Alexis Hall does it again with another amazing queer romance! I love Alexis Hall, they can do no wrong in my book and this is just more proof of that! I adored Boyfriend Material and this book has come in a close second.
This book has Hall's signature romance and comedy that is absolutely adorable and so much fun to read. I am definitely going to recommend this book to everyone.

I find this a difficult book to rate. On one hand, I think I enjoyed reading this less than the first Winner Bakes All installment, Rosaline Palmer. However, I think I really appreciated what Hall was trying to do here and ultimately I liked the ending a lot, enough to round up to 4 stars.

Paris Daillencourt is a tough read in a lot of ways. As someone who also has an anxiety disorder, this is one of the best depictions of what having anxiety is like that I've ever read. And having anxiety is hard so it stands to reason that being inside the mind of someone with untreated (for a large part of the book) generalized anxiety disorder, is also hard. A lot of his catastrophizing is rather triggering in a lot of ways but I think that's ultimately what made me appreciate the ending as much as I did. Treating anxiety isn't just a few sessions of therapy and some pills. It is a lifelong struggle and I appreciate the way Hall depicts it here. That doesn't make it a fun baking romance as I think as it is advertised.

This is NOT a romance novel. Paris and Tariq are lovely and I so enjoyed them becoming friends and also testing the waters of potentially being something more. Their story has a sweet ending but I am starting to get used to Hall's HFN rather than HEA. Tariq has his own struggles but the book is very much about Paris.

Hall's books are generally filled with hilarious banter and interesting, ridiculous characters and this book is no exception. In one memorable scene involving laser tag I was actually laughing out loud. I think you have to go into this book knowing and prepared for what you are getting into but as long as you are I think this is a book I would recommend.

Thank you very much to Forever and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble has a really long title for such a quick read. It's also the second book in a companion series, which I didn't know when I requested it for review. Thankfully, though, you don't need to know anything about book one to enjoy book two. So if you like baking, complicated romance, deep topics, and reality TV shows, Paris might be for you.

Paris, unsurprisingly, follows the main character Paris Daillencourt, a university student, as he goes through a popular baking show competition. Unfortunately for Paris, his insecurity, accident-proneness, and tendency to overreact and overthink things leads to some chaotic times. But all this chaos does lead to Paris having a fun meet-cute with a certain fellow baking competitor, Tariq. Tariq is kind of a ball of sunshine and positivity.

Despite this book being classified as a romcom, it does have its deeper moments between the two main characters, as well as between Paris and his family and friends. So if you're looking for a purely happy book, this one may not be for you. Paris does have a lot of anxiety, and, honestly, if I'd been in a bad headspace while I was reading this, I could've seen myself spiraling a little. So trigger warning there. However, some of the relationship drama that plays out I don't think is entirely Paris's or his anxiety's fault. Tariq has his mess-up moments too..

All in all, though, if you liked Boyfriend Material or any of Alexis Hall's other stories, this is a nice one to add to your TBR, as long as you're in the right state of mind to read it. It's quick, full of goodies that'll make you crave sweets of all kinds, and layered with a story about mental health and an emotionally complex romance to lead to a semi-happily ever after.

3 stars

*Note: I received a NetGalley ARC of this book to review from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Paris Daillencourt unexpectedly finds himself a contestant on a national baking show, Bake Expectations. With sparks flying between himself and another contestant and the pressures of the competition, Paris has to find a way to keep his growing anxieties at bay.

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble is the second book in the Winner Bakes All series but it can be read as a stand-alone. It is a M/M contemporary fiction with a bit of romance.

Anxiety is different for everyone so while I could not relate to most of the MCs anxieties, I know there are those who can understand how Paris feels. I do think that some of his behavior is unjustly attributed to his anxiety.

I have mixed feelings about this book. While the premise is great, some of the characters are quite dislikeable. I would not consider this book strictly a romance. It’s more of a contemporary fiction novel with a romantic element.

This is the first book that I have read by this author. While it was not my favorite, I would be interested in reading more of her work in the future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing)!

I just. I was disappointed. As an anxious gay baker, I had to ask myself if I was this annoying. I apologized to my partner if I ever came off as unbearable as Paris. I would have loved to see him be a little less... well.. whiney. Don't get me wrong there is a ton of beautiful representation in this book of queer relationships, mental health issues, queer individuals who practice religion, religions we don't always see in media. All of that was wonderful. I think that Paris did all of this a disservice. By no means am I an author, but I ask myself if the reader could have fully understood Paris' anxiety and self confidence issues without throwing them in like every other sentence. I think making this character as anxious and having as low of self esteem as he does made this book such a chore to get through that it took away from the representation that could have been so great. I feel bad. I was so so so excited for this book.

Pros: I am a huge fan of the Great British Bake Off (Baking Show here in the US), so I thought the premise of this book—a romance between two contestants on a GBBO-type show—sounded like lots of fun. I appreciated that this book began with a content guidance list for readers. I am interested to read other books in the Winner Bakes All series!

Cons: This book was heavier than I was expecting and addressed several important topics (as detailed in the content guidance list). It is not a con for a book to do this—it’s just not what I was expecting from the cover art and description of the book. I was expecting something lighter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read this book.

Another season of Bake Expectations brings a new set of contestants. Paris was signed up by his roommate in hopes to get out of his own head. What could possibly go wrong? Well, quite a lot according to Paris.

The setting on a televised baking contest in England is so fun, and I love the quirky characters and English humor.

This one took me awhile to get into, but once I did I really enjoyed it. I appreciated the real look into anxious minds that were in both books. It may have been a little much at times with Paris, though I think that was the point.

This is the second installment of the Winner Bakes All series, but they can be read independently from one another. It was fun to see familiar characters in Bake Expectations from the first book.

The thing about Alexis Hall is that he writes RoNos that seem like they’re gonna be super fluffy but then the Kool-Aid man of reality busts in and the characters really *go through it.*

To whit, the latest installment in the Bake Expectations series: Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble. This is a romance featuring Paris, a man with intense undiagnosed anxiety, and Tariq, a man who is an absolute ray of sunshine. The two MCs were heartbreakingly realistic. Paris’s anxiety is intense and graphic. He is incredibly deep in his head - everyone hates him, he’s going to mess up, he’s the worst, etc etc etc. Tariq, a devout Muslim and very out gay man, tries his very best to help Paris while also being kind of into him aka Tariq kinda takes Paris on as a project, which never ends well. While Paris is in knots about everything, Tariq is experiencing not only Islamophobia and casual racism in his daily life, but also the horrible feeling of wanting to be with someone who is unable to be emotionally available.

Although this book definitely has a love story in it and ends on an HEA, its focus really isn’t the romance. Paris has an incredibly hard time with his mental health and so the book becomes more about his struggles. I was much more concerned about Paris getting help than I was about whether he and Tariq ended up together. On the one hand, I loved how realistic and relatable the conflicts in the book were, but on the other, if you are looking for a comforting read about a comforting reality show - this ain’t it.

There *were* scenes and moments in this book where I was laughing out loud and reading passages to my husband. I suppose just like real life, there are funny and sweet moments mixed up with the bad ones.

In sum, this book feels a lot like Queenie by Candace Carty-Williams in that there is an MC who is struggling realistically and mightily with their mental health and the general state of the world. It can be an emotionally taxing to read a book like that. Please check the CW and make sure you have the capacity to take this book on before you pick it up.

Recommended with a big dose of check the CW and make sure you have the space for this. Lovable and very realistic characters and another visit to the world of Bake Expectations make this worth your time.

This is a brilliant NA queer romance and two young men coming into their own and learning to love each other in the process.

This book is very much on the vein of Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake - contemporary queer romance, a bit darker even, with serious focus on character growth.

The story is told from Paris who has undiagnosed and untreated anxiety for most of the book. It doesn't make for a light reading, there are some very dark moments. I found many of Paris' experiences relatable in some aspect that made me pause and put the book aside. At the same time I desperately wanted Paris to get better, to be happy and loved, so I rushed back to the book to see how this will happen because I trusted fully the author that Paris will get there in the end.

The parental neglect which is furthest from my experience hit me the hardest. Paris texting his parents made me cry and I am never forgiving anyone for treating their child like that and I am super happy Paris didn't either.

Both Paris and Tariq are in their 20s and act like it - with all the dreams and confusion and mistakes of youth. I appreciate the focus on kindness and the realistic presentation of mental illness throughout the story.

I loved Paris while also realising how exhausting he could be. I could see how he wanted to be a decent human being but his fears and anxiety made annoying and self-centered, hurting the people that cared about him. I think he was (mis)guided by his belief that he is unlovable, he is too much and there is nothing that can be done about it. It was honestly painful to read.

But then there was Tariq who was all light and brightness and glitter and carried the promise of fun, the possibility of love.

As the story goes on we see that things are not quite perfect in Tariq's life either. There are/were issues in his family but there is also honesty and communication and working together through the hard stuff. Something that was completely missing from Paris' life.

I liked how Alexis Hall explored the issues of power and privilege - Paris is a white, rich, cis queer man yet when we first meet him he is absolutely vulnerable, devastatingly lonely and unable to maintain healthy relationships (lovers, friends, competitors on the reality baking show).

Tariq, on the other hand, is like a ray of sunshine - easy going and friendly and loving Paris. He is a gay Muslim Indian, middle class, really quite underprivileged and vulnerable in the eyes of society but atthe some time he is moving through life with self-confidence and poise.

They try a relationship but it couldn't really happen until Paris got the medical help he needed. Tariq also had a lot to learn about himself and what being in a relationship meant. It was a process of growth for both of them and loved seeing it. .

As usual, loved the author's sense of humour that lightened an otherwise heavy story. And as usual it all made me emotional and made me cry. And as usual the supporting characters were great, Tariq's family (no shying away from the problems there as well), Paris' roommate and basically only friend, the baking show - colourful backdrop to Paris and Tariq's journey towards their true selves and the couple they get to be in the end.

This review has become more personal than my usual reviews but very often Alexis Hall's books speak to me on a deep personal level and make me emotional which in turns makes my reviews of his books emotional messes of incoherent praise and sharing personal experiences.

As I have often said about his stories - they are not easy, glossed over romances, rather they show some harsh truths but are ultimately hopeful and that is what I like best about them - the promise of happiness, the potential for everyone to love and be loved.

CW: anxiety (undiagnosed and untreated for most of the book), panic attack, homophobia, islamophobia, going viral on SM, cyberbullying

I love Alexis Hall and really enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was thrilled to have the chance to read it.

It fell a bit flat for me and is not my favorite of those I've read from Alexis Hall. I'm going to piggyback a bit on what others have said. I love the anxiety rep the book has, but it was almost too much negativity to be enjoyable, at times, being in Paris' head. It may have had a better balance having a dual perspective. I would not consider this a rom-com. The book focuses mainly on Paris' anxiety and not between the two MCs. As much as I loved Tariq, I didn't feel they were good for each other.

That being said, it will not deter me from reading any more of Hall's books. I am a fan and will continue to be so. This just wasn't my favorite.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

3.5 Stars

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall is a Queer Contemporary that focuses on anxiety and the impact it can have on a person's relationship with themselves and those close to them. It was just really relatable to me and I adored the MC/Narrator , Paris Daillencourt, so much. While this is the second book in the Winner Bakes All series it can be fully read as a stand alone, I myself didn't read book 1 and it in no way impacted my reading experience.

I'm slightly obsessed with the Great British Baking Show, so I was one hundred percent enamored with the book's setting. I found the entire layout and progression of the story as it followed the weeks of the competition. I loved that the book jumped right into the competition by chapter two, it was just really well paced. I enjoyed getting to know the other contestants and watch them interact with each other and hosts on and off the screen. It was interesting to see the way the world and social media reacted to the contestants as the show aired.

I made the mistake of reading some negative reviews, and it hurt my heart . Many people said Paris was exhausting, well how do you think it feels for those of us living with extreme anxiety. It's not logical, it's not easy to stop the negative train of thoughts. As someone who struggles with it myself, my heart went out to him right from the start. This made Paris very relatable to me. While my anxiety isn't as extreme as Paris' , it definitely affects me daily and the tendency to think of the worst case scenario and have it spiral is real. I valued the communication of the story and the mental health rep. Paris' eventually realizes with the help of his roommate that he really can't keep living like this and starts seeing a therapist. I loved the emphasis on the fact that he'll never be cured of his anxiety, but he'll learn to manage it .

There is a romance aspect to the book, but it's not the main point of the story. Paris is shy, insecure, and loaded with anxiety and Tariq is confident, vibrant, and personable. Tariq is saving himself for marriage, all they ever do is kiss, and I love that it emphasized how a relationship didn't need sex to validate it. I thought they made great friends and loved reading about them hanging out and the scene where he hangs with Tariq was fun, but I'll be real, I wasn't fully invested in them together. Not that I didn't like Tariq, but since I connected so well with Paris I got protective of him and took the way Tariq handled Paris sometimes personally. Since we never get Tariq's POV, it felt like he was constantly trying to fix Paris. There's immaturity surrounding their relationship and I appreciated that towards the end they both acknowledge the fact and that they both could have done things differently. Tariq definitely redeemed himself in my eyes by accepting some blame in the way their relationship unfolded.

I was nervous going into this one because I saw some mixed reviews on it and I didn't love the first book I read by the author, but I honestly loved this. It made feels so much, while there is a lot of heavy in this book, there are also a lot of happy moments. It broke my heart, it made me uncomfortable, and it put a smile on my face. I loved the positive note it ended on. Not a happily ever after, but a realistic hope for Paris' future. He's working hard at managing his anxiety and building better relationships with those he cares about. Paris Daillencourt is a character that will forever have a home in my heart!

I had a mixed reaction to this book. I enjoyed Alexis Hall's writing. The author always brings charm to their fun proses. Also, I thought Paris and Tariq had a lot of wonderfully cute moments. However, I found it difficult to be in Paris's head. I understand that his narrative illustrates how it feels to have anxiety, but it was difficult to read. In all, it was a cute book, and I will keep reading Alexis Hall's books, but it wasn't my favorite.

Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall
2.5 stars rounded up to 3
Pub date: 11/1

I was super excited to receive this arc through NetGalley because I love the cover, the description and the fact that it’s from Forever Publishing. I thought this book was good, but not at all what I thought it was going to be and that left me slightly disappointed.

I thought there was some incredible disability, generalized anxiety disorder rep in the story. Paris struggles with this (as do I) and I usually appreciate reading about characters that I share commonalities with. But being inside Paris’ head was exhausting and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I think dual POV could have saved this by giving us a break from all the negativity and showing us a little more of what Tariq was thinking.

I was expecting this story to be more of a rom com, but Paris’ struggles with his anxiety really take center stage, and his relationship with Tariq is more of an afterthought. Frankly, I don’t even know if Paris and Tariq should have ended up together with all of their differences of opinion and beliefs. I had a hard time rooting for them as a couple when I didn’t believe in their relationship from the start.

The banter was witty and while I usually enjoy Hall’s writing style, for some reason this one didn’t do it for me. It almost felt forced and a little over the top.

I love books about food and baking, so I really enjoyed that piece of it along with the reality tv aspect. The judges on Bake Expectations were hilarious and the show itself was just delightful.

I have some mixed feelings but overall this one wasn’t my favorite. I will continue to read books by this author but maybe not in this series if it continues. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the arc to read and review. Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble comes out on 11/1.

This one definitely had a lot to unpack. Paris was a gem & my heart went out for him. His constant struggles felt real & painful. Tariq was a such a fun & supportive character/partner anyone could ask for.
Loved the baking theme & episode wise chapters; definitely added an interesting twist to the book!

<i>Thank you netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.<i>

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an electronic advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

💙 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲:
🧁 Opposites attract
🍰 Anxiety disorder/treatment rep
🧁 LGBTQ+ rep
🍰 Cultural diversity

💭 𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: I liked the book just fine, but it didn’t wow me. The absolutely adorable cover first reeled me in and the premise was promising, but in the end the execution of the story was missing a lot of elements I had been hoping for with the book. The banter was great and I appreciated the representation for anxiety, LGBTQ and cultural differences in the characters, but there were times where it felt a bit much to be in Paris’ POV all the time. I would have enjoyed it more with dual POV to break up the intensity, I think. If you’ve enjoyed other books by Alexis Hall, you may enjoy this one as well. In the end it just wasn’t for me.

A smart, tender, funny story of love and personal growth that manages to deftly span the spectrum from laugh-out-loud funny to a starkly compelling depiction of mental health struggles.

This book has incredible representation of what it's like to suffer from severe anxiety. Its portrayal is intensely realistic but ultimately deeply hopeful and affirming.

The relationship between Paris and Tariq is sweet as well as complex: they are both fully rounded characters in their flawed humanity. I appreciated that Hall finds a happy ending that nonetheless manages to avoid cliches about mental health being definitively fixable or true love surmounting all challenges.

Also this book has possibly my favorite meet cute ever.

Escapist fluff? No. An unconventional love story that will challenge you, make you think, make you burst out laughing, and leave you smiling? Absolutely.

Alexis Hall is amazing at writing realistic love stories, and I LOVE Paris Daillencourt is about to Crumble. The author does an excellent job of showing anxiety, too. Some of my favorite parts were Hall showing the anxiety that Paris has. His panic and anxiety attacks were very realistic, and that meant a lot to me (as someone who has anxiety too).

The romance between Paris and Tariq was so cute and sweet! Seeing Tariq try to calm Paris's anxiety was so kind and unexpected. The setting of a Bake-Off style show was so much fun, and made the setting for their romance very unique. I also LOVED the secondary characters--his roommate!--and they made a wonderful addition to this romance.

I still liked the first book in this series (Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake) better, but this story was sweet and unique, and Hall was definitely meant to write romance novels. :)

**A big thank-you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.**

I love author Alexis Hall’s voice and he has a knack for creating characters I want to see overcome.

This story is a humorous and honest take on living with anxiety. Yes, Paris is a little exhausting but sometimes anxiety is exhausting. Was he horribly flawed? Yes. Absolutely. If you’re looking for a perfect hero, honestly this author may not be for you.
Banter galore.

While Hall is typically a romance author, I do think this would be more aptly marketed as a fiction novel than a romance, which is something I saw as a complaint about Rosaline Palmer- if you thought that wasn’t romantic enough, this is even less so so adjust expectations. While an interesting ride, with their fundamental differences, I’m not terribly certain these two should end up together in the end if they even do.

Please check the care warnings.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this novel, all opinions are my own.

Rating 2.5

I had a challenging time reading this story, as the constant anxiety experienced by Paris dominated the plot Tariq and Paris meet-cute on the bake show and subsequent romance was overshadowed by the constant self-doubt in Paris's head. At times, it was taxing to read.

Paris, while adorable in his sweetness, does need to check himself on inclusiveness. He'd avoid trouble in his love life if he would just recognize his snobbinshess. The other cast of characters were enjoyable, from the Bake Show judges to the fat Glaswegian sex goddess.

At the end of the day, I am not so sure these two are good match. I also question if this book should be labeled under the genre romance.

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the e-book of Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble.

Paris Daillencourt Is About To Crumble by Alexis Hall is a truly raw expression of having undiagnosed mental health struggles while doing one’s best to live life & in this case, go on a reality baking competition called Bake Expectations:
I went into this expecting a romcom & that’s not what this was. I struggled getting lost into this book. However, I really did enjoy how it all came together though & I was glad I stuck with it.
I loved the format of the reality baking show. I loved that the reader gets to experience both the filming of the show & the eventually airing as well as the public reception & social media responses to the show. I thought that was super interesting. I enjoyed the whole cast of the show & getting to periodically see them throughout the book.
I am always appreciative of more mental health awareness & representation. I thought the anxiety representation felt very raw & realistic in many ways. However, there were multiple jokes that made me uncomfortable & just seemed unnecessary.
The severe anxiety that included social awkwardness, spiraling, constantly getting lost in their head & more reminded me of some of my own experience with anxiety so I appreciated that. It also reminded me of the anxiety representation in Turtles All the Way Down by John Green.
I did like some of the difficult but open & honest conversations the pair had, especially about mental health & the intersectionality of having faith & being gay. I think if you go into this book not expecting a romcom book, it would be a better read.
I am a fan of the author’s writing. I also liked how Paris eventually received care for his mental health struggles & openly expressed them. I am always thankful for more representation so I appreciate that.

Massive thanks ti NetGalley & Forever for the arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed. All thoughts & opinions are my own.