I was so excited to review Alexis Hall's Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake after reading Boyfriend Material! Hall did not disappoint - another fun read based on a baking TV show. Perfect for fans of cooking shows/the Great British Bake Off. I liked the main character and thought she was well developed, however there were other characters that I could not stand. The first half started off slow, but it definitely picked up.

tw: sexual assault


3.5-4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing an advance reader copy to review!

The premise of Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, is such a good one! To know me is to know I love all things Great British Bake Off. So give me a book that combines some good baking and a little romance, well... you had me at Victoria Sponge!

My absolute favorite character is Amelie. For me, she's the one who takes the cake!!

~Tanja

This book was a real slow-burn for me, and I still don’t have all my feelings together re: it. I’ve never read a book that I enjoyed so much yet alternately loathed so many of the characters. As a main character, I both liked, cheered for, and shook my head at Rosaline. Her decision making flabbergasted me, and I highly disliked the aspects of her character when she felt entitled to be sexist just because she’s female. As a woman, I haven’t stood up for women’s rights just so women can be as sexist as men have been...so in a way, I felt the author missed the Mark by adding those qualities to her character. I also felt like she was always looking for a fight, which got old fast.. That being said, I appreciated her character’s diversity and giving bisexual women a character to identify with. And ultimately, Rosaline is a really good main character with a lot of layers, and I really liked her by the end. I also liked Harry from the beginning. His down to earth vibe, his understanding, and his willingness to learn and adapt were really well-written. I loved that his character was so much more than what was expected at face value, and I thought he was also really well-written. As for Alain and Liv...I disliked that disfunctional jerk from first meeting him, and Liv wasn’t much better. Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot, and I think it’s a testament to the author that the story inspired such emotions re: the characters. I’m looking forward to the next books in the series!

I loved Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall so I was excited for the latest book! This is a story of Rosaline Palmer who enters and gets selected for a British Baking contest, Bake Expectations. Rosaline is 27 years old and had dropped out of college to raise her daughter, a now 8 year old. She's hoping winning this contest will help her provide financially for her family.

I enjoyed this story but at times it was really preachy. I'm all for some of the lessons in the book but at times it was just too much. I didn't quite care for Rosaline as a character at first because she just seemed so offended by everything. On one hand, it's great to stand up for yourself and I appreciated seeing a strong female protagonist do it but at times it was just too much; romances are my escape. However, she did grow on me but I think Harry and Anvita were my favorite characters! I liked the surprise love triangle and I though the author did a good job of writing one of the character so there was a little foreshadowing (trying not to give too much away of the plot!). Reading about the baking competition reminded me of Lego Masters haha. This wasn't my favorite but I still read it in a day as I wanted to know what happened! I liked the reading questions and recipes at the end of the book.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this one but I have a few issues. First of all the length, I just feel like the book could have been a bit shorter. Also one of the love interests I hated from the very start but that’s also kind of the point. Regardless I really enjoyed the baking aspect of this book. Who doesn’t love GBBO? I also really enjoyed the bisexual representation from the rampant biphobia present throughout the world, to constantly feeling like you have to explain your past relationships, or even justify that you’re still bisexual in a straight passing relationship. And I enjoyed the overall message of the book which was that we should all be allowed to make our on choices on how to live our lives. I can’t wait to read the other books in the series. TW for sexual assault, biphobia.

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

This book didn’t really catch my attention throughout. It took me quite a bit of time to read because I just never really felt like I understood the story’s purpose. I did like that it brings awareness to Rosaline’s sexuality. I feel it is very important to bring light to this and make it something people are more aware of! However, I did not get into the storyline very much and therefore I rated it a 2.5/5 stars.

Synopsis (pasted directly from Goodreads):
Rosaline Palmer is a single mother who dropped out of college in order to raise her daughter, Amelie. Her financial state is struggling, so she decided to join a baking show! If she wins, she could give her daughter the life she deserves. While filming she meets Alain Pope and Harry Dobson. Alain knows how to talk sweet, but Harry makes her question her thinking. Rosaline feels she may have an issue falling in love with Harry, but in the end she makes the decision that was ultimately best for her and her family.

I keep trying to think of a clever baking pun to describe this book but the truth is that it's not sweet, it's not scrumptious, it's not fluffy or cheesy or bite-sized. The truth is, this book is really hard-edged and complicated and in that, it is all the more delicious.

This book follows Rosaline Palmer, a 27-year-old bisexual single mom, as she competes on a Great British Baking Show-like televised baking competition. It has a hilarious, delightful cast of characters, and is structured in "weeks" as opposed to "chapters," which really lends depth to the setting and the passage of time.

I found Rosaline herself to be a very frustrating character. She's a little mean, a little harsh, and quite classist at the start, and her journey throughout the book is one of unlearning both her own internalized shame around the choices she's made in her life and the way that she judges other people. Even though I didn't always like Rosaline, I found her arc to be so compelling and so so satisfying by the end. In fact, the fact that I didn't like Rosaline actually made reading her journey all the more interesting.

Also, it feels important to note now central Rosaline's bisexuality is to this book. Bisexual people are bisexual regardless of who they are in relationship with, and this book does a lot of in-depth work surrounding the stereotypes and cliches about bisexuality. This is, very essentially, a bisexual book. (As are all books with bisexual leads. Full stop.)

This is the rare romance novel where you don’t know the endgame while reading (unless you’ve read the copy). In fact, I'll even go so far as to say I'm not sure I would call it a romance novel. I read in someone else's review (@BookBruin) that the real love story in this book is between Rosaline and herself and I think that is 100% correct. There is a love triangle throughout between a pompous jerk and a cinnamon roll, and this is navigated really deftly. Harry is a perfect, kind, wonderful man who Rosaline absolutely grows to understand and deserve in her life. However, the romance between Rosaline and Harry is ancillary to the plot and to Rosaline's arc as a whole. It is quite low steam (especially for an Alexis Hall novel), but the treatment of sex is so careful and intentional and lovely.

Also, the book includes some of the recipes that are baked on the show!

All in all, this is a very intricately, expertly crafted book about a woman growing to love herself, with some truly delicious and hilarious turns along the way.

CW: Biphobia, classism, gaslighting, sexual assault

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.

Looking for a way to bring in some extra cash, single mom Rosaline tries out for a spot on a popular baking competition show. She quickly falls for suave Alain, but is he the right man for her? And has she got what it takes to bring home the baking prize?

This chick lit is a delight from the very first page. It isn't a romance—there's a strong love triangle subplot, but the central story focuses on Rosaline's character growth. I appreciate how she came into her own and realized she'd spent her whole life feeling wrong for failing to live up to other people's expectations, without stopping to think what she really wanted for herself.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

My feelings about Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake are somewhat complicated. This book had all the ingredients of a great story, but the story itself did not rise to meet my expectations.

characters:
- interactions seemed forced/unnatural
- the unlikeable characters were so unlikeable that it made the book difficult to read
- Amelie wasn't a believable child

plot & writing:
- got into the romance really fast like uhhh
- first 20%: so so slow. horribly slow
- trying too hard to be witty, banter was forced, like even the 10(ish) year old had to be overly witty. it was a lot.
- I was excited by the baking competition premise and I expected the book to focus more on the competition itself. The weekends are the comp while the weeks are at home, so there are a lot of non-competition scenes. I would have preferred seeing more competition stuff or a greater focus on the baking world.

overall thoughts:
- This "bake" was less than mediocre. but, if you're willing to get through it, the last 10% is better than the rest (1.5/5 stars rounded down)

Such a sweet, fun book. The characters in Rosalie Palmer Takes the Cake are so lovable and VERY relatable. It focused less on the romance and more on the women's fiction aspect, but I still loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟 3/5

After really enjoying Boyfriend Material, I was excited for Alexis Hall’s follow-up, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake. Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me. It is getting rave reviews and has gotten three starred reviews, so I am very much in the minority, so keep that in mind.

Rosaline Palmer grew up in a wealthy family and attended the best schools, but a reckless decision leads to the best thing that has ever happened to her - her daughter, Amelie. However, she is struggling financially and decides to enter the nation’s most beloved baking show for the large prize money. There she finds herself in over her head and in a love triangle with perfect Alain and sweet electrician Harry.

My main issue with the book was that I struggled to connect with the main characters and found myself not having trouble putting the book down. It had a cute romance, but it was very much a slow burn to the very end of the book. The love triangle was heavily favored to one side and ended up taking time away from the main romance. This leans much more towards the “com” vs the “rom”, which was not what I was wanting from this one. I feel if you are a fan of baking shows and go in expecting more of a contemporary fiction (as opposed to a romance novel), you will love this one. I still will check out the second in the series, as I really enjoyed the side characters in the story!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a big fan of Hall's Boyfriend Material, I was excited to get my grubby little reader hands on this galley.

While that book featured a fake dating plot, though, marking it more definitively as a romance, I'd argue this one falls more into the contemporary women's fiction category. It focuses more on a single mom (Rosaline Palmer, twenty-seven, bisexual) finding herself and learning to pursue the things she believes will make her happiest instead of trying to people-please or live up to others' lofty expectations of her. (Namely her parents.) Love does factor into the plot but it's relegated more to the side. The background. So I would suggest not reading this empirically as a heavy-handed la-di-da romance. Because it isn't one. Just something to keep in mind.

To be honest, I've struggled to decide how I feel about this book.

On the one hand, the characters were fresh and compelling, including the ones who turned out to be awful human beings who deserved a punch somewhere more excruciating than in the face. (I have a particular character in mind right now. But for spoiler purposes I will remain 🤐) Rosaline was a sweet mess. And I mean that endearingly. The fact that she cared too much about how she was perceived by other people was so relatable. Not simply because she was a young mother, either, but because she was a twenty-something who felt like she'd let everyone down - mostly herself - and had something to left to prove. She had to learn to be more confident, to speak up for herself. To take ownership of her own wants. Amelie, her daughter, was precocious and adorable. I couldn't wait to hear what unfiltered creative thing would fly out of her mouth next. She delivered some of my favorite blurbs of dialogue.

Anvita and Lauren were absolute riots. They brought the comic relief. Alain was repulsive from the get-go, a right pompous snob and jerk, if I'm being honest, and only grew worse the more you got to know him. Even the spelling of his name screams I'm a Complete Knob And Proud To Be One. I wanted to flick him off the page like the cockroach he was from the beginning. And Harry...Harry was patient, kind, sweet, and understanding. A common working class man, perhaps, but still a man with consenting manners and a big 'ol heart. We love that around here, okay? My biggest complaint is that he was sidelined for too much of the book.

On the other hand, I was disappointed with certain aspects of the story. I'd hoped to be more submerged in the baking competition of it all, for instance. I suppose I wanted more baking ambiance than I got--the stress, the smells, the tastes, the clatter, the chaos among contestants etc. I wanted more of the reality TV whirl with the cameras, the high stakes. That was lacking. And when it was present it felt wooden to me. Like I was being told, not shown. I also didn't care for how the Toxic Parent situation was handled. It felt one-note and archetypal. I would've loved more time/development between Rosaline and Harry, too. Things felt rushed with them toward the end especially.

Still, this was a pleasant read. Fun. Amusing. Alexis Hall is witty as ever, his characters hilarious and clever, so prepare yourself for a bowl of laughs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Grand Central Publishing for the ARC!

Where Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake took my heart were the characters. Each of the ones I loved from the MC to her best friend to her daughter were detailed, charming, and oozed personality. At the same time, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake features a lot of characters that were similarly detailed, but that frustrated me to no ends! The biphobia, the male privilege, it frustrated me to bits how realistic it felt in these moments. Talk about characters that endear themselves to you from the beginning, and that you wanna shake a bit.

I loved how Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake delved into the nitty gritty of the baking competition. It was a true feast for baking aficionados! Even more so, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake examines exactly how we end up on our path. Rosaline's story delves into when we let people's opinions of ourselves, our situations, our choices and mistakes, impact our lives. It can be easy to stand up for the ones we love and even harder to stand up for ourselves. Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake is full of witty banter, scenes with Rosaline's child that made my heart melt, and a good dose of rage.

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake had my emotions all over the place! I loved Rosaline and her journey. She's really relatable with how she's juggling her job, trying to keep the peace with family, be a good mom, keep up with bills, and pursue a romance. On top of all that, Rosaline also has to deal with people, like her daughter's teacher, being biphobic and judging her for being a single mom. Those are two of the main issues that Rosaline continues to deal with throughout the novel. Which makes this book sound like it's super heavy but it isn't! The overall tone is fairly upbeat but Rosaline does go through some really tough experiences. Thankfully she has support and levity provided by her ex-girlfriend and best friend, Lauren, as well as by Amelie (their conversations are hilarious). For me, the shining star of the book is Harry, one of the contestants on the show. Initially rather shy, he opens up and becomes one of Rosaline's close friends. He's kind, sweet, and genuine -- basically a bonafide cinnamon roll.

While I love Rosaline and Harry, there are some truly toxic characters who are a big part of the novel and that took away from my overall enjoyment of the story. I wanted Rosaline to realize how awful they were much sooner than she actually did. On the one hand, that's relatable and realistic because it's easy to let the positive aspects of a person's personality overshadow the negative, but on the other hand I kept being like "c'mon when will someone call these characters out!" However, when that call out does happen it is VERY satisfying.

This wasn't the fluffy romance I was expecting but it is a lovely read full of great characters, intense emotions, and lots and lots of desserts!

CW: sexual assault, gaslighting, homophobia, biphobia, toxic parental relationship, past infidelity, classism

3.5 stars

Overall, this was a fun read that I liked. There were aspects that I loved and some things that didn't really work for me.

First things first: this felt more like women's fiction than a true romance. It's a story about a single mom who is on a path of figuring out her life and herself and she finds love along the way.

I loved Rosaline's journey. She's spent most of her adult life trying to please those around her (mainly her toxic parents) so she struggles to identify what she actually wants. We watch her step back from other people's expectations and find herself and it was a joy to read.

Hall's signature humor from THE BOYFRIEND MATERIAL is back and was another one of the highlights. The baking show competition offered some amazingly funny scenes, especially Big Ben made from bread (it makes me laugh just thinking about it)!

*minor spoilers below*

On to the romance, which was what didn't work as well for me. There's a love triangle, though I'm not sure you can really call it that. Basically she's dating a horrible guy (Alain) and has no thoughts about the sweet guy (Harry) until something REALLY horrible happens, which is like 80% of the way into the book. I absolutely adored Harry, but there just wasn't much time spent exploring her relationship with him as it happened so far into the book and didn't seem to be the focus of the plot.

I think fans of women's fiction, British humor and romance will really like this one, but going into it with the right expectations about content and pacing of the romance is key!

Alexis Hall is one of my favorite authors. He's just so delightfully British. Boyfriend Material was one of my favorite 2020 reads, so when he announced Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, I jumped on the chance to read it early. If you love The Great British Baking Show and/or queer love stories, this book is going to be just your cup of tea.

Rosaline is a bisexual single mum, whose parents have saddled her with a crippling sense of being "not enough." She's struggling to make ends consistently meet, and as a Hail Mary, she ends up on Bake Expectations, a British baking show, competing for a cash prize. She meets the other contestants, including Alain and Harry, two men who could NOT be more different, and there's a bit of a love triangle. And an anglerfish. And a bull/goat. And a lot of tiny pastries.

But more than a love story, this is a story about friendship and family and standing on your own two feet.

It is every bit as funny as Boyfriend Material, but this one is definitely a gentler story, slower paced, but no less enjoyable and lovely. I loved how despite a strained relationship with her parents, Rosaline had some truly wonderful people in her corner, including an ex-girlfriend who is everything an ex should be, and an electrician who bakes and who absolutely fancies her.

Read it. You won't regret it. Even the discussion questions at the end are quirky and perfect.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

TW: sexual assault, bi-erasure, homophobia

Wowowowowow!!!

This. Book. Is. Everything.

If you've ever seen and/or enjoyed a single episode of The Great British Bake Off, you will adore this book. I loved how you get to see a behind the camera type look into basically a show we've all seen. The bits about having to repeat themselves and making sure they say thank you. All very interesting.

Rosaline Palmer could just be my favorite MC of all time. Bisexual, single mom, witty, charming, and she doesn't put up with bigots, racists, or homophobic assholes! She has funny things to say, she's relatable AF, and also says "um" in nearly every sentence she says. Like I said, ummm.. RELATABLE!

The secondary characters were also fabulous. Rosaline's daughter was a really cool 8 year old I'd love to be friends with, her sassy ex gf who is really caring, supportive, and hilarious. And Anvita, who honestly made the baking weekends sections of this book more enjoyable. She is excellent AND sexy!!

Lastly, I loved Harry. He was sort of a gentle giant throughout the story and I really enjoyed him, every single time he spoke. I was rooting for him the whole time (even though this book is a baking competition mostly, not a love story per say). He was open and vulnerable. The book mentioned anxiety which is a huge thing happening to basically every millennial right now.

Basically, I feel like I lived through this book. I feel like the characters are my friends. I feel like I want to eat some sweets now 😂 I am going to have a serious book hangover after this one, so please......Alexis Hall..... Write faster so I can have book 2 in my hands asap 💕

I loved so many things about this story but others didn't work so well for me.
Unusual pacing for a romance, some WF vibes, rich British setting, wonderful main and supporting characters, hilarious, awesome shoutout to GBBO (which, I have to admit, I have only seen as gifs on twitter but I have one that one season Bulgarian version).

Full review to come soon.

CW: teen pregnancy (in the past), discussion of abortion, casual queerphobia, attempted sexual attack, manipulation and gaslighting, neglectful and manipulative parents

Full review, as posted on my blog

I love Alexis Hall's writing and this book was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021. It was not exactly what I expected it to be but after some frustration and adjustment of expectations around the middle, I ended up enjoying it a lot.

There is a sort of love triangle, rather it's three people that are mixed up in the romantic relations in the story. It's not something I intentionally look for in my romance but I felt it was fitted the characters and made sense in their character development. Rosaline is very close to my heart, I see a lot of me in her - somewhat neurotic, anxious, lacking confidence, questioning her parenting (incidentally I also have an 8yo daughter) and professional/life choices.

The story has strong women's fiction vibes, since it focuses mainly on Rosaline and her efforts to find the right direction in her life. Romantic relationships are a big part of it but we also see her professional development, the messed up relations with her family.

The nods to GBBO were fun to read. Here is where I admit that I haven't watched the full show, mostly know it from gifs and that one-time Bulgarian edition. Still, I loved seeing reality TV for what it is - fun and entertainment but also meticulously scripted and edited.

I love how real and fully developed all characters in Alexis Hall's stories read to me, and not just the MCs, but the secondary characters as well. They are all, even the evil ones, different, unique, each has a voice and presence of their own.

I hated Alain and Rosaline's parents right from the start. Alain's easy confidence, seeming perfection appeared attractive initially but it also put me on edge. I don't trust who never doubt themselves, who are always put together and in control. It makes me instantly suspicious that this a facade for something much less pretty.

That said, I understand Rosaline's attraction to him, he is everything she strives to be in her life (at least what her parents had taught her to want from life). Gradually though, we see her willfully ignoring the red flags about Alain that kept popping up. The whole setting on the set of a reality show and the extreme stress it put on her daily life led her to making some rushed decisions,

Harry, is Alain's opposite in every possible way, and while initially Rosaline only noticed him for his looks, gradually she got to know the real him and he is the absolute best. He is kind and understanding, genuinely cares about her and is always there when she needs him. At the same time he is also shy and anxious, a typical mate in many respects but also open and willing to learn to do better.

There is an attempted sexual assault and it's not graphic but the whole scene was very vivid, Rosaline's fear was palpable through the pages. The manipulation and gaslighting that went with it were rage inducing but also so, so familiar. It's a brilliant scene, though a tough one to read.

I really wanted Rosaline to to spend more time with Harry instead of Alain though ever ytime she was with Harry the connection between them was real and believable and the reverse was true of her interactions with Alain - you can see how hard she worked to convince herself this was what she wanted and it was good and right and making her happy while it was becoming clearer and clearer that this was not the case.

I like that this is not a love-at-first-sight romance. It takes Rosaline some time to see Harry, to realise there is potential for something between them, to allow herself to imagine a different future for herself.

I love how the story focuses on the the small things that make the big picture, how we change and grow, how it's ok to not know what you want, to not feel confident and assured all the time, to make mistakes and change one's mind. No one is perfect, no one has all the answers. Life is actually all about trial and error, finding and keeping the things and people that make you happy and fulfilled.

In short, this story is often hilarious while being serious at the same time, it creates a great sense of place, the storytelling is masterful and engaging as always.

CW: teen pregnancy (in the past), discussion of abortion, casual queerphobia, attempted sexual attack, manipulation and gaslighting, neglectful and manipulative parents

Rosaline Palmer is a single mother of precocious Amelie. Rosaline loved to bake and is participating in a British baking show while balancing her life at home. Her parents are doctors and don't agree with anything she does. She doesn't really expect it but learns a few life lessons while trying to win the competition. The chatter in the book was witty and their baking made me hungry. It was funny and in the end surprised me quite a bit!

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for this ARC.

This book captured all the thill and excitement of the big tv bake off competition along with that of new love!

Rosaline has been chosen to be one of the 10 finalist in the British tv sensation, Bake Expectations. The winnings and subsequent opportunities that would result would be her ticket to turn her and her daughters life around.

On the way up to the first weekend of filming Rosalines unexpectedly adventurous travels creates a fun meet cute with one of the other contestants, Aiain. He is exactly the type of successful man her parents would want her to be with, and after she has disappointed them in so many other life choices, like dropping out of med school and keeping her baby at the age of 19, this is somewhere she can make them proud…

Then another contestant, the shy and handsome electrician Harry starts catching her attention. He doesn’t have the same background as her, but she starts to change her opinion of him as he continues to swoop in when needed to her rescue.

Soon Rosaline has two guys on the hook when what she really needs is to focus on her bakes and the competition. Can she have it all? Win the competition, find the right partner and finally make her parents around of her?

This was a fun read and I loved seeing Rosaline grow as the competition moves on. She comes into her own and really starts to take responsibility and ownership for her choices and finds a place where she can be happy with what she has accomplished.

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall is scheduled to release May 18th, 2021.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Forever Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#RosalinePalmerTakestheCake #AlexisHall #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads