This is a story about facing your fears and believing in yourself.  Paris Daillencourt lives mostly in his own head, where he is plagued by a range of anxieties that all things, from social interactions to riding public transportation, are likely to go wrong.   As a result, other than when he is in class, he spends most of his time at his apartment, with his one friend who is also his roommate, his cat, his books, and his cooking -- the one activity that seems to give him some peace.  In a perhaps misguided effort to shake Paris out of this rut, his roommate applies on Paris's behalf to England's top baking competition show, Bake Expectations, and Paris is named a contestant.

True to form, Paris is a bundle of anxiety as he arrives for filming, sure he will be the first contestant eliminated.  But Paris wins the first competition.  He also meets Tariq Hassan, an undeniably cute fellow contestant who is everything that Paris is not -- outgoing, extroverted, and confident.  Paris is drawn to Tariq and the two, in fits and starts, embark on a romance.  Despite his success on the show and his growing relationship with Tariq, Paris cannot escape his anxieties and his overwhelming fear of failure -- threatening the progress he had started to make.  When the show begins to air and the fans' reactions, especially on social media, seem to confirm his worst fears, Paris wonders whether he will ever be able to leave his apartment again ... or whether he can find a way to a new future defined not by what scares him.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!  Both Paris and Tariq are terrific characters -- charming and multi-dimensional -- and it is fun to see their relationship evolve in the context of what feels like a familiar baking competition.  Moreover, through their relationship, and Paris's relationship with his closest friend and roommate, the book offers one of the best depictions of what living with anxiety can be like I have read. The author excels at portraying the way that anxiety and self-doubt define Paris's life and the ways it impacts everything from his ability to engage in day-to-day activities and his closest relationships, even when Paris is trying his hardest not to let it.  It also offers interesting insights into wealth, privilege, social media, celebrity, parasocial relationships, and the intersections between identities.   Finally, the book is often quite funny -- the scene where Paris visits Tariq and meets his roommates had me laughing out loud.

Very highly recommended!

I couldn’t get past the anxiety in this book. I know I can’t relate and so this may be exactly what someone else needs, but wasn’t my cup of tea

I purposefully save new episodes of the Great British Bake Off until the first autumn chill sets in, for maximum coziness. The season pairs equally well with Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble, the second installment in Alexis Hall's Winner Bakes All series, set in a Bake Off-inspired reality series. This season, we follow Paris Daillencourt, a sweet if painfully anxious graduate student, who finds himself on Bake Expectations after his roommate submits an application on his behalf. During filming, he meets Tariq, his irresistible fellow competitor. Despite a strong start in both the competition and in his nascent relationship with Tariq, Paris' mounting anxiety and crippling self-doubt risk overshadowing both of these new experiences. When Paris' nervous energy on the show comes off unfavorably in the final edit, he must decide whether to give in to his inner saboteur (which sounds an awful lot like online reactions from the show's fans) or take matters into his own hands.

I was pleasantly surprised that the timeline of this book was distinct from the series' previous book. I thought that the distinction between filming and airing the show gave a nice before-and-after transition to demonstrate Paris' growth in his mental health journey. As someone who has also experienced anxiety, I found Paris' interiority to be familiar, if intense. I found a mounting feeling of dread during the first half of the book as I anticipated Paris' hospitalization (mentioned in the content warnings). I suspect that's why I found the first act a little bulky. However, once Paris begins to work on himself and patch things up with Tariq, I found his newfound self-compassion and the support he received from his competitors extremely tender and sweet.

Alexis Hall is the master of the cackle. I always find myself laughing out loud at the unexpected humor that he infuses throughout his books. And while there were certainly some gems in this one, on a whole this wasn't my favorite.

I found it hard to root for the romance here, there was just so much more conflict than connection. Aside from the main issues Paris and Tariq navigated, it also felt like they squabbled on every little thing, from the ingredients Paris chose to their stance on PDA and sex in general--these two were just never on the same page.

Coupled with the internal conflict that Paris is dealing with as he navigates anxiety, his absent parents and the stressful show, it just felt like I was getting all bitter notes and not enough sweet. I appreciate the mental health representation and I know that the thoughts Paris shares will hit very close to home for a lot of readers, but it felt overwhelming to me at times to read.

While I haven't read the first book in this Winner Bakes All series, I did really enjoy the format, the themes each week and the HILARIOUS judges and overall show/character banter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the advanced copy and the opportunity to share my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

An unconventional romance wiser than any anxiety support manual!

Alexis Hall nails self-doubt in “Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble.” I should know, both as a psychologist and someone who lives with anxiety. Hall’s humor softens our squirm factor, while offering perspective on human resilience.

Paris lives in his parent’s luxury apartment while at university, but otherwise they’ve completely abandoned him. His bestie and roommate notices he’s calmest when he bakes, and enters him in “Bake Expectations,” a TV contest. She hopes he’ll make friends and acknowledge his skills. But the show increases Paris’ discomfort. “He knew that there had been a time – even a fairly recent time – when he didn’t feel miserable and hate himself and he knew that there would be a time – even quite soon - when he’d be unmiserable and self-nonhating again. But he knew it in the same detached abstract way that he knew that his whole body was made entirely of empty space held together with electric fields. It might have been true, but it didn’t really mean anything.” Paris’ self-criticism is repetitive since short-circuiting mind loops are the essence of anxiety.

Mr. Hall is excellent at smashing stereotypes in favor of individuality. At “Bake Expectations, Paris meets Tariq at the show, an out, gay practicing Muslim. Tariq has lost boyfriends because he follows pre-marital celibacy. He explains his predicament. “It’s like this…erasure sandwich, because on the one side you’ve got, ‘you can’t be a proper Muslim if you’re gay’ and other the other side you’ve got, ‘you can’t be gay and be a Muslim.’ And I’m stuck in the middle saying, ‘guys, I’m both and being both is really important to me.’” Tariq is charmed by Paris’ humility and seems to take Paris’ perpetual angst as, “It’s simply your brain being…Parisian.” But as the competition progresses, we know Paris’ condition must take its toll on them.

Mr. Hall’s shrewd commentary on reality shows is a delightful backdrop. His hosts are a great mash up of those we expect. And his contestants use social media to provide a Greek chorus of spite and wisdom.

Few writers can butcher the English language to readers’ advantage. Here are some “Hall-ish” examples. “It felt suburban even though there was no particular urb for it to sub.” Or, how about the word, “unencattened?” It’s a chair with no enthroned feline.

But mostly, I’m impressed by Mr. Hall’s ability to demonstrate the ways we hamper ourselves and others with harsh judgment. Paris’ rebirth is completely believable. He grows gradually, as these statements show, starting with, “Sometimes Paris felt his whole life was in slow motion with ominous music playing over.” But eventually he can think, “Trying something until it was perfect was just the same as not doing it at all, because perfection was just a ghost he conjured up to scare himself within.”

While Paris’ anxiety creates some excruciating moments, in “Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble,” no one is “at fault,” no one is “cured,” and no one is a victim. Instead, Mr. Hall gifts us with the beauty of our flaws and the true intimacy we can experience when we share our vulnerabilities with one another. Alexis Hall’s creation is wiser than any self-help book.

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble is an apt title for a novel that deeply and sensitively navigates through expressions of generalized anxiety disorder with a famous British baking show as a backdrop.

This novel delves into what happens to a person when they’re abruptly torn from their comfort zone and don’t know how to cope. Paris is both a sympathetic and a somewhat infuriating character, because he is so stuck inside himself, so enmeshed in his own fears, that he can’t see the forest for the trees. In this way, author Alexis Hall accurately encapsulates intense anxiety, so much so that mine was kind of triggered. So, be mindful of that as you read. The author does a great job of addressing potential triggers at the beginning of the book, which I found helpful.

I greatly appreciated the sensitive and authentic ways that homophobia, racism (particularly Islamophobia), ableism, and mental health were addressed in the book. I loved Tariq as a character because he is true to himself and to his chosen beliefs. And I really loved returning back to the world that readers were first introduced to in Rosalie Palmer Takes the Cake. Fans of that book are in for a treat with this one, and new readers will inevitably want to go back and read it, if only to inhabit the Bake Expectations world a little longer. I cannot wait to see what Hall comes up with next!

Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Paris’ book follows Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake in the Winner Bakes All series. The book is appropriately named with the title Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble and Paris is constantly on the edge. The book is told from Paris’ point of view and his head space is an intense place to be. Whether you like Paris or not, or ultimately want to spend time in his head or not, is a personal choice, but Hall does provide the feeling of exactly what it is like to walk around as Paris.

At first, Paris is funny and self-deprecating, but with longer time spent with him, his full personality emerges. Paris is filled with anxiety—the soul sucking, life altering kind of anxiety—and, after a while, it was a lot to be in Paris’ head. I then had mixed emotions when I wasn’t always empathetic to Paris’ profile. While Paris has material comforts, his life hasn’t been the easiest, at least by his own standards. His parents are famous, with his mother a super model and his father a designer, and they have left him to live in an extravagant flat. Yet, it’s been a year since Paris has heard from them and they will not respond to his texts and Paris spirals every time a text goes unanswered. He also had the best schooling, but it was filled with bullies, and the men Paris has dated only see his beauty on the outside and can’t deal with his emotional inside. But Paris is so wrapped up in himself and so deep in his issues that it becomes his only personality trait. He can’t be happy for someone else because all he sees are his inadequacies and for me it began to make him less empathetic, not more.

The competition follows the same format as the previous book with one challenge a week and most of the staff on the show are still awful. The baking should be the fun part, but again, I was underwhelmed. One week’s theme was Jewish desserts and another was American desserts and the contestants did not rise to the challenges in the spirit to celebrate these cultures, but rather seemed to mock, loathe, or disdain them and that was unacceptable reading to me.

Mixed in here was Paris’ relationship with fellow contestant, Tariq. Tariq is Muslim and gay and proud to be both. He is at first attracted to Paris’ outside and quickly gets offended by what’s on the inside. Tariq is the first person, however, to suggest to Paris that he may have a mental health issue, much to Paris’s shock and dismay at this revelation. This book is not specifically a romance, but the story of Paris with romantic elements added in.

If you liked Rosaline’s book, the structure of the competition is the same here. Hall was able to convey what it was like to be Paris, but there were also other factors that affected my enjoyment of this book overall.

Alexis Hall does it again with another amazing queer romance! I love Alexis Hall, they can do no wrong in my book and this is just more proof of that! I adored Boyfriend Material and this book has come in a close second.
This book has Hall's signature romance and comedy that is absolutely adorable and so much fun to read. I am definitely going to recommend this book to everyone.

I find this a difficult book to rate. On one hand, I think I enjoyed reading this less than the first Winner Bakes All installment, Rosaline Palmer. However, I think I really appreciated what Hall was trying to do here and ultimately I liked the ending a lot, enough to round up to 4 stars.

Paris Daillencourt is a tough read in a lot of ways. As someone who also has an anxiety disorder, this is one of the best depictions of what having anxiety is like that I've ever read. And having anxiety is hard so it stands to reason that being inside the mind of someone with untreated (for a large part of the book) generalized anxiety disorder, is also hard. A lot of his catastrophizing is rather triggering in a lot of ways but I think that's ultimately what made me appreciate the ending as much as I did. Treating anxiety isn't just a few sessions of therapy and some pills. It is a lifelong struggle and I appreciate the way Hall depicts it here. That doesn't make it a fun baking romance as I think as it is advertised.

This is NOT a romance novel. Paris and Tariq are lovely and I so enjoyed them becoming friends and also testing the waters of potentially being something more. Their story has a sweet ending but I am starting to get used to Hall's HFN rather than HEA. Tariq has his own struggles but the book is very much about Paris.

Hall's books are generally filled with hilarious banter and interesting, ridiculous characters and this book is no exception. In one memorable scene involving laser tag I was actually laughing out loud. I think you have to go into this book knowing and prepared for what you are getting into but as long as you are I think this is a book I would recommend.

Thank you very much to Forever and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble has a really long title for such a quick read. It's also the second book in a companion series, which I didn't know when I requested it for review. Thankfully, though, you don't need to know anything about book one to enjoy book two. So if you like baking, complicated romance, deep topics, and reality TV shows, Paris might be for you.

Paris, unsurprisingly, follows the main character Paris Daillencourt, a university student, as he goes through a popular baking show competition. Unfortunately for Paris, his insecurity, accident-proneness, and tendency to overreact and overthink things leads to some chaotic times. But all this chaos does lead to Paris having a fun meet-cute with a certain fellow baking competitor, Tariq. Tariq is kind of a ball of sunshine and positivity.

Despite this book being classified as a romcom, it does have its deeper moments between the two main characters, as well as between Paris and his family and friends. So if you're looking for a purely happy book, this one may not be for you. Paris does have a lot of anxiety, and, honestly, if I'd been in a bad headspace while I was reading this, I could've seen myself spiraling a little. So trigger warning there. However, some of the relationship drama that plays out I don't think is entirely Paris's or his anxiety's fault. Tariq has his mess-up moments too..

All in all, though, if you liked Boyfriend Material or any of Alexis Hall's other stories, this is a nice one to add to your TBR, as long as you're in the right state of mind to read it. It's quick, full of goodies that'll make you crave sweets of all kinds, and layered with a story about mental health and an emotionally complex romance to lead to a semi-happily ever after.

3 stars

*Note: I received a NetGalley ARC of this book to review from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Paris Daillencourt unexpectedly finds himself a contestant on a national baking show, Bake Expectations. With sparks flying between himself and another contestant and the pressures of the competition, Paris has to find a way to keep his growing anxieties at bay.

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble is the second book in the Winner Bakes All series but it can be read as a stand-alone. It is a M/M contemporary fiction with a bit of romance.

Anxiety is different for everyone so while I could not relate to most of the MCs anxieties, I know there are those who can understand how Paris feels. I do think that some of his behavior is unjustly attributed to his anxiety.

I have mixed feelings about this book. While the premise is great, some of the characters are quite dislikeable. I would not consider this book strictly a romance. It’s more of a contemporary fiction novel with a romantic element.

This is the first book that I have read by this author. While it was not my favorite, I would be interested in reading more of her work in the future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing)!

I just. I was disappointed. As an anxious gay baker, I had to ask myself if I was this annoying. I apologized to my partner if I ever came off as unbearable as Paris. I would have loved to see him be a little less... well.. whiney. Don't get me wrong there is a ton of beautiful representation in this book of queer relationships, mental health issues, queer individuals who practice religion, religions we don't always see in media. All of that was wonderful. I think that Paris did all of this a disservice. By no means am I an author, but I ask myself if the reader could have fully understood Paris' anxiety and self confidence issues without throwing them in like every other sentence. I think making this character as anxious and having as low of self esteem as he does made this book such a chore to get through that it took away from the representation that could have been so great. I feel bad. I was so so so excited for this book.

Pros: I am a huge fan of the Great British Bake Off (Baking Show here in the US), so I thought the premise of this book—a romance between two contestants on a GBBO-type show—sounded like lots of fun. I appreciated that this book began with a content guidance list for readers. I am interested to read other books in the Winner Bakes All series!

Cons: This book was heavier than I was expecting and addressed several important topics (as detailed in the content guidance list). It is not a con for a book to do this—it’s just not what I was expecting from the cover art and description of the book. I was expecting something lighter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read this book.

Another season of Bake Expectations brings a new set of contestants. Paris was signed up by his roommate in hopes to get out of his own head. What could possibly go wrong? Well, quite a lot according to Paris.

The setting on a televised baking contest in England is so fun, and I love the quirky characters and English humor.

This one took me awhile to get into, but once I did I really enjoyed it. I appreciated the real look into anxious minds that were in both books. It may have been a little much at times with Paris, though I think that was the point.

This is the second installment of the Winner Bakes All series, but they can be read independently from one another. It was fun to see familiar characters in Bake Expectations from the first book.

The thing about Alexis Hall is that he writes RoNos that seem like they’re gonna be super fluffy but then the Kool-Aid man of reality busts in and the characters really *go through it.*

To whit, the latest installment in the Bake Expectations series: Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble. This is a romance featuring Paris, a man with intense undiagnosed anxiety, and Tariq, a man who is an absolute ray of sunshine. The two MCs were heartbreakingly realistic. Paris’s anxiety is intense and graphic. He is incredibly deep in his head - everyone hates him, he’s going to mess up, he’s the worst, etc etc etc. Tariq, a devout Muslim and very out gay man, tries his very best to help Paris while also being kind of into him aka Tariq kinda takes Paris on as a project, which never ends well. While Paris is in knots about everything, Tariq is experiencing not only Islamophobia and casual racism in his daily life, but also the horrible feeling of wanting to be with someone who is unable to be emotionally available.

Although this book definitely has a love story in it and ends on an HEA, its focus really isn’t the romance. Paris has an incredibly hard time with his mental health and so the book becomes more about his struggles. I was much more concerned about Paris getting help than I was about whether he and Tariq ended up together. On the one hand, I loved how realistic and relatable the conflicts in the book were, but on the other, if you are looking for a comforting read about a comforting reality show - this ain’t it.

There *were* scenes and moments in this book where I was laughing out loud and reading passages to my husband. I suppose just like real life, there are funny and sweet moments mixed up with the bad ones.

In sum, this book feels a lot like Queenie by Candace Carty-Williams in that there is an MC who is struggling realistically and mightily with their mental health and the general state of the world. It can be an emotionally taxing to read a book like that. Please check the CW and make sure you have the capacity to take this book on before you pick it up.

Recommended with a big dose of check the CW and make sure you have the space for this. Lovable and very realistic characters and another visit to the world of Bake Expectations make this worth your time.

This is a brilliant NA queer romance and two young men coming into their own and learning to love each other in the process.

This book is very much on the vein of Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake - contemporary queer romance, a bit darker even, with serious focus on character growth.

The story is told from Paris who has undiagnosed and untreated anxiety for most of the book. It doesn't make for a light reading, there are some very dark moments. I found many of Paris' experiences relatable in some aspect that made me pause and put the book aside. At the same time I desperately wanted Paris to get better, to be happy and loved, so I rushed back to the book to see how this will happen because I trusted fully the author that Paris will get there in the end.

The parental neglect which is furthest from my experience hit me the hardest. Paris texting his parents made me cry and I am never forgiving anyone for treating their child like that and I am super happy Paris didn't either.

Both Paris and Tariq are in their 20s and act like it - with all the dreams and confusion and mistakes of youth. I appreciate the focus on kindness and the realistic presentation of mental illness throughout the story.

I loved Paris while also realising how exhausting he could be. I could see how he wanted to be a decent human being but his fears and anxiety made annoying and self-centered, hurting the people that cared about him. I think he was (mis)guided by his belief that he is unlovable, he is too much and there is nothing that can be done about it. It was honestly painful to read.

But then there was Tariq who was all light and brightness and glitter and carried the promise of fun, the possibility of love.

As the story goes on we see that things are not quite perfect in Tariq's life either. There are/were issues in his family but there is also honesty and communication and working together through the hard stuff. Something that was completely missing from Paris' life.

I liked how Alexis Hall explored the issues of power and privilege - Paris is a white, rich, cis queer man yet when we first meet him he is absolutely vulnerable, devastatingly lonely and unable to maintain healthy relationships (lovers, friends, competitors on the reality baking show).

Tariq, on the other hand, is like a ray of sunshine - easy going and friendly and loving Paris. He is a gay Muslim Indian, middle class, really quite underprivileged and vulnerable in the eyes of society but atthe some time he is moving through life with self-confidence and poise.

They try a relationship but it couldn't really happen until Paris got the medical help he needed. Tariq also had a lot to learn about himself and what being in a relationship meant. It was a process of growth for both of them and loved seeing it. .

As usual, loved the author's sense of humour that lightened an otherwise heavy story. And as usual it all made me emotional and made me cry. And as usual the supporting characters were great, Tariq's family (no shying away from the problems there as well), Paris' roommate and basically only friend, the baking show - colourful backdrop to Paris and Tariq's journey towards their true selves and the couple they get to be in the end.

This review has become more personal than my usual reviews but very often Alexis Hall's books speak to me on a deep personal level and make me emotional which in turns makes my reviews of his books emotional messes of incoherent praise and sharing personal experiences.

As I have often said about his stories - they are not easy, glossed over romances, rather they show some harsh truths but are ultimately hopeful and that is what I like best about them - the promise of happiness, the potential for everyone to love and be loved.

CW: anxiety (undiagnosed and untreated for most of the book), panic attack, homophobia, islamophobia, going viral on SM, cyberbullying

I love Alexis Hall and really enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was thrilled to have the chance to read it.

It fell a bit flat for me and is not my favorite of those I've read from Alexis Hall. I'm going to piggyback a bit on what others have said. I love the anxiety rep the book has, but it was almost too much negativity to be enjoyable, at times, being in Paris' head. It may have had a better balance having a dual perspective. I would not consider this a rom-com. The book focuses mainly on Paris' anxiety and not between the two MCs. As much as I loved Tariq, I didn't feel they were good for each other.

That being said, it will not deter me from reading any more of Hall's books. I am a fan and will continue to be so. This just wasn't my favorite.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

3.5 Stars

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall is a Queer Contemporary that focuses on anxiety and the impact it can have on a person's relationship with themselves and those close to them. It was just really relatable to me and I adored the MC/Narrator , Paris Daillencourt, so much. While this is the second book in the Winner Bakes All series it can be fully read as a stand alone, I myself didn't read book 1 and it in no way impacted my reading experience.

I'm slightly obsessed with the Great British Baking Show, so I was one hundred percent enamored with the book's setting. I found the entire layout and progression of the story as it followed the weeks of the competition. I loved that the book jumped right into the competition by chapter two, it was just really well paced. I enjoyed getting to know the other contestants and watch them interact with each other and hosts on and off the screen. It was interesting to see the way the world and social media reacted to the contestants as the show aired.

I made the mistake of reading some negative reviews, and it hurt my heart . Many people said Paris was exhausting, well how do you think it feels for those of us living with extreme anxiety. It's not logical, it's not easy to stop the negative train of thoughts. As someone who struggles with it myself, my heart went out to him right from the start. This made Paris very relatable to me. While my anxiety isn't as extreme as Paris' , it definitely affects me daily and the tendency to think of the worst case scenario and have it spiral is real. I valued the communication of the story and the mental health rep. Paris' eventually realizes with the help of his roommate that he really can't keep living like this and starts seeing a therapist. I loved the emphasis on the fact that he'll never be cured of his anxiety, but he'll learn to manage it .

There is a romance aspect to the book, but it's not the main point of the story. Paris is shy, insecure, and loaded with anxiety and Tariq is confident, vibrant, and personable. Tariq is saving himself for marriage, all they ever do is kiss, and I love that it emphasized how a relationship didn't need sex to validate it. I thought they made great friends and loved reading about them hanging out and the scene where he hangs with Tariq was fun, but I'll be real, I wasn't fully invested in them together. Not that I didn't like Tariq, but since I connected so well with Paris I got protective of him and took the way Tariq handled Paris sometimes personally. Since we never get Tariq's POV, it felt like he was constantly trying to fix Paris. There's immaturity surrounding their relationship and I appreciated that towards the end they both acknowledge the fact and that they both could have done things differently. Tariq definitely redeemed himself in my eyes by accepting some blame in the way their relationship unfolded.

I was nervous going into this one because I saw some mixed reviews on it and I didn't love the first book I read by the author, but I honestly loved this. It made feels so much, while there is a lot of heavy in this book, there are also a lot of happy moments. It broke my heart, it made me uncomfortable, and it put a smile on my face. I loved the positive note it ended on. Not a happily ever after, but a realistic hope for Paris' future. He's working hard at managing his anxiety and building better relationships with those he cares about. Paris Daillencourt is a character that will forever have a home in my heart!

I had a mixed reaction to this book. I enjoyed Alexis Hall's writing. The author always brings charm to their fun proses. Also, I thought Paris and Tariq had a lot of wonderfully cute moments. However, I found it difficult to be in Paris's head. I understand that his narrative illustrates how it feels to have anxiety, but it was difficult to read. In all, it was a cute book, and I will keep reading Alexis Hall's books, but it wasn't my favorite.

Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall
2.5 stars rounded up to 3
Pub date: 11/1

I was super excited to receive this arc through NetGalley because I love the cover, the description and the fact that it’s from Forever Publishing. I thought this book was good, but not at all what I thought it was going to be and that left me slightly disappointed.

I thought there was some incredible disability, generalized anxiety disorder rep in the story. Paris struggles with this (as do I) and I usually appreciate reading about characters that I share commonalities with. But being inside Paris’ head was exhausting and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I think dual POV could have saved this by giving us a break from all the negativity and showing us a little more of what Tariq was thinking.

I was expecting this story to be more of a rom com, but Paris’ struggles with his anxiety really take center stage, and his relationship with Tariq is more of an afterthought. Frankly, I don’t even know if Paris and Tariq should have ended up together with all of their differences of opinion and beliefs. I had a hard time rooting for them as a couple when I didn’t believe in their relationship from the start.

The banter was witty and while I usually enjoy Hall’s writing style, for some reason this one didn’t do it for me. It almost felt forced and a little over the top.

I love books about food and baking, so I really enjoyed that piece of it along with the reality tv aspect. The judges on Bake Expectations were hilarious and the show itself was just delightful.

I have some mixed feelings but overall this one wasn’t my favorite. I will continue to read books by this author but maybe not in this series if it continues. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the arc to read and review. Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble comes out on 11/1.