I have been waiting to read Mac and Magda’s story since book one of the series, and it didn’t disappoint. Magda is a classically trained pastry chef, who has been trying to get on the reality show Cake Off for years. Finally she is chosen for this season, and she could not be more excited to finally be living her dream. That is until she gets there and realizes her nemesis Mac from her hometown was also put on this season as a twist. Mac is a cafe owner from the same small town, and he has been feuding with Magda for years. Readers previously had no idea of the reason for the feud, but had felt the tension mounting for the last five books between them. In this book we find out why they have been feuding, and how they let it get this far. I loved learning about their feud, what fueled it, and watching them communicate finally after years of hurt feelings. It was a very sweet enemies to lovers story, with some cute animals thrown in. I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

Magda Miller and Mackenzie (Mac) Newton have history. They are fellow residents of Pine Hollow. Mac is six years older, Magda is very shy/quiet, and they met when they were teens. And it’s not like anyone would have guessed they would grow close... The story is about something that happens – we don’t really know details of what, really – that derails their budding closeness. For. Years. I’ll just say this: Family. Gotta love ‘em!

The ending made me laugh! I was quite surprised. Mac and Magda’s relationship and battle is a bit angsty for me but it was fun and sweet and sometimes a nail biter. And don’t get me started on trusting reality TV folks... A good read.

This Pine Hollow series novel was just adorable. I might also be biased because even tho it was a compilation of different baking shows I know her main inspiration writing this book from the format was the Great British baking show. That is one of my tops.

Baking competitions on food network…I’m sold. I have an addiction. So I adored this book.

I loved how Cupcake cowered like a punk while “ Cat” took over. They played a small part but a big image role in my mind!

Anyways….

Magda and Mac. Enemies for years. He stole her man catching cake. She stole his business expansion location.

Finally Magda is going to live her dream of competing on her favorite show and not have to think about Mac…or will she?

Cake-Off has a new twist this year.

Will Mac and Magda burn down the show kitchen or burn for each other?

This was such a fun book! If you like reality cooking shows you will really enjoy this book. Magda and Mac have been rivals in their hometown of Pine Hollow. They end up competing on the same reality baking show and, as usual, the rivals find things to like about each other. It was fun to see how the rivalry began and where it ends up. This was a really fun read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review the book.

Like Cats & Dogs is a multi POV enemies-to-lovers romance that focuses primarily on Magda and Mac, two feuding bakers in a small town that are chosen to be on a reality cooking show! The two have been fighting, without agreeing on WHY, for so long that even townspeople have taken sides. But now they have a chance to either fuel the fire or put old animosity aside and start fresh.

This one was fun and mostly worked as a stand-alone alone, even though it was book six in a series. There were a few references that made me feel I was missing a little but not enough to ruin the story. I liked the rivalry between Magda and Mac, and how they gradually got past it!

Read dates: 10/05/2024 - 10/07/2024
Goodreads review: 10/07/2024
Instagram review: 10/07/2024
Blog review: 11/12/2024

Even their pets don't get along.

Magda Miller and Mac(kenzie) Newton have been rivals so long that not many even recall why. Quite frankly, I rather sided with Mac on this one. Him turning her romantic crush down when she was just 18 and him six years older shows character, not cruelty. That she's hanging onto that anger of rejection even now, 14 years later, made me roll my eyes. She's the one who allowed her teenage emotions to retain their grip on her, if anything, and that grip has only gotten stronger. Now they're thrown together in a baking contest designed to make sparks fly, and I don't mean loving ones, and forced to face their past. Given that this is a romance, I'm sure you can figure out how it'll all work out but, well, getting there is half the fun. If you like romances and baking shows, with a touch of quirky pets, you'll probably enjoy this book.

While, I wasn't really taken with Magda, I didn't dislike her but also don't think she was someone I'd want to hang out with. I could almost feel sparks flying as she bristled at anything connected to Mac, particularly his cat's habit of showing up in her home to terrorize her dog, Cupcake. Mac seems to be more of the live and let live type. He even manages to make one of Magda's wildest dreams come true (Nope, don't go there. This is a closed door romance. Grin) and ensure she is part of the baking reality baking show. Although I never felt terribly invested in the contest, I'm leaning toward thinking that part of my lack of connection to the plot was simply because I've read several baking related books of late, so I don't fault the author there. In any case, the contest is still interesting, even to non-foodies like me. The perspective alternates from Magda to Mac and even tosses in one from the show runner for the baking show. Toss in some interesting friends, fellow contestants, and the show crew, and it's an interesting mix. Mac's grandmother is a hoot, that's for sure.

Bottom line, it was an enjoyable, relatively quick read. I liked the role the pets played in the whole, too. Having read the author's "Pride and Puppies", this was a nice addition to that tale. It was definitely fun seeing Magda and Mac go from bringing out the worst in each other to bringing out their better selves in this enemies to lovers story. Thanks #Forever - #GrandCentralPublishing for giving me this sneak peek at what's been going on in Pine Hollow.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

2.5 stars
I really liked the previous book in this series and was excited to read Magda's story but it was a struggle to get through and ended up DNF at 45%. I couldn't see where it was going, if this was supposed to be enemies to lovers, since Magda seemed to hate Mac so much. I felt there was zero chemistry between them - it was all anger, more so on her part. Come to find out, what precipitated the "enemy" part of their back story took place 14 YEARS AGO and she never got over it. She was 18!! He's six years older! Also, I really need to stop reading anything reality-show related. It's never enjoyable for me.

Absolutely Absolutely perfect. I LOVE pine hollow and the characters, and the way the story line throughout the books just flows so naturally. There were dogs, baking, romance, and old friends...what could be better??? I lost myself in this book. It plays out like a movie and every line is wonderfully written and believable. Perfect book!!!

This is only my 2nd book by Lizzie Shane but I stand by my opinion that her books would make the cutest movies 🤭

If you’re a fan of any kind of cooking competition then you should give this book a shot. I loved the whole show set up, which is basically like a mashup of The Great British Baking Show, Top Chef, and Master Chef.

I love the twist of the show in making it Archrivals themed. Mac and Magda were already enemies, and then to add on a layer of rivals, too? Delicious. 🤭

This was a sweet ending to the Pine Hollow series. Now I gotta go back and read the ones I missed!

Thank you for the ARC, Forever!

3.75 stars - It's a simple, sweet story, and I love that this reads just like the Valentine's Day Hallmark movies. It's enemies to lovers with a baking competition. Is the story predictable, mostly. Is it fun, absolutely. I would recommend this to anyone who needs a feel good, pick me up story when you're just having one of those days when you are feeling great.

The synopsis for this book grabbed my attention right away and I am so glad I applied for an ARC.

I didn't realize until I was about 65% into this book that it is technically part of a series but honestly it didn't matter because it reads perfectly as a standalone. That is one of my favorite things, when authors write in a way that a book can be read as a standalone or as part of it's series.

Magda & Mac have been nemesis as long as anyone can remember but no one in town knows the real reasons. Magda remembers though and is relieved when she gets a call for Cake Off so she can finally live to her potential without Mac around making her life harder.

Unfortunately Cake Off decided to switch up their usually ways and used Mac & Magda's long time rivalry as inspiration for a Arch Rivals edition. Magda is enjoying soaking in the experience of being in the Cake Off kitchen in comes Mac popping her blissfully bubble.

Like Cats & Dogs was such a wonderful book and I enjoyed every moment of it. I will definitely be checking in on more of Lizzie Shane's writing as her style is so easy to follow and it's a nice enemies to lovers book with not a whole lot of spicy.

Also there is a wonderful last minute twist you won't see coming but if you are anything like me, you will completely enjoy.

I honestly didn't know what to expect with this one because, despite having read previous Pine Hollow novels by author Lizzie Shane, I have the bookish memory of a goldfish and cannot remember a thing besides the fact that I enjoyed them. In reading this book (ok, fine, devouring, within five uninterrupted hours-- thank you theater rush line), I really enjoyed this one. It was compelling, adorable and sweet-as-apple-pie (pun intended) second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance. It's told in dual points of views with intriguing language and quippy banter (which had my heart right away) that made for an easy, quick read. Plus, the characters were so richly developed, completely vulnerable and authentic that you has a reader can really root for and fall in love as they fall in love on the page. It's very, very cute and especially all of the Broadway soundtracks that love interest Mac was singing in his head, like it aligned absolutely perfectly with the vibe. It was so adorable and precious and made him become such a golden retriever book boyfriend.It definitely fits in with the other Pine Hollow books, but with a baking competition twist of rivals. In short, Like Cats and Dogs is legitimately the perfect definition of enemies to love and delivers a sweet-as-croquembouche (IYKYK) happily ever after.

2.5 rounded up

This book had a really good premise - two long time rivals end up on a British Bake Off style show, only one of them doesn’t realise the other is on it, cue the sparks. Alas, I’m afraid this wasn’t my cup of tea and I DNF around the 65% mark, though if I’m being honest I ended up skimming through a good part of it. I really wanted to give the author the respect she deserves to read the full thing, but this just wasn’t for me, hence I am rounding up.

I think the big reason is I didn’t buy Magda and Mac as people who should be a couple. They seemed shoehorned together because they’re the last of their friends and gosh they hate each other it must be love. Magda is 32 and while I am a huge grudge bearer and have empathy for her grudge. She’d be holding it for 14 years! And Mac had legit reasons for turning her down. He was six years older than her! So the rivalry was just petty and Magda was a misery of her own making, I did not understand why Mac would like her now.

Secondly this book really pushed the whole ‘stop being single, you need someone, Mac’ stuff. While yes Mac needed to work through his childhood, there was nothing wrong with him with being single. Then I found the whole baking competition machinations just yawn-worthy with a third point of view from the nice producer Julia that didn’t work. This book needed to make up its mind what it was - the tv show or the romance because Julia’s chapters were unnecessary. A book can have both but this was jarring, and to be honest, maybe I’d have liked this more of the book was about Julia trying to produce this show, dealing with the show runner who wanted to make it an antagonistic game show but maybe falling in love with him instead.

Pace-wise as well, I just found it slow going so I couldn’t be invested so I kept skimming then skipping til about 75% of the way in before giving up. That said I can see others loved it, so many read this book to tell me I’m wrong, and for that reason alone I’d recommend it if the plot suits your fancy.

Thanks to Forever/Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

I haven't read all of the books in this romance series, but I have read and enjoyed the previous one, and I enjoyed this too. They're just solid romances that you're bound to have a good time with. It's not quite 4 stars for me, though, because I found myself zoning out sometimes and I've read better baking competition books. But maybe I'll pick up the first book in the series, the Christmas themed one, in December.

I don’t think I can quite put into words just how much I loved this book. Like Cats & Dogs is a love letter to cooking reality shows. This is like if Masterchef and Great British Bake-Off had a baby. While I’ve never read any of Lizzie Shane’s works until now, I’m definitely going to go back through her other works set in this town!

Magda Miller has been in a feud with Mackenzie Newton for fourteen years now, their rival businesses going head to head. When Magda offered Mac her heart, he stole her family’s maple cake recipe, and thus a rivalry was born. After finally getting onto her dream show, Cake Off, she’s thrilled to be in a Mac-free environment!

….Only to arrive on set to see her rival already there. Welcome to the first ever archrivals season, where each contestant has to face their nemesis! If Magda can’t take the heat, she’ll have no choice but to get out of the kitchen.

Filled with tantalizing baked treats and Broadway song references, Like Cats & Dogs is a brilliantly written masterpiece!

Thank you so much to Forever Pub and Netgalley for sending me this copy! <333

I've read about half of the Pine Hollow series but you definitely don't need to have read them to enjoy this book seeing as I couldn't tell you anything about the plots of the others I've read. This was very cute, I loved the Bake Off vibes, overall a fun book.

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was such a cure read! As a sucker for baking shows, I absolutely loved the plot and setting. I loved reading the relationship between Magda and Mac develop. The tension built so much and felt great once they finally got together. This one was sweet and filled with laugh out loud moments.

Forever eARC
I have been reading the Pine Hollow series since the first one released, and I am so glad that this is the book that's ending the series - though I could've read so many more books set in this quaint town. Baking, a baking show, and enemies to lovers made this such a fun romance. I am so glad I got a deeper look into Magda and Mac as characters here. The feud had a solid reason. The tension was palpable throughout, and there were so many great moments between them. The baking show competition was so much fun; I love these kinds of plots. I loved how through their love of baking they grew as people and, eventually, as friends. The side characters were interesting, there was plenty of drama, and I loved seeing old favorites in their current lives.

Small-town rivals competing in a baking competition? Sign me up!

Magda and Mac have been rivals for over a decade and own businesses in their small-town of Pine Hollow. So when Magda finally gets to compete on Cake-Off, a baking competition show, only to find out Mac is on as well as a rivalry twist to the season, the stakes to winning become higher than ever for both of them.

I love baking shows and this book had such a fun take on the competition. I immediately was drawn in by Magda and her teammates’ camaraderie, sticking by each other throughout the competition. I also enjoyed seeing Mac and Magda slowly build trust with each other.

The pacing of their relationship was perfect for me, just enough slow-burn to keep me hooked! I also appreciated that they both had solid reasons for their rivalry in the first place, and learning about their past solidified that. I will 100% be going back to read more stories set in Pine Hollow!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.