Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an arc of this book. Below is my honest review.

Tori teaches biochemistry and Della teaches Skills for Living (aka Home Ec). One day, a few years ago, they had a brilliant idea—combine forces and design “Biochem of Baking”, a course they could dual teach. It quickly became the most popular courses at Sequoia High.

Tori loves spending time with Della, but the less than subtle hints about introducing her to single women are getting a bit exhausting. It doesn’t help that Tori’s ex cheated on her, moved to New York with a new girlfriend, and her twins are heading off to college in the fall.

Kendra is a reluctant judge on “American Bake-o-Rama”. She is the “mean one” who expects the best and offers constructive criticism to the home bakers who don’t bake to perfection. Little did Tori know, her kids signed her up for the show. And … off we go!

First of all, I am a sucker for a good book about a baking show. GBBO is an all time favorite of mine, so I was quite excited to see how things rolled in the book. I really enjoyed that we started at the application process and worked through auditions before getting to the actual show.

I liked that the MCs were around 40 and the book is a dual POV. Tori’s twins were fun side characters, if a tad over-exuberant, and her ex was villainous enough. The other baking contestants were a delight. Mel was my by far favorite. I really appreciated Tori and Mel’s empathy towards Natalie … they considered the reasons behind Natalie’s actions. What if she is an introvert? Or what if Natalie needs to think before she speaks on camera? They don’t know her life. And Kendra, too, with the opera cake picnic. The empathy towards a character that most would consider cold-hearted was unexpected and made me quite happy.

My biggest disappointment was that that two leads had an insta-love type relationship that felt more like a crush. They didn’t really get to know each other and just hoped for the best? I wish there was a bit more chemistry.

All in all, I found this book utterly delightful. I definitely recommend if this review sparked any interest. It’s light, fun, and kindhearted.

"Love at 350 °' made me feel like I was in the cooking competition right along with the contestants in the book. The main part of the story focuses on the cooking show with amateur bakers competing for a large cash prize and a gig on a TV show on a cooking channel. Tori was nominated for the show by her twins, and she feels excited about the opportunity. Tori is a high school chemistry teacher, but her dream is to run her own bakery. She embraces the opportunity, and as the competition goes on, she learns more about herself in the process.

Kendra is a judge on the show, and she has a restaurant and a successful cookie business. Kendra is known as the mean judge on the show, and she is looking to be nicer this season. When she meets Tori, she is immediately intrigued by her. Kendra doesn't want to compromise her integrity as a judge or loose her job, but she can't seem to stop trying to talk to Tori during the competition. Soon, she is sneaking notes to Tori, and she is hoping that they can start a relationship together.

I loved all of the side characters in the competition, and the story around baking was very interesting. I don't think that there was much of a romance in the story. It felt more like a crush than anything else. I was hoping to be able to root for the couple, but I just didn't feel the sparks or the emotional connection.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC of this book.

The following review will be posted on the link provided following the release date of the book per publisher's request, on October 10, 2023.

Calling all cooking show lovers, this novel is as sweet as apple pie! In a tale proving that you can find love and follow your dreams at any age, there's also the comfort of good food and good company. I fell in love with this story, not only because it's one of my favorite tropes: the grump and the loveable golden retriever type, but because of the love and kindness the characters find in their friendships and family as well. I was looking forward to getting home from work, snuggling under my covers, and picking up this book to continue reading. It was a lovely break from the real world of stress, and is an amazing read for the holiday season.