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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Another cute cupcake romance! August is a taciturn, growly NFL player who bakes cupcakes and doesn’t like attention and Sloane is a social media manager between jobs who decides to help out the bakery. When August accidentally goes viral, it throws both of them together. They’ve got a second-chance romance going, as they kissed once while she was a high school senior and he was a college freshman, but I honestly didn’t love that (how much hubris does teenage Sloane have to think this guy is going to leave his long-term girlfriend for her because they had a few late-night phone calls? Seems sus.) The rest of it was super cute though, and I loved seeing them finally come together and heal their trauma although the ending felt a little rushed with back-to-back epiphanies.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I just can't. My suspension of disbelief is not there. How is the main character in love with this man who dismantles toxic masculinity but then kicks her brother when he tries to confide in her?
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A Legend in the Baking was so fun! I had no idea it was the second in a series, so I definitely want to go back and read about the origins of Donovan and Jada’s love story and get more background information on Sugar Blitz. The story works well as an interconnected standalone, though, because I never felt like I was missing information that was vital to me understanding Sloane or August.
I thoroughly enjoy books where the main character has to decide what’s most important to them, and Sloane’s eagerness for a job definitely conflicted with her romantic feelings. I wish I had a rich sibling because I would take all the handouts with no complaint unlike her. August’s unresolved feelings from his divorce also laid great groundwork for his romantic hesitancy and his desire to step in the spotlight. Sloane was very headstrong while August was the laidback, stay-to-himself type, so I enjoyed seeing how they clashed, but how they also were able to lean on each other because of their differing strengths and weaknesses.
The teasing of the past early on made me interested to keep reading to find out what really happened between them. The flashback chapters were well-balanced and gave just enough of August and Sloane’s history to help us understand how close they had been and where everything went wrong. I did wish they were slightly longer though. I love a good will they, won’t they, especially because Slone and August both thought they knew what the other was thinking when they absolutely didn’t, but some of their thoughts about the relationship got a bit repetitive at times. August also got sexually harassed by his fans a lot, and I wish that had been addressed because it’s just skated over and accepted.
Overall, I enjoyed this one, and I would read more by the author. I would recommend it for readers who love forced proximity and main characters trying to work through their issues.