Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

Okay, admittedly this is more ✨self-discovery✨ than romance but you know your girl latched onto the slow burn, wholesome, friends-to-lovers romance okayyyyyy🥲

I stan Alexis Hall & everything he writes.

I loved SO MUCH about this book. I already know this review will not do it justice. I also recognize I am extremely biased because I:
💓am already a die-hard Alexis Hall fangirly
💜GBBO has been my comfort show foreverrrrr & is what got me into baking in the first place
💙am bisexual & deeeeeply relate to the shit Rosaline has to constantly hear & deal with on a daily mf basis
Despite that, I’m confident you’ll love this little slice of heaven🍰 (see what I did there? Plz don’t unfollow me, corny dad jokes/puns are SO GREAT😅)

As far as the parallels to GBBO: The descriptions of their bakes, the themed weeks, the judges’ banter & feedback, the BTS producer guidance & the challenges.

As far as the interpersonal relationships & Rosaline’s journey, I especially appreciated the discussions of:
-bisexual fetishization (the situations Rosaline was out into rang so damn true & felt authentic. I’ve never felt more seen in regards to sexual orientation💔)
-classism
-feeling good enough for your parents & hoping they could be proud of you & happy for you regardless
-what constitutes as a “full life” (“I want what I’ve got and what I’ve got ✨is✨ enough” 😭😭😭😭😭😭)
-being proud of being a young single mum
-kids not being a burden or just a “responsibility”
-healthy sex lives, consent talk & sex toys
-so much more!!!

I adored how Amelie was so present in the story & showed how amazing kids are. She was fiesty & modeled an open mind so beautifully!

Honorable mention to Rosaline’s ex girlfriend & best friend Lauren, who was hilarious & is the perfect representation of why there’s nothing like found family😭 the support, encouragement & honesty she provided Rosaline with was absolutely lovely. I’m also here for healthy friendships with your exes — sometimes no one is the villain, you’re just not each other’s person.

So grateful for this book & for Alexis Hall🙏🏽

Content Warnings

ohheyitskaitlin's review

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

quasinaut's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

4.5

Plot-wise, this was a very enjoyable, if somewhat predictable, romance perfect for anyone who likes GBBO. That said, I felt that Rosaline's emotional growth added depth that I really appreciated! From the start, Rosaline stands up for others, particularly her daughter, but struggles to speak up for herself and her dreams. We see her figure out what she wants, learn to recognize (rather obvious) red flags in others, and pursue her goals even when they don't match with what's expected of her by her parents or society at large. Love this journey!

Content Warnings

unsuccessfulbookclub's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I am absolutely, hopelessly obsessed with the Great British Bake Off, so Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake started on second base. (I realize that is a baseball term which makes it distinctly American but I know nothing about cricket or soccer, so you’re just going to have to deal with it.) I would like to read any and all of the baking/cooking show romance novels now. Also, this one? It’s a GBBO RoNo. 🍰🧁

Aaaaanyway - for once, I read the blurb on the back of the book so I went in expecting a love triangle but was NOT expecting the level of depth this book got into around several heavy topics including intense biphobia, s e x u a l assault, classism, mental health, gender norms, strained family relationships and the pressure of being on a reality TV show. I really enjoyed all of the characters in this book and they felt real to me. I wanted to rage, laugh, cry, celebrate and experience things with all of them.

Even so, I laughed while reading this a whole lot - sometimes from Alexis Hall’s extremely dry British humor and other times while listening to the audiobook and enjoying Fiona Hardingham’s absolutely brilliant narration.

My biggest gripe is that I wanted Rosaline to have more time with the guy she ended up with, because he was the sweetest character in this book, and Rosaline deserved someone who loved her just how she was and wasn’t trying to fit her into some mold to suit themselves. 🥺

Instead, we got 300 pages of the other guy, who is an absolute doorknob. 😤

👍🏻Recommended! This is a sweet, funny, extremely British book that deals with some very intense topics. Please read Hall’s CW at the beginning of the book - there is a SA scene that is intense and Rosaline deals with biphobia from all corners.

Content Warnings

memorable's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted 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? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

karolinaz's review

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funny slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

Content Warnings

melaniereadsbooks's review

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challenging lighthearted 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? Yes

4.0

Okay I LOVE Rosaline and her bi-self! How cute is she with her daughter and her baking competition and her self-sufficiency!? I just love that. This book was so good! A part in the middle made me incredibly angry! This has a lot of biphobia in it which is infuriating, but I loved the way Rosaline handled herself! Fun read!

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