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kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
Title: Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame
Author: Olivia Ford
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: January 30, 2024
T H R E E • W O R D S
Redemptive • Gentle • Delicious
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Nothing could be more out of character, but after fifty-nine years of marriage, as her husband Bernard’s health declines, and her friends' lives become focused on their grandchildren—which Jenny never had—Jenny decides she wants a little something for herself. So she secretly applies to be a contestant on the prime-time TV show Britain Bakes.
Whisked into an unfamiliar world of cameras and timed challenges, Jenny delights in a new-found independence. But that independence, and the stress of the competition, starts to unearth memories buried decades ago. Chocolate teacakes remind her of a furtive errand involving a wedding ring; sugared doughnuts call up a stranger’s kind act; a simple cottage loaf brings back the moment her life changed forever.
With her baking star rising, Jenny struggles to keep a lid on that first secret—a long-concealed deceit that threatens to shatter the very foundations of her marriage. It’s the only time in six decades that she’s kept something from Bernard. By putting herself in the limelight, has Jenny created a recipe for disaster?
💭 T H O U G H T S
There's no denying older characters in books is one of my favourite tropes. Add in some food elements, and of course, I had to add Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame to my most anticipated 2024 releases. I just knew this book would deliver so many things that work for me before I even picked it up.
Jenny was an absolute star! I really loved getting to know her and her story. Ford utilizes parallel storytelling (snippets of the past interwoven into the present) to give us Jenny's back story and it worked perfectly. As for Bernard, her supportive husband, I absolutely adored him. Honestly, I just want to hang out with these two. The other characters, especially the other contestants, could have used more development.
This novel is predictable in the best way possible. It certainly wasn't hard to figure out how things would go once I knew what Jenny's secret was. My one issue is that for a lighter-hearted story it was longer than it needed to be. I just wanted to get to the reveal, likely because I knew what to expect.
Olivia Ford's experience in the entertainment industry made the baking contest realistic and she gave the reader just enough of it without it bogging down the narrative. All of the food descriptions were absolutely delicious. I seriously wish a sample of each of Jenny's creations could be delivered to me while I was reading.
Overall, Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame was an absolute delight. It's a coming-of-old, feel-good story with depth, filled with tender moments and with high entertainment value. It's that gentle reminder that it's never too late to peruse a dream or doing something for yourself. Olivia Ford is an author I will be keeping an eye on.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• baking shows
• yummy food
• coming-of-old stories
⚠️ CW: infidelity, misogyny, sexism, death of parent, pregnancy, adoption, grief, chronic illness, medical content, medical trauma, sexual assault, alcohol
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It's strange, she thought, how recipes outlive the people that wrote them and yet they almost bring a part of that person back to life, as if a tiny piece of their soul lives in those instructions."
"'Recipes are very precious things. They contain little pieces of history, of nostalgia, and of people - exactly as they were at the time when they wrote them. In reading their words and following their methods, they were by my side. I thought I was alone when I headed into the barn, but I never really was.' She paused, thinking of her recipe book, of him. 'I suppose what I mean to say is: keep writing them down, keep making them, and keep passing them on.'"
Author: Olivia Ford
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: January 30, 2024
T H R E E • W O R D S
Redemptive • Gentle • Delicious
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Nothing could be more out of character, but after fifty-nine years of marriage, as her husband Bernard’s health declines, and her friends' lives become focused on their grandchildren—which Jenny never had—Jenny decides she wants a little something for herself. So she secretly applies to be a contestant on the prime-time TV show Britain Bakes.
Whisked into an unfamiliar world of cameras and timed challenges, Jenny delights in a new-found independence. But that independence, and the stress of the competition, starts to unearth memories buried decades ago. Chocolate teacakes remind her of a furtive errand involving a wedding ring; sugared doughnuts call up a stranger’s kind act; a simple cottage loaf brings back the moment her life changed forever.
With her baking star rising, Jenny struggles to keep a lid on that first secret—a long-concealed deceit that threatens to shatter the very foundations of her marriage. It’s the only time in six decades that she’s kept something from Bernard. By putting herself in the limelight, has Jenny created a recipe for disaster?
💭 T H O U G H T S
There's no denying older characters in books is one of my favourite tropes. Add in some food elements, and of course, I had to add Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame to my most anticipated 2024 releases. I just knew this book would deliver so many things that work for me before I even picked it up.
Jenny was an absolute star! I really loved getting to know her and her story. Ford utilizes parallel storytelling (snippets of the past interwoven into the present) to give us Jenny's back story and it worked perfectly. As for Bernard, her supportive husband, I absolutely adored him. Honestly, I just want to hang out with these two. The other characters, especially the other contestants, could have used more development.
This novel is predictable in the best way possible. It certainly wasn't hard to figure out how things would go once I knew what Jenny's secret was. My one issue is that for a lighter-hearted story it was longer than it needed to be. I just wanted to get to the reveal, likely because I knew what to expect.
Olivia Ford's experience in the entertainment industry made the baking contest realistic and she gave the reader just enough of it without it bogging down the narrative. All of the food descriptions were absolutely delicious. I seriously wish a sample of each of Jenny's creations could be delivered to me while I was reading.
Overall, Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame was an absolute delight. It's a coming-of-old, feel-good story with depth, filled with tender moments and with high entertainment value. It's that gentle reminder that it's never too late to peruse a dream or doing something for yourself. Olivia Ford is an author I will be keeping an eye on.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• baking shows
• yummy food
• coming-of-old stories
⚠️ CW: infidelity, misogyny, sexism, death of parent, pregnancy, adoption, grief, chronic illness, medical content, medical trauma, sexual assault, alcohol
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It's strange, she thought, how recipes outlive the people that wrote them and yet they almost bring a part of that person back to life, as if a tiny piece of their soul lives in those instructions."
"'Recipes are very precious things. They contain little pieces of history, of nostalgia, and of people - exactly as they were at the time when they wrote them. In reading their words and following their methods, they were by my side. I thought I was alone when I headed into the barn, but I never really was.' She paused, thinking of her recipe book, of him. 'I suppose what I mean to say is: keep writing them down, keep making them, and keep passing them on.'"
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, and Medical content
Minor: Death of parent, Death, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Sexism, Infidelity, and Misogyny
adoptionrachelle_reads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
This book is a fairly gentle read that pulls at your heartstrings a bit, too. I just love Jenny so much. What courage, to stretch outside of her role as wife and auntie and apply for a reality TV show. Her backstory adds depth to what might otherwise be too sweet and simple a tale. The pacing of this book is perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Infidelity
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