Battle Royal is everything I didn’t know I needed. It is a baking competition, rivals to lovers, and a grumpy/sunshine romance. They are two rival bakers that do not get along. Sylvie prefers to bake colorful cakes whereas, Dominic prefers to bake minimalistic cakes.

It begins with an event that occurred four years ago. Sylvie was competing on Operation Cake, a baking show when everything went wrong. Dominic was, and continues to be, a judge on Operation Cake, which is how the two met and the rivalry began. When everything started to go wrong, Sylvie was proudly displaying her unicorn cake. The cake ended up sprinkling glitter all over Dominic's face. Or, more accurately, all over him, but most importantly, his face. She was unfortunately eliminated shortly after that.

In the present, Sylvie and her closest friend Jay own and manage Sugar Fair, a bakery. Oh, and guess who is directly across the street... That's correct, De Vere's, Dominic's well-known bakery. However, a new season of Operation Cake is about to begin filming. The one and only Sylvie Fairchild will be joining them as the new judge. That's not too bad. Except now they've discovered they will be competing to make a wedding cake for the forthcoming Royal Wedding. And they both want their cake to be the one chosen by the royal couple.

Dominic's sister, Pet, has stepped into being his PA just until his original PA gets back from an injury. Before Dominic left for his first day on the show, Pen cut out a silhouette of both the judges, Sylvie and Mariana. Only to have kept the silhouette of Sylvie in his office and tuck it into the edge of a photo frame on his desk. And every time he looks at it, the constant grumpy man suddenly feels his mood changing.

The two of them are chosen to prepare the Royal couples wedding cake, and the pair has a lot of ideas for what they want on their cake. Like Johnny's favorite drink, which he wants as a cake flavor, but it's a secret recipe, so they have to figure it out. Rosie wants a cake with a portion of her great uncle Prince Patrick on it, but no one knows much about him. Now the two of them must not only figure out what this drink is and how to turn it into a cake, but they must also research Prince Patrick's background. Isn't it simple? No, not at all. As a result, the two of them will have to collaborate to figure out some of this.

The development of their relationship continues to grow throughout the book. There are so many sweet, gentle touches that make you swoon because it is just that good. They can not seem to take their hands off of each other. Their first kiss has a magic touch to it. They compare hand sizes, which freaked me out since it was so fucking cute. You also get to observe Dominic look after Sylvie not just while she was sick, but also when she got scared by someone. That was the first time she hugged him and sobbed into his neck.... yep, I'm obsessed. I could go on and on about how beautiful they are together, but I don't want to spoil everything for anyone interested in reading it. I have a really good feeling this book is going to be extremely popular.

I can not wait for the next book!!!!

*Thank you to NetGallery for the ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Although Sylvie's bakery is doing well, she needs more exposure for her business to take off. She is offered an opportunity to be a judge on a television baking competition that she competed in four years ago. The only catch is that she will have to work side-by-side with Dominic, the man who voted her off the competition years ago. Not only was he a jerk to her when she competed, he also owns the bakery across the street. Sylvie pushes aside her pride to work with her nemesis and when they are pitted against each other for a royal wedding cake commission, they have to spend even more time together. Things really heat up in the kitchen between these two enemies!

This was a fun and enjoyable enemies-to-lovers romance. If you enjoy cooking competitions and British rom-coms, this book is for you! All of the twists towards the end kept the story interesting and set up a great HEA for the book.

The subplots about the Princess and her fiancé, Prince Patrick, and Jay were a bit over the top and predictable for me, but they added a bit of entertainment factor to the story.

My favorite character was Dominic's sister, Pet (short for Petunia). She is so fun, vibrant, cheery, and full of life! I am hoping one of the future books in this series is about her.

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥
⚠️: grief, mention of emotional neglect, fatal car accident

Heat Factor: A little bit of spice to go with all those sweets
Character Chemistry: The way she she makes his eye twitch
Plot: Rival bakery owners compete on bid for royal wedding cake (plus a bunch of other stuff)
Overall: I feel very emotionally manipulated right now; this is not *necessarily* a bad thing

I picked up Battle Royal because I’ve heard good things about Lucy Parker, and because the blurb touted this as a GBBO-inspired romance. And I love GBBO. However, while a baking competition does feature in this romance, it’s more of an aside—the more substantial sideplot that drives the romance is British Royal Drama.

Once I got over my discombobulation about reading a lot more about the love lives of various royals than I was bargaining for, I can say that I really enjoyed this one, with a few asterisks.

So, the premise. Sylvie and Dominic own dueling bakeshops across the street from one another. Sylvie’s cakes look like a unicorn dusted them with rainbows and sparkles; Dominic is into classic minimalism. They first met four years ago, when Sylvie was a contestant on GBBO, and Dominic a judge; she was eliminated when her unicorn cake exploded and whacked him in the head. Now, Sylvie has been tapped to join the judging team. And also, Sylvie and Dominic are both competing for the bid to make the cake for an upcoming royal wedding. And then they end up spending a lot of time together as they research details for the royal cake.

Sylvie and Dominic have a lovely energy to their interactions. Dominic is icy and scary and Sylvie just wants to poke at him (and cover his life in glitter). For his part, Dominic is repulsed by Sylvie’s aesthetic—but he also really wants to touch the purple streaks in her hair. And while they may be outwardly disdainful of each other, from a very early stage in their relationship they become very gentle with each other as they slowly reveal themselves. So I liked that.

The book is also very funny. Sylvie and Dominic both have a bit of sarcastic streak, which bleeds out into the narration. But Battle Royal is also really melancholy, as Sylvie and Dominic (and various secondary characters) deal with grief and work through the reality that sometimes love stories don’t work out. The juxtaposition of these two tonal ranges heightened the emotional manipulation I felt. In this way, Battle Royal felt very similar to Love at First by Kate Clayborn (which inspired a whole post by moi about how sometimes emotional manipulation is exactly what I want in a romance).

Here’s my asterisk: there’s a lot of plot in this book. There’s the GBBO plot, there’s the royal wedding plot, there’s the guy who’s stealing Sylvie’s recipes plot, there’s the we have sad histories plot, plus even more subplots that I won’t get into because I don’t want to get into spoiler territory. Now, an intricate web of a story is not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case, it didn’t quite hang together.

The descriptions of the cakes were lovely, though.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Okay so I adored this! This is my first Lucy Parker and while I have heard good things about this author, I still had little to no expectations going into this. I thought this would just be a quick, fun romance. And while it certainly was, there was depth and beauty to this that surprised me. While the romance between Sylvie and Dominic was quirky and banter-filled, there was such a unique intimacy that forms between them. It felt like I was being let in on a secret, watching their relationship develop. I loved the reality tv show setting, and also the "battle" between the two bakers on who gets to bake the royal wedding cake was delightful. Though this was an opposites-attract romance, I liked how the core of the persons was the same. Also, lord knows I love a touch-starved hero and two lonely people coming to find happiness for.... reasons and BOY did Lucy Parker deliver. The pacing of this was whipcrack fast and had that signature dry, quick British wit that I love. I found it to be quick similar to Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall (in terms of tone, and banter) so if you liked that then I am sure you'll love this!

Absolutely loved this fun and emotional romance. I will definitely be going back and reading Lucy parker's back list. This was a combination of great british bake off and royalty.

This book was not at all what I was expecting. With a cover like this, I thought I was getting a light hearted, easy, enemies-to-lovers/Grump and Sunshine romance. I got so much more.

The heart wrenching moments took me by surprise and one in particular mirrored my own personal experience with grief. So much so that I had to put the book down to sob while I relived the moment. That level of grief never really goes away, just becomes easier to deal with over time. Even then, there are still moments that sneak up on you like it did for the characters (and to me).

Lucy Parker managed to balance the poignant with the light hearted moments that made this book overall so incredibly enjoyable and moving.

If you love books about rival bakers falling in love where one is sunshine & the other is grumpy, then you should pick this up! There's lots of amazing cake mentioned, also a reality show and a royal wedding to bake/battle for(?)

Thanks to the publisher and the author for an eARC!

a fun and heartwarming book filled with tension and banter. i loved following the character's stories! full rtc

Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. I like watching baking shows but reading about baking is another matter, apparently. Beyond that, there was almost too much going on here - the reality show, baking for royalty, a side plot about said royalty, a shifty shop across the road stealing recipes, estranged family navigating new relationships. It was just A LOT.

★ ★ ★ ★ / 5

This book combines delicious, mouthwatering sweets with a heartwarming, but spicy romance between bakery rivals!

I love a good rivals to lovers and this book delivered on so many fronts. The contrast of Dominic and Sylvie in not only their personalities, but also in their baking styles was hilarious. It made the moments when Dominic succumbed to Sylvie’s ways so much more enjoyable and heartwarming.

I really enjoyed all the different dynamics going on in the book and how they were balanced. There was the commission for the royal wedding cake, filming for Operation Cake, and also their day-to-day lives and problems. Each plot point was given its due diligence and everything blended together in the end so well.

Additionally, I really enjoyed how Lucy Parker handled the topics of grief, loss, and toxic households in this story. It’s meant to be a lighthearted romance so I wasn’t expecting extensive dives into emotions, chapters upon chapters dedicated to healing, but Parker still managed to weave the bits of sadness throughout the story in a way that made sense and paid respects to each character’s set of experiences.

Lastly, I absolutely love the writing style. Dual POVs can be hard to do if you don’t have enough understanding of your characters and don’t do a good job distinguishing between them. Lucy Parker had absolutely no issue with this. Sylvie’s erratic, bubbly personality was easily distinguishable from the cold, logical Dominic and it made the switches between the POVs both easy to follow and super enjoyable to read.

If you’re on the fence about this book, I say try it out! UK Royals, baked goods, rivals to lovers, what could really go wrong?

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for sharing the ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

If you love competitive baking shows, a peek at royalty and a rivals-to-lovers story - read Battle Royal. In Lucy Parker's upcoming novel that kicks off her Palace Insiders series, we watch as two bakery owners with a history of their own be forced to work with and against each other. But after being forced to spend all this time together, will they learn just how well they get along?

I'll admit that I'm not the first person to jump at present-day romance stories, but I just couldn't ignore that idea that Dom and Sylvie meet on a Baking Competition show. And in the first few paragraphs, I wasn't disappointed. Dom is a serious contemporary baker/judge who isn't thrilled with Sylvie's overuse of glitter.

The dynamics between Dom and Sylvie are fantastic as they start to learn more about each other. Parker does a great job of slowly pulling back the layers but also keeping the story moving forward. And what's even better is how mature the characters are.

A normal romance trope that has been grating my nerves as of late is the idea that a character won't share how they feel or hide something just so it makes a huge issue. In Battle Royal, both have their moments but then open up and trust each other! It was a refreshing change of pace.

So if you love baking, love and lots of humor I'd suggest adding this to your reading list!

Thank you Netgally for the advanced reader copy!

4.5-star!

This is my first time reading Lucy Parker. It did take me some time in the beginning to get used to her voice, and as I'm not familiar with some British slangs and humors. they probably took some of the joy away. This story is about two rival bakeries across the street from each other, competing for a royal wedding cake contract. Two rivals, completely opposite artistic styles and personalities, come together for the experience of their lifetimes, and their romance slowly ensues...

Dominic De Vere first met Sylvie Fairchild four years ago when she was a contestant on a reality baking show and he was one of the judges. Fast forward, they're now sworn enemies in the same neighborhood. Not only that, Sylvie is also invited to become Dominic's co-judge on the same show. Dominic is all about classy, elegant, yet perfect style, while Sylvie goes for all glitters and sparkles. They're both talented, with great artistic skills and excellent tastes. So going head to head to compete for the biggest contract of their careers proves to be a great challenge for both.

I felt that the story started out a bit slow, and their romantic sparks didn't really start until about 35-40% of the book. But as the story went on, it's become more emotional, and I enjoyed seeing the changes in Dominic when he slowly opened up his heart. I loved seeing how the sunshine Sylvie brought out the sweetness and tenderness in the grumpy Dominic. It has a great cast with interesting side characters, including the royal couples. It's also feasting your eyes and imagination with cakes and chocolate and all the delicious baked goods that will make you drool while you read! I'm looking forward to the next story in the series!

*Special thanks to Avon Books for sending me the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

For all fans of The Great British Bake-Off, Battle Royal will tide you over until the next season! If you're a fan of the royal family, Battle Royal will tide you over until the next royal wedding! A fun read, full of romance and delicious concoctions!

This was my first book by this author. I really love books centered around cooking, plus who doesn't love a good enemies to lovers rom-com with great sex scenes?! This book was the perfect Saturday afternoon read. It was quick with a crazy fun storyline. Dominic and Sylvie were one of my favorite couples ever. I highly recommend this one. The writing was solid with great character development and conflict. I can't wait to find more books by Lucy Parker to read. Huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

Battle Royal is centered around two rival bakers as they compete to create a cake for an upcoming royal wedding, and I ate up every second of it. This book is perfect for fans of rom-coms and The Great British Baking Show.

I loved the enemies-to-lovers trope and grump/sunshine dynamic between Sylvie and Dominic. At first glance, I thought this book was going to be all light and fluff. But don't let the cheesy cover fool you - Lucy Parker surprised me with the amount of depth behind her characters, and she did not shy away from addressing heavier topics including grief and the loss of loved ones.

I will say that the book was slow to start, and it took me a while to get invested in the characters. I also thought there were too many micro-conflicts scattered throughout the book, and would've preferred if the author honed in on one or two conflicts instead.

But overall, I still enjoyed this book a lot and will definitely be checking out Parker's other works!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Battle Royal by Lucy Parker will be released on August 17th, 2021.

Romance readers and Great British Bake Off fans will both rejoice with the release of Battle Royal, the newest romance by Lucy Parker. In this delectable romantic comedy, two baking enemies find themselves suddenly becoming more than friends as a baking competition heats up.

This was the first book I have read by Lucy Parker and I enjoyed everything about this book. It is an enemies to lovers slow burn story that has everything I love in a book including some mystery.

Two rival bakeries that are across the street from each other are also judges on a baking show and do not get along, they also have past. What else could go wrong?... they both could be competing to bake the wedding cake for the big royal wedding.

I loved Dominic and Sylvie’s characters a lot. They were both witty and fun and I loved the way their relationship progressed!

The secondary characters were perfect too! Lucy Parker knows how to write characters that are a lot of fun! I cannot wait to see who the next book in the series is about, even though I have a guess! I would recommend Battle Royal to anyone who enjoys a fun witty romcom.

Thank you Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for granting me this digital Arc for my honest thoughts. I absolutely enjoyed this book so much!

The perfect mashup between romance and a cooking competition!

I love cooking competitions because you never know what is going to happen so Battle Royal is the perfect mashup between romance and Operation Cake!

Sylvie Fairchild had known Dominic (Dom) De Vere since she competed on Operation Cake, and he was the tough judge four years ago who wasn’t her fan especially after the hoof incident and now she returns as a judge. Sylvie specialized in sugar craft and Dom was the master of flavor with their storefronts across the street from each other. Now they are competitors for the contract to make a wedding cake for the royal rebel, Princess Rose and her fiancé.

Battle Royal is enemies to lovers between Sylvie and Dom and a little bit of a preview of the next book that I’m looking forward to reading.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

CW: mentions of death of a parent, mentions of abusive parent, mentions of child neglect, vomiting
⚠️SPOILERY CW: ************attempted harm by usage of knife
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I will already start this review by saying, this is well worth the read.
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I took up Minor in Culinary so this book naturally caught my heart instantly because it took me back to those days. This instantly became special and memorable to me with all the business and baking topics, and is already one of my favorite reads this year.
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"Battle Royal" is story of two individuals, one a contestant on the baking show and the other a judge, who started off hating each other then finds out that they will be competing to create the perfect cake for a Royal Wedding, and later develops a deeper relationship with each other despite their clashing personalities as well as develop touching relationships with others as friends and as family, as they go around dealing with loneliness and grief.
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I absolutely loved how the dynamics between the characters worked because of how they came to understand and relate to each other in deeper levels as the story develops. The story is uniquely told as if you really are tuning in on reality TV and broadcasted baking competitions. Other aspects I loved about it are: how the characters are in their late 30 somethings who are just navigating through life and love; the casual representation of a disabled supporting character with a stutter, an asexual Japanese supporting character, and sapphic Black side characters.
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I would say that this book has great balance of plot and characters but I can see it not being favored to those who look for stories that are heavy on characters because it does lean more on the plot. It was also a very light atmosphere but when it gets emotional, I really feel it deeply. I rarely laugh in books but this one made me laugh on several occasions. Definitely a story that will stay in my head for a long time.
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I highly recommend this first installment if you would stories with baking and romantic comedy, and if you enjoy watching baking competitions!
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I will be posting the review on my social media platforms a week before publication date!

Have you ever read a book so perfect that you just get hit with the appreciation for literature all over again? Because this book reminded me of why I love reading so much. This book was amazingly perfect, heartwarming and wholesome. I can't get enough of these two.

Grumpy/Sunshine, opposites attract, rivals to lovers, found family, long lost family and older couple (late 30's). Dominic, ever want to just hug a character and never let go? Dominic is an emotionally distant character, he is blunt, harsh with criticism, has trouble expressing himself emotionally and physically through touch. His style of baking is classic, traditional and colorless. Slyvie is a bright sunshine character. She is colorful, her cakes are covered in glitter with characters and color, unique and nontraditional. They are polar opposites. Their businesses are across the street from each other making them rivals.

Though Dominic struggles with physical touch, his love language with Slyvie is physical touch and wow it's beautiful. It's so beautiful and romantic. I normally hate slow burn but there was no lack of intimacy, touches can be quite intimate and it was so romantic.

I adored the side characters as well, each and every one of them. Their mini arcs were important to both Slyvie and Dominic and made you love these two even more. Trigger warnings for child neglect and parental loss. The found family and long lost family trope is important to the plot and is handled beautifully. I really don't have anything negative to say about this book.

I truly love this book and am so grateful to have received this eARC ♡