This was a really cute, easy-to-read queer romance! Though, I'd say it was more 20% romance and 80% baking competition. Tori is entered into American Bake-o-rama by her children, and meets celebrity chef judge Kendra on set. The two are instantly infatuated with each other, and the book follows the competition, with their crush as a subplot — and it is very much a subplot!

This book was spice free — <spoiler>there was a total of just one kiss in the entire book, at the very, very end. </spoiler>

Still, the competition was fun, I loved reading about the bakes, the characters were enjoyable, and there was drama, too. Would recommend to anyone that's a fan of GBBO, and anyone that read and enjoyed Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a Digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

If your comfort show is The Great British Baking Show, this RomCom will definitely bring a smile to your face!


When high school teacher and single mom Tori is nominated by her teenaged children for the Bake-o-Rama television show, falling in love again is the last thing on her mind. After all, she’s an amateur home baker who stands to win prize money that could make her dream of running her own bakery a possibility. Not to mention she’s still pretty tender from her last big heartbreak. But then there’s Kendra - the ultra cool and classically blunt celebrity restaurateur who also happens to be Bake-o-Rama’s most intimidating judge. With Tori’s dreams on the line, Kendra’s own business woes, and a growing attraction between the two women that could be a recipe for disaster for their show contracts - things are sure to heat up!


Sometimes the reasons that a couple can’t be together can feel a little contrived, but that wasn’t an issue here. I felt like there were pretty legitimate reasons to keep them apart and I couldn’t predict how they were going to make it work, which I liked!


I also loved the creativity in describing all of the various bakes and the overall nod to a beloved baking show format. That being said, there were segments that started to feel a little repetitive because the narrative form of a baking competition is so inherently different than watching it on TV. Maybe those sections could’ve been broken up with more character development and a lot more in-between, stolen moments between our romantic pairing. I definitely needed more of that - moments where the characters felt real and flawed and where their attraction didn’t feel too reliant on insta-love or lust. Overall, the competition aspect of the novel looms far larger than the romance, for me.


Thank you, NetGalley and Dial Press, for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed this book but was expecting a lot more romance based on the description. There were some cute moments between Tori and Kendra but they didn't even kiss until the END of the book.

Overall, this is more of a story about Tori, an almost empty nester coming into her own and going after her dreams after a breakup, and Kendra, a super talented chef who is learning to soften up and has to make some important decisions regarding her career. I did love the TV baking show aspect and everything that happened within that. This is more of a book about finding out who you are and going after your dreams.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

Such a fun read!! It really pulled me in and I could clearly see the story in my mind. I love baking competition shows and this felt like the Great British Bake-off. I did guess who did the little twist fairly quickly. The romance wasn’t a main highlight, which actually worked really well for me even though I was expecting it to be fully romance.

Would recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to read this book, but it fell kind of flat for me.

The concept of two women calling for each other during a baking reality tv contest was so exciting.

However this focused more on the reality show aspect the food that was cooked rather than their relationship. I almost DNF’d is a few times because I was just bored.

The writing wasn’t bad but the plot lacked substance of the relationship.

Love at 350 made me curious about different books Lisa Peers may publish in the future.

Tori Moore is a high school chemistry teacher who realizes over time that she is not living to her full potential. Her twin teens signed her up for American Bake-o-Rama competition show and this may be just the boost she needs. The cash prize is worth enough for her to say goodbye to teaching and hello to baking. Quickly, Tori gets the attention of Kendra Campbell, standoffish judge on Bake-o-Rama. Kendra needs the money from the show to continue her baking business and feels she can only do so by staying on the judge and bowing down to the male powered producer's wants.

Kendra really needs to move on or make a change in her life. Choosing to take a chance, she starts a slow note trail with Tori. At the end of the day, all's fair for love and baking.

Love at 350 is a LGBTQ baking competition novel that was paced well and kept my attention. I loved reading about the different foods featured and the recipe at the end of the book was an added plus. I enjoyed the dual point of view set up however; I wanted more of the flirtation and actual banter from Tori and Kendra. I wish there was more "show" and not "tell" featured throughout the novel to make this contemporary LGBTQ romance a bigger hit.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I was curious to read a mature romance as this is not a common demographic represented. It was definitely a cute book, but extremely light on the actual romance to the point it was not quite believable.

Thoughts

I have never read a book with a character with the same name as me. It was kind of weird. But I am glad she was the best.

This was a really cute mature romance. It was set against a baking competition and a judge and a contestant fell for each other.

But because of it being a judge and a contestant, Tori and Kendra were not allowed to even really talk so they passed notes back and forth and nothing happened until the end. So it made it a little hard to be believable.

However, it was cute and I love my baking shows so it kept me interested.

There isn't any steam here so if you need that look elsewhere. But there is a lot of built-up tension.

And once we finally get that kiss it is worth it.

#loveat350degrees Thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for this eARC

Thank you, Dial Press and NetGalley, for an advanced copy of Love at 350.

Don't go into this novel looking for a romance. With that kind of title, I expected a little bit more in the love department. This is a fun behind-the-scenes trope of a baking show. It was a good read, but not what I thought I'd be getting into. This is most definitely a SLOW sizzle.

Tori Moore teaches chemistry in a fun home-ec way. Her children enter her into a baking competition, and Tori makes it onto the show. While on set, Tori meets Kendra Campbell, celebrity chef extraordinaire. Kendra has a major attitude problem, but Tori might just be the one to help soften Kendra up.

This was a fun little read. There was a ton more plot and foodie-ness than I expected which was nice! I do think there was a lot of food-related side plots and that could have been better balanced. Also, I sadly didn’t relate/love one of the main characters and that threw me off while reading. Overall, a cute read but not my favorite

As a fan of The Great British Bake-Off and sapphic romances, I was super excited for this ARC! Unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations and ended up being just okay.

My main complaint is how little the two love interests actually interact. Unless it’s a Regency romance, there’s no reason that their only form of communication is by letter. They only have two scenes alone together, so I just wasn’t buying their connection. I kept hoping for a little more sneaking around, tension, etc. and it just didn’t happen.

I thought the side characters and mystery subplot were very fun! The baking descriptions sounded delicious and I’m tempted to try out the recipe in the back of the book.

Overall, I don’t think this was a bad book, it just fell flat for me.

Tori Moore is a high school chemistry teacher and baker whose twins are about to graduate high school and leave home for college. They are worried about their mom feeling lonely and putting her dreams on hold for them, so they enter her into a baking competition show. There she meets notoriously grumpy and harsh chef judge, Kendra. Both are drawn to each other but cannot act on any feelings due to their contractual obligations - will they find a way around the barriers in order to be together?

Things I loved:
- Older FMCs (in their 40s)
- Epistolary elements

Ultimately though this wasn't a hit for me for a few reasons. The main reason is that there was no chemistry between Tori and Kendra. They spent almost no time alone together and never really got to know each other so I never understood their "relationship". I've read and really enjoyed closed door romances, but there has to be tension/chemistry for me to believe in a relationship and I ultimately just never did. Tori and Kendra don't even kiss until about 3 pages from the end! I'm not saying they had to be all hot and heavy because that wouldn't have fit with the story but ultimately I never felt that spark.

I also think the pacing is off in this book - we spend a lot of time in the competition but also get a lot more telling than showing. And then the end of the book just happens so fast and the reason they "couldn't be together" is resolved very quickly.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Tori is a teacher who loves to bake, and she has incorporated that into a class at the high school she teaches at. Her and a fellow teacher run a combined science/baking class, and she loves it. Tori’s kids enter her into a baking show competition with a celebrity chef, Kendra. She has bakeries and a restaurant under her belt. When they meets the competition, they have some sparks and flirtation. Can they have it all?

This was such a cute romance. I felt for Tori and Kendra as they dealt with their lives, feelings, and problems. There was a lot to tackle in this book, but it was sweet and fun. I loved the baking show aspect, it made for a very easy read. (Though I did call what happened! I knew it! Haha) The happy ending was adorable! I’d definitely recommend this one for a palate cleansing read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a reality show romance plot, but this was too much show and not enough romance for me. I don't care about what they're baking! Give me more interaction, more sexual tension, all of the good stuff!

This was a cute book, but it didn’t keep me on my toes or felt that I needed to find out what was next, there was not a lot of tension and not much romance either, which with love in the title you can of expect.

I LOVE chef romances, and I especially love queer chef romances. That being said, this book is a bit light on the romance. However, as a food focused novel, it absolutely holds its own. It's incredibly detailed when writing about the actual baking and elements of the baking competition. I also truly adored both Kendra and Tori. They were genuinely wonderful and passionate people and they both drew me in so quickly. I do wish there were more elements of romance, but overall a wonderful story.

Just wonferful! A charming romance too.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'm a sucker for reality television baking show romances and this debut by Lisa Peers was such fun!! Tori is a recently divorced chemistry teacher whose two kids sign her up for the show, Bake-o-Rama without telling her.

When she gets selected Tori decides to compete on a whim and finds herself making new friends, gaining a newfound confidence in her baking abilities and falling for one of the judges along the way. Highly recommended, especially if you like sweet, dual POV, Sapphic romances with characters that are super likable and relatable.

This was also great on audio narrated by one of my favs, Barrie Kreinik and perfect for fans of books like Love and other disasters by Anita Kelly, Chef's kiss by TJ Alexander or Rosaline Palmer takes the cake by Alexis Hall. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. I love when a book follows a competition and this books did it spectacularly. My only downfall of this book is that I wanted more of that romance vibe. Because of the clause in the contract I don’t feel like we got enough of the chemistry or love story flourishing between our 2 female main characters. Overall as a book it’s wonderful, as a love story I think it’s lacking a bit.

first of YAY SAPPHIC! That being said this is marketed as a romance but the romance is like 1/5th of this book. I do love the banter between main characters though. Good book but should be marketed differently.