Alexis Hall does it again. It comes to the surprise of no one that they wrote another absolutely banger rom-com.

This wasn’t my favorite Alexis Hall book that I have read but I didn’t dislike it or anything. I enjoyed Paris and Tariq as characters. They were both complicated and interesting to read. My favorite part was the Dave’s.

Thank you so much to Read Forever Publishing for the eARC of this book! Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and I’m delighted to say that it absolutely met my expectations. I am a great lover of televised baking competitions, and the fictional show Bake Expectations is just as enjoyable to experience. Alexis Hall writes Paris’s anxiety in a way that was so relatable to me that it was a little painful to read. I so appreciated that Paris had such an incredible group of supporters who were with him on both the baking and life journey.

If you love Baking Shows of any kind this once is for you

Paris Daillencourt has been entered by his best friend and housemate to compete on the BBC baking hit show Baking Expectations. On the show he meets fellow contestant Tariq Hassan and sparks may fly. Paris is a certified hot mess of anxiety, and while he has a lot going for him he also is his own biggest saboteur. Every week he is convinced he is going home, and that everything in his life will go wrong at any moment. Tariq is dealing with his own set of issues and supports Paris as much as he can, but if Pais is determined not to help himself how can Tariq realistically help him. Will they figure out how to be together without toxicity running them into the ground.

While I love the concept of this book, being in Paris' anxious perspective the entire time was really exhausting. I also don't think he made enough of an effort to fix his relationships after he had his wake up call. Being mentally ill is never an excuse to treat people around you like crap and I don't think that was addressed well.

This one was just not for me. I loved Alexis's other titles but the whole book was giving me anxiety while reading... i had to put it aside at about 30% complete.

Thank you for the chance to read early!

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble is a delicious treat, one that will definitely make you hop up and run off to the nearest bakery. While I don't think it quite managed to reach the same level of charm as Rosaline Palmer, the first in the series, it is nonetheless still a delightful ride, with a heavy helping of mental health issues (be sure to check content warnings before you start this one, folks). Paris is a hero you want to root for, and also maybe want to wrap up in a blanket and give him a nice cup of hot chocolate. While the other characters didn't stand out as much as I might have hoped, this book is still full of Alexis Hall's signature wit and humor, making it a fabulous time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Of course, it was hard to tell how knowing that your entire life was a washing machine helped you stop your entire life being a washing machine.”

Holy highlighter, Batman! This book hit VERY close to home. I almost DNFed several times because this book about a character with undiagnosed anxiety (or, washing machine syndrome?) was giving me anxiety about my own personal anxiety. No joke, I took quotes from this book to my therapist. I’m glad I stuck with it, because the characters are so delightful (esp. “The Daves”) and ultimately- I learned a ton. For people with anxiety, or for anyone who loves someone with anxiety- READ THIS. If for nothing else, read it to see “cryvomit” become a legitimate word.

Two things.
I don’t know how to pronounce or spell “Daillencourt” and therefore I will exclusively be copying and pasting it. Or just referring to Paris Daillencourt as “Paris” from here on out. That seems logical.
Paris is a lot, as a character. Please do not let this deter you (as it has already done for many UGH) because I ASSURE YOU that while you’re thinking to yourself “wtf this dude is so annoying”- SO IS PARIS. (I’m projecting, as Paris is not a real person- but I think what I mean here is that as a human with anxiety, I too frequently internally lament how annoying I am, and Hall’s depiction of Paris’ inner thoughts is an accurate reflection of what it feels like to be inside my head a lot of the time.) Think of this book as an exercise in honing your empathy skills, because you will need them.

Is the ending a bit tidy? Sure. Is Paris’ recovery timeline a bit idealistic (i.e. unrealistic)? Sure. We must have our HEV, and this did feel a bit rushed. But on the flipside- there is fantastic banter and dialogue, really yummy food descriptions, funny/disturbing tweet sections, and delightfully repetitive use of the word “Glaswegian.”

“Yeah”—Paris was laughing—“the general is made of the specific. I’ve now come to terms with the fact that my nipples are not going to show and, even if they did, I would survive the experience.”

I cannot tell you how many times I have told myself that I will survive something that is giving me anxiety since reading this. I like my therapist a lot, but this mantra is priceless.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the review copy!

This book is not so much a rom com as it is more the chronicle of a lovely young man's journey dealing with his crippling anxiety disorder. It isn't a light and airy romance, and the "com" monents are few and far between, and mostly because of the author's trademark characters' intelligent witty banter.

Paris Daillencourt is, of course, a contestant on the British baking reality show Bake Expectations during the season right after Rosaline Palmer's; although part of the same series, these books can be read as stand-alones.

I'm a huge Alexis Hall fan, and I love his abilty to create characters that evoke real emotion in me. This book is no exception in the case of our hero Paris, and I was immediately rooting for him.

However, the supporting cast did not feel as well-rounded, and were overshadowed by Paris's inner dialogue, which dominated much of the story in order to demonstrate his anxiety-ridden thought patterns. Therefore, the other characters really took a backseat, and the story was truly Paris-centric.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, in fact I could not put it down and I read it in one sitting; Alexis Hall is a brilliant writer! However, it is not a rom com, and I would hesitate to call it a romance at all.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

➥ 4.5 Stars

As an Alexis Hall fan I jumped at the chance for a read of this book as the entire premise sounded like something I'd enjoy. I'm a big Bake Off fan so of course the setting of this story fit right in to my interests.

Paris is complicated; to put it as simply as I can. Throughout this book I struggled with how to perceive him as there were times I was right next to him in his anxiety driven panics, other times I was like Tariq who wanted him to try seeing and treating things differently than he normally would because of his anxiety, and lastly I had moments where I was struggling to sympathize with him as I felt he was doing/being TO much (which in all fairness is completely UNFAIR of me, but as anyone who lives with anxiety knows it is very easy to be too much for those around us).

I believe this book doesn't spend enough time on Paris coming to terms with his mental illness or general neglect and issues. The last 20% is where he starts taking things seriously but it would have been much healthier representation to see a more fleshed out path of healing and personal growth. Instead the book is about 75% panic-hot-mess Paris and 25% is maybe-im-mentally-ill Paris. I think this robbed us a little bit from seeing who Paris really can be (and who he wants to be) once he has a better handle on his anxiety.

The general plot of the baking competition was really fun and enjoyable and made me wonder what the real Bake Off is like behind the scenes as we all know its probably way more stressful than anyone lets on.

Tariq is also a lovely character! I really enjoyed him from the way he carried himself, spoke, and cared for himself as whole throughout the book. He's someone I would absolutely watch on TV and be a fan of easily. I'm definitely interested in another book in this series but would love a future nod to these two boys just to check in on how they're doing. Id like to assume that Paris finishes college, actually gets a job he loves and has cut ties with his awful parents (but still spends their money because fk them honestly LOL); but maybe he has a cute flat that he and Tariq share and Tariq has his show that's really successful! (possibly they're engaged? IDK someone write this fanfic please)

What an extraordinary character Paris is! Riddled with anxiety, he finds himself competing on a television baking competition—he’s excellent at baking, but his self-esteem, anxiousness and insecurity are often crippling. Then he meets fellow contestant Tariq, and they begin dating—just one more thing on Paris’s plate that is almost too much. The background of the tv show is entertaining, his relationship with Tariq is endearing, but his journey to find peace and feeling is the compelling heart of the story. My heart ached for Paris, and I just kept hoping that he’d get well, that he’d find love and contentment along the way.

Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble has all the classic elements I expect from an Alexis Hall book -- the wit, the humor, the quick-paced banter, and the sparkle. I continued to absolutely adore the Bake Expectations chapters in this book (after also adoring them in Rosaline Palmer). Grace Forsythe is a national treasure, Jennifer Hallet and Colin are still a hilarious duo, and Marianne and Wilford are both gems. The ensemble of contestants are very vivid and I was equally invested in their journeys through the show.

That said, I struggled with Paris. I appreciated the anxiety rep and that he goes on a journey to understand and work on his mental health in the book, but personally his growth and realization that he was hurting those around him came too late for my tastes. His romance with Tariq was cute, but it took a bit of a back burner to Paris's mental health struggles.

This was uhhhhh not my cup of tea. I have GAD, I understand how easy it is to be inside your own head with everything, and constantly catastrophizing everything, But I've ALSO had friends with pretty severe GAD, and, at the risk of sounding callous, it can be really tiring, really fast, having to constantly reassure someone you don't hate them, they're not a disaster, the world isn't against them, whatever. While I feel for Paris and his struggles, the lack of character growth in here was really frustrating to see, even at the end, properly medicated and doing therapy, it was all still about him and his journey, not the people who stuck by his side.

Anyway, some credit here because all the characters ARE in their early 20's, and if you're not a self-centered monster at 21, you're not really living. On a more nitpicky note, the use of pet names in this sent me absolutely gagging. Angle Cake, really?!

I think I liked this one even more than the first book of the series (which I adored). It' not just a romance, but a portrait of a really sweet young person, Paris Daillencourt, who is suffering with a debilitating anxiety disorder. That sounds depressing, but it's not. It's full of Alexis Hall's trademark wit. I just adore his knack for hilarious banter and catty descriptors. Another must for Great British Baking Show super fans, such a hysterical sendup of sweet reality television, and a glimpse at the possible presonal costs to the real people on these shows. On the show Paris meets another young handsome contestant, and much complexity, sweetness and heartwarming hilarity ensues. A lovely romance, for those looking for a no blush m/m romance.

This was a fun British romp with quirky characters and a great setting of a cooking competition show. It made me laugh aloud.

Even though I have several netgalleys with upcoming pub dates waiting in my shelf, did I read Paris Daillencourt Is About To Crumble first? Yes, yes I did. I read Rosaline Palmer a few weeks ago and as soon as my request for Paris Daillencourt got approved, I opened it right up. And just as a new season of bake-off started airing on Netflix, what better timing?

Alexis Hall is a spectacular author and this new installment of Winner Bakes All/Bake Expectations series is another jewel in their multifaceted crown. We are extremely lucky that they’re such a prolific author; we won’t have too long to wait until the next one. And there is a lovely long backlist to keep us company in the meantime.

Thanks for adding a content warning about Paris’ anxiety. I think it’s super important to focus on a character with anxiety and their experiences because it’s so relevant but the level of anxiety was much higher than I anticipated. Thus make sure you’re ready for it if you pick this book up.

Paris Daillencourt has been entered onto Bake Expectations, a cooking show, by his roommate Morag. While on the show, Paris meets Tariq, a confident, out Muslim, and they strike up a relationship. The catch is that Paris doesn’t know he has crippling anxiety and thinks everyone hates him. How will Paris manage on the show?

I read this book in two days and it was very enjoyable. I think the dialogue that shows Paris’ intrusive thoughts was really informative and helps the reader understand his anxiety. There were also parts where I actually laughed out loud with the witty British humour, which I love. I haven’t read anything by Alexis Hall before this and I will definitely check out some of Hall’s other work, especially Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, which is about the same fake baking show.

Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Set against the background of a fictional baking competition (think Great British Baking Show) this is a fun, quick -moving LGBTQ romance that happens to tackle tough issues in a realistic manner. Paris is the son of wealthy but completely absent parents. He is a bundle of nerves and self-doubt and undiagnosed anxiety disorder. Tariq is confident and compassionate, comfortable with and proud of who he is. When the two meet as competitors on the baking competition sparks fly. But will Paris’ anxiety and Tariq’s fixer upper efforts derail a budding romance? I loved the baking show setting, the humor and tough love kindness and appreciated the thoughtful view of anxiety disorder.

As with anything mildly bake-off related, this series is the most wholesome, calming thing... which is odd considering just how much of this book in particular was filled with incessant worrying and catastrophizing. Welcome to the brain of someone with severe anxiety, even more so because for the majority of this story, Paris doesn't know it. Incredibly relatable to the point of partial triggering, Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble is filled with glorious puns and even tastier buns, a precocious cat named Neferneferauten, a fat Glaswegian sex goddess (and just delightful human), family laser tag adventures, and Anxiety with a capital 'A.' While the romance takes a bit of a backseat to everything else Paris is sorting through, I really appreciated the on-page growth and healing journey showcased here. I also adored Tariq and his rainbow nails and the discussions surrounding faith in the LGBTQ+ community.

3 stars overall for a rollercoaster of feelings throughout. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Paris Daillencourt is headed to Bake Expectations, this universe's Great British Baking Show. Submitted by his roommate and already doubting himself Paris begins a journey of massive stress and unexpected friendships. Riddled with anxiety and a pinch of depression, he finds kinship with a fellow contestant named Tariq. When a romance begins to blossom will it get in the way of the competition? Or will Paris get in his own way and sabotage both?

Alright, I'm gonna break this down by sections of the novel so bear with me, this may get winded. As a wise entity once said, "In the beginning, there was light"....that light being Paris. I really connected with him and his feelings of inadequacy. Practically abandoned by his parents I understand why Paris doubts himself. His beginnings on the competition and meeting Tariq was great and promising of something cute and fluffy, sadly the milk in this creme puff curdled shortly thereafter.

The romance between Tariq and Paris goes through this rapid rotation of "It's going great!" And "OMFG, I've fucked this up royally" with Tariq never taking any responsibility for how they act throughout. Don't get me wrong, as someone who deals with SEVERE depression and anxiety I know that someone who hasn't been properly helped to balance out the chemical soup their brain presents the judges can step over lines without meaning to and flip like a light switch. But Tariq became practically toxic to Paris who already was dealing with enough on his own. From about the 35% to the 70% of this book I wanted to scream at Paris that Tariq wasn't worth it.

The finale: a bit redeeming, Paris' journey to find help for his brain stew and therapy is very well written. His progression into his new normal reminds me of my own journey; admitting I needed something extra to balance myself out. I still don't think Tariq deserves Paris and kinda takes the bitch way out in admitting his piece in their deflated souffle of a relationship. Paris, darling, you can STILL do better.

3 stars for a novel that loses readers(at least this one) for a good bit of the story, but does it's characters right by the end. Recommended for fans of the Great British Baking Show or even reality competitions. Age recommended for those 14+ as the writing is geared more for adults and could cause young readers to lose interest.

If you're exhausted or annoyed reading this book, please consider how completely debilitating it can be to live with this kind of anxiety. Paris was a MESS, yes, but I empathized with him so much. I have anxiety myself and it just wreaks havoc on your life.

I loved Alexis Hall's writing as usual, but I do feel like the pacing was slightly off here. I just feel like Paris and Tariq started dating very VERY easily, while hardly knowing each other, and Tariq kept giving Paris passes for his behaviour based on him being pretty and making assumptions about his personality? I loved them both, but I didn't quite understand their relationship initially. Maybe this was because of how young they were, though!

I also wish Paris had started becoming a little more self aware and working on himself a little earlier in the book. Most of the book was Paris being a Huge Fucking Mess, and only in the final part did he start taking matters in his own hands.

I did however love the ending - it was moreso an HFN than an HEA, which I think was very fitting because of how much they still need to learn about each other.