What I enjoyed the most about Tori is that she cooked her dishes as an inspiration for those she loves to show them to the audience of the reality show. They don't need to be the most extravagant to really epitomize the story she was telling. She saw her dream and was willing to pursuit despite the challenges which is why Natalie and Mel stood beside her. I was so impressed by Natalie's character. Tori and Kendra truly loved and respected each other and through baking, their story grew. A heartfelt story about how in pursuing a dream and knowing what you want and deserve, all decisions are correct.

Tori is a high school chemistry teacher who has put her dreams of owning a bakery aside for many reasons, including her ex-wife, her twins, and the chemistry of baking class that she co-teaches. Her kids secretly submit an application for her to be a contestant on a baking show.. and she’s selected! The show is already stressful enough before she falls for one of the judges, Kendra. Is a potential relationship worth potentially losing the show?

What I loved:
-cooking show romance (my favourite oddly specific trope)
-friendships amongst other members of the show/side characters
-the competition scenes

This was a cute read with one of my absolute favourite settings. I liked the characters of both Tori and Kendra although their attraction to each other did feel a bit insta-love to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for the complementary E-ARC! I was actually sadly dissapointed with this book. The characters annoyed me and the plot was so boring. I would eventually try another book from this author though.

I really like that this book felt different. A cooking show is definitely not common (although not unique), but it was executed very well and I love the grumpy/sunshine dynamic.
However, insta love is not my favorite trope, which did affect my general enjoyment of the book, as my favorite part is always the build up.
All in all, I’m not sure if I’m craving love of food at this point, but this book definitely serves chemistry!

DNF I was expecting a silly little queer romance but there was barely any but if you go into this without the idea that it's a silly little romance it could be highly enjoyable but it wasn't for me. Therefore, I wish to not be giving it a star rating.

3.5 stars- sometimes you just need a feel good, lighthearted book and this is the one for you. i enjoyed how the book wasn't full romance and showed elements of the baking show. fun read! thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

What a cute book! Love at 350° had the perfect balance of actual plot and romance. I’m not a fan of multiple perspectives, but it really helped this story along and added depth to the characters. I can’t wait to reread this one!

This was such a charming, mature romance! I love foodie romances and this one delivered (at 350!). I also loved that there was almost equal focus on savoury and sweet baking because it's good to have balance, right?

Tori and Kendra meet at Tori's audition for a reality baking show, except that Tori knows all about Kendra's reputation as the Tough Cookie - the critic of the judging duo.

Kendra is taken with Tori and vice versa. And yet, that nasty non-fraternization clause gets in their way - neither of them can afford to lose this gig! So they keep it all discreet and coy and it's super sweet and actually really uplifting - something we maybe don't see enough of in romance novels.

And as they work through this, alongside other major life decisions and challenges, they find their way together (because of course they do!)....sans third act break up (!!!!). Well done - I really enjoyed this.

Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for this ARC.
What a fun read! Fans of the food network or any baking show will love reading this story. Our plot centers around a televised baking completion. The subplot is a baker and a judge who fall for each other. Dual POVs depict each main character’s thoughts and feelings as the tv show filming progresses. Our main characters are both in their 40s, females who have had love life’s before that have ended. Tori’s wife divorced her and she shares custody of her teenage twins. Kendra has always been career driven and has never given love a chance.

I will say that this book isn’t a strong Romance read. The characters have limited interactions and communicate mostly through notes.

It’s a story very much focused on growth and character development.

Very quick and fun.

I thought this was very cute and very relatable - as a divorced, single mom in her forties still hoping for love. I loved how this book was about both Tori and Kendra improving their lives, their romance more of a backstory.
Tori's life has been stable - minus the divorce following her wife's affair; after more than a decade together, Tori's ex can't help but tell Tori how boring she is. Her twins are starting college in the fall - entering Tori in a baking reality show.
Kendra has no time for people - running her many businesses, her restaurant sucking up the majority of her time. Though she's determined to be nicer on her baking reality show.
Tori and Kendra circle around each other - attraction combined with the hint of breaking contract rules.

This was cute and modern read. I kept waiting for something to happen to set it apart from all the other rom coms.

Mood: You’re looking for a romance that’s all sugar and no spice.

As a mood reader, sometimes I need a syrupy sweet romance to get lost in and make me feel like all is right with the world.

Love at 350 fits that bill. We learn the story of Tori, a high-school science teacher, mom to twins, and recently(ish) divorcee struggling with her impending empty nester status and Kendra, a no-nonsense baking competition show judge, restaurateur, and serial bachelorette.

The two meet at crossroads in their personal journeys and at a stage of great opportunity in their professional careers. I was on the edge of my seat figuring out what would come next. This story has a healthy dose of angst (it is a competition show!), a bit of a grumpy/sunshine dynamic, kids with main character energy, and a personal growth story for both of the heroines.

There actually was a lot of spice in this book, by way of all the lovely confectionary treats shared throughout the pages. I love food in romance books and this one inspires me to hop in the kitchen and experiment!

If you’re looking for hot and heavy scenes, there aren’t any, but it makes sense for the storyline as the story exists. It’s an excellent palette cleanser in between high heat romances.

If I have to give any criticism it’s that it ended too quickly for me. I would have learned to see even a few months in the future with them spending more than a couple of pages in their HEA. They spent the whole book building a friendship from afar but we barely got the chance to see Tori and Kendra in a relationship. It feels more like a HFN than a HEA but I’d love to see more Tori & Kendra. Either way, I’ll definitely read Lisa Peers again!

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for this ARC!

I absolutely loved reading this book. The storyline was unique and I loved all of the characters. I love that the main characters weren’t super young like most romance stories. Kendra’s character development was so nicely done and portrayed. The challenge/competition aspect of this story had me waiting to see each result! This book also made me hungry! I really enjoyed reading this.

This book was adorable. As a lover of baking, baking shows, and a good romance, this checked all the boxes!

Warning: DO NOT READ THIS WHILE HUNGRY.

Loved it. I wanted it to keep going.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. It's a solid 3.5 stars for me because it's a VERY cute and wholesome queer romance that is not about 20-somethings. I love the cooking competition angle, even if I've read similar stories before. I'd definitely read a sequel!

While I absolutely adored Love at 350, I have to start by saying that while billed as a romance, the actual romance in the book takes us less that ten percent of the actual book.

Putting that aside, I can say that Love at 350 was a delightful book that had me often salivating from the tempting descriptions of delicious foods throughout its pages. Both Tori and Kendra are likable in their own ways and I loved the part Tori's kids played in the story--always rooting on their mom from behind the scenes.

If you're looking for a full on romance, you may want to look elsewhere. However, if you are okay with a major slow burn with little sizzle with complex characters that grow throughout the book, you'll love Love at 350.

Tori Moore, high school chemistry teacher and amateur baker, knows she will be dealing with an empty nest once her twins Milo and Mia head off to college in the fall. What she doesn't expect is for them to decide she needs to test her own limits -- and to sign her up for the American Bake-o-Rama program. But hey, maybe the experience will help her decide whether or not to follow her dream of starting her own bakery!

Kendra Campbell, known as the Cookie Queen for her chain of Chippy Chunk cookie places, is facing a difficult decision over her failing restaurant, Gamma Raye. Her brother Alden (also her financial adviser) wants her to renew her contract as a judge for the Bake-o-Rama in order to ease their finances, but he warns her that she has to gentle her harsh comments about the contestants. And when she meets Tori in the audition interview, she's impressed by Tori's willingness to find out what she's capable of creating as a baker... as well as attracted to the lovely woman with the warm smile.

Of course, their contracts rule out any kind of relationship between judge and contestant, but that doesn't mean they can't get to know each other, right?

This sweet and slow-burn sapphic romance hits all the right notes. I really appreciated seeing two love interests in their 40s, both with enough experience and heartbreak in their past to know that it's better to move slowly toward a potential relationship. Tori has a wonderful personality, warm and compassionate without being unrealistic in her positivity. She brings her teacher skills to the competition and not only is able to break down recipes and make magic with them, but also is a natural at narrating what she's doing for the cameras. Kendra slowly reveals her more vulnerable side at the same time that she learns how to recognize and reward the contestants' efforts without being so judgmental. The two women balance each other well and remain mindful of the ethics of their situation, taking a mature and cautious path to their HEA.

I cannot resist a baking competition romance and the chaos and fun that ensues, and this did not disappoint. 4 sweet, sweet stars.

Thank you, Dial Press and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

What a cute book! Tori, our main lady is a chemistry teacher who will soon become a divorced one. Her twin girls signed her up without her knowledge in a TV baking competition that could change Tori's life. The prize? $100,000. The prize will surely help Tori open her dream bakery. She goes into the competition and shows her talents but also catches the eye of one of the judges. The tough and ruthless Kendra. This book is set on beautiful Sonoma and will keep you engaged from beginning to end. How much are Tori and Kendra willing to sacrifice for this mutual attraction. Will Kendra be able to find and discover the softer side of Kendra? I read this book in one sitting. It's a very entertaining lesbian rom-com that will make you believe in true love again.

A delightful romance novel!

Tori Moore, a chemistry teacher and single mom enters a television baking competition at the insistence of her children which will change her life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an arc of this book,

First of all, I started my journey with no expectation at all, except this book would do me good. And it somewhat did. First, I love the idea of sapphic romance in broadcasting industry. Personally, I'm always thinking that broadcasting is a place full of hardworker people, and one of my dream job, so having this as background in a book is a blast.

But, I must say, this book is lacking something. I don't sense any chemistry between two main characters, and it was kinda rushy.

The writing was not spectacular but it has something to make me sat my ass down for a while. It was a heartwarming story, perfect for night reading.