This was... not good.
The writing was too simple, the story was - was there a story? Poor baker girl is competing for a job for a rich biker baker.
He sees her, wants her and shows her how rich he is while he’s giving her a good time (you know what I mean).

That was so weird. I didn’t like it.
But I liked the cover.

Sweet and kind of funny, this was otherwise a just okay novel to while away a few hours. I enjoyed myself but wasn't overly thrilled.

The Cake King by Rosie Chase

Cute and fast paced romcom.
Quick read, I breezed thru this story in a short period of time. Although at times predictable I enjoyed the characters very much. I definitely recommend this one of you're looking for something sweet and fast to read

3.5/ 5 stars

Thank you to #NetGalley and #UnderHillPress for this book in exchange for my honest review.

i really don't know where to start.

this short novella seemed more like a chance to throw in all possible clichés in one (short) story. i didn't have high expectations for it, and yet. i was disappointed. because the premise isn't bad in itself, i just found that it was done very poorly.

let's start from the beginning, shall we? sam is a twenty-something years-old woman living in a small city in the south of the US who, for some ~unknown~ reasons, is chosen to compete in a baking contest. she accepts the offer, because she (supposedly) loves baking and the bakery she works in is close ro shutting down. but oh boi who will she fall in love with?

you guessed right. THE micheal godwin, or as people like to call him, The Cake King (who is the organisator of all of this).

anyway, it seemed like a pretty good book when i first read the synopsis. and let me tell you: it is full of clichés. in general, i don't mind them, no no, i LOVE them, but in this book it was cliché after cliché after cliché, and seemed like the intent was to write a cute cliché story but actually turned to be anything but that.

i didn't connect to the story, nor did i connect to the characters. they were one-dimensioned, the secondary ones were just here to ~bring the couple together~, and there wasn't any depth in any of them. i am aware of the story being a novella, but come on man.

PARAGRAPH WITH A MINOR SPOILER

the main characters were...i don't know how to describe them. first there is sam, who i liked at first but then made THE worst decision ever for love. and i just thought, so you just give up everything, aka a chance of winning a contest and a wonderful baking career for A MAN?! 💀

END OF PARAGRAPH

and then there's the prince charming: micheal. every inch perfection. not one flaw. rich. kind. humble. you name it. but what annoyed me the most was that one page he's like "i don't know what idea you made of rich people but i am EVERYTHING. BUT. THAT.", and then the next page he proceeds to show exactly the opposite, by bringing sam to a date on a PRIVATE JET to his HOUSE THAT HAS A PRIVATE BEACH. because that's not the idea we have of rich people.

anyway, this book was...something. i am glad i picked it up because i had a good laugh, that's it.

I wasn't a massive fan of this book, The writing was not my favorite and I didn't really like the main characters. The story just seemed to moved way too fast and felt very unrealistic. I felt like the author was trying too hard to make it something that it wasn't.

I love baking competitions (my family has one on Christmas every year) and a book about one pulled me in! It was a fun story but the relationship felt like it went from zero to 100 so fast!

2.5 to 3 Stars

This story reminded me of a more grown up Sweet Dreams book. I liked the foodie parts a lot — the baking contest — and all the descriptions/scenes about baking. But it’s insta-love, which I’m not a big fan of.

Lastly, this was a nice introduction to other characters, who will likely get their own stories.

DNF

It's not that this isn't well writing or good, it just wasn't keeping my attention and I found myself not caring for it at all.
I requested this because I'd read a backing romance before that I really enjoyed and I guess I thought this one sounded similar enough that I would probably enjoy it too, but sadly I didn't.

I don't normally rave about sweet romances, but after I finished The Cake King by Rosie Chase, I went and shared the link on a few bookish pages as a must-read. There was just something extra sweet about this read and it wasn't just all the sweet bakery treats in-between the pages. The Cake King starts with Sam being part of a baking competition - sort of a reality TV "Top Baker" show. Michael aka The Cake King's sister Megan is having her Wedding at the end of the book and he is trying to get the best baker to make her wedding cake. This will also benefit the baker and help them kickstart their careers. As Sam gets near the end of the competition, she starts to doubt herself as the other participants are from big named bakeries or popular social media influencers and she is a foster kid from the backwoods near the Appalachian Trail. Around the middle of the book though, we learn that Michael fancies Sam and vice versa. Of course, though Sam is shy and not one to put herself out there as she is afraid of being hurt and also believes she isn't good enough as nobody famous like Michael wants a girl from the middle of nowhere right? Wrong. The latter half of the book is Michael and Sam's romance blossoming but what will happen near the end of the competition where Sam has to make the biggest decision of her life - continue the competition as she is in the finals or drop out and go back to her normal life as her foster dad turns ill? Is her HEA with Michael over before it even properly began or will Michael prove to Sam that he isn't giving up and will have her one way or another?
Find out in this sweet romance read The Cake King which as you finish you will want to move onto Book #2 which I went and got on Kindle Unlimited straight after finishing this book.

A funny and lovely story, but I thought that the relationship escalated too quickly, even for a short story.

Awww. This was adorable!! This author has amazing story telling, I love her writing style. This was such a quick read for me and I loved it!

#NetGalley #TheCakeKing

⭐⭐⭐

This book is so cute! I read it in one sitting, and I honestly wish it was longer. There are so many fun characters and good dialogue, I just wanted it to keep going.

Sam is lonely baker who is invited for a competitive job interview/baking contest by "Cake King" Michael. We get to meet all the other competitors, who are all fun, interesting ladies. Michael and Sam begin dating and the rest is history.

I love how this author show us how they develop from strangers to a couple. Sam is worried that Michael's fancy, rich person lifestyle is so far removed from her that they would never work. Michael refuses to apologize for his wealth, and instead shows her he is more that the Cake King.

This book is more than a romance- Sam's loneliness is not only filled with her relationship with Michael, but also the bonds she forms with the other bakers.

This is the first book in a series. I am truly excited to read the next one. And I really want to read more about Rei!

This book was a cute quick read for lovers of baking, rom-coms, and hallmark channel movies. If none of those tickle your fancy than look elsewhere. At times, this book was almost too sweet, but it was also laugh out loud funny so, for me, that evened out things while reading it.

A sweet and steamy read, plenty of fluffy romance with definite sizzle a plenty. A great romantic comedy too, a fun and frisky short read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Its a sweet and steamy short novel that I just devoured. Sam Davis is a baker from a tiny town. She gets an invitation to compete against other pastry chefs from her baking idol Michael Godwin aka The Cake King. Reminds me of a reality tv show. Can’t wait to read more in this series.

Holllly Steam. I mean it was insane. If you like dirty books than this one is for you. It was just a little too steamy for me.

Sam Davis has been fangirling over celebrity chef maker Michael Godwin from years. And suddenly she gets an invitation to participate in a cake competition hosted by him. But Sam has far more to lose than just a competition. And when Michael starts showing interest in her she has to decide what is more important to her. Love or her family restaurant? Or she can have both?

Review-
The writing is really impressive and as one can surely finish it in hours. I finish it in almost 2 hours.

There is no cliche drama but there is no twist & turn also. But yes some scenes are cliche but then it is a romantic comedy so I guess it is acceptable.

I feel there was a lot of scope to add depth and layer to Sam character. Author could have shown more about her insecurities or why she doesn't trust anyone easily which would have made it so much more gripping and emotionally invested.

All the erotic scenes were felt totally unnecessary to me. If you have to show chemistry it doesn't mean characters have to have sex in every meeting, which is exactly the case in this book. It somewhat overpower their romance and love.

Still apart from this I really like the book because characters are interesting and plot is simple and crisp. Michael is especially charming and adorable, Sam is somewhat still haunted and affected by her past and this combination makes them a perfect couple and it will definitely steal your heart.

I actually put this this book down since the dialog felt very uptight, it just wasn't fun in my taste.

This is kind of a fluffy romance novella without a ton of substance. A quick read with a happily-ever-after, but there is very little conflict in the book. Sam, the female lead, has confidence issues, and she doubts her abilities to compete with the rest of the bakers the entire time. Michael is a successful celebrity chef, but he's a down-to-earth guy as well. The character development really needs to be beefed up a little bit to make the book more engaging and compelling. There is no real conflict, no real build-up to their relationship. It's an insta-love story that doesn't really explain the draw/attraction well enough for you to believe the insta-love.

This book was just ok in my book.

Celebrity baker, Michael “the Cake King” Goodwin has put together a competition to find the best baker, the winner will get to bake his sister’s wedding cake. You see, Michael’s sister doesn’t want him to bake it, but she welcomes his help finding someone who will.
Sam Davis gets an invitation to the competition, and for the life of her can’t figure out why. She’s not a famous baker, she doesn’t have legions of fans on Instagram, she’s a nobody who works in a small diner in the Appalachian Mountains. She doesn’t know how or why she got the invitation, but she’s going to work her hardest to make sure she comes out on top.
When the two meet, there’s insta-heat. It comes off in waves and is obvious to even the other contestants.
It’s a cute novella, with good writing, and wonderful characters. It’s just really short for my taste, which is why I gave it 3 stars. I feel that the story could have been longer, there were so many scenes that could’ve been expanded.
** I received a copy from Netgalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.