Once again, a compelling read from Alexis Hall, bringing us stories we haven’t read (many of) before.

Where this book really shines is the third-act breakup and reconciliation. Especially in a single-POV story like this one, it can be tricky to justify a breakup, without making the dump-er into a jerk. Hall nails it.

Poor Paris – he really does get annoying when his anxiety takes over his life, so much that while I felt for Paris, I really understood Tariq, when Tariq couldn’t take it any more.

I do enjoy a book where the MC needs to get their life in order (or anxiety under control as the case may be) before they are able to be in a healthy relationship. I liked watching Paris do the work; liked watching him cope better, even as it’s never implied that he’ll be cured. (Hall wouldn’t do us a disservice like that.)

A lovely, well-earned HFN ending.
#NetGalley

Pub date: 11/1/22
Genre: romcom (m/m)
In one sentence: When Paris finds himself on the TV show Bake Expectations, fellow competitor Tariq will make him question everything he knows about life and love.

This is a difficult book to rate, because there's a lot of good, but also some things that bothered me.

The good: Bake Expectations continues to be a highly entertaining show. Paris' roommate and cat are excellent side characters. There's a laser tag battle against 9-year-olds. Paris and Tariq both experience character growth.

Things I didn't love: This book was hard to read at times. Paris suffered from overwhelming anxiety, and I just wanted him to go to therapy and get help! Tariq would try to help him and then get frustrated - again, professional help is the answer here! I think if the book had been a bit shorter, it wouldn't have bothered me so much, but it was hard to see both MCs flounder for so long. I'll still continue to read Alexis Hall's books, but I hope the next Bake Expectations book has a bit more romance!

Thank you to Forever Publishing for providing a NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I very much enjoy Hall’s writing and the character work and he doesn’t disappoint in this book. I especially liked how thoughtfully he portrayed Paris’s mental health experiences. (But if you’re sensitive to portrayals of anxiety & panic attacks, be sure to check CWs.) As always Hall gives us incredibly lovable yet complex 2SLGBTQIA+ characters you will root for till they get their HEA. Oh and one mustn’t forget all the deliciously yummy food descriptions and recipes included. This is the second book in the Winner Bakes All series; it can be read as a stand-alone but if you’d like to get caught up pick-up Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, the first book.
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I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

First off I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advance copy.

There is a lot to love in this book. The comedy part of the 'romcom' here is genuinely funny (as expected from Alexis Hall -- no one does literary humour better right now), and I grew to love the characters. Morag particularly stood out as a great secondary character whom I won't soon forget. Paris's journey to coming to understand his GAD was admirable and his growth heartwarming. Tariq is a very unique character in queer romance and this representation was welcome to me, particularly as a queer person of faith who has to navigate the tensions inherent within that.

Despite all of these wonderful things, this didn't entirely hit the mark for me. Paris's GAD is at about a 13/10 for most of the book, which (even speaking as someone who lives with a fair bit of anxiety) made him more insufferable than relatable. It was hard to cheer for him, in the competition, in the romance, and just as a character. He did eventually get where he needed to go, and I really appreciated him by the end, but it was a long journey, and I don't particularly enjoy romances where I'm not invested in the heroes/heroines from the jump.
I would have appreciated spending a bit more time with Tariq as well. He's such a unique character in media it would have been great to see more of his perspective and understanding of his identity and how he fits into the world.

I will post a favorable review of this book on my blog the week before its publication.

I appreciate receiving an ARC for this book. Alexis Hall is an author that always has amazing character development in their stories, and this book was no exception.
Our main character is Paris, whose roommate enters him in a baking reality show, Bake Expectations. Paris has low self esteem, anxiety and fear of abandonment from loved ones. All of these things you seen him encounter throughout the story. This story also is not a romantic comedy, yes there is romance and comedic scenes, but it dives way deeper in issues Paris faces. On the show, you get to meet some fun and quirky characters in addition to Tariq, who Paris has an instant connection with. You follow Paris trying to compete on the show, build something with Tariq, all while trying to overcome the anxieties and sadness that pull him down.
I appreciated the way Hall wrote about anxiety and the very real fear that so many that have it have—that no one will want to love them, deal with them, the feeling that they don’t deserve it (which is absolutely false—you deserve love and happiness). I loved the sprinkle of humor throughout and Hall always writes scenes where I burst out laughing.
Alexis Hall is an automatic buy author for me and this book made me feel all the feelings.

First of all, I love Alexis Hall, and I l o v e sweets, need I say more? The mental health representation of Anxiety in this book was probably one of my favorite things about it. Hall did so well in boyfriend/husband material representing ED's and depression that I don't know why I'm surprised that the representation for anxiety was on point as well!
As usual, the banter between both Paris and Tariq is to die for!
I think that the character development for Paris in this book as he copes with his mental health problems was incredible and really shows how Hall is still growing as a writer as they keep producing better and better storylines for their characters!

Paris Daillencourt may be about to crumble but this book is extremely solid!

If you love baking shows, live your life with anxiety and wish you could put words to what you feel, and want a romance to root for that is unique in its human complexities, this is your book.

I knew I would like this book based on the strength of Alexis Hall's previous books, and a trusted friend who also read this. This book was more than a like; it's a love. It's a star baker. It's a hollywood handshake. This book is an emotional gut punch for me specifically, but I'm sure others will see themselves reflected in Paris (or Tariq's!) story and feel the same pain, joy, and catharsis.

Paris's inner monologue and spiraling is familiar territory for me. I wasn't triggered by the content (although I deeply appreciate the content warnings!) but it was both uplifting and eye-opening to see anxiety represented this way. I usually call it my "cycle of impossibilities", Paris has his own name for it. I thought it was a very honest representation, as was his friends' reactions (both good and bad). It was so uplifting to see him come to terms with it, to realize what was happening and try and find a way forward. And it was so heartwarming to see the people in his life acknowledge their own part in helping or hurting him, and for Paris himself to acknowledge his own mistakes. It was..... well, its a romance book and this was such a lovely ideal human interaction. I definitely wish the people in my life always gave me as much grace (and perhaps I can learn from Paris too about certain things). It was such a feel good, beautiful moment.

I did really like the romance too! Both characters had *so* much going on in their own lives and felt very much like fully dimensional human people. People are complicated multifaceted beings with inner lives outside of just baking and seeking romance. Even with the happy ending and swoon moments along the way, this romance storyline felt very grounded in humanity; I could imagine these people being in "real life".

I haven't read any other reviews other than my friend's. I am actually kind of nervous to do so. I'm worried that people will find Paris annoying, or wishywashy, or "not deserving of love" due to his anxiety-fueled spiraling. That is NOT what this story is about (and tbh, I will fight in an Arby's parking lot anyone who thinks Paris doesn't deserve love). This is romance and comedy and flawed people-- this is romance and baking and people finding ways to make it work -- this is romance and anxiety and learning that you *can* find help even it feels hopeless. And this is also romance and a happy ending that you actually *believe* in.

I really loved seeing these complicated people navigate difficult conversations and life situations and find a way to a happy day.

Also, I re-read Rosaline Palmer Takes The Cake right before this and that was such a fun idea; it felt like a good netflix binge of GBBO.

There’s a lot of great things in this story. My favorite being Paris. Paris is such a hot mess with his intense anxiety and seeing as how I suffer from anxiety, Paris, I see you. I think it was a bit hard for me to read only because I do suffer from anxiety and Paris was kinda in my head and that’s not where I want to be. That said, it also felt kinda nice and warm because I wasn’t alone and yes, anxiety is a real thing and every time Paris did something that he couldn’t help doing but of course it was going to hurt him somehow, I really felt for him.

I really enjoyed all of the baking show stuff. The hosts and other contestants were so well written and I laughed out loud a bunch at them. It was like watching you-know-what, without actually watching you-know-what. I also liked Paris’s relationship (non-relationship) with his parents and how that played out. I think it added to his character, his anxiety and his world. That situation made me angry and sad for Paris, but also made Paris a much more sympathetic character and added a layer of vulnerability that enhanced his anxiety.

Tariq is the love interest, but the book isn’t a romantic comedy. The story really centers around Paris and his mental health while Tariq orbited around the story. The cute moments they had together were REALLY cute. And I like how fully formed Tariq was, he seemed like a real character with a lot of layers and flaws and lots of contradictions. That said, I didn’t really feel like they were a good romantic match. I like that they were trying (many failed attempts) as not all romances are easy and sometimes it takes a lot of work to get on the same page.

Paris is a great story that I think many will enjoy.

I wouldn't categorize this as a romance; more of a getting-to-know-yourself story. It's a really good exploration of the main character and mental illness, and how anxiety can affect every aspect of life.

I love Alexis Hall's writing, I feel like the characters just jump off the page and I can usually relate to any one of them at any given time.
This book gives me Boyfriend/Husband material vibes with the two main characters being so opposite.
I love the premise of this book, being on a reality cooking show. So hip.

Loved this book and I love this author!

I am so conflicted about my review for this book.

On the one hand, I love Alexis Hall. I love the way Hall writes characters with warmth - the kind of people you want to fill your life with. The dialogue in this book is snappy as always. And I mostly really loved it. I rooted for Paris and Tariq, while also simultaneously yelling for them to pull their heads out of their asses.

However, there were a few things that interrupted the reading experience for me.

First, is the lack of logistical details. Did I miss it, or is there little to no explanation of what happens on the weekends while they're filming. Do they stay on site? If so, why are they checking into a hotel room? Why does this bother me so much? I don't know, but I like details and found it distracting to not be able to picture the structure of their weekends.

Second. Paris was a very hard character to read. As a person with generalized anxiety disorder, this may be a case of not wanting to look so deeply within myself, but holy hell did he make me want to scream more than once.

Third. Is there no resolution with Paris' parents? They're terrible, the end? Deal with it. Which would be fine, .Some people have terrible parents and there is no neat resolution. But Paris himself needed to have some sort of resolution for the way he still wants and needs them in his life.

There is just something about Hall's writing that pulls me in and makes it so hard to put his books down. Paris Daillencourt was no exception and I tore through this one even though the actual content of the book is challenging. This second installment of the Winner Bakes All series introduces us to the very anxious and reluctant contestant Paris and his literally sparkly and confident competition, and future love interest,Tariq. I really came to love both characters even though you are navigating much of the story along with Paris and his deteriorating mental health. He's quite isolated and reluctant to seek out the help he clearly needs for much of the story. As a result, he's constantly making poor decisions and acting in self-destructive ways that I do wish didn't make up so much of the bulk of the plot. It's quite rewarding when we get his satisfying personal growth by the end and I only wish we got to spend a bit more time with the healthier version of Paris. Tariq is a delight throughout and I enjoyed how his religion and family were an important part of his story. This is very much a HFN ending, which I felt was very fitting for the characters and their young age but also felt satisfying for how hard-earned it felt. I only wish we had a bit more of the story at the end or at least an epilogue that looked a bit further into the future.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book a lot and read it in only a few sittings. While it likely won't end up being one of my favorite Alexis Hall books, I still recommend it even though it won't be for everyone. It is important to recognize that while it is still a baking competition romance, it does deal with serious mental health issues though they are handled realistically and compassionately.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Paris is a great baker. So great that he becomes a contestant for Bake Expectations. However, Paris is crippled with anxiety and being in a reality competition isn’t easy for him. Fortunately, he meets Tariq and their relationship forms regardless of the pressure of the competition and Paris’s anxiety.

This book is so realistic with the depiction of anxiety that I had to take a little break when I first started reading because it was like looking in a mirror. A mirror that I avoid looking in. However, all of the side characters are so fun that it helps off balance the anxiety of the main character because there are times when you want to tell Paris that he needs professional mental health and to go to therapy and take anti-anxiety pills. His relationship is adorable with Tariq, but the most realistic part is that towards the end, you can see that being with someone who has untreated anxiety disorder is hard to deal with. I appreciate that the author did not look away from that harsh reality.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

“Paris” was a difficult book to read because Paris the character struggles with his anxiety so much that he almost becomes incomprehensible. Specifically the conversations where Paris literally can’t get a word out aside from “I…” or sorry. The dialogue was chaotic, and even if it was meant to, it was hard to read.

The vibe of the book definitely reminds me of Great British Bake off which is enjoyable (and why I was psyched to read this series in the first place) but being inside Paris’ brain was really hard to navigate.

I would have expected him to find or seek help earlier in the story than around 80% through. I also felt the story lacked some resolution that I wanted after investing so much heart into it, specifically with his parents

Paris is about to be a contestant on the popular British baking reality show Baked Expectations. That much stress and international attention seems an odd life choice for a guy who has never met an imaginary disaster scenario he couldn’t speedrun in his head, but his roommate Morag signed him up in hopes of boosting his self confidence and … well, he isn’t good at saying no?

Enter Tariq, fellow contestant, who’s introduction to Paris is a smack to the face. Literally. With a fridge door. Oof. He’s everything Paris isn’t - outgoing, friendly with everyone from the first hello and confident. So unapologetically himself in basically every way. And, starting from the dramatic rebuffs of Paris’ *many* apologies for the Fridge Door Incident, Tariq makes it a personal mission to draw him out.

Despite the rocky start - and (many) further bumps and miscommunications along the way - they end up at the beginnings a relationship. Unsurprisingly - since this is based around a baking competition - there are enough food descriptions that made me constantly snackish. Surprisingly, there were many more tears than I expected from a romcom, and also more laughs than I expected with a book about some serious mental health and racial/cultural issues.
But it worked, like, really *really* well for me.

I enjoyed this book So Much - I read it in less than 24 hrs and only wished it were longer - and will absolutely be rereading it again. I am the worst when it comes to saying conclusively which one is my absolute favorite, but I can safely say this is in my top reads for the year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC!

While this book is categorized as a romance novel, romance readers should be made very aware of what to expect and not to expect when they pick up this book. This is not a steamy romance. At all. Do not expect sex in this book, because there is none. It’s not closed door, it’s not fade to black—it simply never happens. In fact, it feels less like a romance novel and more like contemporary queer fiction with a romance in the story.

On a similar note, it’s categorized as an adult romance, but it often feels more New Adult or YA due to the age of the main characters and the issues in their relationship, specifically how those issues are handled on both sides.

That being said, here’s what to expect.

Paris Daillencourt has anxiety and doesn’t realize it. While I do think we get an accurate portrayal of what generalized anxiety disorder is like for someone who has it, the number of times he spirals about every given thing can be a lot to process as a reader. While he does eventually seek treatment and explores healthy ways of managing his disorder, that doesn’t take place until the last twenty percent of the book. It might be heavy and overwhelming for some readers to occupy Paris’ headspace for that long. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who is currently in a less-than-healthy headspace or who is easily triggered by reading someone else’s anxiety attacks.

I felt very conflicted about the romance almost from the start. Paris suffers from anxiety and intense self-doubt, while Tariq is a proud and out gay Muslim with an air of confidence. One of Paris’ hypothetical worries is being public with his relationship in unfamiliar spaces, for fear of a homophobic attack. And this is at odds with Tariq, who all but gives Paris an ultimatum that he can only be with someone who will proudly engage in public PDA. I found it a bit unsettling that Tariq wasn’t more understanding towards Paris’ anxiety about being affectionate in public, especially since Tariq is the one who first tells Paris he thinks he has anxiety or a “brain issue” as they come to refer to it.

There are many times in the book that Tariq is frustrated with the self-deprecating way Paris’ anxiety manifests. Same with Morag, Paris’ roommate. At times, I do think Tariq has every right to be upset with Paris for the things that he says or doesn’t say, and the constant apologizing. Even I was frustrated by Paris’ inability to form complete sentences for the majority of the book. But I was hurt on Paris’ behalf when they were having an argument with Jennifer, the Bake Expectations showrunner, about having a relationship on set. During the argument, Tariq accuses Jennifer of being homophobic while Paris spirals and mostly avoids participating in the argument. After, Tariq yells at Paris for not being as upset as he is and claims he agrees with Jennifer because he didn’t have enough backbone to support Tariq. Paris was clearly overwhelmed but Tariq still yells at him, rather harshly and unjustly in my opinion. Especially after the conversation the night before, when Tariq and Paris agree to be open and honest with one another and Paris starts to reveal the extent of his anxiety. Earlier in the novel, Tariq tells Paris that the reason he is on the show is that he wants to be famous. So when Tariq and Jennifer are arguing, I couldn’t help but believe that Tariq was causing a scene because he wanted to have a “showmance” to increase his chances of becoming famous. I think the book really could have benefited from dual POVs because I never knew how to fully feel about Tariq’s ulterior motives.

Paris’ self-sabotaging habits are intense. He’s definitely in a place where he can’t see that his untreated and undiagnosed mental disorder is having a serious impact on his quality of life and his relationships with others. He lets himself spiral without getting help and it takes a toll. I think Tariq could have shown a bit more compassion, as well. He dumps Paris because he’s too much and he can’t fix his issues, and this happens after he previously claims his sister is wrong for telling Paris that Tariq likes to date people he thinks he can fix. It was all very bothersome to me and I found myself not rooting for them to be together. I wanted Paris to get help for his anxiety and learn some coping mechanisms. And I wanted Tariq to realize it’s not his job to fix people. While these things did eventually happen by the end of the book, I found myself not really caring that Paris begs Tariq to try their relationship again and Tariq eventually agrees. I was glad Tariq apologized to Paris for the way he handled Paris’ anxiety, and that he could see how some of his actions and words weren’t supportive. And I admired Paris’ ability to be open and honest about his generalized anxiety disorder after starting treatment. But at the end of the day, I think these two characters were better off as friends.

All in all, I can’t really say that I loved this book. Maybe not that I even liked it. There’s a lot to process and think about in regard to the romance and the portrayal of mental health in relationships. I do think it is an accurate portrayal of how twenty-year-olds would handle things in this regard, so there’s that. It’s just not really the type of romance I’d find myself reaching for time and again.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I had to stop reading this once the racist undertones came through with the main character towards the love interest. I understand that the character has anxiety and will have poor interactions because of it but there hasn't been a moment of relief or even signs of redeemable or likable qualities of the main character. How could the character not understand why someone wouldn't want to engage in sex? The lack of empathy that the main character displays just instantaneously made me drop it. There wasn't anything else that made the character likable and therefore the instance not making it feel worse than it is but the fact that I had to read through this very mentally draining and anxiety inducing narrative just made it ten times worse.

This is most likely a romance novel like promised but it's definitely not a romcom. Nothing about it was comedic as the character was in serious pain and it's hard to laugh when the character isn't laughing along with the reader.

The dating show romance is one of my favourite very specific tropes so I was so excited to read this book. I’m very conflicted because there were parts of this book that I really loved and parts that I didn’t. I definitely agree with other reviewers that this is much more about Paris and his anxiety than it is about a true romance between Paris and Tariq. I did also find that this was a looooong book and there were parts that I thought could have been condensed quite significantly without impacting the storyline. I didn’t love Paris as a character initially due to his seeming ignorance of his privilege and a lack of cultural sensitivity. He did grow on me throughout the book as he gained insight into his anxiety though.

There were some things I loved in this book though! I was a big fan of the banter on the baking show and really enjoyed the parts of the book about the competition. I also love books with mental health representation as a reader with anxiety. If you are looking for more of an adult fiction book with a smidge of romance and a heavy focus on anxiety, this might be the book for you! I was expecting more of a focus on romance so it did throw me off initially.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the advanced reading copy!

I did not realize that this would not be a romcom when I started it. I wish I knew, because I likely wouldn’t have read it. I sympathized with Paris because I have anxiety too but I was expecting a different type of book!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

No matter how many times it says ballroom I can only picture this happening in tent. It was interesting that the parent interactions are almost all off the page. Both characters felt very relatable. Just about when I was starting to get really annoyed with the one character he started therapy. Though I am annoyed no one really brought it up earlier.