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!

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble is the second book in Alexis Hall’s Winner Bakes All series, which pays homage to and pokes affectionate fun at The Great British Bake-Off as some of the contestants on its fictional counterpart, Bake Expectations, fall in love throughout the weeks of the competition. The first thing anyone contemplating reading it should know is that despite the bright, cartoon cover, this book is NOT a romantic comedy.  Rather, it's the story of a young man living with chronic, undiagnosed, and untreated anxiety who slowly falls apart and then starts to put the pieces back together, with a romantic subplot and a very tentative HFN.

There’s a lot to unpack here, so I’m going to do something I don’t normally do, and quote from the book blurb to set the scene:

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.

Paris is, for the most part, a sympathetic character, and it’s easy to see that he really wants to be a good person but that his fears and anxiety make him somewhat self-centred and cause him to hurt the people he cares about. His belief that he’s unloveable and ‘too much’ isn’t surprising, considering his parents seem to have dumped him at school when he was thirteen and just left him to get on with it, and he doesn’t seem to have any real grasp of why he feels and acts as he does, which results in his constantly making poor decisions and sabotaging himself. Now twenty-one, he’s studying for a degree in Classics at UCL (University College London) and doesn’t have any close family or friends he can turn to or who are in a position to really notice just how much he’s struggling with, well, everything.

Tariq Hassan is a sparkly, fabulous, unapologetically gay Muslim who knows who he is and what he wants. He’s sweet and kind and funny, with the kind of flair and self-confidence Paris utterly lacks; he’s also devout and doesn’t believe in sex before marriage, which pretty much wrecks his and Paris’ first date when Paris bluntly says he doesn’t know why a guy would want to be with him if sex isn’t on the table. Naturally, Tariq doesn’t think much of that and the evening ends on a sour note, but Paris manages to apologise (eventually) and gets Tariq to give him a second chance.

Thankfully, Paris does eventually get the help he needs (although I’m not convinced he would have done so but for circumstances which make it pretty much impossible for him NOT to) and I began to enjoy him as a character. With all the fear and self-doubt receding, we get to see the real Paris underneath it all, a slightly awkward yet charming young man with a good sense of humour and a genuine desire to get better and do the work he needs to do on himself to get there. Unfortunately, however, that doesn’t happen until over three-quarters of the way through the book, and there came a point around the halfway point where I started to wish the author had included Tariq’s PoV simply to break up the full-on, full-throttle Paris-in-panic-mode spiralling. I really wish we’d been able to spend a bit more time with the healthier version of him.

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble is a difficult book to review because it is, at times, a difficult book to read. Not only is being in Paris’ head all the time kind of exhausting - following his thought processes is like being on a train hurtling towards catastrophe in a disaster movie - but reading all the tangential inner monologues, superfluous dialogue and unfinished sentences is literally difficult and hard to follow. Coming at the book primarily as a romance reader and reviewing it for a romance book site, I have to say that the love story plays second-fiddle to Paris, his issues and his eventual personal growth. I did enjoy Paris and Tariq as a couple in the beginning and near the end; Tariq is good for Paris and helps him to see the ways in which his behaviour is not only self-destructive but hurtful to those around him, and I liked that he has some of his own moments of self-revelation towards the end, too.

Maybe it’s on me, but I was surprised when I realised Paris and Tariq were both so young. I don’t know why, but I’d expected them to be older than twenty-one and twenty, and I suspect their ages – together with everything they’re going through – internet trolls, TV fame, Paris’ mental health crisis - are part of the reason I didn’t quite buy that they would make it long-term.  (It's difficult to believe that the no-premarital-sex thing isn't going to be a problem down the line as well.)  The book ends on a tentative HFN, which feels right considering where Paris and Tariq are at that point, but when I finish a romance novel, I want to feel the characters are going to be together for the foreseeable future, not that they’ll have split up within a year or so.

I’m a big fan of Alexis Hall’s writing, which is always clever, sharply observed and sparklingly witty. The very Britishness of his humour absolutely resonates with me, and, as was the case with the previous book (Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake) the parts of the story that are set during the competition are a lot of fun. He writes about anxiety and depression in a sensitive and relatable way, and I appreciated the exploration of what it means to be privileged yet unhappy or devout and queer, of how it must feel to receive a diagnosis and then start on the long and often uphill road to recovery.

In the end, I enjoyed Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble and would certainly recommend it provided you’re prepared to adjust your expectations as regards the romance. I’ve read reviews from people who also live with anxiety issues who have said they found the mental health rep very good and Paris’ experiences very relatable, but also that they found reading triggering in some instances, so please take that into account if you’re thinking about picking this one up.

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Paris is the anxiety monster.

This book is so different from what Hall has delivered in the past, which is what makes it so good. Hall once again displays the depth of writing chops and talent in this story about a baker who’s a little too wrapped up in his head, and a little too much for this baking competition.

Our hero, but is he thought, Paris Daillencourt, is a walking talking disaster. Whether he’s spouting something that doesn’t make much sense, bashing people accidentally in the face with freezer doors, or genuinely putting himself down he’s just someone you want to wrap up in a hug. Though from all descriptors of those around him, Paris is smoking hot, though his fashion sense is miles from his famous fashion designer father and model mother. All of this is made worse when all of his mess is filmed for television.

How does this happen? Well, Paris’s best friend, a fat Glaswegian sex goddess, signed him up for the show. He’s a fabulous baker so of course, he got in. Though the competition isn’t going like he planned and meeting someone like Tariq Hassan, confident in his walk, his talk, and his baking skills throws Paris even more off-guard.

These two falling for each other makes sense, and while most would think this has the potential for an Alexis Hall romcom, it alas is not. This is new adult and there is plenty of angst, growing pains, and a lot of deep emotions around mental illness, boundaries, and growing up that tore at my heartstrings a little. At times this story was even difficult to read and my heart ached for Paris and some of the challenges that he couldn’t seem to overcome.

This book is a romance though and there is a HEA, though it’s hard-fought. The characterization is top notch and as I mentioned above Hall really does Paris just in the accuracy of his portrayal. While this isn’t always a feel-good, laughable story, there are plenty of moments that are chuckling-inducing. There is also Four Daves, a laser gun fight with children, plenty of yummy goodness, and lots of quirky side characters.

If you want something off the beaten path, a romance that showcases a hero battling for love and against mental illness this is definitely the book for you.

~ Landra

Thank you @readforeverpub for a copy this. I have mixed feelings about this one. What I enjoyed about it:
- diversity representation
- discussion on mental health
- Tariq's family

Here's what I struggled with:
- the book felt very repetitive with Paris lack of confidence (I know it was the point of his character)
- lack of romance and banter which I was expecting

I also felt Paris and his relationship with his parents was left unresolved in the story and left me wanting to see know what happens.

A gigantic thank you to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!!
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Alexis Hall is quickly becoming one of my go to authors. His books are consistently charming, while raising very real topics. I went into this novel thinking it would be a casual rom-com, but it was really an in-depth look at anxiety and the ways it can control us until we can’t see the way out any more. Paris’s roommate submitted his name to Bake Expectations, a reality baking show that bares some clear similarities to The Great British Bake Off, and he finds himself baking treats each week across from Tariq’s glorious smile.
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I do wish that we got to experience some of the novel from Tariq’s perspective, rather than just from Paris. Paris has a severe anxiety disorder which can make his POV stressful and there were definitely moments when I wanted to just shake him by the shoulders and tell him to snap out of his head. But that is exactly the point. Hall forces us to view Paris as he is and spend a few hours in his head, but also doesn’t give him any excuse for being ignorant or racist. Beyond discussions on mental health and anxiety, Hall also covers Islamophobia, homophobia, and racism, so please be conscious when deciding if this is a book for you.

I'm very grateful to have received this book, but I'm choosing the DNF this book at about 30%. I'm just really struggling with Paris and am not looking forward to reading the rest. I might revisit reading it in the future. Thank you so much though.

dnf 15% This is another case of it’s not the book, it’s me. Paris has severe anxiety and Alexis writes the condition so accurately that it severely triggered my anxiety every time i picked up the book. I might be able to pick it up again when I’m at a better place mentally because I was enjoying all of the Alexis humor and the GBBO of it all, but for now I have to step away.

3.5 stars!

If you're looking for a light-hearted romance, this isn't it. Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble covers some heavy topics and while it is well-done, it wasn't quite what I was expecting going into this book.

Overall, I think I would have enjoyed this one a little more had I known what I was in for. Instead, I picked it up looking for something a little more light and cheery, which made it a little harder to enjoy the book when my expectations weren't met. Again, there is nothing wrong with this type of book and in fact, these are very important topics to address in literature. I simply wasn't expecting it when considering the bright and cheery cover.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Spice Level: None

The sequel to Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, this British romcom follows Paris, an extremely anxious fellow with famous parents who have generally abandoned him, and Tariq, a gay British Muslim man whose personality is only outshined by his mail varnish and who aspired to having his own cooking show, as they compete on the fictional equivalent of the Great British Bake Off.

They start to fall for each other on set, but there are real barricades to their relationship working well, including Paris understanding Tariq’s faith and both men learning about Paris’s mental illness and how to work through his anxiety. This means that reading a book that is entirely from Paris’s perspective can be a bit much at times, because the reader is in his head with his anxiety for the whole book. But that’s not a bad thing. In fact, I imagine it is extremely accurate to how some people with anxiety feel a lot of the time.

I can’t speak to whether the representation in this book, as I am not a gay man, Muslim, a person with anxiety, or even British. However, based on the books that I have read from Alexis Hall, I get the impression that he is very thoughtful in how he presents all his characters, their joy, and their struggles on page. And that is something that I will continue to support.

This book is not sexually explicit and it’s as sweet as Victoria Sponge. If you’re interested, I definitely recommend picking it up. Pairs extremely well with a slice of cake and a cuppa.

Alexis Hall has a terrible habit of stuffing my heart in a blender and making me drink a feelings smoothie.

Too graphic? Maybe. Still true? Absolutely.

One thing I continue to love about Hall's stories is how honest and raw they are in regards to representation. In this case, I got to see my mental health described in detail, chapter by chapter, in frank and debilitating detail. As harsh as that felt initially, it's exactly what I want from my queer writers. I want to see myself in fiction. And personally, that's what Paris did for me more than any other queer romance I've picked up so far.

Beyond that, it's funny and cozy as hell. I think I enjoyed the fictional Bake Expectations more than it's real world counterpart. (Seriously, taco week was a crime). And the book shows us, once again, that romance comes in all forms. If you liked any of Hall's previous books, you'll love Paris.

Is this even remotely shocking to anyone that I have yet again fallen in love with Alexis Hall’s latest book? Because it shouldn’t be. I am a massive fan of his work, and Paris’s story is truly one for the books.⁣
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What I found the most unique about this story is how this book isn’t just a romance - it’s focused on mental health, and learning to look for and accepting help when you need it most. Paris is living with an undiagnosed (later on diagnosed) anxiety disorder that permeates every aspect of his life - including his baking and his relationships.⁣
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Paris and Tariq’s relationship was also one of my favorites. I love how well they worked together, both as friends and when in a relationship. I deeply appreciated how Tariq tried his best to support Paris, and I loved when he recognized that boundaries needed to be set to keep them both comfortable and safe.⁣
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All in all, I loved this book, I love Paris, and I love Tariq, and I really hope everyone will read this one!

This book wasn't quite what I was expecting for a romantic comedy. It was definitely amusing at times, but I didn't feel the romance. The main characters had a few major differences in their religious and cultural viewpoints and seemed to be better as friends than as a love match. I found Paris to be a bit over the top, but I enjoyed seeing both of them grow as the novel progressed. I appreciated the awareness the story brought to anxiety disorders and that there is help available. The baking show format is the best part and as a fan of GBBS I thoroughly enjoyed those scenes. I'm curious to see what the 3rd book in the series brings.

Alexis Hall’s writing in isolation is absolutely charming and banterrific, and i can thoroughly relate to Paris on the anxiety front—when it gets bad, the catastrophizing and overthinking and general sense of panic lining every action, thought, vocalized word is amped right up to the line that marks the frying of your own internal wiring. and yet, my empathy can only go so far when he’s not the most likable lad in general. i was particularly peeved by how dismissive of Tariq’s beliefs he came across, as well as his whole worry about being antisemitic, which was wholly unnecessary.

the romcom feels i was vibing with from the cover was another act of *cue dramatics* ultimate deception *faints*

if the romance aspect had to be put on the back burner for more emphasis on the mental health rep, fine, but at least sell me on the couple so i can believe they’re a forever pairing and not one that may last another week if they’re lucky 🤧

For me, I felt like this book was more serious, and less of a romcom. It definitely deals with some heavy issues (anxiety, racism), and the romance felt secondary to Paris figuring his life out. I didn’t think Paris was particularly likable, and I had a hard time connecting with his story. I loved Tariq way more and wanted more of him!! He’s such a ray of sunshine and totally the opposite of Paris. Their relationship centered around some real life and relatable issues, and I like that it wasn’t instalove and fairytales the entire time. They both face some serious individual issues that they have to work through before they can explore a relationship together.

Overall I liked this book but didn’t love it since I had a bit of a hard time with the MC. Either way, I’ll definitely be reading whatever Alexis Hall writes in the future!

Paris is a sweet, anxious human who gets entered into a baking show by his fabulous Glaswegian friend, Morag, where he meets Tariq, who is also sweet and fabulous. Things definitely don’t start out on the right foot for them when Paris accidentally hits Tariq in the face with a fridge door, but can they overcome this obstacle and all other challenges thrown their way?

I’m finding it hard to talk about this book. Here are the facts:
It’s sweet, funny, and devastating. It’s basically an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink cookie. It has a little bit of everything and you think it shouldn’t work but it does.

In his Discord server, Alexis said he got to write a series about anxiety by pitching one about baking. And this book is very much about anxiety. It’s hard for me to talk about this book without talking about my own experiences with anxiety and depression.

So many parts hit close to home for me (so please read all the trigger warnings). Alexis writes anxiety spirals really well. There’s also a part where Paris is trying to work through tears, and that has definitely happened to me. (And let me tell you that making coffee for people with tears streaming down your face is not a good time for anyone.)

It was definitely an intense book for me. Books with undiagnosed mental illness are usually too much, but I am grateful to have books that depict mental illnesses in their complexity and that Alexis does it well. I’m also grateful I’m in the right headspace to read it, because I know maybe even a year ago I wouldn’t have been able to. Therapy and medication are non-negotiable for me. It’s good to see them portrayed in books in a neutral light.

Basically, this is a wonderful book that is both difficult to read and well done. It is sweet and funny and heart wrenching. Please give it a shot if you’re interested, but do take care while reading!

This one is as sweet as all the delicious baking that takes place during the plot but be warned that Paris has some extremely serious undiagnosed anxiety and it gets way dark before it gets better.
After getting signed up to participate in Britain's most popular baking show by his lovingly forceful roommate, Paris ends up facing some of his worst fears of failure and being around people. He does meet funny and wonderful Tariq and they're too adorable for words together. They're also not exactly healthy for each other at that point in their lives, but getting to see them work on themselves and to reach their goals was lovely.
The only problem I have with Hall's superb writing and likable, relatable characters is that the episodes of anxiety hit a little too close to reality. I had to walk away a couple of times, which made me equally sad and mad because I was loving the story of Paris finding his way in life.
Overall, it's sweet and heartbreaking in equal measure while also eliciting more than a few giggles. Just make sure to really pay attention to the trigger warnings.


Happy thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the sweet read!

This book is a perfect of example of separating life from fiction. If Paris was a real person who was actually my friend, I’d show up & do my best to support him through his struggles. However as a main character of a supposedly light-hearted novel, Paris is extremely exhausting.

I also don’t think Paris & Tariq should have wound up together & wish there had been real resolution between Paris & his parents. Additionally I don’t understand the cover art. Tariq is depicted as fashionable with brightly polished nails & Paris is described as wearing completely ill-fitting clothes, but neither of them are shown that way.

Alexis Hall continues to write stunning and emotionally devastating books that I constantly reach for. They represented anxiety in a tender and respectful way that really made me feel seen in this book. This book was heartbreaking and loving all in one.