NOVEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
Narrator Ewan Goddard perfectly captures the anxiety of a young gay man and his bumbling attempts at love while being a contestant on a fictional version of Britain’s favorite baking show. Paris Daillencourt is often written off by others as posh and unapproachable, but it's really his anxiety that makes him seem aloof. When he and a fellow contestant begin to fall in love, it's any listener’s guess whether it will be Paris’s anxiety or the competition that will drive them apart. Goddard captures scenes of the two men trying to work through awkward flirtations and the stress of competing against each other. Goddard’s performance delineates characters who are hilarious and easy to fall in love with. V.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
08/01/2022
Centering the depiction of a romantic protagonist on mental illness is a risk; making that depiction comic is riskier. If anyone can pull it off, it’s Hall (Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake), but even so, this laugh-cry rom-com about anxiety disorder succeeds more as a personal growth story than a love story. Wealthy, white university student Paris Daillencourt’s crippling anxiety means he’s most at ease in his London flat. But his roommate pushes him to compete in a Great British Bake Off–style reality show, and because Paris can’t face conflict, he does as he’s told. Initially the spirals of paralyzing antilogic that dog his every thought have a Robin Williams quality, but once he starts negotiating the flirtatious overtures of Tariq, a Bangladeshi Muslim fellow contestant, the wrecking ball of Paris’s anxiety overcomes the humor. Internalized bias and social pressure exacerbate the damage to the men’s budding relationship, but luckily, as the wince factor rises, expertly sketched supporting characters assume the comedic responsibility. Resolving the lovers’ angst requires something of a fairy tale twist, but the rocky road to their happy ending is thoughtful, worthwhile, and, yes, funny. Series fans will not be disappointed. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
A deep and impactful novel, with more layers than you’ll find on Cake Week.”—Library Journal, Starred Review
"The rocky road to [the lovers'] happy ending is thoughtful, worthwhile, and, yes, funny. Series fans will not be disappointed."—Publishers Weekly
“Ewan Goddard [gives] a tour de force performance of this largehearted tale of self-acceptance and healing amid a dizzyingly and delightfully off-kilter world.”—David Wright, Seattle Times
"[Hall] crafts some of the most sparkling prose in contemporary romance. . . . we give this fully baked concept our highest compliments."—Entertainment Weekly on Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, A-
"Hall does it again with this scrumptious, quietly subversive rom-com again . . . Hilarious, heartwarming, and grounded, Rosaline's story proves that happy endings look different from person to person."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review, on Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake
"In this delicious romantic comedy . . . Hall creates a memorable cast of characters, from Rosaline's supportive ex-girlfriend to the utterly adorable and scene-stealing Amelie. Setting the book at a reality TV show is a brilliant choice . . . there's sparkling humor and plenty of baking mishaps. A perfect bake."—Kirkus, Starred Review, on Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake
"Hall seamlessly combines humor, romance, and drama to create a story that is intimately believable and at once cozy and sexy. . . . The book combines sweet escapism and poignant cultural touchstones with well-crafted characters and hilariously familiar settings. Hall does it again with this culturally relevant, wonderfully escapist foray into the baking world. This is a must-buy for any library."—Library Journal, Starred Review, on Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake
"Hall’s creation is a joy—a deeply emotional and ultimately rewarding story about a woman finding her true path and true love, surrounded by delicious baked goods on a BBC soundstage."—Bookpage on Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake
"A romance that's made for fans of the UK's Great British Bakeoff."—Oprah Daily on Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake
"[A] romance perfect for fans of The Great British Bake Off!"—Book Riot on Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake
"With loads of wit and baking-related banter . . . perfect for fans of the Great British Bake Off and Hall’s trademark humour."—The Nerd Daily on Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake
"A must-read."—Hypable on Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake
Library Journal
★ 09/01/2022
Paris is a new graduate who has absolutely no direction in life, despite his talents and qualifications. So when his roommate enters him into the Bake Expectations contest, Paris is sure he won't be accepted—until he is and now has to be on television in front of the whole nation. Paris's photograph should be in the dictionary next to the entry for "anxiety," but he doesn't recognize this as the cause of his troubles. When he meets the cool and confident (and extremely attractive) Tariq during filming, his nerves become all-consuming. The second entry in Hall's "Winner Bakes All" series (after Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake) is beautiful, nerve-wracking, and endearing. The focus for most of the book is on Paris's undiagnosed anxiety and panic disorders, with the whole story expertly written from his perspective and with the romance often taking a backseat—though there is still plenty of romance. The characters are all thoroughly explored and fleshed out as individuals instead of archetypes, which gives this novel great depth. VERDICT A deep and impactful novel, with more layers than you'll find on Cake Week.—Ahliah Bratzler
NOVEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
Narrator Ewan Goddard perfectly captures the anxiety of a young gay man and his bumbling attempts at love while being a contestant on a fictional version of Britain’s favorite baking show. Paris Daillencourt is often written off by others as posh and unapproachable, but it's really his anxiety that makes him seem aloof. When he and a fellow contestant begin to fall in love, it's any listener’s guess whether it will be Paris’s anxiety or the competition that will drive them apart. Goddard captures scenes of the two men trying to work through awkward flirtations and the stress of competing against each other. Goddard’s performance delineates characters who are hilarious and easy to fall in love with. V.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2022-08-17
A self-conscious, disaster-prone baker develops a crush on one of his fellow contestants on a famous British reality show.
Paris Daillencourt and self-confidence don't usually belong in the same sentence. While he may have grown up rather well-off, his wealthy background only seems to isolate him from his peers. His sole friend is his roommate, Morag, who strong-armed him into a friendship. It's because of her that he's showcasing his baking talents on Britain's favorite reality show, Bake Expectations. His first day on set turns into a disaster when he hits fellow contestant Tariq Hassan in the face with a refrigerator door, giving the man a bloody nose and interrupting the chocolate chip cookie challenge for both of them. Paris naturally feels gutted, though Tariq reassures him things are completely fine—no hard feelings. This back and forth, with Paris radiating anxiety and other characters trying to soothe him, sets up a cycle that occurs throughout the book. Paris will make a mistake (perceived or otherwise), agonize, and mentally beat himself up to the point of an anxiety attack until someone talks him down. Living with and treating an anxiety disorder is the bulk of Paris' journey. While it’s wonderful to see more mental health representation in romance, especially with a character who's on a journey to diagnosis, the level of attention Hall pays to Paris' anxiety can drown out the struggles faced by other characters. Tariq has his own challenges with Islamophobia and microaggressions, which don't get nearly as much attention. Several secondary characters are needlessly unpleasant, from Jennifer Hallet, the Bake Expectations producer, to Morag, Paris' roommate, who often undermines Paris' feelings and concerns. Hall has lofty aspirations in this romance that fail to fully rise. The complexity of the issues facing Paris and Tariq both separately and as a couple are explored unevenly and with resolutions that feel shaky at best.
An ambitious romance that fails to conquer the couple’s many obstacles.
