Battle Royal has sealed my love for Lucy Parker's writing with a *pastry chef's kiss.*

Already a fan of her London Celebrities series, I was excited to spear a fork into this book to sample the mouth-watering decadence a rival bakers-to-lovers romance by her could produce, and I have to say I wasn't disappointed. This was scrumptious! A delectable Grumpy/Sunshine treat, honestly. It's a bon appétit feast for romcom lovers like myself everywhere!

The story takes some time to find its pulse, but once it does, everything unfolds with the creaminess of whipped icing. It's funny, it's sweet. It's even emotionally stirring in ways that adds denser flavor to the plot as well as to the characters' backstories.

Sylvie Fairchild and Dominic De Vere are a delight. Opposites, they approach the art of baking in diametric fashion. Where she's all glitter, color, and unicorns, which makes her unafraid to push the decorative envelope, he pushes more for classic design, technical skill, and neutral tones.

They're different in personality as well. Sylvie's more of the free-spirited, sweet-tempered, I want to paint the world in sunshine type who does whatever she can to make everyone feel comfortable, loved, whereas Dominic comes across as gruff and stoic. He's an unforgiving perfectionist who is always fair, always honest, but brutally so.

Their "difference in artistic aesthetic" is the major reason for their contentiousness with one another at the beginning. (Well, that and because Sylvie shoots a unicorn hoof at Dominic's head during her stint as a contestant on Operation Cake, smattering his face with an explosion of vibrant glitter and embarrassing him on TV. Hilarious!) Not long thereafter, four years to be precise, they are business rivals. Now they not only have rival bakeries open on the same street but they're also competing to win commission of the royal wedding cake for Princess Rose and Johnny.

In other words, it's aprons on, spatulas up, and hearts out on the table!

The side characters are great, too. Distinctive. Engaging. It was wonderful getting to see so many members of the staff from both Sugar Fair and De Vere's.

Mabel is terrifying in a lovable way and a true scene-stealer. (She has one particular moment near the end that just radiates chaotic good energy, and I love it so much.) Rosie and Johnny are lovely. They have unconventional tastes considering the "prim and proper" life they're supposed to lead. Their relationship has a forbidden element to it, since she's royal and he's not, which gives things between them weight. His nervous stutter is so endearing, too!

Jay is Sylvie's business partner and best friend of twenty years. And Pet is stylish, infectious, yearning. She comes to work for Dominic, hoping to cultivate a relationship with the brother she barely knows. I'm particularly looking forward to her story in the future.

This had everything I wanted from a baking romance - the cuteness, the competitiveness, the battle of wit and whisks that, of course, ended up mixing in feelings that started sour but became oh, so, sweet. There was tension and development. There were good characters. The love story was believable, without "drama for the sake of drama."

This also managed to go beyond aesthetics, beyond surface level attractions, to explore the concept of family in both the biological and found sense, which was something I wasn't anticipating. I liked that so many different characters were able to bond over meaningful experiences they'd had like loss, like regret, like emotional distance and feelings of abandonment. The gravitas that added to the plot was a nice surprise. It made this feel like more than just a contemporary romance.

Trust me, you'll want to eat this up until you reach the last drop. It's too delicious to leave untouched!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

Sylvie was a fan-favourite contestant on Operation Cake, eliminated when she launched cake into judge Dominic's face. Fast forward a few years, Sylvie's upstart bakery is starting to rival Dominic's A-list bakery, and Sylvie is about to join Dominic on the judging panel of Operation Cake. As the show kicks off, Sylvie and Dominic find themselves also competing for the chance to create the wedding cake for the upcoming royal wedding.

Lucy Parker really does do the "starchy hero gets un-starched" trope to PERFECTION. This was just as much fun as her London Celebrities series. I love how effortlessly Lucy incorporates the setting into her stories; the setting always drives the plot instead of just being the backdrop. For instance, the different demeanors Sylvie and Dominic bring as judges serve as a great way to highlight who they are as characters. The way that Sylvie is unabashedly so sunshine-y and Dominic has no idea what to do with it... LOVE IT!!! I also love when they start collaborating and getting to know each other - like many of Lucy's other books, the main characters start off genuinely not liking each other (even if they admit to finding each other physically attractive), which makes the relationship development even better. Lucy also has a real gift for writing comedy; there were so many moments in this book where I found myself laughing out loud.

The emotional beats of the story also hit really well. The plotline I particularly liked was Jay's relationship with Sylvie. I think the way that was dealt with by the characters was both realistic and mature. Given how close Jay and Sylvie were, I appreciated how the situation was kept mostly contained between them instead of having Dominic get involved.

I also have to give a shoutout to just how much of a craving for baked goods I got while reading Battle Royal. Ample mentions of chocolate, cake, and other delicious foods along with an enthralling story and enjoyable characters - what's not to like?

Plot: Everything about that summary suggests that this would be my type of book. And it definitely was! There were so many hilarious moments in this book (The moments where they were tasting the contestants baking were some of my favorites!), with lots of heartfelt ones, too! And I so hope the next book in the series will be about who I think it will be, but more on that in a minute...

Characters: I loved all the characters in this book! Sylvie was wonderfully quirky, and Dominic was such an unexpected perfect match for her! The royal couple were much more involved in the story than I thought they would be, but that's a good thing. They were two of my favorite characters from the book! And I hope the next book is about Pet and the guy who I think will be her love interest, because based on the end of Battle Royal, I think it will be adorable!

The Cover: It's so cute!

Overall: This was an excellent romance, that I would highly recommend!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

This book was just delightful. It is an enemies to lovers story that gives you the feeling that maybe they were never <i>really</i> enemies at all - they just were fundamentally very different with diametrically opposite artistic aesthetics. Sylvie was a contestant on a baking show where she rather spectacularly ended her time on the show with one of her spectacular cakes hitting the grumpiest of grumpy judges between the eyes with a hoof from the cake unicorn. Since then she has gone on to establish a rather amazing bakeshop right across the street from that judge's bakery. Dominic owns the bakery across the street. That bakery is incredibly well respected and renowned. His aesthetic is clean lines and pristine flavors. Nothing but the best. He is also very very grumpy.

Both Sylvie and Dominic have experience with personal loss that shaped their worlds. As they compete for the contract to bake a cake for the royal wedding those experiences as well as attraction bring them together. I loved Sylvie's artistic and incredibly kind personality. Dominic is definitely a very serious and exacting personality - but he is also incredibly decent and fair. I feel like he was definitely on the edge of being neuro diverse as well.

Anyone who loves the Great British Baking Show (like me) will love the parallels to the show. There were so many nods to the show - and I loved every single one of them. Like when Sylvie suggests Dominic maybe give a handshake to someone who does a particularly good job. Gold. PURE GOLD.

I also think one of the best parts of this book for me, was the lack of serious drama between Dominic and Sylvie. There is definitely tension and development of their relationship - but they resolve any issues between them in such mature ways. Swoon. I adore Lucy Parker's writing - and if you have loved her other books like me - you will love this one as well!

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own. Note to Lucy Parker: Please write about Dominic's sister and the royal body guard ASAP. I need that book in my life.

Four years ago, Sylvie Fairchild charmed the world as a contestant on the hit baking show, Operation Cake. Her ingenious, colorful creations captivated viewers and intrigued all but one of the judges, Dominic De Vere, the hottest pastry chef in London. When her glittery unicorn cake went spectacularly sideways, Dominic was quick to vote her off the show. Since then, Sylvie has managed to use her fame to help fulfill her dream of opening a bakery, Sugar Fair. The toast of Instagram, Sugar Fair has captured the attention of the Operation Cake producers…and a princess.
When Dominic and Sylvie learn they will be fighting for the once in a lifetime opportunity to bake a cake for the upcoming wedding of Princess Rose, the flour begins to fly as they’re both determined to come out on top.
The bride adores Sylvie’s quirky style. The palace wants Dominic’s classic perfection.
In this royal battle, can there be room for two?

Lucy Parker has quickly become one of my favorite romance writers. Her funny, quirky characters make her stories entertaining to read. Sylvie and Dominic are both very well drawn and believable. Plus, there are at least three supporting characters that deserve their own books. This is the first in a new series and I'm looking forward to the rest of the Palace Insiders and anything else this author writes.
4.5

This book brilliantly combined two of my favorite tropes which are Grumpy/sunshine with enemies to lovers. Dominic DeVere is a straight laced renown baker while Sylvie Fairchild is a charming effervescent creative baker.
Four years earlier on the baking show Operation Cake, Sylvie was a contestant who was the bane of Dominic’s, who was a judge, existence. There was a sparkly unicorn run in with Dominic in the finals.
In current day Sylvie has a shop in the vicinity of Domincs family bakery. She has been asked to judge the latest season of Operation Cake with of course Dominic. To my delight, many hijinks ensue. Not only must they work together but they are also competing to bake a cake for a royal wedding.
The witty banter alone makes this a must read book. Than you have the romance which progresses at the perfect pace. Not to mention all of the shenanigans that go on during the filming of Operation Cake. There is also the relationships that Dominic and Sylvie develop with their royal clients.
Dominic and Sylvie have opposite personalities as well as very different baking styles. But as you see them become friendly you realize that they are meant to be together. Sylvie helps Dominic with his relationship with his sister and Dominic helps deal with Sylvie nemesis baker.
This books is so entertaining and all of the characters are complex and well written. I’m eagerly looking forward to more books in this series.

I struggled with this book and I’m not sure why. I loved the premise, I mean what could be better than a rival bakers who judge the equivalent of Great British Bake Off competing against each other to get the contract for a royal wedding and falling in love during the process. I also enjoyed the characters, Dom and Sylvie as well as their groups of friends and associated were absolutely wonderful. On top of that the book was genuinely funny, like made me laugh out loud funny. But for whatever reason i could not get into it. I struggled to about the 30% mark, gave my self a few days and pushed to the 40% mark, gave myself more than a week and forced myself to finish the book. Maybe I’ll revisit this at a later date and enjoy it more because this book had everything that should have made it a 5 star book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Grumpy meets sunshine in this baking show/ life competition.
Dominic and Sylvie have that good kind of slow burn, where it just builds and builds amidst the banter and mishaps, where the opening to one another is like a flower coming into bloom. That’s what this whole experience was, except add in some decadent sweets, and this masterpiece is born.
The side characters were all lovely, and I’m definitely interested in their stories as well. The beginning took me a bit to get into, but when we took off, we REALLY took off.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book! Complete review will be up on Pop-Culturalist.com the week of August 17th. THIS HAS A BAKING SHOW IN IT!!!! This was such a fun, lighthearted book with extremely loveable protagonists. This has a grumpy meets perky trope. I loved reading about Sylvia and Vere. I highly recommend this one if you loved A Pho Love Story or A Taste for Love.

Battle Royal just stuck out to me and latched on.

We not only get a rivals to lovers romance, but also grumpy/sunshine that like written for me!
The relationship between them slowly builds throughout the course of this novel, and is portrayed in a realistic, relatable manner.
I started reading, and I ended up devouring the story in less than a day. Y'all there's so much delicious food in here.
Lucy Parker has written a really layered book here that I would definitely recommend.
Can't wait to see what the next book holds.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet love story where opposites attract! I loved it! The story was cute. It flowed nicely, and the conflicts were just the right amount of stress. I really liked the baking emphasis, and that both parties enjoyed that field. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

First of all, I love this title. It fits this book perfectly.

I was so incredibly excited to see that I had gotten this ARC. An enemies-to-coworkers AND business rivals-to-lovers, hot grumpy x sunshine rom-com with baking at its center?

Sylvie Fairchild, our sunshine main character, is a baker who catapulted to fame with her fun, creative cakes, and a memorable unicorn cake that goes wrong on *Operation Cake*, this world's baking reality tv show. After her stint on *Operation Cake*, she opens her bakery, Sugar Fair, a whimsical bakery that happens to be across the street from De Vere bakery, owned and currently run by Dominic himself. When both the producers on *Operation Cake* want Sylvie to come back as a judge and the newly engaged Princess is interested in a wedding cake from either De Vere or Sugar Fair, Sylvie and Dominic are thrown in each other's paths again to their (initial) mutual dismay.

I absolutely loved Sugar Fair! The descriptions were absolutely gorgeous, exactly the sort of bakery that would be on top of my list of places to visit.

The characters really shine in this book. It was great to see all the characters involved in both Sugar Fair and De Vere bakery. I loved meeting Dominic's sister Pet, Sylvie's senior assistant Mabel, and everyone in between. Every single character involved with the two bakeries was fleshed out and had their own personality. The contestants, the producers, the makeup artist, and the third judge on Operation Cake all had their own unique relationships with each other and our main characters. The palace characters and their relationships and history were all interesting to flesh through and see how they related to our main characters.

And *oh*, I loved how this book dealt with both of the main characters' backgrounds, and how those backgrounds interact with each other in both positive and negative ways. The book touches on found family on a variety of levels, and that was cool to see. Sylvie and Dominic's romance was built slowly, with awkward moments, tender soft moments, and serious, thoughtful moments before they finally began a relationship together, and I loved that. I love the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one trope, so their relationship was one that I had fun reading, especially when their relationship got to the point where Dominic would still look cold, but Sylvie would know him well enough by then to know how he was actually feeling. Their back and forth banter and equally matched baking ability is a match that's well made.

I love how Sylvie's own mishaps as a contestant (especially with Dominic) translates to her being a more compassionate judge, especially as a contrast to Dominic's more cold, biting demeanor. I loved their third judge coworker, who was a nice in-between both in judging and as a mediator between the two, and her pseudo-mentor style relationship with Sylvie.

I liked how chapters began with various little quotes or thoughts from other characters as a way of setting the current mood. The humor was also great, I laughed out loud several times while reading this. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and recommend it.

A thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the ARC.

I was excited to see that Lucy Parker was starting a new series; I really enjoyed her London Celebrities series. Unfortunately, I don't think Battle Royal was a very promising start.

First, I think there was too much going on. The characters clash over baking competition *and* a royal wedding *and* competing businesses on the same street, and contend with past trauma and current stresses. I think the book would have been stronger had Parker focused on either the baking competition or the royal wedding storyline.

Secondly, and perhaps because there was so much going on, the book felt overly long and dragged a bit. There were a number of really interesting and endearing side characters, and while they will hopefully get more focus in later books in the series, they came off as more interesting than the main characters.

I did like all the baking descriptions (I'm glad I had some cake on hand while reading!) and I do look forward to future installments, but this needed some editing.

This is going to be your new favorite grumpy x sunshine book. I can’t stress enough how well Parker executed this trope. A sweet and utter delight. I’m not lying when I say I yearn for something as I read the progression of Sylvie and Dominic’s relationship. Filled with laugh out loud banters, characters you can’t help but root for, forehead slapping fails and *more*, Battle Royal will surely stick with you for a long time.

Gah. I love lucy Parker and she never disappoints. This book was sooooo dreamy. Absolutely lovely. I can’t wait to have more. Thank you to nergalley for the arc.

Battle Royal by Lucy Parker is the first installment in her Palace Insiders series. The novel pits Dominic De Vere—masterfully strict pastry chef against Sylvia Fairchild—whimsical pastry chef that never follows the rules in battles of business, royal cake baking, and eventually love. Lucy Parker is a master at creating complex and relatable characters and a captivating storyline that draws the reader into her novels every single time. Parker writes love stories as they are meant to be written. Battle Royal by Lucy Parker is a sweet, witty, and swoon-worthy addition to her backlist of amazing novels (if you haven’t read her London Celebrities series—this is your sign to read it now). All of Lucy Parker’s novels are showstoppers and this one is no exception. If you love romance, wit, a bit of drama, and baking shows—you need to buy this book immediately.

I ADORED this book! It was so much more than I was expecting and everything I wanted.

The book opens with Sylvie as a contestant on a fictional baking competition TV show called Operation Cake. (It’s definitely based on The Great British Baking Show, though it’s not a complete clone.) She has just had a Very Unfortunate Incident involving a sparkly unicorn cake and Dominic, the brutally honest and stone-faced judge (I think of him as a hot version of Simon Cowell crossed with Paul Hollywood) getting a face full of said cake. I. Was. CACKLING. Omg. It was amazing.

Four years later, Sylvie owns her own bakery right across the street from Dominic’s and is about to go on Operation Cake as a judge alongside Dominic. Meanwhile, they’re both competing for a royal wedding cake commission. All of these things combined force them to cross paths more and more and as they get to know each other better, they grow closer, and it’s wonderful and beautiful and amazing! Look, I love a good enemies-to-lovers story, and Lucy Parker is great at writing them. I absolutely loved the tension between Sylvie and Dominic, and when they open up to each other—Omg, it just made me feel all the feels!

There’s a lot going on in this book—lots of characters (I loved them all (except the vile ones!), especially Mabel) and multiple storylines, and everything is woven together with such skill, I loved every second! The romance plotline does sometimes take a backseat to other plotlines, and it does take a while to get going. It really starts to pick up around 1/3 and I really enjoyed the slow build-up. I was instantly hooked into the story and I was genuinely invested in everything that was going on and loved getting to know the characters, so I didn’t mind that the romance didn’t pick up for a while. When it did, though—I was INTO IT OMG.

And don’t let the bright, colorful cover and the hilarious incident in the beginning fool you: this book goes deep! It never crosses the line into melodramatic, and both lead characters (who are in their 30s) handle things maturely, which I loved!

Also, in other “professional rivals” books, I feel there’s often a pettiness that goes along with it, like, “I will sabotage my rival to get ahead!” And this never went there! Instead, they begrudgingly cooperated with each other, and I loved that!

Earlier this year I devoured Lucy Parker’s London Celebrities series and was so excited to read this! Out of those books, this book reminds me most of The Austen Playbook, which happened to be my favorite Lucy Parker book—until I read this! If you read and loved The Austen Playbook, you’ll enjoy this one, too.

Also, if you read Beach Read by Emily Henry and appreciated the heavier topics in it, you’ll probably enjoy this one as well! While this doesn’t get really dark and has a more positive, optimistic tone overall, the main characters have both gone through some stuff.

Overall, I loved this, and I would recommend this to anyone who loves baking (and eating baked goods — though I will warn you, you should have some around while you read or it’ll be sweet, confectionary torture!), baking competition shows (though that aspect isn’t a HUGE part of this book), and any of the following tropes: enemies to lovers, grumpy-sunshine, professional rivals.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Baker Sylvie Fairchild thoroughly enjoyed her time on Operation Cake four years ago as a contestant. She's elated that the producers have asked her on as a judge. It will provide great coverage for her shop Sugar Fair! The only downside of accepting the gig - she has to work with Dominic De Vere. The same judge that booted Sylvie off the show (okay, yeah maybe her unicorn malfunction that earned him a hoof and glitter in the face wasn't the best for live TV).

Dominic is stern, but fair. He's not the biggest fan of Sylvie especially after that glitter unicorn fiasco. Dominic and Sylvie also just happen to have neighboring bakeries as well. When Sylvie and Dominic end up vying for the top position to bake a cake for the royal wedding of Princess Rose - who will the Princess end up choosing? Will Sylvie and Dominic continue to stay rivals or will working in such close proximity have them seeing each other in a different light?

I absolutely loved Battle Royal. Not only does it have two of my favorite tropes - enemies to lovers and forced proximity, but the chemistry between Dominic and Sylvie was always sparking. Yeah, sure they disliked each other, but they also have a deep sense of respect for each others work.

The level of vulnerability each character in the story showed added a lot of depth to this amazing romance. Not only from Dominic and Sylvie, but also Dominic's sister Pet as well as the royal couple Princess Rose and Johnny. Sometimes when there are a lot of side characters in a book I feel like it takes away from the romance. That was not the case in Battle Royal. Each and every single character in this book had an important part and they all added to overall story.

Battle Royal was so swoony and I've highlighted so many parts that I can't wait to go back and revisit. Definitely add this book to your TBR and pre-order for when it releases in August! Battle Royal is one of my favorite books of the year!

I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series!!!

Review:
This is perfect for fans of royal romance. Even though this isn't technically royalty falling in love, I always love the palace vibe and the drama that comes along with royal life (when it's fictional). This book was such a good romp and the characters were funny without being over the top and dramatic without losing sight of the plot.

Synopsis:
Four years ago, Sylvie Fairchild charmed the world as a contestant on the hit baking show, Operation Cake. Her ingenious, colorful creations captivated viewers and intrigued all but one of the judges, Dominic De Vere, the hottest pastry chef in London. When her glittery unicorn cake went spectacularly sideways, Dominic was quick to vote her off the show. Since then, Sylvie has managed to use her fame to help fulfill her dream of opening a bakery, Sugar Fair. The toast of Instagram, Sugar Fair has captured the attention of the Operation Cake producers…and a princess.

Dominic is His Majesty the King’s favorite baker, the go-to for sweet-toothed A-List celebrities, and a veritable British institution. He’s brilliant, talented, hard-working. And an icy, starchy grouch. Learning that the irksome Sylvie will be joining him on the Operation Cake judging panel is enough to make the famously dour baker even more grim. Her fantastical baking is only slightly more troublesome than the fact that he can’t stop thinking about her pink-streaked hair and irrepressible dimple.

When Dominic and Sylvie learn they will be fighting for the once in a lifetime opportunity to bake a cake for the upcoming wedding of Princess Rose, the flour begins to fly as they’re both determined to come out on top.
The bride adores Sylvie’s quirky style. The palace wants Dominic’s classic perfection. In this royal battle, can there be room for two?

Okay, this cover needs to be redone because I went in expecting a massive cheese-fest and I ended up shedding a tear or two over this book?! Please have the cover match the unexpected delight that this book was! 😩 I even highlighted a passage? Like, who am I?

Anyways. I think the author is low key a fellow fiber artist because I caught about five different references and I am HERE for it.

Only downside was the royal caricatures and over use of words that end in -genuous 😂

Thanks Netgalley (I don’t always mean my thank you’s because sometimes the books I read are garbage but it’s genuine this time.)