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.

Lucy Parker's new London-based series kicks off with a pair of rival baking show judges. Sylvie is a former contestant whose rainbow- and unicorn-themed creations literally smacked dour judge Dominic in the face. Now she's back as a fellow judge, and their bakery businesses are also competing for a lucrative royal wedding cake contract that they both need. Like their baking styles, Sylvie is whimsical and fantastic, while Dominic is elegant and understated. But there's definitely a spark of something between them, whether it's loathing or lust or something possibly sweeter.

Parker is terrific at world-building. The supporting characters, the rival bake shops, the young royal couple, even an apartment-ruling elderly cat--everything is vividly rendered and a joy to read. Sylvie manages to be charmingly eccentric without veering into twee territory, and Dominic is extra serious for reasons that feel believable. I'm looking forward to more of this series soon.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

If you're the type of person who wants to snuggle on a couch, reading a love story while simultaneously watching the Great British Bake Off, then this is the perfect book for you. It will give you all the warm fuzzy feelings you are clamoring for, and more. As with any enemies-to-lovers tale, it's important to see the progression of the relationship. You'll need to root for the characters, and actually want them to find their HEA with each other. And just like baking the perfect puff pastry, this has enough layers to satisfy anyone.

I had forgotten how much I love Lucy Parker novels. She always has characters that have great witty banter and dry humor. It hits right up my alley every time.

Sylvie and Dominic were really fun to read about. I loved their initial meeting at the show, and how that influenced their future annoyance while having businesses in front of each other. They reminded me of that one famous photo where there are two houses next to each other and one is pink and purple and the other is completely black lol! One of the fun aspects of the book was the cake and other food descriptions. I especially loved the imagery of Sylvie's business. I would definitely love to visit a place like that! It sounded to unique and so perfectly in tune to her personality.

I loved that as the story progressed, you really get to delve into their back stories and see how it shaped them. The more they learned about one another, the more they saw that there was so much more going on beneath the surface. I loved that Sylvie and Dominic became such great support systems for each other.

The history of Patrick and Jessie was heartbreaking, but it made for a good contrast to Rose and Johnny’s relationship. I’m glad their story didn’t end in a similar way.

The situation with Jay really pulled on my heart strings too, and I’m glad that it was (eventually) resolved in a mature way. I think Sylvie and Jay’s friendship was so crucial to her, so I’m happy that she didn’t have to go through that loss as well. Even though I highly doubt it will happen, it would be so nice to read about him and his bad poems in the future lol. There were other fun characters in the novel that kept me entertained as well, but I’ll let you discover those on your own.

I’m assuming Pet’s novel is up next, and I’m already looking forward to that royal bodyguard romance!

Its always a pleasure to read Lucy Parker romances, her stories are witty, cute and this time, delicious.

Sylvie Fairchild and Dominic De Vere are polar opposites, even Dominic compares Sylvie with a fairy, she loves fantasy, glitter and colors. On the other hand he is so serious, he may seem intimidating, he styles is more fancy and minimalist instead of color explosion.

They meet in a baking show, where Dominic was the judge, and ends in an epic disaster where Sylvie is expelled.
A few years later they have their own bakery on the same street and they will meet again when Silvie is invited to participate, this time as a judge in the same show with Dominic. And not only that, a new royal wedding is coming, both want to have the privilege of making the royal cake. The competition has started!

I love both characters, together or apart they are amazing, but together, what a great couple, the bickering, the support and admiration, I love them so much.

Parker always makes realistic and hilarious couples. They start a bit like enemies to lovers, but little by little they progress until they can't take their hands off each other and they become partners in every competition.

Lucy Parker is one of my favorite authors. She has this British voice (even when she is from New-Zealand I believe) and her characters are real and flawed. Sylvie is a young and enigmatic baker and owner of Sugar Fair. Across the street Dominic DeVere has his - very different - bakery. The differ from night to day.

When Sylvie is asked to judge in a tv baking show she meets Dominic in the flesh again. Almost 5 years ago he was the judge to vote her of the same show (after a minor mishap... ) and he is also her fierce competitor in the tender for the Royal cake for the wedding of Princess Rosie and her fiance.
But somehow both Sylvie and Dominic start seeing each other in a very different light and during their quest to find out more about a romance in the past their own romance takes off.

Overall a lovely book and I loved reading it. I look forward to the next book about Dominic's younger sister Pet and - I believe - a certain security guard.

*** I requested and received an ARC via Netgalley - with the help of the author (thank you!) and this is my honest and voluntary review. ***

So good, so good. I couldn't stop reading (only to sleep and eat!) so I finished this so quickly omg now what am I going to do without a Lucy Parker book!!! She's one of my favorite authors and I haven't read one of her books in so long because I read her latest one before it came out so the last Lcuy Parker book I read was in 2019 and oh my god. It feels like so long ago and now!!! Battle Royal is here and you are all going to love it.

Two rival bakeries. Two baking show judges. They don't get along. She bakes colorful cakes. He bakes minimalistic cakes. But when they find out they are now competing to create a cake for an upcoming Royal wedding, things change very quickly.

I literally adored Dominic and Sylvie's relationship SO MUCH. I'm obsessed. Very grumpy/sunshine!!!! Domininc is a stoic guy, he doesn't smile, he doesn't hug, he just loves baking. While Sylvie is very very different because she just loves sprinkles, glitter and she's probably the only one who can go head-to-head with Dominic.

There is so much swooning in this novel. The progress of their relationship is spectacular and I love how Lucy Parker uses touch a lot. Dominic and Sylvie cannot be in the same room without touching each other, be it a finger or a small touch on the head, just to let the other know they are right there with them, you won't be able to stop swooning. When they finally kiss the for the first time? IT'S MAGIC. I seriously cannot wait to reread this, I loved this book so much.

ps. There is this one scene where Sylvie gets a stomach bug and Dom is there taking care of her in his apartment AND IT'S GLORIOUS.