This is a well-crafted, engaging and important book. Here's the thing about this book: If you read the whole blurb (and don't focus on the somewhat misleading romantic comedy label) and the content warnings at the beginning, you will have a pretty good idea of what you are going to get. It is sweet and it has some romance but it also has a truly exceptional amount of anxiety, angst and awkwardness. Like, it's next level. I went in with fair warning but it's not easy being in Paris's head. I've read that some folks with anxiety have felt very seen by this story and that others have found it to be too true for them. The Islamaphobia that Tariq faces is also hard to read - as it should be. I've been on social media enough to know that it does not seem like an unrealistic representation of what he would face in that situation. But, importantly, it does not go unchallenged. All this to say, take heed of those content warnings! This is not an escapist romcom. But, this book has so much sweetness, depth and authentic humanity, plus some fun and humour to relieve some of the tension. Similar to the first book in the series, this is really a story about growth - primarily for the title character, but for the love interest as well. And because we are witnessing the growth of a human being, we are seeing human flaws. While the person most impacted by Paris' anxiety is Paris himself, he has a tendency to really centre himself when he is spiralling, and that sometimes causes hurt and harm to those around him. Remarkably, this also does not go unchallenged. This series and Bake Expectations (and other baking shows available in real life) are great devices to powerfully portray classism, racism and other issues in the UK (and beyond.) Reading with that lens opened up so many opportunities for reflection.

I have read enough of his books to implicitly trust that Alexis Hall will get us there in the end and he definitely delivered. The last 25% of the book is a gentle upswing that feels hard-earned for the protagonists and for the discomfort we experience as readers earlier in the book. I am grateful for this book, for the new perspective it gave me on what people might be experiencing with anxiety, for the sparkly joy that Tariq brings, for giving me a new framework to reflect on bigger political issues and for representation of a non-cookie cutter kind of romance.

The sequel/next in the series to Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake finds Paris, a perpetually anxious student, on Bake Expectations. There, he meets Tariq. Soon, they start a romance but Paris can’t get out of his head.

I liked this sequel although not as much as Rosaline Palmer! There characters there grabbed my heart, and while I liked the characters here, especially later on, I didn’t have quite the same reaction. I think partly because it took Paris so long to interact with others significantly besides Tariq, we missed some of those great personalities from Rosaline Palmer. However, the post-show part of the book has that same magic. I still enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next Bake Expectations!!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Forever Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. Described as contemporary romance, I would say contemporary fiction fits better. The romance was more of a subplot.

As someone who has struggled with anxiety for years, I was really excited for this book as an opportunity to normalize the experience. Recently, I read Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake. The mental health rep for ADHD was amazing. It was written in such a beautiful way and made sense. I felt like this story, unfortunately, took the worst parts of anxiety and just kept hammering away at them. Anxiety really became the defining characteristic of Paris instead of any other aspects of his personality or interests.

Paris is a young man who was selected to be a contestant on the BBC show, Bake Expectations. His roommate nominated him because she thought it will allow him to have the opportunity to receive validation outside of his friends to potentially give him more confidence. What she didn't expect is how the entire experience would cause Paris to escalate into a neverending anxiety spiral. Add to the fact that another contestant, Tariq, is cute and apparently interested in him, Paris can't shut off his mind to stop thinking of worst case scenarios.

I loved the majority of the book taking place as they filmed Bake Expectations. I loved the host and the judges and the producers. I enjoyed their snark and bad puns. I just struggled with Paris. I appreciated the honest anxiety picture being shown, but at the same time, it was a lot. Everything stressed him out. If the book had been multiple POV's it may have helped break it up Tariq was a ray of sunshine and could have easily balanced out the Paris chapters. Also, Tariq and Paris had a lot of major differences that were never truly addressed. Religion, sex, lifestyles, finances, family relationships... building a relationship off of just physical attraction won't get them very far. And truly, there was no chemistry or understanding of why either was interested in the other. Along with the idea that Paris didn't used to be anxious and one day he was. It was intimated that something at boarding school caused this change but we never learn what exactly caused the flip. And his relationship with his parents is non-existent and it was a major plot point but then nothing really came of it? I would have liked more clarification on the whys of that and if it ever gets addressed, positively or negatively.

I feel this book had a lot of potential but the anxiety plot was too much all the time, the romance was not really a romance (or not one that I ever see lasting more than a few weeks/months at most) and there were major plot points that were brought up and then never discussed again, leaving more to be wanted.

This is a hard one to talk about for me. I think partly because most people are going to go into this assuming that this is a romantic comedy, but that is not what this is. Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake was at least in part a romantic comedy, but Paris is way too much of an anxious bean for this to be a comedy of any type. I think we’re supposed to find the situations that he ended up in because of his anxiety disorder funny, but honestly I mostly just felt for him. As someone who probably has an undiagnosed anxiety disorder, nowhere near as bad as Paris’, I just felt so bad for him whenever he ended up in various situations. However, I don’t think his anxiety disorder excuses him from some of the comments that he made towards Tariq.

I honestly think that Paris was meant to be a very complicated character, which is something that I think Alexis Hall is going for more having just also read Husband Material. He’s moved past stories that are purely romantic comedies and is starting to add more political and social issues to his stories. This is going to make some readers unhappy. Readers that are just literally looking for sweet cotton candy romance probably aren’t going to like this turn. Because these characters are becoming more complex (like life honestly), some readers are going to be turned off. Just because a character says something that doesn’t mean it is the author’s view. Part of the horrible things said in this are social media posts like Twitter (which is a dumpster fire in my personal opinion), and the other part is Paris’ severe anxiety. Hall is trying to show how anxiety can make already awkward people even more awkward and a bit insensitive, but honestly Paris just comes off as a bit of a dick sometimes. People say and do horrible things in real life, casual and systematic racism is a thing, however, I do see why people don’t want it in their romantic comedies. Which goes back to a different problem, should this being marketed as a romantic comedy?

Probably not. While I understand that under everything this series is supposed to be a romantic comedy series, this story really wasn’t. At points it was painful to read, and the reader knows that fairly on it isn’t going to really be “spicy” because Tariq has a “no sex until after marriage” rule for himself. Honestly, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake wasn’t that “spicy” either. Honestly, nothing that I’ve read by Hall has ever really hit that point. So, is this the point where we start to have a genre that just queer fiction. If we can’t take something that is supposed to be a cis/het romance, like The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang, and move it over to women’s fiction when it isn’t spicy or romantic enough can’t we do it with this? I can understand wanting to keep consistent marketing for a series, but I feel that Hall is moving more towards queer fiction in these last two books. I haven’t read everything by him so it could be a recent switch or something that has been a progression or it could only be these two books. Only time will tell with that.

Something that I do want to mention is that I still love the entire concept of this series. I really love the baking and cooking shows so everything regarding that is still fantastic to me. I love when they discuss the challenges, the recipes at the end of the book, and just the other wacky contestants on the show. I also really enjoyed Tariq. Do I find his romance with Paris believable? No, I think he probably wouldn’t have talked to him ever again after their hot mess of a first date. But him as a character? Yes. I’ll take more of him.

Overall, this is going to be a miss for some readers just simply due to marketing and what it truly isn’t. Some readers are going to be offended by racist and culturally insensitive comments, which like I mentioned, I don’t believe Paris deserves a pass on and I really don’t think casual social media racism is good either, but it does happen in real life. Is this going to be difficult for some people to read? Yes. Is it going to be hard for other people with anxiety to read? Probably doubly so. However, I think ultimately this is a story of a character who is trying to become a better person and overcome his anxiety. I’m going to continue reading by Alexis Hall and I’m curious to see if he is moving away from the romantic comedy genre. However, as this is the fourth book I’ve read by him this year, maybe I’ll take a pause for a bit.

Imagine two guys went on Great British Bake Off and fell in love? It’s this book. Alexis Hall is magnificent at writing wonderfully complex characters with huge depth of personality, and I loved reading about Paris and Tariq both on and off the show. Main character Paris has a lot of anxiety issues and while my anxiety isn’t as severe, it was still very relatable. Highly recommend this book!!!

This book is fantastic! Such an interesting read on mental health. Hall takes you on a very realistic journey that feels both true and vulnerable in a way I haven’t experienced from a book before. I was caught up in the story and finished this all in one night, because I simply couldn’t put it down.

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble is the second in the Winner Bakes all Series, a series of romance novels set against a TV show similar to the Great British Baking Show. Readers of the previous book will be pleased with a passing mention updating the previous book's relationship, but the main focus is a whole new group of bakers so it is not necessary to have read Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake to enjoy this story. I’ve been a fan of Hall’s for awhile and appreciate his complex well developed characters. Paris is the son of a top fashion designer father and a super model mom, who are too busy living their jet set lifestyle to spend time or even communicate with their son. Paris is entered into the show by his best friend and although at first successful, struggles with anxiety that he has been burdened by for most of his life. His love interest is Tariq, another contestant, who hopes to one day be the host of a Halal cooking show. I thought Paris’s mental health issues were handled in a nuanced and realistic way as was Tariq’s balancing of his sexuality and his religious beliefs. Tariq’s family’s warmth was a lovely depiction of a functional family. This sweet gentle read left me looking forward to what the next book and "season" will bring.

No one does hilarious insecurity better than Alexis Hall.
Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for my gifted copy of Paris Daillencourt Is About To Crumble for review!
Marianne Wolvercote, Wilfred Honey and Colin Thrimp are back for the latest season of the cooking show, Bake Expectations. The show we were previously introduced to in Rosaline Palmer Takes The Cake, though each can be a standalone read.
Paris Daillencourt is a competitor on said show, and filming the first episode consists of the decidedly non-bakery-approved move of smacking competitor Tariq in the face with a fridge door.
To paraphrase Tariq, Paris is both adorable and a hot mess. In the most charming way possible.
The humour and appeal of Paris Daillencourt (both the character and the shortened version of the title) are up there with Boyfriend Material. Which, if you're reading this, I'm expecting - nay, hoping - you're familiar with.
And as with the previous Alexis Hall books I've read, I just want to gush about this one. I love falling into the stories he creates, how he writes LGBTQIA relationships, culture and religion differences, and takes us into his characters through banter and self-doubt.
Recommended!
Released on Nov. 1.

This is not the first Alexis Hall book that I read but it sure is not my favorite one. I felt that the main character has a lot of work to do, even after getting help for his anxiety. There were some unfavorable characters in this book, and I didn't find the romance between the main character and his love interest as good as it could be. There were some unsavory details that I was uncomfortable reading about, and this book would have been better if there were some changes about said language. However, I did like the baking show aspect and acknowledge the growth that the main character underwent in this book. Overall, it was an okay book for me.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own.**

Paris is a contestant on a British baking show. He’s very talented but suffers from crippling anxiety. So much so that his thoughts become a constant self-sabotage. He meets Tariq while filming the show. Tariq is sparkling in personality, and confident in who he is and in his abilities. But their relationship starts off on a shaky foundation.

While I enjoyed this book, it wasn’t always enjoyable to read (if that makes sense). He’s a very sad character, with a very lonely life. While there is a hopeful ending, Paris’ mental health journey is far from over.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not a romcom and should not be marketed as such. Very much a book about Paris struggling with his anxiety disorder and examining his life as a result. This was a rough read, as it could have used sensitive readers. Nazi and hitler jokes are old and overplayed and just....aren't great.

Thank you to Grand Central/Forever Publishing and Netgalley for this advance copy.

Alexis Hall has quickly become a must-read author for me and I really thought this was going to be similar to Rosaline Palmer (you know, a nice, fun, almost cozy romance woven around a reality baking show) but oh my this was not that! Instead of a cozy baking romance, we have a lovely romance centered around someone who is just showing up as best they can and, I don't know, utterly failing at so much for most of the book.

I really didn't know where Hall was going with this story. Tariq is just a fabulous flower, being his best self, and Paris, is, I don't know, not. And for the first two-thirds of the book, I kept thinking "what is actually happening here"? But trust in Hall to turn this around. Paris suffers from General Anxiety Disorder and I'm not sure I've ever seen such a wonderful rep of my own experiences with anxiety in a romance, and just when you think Paris cannot get out of his own head and redeem himself, Hall pivots this journey into self-reflection and the work that it takes to cope with anxiety. Paris redeems himself so nicely, through subtly and genuineness that I almost couldn't believe it. The way Hall moves Tariq and Paris to their happy for now is really incredible and I loved it, I just loved it.

I'm so excited this series is continuing and really appreciate the growth Hall allows his characters. I always get to the end of a Hall novel and think "yup, that's exactly the right thing' and its just great. Such a fabulous story.

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble is book two in Alexis Hall's Winner Bakes All series. Following up last year's Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, we once again find ourselves on the Bake Expectations set. Though this book is part of the series, it can absolutely be read as a standalone.

The titular Paris is absolutely drowning in anxiety in all areas of his life, and this only intensifies when his roommate enters him in the Bake Expectations show. It is on the show that he meets Tariq, who is a lovely and delightful gay Muslim. And I'm going to stop you right there if you think that this is a light-hearted rom-com. Because it isn't. And it's better for it to be what it is than to gloss over the important bits just for the sake of making it palatable to those who expect this to be another Boyfriend Material.

And this is the point where I'm going to get a bit ranty, because I made the mistake of scrolling through some reviews and that is something I absolutely should not have done. The general theme I keep seeing in some of these reviews is that they didn't like the book because Paris is too whiny, too wound up in his anxiety, just generally "too much." They say that it's exhausting being in Paris's head that much. Well, you know what else is exhausting? Actually living with the degree of anxiety from which Paris suffers. Been there, done that, got the pharmaceutical cocktail.

Another point that folks seem to be fixating on is the racism that is portrayed in the Twitter comments about the show. All I'm seeing is "how can we be writing this in 2022??" Ummmmm...have any of you actually been on Twitter in 2022? Because it's a hellscape filled with the absolute worst of humanity. Hall has fished in that particular cesspool and has reeled in an accurate depiction of people who should not have access to the internet.

Putting my ire behind me now, I will tell you that this book made me feel so much that it tended to overflow out of my eyes. Yes, it has its dark moments and maybe that's not for everyone, but it's definitely for me. And I hope you find that it's for you, too.

Also, Morag is the fat Glaswegian sex goddess we didn't know the world needed. Just saying.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Forever for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I literally don’t know where to start with this book. Firstly I’ll say that it is hands down my favorite book that Alexis Hall has written, and that is saying a lot because I love everything he writes.

I’m sure that a big part of my bias is that I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and reading about a character who struggles in much the same way I did just made me feel seen. I wanted to scoop Paris up and just hold him throughout much of this book. Everything about Paris’ journey, from his unraveling (or crumbling) to his rock bottom, to the book’s conclusion was authentic and real, and made me a sobbing mess.

I haven’t even accounted for just how brilliantly funny this book is and how beautiful the relationships are. And to top it all off, it takes place in the world of Bake Expectations again, which I absolutely adore, because let’s face it, how can you go wrong with a GBBO-esque setting?

Alexis Hall’s works have a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf, and this one is the cream of the crop!

Thank you to Forever Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book!

This is the second book in the bake expectations series. Here we have Paris, who does have crippling anxiety, put himself out there for a baking reality show. While there he meets another contestant Tariq. It’s an interesting book in that it really does delve into the issues of anxiety and how difficult it is for someone to pull themselves out of that crippling feeling. The love story between Paris and Tariq is quite lovely. It is interesting though that what seems more prevalent is the story of Paris learning to love himself and all of his good points and bad. It’s interesting to see how someone with anxiety deals with people judging them on a reality show. All in all the book was well written and the romance felt genuine.

Thank you @readforeverpub for the #gifted eARC of PARIS DAILLENCOURT IS ABOUT TO CRUMBLE!

I read and loved ROSALIND PALMER TAKES THE CAKE in September so I was thrilled to get a copy of PARIS DAILLENCOURT, Book 2 in the Winner Bakes All series. I loved being back at Patchley House with Grace Forsythe, Marianne Wolvercote, Wilfred Honey, Colin Thrimp and Jennifer Hallet and a new batch of contestants.

Somehow Alexis Hall manages to write in the comfort you get from watching a show like THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW but then also including a behind the scenes feel as you get to know the cast members.

As a person with generalized anxiety disorder, I absolutely adored Paris and my heart just ached for him as he struggled to cope before receiving his diagnosis and the help he needed. I saw so much of pre-diagnosis Amanda in his spiraling thoughts and endless lists of worries about worries.

And omg I just loved Tariq. He was so fully himself at all times. I especially loved the scenes with Tariq’s family and their banter. It reminded me a lot of my family.

I will say that PARIS DAILLENCOURT while technically a romcom, does stray away from the typical romance format. We do have Paris and Tariq dating and falling for each other. But it’s really more a story of Paris finally coming to terms with his anxiety and receiving the help and support he needs.

The love story is just icing on the cake! See what I did there? ;)

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4831857516?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CkbUB2MPklc/

To help Paris overcome his self-doubts, his roommate enters him into a nationally televised baking competition. A disastrous meeting with fellow competitor Tariq leads to a tentative friendship that hints at more. Will Paris's anxiety sabotage his chances at personal and professional success?

This is a masterfully told rom com with a strong emphasis on the main character's undiagnosed anxiety disorder (which is eventually diagnosed and treated). The novel is as delicious as the cover promises.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

3.5*

This was... a lot. It's an engaging, endearing read, but it's a lot. And it's definitely not a romcom, so don't go in thinking it is.

I really liked Paris, and my heart broke for him, but this was tough reading at times. He has major anxiety and Alexis Hall wrote this story in such a way that I completely emphasized with Paris and I felt like some of his anxiety transferred to me. There was one point I actually burst into tears, it got to me so much.
It made me so sad that there hadn't been anyone in Paris's life, up until now, to see that he wasn't okay, that he needed help. It frustrated me that his parents pretty much ghosted their son.

When Paris joins the show, Bake Expectations, his mental health really takes a hit. There's a semi-sweet romance with one of his fellow contestants, Tariq, but poor Paris is so overwhelmed that he kind of self-sabotages things between them. For the most part, the romance takes a bit of a backseat to everything that Paris is going through and dealing with, which as I've said before, is a lot. But it's sweetly hopeful, though, and I appreciated how it was handled.
I really enjoyed the ending of the book, it was very fitting for the overall story.

Not a rom-com. In fact, I'm on the fence about if it's a romance. It's definitely romantic fiction, with a probable HEA, but this is a story about Paris and Paris' relationship with his anxiety. And his anxiety is severe.

We're back on the set of Bake Expectations (a pretty great British show about baking), and Paris is a contestant because his roommate signed him up. Tariq is a contestant who wants to be a little bit famous. Paris is not handling it well. He cries a lot. He catastrophizes. His anxiety spirals are epic. And as the book goes on, we see the way in which his anxiety keeps him from making connections with people and existing in the world.

As someone with mild anxiety, it felt very real to me, though I'll leave it to others who deal with extreme anxiety to say whether Alexis got it right.

Tariq, an observant British Muslim, is Paris' love interest. He's an interesting character who doesn't get the chance to be as fully developed as he could. He wants to be a little bit famous, and Bake Expectations is a step on that journey. I think Tariq had more potential. Because the story is so internal to Paris, most of Tariq's growth is set out through conversations with Paris. Which is alright, but... there was more potential there.

This book has Alexis Hall's trademark whimsical background characters who are, as usual, a hoot. But this is a book about Paris. The romance is secondary to Paris' journey.

I liked it, didn't love it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Forever Publishing for sending me a copy of this book! I loved that this book continues the Great British Bake off Vibes and picks up on another season after Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake. A competition as the center of the plot really allows for great character dialogue as well as a plethora of fun secondary characters. Paris and Tariq felt so real and I think Hall discussed GAD really well. The book was pretty light, but covered a lot of mental health topics as well as the hardships faced by LGBTQ+ and Muslim characters. Hall's sense of humor combined with the seriousness and underlying messages found in his stories always bring me joy. I found myself laughing out loud as I usually do with his work and I loved seeing the journey Paris went on throughout the story. Tariq was a star love interest and I loved his vibe so much. This was a fun read and I'm super excited to continue the series!