This book was a star crossed telling of a baker and a judge falling for each other over the course of a baking competition (similar to the Great British Baking Show). The biggest problem is that per their contracts neither lead was allowed to fraternize with the other. I found the book had a good level of suspense as the baking competition show was a prime part of the story telling. There’s no steam or spice, but the slow burn and tension keep you rooting for Kendra and Tori. The note passing was also a cute touch.

This story was lighthearted, funny, and a little hopeful. I would class this as a medium pace book and found the story to be a good balance of plot and character driven. There was good character development and the cast was pretty diverse. I would rate this a 3.75 or 4/5.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Great Sapphic romance with wonderful character development.
I love the difference between the two FMCs both I found so insipirational in their individual journeys.
I do think that this book is primarily marketed as romance and I did not get much of that, which can be confusing as that is something I was expecting as I started reading.
Once I switched my expectations to a women's lit/fiction read with some romance I was able to enjoy the story a bit more.

“Love at 350” is the debut novel from Lisa Peers. This book is perfect for fans of The Great British Bake Off and lovers of the Food Network who wants a dash of sapphic romance. This book primarily revolves around Tori, a divorced teacher and a mom of 2, and Kendra, a powerhouse restaurateur, chef, and baker. Meeting as a contestant and judge on a show called American Bake-o-Rama, they are not able to act on their attraction due to contractual obligations and accusations of favoritism but through secret notes, they have gotten to know each other a little bit better.

It was so well written I felt like I was behind the scenes at a real baking competition. I feel as though the romance and the bake off plot could’ve been balanced better without taking anything away from each other. 1/5 of this book is the romance and the remaining is the competition. My only real complaint about the story is that I wish we got to see more of Tori and Kendra interacting with one another and more development of their relationship progression. The circumstances made it difficult for there to be one-on-one scenes between the two of them. I do think it resulted in much of the story feeling like two parallel plot lines that occasionally intersect, not what you typically want out of a romance. I wish there was a bit more chemistry. I did love that it’s a dual POV. I enjoy romances that are dual POV because it allows the reader to get both perspectives, thoughts and feelings so you can see why the MCs fall for each other. I loved all the friendships that developed between the reality show contestants! Mel was by far my favorite contestant (besides Tori). The book 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 and I’d love to see more Tori & Kendra. Either way, I’ll definitely read Lisa Peers again! Thanks to Netgalley, Lisa Peers and Random House Publishing Group for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts.

This lesbian romance revolves around a competitive baking television show. The two central characters are one of the competitors and a judge on the show. The food definitely takes prominence here, with the romance always on the edge.
Tori Moore is a high school chemistry teacher who has, along with another teacher at her school, taught a class combining chemistry and baking that considers the scientific aspects of baking while teaching the kids kitchen skills too. It actually sounds like a pretty cool course and reminds me of the recent novel Lessons in Chemistry. She is fairly recently divorced from her wife, after he wife left her to "pursue her dreams." She has twins who are in the senior year of high school and who worry about her being on her own after they leave for college. They have entered her in the competition to be on the reality television show Bake-O-Rama without her knowledge. When she finds that she's made it to the level of being asked to tryout for the show, she doesn't hesitate long.
Kendra Campbell is one of the two hosts on the show, and definitely the more critical one, with her ruthless critiques driving some previous contestants to tears. She owns a chain of upscale cookie outlets, and a high-end restaurant. Her agent (who is also her brother) has encouraged her to soften her approach as a way to make the show's producers more likely to keep her on as a judge.
When Tori makes it to the final selection of contestants who will appear on the upcoming season's shows, she is both excited and nervous. Her friends and children all are encouraging and supportive.
Both women notice a spark between them, but their contracts stipulate no fraternization for a year after the show airs, which means that they can't act on those nascent feelings without jeopardize Tori's spot in the competition, or Kendra's job. They do manage to find some ways to let each other know there is interest and hope for a future. While this limited the romantic aspect of the book, I found it realistic. The women are mature, and able to consider the pros and cons of reacting to their feelings on a more immediate basis.
I learned a lot about different kinds of baking, and there is a recipe included at the end of the book.
The characters are appealing and vulnerable and I really was captured by the book. A definite winner.

If you like slow-building romances, this book is perfect for you! Tori Moore joins a baking competition and meets Kendra Campbell, a famous chef and judge. They both feel a connection but have contracts that say they can't date. Which love that by the way. The only thing I thought this book lacked was the romance. I need MORE. I thought the little notes they exchanged were cute. It was a good book. It just lacked a few things

If you’re into slow burns…this is definitely the book for you! When Tori Moore becomes a contestant on a baking competition she meets Judge and renowned Chef, Kendra Campbell! Each are attracted to the other but their contracts include a clause against fraternization!

I was hoping to have more romance in this book! The little notes they passed each other were sweet but not entirely romantic. The book was almost entirely about filming the cooking show with a bit of romance at the end. I would have loved to have gone through the cooking show a bit faster and been given more romance after!

All in all it was a good read and one that I enjoyed…just wanted some more romance!

This was a really cute, easy-to-read queer romance! Though, I'd say it was more 20% romance and 80% baking competition. Tori is entered into American Bake-o-rama by her children, and meets celebrity chef judge Kendra on set. The two are instantly infatuated with each other, and the book follows the competition, with their crush as a subplot — and it is very much a subplot!

This book was spice free — <spoiler>there was a total of just one kiss in the entire book, at the very, very end. </spoiler>

Still, the competition was fun, I loved reading about the bakes, the characters were enjoyable, and there was drama, too. Would recommend to anyone that's a fan of GBBO, and anyone that read and enjoyed Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a Digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

If your comfort show is The Great British Baking Show, this RomCom will definitely bring a smile to your face!


When high school teacher and single mom Tori is nominated by her teenaged children for the Bake-o-Rama television show, falling in love again is the last thing on her mind. After all, she’s an amateur home baker who stands to win prize money that could make her dream of running her own bakery a possibility. Not to mention she’s still pretty tender from her last big heartbreak. But then there’s Kendra - the ultra cool and classically blunt celebrity restaurateur who also happens to be Bake-o-Rama’s most intimidating judge. With Tori’s dreams on the line, Kendra’s own business woes, and a growing attraction between the two women that could be a recipe for disaster for their show contracts - things are sure to heat up!


Sometimes the reasons that a couple can’t be together can feel a little contrived, but that wasn’t an issue here. I felt like there were pretty legitimate reasons to keep them apart and I couldn’t predict how they were going to make it work, which I liked!


I also loved the creativity in describing all of the various bakes and the overall nod to a beloved baking show format. That being said, there were segments that started to feel a little repetitive because the narrative form of a baking competition is so inherently different than watching it on TV. Maybe those sections could’ve been broken up with more character development and a lot more in-between, stolen moments between our romantic pairing. I definitely needed more of that - moments where the characters felt real and flawed and where their attraction didn’t feel too reliant on insta-love or lust. Overall, the competition aspect of the novel looms far larger than the romance, for me.


Thank you, NetGalley and Dial Press, for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed this book but was expecting a lot more romance based on the description. There were some cute moments between Tori and Kendra but they didn't even kiss until the END of the book.

Overall, this is more of a story about Tori, an almost empty nester coming into her own and going after her dreams after a breakup, and Kendra, a super talented chef who is learning to soften up and has to make some important decisions regarding her career. I did love the TV baking show aspect and everything that happened within that. This is more of a book about finding out who you are and going after your dreams.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

Such a fun read!! It really pulled me in and I could clearly see the story in my mind. I love baking competition shows and this felt like the Great British Bake-off. I did guess who did the little twist fairly quickly. The romance wasn’t a main highlight, which actually worked really well for me even though I was expecting it to be fully romance.

Would recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to read this book, but it fell kind of flat for me.

The concept of two women calling for each other during a baking reality tv contest was so exciting.

However this focused more on the reality show aspect the food that was cooked rather than their relationship. I almost DNF’d is a few times because I was just bored.

The writing wasn’t bad but the plot lacked substance of the relationship.

Love at 350 made me curious about different books Lisa Peers may publish in the future.

Tori Moore is a high school chemistry teacher who realizes over time that she is not living to her full potential. Her twin teens signed her up for American Bake-o-Rama competition show and this may be just the boost she needs. The cash prize is worth enough for her to say goodbye to teaching and hello to baking. Quickly, Tori gets the attention of Kendra Campbell, standoffish judge on Bake-o-Rama. Kendra needs the money from the show to continue her baking business and feels she can only do so by staying on the judge and bowing down to the male powered producer's wants.

Kendra really needs to move on or make a change in her life. Choosing to take a chance, she starts a slow note trail with Tori. At the end of the day, all's fair for love and baking.

Love at 350 is a LGBTQ baking competition novel that was paced well and kept my attention. I loved reading about the different foods featured and the recipe at the end of the book was an added plus. I enjoyed the dual point of view set up however; I wanted more of the flirtation and actual banter from Tori and Kendra. I wish there was more "show" and not "tell" featured throughout the novel to make this contemporary LGBTQ romance a bigger hit.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I was curious to read a mature romance as this is not a common demographic represented. It was definitely a cute book, but extremely light on the actual romance to the point it was not quite believable.

Thoughts

I have never read a book with a character with the same name as me. It was kind of weird. But I am glad she was the best.

This was a really cute mature romance. It was set against a baking competition and a judge and a contestant fell for each other.

But because of it being a judge and a contestant, Tori and Kendra were not allowed to even really talk so they passed notes back and forth and nothing happened until the end. So it made it a little hard to be believable.

However, it was cute and I love my baking shows so it kept me interested.

There isn't any steam here so if you need that look elsewhere. But there is a lot of built-up tension.

And once we finally get that kiss it is worth it.

#loveat350degrees Thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for this eARC

Thank you, Dial Press and NetGalley, for an advanced copy of Love at 350.

Don't go into this novel looking for a romance. With that kind of title, I expected a little bit more in the love department. This is a fun behind-the-scenes trope of a baking show. It was a good read, but not what I thought I'd be getting into. This is most definitely a SLOW sizzle.

Tori Moore teaches chemistry in a fun home-ec way. Her children enter her into a baking competition, and Tori makes it onto the show. While on set, Tori meets Kendra Campbell, celebrity chef extraordinaire. Kendra has a major attitude problem, but Tori might just be the one to help soften Kendra up.

This was a fun little read. There was a ton more plot and foodie-ness than I expected which was nice! I do think there was a lot of food-related side plots and that could have been better balanced. Also, I sadly didn’t relate/love one of the main characters and that threw me off while reading. Overall, a cute read but not my favorite

As a fan of The Great British Bake-Off and sapphic romances, I was super excited for this ARC! Unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations and ended up being just okay.

My main complaint is how little the two love interests actually interact. Unless it’s a Regency romance, there’s no reason that their only form of communication is by letter. They only have two scenes alone together, so I just wasn’t buying their connection. I kept hoping for a little more sneaking around, tension, etc. and it just didn’t happen.

I thought the side characters and mystery subplot were very fun! The baking descriptions sounded delicious and I’m tempted to try out the recipe in the back of the book.

Overall, I don’t think this was a bad book, it just fell flat for me.

Tori Moore is a high school chemistry teacher and baker whose twins are about to graduate high school and leave home for college. They are worried about their mom feeling lonely and putting her dreams on hold for them, so they enter her into a baking competition show. There she meets notoriously grumpy and harsh chef judge, Kendra. Both are drawn to each other but cannot act on any feelings due to their contractual obligations - will they find a way around the barriers in order to be together?

Things I loved:
- Older FMCs (in their 40s)
- Epistolary elements

Ultimately though this wasn't a hit for me for a few reasons. The main reason is that there was no chemistry between Tori and Kendra. They spent almost no time alone together and never really got to know each other so I never understood their "relationship". I've read and really enjoyed closed door romances, but there has to be tension/chemistry for me to believe in a relationship and I ultimately just never did. Tori and Kendra don't even kiss until about 3 pages from the end! I'm not saying they had to be all hot and heavy because that wouldn't have fit with the story but ultimately I never felt that spark.

I also think the pacing is off in this book - we spend a lot of time in the competition but also get a lot more telling than showing. And then the end of the book just happens so fast and the reason they "couldn't be together" is resolved very quickly.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Tori is a teacher who loves to bake, and she has incorporated that into a class at the high school she teaches at. Her and a fellow teacher run a combined science/baking class, and she loves it. Tori’s kids enter her into a baking show competition with a celebrity chef, Kendra. She has bakeries and a restaurant under her belt. When they meets the competition, they have some sparks and flirtation. Can they have it all?

This was such a cute romance. I felt for Tori and Kendra as they dealt with their lives, feelings, and problems. There was a lot to tackle in this book, but it was sweet and fun. I loved the baking show aspect, it made for a very easy read. (Though I did call what happened! I knew it! Haha) The happy ending was adorable! I’d definitely recommend this one for a palate cleansing read.

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

I love a reality show romance plot, but this was too much show and not enough romance for me. I don't care about what they're baking! Give me more interaction, more sexual tension, all of the good stuff!