"An unexpected romance. A haunting mystery. Pastries to die for.

When Claire Walker is selected to be a contestant on the immensely popular cooking show, Britain's Battle of the Bakers, she is thrilled. She can't wait to spend eight enchanting weeks baking at the picturesque estate of Blackfirth Park. She can almost smell the fresh pastries wafting through the air as she and her fellow contestants use historical equipment to bring pre-1900s recipes to life. If she can win the fifty thousand pounds, she'll be able to ditch her teaching job and launch her baking career.

The Viscount of Colburn, Jonathan Ainsley, is the custodian of Blackfirth Park and an eligible bachelor. With his family's income dwindling, he reluctantly agrees to host the entire production team, but he refuses to participate since he's had enough of single women who see him as nothing more than a potential conquest. But when a contestant is found dead soon after filming begins, Jonathan is forced to get involved. To make matters worse, the baker's death is eerily similar to the legendary death of the tenth Viscountess of Colburn two hundred and fifty years earlier, which sends rumors racing through the estate.

Even as suspicion falls on some of the bakers, a decidedly different kind of heat begins to simmer between Claire and Jonathan. If they are to have any hope of a future romance, they must first solve the mystery before the show gets canceled or someone else falls prey to the Blackfirth Park ghost."

Historical recipes AND a ghost!?! This is definitely a new twist on what I refer to as the GBBO inspired cozy mysteries subgenre

Teacher and amateur baker, Claire Walker, gets the thrill of her life when she is picked to be on Britain's Battle of the Bakers. This series of the show is being filmed at Blackfirth Park estate. Jonathan Ainsley, the Viscount of Colburn, is the custodian of the estate and has reluctantly agreed to allow the show to use the property. His goal is to stay far away from the filming and contestants. Until one evening Jonathan and Claire have a run in on the grounds. Soon after one of the other contestants is found murdered. Jonathan and Claire join with the police to help discover who has committed the crime and if it might be connected to rumors of a previous death on the property.

One thing about me is I will read every book that plays with the concept of The Great British Bake Off. This one hands down has been my favorite so far. I love cozy mysteries and this also had a really sweet romance to top it off. Claire and Jonathan were pretty much a team from the jump. They compliment each other so well. I enjoyed that they were allowed to fully participate in the investigation. The country manor setting was perfect. It looks like this will be the start to a series and I am so excited about that. I can't wait to read more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is such an enjoyable cozy mystery. Murder, baking, and a dash of romance come together as the perfect recipe. I highly recommend!

The premise of a cozy mystery set in a fictional version of the Great British Baking Show attracted me. The two main characters, baker Claire and Viscount Jonny worked well together.
But the other bakers (characters) were not that well-developed and I did not relate to them at all.
The motive for the murder & attacks was rather abruptly revealed. As was the winner of the bake-off show, a character that really was not mentioned much in the story.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing.
All opinions are my own.

THE CRIME BRULEE BAKE OFF by REBECCA CONNOLLY is an absolutely delightful read! To start with the title is brilliant and the use of baking terms throughout is really clever.
When Claire Walker, a baker at heart and a history teacher by profession, becomes a competitor in the famous show, Britain’s Battle of the Bakers, at the beautiful and impressive Blackfirth Park, both of her interests are well fed (pardon the pun!) She is definitely not expecting murder, nor meeting Jonny, the very handsome Viscount Colburn……
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling things for you.
I highly recommend this very entertaining, and very different, novel.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Shadow Mountain Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

The premise for this story intrigued me so I was excited to give it a try. I’m more a fan of historical fiction than cozy mysteries, but the fact that the setting was a lovely estate with the Viscount of Colburn, Jonny, playing host got me hooked on the idea. I found the amateur baker, who wins a spot on the show and becomes his interest, adorable although the baking swear words became a bit too much for my tastes. I think I would have enjoyed them more if Jonny, who didn’t bake, hadn’t of started using them, too. However, they were so cute together that I was able to ignore that. I was a bit disillusioned that the detective on the case asked for their help to solve the murder mystery; it seemed a bit contrived and unlikely, but I enjoyed the historical aspect of the case being similar to the murder of the viscountess centuries ago with her ghost a suspect. The descriptions of the bakes made me want to taste them immensely and the recipes at the end were a fun addition. Thanks to NetGalley & Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing a complimentary ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Lovers of the cosy mystery genre will find it hard to think of a more fitting setting for a whodunnit than “Britain’s Battle of the Bakers”. We follow Claire as she wins a spot on her favourite culinary TV show and prepares to test her baking skills amidst the other contestants, filming on a rolling English estate. Claire has been dreaming of this moment since she was 10, but didn’t anticipate ghosts, murders and the disarming good looks of Jonny, the resident Viscount. Readers should be prepared for a LOT of baking puns and twee foodie ‘swear’ words along the lines of ‘Crepes alive!’ and ‘Son of a biscuit!’ – which could have been sweet if used more sparingly. I did start rolling my eyes when Jonny also began using baking-themed curse words in high-stress situations for no reason. Ultimately, this book didn’t quite hit home for me, though I can see it ticking a lot of boxes for readers who enjoy an element of romance with their mystery, and a behind-the-scenes glimpse into ‘reality TV’.
Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Amateur baker Claire Walker is thrilled to be one of the contestants on Britain’s Battle of the Bakers, if all goes well, she can leave her teaching job and launch her baking career full-time.

Unfortunately, one contestant turns dead, like the tenth Lady Colburn on the Blackfirth Park estate where the show is being filmed.

My expectations were a little misplaced with The Crime Brulee Bake Off, I had thought or hoped there would be a more historical connection to the mystery. I had assumed that but it was very much in the present. The beginning was slow and I wanted a faster pace, and it was a little ho-hum for me. However, I liked the concept of a TV show showcasing a bake-off, which I thought was unique and I don’t watch TV much, so I enjoyed that aspect. I liked Claire and Jonny and their relationship slowly develops as they solve the murder of Lesley Kemble. If you like cozy mysteries you’ll enjoy this. I plan on reading the second book in this series.

My gratitude to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain. All opinions expressed are honest and mine.

Rebecca Connolly caught my attention when I saw this title because she’s the author of two books I’ve loved: A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice and Hidden Yellow Stars. In The Crime Brulee Bake Off she departs from historical fiction to write a contemporary crime fiction/cozy mystery/foodie mashup with a hint of slow-burn romance.

Have you ever entered a baking competition?

Claire hopes she can win the grand prize as a contestant on Britain’s Battle of the Bakers so that she can quit her teaching job and pursue a baking career. As filming begins on location at Blackfirth Park, a contestant is murdered. Jonathan, the estate’s owner (an attractive eligible bachelor) gets involved. Claire and Jonathan begin working together to help solve the mystery and a slow-burn romance develops.

Fans of cozy mysteries, baking competitions, and sweet romance will enjoy this page-turning mystery. The ending is entirely satisfying, and recipes are included!

Thanks NetGalley @ShadowMountn @AustenProsePR for an eARC of #TheCrimeBruleeBakeOff upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Amateur baker Claire Walker is both thrilled and nervous about being selected for popular cooking show Britain’s Battle of the Bakers, to be filmed at the historic estate Blackfirth Park. The theme requires all bakers to prepare pastries served before 1900 and cooked with ingredients from that time only. Early in the contest Claire meets the handsome Viscount of Colburn, Jonathan Ainsley, and finds the dead body of one of the contestants. The local police are understaffed and Claire and Jonathan are recruited to help in the investigation. The baking contest continues as the two race to find the killer before another contestant is murdered.

I was intrigued by The Crime Brûlée Bake Off. A great cover, a baking contest, a Downton Abbey like location, and interesting characters could make this more than a cozy mystery. In fact, the cover calls this “A Claire Walker Mystery.” However, the way Claire swears using food phrases “Cakes and a custard” “blessed sugary crepes” and more is incredibly annoying and becomes doubly so when she convinces Jonathan to do the same. If this is to continue as a series, Rebecca Connolly needs to tone this down. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because I loved the food!

Thank you to NetGalley, Shadow Mountain Publishing and Rebecca Connolly for this ARC.

This book was such a good read. It was the perfect recipe with Great British Bake off vibes, a cup of murder mystery, a pinch of a handsome viscount, and a splash of romance all mixed together.
Seriously this book flowed and had such a great story line. It kept me turning pages way past my bedtime. One of my favorite reads in a while and I highly recommend you give this one a read!

There were several things I enjoyed about this book, though ultimately it didn't quite work for me. I thought the tribute to the Great British Baking Show was so fun, and if you've ever seen any seasons of that you'll be able to picture the setting, the cast, and the hosts so easily! I also really liked the two leads: Claire, the competent and outwardly calm baker, and Jonny, the slightly grumbly viscount on whose property the show is being filmed. They were great together.
That said, the mystery in this book was (pardon the pun) a bit under-baked. There were really no surprises in the outworking of the plot. Also, the habit Claire and Jonny had of replacing potential expletives with baking terms was a bit jarring and overly cutesy, especially at serious or somber moments.
This wasn't quite right for me, but I could see myself enjoying a non-mystery contemporary romance by Rebecca Connolly (as I've already enjoyed many of her Regency ones).

Wanted to read this book as I love cooking. It starts out fine but I found it to drag a little bit. There is just a hint of romance and the mystery resolves pretty good. As a cozy mystery it was an okay read. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

This was a very cute and cozy murder mystery, set on a grand estate that is playing host to a baking competition similar to The Great British Bake Off. The setting is lovely, the main characters inherently likeable, and the romantic elements sweet and endearing. While the pacing occasionally stumbled—mostly in chapter transitions—and the story wandered at times, the plot held my attention.

My only gripe lies with the resolution of the mystery. While the way the culprit was cornered was clever, the reasoning behind their actions felt unresolved and lacked the breadcrumb trail I love in mysteries. Without enough context to piece things together, the payoff felt a bit too "spoon-fed," which dulled the satisfaction for me.

That said, this is a relatively minor gripe, especially since Crime Brûlée Bake Off appears to be the author's first foray into mystery, as she mostly writes in the romance genre. Indeed, I think her strength in romance shines through in the charming moments between Claire and Jonny, and I'm eager to explore her other works.

All-in, I'd say this was a solid 3-star read and good fit for baking enthusiasts—the recipes at the end are a nice touch! Many thanks to NetGalley & Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Claire is a schoolteacher and a contestant on the newest season of a famous British baking show. Jonathan is a viscount and the owner of the estate where the show is being filmed. He is very protective of the estate's image and history, but when events start happening that mirror a famous murder in his family's past, he and Claire must work together to stop a murderer before they strike again. There is a large cast of characters from which to choose a murderer, and thankfully the inciting incident happens fairly early on so it was easier to focus on guessing who the murderer was. (The flip side/downside to that is that character development wasn't extensive before jumping into the murder, so the characters didn't feel very complex and it was a little harder to invest in them.) Claire and Jonathan had instant attraction and bonded fast and early, which I found endearing but also a little anticlimactic in a romance. I enjoyed the context of the baking show and I loved the inclusion of recipes at the end. There was an abundance of likeable characters in this quick read, which seems like it's the start of a series. But both the murder plot and the romance were somewhat lacking in tension, and the motive and the resolution of the murder mystery seemed underdeveloped. I was interested enough to keep reading to the end, but ultimately I found the story to be fine but nothing extraordinary. I gave this book 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. Publishes February 4, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing an ARC of this book, this is my objective review.

If The Great British Bake-Off if your jam, then throw in a picturesque, historical setting with a murder thrown into the fray as a souped-up version of this competitive series—Rebecca Connolly’s ‘The Crime Brûlée Bake Off’ is its engaging but wayward child.

It’s this premise that lured me in (not that I’ve got any stalwart dedication whatsoever to baking) and it’s always a bit of an indulgence to read about cooking and/or baking in fiction because food tends to occupy a special place where other genres can’t really touch.

Except that in Blackfirth Village and the imposing estate that’s its centrepiece, all is not going well in this idyllic setting, when cheating, bickering and things that go bump in the historic mill throw a shade on everyone around.

There’s slight suspense, an even lighter romance (blink and it vanishes) but it’s all built around a baking show that has reality-tv colliding with crime, unrepentant tv-moguls and publicity-hounds. An easy read to go through, particularly if you’re familiar with the sort of baking show formats that tend to leave you in high (and irritated) suspense.

When I saw that this was touted as "Great British Bake Off" meets cozy mystery, I was in! I loved that the book gave quite a bit of detail in regards to the show's filming and some behind-the-scenes of the different personalities types. I did feel like the attraction of the baker and the lord happened super fast, which was a little jarring, but I do know that does occasionally happen. I also really appreciated how all of the plotlines were wrapped up and that important details were referenced fairly frequently, which helped to keep the mystery top-of-mind. I'm excited to see what other murders Claire and Jonny help with (if the rumored additional books are true!). :)

Sometimes us thriller lovers just need a good cozy mystery and what better storyline to combine with than a baking show, the countryside and a classic historical English Estate as the location ?!

I loved “The Golden Spoon” by Jessa Maxwell so when I read the book description and it was giving similar vibes I knew I should give this one a try.

If you enjoy the wholesome feel and drama of baking shows then you’ll enjoy this genre! Just be pre-warned the food sounds delicious so if you’re on your January new years goals of no sugar make sure to not read when hungry 😂

Expect a murder mystery but don’t expect thriller vibes, this is very much a cosy read and easily digestible.

Thank you to the author, and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the EARC!

Publish date - February 4th 2025

You can’t go wrong with Rebecca Connolly
I am a fan of Rebecca Connolly and this book only makes me more of one. If you haven’t read her work, give her a try. This story is set at a still functioning, historic English estate where a televised baking contest is being held. Claire a teacher, self-proclaimed history nerd, and baker is excited and terrified to learn she will be a contestant. After arriving at the estate, the contestants are encouraged to explore the original manor’s kitchen and grounds, Claire sets off to explore. One of exploratory wanderings is to the estate’s mill where she meets Jonny, better known as Viscount Colburn, and begins an unexpected friendship. When Claire and Jonny find a contestant’s body, they are drawn into the investigation. As the contest continues, the investigation goes on, with Jonny and Claire’s relationship becoming closer. But is the relationship real or is it just proximity and shared danger and will they be able to solve the mystery before there is more violence? A great read! Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy. This is my review and all thoughts are my own.

“Of all the stupid things I have ever done in my life, this takes the actual cake.”

If you like cozy mysteries and “The Great British Baking Show” this is definitely the book for you!! Such a fun read. I loved the perfectly blended murder mystery (that kept me guessing until the end), the snippets of the baking competition, and the sweet romance. A wonderful setting, amazing characters, and a fantastic storyline.
Jonny was the perfect grumpy aristocrat, cinnamon roll protector. Claire was a witty, spirited baker who turned out to be Jonny’s perfect sleuthing partner.

This ARC was provided by the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review, rating and opinions are my own.