CW: childhood trauma/neglect, anxiety

Think…. Hallmark meets Great British Bake Off meets Happy queer universe.

I loved the beautiful world Courtney paints in this book. They do such a wonderful job making the reader feel like they’ve been dropped into another world.

Points for great bi rep and mental health rep. Points for excellent steamy scenes (although I think they could’ve gone further). Points for fun side characters.

My qualms are with the rather flat characters and absolutely BIZZARE plot line, that at times made little to no sense. Am I the only one that was really confused why they said “I love you” for the first time….twice???

I’d recommend for anyone who enjoys a Hallmark cheesy book :)

Bear with me because this review is looooong. But this book deserves all the praise and all the stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m not sure how Courtney does it but the world creation alone is enough to make this story swoon worthy. I can feel and sense the places they write about. And not just because I know what those areas are like, but because the towns and spaces within them come alive through the story.

That doesn’t even touch on character design and development. Descriptions - not just hair color but scents and looks and outfits. I don’t usually get how people can see a face or hear a voice, but Courtney writes in that rare way that just immersed me in the story.

I absolutely loved the conversational and natural use of pronouns in introductions!

Adam and Ben…what can I say? I’ve wanted this story since I read In the Event of Love! The way the dots connect through the story from throughout their lives - a single string knitted into a gorgeous tapestry!

Have you listened to the ITCOH playlist on Spotify? I was obsessed before I read the book and now every Ben Rector song hits SO much deeper!

Now despite this being a romance, this isn’t a light book at some moments. There’s a lot to unpack here. Past trauma and it’s impact on our adult lives plays heavily but in an authentic manner. Which makes me sad, because I think to write like this must come from experience. But these stories and heartaches and hard fought victories being shared are what make us feel less alone. This is community through pages.

It’s like if Hallmark queered itself up and joined forces with Gilmore Girls and, I dunno…something new and magical, too. That’s a Courtney Kae story.

Ben is taking a Big Step - he’s signed up for Take the Cake National, a televised baking completion way waaay out of his comfort zone. The prize would be his signature cinnamon rolls being sold in stores nationally, and side benefits of extra publicity for the bakery and the feeling that he’s Made It with the family business.

Unfortunately, his deadbeat runaway dad pops in - remotely, through a lying cease and desist letter and a BS Instagram post claiming the recipe is his - to throw a wrench in the whole thing.

Now while Ben is reliving some childhood trauma from a horrid parent that doesn’t know when to quit, he also has to figure out how to stop the studio from both kicking him off the show and hitting him with a crushing bill for footage already filmed. The perfect storm when it comes to depression and anxiety spirals.

As if that wouldn’t be enough upheaval in a person’s life, he’s also signed on to a two week birthday extravaganza for the most amazingly feisty G-ma ever aaaaaand some strings may have been pulled to matchmake him with Adam, his first (and current) long time crush. The one that just said on live national television that they were good friends and nothing more. For always. So. There’s some feelings he is totally handling okay.

My highlights on this book were so out of control, I don’t think I could pick a favorite part if you made me. All of it. All of it is my favorite.
Reading it was an emotional rollercoaster of the best sort.

Was I Laughing? Crying? Anxious? Swooning? Hot? Angry?
All of these things at once?
MAYBE.

I joked that the above should be my review, but honestly? Yeah. Not a joke!

Pick up this book in July, and get ready to speedrun all the emotions. It’s like exercise, but for your feelings.
And be sure you have a cinnamon roll on standby

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC!

3 🌟

*spoilers ahead for the book because i don’t see how i can write my review without including spoilers*

‘in the case of heartbreak’ was one of the books i was looking forward to the most this year and it definitely had parts i loved but it also had parts that left me wanting more

pros:
-g-ma was the best! she brought in that comedic relief and was just so wholesome and funny. she actually reminded me of pete from beach read
-ben and adam were both so cute and adorable together
-the few crumbs of rachel and morgan (although i wish there was more but since a majority of this book did not take place in fern falls i understand why)
-the opposing struggles ben and adam both had with their families
-the baking scene!!!
-how easy ben and adam become more than friends, the progression felt very natural to me
-the beach house vibes!!!

cons:
-the storyline with ben’s dad was quickly resolved; his only purpose was to cause more conflict so it seemed very two dimensional to me but he was also a dick so i didn’t care to see a redemption arc
-the fade to black sex scenes!!! if you’re expecting some spicy moments similar to ‘in the event of love’ lower those expectations. it was a pivotal scene where ben and adam decided to wait until they felt more ready to have sex for the first time and when they finally did it was just heavily implied. the other ‘spicy’ scenes were also the same way where you just assume sexy times happened
-the third act breakup being resolved on the second to last page. i would have loved to see them after the reunion or in an epilogue just like in ‘in the event of love’

the book was super quick for me to read and it reels you in immediately but i put my kindle down wanting just a little bit more