So much fun. A smart, witty small town, second chance, rivals (both personally and professionally) to more romantic comedy that takes place on a reality baking show. Magda and Mac have been feuding for so long that it is an accepted as by everyone in their small town community. When Magda is chosen to be on a British Bake-Off type show she is thrilled for the chance to compete and for some Mac free time. Oops, not so fast. Can she just once get a break? Apparently not! Their journey through the competition and the evolution of their relationship to their wonderful happy ending is laugh out loud silly, riotous and perfect. I adore this author and this is why.

A second chance, rivals to lovers, not-steamy romance with....maple cake! Magda and Mac's relationship fell apart years ago but now they've been positioned (naturally) as rivals in a baking competition. Fans of the British Baking Show (and others of the genre) will enjoy this one for the competition as much as the romance. Magda and Mac are good characters who both need to, let's be honest, get over themselves. There isn't a lot of drama but there are a few chuckles. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read for a lazy day.

ARC Review: Like Cats and Dogs by Lizzie Shane ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 6th book focused on the pet loving residents of Pine Hollow, Vermont. Mac Newton and Magda Miller have been in a long-standing rivalry for as long as everyone in town can remember. Only Mac and Magda know the true reasons behind their animosity and the flames of their conflict still burn bright. When they both are chosen to compete on Great American Cake-Off, Mac and Magda are forced to reflect on their tumultuous past and reconcile it with their budding attraction to one another.

This book was more fun than I thought! Initially I felt like the competition show rivals trope was going to feel over-done, as I feel like I’ve seen so many recently. I was pleasantly surprised - I was pretty invested in the baking competition! Magda and Mac had great chemistry and I enjoyed their tension in the kitchen. It was very clear that the author expected you to be familiar with Pine Hollow and the characters of previous books. There were many references made that went unexplained and left me a little jarred as I haven’t read the others in her series. I thought it was unique that Shane gave the POV of one of the PAs of the cooking show to give a look ‘behind the curtain’ at the drama with the show runner but ultimately it took me out of the romance of the story.

Like Cats and Dogs will be published November 12th 2024!

As an avid Bake Off fan, I thought the concept of this book was great. I’d be mad if a new show runner came in and made my wholesome comfort show into a battle of enemies, but for the sake of this book and the forced proximity it created between Magda and Mac I was all in for it.

Though I’ve read others in this series, I’m not one who retains a ton of detail of books I’ve previously read, but even without the full history of Magda and Mac in my brain their chemistry was still undeniable right away in this book. The back and forth between them always felt like something deeper and something more than what either of them were really saying and feeling. The idea of essentially being held captive in a reality show bubble was a great setup to help shift their dynamic.

The rehashing of their feud felt a bit cyclical and repetitive at times, but I did appreciate the couple of flashback chapters to see its true origin. (Team Magda, by the way — Mac handled that situation like a human bulldozer.)

Overall this was a sweet, enjoyable read. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not only did this enemy-to-lovers trope is one of my faves, but this book also made me want to eat some pastries, and I will be honest I was eating more cookies than normal because of this book. Anyway, enough about food, Magda and Mac are nemesis, they both have their own shops, and their feuding has made them famous in their small town. Well Magda is finally going to get the opportunity to join this baking competition, and she thought she everything will be going smoothly, UNTIL she finds out that Mac is also in the competition, THERE IS A HUGE TWIST to the competition, and I was LOVING IT!!!!!!! We get a HUGE back story as to their feuding and these two have history, and their chemistry is FELT through this book. I was inspired by Magda, she is such a badass, and even throughout the book I was loving her, this woman did not BACK down. This book was really exciting to read, it was packed with TV competition drama, and all the extra sappy crap that I love from romance novels.

Thanks to Forever for an advanced copy of Like Cats and Dogs by Lizzie Shane. This is Pine Hollow #6 and these books are just so much fun. These small-town romances always make me happy. Like Cats and Dogs is an enemies to lovers romance when two baking rivals compete in a reality TV baking show. 

If you like shows like The Great British Bake Off, you'll love this book! I liked Magda and Mac and seeing their rivalry both in town and on the show. Plus they each have a pet that makes you laugh. It was also great to see so many of their friends and see what they were up to. 

If you're looking for sweet, fun romances that I adore, check out this series!

Like Cats and Dogs comes out November 12th!

4.5/5 Stars

Thank you to Forever Publishing for an advanced copy of this book!

General Description: Magda and Mackenzie have been town rivals for the last decade. Magda has had a dream to be on Cake Off and she finally gets in. However, and what Madga won't find out until the last possible second, is that this is the Archrival season of Cake Off, meaning that Mackenzie will be competing against her. What will that mean for their rivalry? Will all be revealed on camera, or will they find some common ground on national television?

All the goods:
- The reality TV show aspect was so fun. I love the Cake Off idea and the drama around the TV show was excellent.
- Magda was such a fun character. I truly felt the enemy-to-lover pipeline was done so well because of Magda's attitude and arc.
- Mackenzie was a great main character. I really loved seeing his perspective and struggle throughout the book.
- I feel like the challenges in the reality TV show were described extremely well and made me hungry. Would recommend snacks while reading.

the loss of a half-star: This is DEFINITELY on me, but I felt a bit lost in some conversations

Overall, if you're looking for a reality TV show-based romance book, you'd enjoy this and should add it to your TBR!

I was not familiar with Lizzie Shane's work and had not read the previous books in the Pine Hollow series and I did not feel like I was missing out by not reading the previous books.

Magna Miller and Mackenzie Newton have been enemies and rivals for so long but have they? They started out as good friends when they were younger but then things got awkward. Now their entire time is divided and has picked sides.

But Magna and Mac have been chosen for a reality baking show. I found the working of the show to be interesting. I like to see "how the sausage is made" so to speak.

This is a fun easy quick read that I found enjoyable.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a cute book. Part of a series but you don't need to read them in order. I love a good enemies to lovers troupe, this one did a great job with the slow burn. One thing I was missing was a little bit of spice. That would've given it five stars.

Magda and Mac have a long standing feud and so they get on like cats and dogs. It makes living in the same small town awkward, especially when Mac’s cat insists on breaking into Magda’s apartment to terrorize her dog. So imagine their surprise when they find themselves competing on Magda’s favourite baking show. Forced to work in close quarters, will their rivalry affect their individual success?

I thought this was an engaging and entertaining read. The novel is primarily told from Magda and Mac’s viewpoint and provides the reader with the backstory of the feud. I enjoyed the tension between Mac and Magda and enjoyed how they reluctantly came to trust, forgive and then fall in love with each other. This novel will likely appeal to anyone who enjoys a light-hearted rivals to lovers romance.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and authors for providing me with an ARC of this novel. All of the opinions offered in this review are my own.

This was a perfect enemies to lovers romance. It had all the passion and sexual tension the trope needs. The two characters were legitimately antagonistic, too, with a long history of rivalry. So their inevitable romance was even more sweet.

I LOVED the setting as well. I’m a big fan of shows like The Great British Bake-Off, and this book totally captured the spirit of baking shows. The contestants and crew were great side characters. I loved the descriptions of the bakes as well. The structure of the show provided excellent twists for the plot.

My only complaint, as always, was that this is a fade-to-black romance, and I love my spicy scenes. But even with the closed door scenes, the author managed to infuse excellent sexual tension and chemistry. Some of the spiciest closed door scenes I’ve read!

Although this was book six in a series, I never felt like I was missing anything despite the fact that I didn’t read books 1-5. I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it! Thank you to @salty_caroline_reads @netgalley and @readforeverpub for this ARC.

Like Cats & Dogs is the final book in the Pine Hollow series. Following enemies Mac & Magda as they compete against one another on Cake-Off, think GBBO but in the U.S. Unlike other years of Cake-Off where the show gives viewers warm and fuzzy feelings and competitors are nice to each other, this season a new showrunner is putting rival contestants against one another. Also they'll have chances to sabotage their fellow bakers, which hasn't been done before. Although Mac knew about the rivals reveal Magda didn't and it threw her off, as expected. Although the showrunners are hoping for a lot of tension between the bakers, there is plenty, it also gives Mac & Magda a chance to work out their differences.

Enemies-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes so it's no surprise I loved a lot of this book. I'm also a fan of romances set in a baking or cooking competition so that works in my favor too. It's fitting that Mac & Magda are the final couple in this series as they've been wresting with their dislike for the entire series and if you're a romance reader you know what that means. Although I love Pine Hollow it was nice to get out of the setting and see these characters in a new one. It also introduced us to some new characters, which helped to freshen up the story. Overall I really enjoyed this book and it felt a good ending for the series. As Lizzie Shane closes the door on this chapter in her writing journey, I'm excited to see what she writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

It was a cute friends to enemies to lovers that spans over about fourteen years and comes to sparks over a baking show competition. I enjoyed the arch rivals concept and loved the friendships Magda made at the baking competition. There were a few errors that took away from the story for me and it was very Hallmark vibes. A cute small town romance and a quick read!

I was gifted this ARC to read without any knowledge of the Pine Hollow series, but now I have more books to add to my reading list because I adored this book. The story is sweet and fun and made up of several of my favorite things:
*Enemies-to-lovers – but where the characters bicker a lot but are not cruel to each other
* Cats. And dogs. [Although they do not factor into this story nearly as much as you might anticipate based on the title, when they make an appearance they are great fun]
* The Great British Bake-Off. The story’s Cake Off baking competition is clearly an amalgam of numerous reality television baking competitions, but modeled largely after GBBO and I could not be happier about that as I am a big fan of that show.

This book is really well-written. It absolutely works as a stand-alone novel; I have not read the other books in the series, but never once felt at a disadvantage or that I was missing important information. The plot builds nicely with a couple of enjoyable twists -- even if they are predictable, they are still well-executed and satisfying. The story stays with the characters and their relationship and doesn’t lose focus. And those characters are extremely likeable, so much so that you want to root for both of them to win [the competition and each other]. And with how much I loved it, I imagine this book delivers big for the readers of the series who have been waiting for Magda and Mac’s story.

This is a solid romance written in a light and easy style. Filled with descriptions of baked treats, Broadway show tune references, and a never-in-doubt HAE, it is a perfect feel good book. Many thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book – coming soon [with an expected pub date of Nov. 12, 2024].

I’ve been eagerly waiting for Mac and Magda’s story since the first book in the series, and it did not disappoint. Magda, a classically trained pastry chef, has been trying to land a spot on the reality show Cake Off for years. Finally, her dream comes true—but there’s a twist. When she arrives on set, she discovers that her longtime nemesis, Mac, from her hometown, is also competing this season. Mac, a cafe owner from the same small town, has been feuding with Magda for years, and readers have been sensing the mounting tension between them over the last five books without fully knowing why.

In this book, we finally learn the reason behind their feud and how it spiraled out of control. Watching them confront their past and communicate after years of misunderstandings was incredibly satisfying. The enemies-to-lovers arc was both heartfelt and sweet, with some adorable animals adding extra charm to the story. Overall, it was a delightful read and a perfect resolution to their long-running conflict.

Magda and Mac are so fun as adversaries. I’m not really a reality show lover, but I really enjoyed their adventure into the reality baking realm. This is definitely an enemies to lovers jaunt, and it’s a good one! I liked their story and that it is a sweet romance. If you’re ready for a tasty treat, enjoy this story!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. This review is my own personal opinion.

I'm a sucker for baking rom-coms. This has a spin of the Great British Bake-Off, but it's American, so clearly it's meaner and less the British wholesome show (which absolutely works for this as it's an enemies to lovers style. I dove into this book and loved the relationships Magda has, and I absolutely plan on picking up other books in the Pine Hollow series.

The final installment of Lizzie Shane's Pine Hollow Series is a winner take all story set against the backdrop of "The Great American Cake Off," a competitive baking show. A stolen recipe and unrequited feelings have fueled a decades long feud between Magda and Mac, two shop owners in Pine Hollow. They are forcibly reunited when the Cake Off's new season features arch rivals. The forced proximity and competition provides the opportunity to process hurt feelings and re-examine their connection to each other. You will want to read this with some baked goods nearby as the descriptions are craving inducing! Your blood sugar will rise and your heart strings will be strummed as you enjoy Magda and Mac's story.

If you like cooking shows and storylines about frenemies, then this a book for you! I loved getting to know Mac and Magda and seeing how their past history was impacting their lives so many years later. Throw in a baking competition and reading about the highs and lows of reality tv, and I was hooked! The way the story developed and the characters grew through challenges, made this a perfect read! I definitely will be purchasing this one for my bookshelf and for a reread!

4.5 stars rounded up. As a big fan of cooking competition shows, this book was so fun to read! I feel like Lizzie Shane did a great job of making it engaging as a sweet background for a love story, but showing the potential negative sides of these shows as well.

Sometimes in enemies to lovers books, the lovers part can seem sudden and unearned. But I really connected with both characters, their backstory, and the realistic way they fell in love over the course of the competition and supported one another. I also appreciated that there were several points where the story didn't go the way I would have predicted.

I could have probably done without the extra POV from Julia, but if it's setting her up for her own spinoff book in the future, I'm not mad at it!

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.