This book was… odd. I love magical realism and I knew to expect some quirkiness with this book. But it just didn’t work for me. I liked Anna and Eli was charming, and I loved all the descriptions of the desserts they made (warning, this book will make you HUNGRY!) and they had great chemistry. The setting was lovely and there was a great supporting cast of characters. But the magical realism elements were just off to me. The glittery sugar was strange, and the way they kept talking about Anna creating Eli was just creepy to me. And then the scene with the second “dough boy” that turned Frankenstein-esque was very weird.

I really wanted to like this book, and at times I did. But overall, it just wasn’t the book for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Muse through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I don't know why, but it just felt like something was missing from this book. It was overly descriptive in some areas, such as Anna's inner thoughts or details on Tess's office. I wanted more detail on the magic (and hello-if you just made a man out of magic, wouldn't you read all of your grandmother's letter at once. Why did it take Anna three days to read one letter? Like, she literally stopped a third of the way through because her stomach was growling - who does that?)

Tess was a brat - and the fact that no one called her on it kinda pissed me off. Also, Anna was a doormat (see not calling Tess on her BS above).

I don't know - it was cute - but I wanted more.

First of all….I just love the cover of this book! It is what drew me to request it and read it. The element of magic intrigued me also.
With that said….the premise of the story was so different that I had a hard time believing in what was going on. I guess if you believe in the magic of using your grandmothers secret recipe with a special ingredient for making the perfect man…..this is a book you definitely should pick up.
Main character, Anna, was just a bit wishy-washy for me. But, her baking abilities made me want to eat sweets throughout reading the story.
Overall, this is a ok story that I did enjoy reading.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I did really like this book. It is charming. Full of cuteness, friends and family, drama, yummy baked goods, and a huge dab of mystic realism that you just have to flow with - no overthinking on this one! It is a romantic comedy that is dripping in sweetness. A refreshing, quick read - fun and entertaining!

Fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Heather Webber will love The Baker's Man!

I loved everything about this book: The writing, the Southern small town settling, the magical touches. My favorite kind of read!

This was the perfect vacation read. I literally can’t think of ONE thing I didn’t love all about this book. The magical realism. The baking. The small town. 🤌🏻

Written by the delightful, super talented Jennifer Moorman Books
Although I don't like to compare authors as Jennifer has her own beautifully unique way of writing, like sitting with a friend, telling you the story over a cup of coffee and cake. But if you like Sarah Addison Allen or Alice Hoffman where the magic is slight & delicate, like a whisper, if you like delicious food and funny, quirky characters I urge you to read this fabulous book that puts a big smile on your lips and makes you feel warm inside.
Set in the enchanting fictional town of Mystic Water where Anna, the local baker gets more than she bargained for when, after a little heartbreak and too much alcohol, adds strange 'magic' dust, discovered in Grandma Bea's lockbox, into dough, and bakes it along with a written wish. Next morning there's a man in her kitchen who seems to know all about her.....
Read it to find out more!

I went into this book thinking it would be so much better than it was. The synopsis drew me in and I was intrigued to see what would happen after Anna created a man from dough. My favorite part was the little bit of magical realism we got and Elijah's character. His growth throughout the book was one of the best parts, and I was glad to see him grow as a character. I cannot say the same for the main character, Anna's growth.

For most of the story, Anna lets everyone push her around, whether that be her mother, friends, or "boyfriend," Baron. She lives her life the way others want her to and does not let herself live her dreams. Seeing her hide behind what others wanted for her and not allowing herself to live her dreams was not enjoyable.

Also, I knew that this was a magical realism book, so it wouldn't have much magic. That did not stop me from wanting more than we got. I believed that Anna would be running a magical bakery, which was not what we got. It would have been much more enjoyable with more magic. I guess the gusts of wind throughout were supposed to be bits of magic, but it was strange.

I did enjoy some of the parts with Elijah and Anna. They were cute together at the beginning, but even that lost its magic, especially towards the book's second half. I won't spoil that plot point, but I didn't particularly appreciate where this book went with Tessa, one of Anna's friends. Her whole point in the plot brought down the book for me and made me actively dislike it. Also, Anna's reaction to Elijah changing and growing as a person was not great either. Around the middle of the book, I got aggravated reading her story and her friends.

The ending was pretty good; as I said before, I enjoyed seeing Elijah grow. Overall, this book was not what I wanted from a romantic, magical realism story. It didn't hold the magic I wanted or have characters that drew me into their romance.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Anna and Eli. There is an instant attraction when they meet. Anna owns her late grandmother’s bakery. She loves to bake. Eli starts working in the bakery. They each have some issues but together they work them out and fall in love.

I just may have found a new author to follow and a new series. I am not sure yet about the series but I just finished Jennifer Moorman’s new book The Baker’s Man. It was so different from what I have been reading, making it a welcome change. This book is listed as Mystical Realism. I think I have only read one or two books that would fall in this category.

I really enjoyed this book. Anna inherits her Grandmother’s gift for baking and takes over her bakery when she passes. She also inherited magic sugar and baked the perfect man. It’s a little far-fetched but, it’s fun to go along with something different.

I liked her character development. As with most characters in the books we read they not all fleshed out the same. The main character was Anna and she was fully developed and we know everything she is thinking and feeling. We don’t have that with any other character. Elijah is the man she baked and he is not fleshed out very well either. I think that has to do with the fact he doesn’t have any history and the only backstory he has belongs to Anna.

The only thing I didn’t care for was a scene in the book that stretched my imagination too much. I don’t have a problem believing in ghosts, spirits or magic but, I do have a problem with something I don’t think would be a possibility. There was only one scene but it changed the whole direction of Anna’s life. Considering the book was Magical Realism I just went with the flow and continued to enjoy the story.

If you are a fan of Magical Realism, this book is definitely right in your wheelhouse. I enjoyed this story and saw Ms. Moorman has a new book coming out in this series. It takes place in the same town but looks like it has completely different characters. I might have to check it out. Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from #Netgalley, #FirstEditions, #HarperMuse. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

If you are a fan of magical realism with a hint of southern charm like Sarah Addison Allen’s writes, than you will delight in The Baker’s Man by Jennifer Moorman. This novel is being newly republished along with other’s in Moorman’s Mystic Water series. I was new to Moorman with this title, but look forward to checking out more of her work in the future.

In Baker’s Man, Anna O’Brien inherits not only her grandmother’s bakery, but also some magical sugar that can be used to create anything. After her boyfriend breaks up with her, she and one of her best friends use it to bake the perfect man, not expecting it to work, but when Eli is there the next day, he is much more than she expected. I liked that the novel deals with Eli becoming his own person outside of Anna’s creation which adds more substance to their relationship and also gives a bit more depth to what is a fairly light hearted romance; the novel portrays how we idealize and manage our expectations of our loved ones.

This also come in to play with Anna’s mother’s hopes that Anna will stay in town and run her grandmother’s bakery while Anna secretly dreams of opening a bakery near the beach. Will Anna choose to move into the beautiful old Victorian and continue the family’s business or will the siren song of the seashore win out?

I also liked how the issue of friendships and the complexity of friends’ shared interests in potential romantic partners is handled. When tragedy happens, it brings Anna and her friends closer instead of tearing them apart. I received a complimentary early copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher; opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. What a beautiful cover. I absolutely loved this book so much! If you love reading Sarah Addison Allen type books with a little bit of southern magic with baking, then this is your book. It is amazing. I am so happy to see that she has written other books! I can't wait to read more from her.

Baking + romance + friendship = a winning combination. The Baker's Man is a sweet and charming read perfect for fans of romantic comedies. The pace is leisurely and the author focuses on three close friends in a small town.

At times the author pauses the action to describe a room or scene, which felt like too much telling versus showing. My other minor issue was that some of the metaphors felt forced, like the author didn't trust the reader to understand what the main character was feeling.

These minor issues aside, The Baker's Man is thoroughly enjoyable. The main character has relatable hopes and dreams. She struggles with how to express them to her family due to their expectations of her. The romance angle is sweet and handled in a realistic way, woven of course with lovely threads of magic like in Sarah Addison Allen's books. The ending is definitely satisfying.

Generous, moving and alive. A gift….

Intelligent, thought-provoking and always, always interesting…..

Gorgeous cover too!

My thoughts




Narrative and Plot




The Baker’s Man is a whimsical romantic comedy that follows Anna O’Brien, the protagonist. What drew me to the book was its unusual plot and the possibility of the chaos that would ensue. I was hoping for a situational comedy, but the story took an unexpected turn and it took me a while to get on board.

The pacing was good in the first half but somewhere in the second half the plot felt like it was overstaying its welcome. Even so, if you suspend your disbelief entirely, this is a story that can be enjoyed with some cookies.











Characters and Conflicts





The main draw for the book is the conflict. It is not a spoiler that the chef bakes her own man and the story is all about the chaos that follows. However, in order to care for that conflict and keep your interest as a reader, you need to be equally invested in the characters.

I was invested in the main characters too. That was the kind of conflict I was expecting from the story. But it is disappointing that we never get Eli’s point of view. His part was put on the back burner. The book was more about female friendship and usually, I enjoy reading those. I am all for the female bonding chic-lit style of storytelling, as long as it doesn’t interrupt the main story.




I cared about Lily, and her dynamic with Anna but Tessa was my main problem in the book. She mostly came off as a two-dimensional character who was functioning as a plot device rather than enhancing the story. It was hard to care for her when she didn’t feel like a person but an interloper.




Elijah was surprisingly believable and an adorable character who left me wanting more. It would have been interesting to see his journey and see him becoming a well-rounded individual rather than the cliched turn the story took.

However, the baking aspects and the little bit of romance were all quite enjoyable.







Conclusion




Overall, The Baker’s Man was a one time read for me. If you are in the mood for a breezy romance with a backdrop of hunger-inducing baked goods, this book is a fun pick.

This was a very good mystical and charming tale. Three extremely close friends cook up a little magic with fascinating results; Elijah is the outcome. The story, for me, encompasses love, friendship, the closeness of family and community spirit. A good read that made me smile, the characters were well developed, the author's descriptions were delightful and the story was romantic and engrossing. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Harper Muse via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Baker's Man is published by an imprint of HarperCollins and as such I will be withholding my review at this time in support of the HarperCollins Union strike. I look forward to reviewing this title once HarperCollins has worked with the union and agreed to a fair contract.

A magical story, compelling and engrossing. Magic realism, romance, family traditions.
I loved this story and was a bit sad when it ended. I loved the characters and the setting.
Excellent storytelling and great setting.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

This was a light, entertaining read, though it was a bit silly, and the main character was terrible at communication. I enjoyed this book a little and it was readable all in all.

In THE BAKER’S MAN, Anna grew up learning to bake in her grandmother’s bakery. Her dream was to someday own her own bakery on the beach she visited every summer with her grandparents. However, when her grandmother dies, she inherits the small town bakery and seems to lose her dream in the process. But. Her grandmother leaves her a magical box with instructions to open when the time is right. The problem at the core of this oh so sweet book is defining what Anna’s dream really is. Does she wish for her own bakery? Does she wish her boyfriend would remember their 2 year dating anniversary? Does she wish to marry someone, anyone? Does she wish for better best friends? Does she want to keep her grandmother’s legacy alive in her hometown? It would be unlikely that a magical box could solve all of these problems but a tighter plot could have. This is a meandering yet pleasant tale for readers who love baking goodies sprinkled liberally throughout their stories. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.