Love this cover. Purchased for my library because it was on this month’s Library Reads. Started reading it without any idea of what it was about, and I didn’t even get ten pages in. I can’t do another Great British Bake-Off-like romance with a pretentious lead. Sorry.

Such a cute romcom I had no idea what to expect going in but I love Avon Romances so I had faith it would turn out well. Rivals to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and Lucy Parker did it so well. If you’re a fan of the Hating Game by Sally Throne or The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas this is perfect for you!

Wow. This book had some very big, fancy nancy, thesaurus-y words that made the flow of reading not great for me. I was struggling after 50 pages and decided to put this aside. Cute cover, I just was not vibing with the writing style.

Sylvie Fairchild and Dominic De Vere met four years ago when Sylvie was a contestant on the baking reality show Operation Cake, now they are competing for the contract of a lifetime as a royal wedding is announced. Can they compete leaving their businesses and hearts intact? This book had me hooked from the beginning as Lucy Parker does an amazing job weaving this laugh-out-loud funny and, at times, very emotionally touching story. I loved the evolution of the relationship between Sylvie and Dominic as they battle to see who will come out on top. The supporting cast of characters in this book is so active in this story and they are often just as much fun to hear from as Sylvie and Dominic. With so much happening in the lives of the main characters, I had a hard time putting this down because I just had to know what happened next. This was so much fun to read (even with a few tears thrown in), it has moved firmly into my favorites list. I have recommended it to friends, family, and our library. It is one I will certainly read again and can not wait for the next installment!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this digital ARC to read and review.

I loved every single word of this. Wowowowow my heart is SOARING. I’ve read all of Lucy Parker’s other books but this one takes the cake (pun intended).

There are a lot of baking show books on the market, and this one in particular is 100% worth the read. The characters are so well-rounded and lovable, the plot is quick moving, and the romance is absolutely swoon-worthy.

Add this book to your TBR if you enjoy:
-Grumpy hero/sunshine heroine dynamics
-Even grumpier tabby cats
-Rivals/enemies to lovers
-Sweet treats, reality tv, and drama
-Touching backstories and royal family mysteries
-Heartwarming AND hysterical dialogue
-Found family AND wonderful sibling relationships
-FUN?? Tears? Kissing???? Being fucking SOFT???

I cannot wait to read more installments in this series. These characters really stuck with me so I NEED to see what they are up to - even if it’s as side characters in future books. All in all, I ADORED Lucy Parker’s BATTLE ROYAL and will for sure be recommending it to all romance readers in my life.

For fans of baking shows and romance alike, this sweet and steamy story is about found family and opening your heart to love. The author weaved this common thread through the stories of the royals and the MCs. While some of the references were lost to this American, they didn't take anything away from this story!

4.5/5
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!!! Now excuse me for 5-10 business days while I go read everything the author has published. Ahhh I just loved this and I most definitely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was mediocre. Once you get through the beginning of it however it does get better. I did enjoy the banter between the love interests though. I was laughing out loud at some points. I also enjoyed the competition aspect of the rivalry. There really isn't much else to say about it.

Sylvie Fairchild was a contestant on a baking competition show, Operation Cake, where her tasty and whimsical bakes clashed with the uptight and proper style of judge Dominic De Vere. She was about to make the finals when her unicorn cake exploded and Dominic got a hoof to the head, he not so surprisingly voted her off. Four years later she has a patisserie shop called Sugar Fair right across the street from established De Vere's and has been asked to be one of the judges on Operation Cake. The friction is still there between Sylvie and Dominic but with the grumpy and sunshine clash, there is a gruff and soft attraction. With a reality show to judge, a royal wedding contract to win, bakery espionage, family drama, and other life realities to live, Sylvie and Dominic keep finding themselves drawn by outside and inside influences.

And just for that instant, beneath the unflappable chill, she saw a flash of startlement and something...else.

Battle Royal is first in the Palace Insiders series and that is why I'm going to cut it a little slack on the amount of story here; a new universe for readers is being built. Usually, romances seem to want to build the focus to be the destination, our leads finally being in love. This is much more about the journey. Yes, our leads have a romance you follow, see build, and eventually find their way to love but the destination doesn't have that firework or finally feeling to it, it's much more subdued. Now, the journey, that is where all the emotion is but again, kind of subdued and your enjoyment of this story and it's characters is going to depend on if you like quiet everyday (in the fiction sense) falling in love.

Powerful chemistry was quite a ride.

The beginning with Sylvie's cake exploding delivered on what I usually think of a cartoon cover, rom-com, but the rest of the story had a more mature feel with an almost ache to the tone. The pace is considerate, with the gradual growing closer Sylvie and Dominic as they spend time together and get to know one another. However, most of the story has the two leads in their heads, I missed some of their connection because of this, I wanted to see the thoughts and feelings expressed outwardly towards each other instead of being told the inner thoughts. There was a moment around the 50% mark that had Dominic texting Sylvie to tell her he was going to be late and making sure she was ok, sort of outwardly showing but we only get a little of Sylvie's thoughts on him checking in. I wanted to “see” them connecting more, instead of mentally getting the feelings from them.

It was probably slightly perverse to feel that growing warmth in his chest as she directed her list of grievances at him.
And yet here they were.
The more Sylvie stared daggers at him, the more inclined he was to pull her in.

I mentioned how there was a lot of story and if some threads don't come back in some way in the series, I'm going to want some edited out even more so that the focus could have been more on Sylvie and Dominic. The reality show they're judging actually shocked me in how much it wasn't in the story, what really took over the time was the investigation work they do in order to win the bid for a royal wedding cake. The royal wedding has them investigating the favored uncle of the princess engaged and this leads to a mystery romance tale involving the uncle, that I thought stole too much of the spotlight. I can see how it ties into the princess and her own situation but again, not the main couple I'm here for, but just expect a sort of secondary couple romance to steal story from our main couple. Sylvie also deals with a rival managing to somehow copy her recipes and frankly, I think this whole thread could have been cut-out, especially the two main characters involved in it. Unless these characters matter latter in the series, they honestly added nothing to this story and, again, detracted from the main couple. There's some family and childhood trauma from Dominic's side but I thought this padded his character nicely and I loved his younger sister Pet (Petunia). There was also some emotional pull from issues involving Sylvie's childhood friend but I wish we could have known him more and seen them together more to pad that thread, definitely could have pulled the rival bakery thread in favor of this.

However, the feeling of absolute faith that when the cracks started to appear, someone else would be crouching at your side, helping to bail out the water, and that you could do the same for them---
Pretty indescribable.

There were a couple times in the beginning that I thought Dominic sunk into grumpy too far but when we get his childhood background, his cold exterior is given depth and the author plants enough little actions by him, like him always watching to make sure Sylvie got to her car late at night safe, even before they start to become friends, to let me warm up to him. This also might be an odd thing to mention but I liked, what I as an American identify as Englishisms (thank you Great British Bake Off for giving me a leg up here), it gave a sense of authenticity that I feel maybe gets changed or edited for American audiences.

So lightly, so easily, she could say things that he'd never forget.

I've read other books by this author and they have a tone and style that I like, it quietly reaches me, not unlike a Sonali Dev or Courtney Milan. This cover says rom-com to me but I would warn people to not go in looking for that tone. This was a mature, more about the journey than the destination, subdued, and quietly reaches you. It veered towards too many threads but maybe they'll play a part in the series. Sylvie and Dominic live up to their grumpy and sunshine and that is what I showed up for. The next in the series looks to be about Dominic's sister Pet and a royal personal protection officer. Y'all, this huge hulking quiet PPO gives tiny bright spirited Pet a teddy bear. SIGN ME UP.

I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately, but I struck gold with this moving and funny rivals-to-lovers romcom.

There’s humor throughout the book, but it’s particularly strong at the beginning, when Sylvie and Dominic are at fully at odds. The owners of rival bakeries, Sylvie sees Dominic as cold and robotic, while he sees her as overly emotional. Even their design styles differ, with his being traditional and elegant and hers prioritizing imagination and loads of glitter. When they are thrown together first as judges on a competitive baking show and then as rivals for a contract to bake a cake for a royal wedding, Sylvie and Dominic can’t resist poking at each other, and some of their back and forth had me laughing out loud.

Of course, as they spend time together, their impressions of each other change. Sylvie realizes that she’s misjudged Dominic, who isn’t nearly as unfeeling as he seems, and Dominic comes to value Sylvie’s open-hearted embrace of others, including him. As they fall for each other, Sylvie and Dom’s romance becomes very sweet and tender. The emotions between them were heightened for me by the fact that Dominic’s past has left him with an aversion to casual contact and physical affection, so they frequently have lovely moments where a brief touch conveys very intense feelings.

Some of the most moving parts in the story for me didn’t involve the romance at all, though. The scenes where profound grief engulfs Sylvie when she encounters reminders of the death of the aunt who raised her were very visceral and very powerful. The author really did a tremendous job conveying the intensity of Sylvie’s sorrow.

So, I found a lot to like about this book. And that’s not even considering the royal romance that is the catalyst for the plot, which would itself make a novel I would read. Or the engaging secondary characters, like Dom’s sister Pet and Sylvie’s best friend and business partner, Jay. At least one of them has got to be getting their own love story, right?

All in all, I thought this was a terrific read, well worth picking up for anyone who loves a good romcom.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

On your mark, get set, bake! Battle Royal was a cozy love letter to the Great British Bake Off I never knew I needed, like a hidden ingredient for a showstopper cake. Our hero was a younger, hunkier version of Paul Hollywood who could make you melt with his glacial stare. Lovely GBBO homage aside, this book had great emotional depth that is missing from most romance novels being currently published. Our couple had silly "twee" banter, but they also connected on a further level that gave their relationship a solid foundation to build upon in the future. The course of their courtship had a natural flow and it felt like the author was writing from experience. In baking terms, we got the perfect combination of a frothy romance meringue with an emotionally available crust guaranteed to win Star Baker. We're talking Paul Hollywood handshake material here, people!

As an avid fan of British reality shows, I'm no stranger to the perfectly pleasant world of Great British Bake Off. The references this book made in such subtle ways were lovely. The mention of soggy bottoms, coveted handshakes, and elder judges with boozy proclivities were top-tier. While the author maintained a clever amount of similarities, she also introduced her own original ideas too. I liked the juxtaposition of the baking show along with the couple's rivalry to create the official cake for the upcoming royal wedding. Everything flowed really well and the humor was present, but there may have been too many pastry chefs in the bakery, so to speak. We could have used a few characters to leave the proverbial white tent, but the ones that were present were all well-crafted.

My only soggy bottom critique is since I'm tragically American, I didn't get a lot of the English references. I had to Google several jokes and look up unfamiliar British slang throughout the book. It's not the author's fault considering she is most likely a resident of the United Kingdom, but some of the content didn't translate to overseas readers, such as me. On the bright side, I learned fun words like "twee" and I got back into my old habit of speaking in a British accent because of Battle Royal. Another minor issue I had was the title, Battle Royal. I understand it's a book about competition but I felt the opportunity for a punny title was lost. Wouldn't Battle Royal Icing have a cuter ring to it? The intention still comes across from the cover, but I just wanted a cuter title out of pure selfishness.

Battle Royal was a baker's dozen of a book filled with unexpected surprises, charming banter, and a gooey, caramel center. While I was reading this novel, I rewatched Great British Bake Off from the beginning and noticed all the references the author purposely made in Battle Royal. You can't beat a confectionary unicorn that explodes sprinkles to kick off a new contemporary romance. It literally takes the cake. I'm rather keen to continue with this series and see what is baking between Dominic’s sister, Petunia, and the royal bodyguard. I'll keep my peepers open for future Lucy Parker releases for an excuse to jump back into the cozy world she's created. Battle Royal has rightfully earned its ceremonial literary cake stand and the glorious new title as best baking.-centric author in Britain.

A cute little romance, perfect for fans of British baking shows and gruff, stoic heroes falling in love with bright, bubbly heroines.

The core plot is pretty basic: rival pastry chefs who first met when Sylvie was a contestant on the baking show Dominic judged now find themselves colleagues on said show and competitors for a prized royal baking gig. Naturally, they fall in love. There are a lot of other branches to the plot, however, and a broad cast of characters that are at times zany and challenging to track. Overall, the book has that first-in-series feel where characters are being introduced for future love stories of their own.

I appreciate a romance in which the characters show maturity as they come to understand their feelings. The idea of them being rivals could have had them hitting a snag over professional conflicts. Instead, it was like reading competence porn (in the best way possible); they were responsible business owners who respected one another's skill and collaborated well. Their baking-related interactions read like a love language between them, which made the romance feel natural and believable.

This is a warm hug of a romance novel, even when the plot and cast of characters gets a little busy or strange. Definitely a good choice for a cozy afternoon read--just make sure you have sweets on hand, as you will crave cakes by the end of the first few chapters.

CW: parental death, emotional abuse (childhood), cancer

Dear Lucy Parker,

If ever a book was made to please me, Battle Royal is it. It even has cake! I have a soft spot for the grumpy one and the sunshiney one and when he’s also a cinnamon roll? Sign me up. Generally speaking I’m hesitant with books billed as “enemies to lovers”; I dislike mean characters and I need to like the main characters in any romance I’m reading or else I can’t care about their journey to a HEA. Sylvie “detests” Dominic and she certainly thinks some less-than-flattering thoughts about him, but they are never truly mean to one another. That makes all the difference to me as a reader.

Sylvie Fairchild met Dominic De Vere four years earlier, when she was a contestant on a baking show which I envision as a more commercial and ruthless Great British Bake Off (in the US for copyright reasons it’s known as The Great British Baking Show). The format described in the book is not the same as GBBO but I admit from time to time, I had trouble not picturing Dominic as Paul Hollywood. (He’s not Paul Hollywood though. For one, he’s got dark hair, lightly threaded with silver and he is far more into cake and chocolates rather than bread. Still there is a scene involving a handshake so there’s more than one nod to him in the book.)

Dominic is the stern judge on “Operation Cake”; known for his ruthless honesty and harsh (but accurate) critiques. He’s also a fan of classic styles and colour schemes. Sylvie never saw a cake or cookie that couldn’t be improved by some colour and glitter.

Sylvie’s exit, shortly before the final in her season of the show, was precipitated by a catastrophe, entirely caught on film of course, involving a sponge cake unicorn hoof being accidentally shot straight into Dominic’s forehead. Much to his continued dismay, it has over a million views on YouTube.

Now, four years later, Sylvie has her own bakery – Sugar Fair – a magical sensory explosion of colour and sparkle, filled with a spun sugar castle and chocolate fountain and everything a child and cake-loving adult could ever want. (She even has a basement area called the Dark Forest where she runs “potions” classes for adults, involving alcohol and sugar syrup bubbles and cocktail theatre.) As it happens, Sugar Fair is in Notting Hill, right across the road from De Vere’s, which Dominic inherited from his beloved grandfather, Sebastian. De Vere’s is establishment, classic, staid and meticulous – ie, the opposite of Sugar Fair.

Sylvie had seen dozens of his own, incredibly expensive cakes in his London bakery. His preferred color palette covered a diverse range from white to ivory. Sometimes he really pushed the boat out and ventured into the realms of cream. Once at a black-tie event, she’d spotted a De Vere cake on the banquet table that actually had gold accents, and assumed he was either extremely unwell or suffering an early-onset midlife crisis.

He went in for elegant minimalism.

She rarely saw an object that couldn’t be improved with sequins.

She was, aesthetically, his worst nightmare.

And this year, Sylvie has been invited to be a judge on Operation Cake, the previous third judge having left unexpectedly after the prior season.

Added to that, Princess Rose, granddaughter of the King of England has just announced her engagement to Johnny Marchmont and an epic wedding cake will be required. In the tight London bakery market, the royal contract will go along way to keeping any business afloat; building reputation and bringing in more custom. De Vere’s was invited to tender; Sylvie put in a proposal anyway. She’s bold and confident and backs herself and that is just one of the reasons I loved her.

Over the course of the book, the season of Operation Cake is filmed and Dominic and Sylvie compete against each other for the chance to make the royal wedding cake. Along the way they find themselves collaborating more than clashing, learning about and appreciating each other in news ways, and of course, they fall in love.

Sylvie perceived Dominic as lacking in heart and personality, thinking him cold and unfeeling but nothing could be further from the truth. Dominic has difficulty sharing intimate emotions and being physically demonstrative and he has reasons, stemming from childhood neglect and emotional abuse. But astute romance readers can tell very early on that Dominic is kind and caring – there are multiple clues, both overt and subtle.

Far from unwinding in front of the TV, she’d be surprised if he ever went home at all. He started work as early as she did, and he was frequently still across the road when she tottered tiredly out the door after a Dark Forest session. In fact, he often stood outside the door of De Vere’s, practically ticking with annoyance and impatience, and waited until she’d safely made it to her car.

I mean, we all know what that means, right?

He’s not only kind to Sylvie though. We see more than glimpses of the way he treats his staff, his patience and care for those who work for him and their unwavering loyalty and commitment to him in return.

Sylvie’s parents died in when she was a very young child and she was raised by her paternal Aunt Mallory. Sylvie grew up with her best friend in the world Jay Fforde – they were born only 12 hours apart and in the same maternity ward. They have literally been friends their whole lives. Sugar Fair is a joint partnership between Jay and Sylvie – he looks after most of the business side of things but also can run the potions classes when necessary and Sylvie handles the creative side. Mallory, a talented artist specialising in glasswork in particular, died of cancer when Sylvie was only 19. Apart from Jay, she has been alone ever since.

Dominic has two sisters, but is largely estranged from them. His younger sister, Petunia “Pet”, 12 years his junior, has recently installed herself as his temporary assistant at De Vere’s and trying to build a relationship with him. Dominic wants it, very much, but he’s stiff and formal with her, not knowing how to breach the divide between them caused by their years apart.

We also meet Rose and Johnny and see their love come under fire from the tabloids and incessant pressure of royal life. With everything about Prince Harry and Meghan in the media this year, it felt familiar and very sad.

In creating their wedding cake, Rose and Johnny challenge Dominic and Sylvie (separately) to incorporate some special items in their designs and this leads to research about Rose’s beloved uncle, Prince Patrick, who died a bachelor and with whom Rose shared a close bond. Dominic and Sylvie discover a great love in Patrick’s past and it adds bittersweet piquancy to the book. In some ways there are three, perhaps even four romantic storylines in this book, albeit not all of them have a HEA. (The inclusion of Patrick’s romance reminded me a little of those wonderful WWII storylines in the early Troubleshooters books by Suzanne Brockmann.)

There is a delightful humour to the book, from the chapter headers which range from the whimsical to darkly funny and generally set the scene for the action –

Hartwell Studios

Time-Honored, Beloved Home of Operation Cake

Where somebody has made the executive decision to hold a meeting about baked goods and not serve snacks.

to Dominic’s dry wit and Sylvie’s sharp observations. But there are serious moments too, like when Sylvie remembers those moments before Mallory passed away and how she said goodbye – even reading those bits now when writing this review still brings tears to my eyes. The depiction of loss and grief clearly comes from a place of familiarity and experience. It is not trite or manipulative. It is raw and real while also providing an opportunity for Sylvie to see Dominic as the man he is, kind and caring, albeit hidden behind an uptight, gruff exterior.

Cool, firm lips were pressed against her temple. Closing her eyes for a moment now, as she had then, Sylvie breathed deeply before she turned her head and looked up at Dominic. He was holding her, his arms wrapped around her without hesitation, his body sharing its warmth.

For once, the expression in his dark eyes was transmitting clear as day. Deep concern, but primarily empathy. The bone-deep understanding of someone who had walked a similar path.

And when Dominic shares his childhood story with Sylvie, it not only gives us a glimpse into the who and why of him, it shows the reader Sylvie’s fierce protective streak and her compassion.

Dominic De Vere is one of my favourite kind of heroes, kind and honest but who needs someone to see beneath his surface, rewarding the person who does with undying loyalty and devotion.

I loved Sylvie too but I am a hero-centric reader and it was Dominic’s vulnerability and his bravery and determination not to let his past ruin his future that spoke to me particularly. I fell more than a little in love with him. He’s the kind of guy who will never let someone down. That kind of stalwart constancy is my catnip. Seriously, it’s sexiness cannot be overrated IMO.

There is a broad, diverse cast and each member felt like a whole person, no matter that they may have had only a small part to play in the story or have had a brief appearance. I liked the way Sylvie and Dominic both were with their respective staffs, their professionalism and skill and I loved the way they were with each other. I loved the way they negotiated their relationship and their professional rivalry – with a thread of kindness running through their interactions but remaining true to their own identities and career aspirations.

I have enjoyed all of your books so far but I think this one may be your best one yet.

Battle Royal had everything I want in a romance. It made me laugh, cry and swoon at turns and I ended the story with a very contented, very happy book sigh.

Grade: A

Regards,
Kaetrin

Sometimes enemies-to-lovers isn't actually enemies. It's more like unrequited love with a big side of fear. Like in grade school when kids pulled hair or teased the the person they liked. This book felt like a legitimate entry for this trope.
Sylvie and Dominic do not see eye to eye. They meet during a cake competition and her artistic flair is the antithesis of his neat and orderly. Four years later, they have to share the same space again and entertain the masses.
I read this book mostly by listening to the audio and I have to say that was to my detriment. I was not a fan of the narrator at all. The bright and great moments were often overshadowed by her intonation. Despite my thoughts on the audio, I think Lucy's voice is one I would be interested in reading again. I'll have to take advantage of the physical copy next time.
Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy and Harper Audio for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.

4.25 stars--BATTLE ROYAL is the first instalment in Lucy Parker’s contemporary, adult PALACE INSIDERS erotic, romance series. This is bakers Sylvie Fairchild, and Dominic De Vere’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Dominic and Sylvie) following several intersecting paths, BATTLE ROYAL follows the acrimonious relationship between bakers Sylvie Fairchild, and Dominic De Vere. Four years earlier, Sylvie Fairchild was a contestant on Britain’s televised baking show Operation Cake but had somehow attracted the angry ire of our story line hero. Dominic De Vere has been a contemptuous judge on Britain’s Operation Cake, and now watches daily as his cross street competition is none-other than Sylvie Fairchild. To make matters worse Sylvie has been asked to be a judge for the new season of Operation Cake alongside our story line her hero, and with the announcement of an impending Royal marriage, both Sylvie and Dominic are finalists in a showdown to see who earns the rights to make the Royal wedding cake. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Dominic and Sylvie, as our couple must traverse a minefield of sabotage, infidelity, secrets and love.

Dominic De Vere is known to be a cold-hearted man who struggles with the simplest of personal overtures. Falling for Sylvie Fairchild means falling for his business competition but working together means a slow thaw of his heart that has been frozen for so long. Sylvie Fairchild is a fresh ball of energy but quickly discovers another one of the competitors is stealing recipe, recipes that only she should know. A series of miscues and catastrophes at work on both sides of the competition begin to reveal a possible betrayal in the mix.

The relationship between Dominic and Sylvie begins four years earlier when our heroine is a contestant on Britain’s Operation Cake baking show. Dominic takes an immediate dislike to our story line heroine but his vitriolic attitude can also be found directed at the other contestants. Working together reveals a different side to our story line couple, heart breaking pasts, and emotional pain. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Sylvie’s staff and co-workers: business partner Jay Fforde, assistant Mabel, Penny ; Dominic’s sister Petunia (Pet), and his employees Aaron and Lizzie; Royals Rosie and Johnny, Johnny’s personal security Matthias Vaughn, as well as baker Darren Clyde, several baking contestants, and members of the Royal house. There may be a story developing between Matthias and Pet.

BATTLE ROYAL is a complex story line that follows a number of intersecting paths that Lucy Parker blends smoothly and seamlessly into a wonderful and heartfelt story line. The premise has moments of humor and fun, heart break and darkness, betrayal and revenge. The romance is tender and seductive; the characters are energetic and colorful.



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I loved this book. It was so cute. Not only did I love the baking element, the royal component added a cute addition to the story. I was laughing, tearing up, and smiling so much during this read. I would love to see more of this world.

I absolutely adored Lucy Parker’s London Celebrities series and was excited to get my hands on the first book in her next series.. How could I not be excited for a book where the introduction to our protagonists involves a confectionary unicorn hoof hitting one of them on the forehead mid-judging of a televised baking competition? After that first meeting four years ago Sylvie Fairchild has gone on to open her own bakery, Sugar Fair, across the street from Dominic De Vere’s eponymous shop. She (and her business) is all things fantastical while De Vere’s is much more classic in its aesthetic (Sylvie describes his color palette as ranging from white to cream). The television show where Dominic is a judge and Sylvie is a former contestant is in need of a new third judge, and Sylvie is tapped for the job as one of their most popular former contestants with a successful baking business. Dominic and Sylvie are thrown together during filming, and they are both in the process of trying to land the contract to create the wedding cake for the King’s eldest granddaughter whose aesthetic is much more in line with Sylvie’s, but Dominic’s family bakery has been the go-to for decades.

What I love about this book is that while a good synopsis I’ve just written, it covers almost nothing of the core of the story. Sure, it gives you the beats of the plot (mostly, this book has a lot of plot) but it doesn’t really give you the heart of the story. While Sylvie and Dominic are presented as opposites and rivals, they are much more kindred spirited than is initially evident. Parker does what she does best, she slowly but surely layers in depth to her characters and provides them with deep inner lives. Watching how Dominic is surprised, but not all that surprised, at how natural it feels to let Sophie in was one of my happiest reading moments of the year because it rang so honest.

It is my contention that while there often needs to be a tension point to be released, it doesn’t always need to come in the form of a break-up or large, boisterous fight. Battle Royal does a great job of proving my point for me. Something happens in Sylvie’s life that makes her nervous about how fast and how deep her feelings for Dominic have developed and with that added to her personal scars surrounding death and loss makes her step back emotionally. Dominic gives her the space she needs to work through whatever it is, and once he’s called back to action by Sylvie’s friend and coworker, he waits for Sylvie to explain what’s happening, giving her the space to do so even while it makes him scared that she might be pulling away full stop. This is the tension point of the story: she has to be open to what truly feeling might cost, he has to be open to the vulnerability of truly letting someone in and the events of the 80% mark do that without making it a fight between them. That was the moment I decided I was rounding this one up to 5 stars.

DNF 32%

Do you ever struggle to read a book that everybody loves and you think, "Am I crazy? How is it even possible for me to NOT like this?!" I kept trying to get through it and finally I just couldn't anymore.

BATTLE ROYALE *should* have been right up my ally. Enemies to Lovers with a Great British Bake Off spin? Made. For. Me.

Sadly, this story has SO MANY EXTRA WORDS that it legitimately starting annoying me. The storyline drowns in excess words.

Yes, Brit Lit generally is more wordy and has a slower pace than American fiction, but this book was just so over-done and so very sluggish.

In the end, BATTLE ROYALE just didn't work for me.

AKA, the book where Lucy Parker rips my heart out, covers it in icing and edible glitter, and then gently replaces it. This book hauled me in and emotionally wrecked me and I loved every minute. It’s grumpy/sunshine, rivals-to-lovers, forced proximity perfection and good to the last crumb!

Sylvie first met Dominic while she was a contestant on baking show and he was a judge, made even more memorable by, well, a unicorn and glitter explosion involving him. Years later, they now own bakeries across the street from each other. Dominic’s, inherited from his grandfather, specializes in elegant and traditional designs while Sylvie’s… well, it has an enchanted forest in the basement and one of the employees makes sugar sculptures of the Golden Girls. And while they’re both signed up to judge the latest season of the baking show, their biggest source of competition? One of the royals is getting married, and both want the chance to design the cake.

“He went in for elegant minimalism. She rarely saw an object that couldn’t be improved with sequins.
She was, aesthetically, his worst nightmare.”


I usually start out my review talking about the heroine, but this time I need to talk about Dominic. He has a reputation for his cutting criticism and cold demeanor on the baking show, but from the moment we’re in his POV, we see that it’s not the whole story. He’s understanding of his employees’ personal issues, unfailing kind to Sylvie when she’s freaking out before the cooking show starts (he gives her chocolate, for goodness sakes), and an absolute dithering idiot when it comes to emotions. And if there’s one thing Sylvie understands, it’s emotions. To paraphrase from the book, if Dominic is technical perfection, then Sylvie is heart. She knows that all the unicorns and dragons that Dominic derides as childish are something that make people happy, and what’s the motivation behind baking beautiful and delicious desserts if not to make people happy? They’re both incredibly talented people who love baking, but their outlooks on life couldn’t be more different.

“Pardon me if it’s obvious when two people are into each other.”
“Is it?” Mariana murmured. And smiled at her blandly.”


It’s obvious from the outset that Dominic has a thing for Sylvie, even if he’d probably term that feeling as annoyance rather than attraction. And Sylvie? Yeah, she’s in denial, too, and thinks her flirting is just attempts to get Mr. Dour to loosen up. There’s something ridiculously fun about watching two people who interested in the other be completely oblivious about it. And the feels! It’s emotionally resonant and truly moving. There’s a scene where Sylvie impulsively grabs Dominic’s hand to comfort him and the description simply melted me into a pile of goo. The book also deals heavily with grief, as both Sylvie and Dominic are still dealing with the after effects of the deaths of important people in their lives. There’s several examples of the heart-stoppingly painful moments where, even years later, grief can swamp you. And on a happier note, it’s also about family, found and biological: Dominic’s fumbling attempts to build a relationship with his sister, Pet; Sylvie’s best-friend-practically-her-brother Jay; and, well, all the royal shenanigans you could expect. The scene where Dominic finally understands deep in his soul that he has people he can reach out to? I bawled like a baby.

As for criticisms, there’s a lot going on in this book. There’s the relationship forming between Dominic and Sylvie, investigating what to make for the royal wedding cake, a case of corporate espionage, both characters dealing with grief and family issues… oh, and the cake competition they’re judging. It’s a lot. For the most part, I felt like the various threads were handled well throughout most of the book, but it didn’t quite wrap up as well at the end.

“I’m equal parts terrified and aroused.”
“What an excellent relationship motto for us. I think I’ll embroider it on a cushion.”


Overall, this was an emotionally charged read for me, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next book. It was very obvious who the next couple will be and I am so excited to see what happens with them!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

As someone that loves books, baking and rom-coms, this read felt almost tailor made for me and I really liked it. To start I found the story incredibly fun. The premise behind this book was the perfect combo of cuteness and realism to strongly connect with me but also offer the escapism I was looking for. Dominic and Sylvie had amazing chemistry and I simply loved them both. This opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine romance served up plenty of humor and feels with a dollop of swoon as a delightful finishing touch.