Tori has always wanted to open her own bakery, but life got in the way. And she's happy with her life, she is...but when her almost-adult kids sign her up to audition for a baking competition show, this might be the change she's been needing. Under the watchful (and very judgmental) eye of Kendra, one of the celebrity chefs who judges the show, Tori does her best to beat the competition.
Kendra has long felt like something is missing in her life, and now she's facing losing her restaurant, the most important thing in it. But one of the contestants on this year's show almost makes her feel some hope... so she breaks the non-fraternizing rules, just a bit, and leaves Tori notes in her weekly gifts from the studio.

I was expecting Love at 350 to be a little more romance-centered--it's a very slow burn, and the romance definitely takes a back seat to the baking and to the issues in both women's lives. I would definitely consider this more on the women's fiction side than a Romance.
It felt like everything wrapped up a bit neatly at the end, and I was expecting the fact that they were breaking the rules to be a bigger deal, but I loved that these two women in their 40s got their happy ending--we need more romance focused on people this age.

I loved the premise of this one - it sounded like a cute read! But I was looking for a true romance book, and this isn't it, so I DNF'ed. Lots of focus on the cooking show which was cute, but less heavy on the romance for a "romance" book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All views are my own.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun read! I really enjoyed it. It was a great palette cleanser from all the fantasy and I can't wait to read more of Lisa's work! Also, this cover is super cute! I love it!

I cannot get enough of cooking show romance novels. Make it sapphic and include characters who are middle age, I just might explode. This needs to be made into a Hallmark movie asap. Highly recommend.

Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy!

Tori is a home chef and chemistry teacher who teaches a baking class. She's gone through a terrible break up when her kids sign her up to audition for a baking show.

Kendra is a chef with a success cookie business and a restaurant. She begrudgingly accepts a hosting gig on a baking show to help shore up the restaurant.

As soon as Tori and Kendra meet, sparks fly. If only there wasn't an anti-fraternization policy in the way! They soon resort to letters to get to know each other a little better. Can Tori win the baking show and get her happily ever after?

This book was a spice free sapphic romance. I found the plot to be too slow and far too heavily focused on the actual baking show vs the relationship growing between Tori and Kendra. They are basically still strangers at the end of the book who have spent a total of a few minutes alone, ever. I found that aspect incredibly unrealistic. An opportunity was missed to explore their growth more!

The summary of the book is what made me interested in requesting an arc copy of it. I love reading romance novels with a baking aspect, especially if there is also a competition involved. The romance in this book was really adorable and an overall enjoyable read. It was also nice to read a romance novel with older characters. I also enjoyed seeing how both Kendra and Tori's characters changed and grew over the course of the book.
I definitely enjoyed it and will recommend to a friend!

Love at 350 is a delightful sweet romance by author Lisa Peers.
High-school chemistry teacher and soon-to-be empty nester Tori Moore auditions for the American Bake-o-Rama TV competition to humor her college bound twins. Still reeling from her divorce and not one to take risks, Tori barely dares to imagine what she could do with the prize money if she won; she's always dreamed of opening her own bakery.
Notoriously ruthless Bake-o-Rama judge and celebrity chef Kendra Campbell has been warned to soften her approach in the interest of providing feel-good TV. Desperate to save her restaurant and expand her Chippy Chunk cookie empire, she knows her business manager brother is right - the Bake-o-Rama gig is her ticket to financial security.
Tori and Kendra's first encounter during auditions is an embarrassing display of Tori's nervous klutziness, which leaves Kendra charmed and intrigued, though she quickly nixes any hint of interest she's feeling; after all, she's a judge and Tori a contestant. Tori has a tougher time stowing her own feelings, as she's quietly nurtures an impossible crush on the Cookie Queen from afar, but she doubts the celebrity chef even notices her.
This is a page-turning, feel good, savory sweet romance set against a journey through the ups and downs of one challenging bake-off after another. I enjoy learning something as I'm reading, and Peers deftly sprinkles nuanced details of the delectable bakes into the narrative, lending the reader a great feel for the passion that often accompanies the inspired creations of a true chef.
The building tension and high stakes possibility of forbidden romance between these two forty-something women drives the story and I enjoyed every moment of the ride. The author has a knack for witty, realistic banter, which made this read even more fun. If I could give it 6 out of 5 stars, I would. I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to reading whatever Lisa Peers writes next!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I DNF'ed about 50% of the way in. It just wasn't grabbing my attention the way I thought it would. The story had a lot of potential, but I was expecting a lot more of the romance factor. I think if it would have been balanced more between the baking show and the romance, I would have flown through this.

Beyond adorable. I loved how this story managed to build some incredible chemistry between Tori and Kendra with minimal interactions. Tori’s growth to self assuredness and Kendra’s growth to being less prickly we’re perfectly done. I also loved the baking competition aspect and the mild mystery twist at the end. Super fun read!

3.5 stars (rounding up to 4 though, because it was close).

Thank you to The Dial Press and NetGalley for the E-ARC of this book!

"Love at 350 Degrees" follows Tori Moore, a chemistry teacher turned TV contestant baker after her children secretly sign her up to audition for the national phenomenon: American Bake-O-Rama, and Kendra Campbell, a long-time judge of said-TV show who is known both for her immaculate cooking and her frosty personality. As the competition progresses, both contestant and judge grapple with challenges on-screen and off, while struggling to ignore the spark forming between them.

I thoroughly enjoyed this! Books with premises revolving around a TV show of sorts have typically been hit or miss with me, but I honestly really enjoyed and appreciated how this unique landscape played into the story. Peers takes full advantage of this setting, taking the reader through the full progression of the series with unique episode challenges, culinary obstacles of every sort, contestant and judge dynamics, and even an intriguing sabotage subplot! I ate (ha, get it?) all of it up. Certainly sets a high standard for this genre of books, and I'm sure it won't just be for me.

I also really loved both Tori and Kendra. They're so different, yet share key similarities that made it easy to see how they saw a connection with with another. My only real complaint about the story is that I wish we got to see more of them interacting with one another and more development of their relationship progression. The specific plot circumstances made it difficult for there to be one-on-one scenes between the two of them, and while it makes sense, I do think it resulted in much of the story feeling like two parallel plot lines that occasionally intersect: not a bad thing, but not what you typically want out of a romance.

Speaking of plot lines, I enjoyed all of the little subplots that took place within Tori and Kendra's individual lives, from Tori coming to terms with the impending absence of her twins as they go off to college to Kendra's restaurant being threatened with closure. I just wish, again, that more of their character arcs intertwined or overlapped.

Overall, I recommend this book to those who love baking, TV show plots, and who want to read a sweet but emotionally mature story about two women (on the older side for a lot of romance books – another thing I appreciated!) who find solidarity and solace in one another unexpectedly. I will definitely keep an eye out for future releases of this author, and I recommend the same for others!

4.5⭐️

As a kid one of my favorite things to do with my dad was watch Food Network cooking competition shows. After the first episode we’d make bets on who we thought would win (loser had to do the dishes after dinner). So it’s no surprise that as an adult books that feature cooking/baking competitions are some of my favorites.

Tori Moore is a chemistry teacher, single parent, and a ray of absolute sunshine. She also has a love for baking and she’s so good at it that her twins nominated her to go on a baking competition show. It also doesn’t hurt that one of the judges is Kendra Campbell, a gorgeous celebrity chef known for her prickly nature. When the two meet it’s instant attraction but of course a romance is off the table, at least for now.

This book was really mostly focused on the cooking competition show, with a splash of romance in the mix. Mostly because both Tori and Kendra signed contracts forbidding a romance between judges and contestants for at least a year after the show. So instead we have secret notes being passed, late night google searches to try to learn more about each other, and heartfelt parking lot chats. When I say this is slow burn I mean it because the kiss doesn’t happen until about 95% of the way into the book. I’m fine with that though because there’s enough happening with the competition and some really interesting side characters that kept me happy.

This book also comes with a recipe for Tori’s famous paper bag apple pie which I am absolutely gonna try to bake asap. I will update you with the results eventually (probably in like a week or so).

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

Really good book, didn't have a strong enough connection to the characters to rate this really high. I did love the concept and the cover is stunning!

LOVE LOVE LOVE!! I haven’t read a heartfelt yet funny romance with an interesting premise in a long time so this one hit the spot! Love that the protagonists are women in their 40s. I feel like all romances are people in their 20s and 30s so this was refreshing! I also love that it takes place while one of the women is competing on a baking show and the other woman is a judge on the show — so fun!! A new favorite romance!

Beyond adorable. I loved how this story managed to build some incredible chemistry between Tori and Kendra with minimal interactions. Tori’s growth to self assuredness and Kendra’s growth to being less prickly we’re perfectly done. I also loved the baking competition aspect and the mild mystery twist at the end. Super fun read!

This book was so much fun and really tried to break free from the tropes. I appreciate the slow proof of this novel given that the couple was older and wouldn't naturally fall head over heels for each other given the stakes for both of their jobs.

Really cute queer romance! I enjoyed the plot and the characters. I thought the characters were loveable and thoroughly enjoyed their relationship. Please note, there is no spice to this, just FYI.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love at 350 is a solid four star read for me - I read it in a day and was heavily invested in the story! I loved the bake-off game show setting and the overall sweetness of this book. I learned so much about baking but in a way that did not feel like the book was infodumping on me! Both main characters, Tori and Kendra, went through loads of growth and I'm a sucker for solid character development. The reason this is 4 (and not 5) stars is that I wanted more romance - it was a mix between instalove and slow burn (I know, right?) and it didn't quite work for me. Then the book ended rather abruptly and I was craving more relationship development. I do think they lived happily ever after thanks to their growth during the book and their life goals expanding to want to include the other, but I just wanted more!

Also this is not even a fade to black romance and the "forbidden" aspect hinted at in the synopsis was not THAT forbidden plus, like grow adults a prone to do, they didn't just say "screw it" and do whatever they want. I liked that a lot, but I meant so little time was spent with Kendra and Tori together.

One last thing - I adored the side characters in this book! They added an element of fun and support that I was not expecting when I picked this up!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy. All opinions are my own.

What a great romance! Loved the characters, their relationships with each other (LOVED Mel!!), the food show, the drama and sabotage, and of course the romance.

I wish when Tori was on the show she was more experimental based on her science class that she taught - that would've been a lot of fun.
Loved seeing the growth in Kendra and how she learned what she truly wanted from her career.
Natalie needs her own book!! I need to know all of her secrets!

Overall, recommended!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

4.5⭐️

This was such a cute story! I loved every moment of this story! It definitely got me in the baking mood! Tori, Kendra, Trevor, and the rest of the baking crew were all lovely characters and so special. You could really feel the personality in each character. This was a great, quick summer read! I highly recommend it! Especially during pride month! This was a wholesome love story with a bit of competition mixed in!

Love at 350 by Lisa Peers is a feel good romance story that involves the best thing ever…FOOD. Tori Moore is about to do something she never thought she would do. Enter as a contestant on a baking show called Bake-O-Rama TV. She normally is a mild mannered high school chemistry teacher who has twin teenagers who support her new challenge. Then we meet Kendra Campbell who has a pension for being ruthless and brute. Kendra will be a judge on the television show and was asked to be nicer while on the program.. When Tori and Kendra meet, flames start showing. It might be that Tori is just what Kendra needed and vice versa. Will there be love on the show? Or will the two manage to work together by putting feelings aside? The development of the characters is very well shown through the novel as you are witness to their growth, humility, and powerful unions. They mesh so well together that you as the reader feel as though you are a part of the story. Overall, the author does an amazing job telling a story that makes you feel all gooey inside. Watch out October 10 2023!


5 out of 5 stars