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unsuccessfulbookclub's review
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
Graphic: Biphobia, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content
memorable's review against another edition
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
Moderate: Biphobia, Cursing, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Minor: Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
karolinaz's review
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
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Classism
Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
Minor: Cancer, Mental illness, and Misogyny
melaniereadsbooks's review
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
meganpbennett's review
adventurous
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
5.0
After adoring Boyfriend Material, when I saw that this was written by the same person, well, I had to give it a try! And it was wonderful. Full of Hall's trademark wit, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake takes the reader on a whirlwind adventure. Rosaline, a single mother, is a contestant on a BBC baking competition that is heavily based on the Great British Bake Off. On her way to the competition (which is, of course, in a town that doesn't get reliable rail service), she and another competitor end up stranded at a random rail stop. And she lies to Alvin, trying to make him think that she's more awesome than she really is. It totally backfires, of course. And then there's Harry. Who's a highly skilled laborer - electrician - and still somehow calls women "love." Rosaline lets him have it, and it sticks. Over the course of the competition, Alvin and Harry compete for the prize and for Rosaline's hand. Except.....
One of them turns out to be a right bastard and the other one a truly nice guy. Read to find out who she end up with, and how bad one shows himself to be a right bastard.
This book was laugh-out-loud funny, and kept me awake too late more than once, since I had to know how it ended.
Update: 2022-08-25: This was an excellent re-read. I noticed so much that I missed during the first read. There's a lot of discussion about class, which this American reader still doesn't quite get, but it was informative and interesting. It was also very cool to see the well-written evidence of what was going to happen between Rosaline and her two guys, as I noticed how they had completely different interactions with Rosaline and how those interactions telegraphed how their various relationships would play out.
One of them turns out to be a right bastard and the other one a truly nice guy. Read to find out who she end up with, and how bad one shows himself to be a right bastard.
This book was laugh-out-loud funny, and kept me awake too late more than once, since I had to know how it ended.
Update: 2022-08-25: This was an excellent re-read. I noticed so much that I missed during the first read. There's a lot of discussion about class, which this American reader still doesn't quite get, but it was informative and interesting. It was also very cool to see the well-written evidence of what was going to happen between Rosaline and her two guys, as I noticed how they had completely different interactions with Rosaline and how those interactions telegraphed how their various relationships would play out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Pregnancy
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
Four for now. Might bump it up later. I need to think.
Rep: bisexual single parent female MC, one love interest has social anxiety, lesbian female side character, BIPOC side character (I think south Asian to be specific will follow up), sister of love interest is married to her wife.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, discussion of abortion and reasons why MC did not choose it, biphobia, cursing (including a child cursing), emotional abuse/parental neglect, gaslighting, mental illness (anxiety/social anxiety), past pregnancy, sexual assault, sexual content (graphic and several scenes), toxic relationship, misogyny.
Rep: bisexual single parent female MC, one love interest has social anxiety, lesbian female side character, BIPOC side character (I think south Asian to be specific will follow up), sister of love interest is married to her wife.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, discussion of abortion and reasons why MC did not choose it, biphobia, cursing (including a child cursing), emotional abuse/parental neglect, gaslighting, mental illness (anxiety/social anxiety), past pregnancy, sexual assault, sexual content (graphic and several scenes), toxic relationship, misogyny.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Moderate: Abortion and Pregnancy
kp_writ's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Lighthearted and quippy, this is definitely an easy summer read (barring the one sexual assault scene) for those interested in a down to earth romance between adults older than 25. Some of the internal conflict was frustrating, and the external conflict was terribly predictable, but it didn't take me out of the story too much. There was a period where I thought both romance interests were terribly boring and I contemplating shelving it, but I'm glad I didn't. A solid, lighthearted read overall that still manages to interrogate the question "what do you *really* want out of life" without getting too terribly existential.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Body shaming, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pregnancy
meghanm404's review
adventurous
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Biphobia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Sexual content