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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Fun. A good English vacation read. Not super Londony or super British though.
funny
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:
No
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Sweet easy read. Enjoyed the baking elements and the romance felt believable. The description of the shops was really interesting albeit didn’t sound particularly fiscally viable, l liked the fantasy of it. Lots of side characters but not too distracting really. Low stakes, comfort read
I feel I should begin by warning the Gentle Reader that I am not inclined to be objective about this book. I loved Sylvie, with her desire to create and share beauty and whimsy because she knows precisely how fragile those things are, I loved Dominic, and how much the need to provide comfort and safety to others underlies his perfectionism, I loved the sequel bait, and did I mention there was a grouchy autocratic cat named Humphrey?
Parker always excels at the emotional connection and journey of her characters, and this is no exception. I loved how much kindness and decency Sylvie and Dominic showed each other, even early on. Their attraction built as they came to know each other and oh my goodness was it delicious. I also think it should be mentioned that while this is a romance, it is very much a book about the value of love in a world of loss. I understand why it is being marketed as a rom-com, and Parker delivers the witty dialogue, but there were some intense and thoughtful discussions of grief. I loved everything about this book and it is absolutely a new comfort read!
Parker always excels at the emotional connection and journey of her characters, and this is no exception. I loved how much kindness and decency Sylvie and Dominic showed each other, even early on. Their attraction built as they came to know each other and oh my goodness was it delicious. I also think it should be mentioned that while this is a romance, it is very much a book about the value of love in a world of loss. I understand why it is being marketed as a rom-com, and Parker delivers the witty dialogue, but there were some intense and thoughtful discussions of grief. I loved everything about this book and it is absolutely a new comfort read!
[audiobook]
3/5★
Trigger warnings: grief ; past terminal illness ; past death of a family member ; childhood neglect ; abusive family ; stalking. ; knife attack/assault
So… mixed feelings here. I liked the story, but didn’t liked the audiobook. Hear me out, I’m not English (I am French), but I am still really good at listening comprehension. Yet this audiobook? It took me so long to get used to the narrator way of speaking. Seems like she has a little accent (British I think?) plus she was talking fast. It took me almost a third of the story to get used to it so I could understand everything she was saying.
Add to that the fact that we have only one female narrator, but the book is a dual point of view story. And we don’t have the name of the character we are following at the beginning of each chapters. It is already difficult to follow the changes while reading the story, but while listening, with only one narrator? I got lost most than one time.
Because of all that, it was really hard for me to get into the story. Which is really sad since the story itself is good!
I’ve immediately been hooked by the synopsis. Two famous pastry chef, that are rivals, and like… hate each other (yup, you see where it is going), fighting for a contract for a royal wedding? THAT is interesting. And it was definitely up to my expectations. I loved the story, and love the two protagonists: two opposites and they yet complete each other perfectly. I obviously loved Dominic since he is a gorgeous grumpy man that is quite protective of his words and smiles. Sylvie on the contrary is a real ray of sunshine who’s a bit naive (well, a lot naive), sees romance everywhere, and loves sparkles and unicorns. The interactions between the two of them was quite hilarious sometimes.
To summarise, Battle Royal is a funny romance with a sweet love story. But the little side stories are also really intriguing and I loved following our two MCs in their research for one of the royal family member’s past.
Tropes: haters-to-lovers ; enemies-to-lovers ; opposites attract ; grumpy/sunshine
3/5★
Trigger warnings: grief ; past terminal illness ; past death of a family member ; childhood neglect ; abusive family ; stalking. ; knife attack/assault
So… mixed feelings here. I liked the story, but didn’t liked the audiobook. Hear me out, I’m not English (I am French), but I am still really good at listening comprehension. Yet this audiobook? It took me so long to get used to the narrator way of speaking. Seems like she has a little accent (British I think?) plus she was talking fast. It took me almost a third of the story to get used to it so I could understand everything she was saying.
Add to that the fact that we have only one female narrator, but the book is a dual point of view story. And we don’t have the name of the character we are following at the beginning of each chapters. It is already difficult to follow the changes while reading the story, but while listening, with only one narrator? I got lost most than one time.
Because of all that, it was really hard for me to get into the story. Which is really sad since the story itself is good!
I’ve immediately been hooked by the synopsis. Two famous pastry chef, that are rivals, and like… hate each other (yup, you see where it is going), fighting for a contract for a royal wedding? THAT is interesting. And it was definitely up to my expectations. I loved the story, and love the two protagonists: two opposites and they yet complete each other perfectly. I obviously loved Dominic since he is a gorgeous grumpy man that is quite protective of his words and smiles. Sylvie on the contrary is a real ray of sunshine who’s a bit naive (well, a lot naive), sees romance everywhere, and loves sparkles and unicorns. The interactions between the two of them was quite hilarious sometimes.
To summarise, Battle Royal is a funny romance with a sweet love story. But the little side stories are also really intriguing and I loved following our two MCs in their research for one of the royal family member’s past.
Tropes: haters-to-lovers ; enemies-to-lovers ; opposites attract ; grumpy/sunshine
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
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
