Lucy is an auto-buy author for me, and this book was was funny sweet romp that did not disappoint. I loved the MCs and was thrilled to watch them banter.

A pretty traditional and old fashioned romantic comedy with some fun dressing laid over the basic structure.

Sylvie and Dominic are both high end bakers but his style is elegant and reserved whereas her’s is all about the unicorns and glitter. They’re both competing to supply the cake for a royal wedding and they’re both judges on Operation Cake, a Bake Off style TV show.

We know pretty much from the first page how this chalk and cheese relationship will develop and it does so with a few minor bumps along the way. Both Sylvie and Dominic have challenging family backgrounds (albeit in different ways) and are building their own away from their biological ones. We also see the romance of Princess Rose and her fiancé, the floppy-haired dimwitted Johnny Marchmont (this fictional royal family is not related to the actual one) as well as a long ago one of Rose’s uncle.

There’s some baking shenanigans but not as much food interest as I was hoping for and the Operation Cake subplot sort of fizzles out. The royal romances give some oomph to the plot though I was really hoping for the uncle to be gay, but this is just not that sort of book.

Sylvie and Dom are pretty predictable. He has a severe, uptight, bluntly honest front which, of course, hides a heart (and other parts - this is a modern romance in that sense, at least) of gold. She’s all girly and fluffy on the outside but, well actually she’s also that on the inside too. In a nod to the 21st century, she has her own business though the businessy stuff is done by her partner, a man.

The support characters keep the novel bubbling along: Petunia, Dom’s previously estranged sister, is the token young person who knows about social media, there are some snooty royals though Rosie and Johnny are down to earth real people even if they appear to change personalities over the course of the book, the staff at the respective bakeries are quirky and offer opportunities for the lead characters to show their true compassionate selves.

Having said all that, I enjoyed my time in this fantasy sugary world and, while I wouldn’t seek out future romances from Ms Parker, I’d be happy to read one if it fell into my lap.

Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for the digital review copy

CW: [discussion of grief (death of family members, including a vivid memory of a death scene in a hospital), parental neglect of child (memory), attempted knife attack (hide spoiler)]

“Are you going after the royal wedding contract? Literally the cake of the year?” He hauled Sylvie’s chair around and leaned close. She widened her eyes at him innocently, and he clapped his hands together, a booming slap that made her jump. “Oh, hells yeah. Judge versus judge. Neighbor pitted against neighbor. The kitten taking on the lion.”

I adore Lucy Parker's contemporary romances, but I can't help but unfairly grade her romances on a slight curve. While I enjoyed myself, BATTLE ROYALE isn't my favorite of the author's work. Standard LP trademarks make the book wonderfully familiar with acerbic snark, grumpy/sunshine repartee, and meltingly-gooey feels. Still, there are enough irritants that make me downgrade to four stars. I definitely think the author's fans will love it and I recommend that they purchase/devour the book (devour in more than one sense of the word. You must have desserts on hand or the text will cause severe hunger pangs).

A few disorganized thoughts:

1) I was cautious to see how the royal storyline would be handled, and I'm glad to report that I liked it! It's a tricky situation; UK royals yield VERY strong opinions amongst folks. I went into the story with an open mind. No, the book didn't tackle the institution's history with colonialism and racism, but I didn't expect that, lol. I'm not a stickler/expert in royal wedding cake protocol, so take my word with a grain of salt. Obviously some things are made up to add flair, but everything seemed plausible in a fantastical way.

BATTLE ROYAL is smart to invent a set of British royals that isn't comparable to the real-life family tree. The bride is Princess Rose, second child to the second son of the king. Her father is the Duke of Albany (wiki says this title used to exist, but no one's held it since 1918) and that family branch lives in St. Giles Palace (invented, I presume it's a Kensington Palace equivalent). So Rose, eldest granddaughter to the king, is important enough to merit a high-profile wedding with tabloid attention, but isn't the heir to the throne or anything. The Archbishop of Canterbury still officiates the wedding, Rose's uncle is still the Prince of Wales, the traditional wedding cake is still fruitcake, etc. But enough details have been changed and I think the AU mostly works if you accept the fantasy. There's some discussion about obligation and what the spotlight does to royal family ties, but it's pretty basic (I think the truth is less optimistic and a lot more fucked up, lolsob).

2) Love, love, love the repeated theme of found family importance and how biological ties are meaningless without affection. Can't say more without spoiling.

3) I hate to say this, but I think there's too much plot. The royal cake competition, the reality TV competition, Dominic's relationship with his sister Pet, Sylvie's annoyance with the enemy café stealing her ideas, the spoilery royal-related storyline (there's TWO of them!). Not to mention, you know, the romance.

For most of the book, I think the balancing act worked. But it hurtles toward a very bouncy/all-0ver-the-place final act because everything had to be resolved. Compared to the other storylines, I think the reality TV competition needed more attention (and I was pissed about how the show ended). Plus, there was a last-minute reveal at the 80% mark that I did NOT like (it needed more resolution if this complication had to be introduced! And I maintain that it did not! Dislike!). The last couple chapters did resolve the romance very nicely, but I was super tense/dissatisfied during the process. There was a lot of plot that needed to be resolved, and the attempts to do so were not compatible with my brain.

One-sentence summary: excellent romance, quibbles with too much plot resolution during final act, everyone should read it anyway.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was so so pleasantly surprised with this book. As someone who loves a good Reality TV competition (although I’m more Project Runway fan than Top Chef), this book delivered the sass, drama, and backstabbing highs and lows that I love about reality tv. Throw in a mix of two strong willed bakers in a hating you/ loving you trope with a little royal competition, and this story had me hooked. Parker did a great job developing the characters of Sylvie and Dominic. I especially love a good gruff, brooding male lead, and she delivered. I was also impressed with the backstories of many characters; Rosie and Johnny, Per, Dominic, Sylvie and even Jay. Perhaps a little predictable at times, but maybe that’s because this is a romance, therefore we get a happy ending? I hear there’s a second book in the works and I will definitely be checking it out. I received this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Avon, NetGalley, and Lucy Parker for this copy.

A fun book that gives the vibe of a hallmark movie but unlike how we hardly see them doing things they are passionate about we are brought into the character's world to a degree of feeling as though we are in the same room as them.

It is a quick and fun read, with all of the best tropes of a romcom rolled up in the story. This is my first book by this author but it won't be my last.

Fun, cute romcom. I loved the characters and the interactions. It was so much fun to read this book. I love the back and forth. So so so good.

Rating: 3.75/5
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fiction
Warnings: Death of a parent, abuse (in past)
Read if you liked: The Great British Baking Show + Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake

Ahhhhh I love a food romance, after reading Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake and Accidentally Engaged in the last year I knew I needed more foodie + competition romances. It did take be a bit to get into this book, it was slow in the beginning but by the end I was in love with the MCs and the additional romances sprinkled in within the story.

Things I loved: All the foodie references. A grumpy/sunshine moment…Sylvie and Dominic were really sweet together. Pet was adorable and a gem of a side character. The bakery staffs really do respect their respective bosses and I loved to see them work together in a crisis. Love a royal appearance. A grumpy cat!

Things I didn’t care for: We had a lot of mini conflicts, I could have done without so many (employee gone wrong, drama on the cooking show, love confession, fake cheating scandal, bad family history)...I would have rather had one or two with more detail. This could just be a factor of me reading an ARC copy, but the writing was a bit choppy at times and there weren’t clear transitions.

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.

I’m never going to lie to you all - I am a Lucy Parker fan girl, and there is not a single thing she has written that I don’t love. I was delighted for the opportunity to review an ARC of her latest book, out on August 17th. Thanks to @netgalley @avonbooks and @harpervoyagerUS for the chance to review.

You generally know what you’re going to get with Lucy Parker novels - delightful storytelling, characters with heart, and a grumpy hero who is soft only for the heroine. Sylvie Fairchild is a former contestant on Operation Cake, a successful baking television show, and she used her fame to help her open a bakery that is magical and whimsical, Sugar Fair (side note: there is no place I’d love to visit more than Sugar Fair). Dominic De Vere is the judge who voted Sylvie off the show after her glittery unicorn cake went sideways, and owns a prestigious family-owned bakery, the favorite of royals and classic in every way. Sylvie is invited to replace a judge on Operation Cake, and a royal princess is requesting the two bakeries to compete for the chance to bake for the royal wedding.

Things I loved:
💕 the description of the work. Unlike some workplace romances, Lucy Parker never fails to describe the work as demanding and not for the faint of heart. Dominic and Sylvie fall for each other over long evenings and early mornings, and it’s magical.
💕 the two main characters. They both have suffered hardships but remain kind to each other. Their bakery staff both love and respect their bosses, and the reader cannot help but root for both of them.
💕 the set-up. Baking show + royals + rival bakeries = my catnip.

Overall, I highly recommend this new novel. If you haven’t picked up a Lucy Parker book yet, what are you waiting for? Start with her London Celebrities series set in the West End theater district… you won’t be disappointed.

In a time when I needed a sweet romance, this definitely hit the spot. A combination of The Great British Bake Off and a grumpy/sunshine romance, this book had a lot of heart, and a lot of descriptions of cake!

I enjoyed this romance about chefs trying to get a big cake contract. I loved that they slowly fell in love and that they had a history of working together on a show being judges and working on the same street. loved the romance and all of the other characters. I hope that pet finds love in her new job and would love to see the other cast of characters find love too.

This book was a fun quick read with a lot of witty banter. I enjoyed the plot and had fun reading it!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review.

Warning: Battle Royal by @lucyparkerauthor will make you hungry. Do not read without a cupcake, or at least a cookie!
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I was thrilled to get this ARC - Lucy Parker is one of my favorite authors. Her London Celebrities series is a total comfort read for me and I totally adore it! (I may have reread it immediately after finishing this, hah)
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Battle Royal is about Sylvie, a trendy London baker, and Dominic, a stuffy traditional pastry chef. They’ve disliked each other since Sylvie hit Dominic with a glittery unicorn hoof on national TV years ago, but they suddenly find themselves working together as co-judges on the baking show where Dominic once judged Sylvie. Amid all this, they’re also competing to design a cake for the next royal wedding. I love a good forced proximity romance, and this book delivered! The relationship between Sylvie and Dominic developed believably, and I adored them both. The side characters were delightful and I hope to see more of them in Lucy’s future books.
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Thank you @netgalley and @avonbooks for this advanced review copy! Now I’m going to go bake!

If you know me, you know I'm a HUGE FAN of The Great British Baking Show and this novel definitely gives me those vibes--with a lot more humor and A LOT more terrible contestants. Everything about this novel that works for me:

*enemies to friends to lovers

*cake

*royal families and intrigue

*grumpy cat

*romance + comedy + with a nice undercurrent of emotion

There's really so much to enjoy about this novel--but especially the evolution of Sylvie and Dominic's relationship from contestant and judge to co-judges to competitors for a contract to friends to lovers. And in Lucy Parker's hands the plot, banter, secondary characters, and overall atmosphere are balanced well. I found myself laughing and smiling a lot--with lots of happy swoony sighs to go along with those laughs. I can't help but hope that we get to revisit this world with some of the secondary characters she introduced--I'm really not ready to let it go and I'm ALWAYS down for more of anything Lucy Parker writes.

This book had everything from baking show, to royals, to "sworn enemies." A delightful and fun read that checks all the feel good emotions.

Sylvie was loved by all as a contestant on a baking show four years ago. Well, almost by all. She was thoroughly disliked by Dominic De Vere, one of the judges and a prominent baker in his own right. Now here they were, years later, with competing bakeries across the street from one another and vying for the same customers, including the latest royal wedding. As they go after this once in a lifetime event, the two of them start to share confidences and grow closer. But will they end up together? Only time will tell.

A compelling, feel good, contemporary romance. A humorous and sometimes heartbreaking read, it's a sure thing for romance readers and foodies.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this digital ARC. All opinions are my own. This review can also be found on my Goodreads page.

Battle Royal by Lucy Parker is my perfect romance catnip. Romance plus a baking competition reminiscent of GBBO? Yes, please!

Four years ago, Sylvie took part in a British baking competition judged by the exacting Dominic De Vere. Sylvie’s penchant for edible glitter and whimsy didn’t win points with Domenic’s aesthetic of understated elegance and restraint. Even worse was when her unicorn cake malfunctioned and caught Dominic right in the face with a hoof. A moment captured forever on YouTube.

Now Sylvie’s opened her own bakery. Across the street from Domenic’s. She’s been asked to be a judge for the baking competition along with him. And they’re both in the running to bake the wedding cake for the latest royal wedding.

Easy summary is that this is a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance. With lots of cake. And yet it’s so much more!

So much found family love going on that it made my heart sing. Witty banter that sparkled like Sylvie’s edible glitter. Fantastic secondary characters screaming out for their own stories to be told. And since this is labeled #1 of the Palace Insiders series, I’m hopeful that we get Mabel and Pet’s stories.

There’s a gloriously cantankerous cat! There’s a mystery to unravel. There’s even some cake espionage happening. But the best is how we get to see how the characters care for each other. Even through sadness, misunderstandings, and their fear of opening up and being hurt. They love each other – as friends, family, found family, and for some of them, as lovers.

Battle Royal gave me everything I could want – giggles, slow-burn steam, a cat and cakes along with a bit of ugly crying because it broke my heart just a little but the ending more than made up for that.

I loved the premise of Battle Royal (seriously, any book that nods to GBBO grabs my attention), but I had trouble staying interested in the story. I know there's supposed to be an opposites-attract element, but Dominic was so unlikable from the start, and even as his kinder side was revealed, there didn't seem to be any excuse for his rudeness. Halfway through the book, I still couldn't get into it. While it was a miss for me, I did love a lot of the supporting characters and the details to baking.

This was a humorous book with a broody love interest who also throws comments at other bakers like he’s Gordon Ramsey and a woman who is the complete opposite of him whos aesthetic screams My Little Pony. Which are his words at one point, haha.

The rival between Dominic and Sylvie starts with a unicorn hoof cake to the face. I’m not going to lie, when it is described in the book I laughed out loud. Dominic starts guns blazing with his attitude and his clear distaste for glitter. I liked how Sylvie has never faltered around it and keeps going. She is definitely his match in every way. Since both of these characters are big proponents in the book they each get their own page time by having their own point-of-view, although it felt Sylvie got a lot more. It wasn’t a bad thing but I do wish there would have been more for Dominic away from Sylvie because I did enjoy the moments between him and his sister, Pet aka Petunia.

Since I already mentioned his sister, I loved the sibling relationship between Dominic and Pet. It hasn’t always been perfect and there have been years where they hadn’t spoken but you can tell that they care for one another, especially Dominic in his own standoffish way. It seems that Pet may get her own book which I would be so happy with! I loved her character and can’t wait to see more from her.

Sylvie also has someone close to her which is her bestfriend Jay. They own a bakery together and he is there to take charge when she gets the gig on the baking show. I’m not going to lie, he wasn’t a favorite character of mine as his role felt small and a plot twist from him was easily seen coming but I just felt like it was unnecessary. I am glad that they at least worked through their bump.

The romance between Dominic and Sylvie has the rivalry banter that I love and is a slow-burn, another plus. It does take them awhile to realize what is right in front of them but after they find that spark it takes off. It was nice to see there not being a huge communication issue in their relationship which usually seems to be the going problem that most fictional couples face. I also like that even though they are together they still have the rivalry banter which may continue in the next book based on the ending of this one.

Besides their romance and a baking show, the plot is also filled with royal secrets and a chance to bake a cake for a royal couple. I don’t feel like one element overpowered another and everything kept the plot going without their being much lull in between plot twists. I only guessed one plot twist and the others left me surprised!

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I loved the relationships, the banter, and the humor of it all.

Sylvie Fairchild us know for being a contestant on a British baking show where her cake exploded and hit judge Dominic De Vere in the face. Now, four years later she is asked to be a judge on the show with Dominic. He is a favorite baker of the Kong so when Princess Rose is about to marry, he and Sylvie are in competition to design the royal wedding cake. Predictable plot and outcome..

* I received a free copy of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

This was so cute! It was angsty in a good way. There were a couple little twists I wasn't expecting. Some parts were a little too good to be true, but honestly, that's sometimes nice in a book. I liked most of the characters, both main and supporting. Books about bakers are some of my favorites, and this definitely fit the bill. A great read.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for this eARC!

This was so fun!

Dominic is the grumpy judge on a bake-off style show, Sylvie is a former contestant and new judge, and they are competitors both because of their across-the-street bakeries and because they are both vying to land the cake contract for a royal wedding. I truly loved all of the plots here (including one that took Sylvie and Dominic to the royal archives) and the side characters, especially Dominic's sister Pet and several members of this royal family.

I'm so glad to see that this is the beginning of a new Lucy Parker series. Can't wait to read Pet's book in particular. Also, I do VERY MUCH want to go to both of these bakeries.