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

CW: death of a loved one (past), grief, parental neglect

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f rivals to lovers
-close proximity
-baking competition
-grump/sunshine
-a grumpy and spoiled cat
-lots and lots of cake

This book was delicious, pun intended. There was so much emphasis on physical touch, but it was done so beautifully. The intimacy it creates, consent, what you are saying without speaking at all. This was my first Lucy Parker and she is such a talented writer. This almost reminded me of historical romance novels, all of the small details that show the intimacy. This book was so tender and beautiful. There were so many interwoven stories, but they added to the overall love story at the heart rather than diluting.

But dear sweet, grumpy Dominic. A baker, reluctant cat owner, oompf I adored him. How protective he was but wanted the world for Sylvie. How he just clearly adored her. That he gave his grumpy cat his own room. How can you not swoon for this man it is impossible.

I'm so excited this is the first book in a series and I cannot wait for more. I hope we get glimpses of Dominic and Sylvie's well-earned HEA.

Rating: 4.5
Steam: 3.5

I love Lucy Parker's romances and it's such a pleasure to see her move into trade paperback releases that I can put on the new books shelf! This one is as delicious as the desserts the protagonists specialize in, and like them, has a rich emotional and sensual heart dusted with sugary technicolor glitter. 5 stars.

This is deliciously intriguing,limitlessly entertaining, laughing hard guaranteed, such a great combination of sunshine meets the grump troupe meets enemies to lovers premise !

Sylvia Fairchild reminds you of a Disney princess dancing with teacups, singing to the blue birds flying above her head, pouring out her perfect positive energy, walking on sunshine followed by rainbows. And she’s hell of a talented pastry chef!

On the other hand, grumpy, irritatingly perfectionist, restless Dominic De Vere who is probably a product of Gordon Ramsey and Simon Cowell’s one night stand, is considered one of the hottest chiefs of London but unfortunately that cruel man is also one of the judges of Operation Cake- another version of Great British Bake-off! And he dared to vote our miss sunshine off from the competition!

But don’t worry! Revenge is served cold! Sweetheart Sylvia pursued her baking dreams with her successful launch of Sugar Fair, promoting her products on Instagram already put herself on the radar of Operation Cake producers and eccentric princess who urgently needs a wedding cake.

But king’s favorite chief Dominic is also adored by A-lister celebrities, adamant to fight till he beats the hell of his rivalries.

The worst part of the couple’s reunion is not sharing their judging responsibilities at Operation Cake show! They also have to compete to be the pastry chef of princess’ upcoming wedding! Knives out! Hats on! Let the pastry games begin!

This book has a little slow start and it took more time for me to get into the story but don’t worry: to be patient will be rewarded with widening smalls and lots of fun! So stick to your read and do not even think to DNF this beauty!

The opposite attract and rivals to friends and lovers theme worked amazingly well. The characters were well constructed. There is not a big conflict between characters instead of keeping eyes on the prize!

Overall: I heard so great things about author’s works! This is my first rodeo with her and the results are so much enjoyable than I expected.
This is sweet, sassy, funny, feel good reading! I’m looking forward to read other works of the author ASAP!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

I am a Lucy Parker booster; I love the London Celebrities series so so so much. That said, I thought this particular book got off to a slow slow slow start. I nearly quit! But kept on because I have such fondness for Lucy Parker.

Anyway, I ended up really enjoying it, and I especially love that Parker writes books that are low-conflict for the main couple. There's never any dramatic HUGE fight with misunderstandings, because Parker's couples TALK to each other, and communicate about what's going on with them. I am a BIG fan of books where couples don't lie to each other, and don't refuse to tell each other big things. Lucy Parker hits those notes with flying colors. Anyway, two thumbs up and will def. buy for my library and push into patrons' hands.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: August 17, 2021

What’s not to like about a book that starts off as an homage to the Great British Bake Off? There’s even a soggy bottom cameo and promise of rivals vying to bake a royal wedding cake within the first few pages. Hooked!

A delightful enemies to rivals to lovers confection! What could have been a surface level romance turned out to be much more. These characters are well developed and the details are so thorough it can be a bit long at points.

Sometimes predictable but also surprising enough to keep me interested. This was a gratuitously fun romance to read!

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
This enemies-to-lovers rom-com is full of heart as well as some steamy love scenes. The relationship development is believable and the characters both have issues to overcome. Immersed in the world of baking, this is like The Great British Bakeoff with an element of romance.

This book was so much fun!! For years, I've loved to bake. I've watched countless episodes of baking shows, and made many disastrous desserts. So, this book was perfect for me! I loved visualizing all of the desserts that were featured, and imagining how wonderful they would taste. Plus, the idea of the two competing bakeries was priceless.

Id be lying if I said I didn't read this for the romance between Sylvie and Dominic. Because that was why I binged this book in one sitting. Their relationship was addictive! The competitiveness and resentment between them at the beginning was amazing, and I loved watching it grow into something more.

I also loved how neither of them sacrificed their values for the relationship. They made sacrifices to be together, yes, but they kept the things that were important to them. I was worried that one of them would give up their bakeries, so I was overjoyed when they didn't.

But really, the star of the show was Mabel. Whenever she appeared on page, I knew it was about to be a fun scene. Whether she was threatening reporters, intimidating Dominic, or just being a good friend, she was great.

I'm super picky about romances, but I really loved this one! It was fluffy with the perfect amount of angst and competition. I'd definitely recommend it!

Thanks to Lucy Parker and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I love Lucy Parker, so a new book of hers is always so exciting. I'd been in a bit of a reading slump, but absolutely devoured this one in a day. It was exactly what I needed. Sylvie is a glitter loving baker who lost on a baking show (basically the Great British Baking Show) after almost impaling a grumpy judge with a unicorn horn. Now she's got a successful business and is returning to the show as a judge. Additionally, she's got her eye on an upcoming royal wedding commission. Meanwhile, the grumpy judge in question, Dominic, runs his own confectionary and also wants to make the royal wedding cake. What I love about Parker's books is that her books have fully realized characters and fully developed plots - there's a lot going on in this book, but it never felt like too much. Sylvie and Dominic have lots of pressures - work and familial - and while they don't always handle everything perfectly, they're always adults. They talk and work through their problems. I loved both of them - they're so good together, and it was wonderful watching them come to rely on each other. This book is funny, it's kind, and it's delightful. Highly, highly recommended. I already can't wait for the next in the series!

This book is utterly DELICIOUS in every possible way. I've loved every novel Lucy Parker has ever written - she's one of my absolute top drop-everything-to-read-her-new-book-NOW! authors, and one of the authors whose books I re-read most often for comfort - but this one might be my very favorite out of all of them so far. It's a warm and witty rom-com with genuinely hilarious moments, but it also has a seriously intense emotional core. She does such an incredible job of writing characters who feel absolutely real - and making their growing emotional connections so vivid, tangible, and truly magical. And this book is absolutely full of cake! The hero and heroine met 4 years earlier when he was one of the judges in a Great British Bake-Off style reality show and she was the contestant whose tastes were absolutely opposed to his; now they're both judges on the same show while also running rival patisseries in Notting Hill AND competing for the contract on a royal wedding cake. (And don't worry, you do NOT have to be a royalist to enjoy that storyline, I promise - Parker writes an alternate, fictional British royal family but writes them with a very smart and nuanced portrayal that feels VERY realistic.)

Hilarious, delicious, heartwrenching, and ultimately SO swoon-worthy - I absolutely loved every page and can't wait to read it again many times. (But I am also now DESPERATE for Book 2 in this series - and SO hopeful that I'm right about which potential couple will star in it!)

A pair of bakers with opposite artistic visions vie for a royal cake contract while simultaneously working as judges on a reality baking show and find they have more chemistry than just in the kitchen. This heartfelt, funny, and sweet romance is utterly delicious. For fans of Kate Clayborn