This is a sweet, clean romance. Taylor is an architect that has dreams and goals of a corner office. Her parents were both professionals and traveled for their jobs. Taylor moved all the time and dreamed of a home of her own. However, this never happened so as Taylor matured, her dream was of the high-paying prestigious job. No white picket fence for her and most likely no family. Now to get that dream job she must design and build a life-size gingerbread house. The baker her boss thought would work with them has decided to work with the competition. In steps Adam, a baker who would love his own shop but has no culinary degree.

This is a heart-warming romance. Taylor and Adam think the time is not right to fall in love. However, Cupid has other plans. I enjoyed the characters and the story. I did get tired of Taylor putting her job first, but ultimately both parties get their priorities straight. The writing was easy to read and the story was fun and entertaining.

I love Hallmark movies, especially Christmas ones. When I saw this book was available, I jumped at the chance to read it. It is the perfect Christmas read and when you finish reading it, watch for the Hallmark movie to be aired again this year. Architect, Taylor Scott has been selected by her architecture firm to compete in a gingerbread house competition. She has teamed up with Adam Dale, a baker and single dad. The problem is, they both want to be in charge. Forced to work together, they spend a lot of time together, with his daughter Brooke. She is a sweetheart and bonds quickly with Taylor. The more time they spend together, the more they find themselves enjoying each other's company and learning new things about each other and themselves. Taylor finds out that Dale wants to open his own bakery, Dale finds out Taylor wants to work in Paris. Working as a team with support form the firm and Phoebe, they build and design a rather traditional gingerbread house. Is it enough to win the competition?

This is a sweet, feel-good, lighthearted Christmas romance. It has all the wonderful things I look for in a Hallmark Christmas movie. There are likable characters, family relationships, a heartwarming romance, a little bit of angst, some mishaps to overcome, some misunderstandings, and a festive holiday atmosphere. I really liked both Taylor and Dale. They both had some baggage they had to overcome and dreams that they were working towards. The secondary characters added to this story, especially Brooke. She was adorable and had no filter when sharing things with Taylor about her father. This was a great story for Christmas. It brought back memories of baking cookies with my grandma and decorating our own Gingerbread Houses (not lifesize like in the book). I recommend you sit down with this book, have a plate of Christmas cookies and hot chocolate (a spot of Bailey's or Amaretto will add a kick) and enjoy this wonderful story.

A Gingerbread Romance
Based On the Hallmark Channel Original Movie
by Lacey Baker
Hallmark Publishing
Pub Date Sep. 17 th 2019
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
As an architect, she designs beautiful buildings…
But will her heart ever find a place to call home.Taylor’s architectural firm enters her in a contest to build life-sized gingerbread houses. After the contest, she’s likely to get a promotion to a position in another city. But it’s a team competition, and Taylor’s temperamental partner soon backs out. Taylor needs a replacement—fast. When she meets Adam, a baker and single dad, she convinces him to be her partner in the contest. After all, winning would give his bakery much-needed exposure. For years, Taylor has avoided thinking of anywhere as “home.” When she was a kid, her family was always on the move. But the time she spends with Adam and his daughter Brooke, decorating for Christmas and enjoying Philadelphia’s holiday traditions, has her questioning everything. Could she have found a place to call her own?
☃️🎄MY REVIEW ☃️🎄
This is my first time reading anything by this author. I have not watched the movie either. The one thing I really loved about this book was the pictures of gingerbread houses on each chapter, it was really a nice touch. For once I wished I had saw the movie first so I could saw the giant gingerbread house being made. Parts of the story were slow and seemed to drag on in the middle of the story. However after that it really took off. I could not turn the pages fast enough. I loved reading Taylor & Adam's story and fell in love with Adam's daughter Brooke. Most of the characters were very likeable and relatable. However I did feel a little bit bogged down with so many characters. A Gingerbread Romance is a great reminder of what is really important. If you are looking for a Cute Hallmark read give this one a try.
Many thanks to Hallmark, NetGalley, and the author for a ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you would like to follow my reviews please do so at my facebook page Joyce Stewart Reviews or my reading group Stewart Book Reviews Book Club.
#Netgalley #LaceyBaker #HallmarkPublishing #romance #Christmas.

A Gingerbread Romance: Based On the Hallmark Channel Original Movie

A Gingerbread Romance is full of sugar and emotion. Taylor and Adam are an addiction that proves itself calorie free and heartwarming. Step out of your comfort zone and try something new. It could be the best way to find a happier you. Baker brings out the best parts of the heart all year around. A tasty treat.

I loved this sweet holiday story! It was predictable, but a bit more creative than the average Hallmark plot. I haven't had a chance to see the movie this book is based on, but I'll be searching for it when the Christmas movies start up next week!

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

What a lovely story to set a festive, holiday mood. Taylor was working towards her dream job in Paris until her boss assigned her a job designing a giant Gingerbread house for a new competition in Philadelphia. She teams up with an amazing baker and his determined daughter, learning along the way that compromise can yield unexpected results.

Both Adam and Taylor learn along the way that their hearts can be opened again after loss and sometimes what you need in life is right in front of your eyes, you just need to trust your feelings and speak the truth.

I received a free ARC from Net Galley and the publisher for my honest opinions.

"A Gingerbread Romance" tells of an architect and a baker who team up to create a life-sized gingerbread house in order to win a contest. Taylor (the architect) believes the project will help her achieve her dream of working in Paris. Adam (the baker) hopes to achieve name recognition for his pastry chef skills, moving forward his dream of opening his own bakery. Little did they dream of the resulting relationship that had nothing to do with either of their business dreams. Throw in Adam's cute daughter, and you have the makings of a wonderfully warm holiday story.

I loved the premise of the story, and wondered how they would construct a life-sized gingerbread house of almost all edible materials. The characters seemed genuine, and were both lovable, as were the supporting cast of the story. The story contains no sexual content or swear words. I also liked the subtle suggestions that the characters were African-Americans, without it smacking the reader in the face or coming across as social commentary.

I did not like the fact that neither Adam nor Taylor ever expressed their love for each other, until it was almost too late. I also wish the author had stopped before the epilogue, which in my mind added a "made for TV" ending to the beautiful story. I am sure the drama of the epilogue works well on TV, but on paper it seems unnecessary and unrealistic, as if the writer could not figure out how to end the story. However, it is still a great holiday story to be shared by families.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

A Gingerbread Romance by Lacey Baker is a sweet, moving, heartfelt African American character-based Christmas romance about opening your heart and being courageous enough to take a second chance on dreams that you might have given up on because of life or fear that they might not come true. With multidimensional, diverse, and well-developed characters, humor, romance, and pages of vivid descriptions of scrumptious deserts and treats, Baker captures the spirit and joy of the Christmas season and spending it with people you love, aka, family.

Eight-year-old Taylor had one Christmas wish—for her family to move into a home to stay as a family for Christmas where Santa would always find her. Maybe someday even with her very own family. A budding young artist, she drew a picture capturing her wish. But when it didn’t come true, and she instead began an educational, and ultimately rewarding journey around the world with her parents as their work took them from place to place year after year, Taylor let that dream fade away. Having decided home and family is not in the cards for her, Taylor now focuses on her work, putting all her energy, talent, and dreams into her career. The job/promotion of her dreams hinges on her leading her architectural firm to winning the city’s life-size gingerbread house building competition. When her partner drops out the day before, she’s desperate to find a replacement. Luckily, a local baker who rubs her the wrong way bakes the most amazing cakes. If only she can convince him to partner with her for the competition.

Adam is a widower father working in Ray’s Bakery handling most of the baking, but his dream is to open his own shop. When his wife died suddenly leaving him with a small child he’d put his culinary dreams on hold for the reality of supporting his daughter and paying bills. A talented baker, Adam’s cakes are as delicious as they are beautiful. His path crosses Taylor’s when he delivers a cake to her office’s Holiday party. However, their first meeting is not the best first impression when he gets icing on her business papers. Good thing she loves how delicious his cake tastes and its design.

Adam and Taylor agree to work together to help her win the competition and to help him get exposure to open his own bakery shop. As they prepare for the competition, Adam draws Taylor away from her work, work, work mentality and encourages her to spend time with him and his daughter Brook enjoying Philadelphia’s Holiday traditions and learning to bake for the competition.

While Taylor loves watching classic holiday movies, she doesn’t decorate or spend time doing any other Christmas/Holiday things, probably because they remind her of home and family—things she had put behind her as out of reach. But spending time with Adam and Brook reawakens those dreams and longings in her. Adam had mostly given up on his culinary dreams, believing that designing and baking the occasional cake at Ray’s would satisfy that part of him, but participating in the competition and working with Taylor makes him start to dream again. Brook loves having a “mother” figure in her life again and takes to Taylor almost immediately. Taylor unconsciously starts to think of Brook as her daughter. While preparing for the competition these three become a family and fill the holes that have been left in each of their lives over the years by loss and disappointment.

Readers looking for a sweet, romantic, hopeful read to get them in the mood for Christmas should enjoy A Gingerbread Romance. Just prepare to be reaching for all of the goodies to feed your sweet tooth which will be fully enticed while reading this entertaining heartfelt Christmas romance.

A Gingerbread Romance is filled with all things "gingerbread" along with a strong dose of romance. The main characters are hardworking individuals who are not looking for romance, but it creeps up on them in a very unsuspecting manner. Very sweet, clean Christmas read!

Based on a Hallmark movie, the novel A Gingerbread Romance reflects the feel-good festive atmosphere you have in the film, and it even offers a more detailed ending. I thought it was a sweet, endearing yet slow-paced, read. The plot is set in a big city (Philadelphia), which is a refreshing change. Usually, these books take place in small towns. You get another Hallmark staple: the pastry contest powdered with a budding romance. I thought the characters shared chemistry and their relationship evolved naturally, without being forced.

It is a lovely story about finding your place in the world, true love and the importance of family ties.

Another very cute Hallmark Christmas book. Taylor, an architect is set on getting a promotion that will send her to Paris, which is her dream. Adam, is a baker is hired to create a gingerbread house with Taylor to lock in her promotion. His daughter warms Taylors heart and she is torn on what direction she wants her life to take as she is falling in love with Adam. I am hoping to see the movie this Christmas!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

A GINGERBREAD ROMANCE is a charming Christmas romance with characters I adored and a story that will touch the emotions of even the most Scrooge-like reader.

Taylor is on the fast track to a promotion, one that will take her to her dream city. But first, she has to enter into (and presumably win) a contest to build gingerbread houses… no, not that kind, but a life-sized gingerbread house. When her original partner decides to opt-out and goes to work for the competition Taylor offers Adam, baker, a man with a dream of his own the chance to see his dreams become reality. What starts out as a working friendship quickly shows signs of moving toward something more as Adam and his daughter, Brooke, bring Taylor into their family Christmas traditions – and Taylor begins to truly give in to that longing for a permanent home that she’s never experienced.

I loved everything about A GINGERBREAD ROMANCE. It’s full of Christmas spirit, decorations, traditions and celebrations – and two people who should be complete opposites discovering that home means something different than they first thought. Home means being with each other and one adorable little girl to create their own family traditions for the Christmases to come.

If you love anything Christmas – and Hallmark Movies, then this story should be on your own Christmas list – as an early present to you. Loved this one and would not hesitate to recommend it to any Romance reader who loves the fun of watching two people fall in love.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Hallmark Publishing, via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

A Gingerbread Romance by Lacey Baker is a very beautiful Christmas Story. The descriptions in the story make you picture the scenes just like in the Hallmark movie. Is a great story. I love gingerbread houses I used to make them every year with my grandchildren but last year we never got around to it. I really missed making it. Life size ones would definitely be more difficult. Christmas stories are so fun to read. Read the story if you love gingerbread houses.

'A Gingerbread Romance' is a story of dreams put on hold and the potential to dream again. Taylor is an accomplished architect who travels so much she doesn't really have a home. Adam is a widower with a young daughter who crosses paths with Taylor. The rest is delightful. Even though I suspect how it will turn out, the journey is heartwarming and teaches much about love. I hope to see the movie on which it is based this season on Hallmark.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Warning: this book will make you want to eat all the gingerbread cookies and build your own gingerbread house. A Gingerbread Romance is a sweet and lighthearted Christmas romance story. It incorporates all of the typical Hallmark traits: likable characters, family, holiday traditions, a heartwarming romance, and a festive holiday atmosphere. This book was written based on a Hallmark movie. Unlike most other movie to book or book to movie conversions, there is hardly any difference between the two which I really appreciate. I always prefer the book over the movie, but both are great in this case! If you enjoy Hallmark Christmas stories, you need to pick up this book!

It’s been a long time since I read a romance that characters aren’t too eager to tear each other’s clothes. LOL. So reading a Christmas story is like a new experience and maybe that’s the main reason why I LOVE this book so much. Of course, it isn’t without its flaws. This is not the grandest love story after all, but I’m ignoring the flaws and focus this review on good things.

It is a little bit nostalgic, not because I’ve experienced the things that happened, but because of what it made me feel. The entire story made me think of hot chocolate and warm blanket, of reading in a cozy sofa while the smell of freshly-baked cookies or bread fill my nose. Nostalgic, like I said. It’s an incredible feeling. It made me question myself, why I don’t read more of these heartwarming love stories.

Because sure, the story is cliche but it’s so heartwarming. It’s so pure and made me feel good. Taylor and Adam are great characters and very realistic. Together, they made me feel warmth and I was smiling my little sweet (I wish) smile the whole time. That rarely happens these days. not that I’m sad in general but usually, it’s either a grin or a laugh out loud you can get from me. Not the little sweet smile that no teeth visible. LOL. I also like Brooke, Adam’s daughter. She stole the spotlight more than a few times. And other side characters made the story more realistic. I love it.

Finally, I want to stress that the story isn’t just about the romance, it’s also about dreams, forgotten dreams or dreams that we’ve given up. In short, this story also gives hope and I’m so down for it. I’m a hopeless dreamer, all right.

Lovely festive read. It was a heart warming romance. It was a wonderful book to read. It was well written and flowed well.

I am a lover of all things Hallmark Channel, baking, romance, and gingerbread. And this book definitely has it all. I will admit that I did skip this movie last year when it premiered on Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas but I will be fixing that mistake very shortly. I am also a firm believer in enjoying Christmas movies all year long.

Taylor can't believe her promotion and dream job hangs in the balance of winning a giant gingerbread house making contest. She's an architect, not a baker. However, Taylor never backs down from a challenge and she's determined to win the contest with everything she's got.

Local baker and single dad Adam isn't sure what to make of the beautiful architect who desperately needs his baking expertise to win the the gingerbread contest for her firm. She's so driven he wonders if she even slows down to stop and smell the coffee. Or, in this case, the eggnog. Maybe a little Christmas magic will open Adam's heart to love again and Taylor's heart to having the one thing she's always wanted...

A home and family to call her own.

This is a charming read that all Hallmark fans are sure to enjoy. Like all Hallmark content, this book is appropriate for all ages with no violence, sexual content, or profanity to worry about.

And, if you enjoy this book, make sure to watch the Hallmark Channel Original Movie "A Gingerbread Romance."

Don't make the same mistake I did.

Do you have a dream? Have you found as life goes on that your perfect dream changes? This is a wonderful Christmas story with believable characters. Thank goodness first impressions aren’t always last impressions. Taylor had an interesting life growing up, but not one I think I would have wanted. Thank goodness for great parents. Adam has had to deal with some heartbreak and disappointment. I love watching these two and how they change and grow. You wouldn’t have a story without Brooke. What a loving child. If you enjoy a good Christmas story, I think you will love this one. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.