Reviews

Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame: A Novel by Olivia Ford

krystlesee's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

4.5

moco71's review against another edition

4.0

Really sweet enjoyable read with some layers. I loved Jenny and her struggle between her dream and her love and responsibility to Bernie. Not to mention the flashbacks and how her past is resolved.

nelleplett's review against another edition

emotional inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

judebugs's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

figgyflake's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

knitdyeread's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

jawolffe's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted fast-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? Yes

4.5

drey_nav's review against another edition

lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

abeckett's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

bethfishreads's review

3.0

This story about a 70-something woman who enters a baking contest has surprising depth.

After 60 years of happy marriage and homemaking, Jenny Quinn is starting to want more out of life. On a whim, she applies to be a contestant on a baking show (think Great British Bake Off). Being on the show changes her in unexpected ways.

If you can read this book and not want to bake every single day, I don't know if I can be your friend. Maybe it's because I come from a family (both paternal and maternal) of good cooks and good bakers, and I can totally relate to how each family recipe conjures up specific memories for Jenny. Of course, not every memory is happy, and all her practice baking is forcing Jenny to face long-buried secrets.

Things I really liked: all the baking, Jenny's connection to her recipes, and Jenny's relationship with her husband. Jenny's decision not to share everything about her youth with her husband and friends rings true for her generation. I also like that the book includes recipes (apparently the audiobook comes with a PDF of the recipes, but my review copy did not, so I haven't seen them).

Narrator Melanie Crawley does a great job with the wide range of characters: an elderly man, a little girl, a teenage boy, the baking show contestants and judges, and Jenny herself. She handled the deeper and more emotional scenes well, allowing me to react on my own terms.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.