This really wasn't my favorite Alexis Hall book--probably my least favorite, in fact, because I don't think Paris and Tariq are a good match. But it was still enjoyable, and has the requisite Alexis Hall humor that I adore. I'm loving the bake-off competition series and look forward to the next one.

Alexis Hall delivers a tender and heartfelt story in Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble, blending romance, humor, and a poignant exploration of mental health against the delightful backdrop of a fictional baking competition.

Paris Daillencourt is an endearing yet deeply flawed protagonist. His struggle with anxiety and self-doubt is written with sensitivity and authenticity, capturing the exhausting cycle of overthinking and self-sabotage. While his insecurities can be frustrating at times, they make his journey toward self-acceptance all the more rewarding. Tariq Hassan, his vibrant and confident love interest, is a ray of sunshine in Paris’s cloudy world, and their budding romance is as sweet as it is complicated.

The baking competition setting is a charming highlight, with Hall’s wit and clever humor bringing the fictional Bake Expectations to life. The detailed descriptions of bakes and the eccentric cast of contestants add a lighthearted touch, balancing the heavier themes of the story.

However, the book’s strength lies in its unflinching portrayal of mental health struggles. Paris’s anxiety isn’t neatly resolved by love or success, which is a refreshing and realistic choice. The narrative explores the complexities of self-worth, relationships, and how mental health impacts not only the individual but those around them.

The pacing occasionally drags, and some readers may find Paris’s behavior repetitive or difficult to empathize with. Still, these flaws are outweighed by the book’s depth, humor, and emotional resonance.

Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble is a thoughtful and bittersweet romance that balances its quirky premise with meaningful themes. It’s a must-read for fans of baking, British humor, and stories that tackle mental health with compassion and honesty.

I typically love Alexis Hall’s work, but this one fell flat for me, as many others have mentioned. I struggled to connect with the characters and just couldn’t find myself rooting for them, Paris especially. Not what I’m usually hoping for in a romance!

As a fan of other Alexis Hall works, I downloaded this book in the hope I would enjoy it. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into it at all. I initially took a break from it, intending to return to it later, but I've since lost interest. Thank you for providing a copy for review consideration!

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall. Pub Date: November 1, 2022. Rating: 3 stars. First off, the cover art for this novel is phenomenal. Secondly, this story had potential but ultimately it fell flat for me. I loved the premise of a baking show and Paris does well within the competition. He also develops a crush on one of the other contestants. Throughout the novel, the reader experiences Paris's anxieties and I think the author did a good job with representation of what living with anxiety does for your personal and professional life. A lot of questioning himself as well as self doubt what portrayed in the novel. This is not a romance novel, but more of a contemporary fiction novel. This story was just okay for me. The best part was the baking show! Thanks to #netgalley and #foreverpublishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I had a rough time getting through this book. Took multiple times of restarting the book to finally be able to get through it.

First thing. I was expecting a cute little romance at a bake off. I don't really think there was anything romantic in this book. Paris was incredibly annoying to me. I couldn't relate to really any of the characters, and Paris made me put the book down multiple times. As someone with anxiety I get some of it, but really how much can you blame anxiety. Paris was just plain annoying and blamed it on having anxiety.

Alexis is such a unique writer. Honestly, I never know what to expect when I read their books. I am a sucker for a baking theme and this was so enjoyable.

Really wanted to love this one as a huge bake off fan and general lover of all things food-related in romance, but this one missed the mark a bit. I didn't really even pick up on any "romance" in the book, either.

I'm pretty sure Alexis Hall is made of magic. This second book in the Winner Bakes All series is just as magnificent as the first (Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake), despite having a very different vibe. I already can't wait for book 3 (Audrey Lane Stirs the Pot).

i had really high hopes for this book based on the author’s previous novels but i was greatly disappointed.

thank you netgalley for providing me with an e-arc!

3.5/5

Paris was a mess of a character, but also kind of hard to hate. The characters in this book were great, especially the roommates of the two main characters. I felt like this can be a very relatable story for people who have anxiety, or who have someone witch anxiety in their lives. It was very cute when Paris's anxiety wasn't giving me anxiety by reading it.
I really enjoy Alexis Hall's writing.

Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall is a delightful and heartwarming read that will captivate fans of lighthearted, humorous, and romantic stories, particularly those who enjoy exploring themes of self-acceptance, anxiety, and LGBTQ+ relationships, and are looking for a sweet and uplifting tale that will leave them feeling hopeful and inspired.

This wasn't quite as enjoyable as book one, but it was still a fun baking romance with biopic and mental health representation. The main thing I had a problem with though was Paris himself. It just felt like his character was so repetitive and it got annoying pretty fast. There was also a few plot holes and incomplete storylines which made the ending feel abrupt. But apart from that this book was funny and quirky like the rest of Alexis Hall's books.

✨ PRINCEMAN REVIEW ✨

📝 Paris is a disaster! He's very indecisive which makes his life a mess. So when his roommates enter him into a cooking competition, he knows he'll be the first one eliminated...until he isn't. Enter Tariq. He's another contestant, but he radiates confidence. These two can't help but grow a connection. But will Paris's doubt get in the way of his happiness and success?

What I 🤍:
🌀 Anxiety Rep
🧁 Tasty Food
📺 Reality TV Competition Scene
💕 Opposites Attract

I wanted to love this book so badly. But I had several problems with it. For starters, my version of the book had several Nazi jokes. While I understand it's for humor, I think it was distasteful of the author to include those, especially when there's so much hate against Jewish people right now. Additionally, the book just overall felt heavy. Paris's anxiety was represented well, although, I am surprised it took so long for him to show growth in the book. For a majority of it he was self deprecating, and that's just hard to read. Overall, this isn't my favorite Alexis Hall book.

Update: I am happy to report that the book did remove the Nazi jokes for final publication.

After Boyfriend Material, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, and my love for British Bakeoff, I had much higher hopes for this. I wanted it to be a bit more of an easy, page turner, but it just didn't grab me like some of the other books. Wasn't quite what I expected - not bad by any means but just wasn't for me.

this is not a story of true love conquering all. Paris for all his endearing qualities can't seem to get out of his own way. His anxieties and insecurities prove to be too much for Tariq especially when Paris, centered on his own failures, cannot celebrate Tariq’s triumphs with him. As much as it pains him, Tariq steps away from Paris. And Paris has a moment of reckoning where he is forced to recognize that his anxieties and self doubts are something more. He faces his mental illness and finally gets the help he needs.

Alexis Hall's masterful wit and compassionate prose again shines through in this story of self-discovery and love within the high-stakes world of a TV baking competition. MCs Paris and Tariq navigate numerous heavy topics, such as anxiety, cyberbullying, and Islamophobia. While I found the characters to lack natural chemistry at points, this was a lovely story, rich with empathy and honesty about life challenges.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an advanced reader copy, in exchange for an honest review.

I unfortunately agreed with many of the baking show critics and found Paris irritating. I liked the book but think the first one in the series is far superior.

This book gave me all the feels. Paris and Tariq were so great together. Tariq was a saint. There’s no way I could have been that patient with Paris (while I sympathize, his issues would have been too much on top of my own). Yet the character development was great here, especially for Paris. I’m glad I got to be there for his journey of self-discovery. The story was so compelling and realistic and sweet that it was easy to forget I was reading. And while Paris could be annoying, I laughed so much while reading this. Not just at the awkward moments. But especially at the awkward moments.

I loved everything about this book. The Romance was perfectly imperfect, which is the way that I like it and Alexis Hall is hands down the best at writing a romance that is quirky and heartfelt.
On another level, this book made me feel seen. I loved it. I will recommend it to everyone I know, whether they want me to or not and I will probably read it every year just like I do Bridget Jones—because it is Bridget Jones-level good.