away from the things they learned from one another by being together.
No, the main focus of this story was Paris and his struggles with GAD (General Anxiety Disorder). As someone who suffers from anxiety, I related to a lot of things that Paris experienced, though not quite at the level he did, though I do agree with a lot of other commenters that his spirals did get to be quite tedious at times. My biggest complaint for the book was that I feel it could have been a little shorter. Some plot points could've been cut down or out entirely and we still would have gotten the point of the story.
Overall, I really enjoy this book. Alexis Hall is a pro at banter and there were so many parts in this story that made me laugh out loud; I look forward to the third book in the series!