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

I LOVED this book and felt sooo seen by it . This book represents a lot of the bisexual experience, the good and the bad. I love that the author was not afraid to call out a lot of shit that lgbtqia+ community has to deal with .

I loved the writing style. I loved the plot especially the setting of it being on the Great bake which is the Great British bake off 100%. It was I reretibg to hear about the competition while having a romance happen at the same time. This id also a story of friendship. The power of standing up for yourself and being your true self and being fine with that and making others realize they need to be accepting and respectful.

The daughter in this is also super cute and that’s a great storyline of seeing Rosaline as a single mother and all the experiences that go along with that.

There were many many moments where I found myself snapping/clapping along at this book, nodding my head and smiling and also getting mad at certain characters. This book also made me watch the great British bake off and I highly recommend that for a
Multimedia experience.

I will read many more books by Alexis hall because to me this book was perfection .

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readingqueerly's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.5

Fun romance read. It did go quite slow at the start in my opinion. But the second half read so fast!

I really appreciate the way we're supposed to cheer for Rosaline and Alain at the start. It's only very slowly and subtlely you start to realise he's an asshole. I thought that was done so well. I think the balance between the relationship with Alain building before going wrong, and then getting to know Harry more so it makes sense for him to end up with Rosaline was done really well. I was scared at first they would become a couple without really knowing Harry all that well (both Rosaline and the reader I mean), but I feel like we got enough alone time with him to accept him and like him.

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pucksandpaperbacks's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny reflective 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

Now I understand why Alexis Hall is all the rage right now. It's well deserved. The audiobook was fantastic as it has attention to detail and immerses you in the show. This book had me laughing out loud and applauding the characters. There's talk of consent, biphobia, and sexism in media & society. Harry is one of my favorite characters. His anxiety rep was done really well. He's a loveable yet complex character which I adore. Now, I'm going to go and watch British Bake Off!

Content warnings can be found on the author's website: https://quicunquevult.com/book/rosaline-palmer-takes-the-cake/#content-guidance8067-241c73ca-04d1

CWs: Sexual content (on page but not graphic), classism, emotionally distant / emotionally unsupportive parents, discussion of a teenage pregnancy (which happened in the past), brief mention of Rosaline considering an abortion (she kept the baby), casual biphobia, casual homophobia, unwanted sexual advances / threat of sexual assault, gaslighting, an attempt at blackmail (doesn’t go anywhere), mild violence (one character throws a punch), very graphic swearing and insults from one particular character that continues all through the book

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kj468's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

This book is truly excellent. It's a great combination of humor, romance, plot, and *life lessons*. Alexis Hall is a truly hilarious author; his wit is unmatched. I appreciated the main character's (Rosaline) arc, particularly her growth in learning to do what makes her (rather than her parents, society, etc) happy. Rosaline is bisexual, and the book definitely is a queer read; her bisexuality is well represented and is a significant part of her character -- it never feels like a background detail. Furthermore, I was very happy with how the romance played out. Without saying too much, I enjoyed the rides and turns that Hall takes readers through, and was very satisfied with the ending. The cooking show plot is well developed. I like that readers get to see enough of the show that it feels tangible and real -- readers develop real stakes in the competition -- but not so much that it becomes boring or tired. Overall, I absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a light, fun romance read with a hearty dash of self-reflection and strong character growth.

(Also, readers should note the content warning at the beginning of the book; there is a scene with non-graphic attempted sexual assault. The author has more detailed content guidance on his website, on the page for this book.)

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hollyd19's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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eamily's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.75

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kaitlyns_literary_teahouse's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

This was adorable, a perfect palate cleanser from all of my fantasy reading. We follow Rosaline Palmer as she figures out herself and take a leap of faith a baking competition show as a chance to build a better life for her and her daughter. While she is baking desserts she is also stepping back in the dating game

Alain is a twat

, she experiences travel troubles and falls in with another contestant Alain, who is an architect. Shenanigans ensue that are adorable. But as you follow the filming of the show you learn that all is not as it seems.

Cute, adorable, and definitely a pick me up if you are looking for one.

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