This was a light, entertaining read, though it was a bit silly, and the main character was terrible at communication. I enjoyed this book a little and it was readable all in all.

In THE BAKER’S MAN, Anna grew up learning to bake in her grandmother’s bakery. Her dream was to someday own her own bakery on the beach she visited every summer with her grandparents. However, when her grandmother dies, she inherits the small town bakery and seems to lose her dream in the process. But. Her grandmother leaves her a magical box with instructions to open when the time is right. The problem at the core of this oh so sweet book is defining what Anna’s dream really is. Does she wish for her own bakery? Does she wish her boyfriend would remember their 2 year dating anniversary? Does she wish to marry someone, anyone? Does she wish for better best friends? Does she want to keep her grandmother’s legacy alive in her hometown? It would be unlikely that a magical box could solve all of these problems but a tighter plot could have. This is a meandering yet pleasant tale for readers who love baking goodies sprinkled liberally throughout their stories. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Anna is a trained pastry chef who just inherited her grandmother, Bea's small-town southern bakery. After a breakup and a lot of rum, she tries one of her grandmother's recipes "to create a perfect man" with the magic sugar that has been handed down in her family for longer than anyone can remember. Low and behold, the next morning, a gorgeous man, Eli, has appeared out of nowhere...
This was an ARC, but there were a few formatting issues I hope will be taken care of by publication day. Also, there were supposed to be recipes (that I was very excited for), but they were marked as "to come", so I'll have to check it out when the book is officially published. This was a cute and funny story, but there was not enough romance or tension for my taste. The pace was slow, but I loved the side characters, and it made me crave sweets! I'm not really into magic, but this magical realism was just enough for me.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a wonderful story. Jennifer Moorman pulled me in and didn't let go. For the authors first book she really did a great job.

The concept was well thought out and intriguing. What woman hasn't wanted to make up the perfect man. I know I have. Anna O'Brien does just that but, there is always a but, it doesn't go as she had planned. What do I mean about that....well you will just have to read the book to find out. I hope you like it as much as I did.

The characters are wonderful Anna, the baker, Lily, Anna's best friend, Tess, the needy and annoying friend, and Elijah, the handsome stranger that Anna finds in her bakery making donuts. A group of people who complement each other and sometimes does the wrong things for the right reason. I laughed and cried while reading but I finished it in one sitting. That is how the story just pulls you in.

I hope to read more from Jennifer Moorman and maybe we will see another book with Anna & Elijah down the road. They make a wonderful story come together.

Highly recommend

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for allowing me to read an advanced digital copy of The Baker's Man for an honest review. These are my words and my words alone. I may not be an eloquent reviewer but they come from the heart.

What a cute mystical, charming story. You could tell the author is a baker by the way the smells were described. I actually got hungry for sweets in certain parts of the book. The three friends of Anna, Lily and Tessa was just what you would want a friendship to be (although I didn't like Tessa too much). The family history of Anna's bakery and the wonderful recipes her Grandma Bea left her was awesome. Then the drama with Baron and the baker's man. It was a mystical story in a mystical place. I know my daughter will love this book and I am going to recommend highly. It is not deep by any means but it has a punch to it that makes you want to know how it ends.
Thanks to #negalley, #harpermuse and @jenniferrmoorman for an ARC of this book. Now I have to get the book to get the recipes!!

It’s February so who’s not in the mood for love? Well, I love to cook, especially bake, so this book cover had me from the get-go!! This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed her writing style.

• Perfect Valentine’s Day read….reading it with your partner is, even more, fun and romantic! (heart)
• Get ready to fall in love with the small town of Mystic Waters and the story of Anna! Anna will remind you that you have to create the life you want and that sometimes, dreams do come true….with a little magic!
• The late Grandma Bea left behind a box for Anna that contained magical sugar along with the recipe to bake the perfect man. So, she does just that after her fiancé dumps her and the next day, a mysterious perfect man appears! I thought this was such a creative storyline. Who wouldn’t want to make themselves the perfect partner? Am I right?
• Read this book if you like:
o To bake or enjoy being transported to a small-town bakery with filled with mouth-watering baked goods.
o Wish you had the recipe for the perfect man/woman in your own life or if you are lucky enough to already have it!
o Enjoy the magical boyfriend trope/magical realism.
o Small town southern charm. Hallmark-like story with a HEA.
o Strong female character.
o A romance story about love, friendship and believing in yourself.

Thank you @netgalley, @harpermusebooks and @jennifermoorman and for my ARC of The Baker’s Man in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! It was whimsical, magical and truly fun to read. I usually don't read books like this, but I'm glad I requested it. It's fun to read something out of your wheelhouse. I'm adding this author to my list!!!

This story is absolutely magical. It's set in a small town in Georgia, with a bakery that inspires the whole town.

Enter the small town girl, who left for the big city but came home for the family bakery. She's definitely "living in a lonely world," as the song goes.

And then, there's a touch of destiny - and magic.

What I really loved about this story is that it could have been just Hallmark-sweet. But instead, it held some real moments, where the reader is allowed to question the happily ever after premise, just as Anna is allowed to question her own career path. And to make her own choices.

The story and title, of course, are winks at the Gingerbread Man and the pattycake nursery rhymes from bygone childhood. It's definitely a clever take on the magical boyfriend trope - and decidedly well crafted.

"She tested the peppermint cocoa. 'I would live inside this if I could.' 'You and Willy Wonka.' 'I wish he was real.' (145)"

Ultimately, Anna discovers that what IS real is Love.

Can't wait for recipes!

Spending time with a Jennifer Moorman novel is like spending time with old friends.
I thoroughly enjoy the visit every time I read (& re-read) them.

After reading The Baker's Man a few times, I've come to the conclusion that it is a lovely trip through the beauty of friendship, the ups & downs of love and the possibility that with just a little bit of magic, anything is possible!

This sweet and magical book was a pleasure to read and had me looking up Jennifer Moorman's earlier titles to add to my TBR list.

Anna O'Brien runs her grandmother Bea's bakery shop. When her grandmother died, she left her special box and instructions she would know when to use the special ingredient.
Anna's boyfriend of 2 years tells her he is moving across country to California for a new job. Lily, Tessa and Anna are together and end up getting drunk and Anna and Lily open the box and use the special ingredient to bake bread. The next morning Anna awakes to Eli working in her bakery. Eli says he went to culinary school with Anna; but she knows differently. Tessa seems to have the hots for Eli and Anna doesn't know how to tell her that her and Lily baked him!
Lily has a long-time boyfriend and is having problems also. Anna's mother wants her to purchase a house in town that she has always wanted to live in, and Anna would really like to move to the beach to open a bakery.
Oh, want to do with all the secrets going on now!.

A sweet (no pun intended) story of a small town, a baker, and. the man she makes. Anna thought Baron was going to propose but instead he's moving to California, alone. She opens a box left to her by her grandmother and discovers magic sugar meant to be used to bake a man. Yep. She makes the cookies and the next morning there's Elijah, who obviously doesn't know how he got there. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. You can guess how this is going to go but it's light and it's fun (albeit a tad silly). For fans of magical realism.

I dare you to read The Baker’s Man without at least two cups of hot chocolate and a dozen cookies. This delightfully southern, intensely decadent story has three best friends cooking up a little magic with very interesting results. Artfully crafted to keep you hungry for more, Jennifer Moorman’s novel is a funny and poignant reminder that love is real.

Book Name: The Baker’s Man

Author: Jennifer Moorman

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for an ARC of Baker’s Man by Jennifer Moorman

Stars: 4

Spice : 0

- Standalone within an anthology series
- Single POV
- Low Fantasy
- Romance
- Southern Magical Realism
- Similar to Sarah Addison Allen & Karen White
- One Bed
- Love Triangle
- Mildly Hallmark
- Fast Paced
- Cutesy
- Predictable
- Enjoyable
- Palate Cleanser > Main Course

I love a good romantic southern magical realism tale. This is probably one of my top five favorite genres. although Baker’s Man is very cutesy and hallmark-y it is still extremely enjoyable and I look forward to reading this author’s back catalog. I recommend this book as a palate cleanser between more heady and intense pieces due to its amusing yet predictable storyline

The Baker's Man is a sweet romance, but there's really no drama here. If you're looking for the equivalent of a Hallmark movie, this will work for you!

Anna owns her late grandmother's bakery, Bea's Bakery in Mystic Water, Georgia. She always loved helping her grandmother at the bakery, and shares her ability to make incredible baked goods. Anna has a dream of opening a seaside bakery, but she feels an obligation to keep Bea's Bakery going.

Anna thinks her boyfriend Baron is going to propose. They've been together 2 years, even though Baron travels a lot. But instead, Baron tells her he's moving to California, and seems shocked when she breaks down and tells him she thought he was going to propose. It's obvious he hadn't even thought about asking her to join him in California, much less proposing.

Anna and one of her best friends, Lily, get drunk that night and decide to open the gift Bea left Anna, along with the ownership of the bakery. Bea told her in a letter that she should follow her heart and not to feel obligated to keep her bakery going, and to open the box when she needed it. Lily decides that tonight is the night Anna needs to open it. When she does, Anna finds sparkling sugar that seems to have an energy of its own. Her grandmother had always said she had made her husband from dough, and gave Anna a recipe for a man that included a "secret ingredient." The women decide to make Anna's perfect man. After baking him, Anna falls into bed and falls instantly asleep.

The next morning, there is a man in her apartment. His name is Elijah, and yes, he is Anna's perfect man, made the night before. Anna turns into a melty, gooey, mess when she is near him, but she tries to hide it. He thinks he was her friend from culinary school, having no idea she made him from dough. The entire town is intrigued by him, especially since he appeared out of nowhere. Anna's other best friend, Tess, falls in love with him, making Anna's life that much harder, because Tessa had also had a budding relationship with Baron before Anna came back to town.

What this book lacks is conflict. You can pretty much guess what is going to happen from page 1. The characters are milquetoast, and their "conflicts" are easily overcome. Everything works out perfectly in the end. If you're looking for a happy ending, this book delivers, but I wanted a little more conflict and a little less perfection.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

So poorly written with a storyline that is impossible to follow and the introduction of too many minor characters made this book very difficult to finish. I felt like it was trying to copy Chocolat but failed miserably.

I received an E-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I started this book in December 2022 and only finished it in January 2023. This book wasn’t necessarily badly written, it wasn’t a bad premise (obviously I wouldn’t have requested to read it if it was), but there was just some thing about it that made me not want to pick it up. The pacing was slow that could’ve been it. I never really fell in love or felt a connection with any of the characters. This book just fell flat for me. That really disappoints me because I was excited for this to be my Christmas-y read for December.

This was a very enjoyable, hopeful love story. Great for a cozy afternoon . It is a lighthearted and entertaining story.

The story started off slow but picked up, it definitely felt more like a beach read. It was hard to really stay engaged but it was a fun read. Something light and easy this is a good pick.

This was the perfect read for this busy season. I thoroughly enjoyed the authors writing and her character's were a joy. Enchanting is the perfect description for this book. The author has created a story that is both whimsical and interesting. Who wouldn't want a magical box that could possibly make your dreams come true.