This book held my interest from beginning to end. I read it straight through.
Now I have no interest in baking, cooking shows and I only know where the kitchen is because it's where I feed the dog. This book is full of chefs, bakers, kitchens, restaurants and cooking programmes. I had to look up some of the cooking terms used as I was not familiar with them.
Regan and Ava have both won a place on a prestigious baking retreat with a famous chef. They have history - but not the type of history you might expect.
It almost feels as though you are there taking part in the retreat yourself!
It's sort of a slow burn but not, also it's a second chance, a enemies to lovers, a forced proximity with more than one bed.
And when things start to go wrong - who is actually to blame?

And of course there's an epilogue. Which I think is always a good idea. We of course want to know what happens after the retreat - how they go forward to make their mark in the culinary world.

This was the book I didn't know I wanted to read - but I might have to go and see what else is in the kitchen apart from dog food and alcohol.

eers
Who doesn’t like a lovely baking romance!
Ava and Regan both get accepted to a baking retreat held by the famous Liza Bennett-Schmidt.
But Ava and Regan have a past so their meeting at the retreat isn’t off to a great start but being in close proximity to each other can things change?
However, all is not what it seems at the retreat and shenanigans are afoot!!
This is another well written and entertaining romance by Georgia Beers that kept me turning the pages.
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books for providing me with an opportunity to give honest feedback.

I love cooking and baking so reading about people that excel doing that is extra intriguing, perhaps I can get inspired. The whole enemies to lovers and on top of that forced proximity setting made it a fun read I recommend.

I believed in the romance between Regan and Ava, but it took them quite some time to get together, and that made it a bit frustrating. Also of course a 3rd act break-up, that is not one of my favourites and I think in general unnecessary. I prefer the couple fight against outside issues not miscommunication between themselves. With that said what an intriguing bitch the famous baking host Liza Bennet-Schmidt was, I really think the fight should have been against her and not against each other.

For as much as I dislike being in the kitchen, I sure do love books about baking and cooking, especially Sapphic romances. This is cute and lighthearted and exactly the kind of pallete cleanser I needed to read. Though the setup for the third act breakup was predictable, I still enjoyed the way it leaned into their history to make it happen. Liza is kind of awful for lots of reasons, least of which being hardest on the only woman of color chef at the retreat.

I liked the baking retreat and the budding friendships between everyone. I was having a really great time up until about 70% where it all got a bit frustrating. Even so, definitely would recommend if you enjoy books about food. Don't read while hungry!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC. This was a cozy, quick read for me. I wasn’t sure what to expect at the retreat the main characters were on but it was an interesting plot.I did figure out what was going on “behjnd the scenes” fairly quickly. I do feel as if more about that and the other chefs would’ve been nice to see.
The third act break up, I saw something coming but did not see that coming. I think it was a good way to incorporate the past and show that there is still trust to be earned between the two, even though it was infuriating when one of the MCs was not believed.

Reagan y Ava, dos talentosas chefs pasteleras, compartieron un pasado turbulento en la alta cocina de Nueva York, donde su relación profesional se vio opacada por la atracción mutua que terminó en un desastre. Ava, en su puesto superior, acusó a Reagan de distraerla, lo que provocó que fuera despedida, dejando una amarga herida entre ellas.

Años después, ambas son aceptadas en el retiro pastelero organizado por la renombrada Liza, un evento que promete catapultar sus carreras. Aquí, se enfrentarán cara a cara con su pasado y las emociones no resueltas entre ellas. Mientras compiten por un futuro en el mundo de la pastelería, tanto Reagan como Ava se darán cuenta de que han madurado, aprendido de sus errores y evolucionado en lo personal y lo profesional.


Una historia de segundas oportunidades, autodescubrimiento y, por supuesto, una receta perfecta para el amor. ¿Podrán Reagan y Ava superar su pasado y hallar una nueva oportunidad juntas, o el resentimiento del pasado será demasiado fuerte para dejarlo atrás?




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.