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chaoticmermaid's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
The stars are due to the whole cast of fun characters. Special shot out to Amelie, Lauren, and Envita, they were a genuine romp. I also love the whole crew. Books like this is why I miss romantic comedy movies. I would watch this with my friends in a heartbeat.
The beginning part of the book was stressful because I forgot that not every romance follows the exact same pattern and was quite offended by a character that I thought I was expected to like. But I loved this book so much I was ready to go back in right away, but I’m going to try to save it for when I need something this fun and cute again.
Do heed the content warnings on here. I forgot to check them and was disappointed there wasn’t a warning at the beginning of the book. I will make sure to include them in the appropriate section.
The beginning part of the book was stressful because I forgot that not every romance follows the exact same pattern and was quite offended by a character that I thought I was expected to like. But I loved this book so much I was ready to go back in right away, but I’m going to try to save it for when I need something this fun and cute again.
Do heed the content warnings on here. I forgot to check them and was disappointed there wasn’t a warning at the beginning of the book. I will make sure to include them in the appropriate section.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Bullying and Sexism
kathis_wonderland's review against another edition
funny
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? Yes
4.0
Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall is the first book in the Winner Bakes All series. Rosaline is a single mother, who enters a baking competition to win some extra money that would help her family a lot. There she meets Alain, who fits her parents’ standards and they start dating. But the other contestant Harry is always there to help her in times of need. Rosaline has to reflect on her beliefs to see what she really wants.
After being a massive fan of Boyfriend Material, but hating the main character there, I was a bit scared that the characters in this series would be similar to the ones in the other series. Fortunately, they are not! This book has a completely different vibe. Rosaline is a very open-minded single mother, who does everything in her power to give her daughter the best life. And Amelie is an amazing daughter as well! I love Rosaline's support system and the way she grows over time. I loved Harry from the beginning andhated Alain. Such an a**hole. I loved that Rosaline was a bisexual woman. We rarely see that in books or movies or anywhere in media. With that said, we also heard a lot of biphobic comments and beliefs throughout the book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It had quite a lot of diversity in it and was entertaining. I love the recipes at the end of the book. I can't wait for the next books in this series!
After being a massive fan of Boyfriend Material, but hating the main character there, I was a bit scared that the characters in this series would be similar to the ones in the other series. Fortunately, they are not! This book has a completely different vibe. Rosaline is a very open-minded single mother, who does everything in her power to give her daughter the best life. And Amelie is an amazing daughter as well! I love Rosaline's support system and the way she grows over time. I loved Harry from the beginning and
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It had quite a lot of diversity in it and was entertaining. I love the recipes at the end of the book. I can't wait for the next books in this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Cursing, Sexual assault, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
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
5.0
ROSALINE PALMER TAKES THE CAKE features Rosaline, a single mom on a British baking show, falling for her fellow contestants and doting on her anglerfish-obsessed daughter. She needs the money, and hopes the resulting spotlight will lead to a lucrative cookbook-writing career. This is the first book in a series which seems slated to have different protagonists in each entry, with a fictionalized version of a particular British baking show as the connecting thread. This means that while I'm sure some sort of connecting lore will develop, I can, at least, assess this as if it's a stand-alone book. It isn't trying to leave anything in particular to be resolved later (except that there will be another season of the show), and this story wraps up on schedule.
I was very glad to read about a bisexual protagonist who gets a narrative which doesn't treat her identity as a spectacle. Rosaline does, however, have to deal with some biphobia and some truly awful behavior. One of the potential love interests slowly becomes more and more unpleasant as the show continues, in a way which allows for several possible moments where a reader can realize that something is wrong and this isn't just a choice between two perfectly fine relationship options. I don't want to spoil how things go, but the slow escalation of toxic behavior is a really great example of how this kind of person can stay in someone's life well past the first warning sign, depending on what other pressures and stressors are in play. I've seen some other reviews which were upset at Rosaline for not realizing how bad this person was much earlier, and this frustrated me, because they seemed to not understand the narrative arc and her growth as a character. The book would have been dull and half the length if she'd immediately known who to end up with and just gotten there fast. Instead, her slow realization highlights how insidious classism can be, particularly the way that this person got past her guard because he engaged in the "acceptable" forms of bigotry. By not having Rosaline perfectly clock this person as a socially-adept asshole, there's room for her to have an arc of realization and struggle over how to deal with this new information.
Part of Rosaline's story off-camera is renegotiating her relationship with her parents. They have this idea of who she could have been which is incompatible with who she is, and she's felt bad that she didn't have the career they envisioned because she had Amelie instead. She doesn't regret her daughter, and doesn't particularly seem to long for a career in medicine, but it's hard to be settled and confident in the life she actually has when there's never enough money and her parents don't let her forget for an instant how much they've done to help her make both ends meet.
Things I love, in no particular order: Amelie and her various interests (I also loved anglerfish when I was a kid); the process of filming the baking show; the other cast members; Rosaline's relationship with her ex-girlfriend/best friend.
I was very glad to read about a bisexual protagonist who gets a narrative which doesn't treat her identity as a spectacle. Rosaline does, however, have to deal with some biphobia and some truly awful behavior. One of the potential love interests slowly becomes more and more unpleasant as the show continues, in a way which allows for several possible moments where a reader can realize that something is wrong and this isn't just a choice between two perfectly fine relationship options. I don't want to spoil how things go, but the slow escalation of toxic behavior is a really great example of how this kind of person can stay in someone's life well past the first warning sign, depending on what other pressures and stressors are in play. I've seen some other reviews which were upset at Rosaline for not realizing how bad this person was much earlier, and this frustrated me, because they seemed to not understand the narrative arc and her growth as a character. The book would have been dull and half the length if she'd immediately known who to end up with and just gotten there fast. Instead, her slow realization highlights how insidious classism can be, particularly the way that this person got past her guard because he engaged in the "acceptable" forms of bigotry. By not having Rosaline perfectly clock this person as a socially-adept asshole, there's room for her to have an arc of realization and struggle over how to deal with this new information.
Part of Rosaline's story off-camera is renegotiating her relationship with her parents. They have this idea of who she could have been which is incompatible with who she is, and she's felt bad that she didn't have the career they envisioned because she had Amelie instead. She doesn't regret her daughter, and doesn't particularly seem to long for a career in medicine, but it's hard to be settled and confident in the life she actually has when there's never enough money and her parents don't let her forget for an instant how much they've done to help her make both ends meet.
Things I love, in no particular order: Amelie and her various interests (I also loved anglerfish when I was a kid); the process of filming the baking show; the other cast members; Rosaline's relationship with her ex-girlfriend/best friend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual assault, and Classism
Moderate: Biphobia, Confinement, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Infidelity and Racism
sophiesmallhands'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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Biphobia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
bzliz's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The Boyfriend Material series wasn’t my favorite but I liked it well enough that when I saw this at the library, I thought I’d give it a try. I really like the backdrop of a Bake Off style program that gives a lot of structure to the story. It feels so comforting to read and limits the amount of stress. I think cozy readers will love this book.
Rosaline’s growth is due to her defiance of what others want for her. Firstly her parents, who’ve been pretty controlling her whole life. Then Alain, whose control is more subtle because it seems like he’s presenting options but really he just ignores the reality of her life and discounts her child as a huge responsibility but also her greatest source of joy. Rosaline starts standing up for herself and it’s a good moment that I think most quiet people secretly want. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as finally saying everything you’ve been thinking and agonizing over. I was also frustrated with Rosaline because she wastes her time on this dude who might as well be saying “I own a Red Flag manufacturing plant and business is booming!” However, I would lay my life down for Harry even though I only understood about 75% of what he was saying.
Finally, it needs to be mentioned that there is a sexual assault scene. When I was looking for more information prior to starting the book, I couldn’t easily find a description of the event. If you’re sensitive to this subject and want to know what happens prior to reading, see my note below with the content warnings.
Rosaline’s growth is due to her defiance of what others want for her. Firstly her parents, who’ve been pretty controlling her whole life. Then Alain, whose control is more subtle because it seems like he’s presenting options but really he just ignores the reality of her life and discounts her child as a huge responsibility but also her greatest source of joy. Rosaline starts standing up for herself and it’s a good moment that I think most quiet people secretly want. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as finally saying everything you’ve been thinking and agonizing over. I was also frustrated with Rosaline because she wastes her time on this dude who might as well be saying “I own a Red Flag manufacturing plant and business is booming!” However, I would lay my life down for Harry even though I only understood about 75% of what he was saying.
Finally, it needs to be mentioned that there is a sexual assault scene. When I was looking for more information prior to starting the book, I couldn’t easily find a description of the event. If you’re sensitive to this subject and want to know what happens prior to reading, see my note below with the content warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, and Mental illness
Minor: Body shaming and Fatphobia
The sexual assault scene happened much later in the book than I expected it would. What happens isatamano's review against another edition
funny
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
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Classism
Moderate: Biphobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism and Alcohol
rockyroadbutch's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Homophobia, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
fromthefoxhole's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-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
5.0
I mean it's just a scrummy book! I was outwardly chuckling for like 80% of the book, I got a therapy session, and the leads are insanely hot. Wins all across the board.
Hall does a really excellent job with pacing, everything is whip smart and witty, especially our MC Rosaline. She's honestly a badass (I will never understand how people have the energy to do anything on top of being a parent, it's such involved and hard work) but she's also so genuine. She's balanced, both flawed and fleshed out enough to feel human, like I could pop down the street and she'd greet me with a cup of tea.
Harry, our burly cinnamon roll love interest, is a man of few words who really goes all out with acts of service for those he cares about. There are so many times in this book that I highlighted and my comment is just "😭😭" because he's such a gentle and kind man.
Also, Amelie is the love of my life, and I hope one day she becomes a marine biologist who focuses on deep sea exploration.
Hall does a really excellent job with pacing, everything is whip smart and witty, especially our MC Rosaline. She's honestly a badass (I will never understand how people have the energy to do anything on top of being a parent, it's such involved and hard work) but she's also so genuine. She's balanced, both flawed and fleshed out enough to feel human, like I could pop down the street and she'd greet me with a cup of tea.
Harry, our burly cinnamon roll love interest, is a man of few words who really goes all out with acts of service for those he cares about. There are so many times in this book that I highlighted and my comment is just "😭😭" because he's such a gentle and kind man.
Also, Amelie is the love of my life, and I hope one day she becomes a marine biologist who focuses on deep sea exploration.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Abortion
kaitlinnoodles's review
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
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Classism
Moderate: Biphobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
nefariousbee's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
relaxing
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
4.5
this is the second time Alexis Hall got me from what threatened to be a big old reading slump. i swear you can't go wrong with his romance novels. it's witty and fun, the characters feel alive, you get the romance and the life lessons. the plot is barely there but I like it that way so I can't complain. this was a f/m romance and so bisexual at the same time. just delightful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism