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.)

Oh this was so wonderfully cozy!! The characters were so fun and I loved all of the twists and turns in this relationship! It is a perfect combination of GBBO and romance.

Battle Royal is an enemies-to-lovers, cake-boss, royal-family power combination that is heartfelt, funny, and overall, a great new series from romance queen Lucy Parker. Sylvie Fairchild is unicorns and sparkles, while Dominic De Vere is more gray scale, clean and basic. Despite their wildly different demeanors and aesthetic tastes, both are serious and dedicated professionals who have lost a lot of family and had to create their own families along the way.

Parker is incredible at managing several storylines, and multiple engaging characters including Dominic's sister Pet, the royals in need of a traditional wedding cake with a personal twist, Sylvie's business partner Jay, and the Operation Cake competitors (some of the baking mistakes they make throughout the competition would make me burst into laughter). I thought the slow build of ~feelings~ between these two leads felt very natural, and although I normally like a little more *spice* in my romance novels, there's no doubting the attraction that exists.

There is much swooning to be had in Battle Royal (as well as one very grumpy cat), and I'm very eagerly awaiting a follow up novel in this series (hopefully focused on Pet!). Thanks to NetGalley for an early review copy, all opinions are my own.

I’m a huge fan of Lucy Parker’s books! Her books are always a source of joy for me, and this one was no exception. Battle Royal featured a grumpy/sunshine romance amidst the chaos of judging a baking competition and competing for an exclusive contract.

Four years ago, Sylvie starred on a baking competition show, Operation Cake, until she was kicked off due to an exploding unicorn cake mishap. It was Dominic‘s tie-breaking vote that booted her off the show, and four years later, she owns a bakery across the street from his. Now, she’s returning to the show as a judge alongside Dominic. Not only are they in close quarters, but they’re also competing for a contract to bake the cake for the next royal wedding.

Lucy Parker never fails me with a grumpy/sunshine romance. Dominic is notorious for being blunt to the point of tears, and he is still remembered for disliking Sylvie’s glittery and bright style. They have opposite baking aesthetics. Despite this, though, they find themselves growing closer and closer over the course of the book.

I also really liked the characters! Other than Dominic and Sylvie, we also get to see Dominic’s younger sister Pet, from whom he was estranged for years. They’re tentatively getting to know each other now, and Pet helps him a lot throughout the plot. Mabel, one of Sylvie’s employees, added some humor to the book with her gruff, no-nonsense ways.

The Operation Cake scenes were small but were so entertaining. It was interesting reading about judging a baking show. Much of the plot, though, focuses on Sylvie and Dominic planning and doing research to get the royal wedding cake contract. Frankly, I had less of an interest in this part, but I still enjoyed reading about them uncovering a royal secret or two.

Typically, I don’t like books that focus on food because I find that they go too descriptive sometimes, However, that was not the case here. Battle Royal found a good balance in describing the elaborate pastries and chocolates without going too much into detail. I also liked reading about the elaborate set-up in Sylvie’s bakery and their numerous fantastical pastries!

Battle Royal was such a sweet (pun-intended!) book! I really liked the characters, and I already have an idea about who the next book is about. If you enjoyed Parker’s London Celebrities books or want a grumpy/sunshine romance with cakes and pastries, you should check Battle Royal out!

I wanted to enjoy this one but found myself begging for the end. I couldn't get into the writing or the characters and was just overall not into this one as much as I wanted to be.

Thank you for the e-arc!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an arc of Battle Royal in exchange for an honest review!

This delightfully charming story is the perfect mashup between the Great British Bake Off and your favorite romance novels. Sylvie is about as out of the box as they come in terms of baking-which usually ends with her concoctions being dusted in glitter and bathed in colors as vibrant as the streaks of pink in her brown hair. Unfortunately for her, Dominic, a renowned baker and notorious judge on the hit baking show Operation Cake, prefers a palette that is less likely to be spewed out of a unicorn's mouth. As these two characters inevitably become rivals and own bakeries across the street from each other, they find themselves in the competition of a lifetime where one of them will be granted fame and fortune if the fondant happens to roll their way.

Finding a rom-com about baking is as rare as they come, and fortunately, Battle Royal was a sweet treat. This did start a bit slow, but it picked up effortlessly and had me fully submerged into every character’s lives (including the side characters who deserve their own novels at this point). Not only did I find myself hopelessly craving everything sweet during the deliciously crafted descriptions of bakery goods, but I also found the banter and charm between Sylvie and Dominic delightful. I immediately knew the slow burn would lead to an epic romance, and I was not disappointed. When you unconsciously start rooting for characters right off the bat, that’s when you know an author truly knows their characters to their core, making them feel so incredibly real and a tangible entity to root for. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be trying my own take at a unicorn cake (hopefully one of which won’t go flying into the face of a handsome, unsuspecting man).

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for the ARC to read and review.

This homage to the Great British Bakeoff has grumpy Dominic De Vere trying his hardest not to fall for the every optimistic Sylvie Fairchild. Ever since she competed on the baking show he judges, they have had a simmering rivalry. When Sylvie signs on to judge said baking show and they are both chosen for a special royal commission, sparks fly.

I received an ARC from Avon publishing!

This book was such a fun and emotional ride! The Great British Bake Off meets Sally Thorne's The Hating Game, featuring a quirky and sweet romance that goes from enemies-to rivals-to lovers.

Sylvie was a fan favorite on a baking show four years ago, ultimately voted off by the brooding and arrogant judge, Dominic. Now, she's got something to prove and is living out her dream of owning a glitter and fairytale-like bakery--right across the street from Dominic's famous bakery. But when the chance of a lifetime--the opportunity to bake the cake for a royal wedding--arises, Sylvie and Dominic each fight for the honor. Soon, irritation turns into respect, and ultimately into something a lot steamier.

Battle Royal was a lengthy romcom with a lot to offer; there is a mystery, royal intrigue, and lots of incredible food descriptions that will make you salivate as much as the steamy scenes. I'm not going to lie, I teared up a few times while reading, and I swear I am not at all the "cries while reading a book" type. While this is a romance, it developed through the thick and layered plot. I had thought the baking show would be featured more, but the rivalry really ended up truly being in the fight to land the gig of the royal wedding cake. The romance is a super slow burn but culminates in a really lovely way, as does the mystery.

I already know who will be the two MCs of the next book in this series and I will for sure be reading!

I love this layer cake of a book. I planned to read my 6 other advance reader copies that will all be published in May before I tackled Battle Royal, but I have very little impulse control and Lucy Parker is my catnip. I read it in one day and then I was going to wait to review it, but here we are. I recommend having access to the confections of your choice (boozy confections would be appropriate, unless they wouldn’t) and a couple of boxes of tissue when you read it.

Dominic and Sylvie met when she was a contestant on the baking competition he judged. He felt she was style over substance, and getting smacked in the head by her exploding unicorn cake cemented that impression. She finds him humorless, uptight, and overly fond of the white to cream spectrum of color. Five years after the unicorn cake to the head incident, Dominic and Sylvie own bakeries across the street from each others and are about to become co-workers on the baking competition show. They are also in competition to make the wedding cake for the granddaughter of the queen. Dominic is not the tight-rumped curmudgeon he seems and Sylvie is working hard to make her fantasy sugar playland a viable and enduring business. They have a lot in common.

For a frothy, cake based romance, grief plays a big role. Grief shapes the lives of the characters in good ways and bad, driving their choices, but also holding them in stasis and apart from others. In Battle Royal, grief is an aspect of love, not to be rejected, but folded in as a part of the dynamics of love. It gives depth and nuance to the joy and the humor in the book. Battle Royal was such a pleasure to read. I knew it would be good, but I still wasn’t prepared for how much I loved it.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you to NetGalley, The Publisher and Lucy Parker for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Sylvie and Dominic both have bakeries in Notting Hill, right across the street from each other, and are mortal enemies and each other's biggest competitor. Sylvie is all about unicorns and glitter, while Dom is a traditionalist, all about minimalism. When they compete against each other for the biggest gig of the season, the royal wedding, sparks fly!

Four years ago, Sylvie was invited to compete on Operation Cake, similar to The British Baking Show. Dominic was one of the judges and also the one to eliminate her, when the unicorn she had on her cake catapulted and hit him in the forehead. Now she is invited back as a judge, along with Dominic.

While this book was LOL funny at some parts, I struggled to engage with both main characters. I found Pet, Dominic's sister, to be an amazing addition to the book, along with Sylvie's assistant, Min, a LOL character who takes over every scene she is in. In the beginning of the book, Sylvie and Dominic couldn's stand each other. But Lucy Parker did a magnificent job explaining the intricacies of who they are and they they were great for each other. A wonderful contemporary romance with delicious descriptions of cake all throughout the book.

To sum up this book…imagine if a grumpier, hotter version of Paul Hollywood from GBBO accidentally took a face full of sparkly unicorn cake when it malfunctioned and exploded on him. And then he accidentally fell in love with the woman who made the ill-fated exploding unicorn cake. In between the unicorn incident and ‘oops, I’m in love with you’, hijinks abound. This book was a lot of fun to read and was funny without having to rely on gimmicks or slapstick comedy. It was well written and features a great cast of characters - this would be a great beach read.

I've read all of Lucy Parker's books and enjoyed them all, and this one was no different. Dominic and Sylvie are rival pastery chefs on a Great British Bakeoff type show. It's an enemies to lovers romance with a royal wedding and goodbside characters. I loved Dominic's sister, Pet, and I hope she gets a book of her own. Highly recommend if you like baking, stern men, and royal romances!

I loved this book so much I willingly gave up precious sleep time just to see how the story ended. Cake, a baking show, enemies to lovers, a royal wedding, corporate espionage and plenty of twists and turns made for a thoroughly enjoyable read. Loved Sylvia (fluffy, amazing unicorn) and Dominic (moody, gorgeous, marshmallow centred man) so much. Individually they were both such relatable, well crafted lead characters. The author handled their journey really well and each developing emotion between them was beautiful and felt earned.

Some really great supporting characters in Mariana, Jay, Mabel, Johnnie and Rosie. Pet was such a sweetheart and I especially loved her relationship with Dominic and their attempts to rebuild that familial bond. I hope we get more of Pet’s story at some point. An excellent start to the series.

Battle Royal by @lucyparkerauthor is my first ARC, which means your girl’s a big deal now. Thanks @avonbooks for seeing my potential as an influencer- hope you don’t mind swearing in book reviews...

Onto the book...I friggen loved it. If you loved Lucy Parker’s London Celebrity series, you will love this. It exists in the same London world where all book heros are grouchy and brooding (which is hot when accompanied with an English accent) and all heroines are plucky and chipper and I’m here. for. it.
Sylvie and Dominic first meet on the set of a tv baking competition. He’s the hard to please, manbitch judge and she’s the glitter loving contestant. She doesn’t win the competition, but goes on to start a successful, whimsical bakery right across the street from Dominic’s formal, long-standing, family own bakery. The two pair up again when she is brought on as a judge on the baking show AND when they are both competing against each other to bake the wedding cake for the upcoming royal wedding. Will mixing acid and sugar together make a delicious confection? You bet your sweet ass it will!!

Parker’s strength as an author is accurately portraying humans in relationships- from her perfectly executed dialogue, to her ability to evolve an “enemies to lovers” romance in a natural, effortless way. Her characters and their lives are so well actualized and complex and enjoyable. She also excels at writing great sex scenes that are sprinkled with humor and steam.

This story was sweet and salty and oh so satisfying. It will leave you craving for more. Have I reached my dessert pun limit yet? Just buy it and read it, because it is melt in your mouth delicious...just don’t eat the book. It is not edible.

Smut- 2.75 stars
Romance- 5 stars
Story- 5 stars
Cartoony, cutesy $0.99 bargain bin cover that doesn’t do this incredible book justice (my only complaint about the book)- 1 star

I really liked this book!
It’s an enemies to lovers, light hearted, HEA.
It did drag a little bit, as the story takes place within a few weeks and it is pretty long. However, I would definitely read it again. The steamy scenes were appropriately placed and very well written. There were only a few, so none of the scenes were repetitive.
I could definitely see this turning into a series that focuses on a different character each book.
4.5/5.