If one of the MC's of a book is a baker, I am in, but two? I am all about it!
Sylvie was on Operation Cake years ago, and Dominic was a judge. A judgey, judge that thought she was just all annoying sparkles and rainbows and going no where. His family has one of the oldest bakeries around and they focus on authentic, clean, sleek designs.
Slyvie is back to judge the show with Dominic this time, because since her season, she has went on to open a bakery that is doing great! She is less than happy to be stuck with Stone Cold Dominic, but she is willing to make it work for the sake of the show.
Fast foward to the princess annoucing her engagement. Dominic's bakery is invited to present a cake to be chosen for the wedding; Sylvie presents one too, even if she wasn't asked. In the end it is down to the two of them dueling it out to be the winner and showcase their baked goods at the wedding of the year.
Dominic and Sylvie are thrust together in situation after situation and soon they are working together. Neither of them knows how it happened, but now that they are in each other's lives, they are afraid to see what it would be like without one another. With each layer of cake that is made, another layer falls away between them and they realize there's more here than meets the eye.
There was a little bit of mystery, a little bit of angst and a lot of sweet treats in this one and I was here for it. Thank you to Netgalley, Lucy Parker and Avon for an early copy.

This was such a delightful read! If your as big of fan as I am of GBBO then this book is the perfect getaway read. I really enjoyed all the characters and of course the imagery of the baking shops. Its an enemies to lovers with a grumpy hero. I'm hoping that there will be at Pet story. Thank you to Avon\HarperCollins and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. If you have ever enjoyed a certain British baking competition, then this book will be right up your alley. This is a loving homage to everything that is warm, comforting, and fun about reality baking competitions, with the added bonus of so much forearm viewing. Our heroine is a former competitor for the show, who has been asked to return as a judge, and has to work with the dreaded hero, who is an even more handsome/critical version of Paul Hollywood. They have insane chemistry, and their rivalry as judges and business owners brings a lot of humor and zest to the book. Sylvie and Dom were both realistic versions of characters that you often see on these shows, but they successfully ride that line of being recognizable without becoming caricatures. Like the show it is based on, this book is sweet, funny, comforting, and surprisingly emotional. This book is perfect for anyone who needs a nice place to escape to for a little while, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself while I was there.

Battle Royal was a bit of a slow burn for me at first, but once things picked up I was so invested I couldn’t wait for the rest of the story.⁣
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I loved the descriptions of Dominic and Sylvie’s businesses, I loved their competitiveness between the two of them, the game show gave me baking challenge food network vibes and I LOVE that show. I adored Mabel and Pet. I adored the royals. I loved the back love story about Patrick, the previous Royal and the almost scavenger hunt to find his whole story. ⁣
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I loved how naturally Dominic and Sylvie were just there for each other, so knew just what the other needed at that time, especially when they were both closed off for different reasons. I loved the art and the setting. ⁣
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Ohh and Humphrey the kitty, hilariously adorable. 🐱 ⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
Thank you @avonbooks for an ARC for my honest review. Pub day 8/17! #netgalley #romance #battleroyal #bookstagram #books #avonbooks

As far as first sentences go, Battle Royal did not come to play. Meet Sylvie Fairchild and Dominic De Vere, two bakers who couldn’t be more different. Dominic is a revered baking show judge who is known for his stoic demeanour, minimalistic cakes, and rules the baking world with an iron fist. Sylvie, meanwhile, has never met a baked good she couldn’t improve with a dash of colourful glitter and is sunshine personified. Years after a very traumatic encounter on the baking show Operation Cake that ended with Dominic nearly getting decapitated by a unicorn cake prop and Sylvie being eliminated from the competition, the two of them find themselves next to each other on the judging panel and the tension is high. The rivalry between the two only grows stronger when it’s announced they’re competing to bake the cake for an upcoming royal wedding. But while cake batter, glitter and witty jabs may fill the air whenever Dominic and Sylvie are in the same room, the one thing that’s going in for the kill may just be the sparks neither of them expected.

Battle Royal joins the ranks of the new boom of baking-show related romcoms, a trend I am here for wholeheartedly. Sylvie and Dominic’s rivalry made for a great recipe. From their baking styles to their personality, the amount of times the two butted heads and competed in unofficial snark battles was fun to witness. Granted, Dominic took me quite a while to get used to—some of the things he says and thinks made for some cringey moments and I don’t think the way he initially treats Sylvie is quite redeemed in the novel—but once he opened up and showed more of his vulnerable side, like having trouble expressing himself on an emotional level when he likes someone, he got more intriguing as a character. Sylvie, meanwhile, had all of my heart because she’s the kind of woman who takes charge, won’t let her standards and beliefs be compromised and certainly won’t stop being colourful just to please someone else. If you’re looking for a fierce romance heroine, you’ve got one in Sylvie.

Parker also knows how to make secondary characters feel real,from the royal couple to the people in Sylvie’s and Domnic’s lives—staff, family members, friends—everyone felt like they could jump right off the pages. There were quite a few mini-stories on top of Sylvie’s and Dominic’s romance and while that was great because it added a lot of depth to the protagonists, it also means that at times a lot is going on in this book and that pulls the focus in a few different directions and inadvertently muddles the pacing. With all the storylines going on, the last third of the book has a lot to resolve and deal with and even set up for the next book in the series and that was a lot to handle. But with characters this eccentric and interesting, you can’t really blame Parker for wanting to spend more time with them—I certainly didn’t. I can’t wait for the second installment in the Palace Insiders series (which follows two characters from this book and promises to be a wild ride!)

While this is for the most part a lighthearted story, there are some topics that are a bit darker and definitely pack an emotional punch. Without spoiling too much, there is talk of grief and child neglect and I think Parker handled that very well, balancing it with the sweetness of the story.

All in all, if you’re a fan of baking shows and a sucker for the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, Battle Royal needs to be on your beach read TBR!

Battle Royal may be one of my top favorites romances released so far this year. A grumpy/sunshine trope with a baking competition for Royals? I was so excited.

Lucy Parker did not disappoint with Battle Royal. First, the storyline is fantastic. Sylvia and Dominic had a…less than desirable interaction several years earlier. That incident combined with their opposite personalities, didn’t make for fast friends. When a baking competition for the opportunity to create a cake for Princess Rose, things get interesting.

Sylvia and Dominic have completely opposite personalities. Sylvia is open, bubbly and extremely lovable. Dominic comes off cold at first. The both have deep issues that Lucy Parker tackles and portrays wonderfully. The relationship development between Sylvia and Dom is heartbreakingly beautiful. I also absolutely loved the sub plots and side characters!

I could go on and on about how much I love this book. If you enjoy an enemies-to-lovers, grumpy-sunshine trope with forced proximity romance, that has relatable characters and heartfelt content, then Battle Royal is definitely for you.

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Am I a huge fan of Lucy Parker??? Yes!!!
Did I love this book??? You bet!!!

Lucy Parker is back with a new series and a new pair of enemies to lovers. Sylvie made an personal enemy of Dominic when her cake exploded in his face, while he was judging it on the popular Operation Cake reality show a few years ago. Fast forward to today and they are rival cake makers with shops across the street from each other and new co-workers as Sylvie joins the illustrious Operation Cake judging panel this season! To add to the drama, at the same time a royal engagement makes them rivals as they both fight for the contract of contracts!

As I have come to expect, Parker has delivered these enemies to us on a silver platter and we reader so not have to wait long for thinks to start heating up in the kitchen! Sylvie and Dominic are both such sweethearts at their cores that their increased exposure to each other naturally opens them up to the possibilities of romance. These two were made for each other and I loved every moment of their courtship, especially when Dom cares for a sick Sylvie- swoon!

The romance is not all this book has going for it, the side characters are absolute treasures and the Operation Cake drama is a hoot!

This book was delicious and I cont recommend it or Lucy Parker’s other works enough!

Battle Royale by Lucy Parker is scheduled to release August 24th, 2021.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Blog link: https://pinkcowlandreads.blogspot.com/2021/08/battle-royale.html

#BattleRoyale #LucyParker #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
A baking show, enemies to lovers, royalty, and a little spice?! Sign me up, love it already. Honestly, this book was so much more than I originally thought it was going to be. A guilty pleasure of mine is watching baking shows so I had to read this! I love love love Sylvie and Dominic, I also really enjoyed Pet and Mabel. The characters all really flowed and connected well together. It was a roller coaster of emotions but I truly enjoyed it! Highly recommend to read this if you get the chance!
Pub Day: August 17th.

This book is so good. An opposites attract, enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine romance that pretty much hit every one of my romance-loving heart’s buttons.

This is the story of two bakers who are complete opposites in pretty much every way. She’s the sunshiney, sprinkles and rainbows, up-and-coming baker who first appeared on a famous British baking competition, Operation Cake. He’s the staid, uptight, vanilla man who inherited a baking empire from his grandfather and is the judge who voted her off the above-mentioned baking show. Now they own bakeries across the street from each other and are direct competitors for quite a few big commissions. Including the wedding cake of the newly engaged Princess Rose.

Dominic and Sylvie are complete enemies… until they aren’t anymore. And y’all, it’s so damn romantic.

This book has everything. Banter, sexy times, great chemistry between the main characters, two secondary romances (one sweet and the other heartbreaking, yet touching), some pretty great foreshadowing for future romances in the series, siblings getting to know each other again, and there is this overall theme of grief, yet finding joy in everyday memories and cherishing the people who are important today. And this author balances all of it beautifully.

Highly, highly recommend. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

A lovely little story from perhaps the queen of "the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one." I adored the burgeoning friendship and romance but felt the side quest mysteries were a bit distracting? Looking forward to the next one!

This book has a lot of early rave reviews, but unfortunately, I’m not one of them. It’s competently written, enough that I wanted to keep going. But I just didn’t care. Dominic is one of those asshole characters who supposedly secretly has a gooey center. Nope..:nothing endearing about this guy. Sylvie this spunky, girly girl, but she’s got “depth” too…I kinda was interested in her a bit more, but lost interest once they were “together.”

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Lucy Parker for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I have two words- THIS. BOOK. A baking show, grump/sunshine, enemies to lovers, protective and caring hero, forced proximity, AND royals??? It’s like Lucy Parker reached into my mind to write this book. I could barely step away from this book to work and live my life, it was so good.

Sylvia Fairchild is the baker I aspire to be- technically proficient and utterly magical. While a contestant on a baking show, her mechanized unicorn cake accidentally “horns” grumpy judge Dominic De Vere in the forehead, getting her kicked off the show. Four years later, Sylvie owns her own successful, magical bakery across the street from Dominic’s uptight traditional bakery that he inherited from his grandfather. When Sylvie is asked to return to the show to judge, she and Dominic are forced together. Sparks fly- literally and figuratively. When the chance arises to make a royal wedding cake, the battle between Sylvie and Dominic really begins.

Five stars for this amazing read. Baking, romance, royals, and tons of twists and turns. I will definitely be recommending this in the future!

Super cute! I really loved this book. The main characters and their story were great and I also enjoyed the royal romance on the side. I will purchase this for my library.

This book was a total dream to read! Lucy Parker outdid herself with this delight of a story full of amazing banter and these really sweet touching moments. This book is for all the grump/sunshine, enemies to lovers fans out there!!

Sylvie Fairchild and Dominic De Vere are total opposites personality-wise but beyond the surface their similarities really shine. He is this stuffy, stoic, no nonsense baker of classically elegant cakes and desserts who also got Sylvie kicked off the baking show she judges for 4 years ago. Sylvie is the etherial free spirit who follows her art and adds sparkles and sprinkles while turning out amazing concoctions. When the reader meets them, Sylvie is now a judge alongside Dominic and her bakery has now been across the street from his for the last three years. They are professional rivals and in general cannot stand one another. BUT when a contract for a royal wedding cake comes up and they both compete for it all the old rules go out the window as they find spending with with the other isn't so bad after-all. The author did an amazing job of making simple glances and gestures hold so much weight. They both seem reluctant to acknowledge what is building between them but it also feels so natural. All those casual things that Dominic does that seem totally insignificant but totally are so important were delicious to read. This book had the perfect balance of those lovely sweet romantic moments and some really high steam ones that fit so perfect with Sylvie and Dominic's story.

With this book being so perfect I already know book 2 will be one of the most highly anticipated follow-ups in 2022.

I highly recommend this to all romance readers but it also as a fan of Kate Clayborn I'd highly recommend to fans of hers as well because the tone and swoon-factor were so on the nose.

Ok, Battle Royal has the most EPIC first chapter! Seriously, download a sample and then try not to laugh incredibly hard. Perfection! This book had so many laugh out loud moments and the most incredible starchy hero/sunshine heroine dynamic. It's one of my favorite tropes, and Parker did it so well in this book!

I'm struggling to pinpoint why I didn't 100 percent love this, because I genuinely thought I would at the beginning. And I think it's just because there was too much going on. I mean, we had the romance itself, but there was also Dominic's relationship with his sister, Sylvie's relationship with her business partner, the baking show, the competition for the wedding contract, the mystery of the prince, the drama around the royal wedding, the competitor stealing Sylvie's recipes, and more. I think cutting down on a lot of these, and especially picking between the baking competition or the royal wedding, might have helped the story stay more focused on the romance so that there was room to develop big emotions from it. Personally, I would have ditched the royal wedding part — I was skeptical about how privy Dominic and Sophie were to happenings in the royal couple's life. I certainly never developed that type of relationship with the people who baked my wedding cake, and I'm no royal!

That said, I still had immense fun reading this book, and highly recommend checking it out if you love starchy heroes, sunshine/grump tropes, opposites attract, baking competitions, and royal intrigue with a huge heaping of humor. It was a delightful read, and while I think it could have been even better, I loved it enough that I think I might have to add a copy to my shelves. And I'm so excited for Dominic's sister to get her own book!

A copy of this review will go live on Dani's Bookshelf on August 17.

I enjoyed this book so, so much. I know it'll remain a favorite romance of 2021 for me. It has everything you could ever want in a romance--rival bakeries, grump and sunshine leads, a dash of royalty, fun side characters, and a baking competition. This is my first Lucy Parker book and I know it won't be my last.

When Slyvie was a contestant on a televised baking competition (a la the Great British Baking Show), she was eliminated in spectacular fashion just before the finale--her cake literally exploded in one of the judge's faces. The judge being none other than Dominic, the stone-faced, humorless hottie who now owns the bakery across the street. And Sylvie's fantastical unicorns and rainbows creations couldn't be any more different from Dominic's array of white and ivory-piped treats. But when the two begin competing for the contract of the century--a royal wedding cake--and co-judging the new season of the British Baking Show, the two are thrown together in a number of unexpected ways.

I don't think I have any critiques of this book. I'm thinking, and maybe, MAYBE if I had to come up with something it's that the twist was too easily predictable (I saw it within the first third), but this is a romance, not a thriller, and it doesn't need to keep you on the edge of your seat. I wholeheartedly recommend this one, especially for those looking for a fluffy, sweet-tooth-inducing, romantic read.

Thanks to Avon for my ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 10/10

Lucy Parker’s Battle Royal is a delightful confection of a book, full of deep emotions and a sweet, sweet finish!


Apart from the fact, that Lucy is one of my absolute favourite authors whose books I buy sight unseen, Battle Royal ticks all my boxes. Lucy writes Sunshine and the Grump (with accompanying Grumpy Cat) like no other, but this book pulled out all the stops with:
* enemies to friends to lovers
* he hates everyone but soft for her *swoon*
* forced proximity
* rival bakers competing for a royal commission
* baking competition show a la the Great British Bake Off
* caretaking hero

This book kicks off with the enmity between our MCs sealed by an exploding unicorn cake that conks our stoic hero, Dominic on the head when Sylvie was a contestant on Operation Cake. A few years later, they have rival bakeries opposite each other in London where their aesthetics couldn’t be more different.

Dom is all about minimalism and restraint and Sylvie doesn’t have a colour or sparkle that she doesn’t like. This all comes to a head when they both go after the chance to bake for a royal wedding while they are thrown together as judges for a new season of the baking contest.

Immediately sparks fly and (sexual) tensions arise as they clash with each other on and off screen, AND IT JUST DELICIOUS. It was particularly poignant that touch-averse Dom was very quickly comfortable with Sylvie and each touch as trust built was meaningful and so full of intimacy that my heart ached.

This book was constructed as carefully as one of Dom’s multi-tiered cakes as there is a number arcs. From the royal wedding, to a secret romance, the baking contest with the various nefarious contestants, a recipe thief, as well as Dom’s own troubled relationship with his sister, these plot lines were paced well and neatly brought together to a satisfying end.

This book left me with a cackle on my lips and sweet little ache in my heart and I can’t wait for the next book. (Please let it be Pet and Mathias!)


Thank you to Lucy for the arc!!

CW: Child neglect, death of parental figure, stabbing, grief

This was a delightful read. I really enjoyed Dom and Sylvie as a couple, especially their coming together. I agree with most reviews, the gradual touching and intimate moments were the best, but there was so much going on in this book it took me a while to get through. I hope there are more in the series though! 4/5

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for a copy of this fun book. I adore books with a baking theme paired with a grumpy/ sunshine MC. I enjoyed seeing how Sylvie and Dominic worked together despite being in direct competition with each other. Their chemistry was amazing and so many fun moments!

Sylvie Fairchild and Dominic De Vere have been at loggerheads ever since she was a contestant on Operation Cake, a Great British Bake Off-style show. She accidentally beaned him with a unicorn hoof, he voted her off the show, she loves edible glitter and fantasy, he’s a staid traditionalist, he’s grumpy, she’s sunshine… you get the idea. Four years later, Sylvie has a successful shop on the same street as Dominic’s and they’re still poking at each other. It’ll only get worse now that Sylvie is also a judge on Operation Cake. Sylvie and Dominic are also competing for the contract of a lifetime: the opportunity to make the cake for Princess Rose. The monarchy loves Dominic’s style but the bride is drawn to Sylvie’s personal, fantastical touch. The stakes have just been raised on Dominic and Sylvie’s personal battle. Which baker will prevail? More importantly, will being in close quarters cause the simmering attraction that’s always been between them to boil over?

Battle Royal is sweet, sassy, and sparkling! Lucy Parker swept me away with this enemies-to-lovers/opposites attract romance. There’s fondant and fun for ages, but Parker gives the book emotional depth that will hit you in unexpected moments.

I wish Sylvie were real just so I could be friends with her (and go to her amazing bakery, Sugar Fair). She’s bright, sparkly, and so loveable, but there’s a core of loneliness to her. I loved that she had a found family and Parker does a great job showing those relationships but my heart still broke for Sylvie and all she’s lost. I adored Sylvie’s sweetness and spine of steel, her determination, and her whimsy. Dominic is a harder nut to crack at first. He comes across as cold and foreboding; a staid traditionalist who will never color outside the lines. But Parker does an excellent job of showing his true character and his growth without changing him completely. There’s a core of loneliness in Dominic that broke my heart and I wanted to see him find love. He seems like he’s made of ice but he really does have a good heart, one that’s slightly battered. He is unexpectedly sweet and incredibly supportive; he just has trouble showing it sometimes. Dominic and Sylvie’s romance starts off slow burn but once things turn you’re in for a ride. The two of them are not as different as they seem and I loved how well they complemented one another. It’s a bumpy ride for them at times but I truly enjoyed watching their relationship unfold.

Relationships – romantic, familial, and between friends – are at the heart of Battle Royal. I enjoyed how Parker interwove all types of relationships throughout the story. The one small issue I had with the book is there were a lot of plot points vying for attention (to give them away would spoil the book) and the elimination of one or two would have given the others room to breathe and develop better. Even with that issue, I still adored Battle Royal from beginning to end and I cannot wait to see what Parker has in store for Dominic’s sister, Pet.