This book was as heartbreaking as it was beautifully written. Paris is…a lot. Having the entire book in his POV was a lot, but it paid off at the end in a very satisfying cathartic conclusion. I loved reading about Bake Expectations through Paris’s lens, and I thought it was a great setting to propel Paris into a place of better mental health and hopefully a jumping board for him to begin some healing.

Alexis claims he writes happy for now endings, and I think that this book proves that perfectly. The romance kind of takes a back seat to Paris’s own journey. I don’t necessarily think Tariq and Paris make a particularly good couple. They are both so young, and they are both figuring things out about themselves, and the type of people they want to be. I think they are exactly who the other needs at this moment in their lives. Maybe they will grow together, or maybe they will move on from each other, hopefully being healthier and more stable than when they found each other.

I found myself laughing out loud, and five sentences later crying my eyes out. I don’t know if it’s because I relate to Paris’s having an anxiety disorder and the relief of finally getting help for it, or because Alexis has a way of writing such authentic and flawed characters, but this book pulled out so many emotions in me. It was intense, but still had the humor and heart of Alexis’s other books. I would recommend picking this up, especially if you enjoyed the first book in this series!

I loved the first part, but for me it fell apart in the second half. I felt that his anxiety was somehow both made the biggest obstacle in the plot and also not taken seriously. Not to be an armchair psychologist, but given things in the character's past, I would have expected a diagnosis of complex ptsd, attachment issues, and childhood emotional neglect. Which yeah, could give you anxiety, but that's not the real issue. I could even understand if everyone in the book somehow missed that this is what was going on, but there should at least be an end note for people who see themselves in the story and need help with what's going on, the way many books dealing with tough issues have now.

This was good but also tiresome.

As with any Alexis Hall book it was full of witty banter, one liners, and great side characters but it was long. Some scenes and descriptions were too long or unnecessary: the whole laser tag chapter could have just not, I loved the 4 Daves but it was long and we never really saw them again. About a third way in I was getting really irritated with Paris (admittedly because I saw myself in him) buutt, toward the end I thought maybe that was the point.
Look, I love Hall's writing but he over-wrote here and sacrificed pacing for witty writing.

I liked that for a baking competition book there was a lot of attention to that (surprising how other books don't), and we all know what competition this is based on so it made it easy to imagine. And yes I said this was over-written but thank you Alexis Hall for giving words to the feelings a lot of us can't voice.

This book was like Paris, cute but just get on with it! Guess that makes me a Morag.

I had high hopes for this book. I thought the concept was interesting and it looked like a cute little romcom I would enjoy. While I did enjoy a lot of little moments and jokes early on I slowly stopped enjoying this read.
I found myself laughing and having a great time when the competition was happening, but then Paris and Tariq would be off the competition and I was either bored or cringing. I think this is partially due to the length of the chapters not dedicated to the competition. The were longer and most of the dialogue didn't add anything to the story.
Another problem I had was the relationship in general. At first I thought they were cute but eventually it got to the point where I couldn't understand why Tariq kept giving Paris chances. I think the relationship was meant to drive the plot and I wasn't invested in the relationship. I didn't feel chemistry between them and thought they both would do better apart.
Overall it wasn't a bad read for me, it was just 100 pages too long and lacked chemistry between the main characters.

I absolutely love Alexis Hall and all of his work. I think he's a fantastic and funny writer. I'm sorry to say that I really did not enjoy Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble, though. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake and I think the premise behind this serious is great but I could not get over how much I did not like Paris' character. I got tired of him, I don't think he was likeable and he wasn't unlikeable enough to be unlikeable. I understand anxiety and I get the point that was trying to be made but I reached a point in the story where I just didn't want to hear what was going on in his head.

I'm sad that I didn't enjoy this one by Alexis Hall but I will, as always, continue to read everything he puts out.

Alexis Hall is one of those authors I keep going back for, even after disappointment. Maybe it’s the
insanely cute covers or the guarantee of delightfully witty banter (in that I am never disappointed). This
book ranks neither among my most or least favorite of Hall’s work.

First and foremost, if you are on the hunt for queer GBBO fanfic type of read…look no further. I most
definitely put the show on in the background while I read.

Unfortunately, I would not recommend this to the GBBO fans in my life or, let’s be honest, many other
people. Parts of this book were very hard to read. If you have anxiety, Paris’s constant catastrophizing
will very likely trigger it and may have you reaching out to your therapist (just kidding…sort of). There is
also a lot of really awful behavior. Yes, it gives the characters room to grow and is an unfortunately real part of our society, but it doesn't make for a pleasant read.

There were many times I thought about just giving up on this book. The relationship is pretty toxic and I wasn't always rooting for it. That being said, if you make it to the end there is some reward. The characters do (eventually) see sense and the end of the book makes up for some(!) of the not-so-great behaviors in the middle.

Without giving too much away, I will say that there is an aspect of the relationship that I really
appreciate seeing in a romance novel. And yes, it still qualifies as romance. Let’s just say, if you’re
looking for a spicy read…move along.

Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall is a sweet romantic comedy dealing with finding in love and facing insecurities. Paris, who is plagued with constant and debilitating self-doubt, learns that his best friend has entered him as a contestant on a national baking show. He knows for certain that he will be the first eliminated. But, not only does he win his initial challenges, he meets fellow contestant Tariq Hassan and a romance quickly blossoms. Can they manage to cook up a happily ever after, or will Paris’ insecurities drive them apart? ⠀
⠀
The overall plot of the book is enjoyable, and the backdrop of a national baking competition is contemporary, entertaining and exciting. The characters are relatable to an extent, but I found myself needing to step away from the reading experience on more than one occasion when the personalities become obnoxiously annoying, especially Paris. I can understand the challenges of a mental disorder such as his, but at times the author over illustrates, though perhaps accurate, which interferes with the overall enjoyment of the story. Also, as in many of Alexis Hall’s books, the characters spend an inordinate amount of time in redundant bickering. I very much wanted to love this book, but unfortunately the characters get in the way of their own story.

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble was a slightly adorable interracial romance and story about anxiety. Although is looks very rom-com, the romance is more of a side plot and the book itself focuses more on Paris struggling to live everyday life and do typical things with his severe anxiety. The story does deal heavily with anxiety, internalized racism, internalized homophobia, absent parents, and more that I definitely recommend checking out before picking up this book.

WARNING: the rest of this review may contain spoilers. Stop reading if you don’t want spoilers!

I didn’t have a lot of expectations going into the book but I did expect this to be a romance featuring one or both characters dealing with anxiety and finding love. I didn’t expect the romance to be a complete dumpster fire where the character without anxiety is constantly expecting more of the character with the anxiety or for the character with anxiety to exhibit micro-aggressions toward the other. The relationship between Paris and Tariq just felt awkward. There were times where it was cute but for the most part, it felt like they didn’t connect. Maybe it’s a case of right person, wrong time because I did start rooting for them after Paris sought out help for his anxiety.

Even worse was that I wanted better for Tariq. He was such a fun character and the people we met through him were absolutely hilarious. He was so proud to be himself and he didn’t need any fake BS. Truly my favorite character and the only reason I hated him was that he kept going back to Paris or using Paris’s internalized racism to excuse Paris’s actions.

While I loved Tariq the most, I related to Paris with his anxiety so much and it was absolutely amazing to read a book from his pov. His reaction to spending the night with Tariq for the first time or going to a new city was me in a nutshell. Anxiety has been overlooked at lot and constantly ignored and this book does a great job of shutting that narrative down.

This book does suffer from a time skip, the bane of my existence and the sole reason I heavily debated DNF-ing. When the time skip occurred, we missed so much of the action in Bake Expectations and Paris’s anxiety was completely glossed over. Slight spoiler here but when they third-act-breakup happened, Paris dissociated quite a bit which was quite obvious (the author did a great job of making the reader feel like they were dissociating with Paris) but the decision to write this way meant that a lot was left out and left the book feeling incomplete. I wish instead of dissociating and practically giving up on the competition, Paris would have either worked harder and put his all into the show or acknowledged his struggles and sought help much sooner.

Backing off the notion that the book feels incomplete, a plot line was not resolved in any way. Throughout the story, Paris struggles to accept that his parents are absent from his life and don’t seem to have any want to be in their child’s life. He still texts them updates about his life but by the end, he just stops. I’m get that he likely learned that he doesn’t need their approval or anything but the lack of solution was disappointing. Whether his parents want to be part of his life or not, some final resolution would have been better. Even if it was his parents officially stating they don’t want to be in his life and Paris moves out to actually be on his own. That would come with its own set of plot but at least we would know and we’d have that final decision.

If you are still here and if there is one reason that I could give to convince you to pick up this book, it would be this: Morag, the Daves, and the producers of Bake Expectations. They simply made this book a joy to read and I 100% would have DNF-ed if it wasn’t for them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I rounded up for this book. This is most definitely not the romcom as their other books. If you take this book as it’s written and not compare it to others then you might enjoy it. Please be aware that the MC has severe undiagnosed anxiety and it could be a lot so prioritize yourself!

Paris has been abandoned by his parents and is working on finishing his PhD. He is entered into a tv show baking completion by his roommate. He is incredibly stressed and starts to spiral. During this show he starts to date Tariq and through these two experiences it comes to light that maybe all he feels and his spiraling is actually GAD (General Anxiety Disorder).

Paris is messy and emotional and so real! He hardly finished a sentence and his mental processes seem absolutely exhausting. Especially since his reaction to his anxiety is to apologize. He’s a character you just want to protect and rescue. His anxiety was so well described and written into his character. I appreciated his whole journey of exploring a therapist and meds and groups, etc to get help. I was literally pissed on his behalf every time he texted his parents and they didn’t respond. Awful people! I loved Tariq, who is a proudly gay Muslim. Alexis Hall even has Tariq explain to Paris how he can be fully both and it was written so well. I appreciated that they had Tariq and Paris engage in many such deep conversations.

The baking parts were spot on and I really appreciated how much of them we got! Love Grace, Jennifer and Colin so much! They add the only comedic relief in the book. I really wish we’d gotten even more of them or maybe a dual POV. I think we just needed a break from Paris every once in a while. The ending was really nice as there was no yes we’re back together but a let’s go on a date and see which I appreciated since Paris is still working on himself.

Overall this book was good but could have been edited down 100 pages and been great and I would still read more of this author.

Thank you for the arc of this book Netgalley and Forever publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I loved ROSALINE PALMER TAKES THE CAKE and eagerly anticipated this follow-up. I love all of Alexis Hals' books and they have been such a source of laughter and joy for me since discovering them. This is where I say something along the lines of but, or that said, and I don't mean this to take away from this book but the main character has very bad, undiagnosed anxiety for much of the book. This is stated right up front in the very helpful content notes (which I very much appreciated). I also have an anxiety disorder and was looking forward to seeing this play out in the book. However, at times it was just too much for me. And that's fine! I think so many people are going to love this book and laugh and enjoy it but at times I was like oh my goodness this is just a lot for me.

So that's my only caveat. I loved it slightly less than Rosaline (but that could be due to the main characters being men and not a queer woman) or the anxiety plot but it still made me laugh out loud and is very much classic Hall.

Okay, so let me start this off by saying that I’m a huge fan of Alexis Hall. I’ve read bit Boufriend Material and Hisband Material, and loved them both. I was thrilled to see another new book from him so soon after HM, but Paris Daillencourt just didn’t the mark for me. The main character of Paris struggles with insecurities about every single thing in his life, and while at first it was charming, it becomes less and less so as the book goes on. At 68% complete, I finally had to give up on it, as I couldn’t sit through another page of his neuroses. I feel like by this point in the book, the character has some development in his/her/their hang ups, and has an epiphany that rights all their issues and resolves the plot. Maybe this one finally did, but I couldn’t stick it out to get there.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for approving me this arc.

As someone who struggles with mental health issues, I really appreciated that this book sheds light on how debilitating these struggles can be. I liked that there was a more realistic growth progression (although it was sped up because of the storyline at the end). I also liked that the relationship had more organic ups and downs rather than being picture perfect/nobody owns up to their mistakes. I also liked the character Joy and all the yummy desserts.

Now I’m not sure if there was a ‘dry British humor’ thing going on that just went way over my head but the majority to all of the characters struck me as MASSIVE jerks. Honestly they were all really quite dislike-able and hindered my reading experience. There were funny moments that I genuinely laughed out loud and the language of the book was super unique and fun. And I did start liking Paris and Tariq more at the end but overall I don’t think this was my favorite read.

Like its predecessor Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall follows our main character, Paris, through a season of the competition show Bake Expectations. Paris find himself fretting through every detail of the show and the stakes are raised even higher when he starts to develop a relationship with one of the other contestants, Tariq.

Readers should be aware that while the format and premise is similar to Rosaline, Paris is a very different book. The demographic leans more new adult as our main characters are students in their very early twenties. The novel does not delve as deep into the details of Bake Expectations like Rosaline does--to its benefit as that format would have felt stale in a follow-up book. Readers who were expecting a romance may be a bit disappointed as the romance is really a side element and plot device to highlight Paris's mental health journey. Paris learning more about himself, gaining confidence, receiving a diagnosis, and learning better anxiety management skills is where this book really shines. The portrayal of generalized anxiety disorder in this book and the resulting character development are quite earnest. The banter between our main characters is witty and fun.

Generally I did not love this book, but I attribute that more to my tastes and expectations than the quality of the writing. I didn't find any of the characters particularly relatable and I didn't love the format of the second part of the book. I loved being able to see more of the aftermath of the show and how Paris dealt with it but found it somewhat tiring to read through the (realistic) social media posts deriding the main characters and exalting the contestant portrayed as racist and homophobic. The pacing felt a little uneven between the two sections as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for providing me access to a digital ARC of this book to review.

4 stars

You can never go wrong with an Alexis Hall book!! I really enjoyed Rosaline Palmer and was excited to go back into the baking competition world with Paris! And Paris is as awkward as they come in the cutest way!

This book isn’t necessarily a romance book, more of a friendship that develops into more throughout the competition, with commentary on religion and beliefs, things we don’t usually see or is talked often.

Alexis hall has their own set of unique humour and wit and its always fun to see that translated into different characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever spun for the earc in return for an honest review

Usually when I start a new Alexis Hall novel, I devour it as quickly as possible, making poor life decisions like staying up too late at night or reading during work hours. But for the first time with an AH book, I found myself reluctant and almost afraid to read each chapter.

The reason for this surprising (and disappointing) reaction is obvious from the first page: Paris Daillencourt is a complete and utter mess. And not in a "cute" way (see Luc in Boyfriend Material or Ardy in How to Bang a Billionaire). Paris is plagued by toxic self-doubt and anxiety. He can barely bring himself to speak to Tariq, the cute, gay fellow contestant on Bake Expectation, and when he does it's 90% apologies for existing.

Somehow Tariq finds Paris appealing enough to start dating him, but that third act breakup is foreshadowed in every interaction and every thought in Paris' head. This is just a sample from Paris' train trip to visit Tariq:

"Mostly it was the legroom that bothered him. He'd inherited height from both sides of his family, and public transport almost always required him to bend his legs in ways that were a recipe for cramps and - eventually, probably - deep vein thrombosis.

But it was too late now. Or maybe it wasn't? Maybe he could just make his way up to first class anyway, and then ask for an upgrade when the conductor came round? But if that didn't work he could be fined and while he probably could afford a fine he might also have to go to court and then he'd have a criminal record.

He made his way up the aisle, trying not to go too fast or too slow, or to hit anyone with his overnight bag, looking for the least objectionable space, and panicking in case the real least objectionable space turned out to be the one he'd just walked past and now couldn't go back to."

Did that make you crazy? Multiply that little excerpt enough times to fill 80% of the book and see how you feel. Of course the relationship with the charming Tariq is doomed; Paris can't get out of his head long enough to really care about anyone else.

This sequel to Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake is entertaining when it's not focused on Paris. It features an assortment of interesting secondary characters who are vying for the top spot on the show, and it has its humorous moments, most of which involve the cheerfully profane producer Jennifer Hallet. Rosaline is referred to but not seen, although an unforgettable secondary character from her season does make a cameo appearance. I liked the fact that, unlike last time, we get to see the recording AND the broadcasting of the show, which allows for Hall to include plenty of opinionated Tweets (are there any other kind?) as the contestants are eliminated week by week.

The book becomes more engaging and less horrifying after the breakup, when Paris finally admits he has a problem and takes steps to be a better, healthier person. I liked this version of Paris, and I could finally understand what Tariq saw in him. But it was a long slog to get to that point, and it didn't make up for the excruciating majority of the book. YMMV if you have never experienced anxiety and can live inside Paris' brain with more detachment than I could manage.

ARC gratefully received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.
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I just finished this book 20 minutes ago, and I could not wait to talk about it.

If you like romances with real substance, struggle with anxiety and/or love Great British Bake Off, this book is a must-must-must read. Must. Read.

Paris Daillencourt is terrified to be noticed or looked at, but his best friend entered him to be a contestant on Bake Expectations and here he is. And when he meets another baker, a man named Tariq, he is intrigued. But as always, Paris is worried he'll be too, well, Paris, and Tariq will realize he's not worth the time or effort.

Can he find success in baking, sorting himself out, and building a relationship with Tariq? Or will it all crumble like an over baked pastry?

Interesting, captivating, and the anxiety that Paris feels came across as so real to me. I constantly worry that I am too much for everyone, to the point where it can end relationships so I very much relate.

More like a 3.5

I loved the writing and humor as expected from Alexis Hall, and I really really enjoy the whole baking show setting. I just wouldn't call this one a romcom though, it had less romance than the first book, and for me it's more of an exploration of character as it goes a lot into mental health and Paris' anxiety. The other thing regarding the romance is that i didn't think this was a very good couple at all, they are such different people and I honestly don't think they would last together very long. I still enjoyed the book but the author definitely has better works.

If you're looking for an easy-breezy rom-com, that's not this book. But if you go into the book not expecting that, you just might like it. What to expect from the book:

* A story about a main character struggling with anxiety. Really struggling with anxiety. If you don't feel you can handle really being in the head of someone with anxiety and really seeing what that's like, this isn't the book for you. If you are interested in really seeing this struggle and how Paris realizes that he does have a mental health issue and that he does need to (and can) seek help, then this is the book for you.

* A romance on the side. Although the relationship between Paris and Tariq is an important part of this book, it's really not the main point of the book. And although there are some tropes that the book follows, if you are mainly looking for a romance, this is not the book for you. If you want to see two young adults who each have issues to work through before they can have a fulfilling relationship, then you might like this book.

* Baking content. If you like baking competition shows, you'll enjoy the parts of this book that revolve around the baking show. It's a lot of fun (though some of that gets lost through Paris's anxiety), and I enjoyed the second part of the book that goes week to week with the baking show episodes and shows the social media commentary.

So I did enjoy reading this book, though I'm not entirely sure that I fully liked Paris. Because of his parents and his wealth, he comes across as completely out of touch (and that has nothing to do with the anxiety). But I did like seeing his growth at the end of the book. And it really highlights the importance of seeking help if you are struggling with a mental health issue that is severely affecting your life.

This was a tough one for me because I think Alexis Hall is a talented writer (absolutely hilarious!) but Paris was a character that I struggled with - it was increasingly difficult to spend the entire book inside his head.

Conceptually this was fantastic but the execution was a little off for me. However, I think there are a lot of readers who will be able to identify with Paris and will "feel seen" by this book, which is never a bad thing.

This book was full of Hall's trademark humor and quirky characters. It was tough to be in Paris' head the entire time, but I did enjoy the exploration of his mental health and his journey over the novel. I also enjoyed Tariq as a character, but I didn't particularly love their romance. It was fine, but this feels much more like a character study of Paris and his mental health - how it interplays with his privilege, how it impacts his relationships with everyone else in his life, etc.