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fkshg8465's review against another edition
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
4.0
Really cute. Emotive. Mad me laugh. Mad me angry. Mad me sad. Mad me full. Stayed up all night to read it before it was due back to the library. It was somewhat predictable, but the relationship between Jenny and Bernie was what made the book complete magic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Rape, Bullying, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death of parent, Infidelity, Outing, and Pregnancy
kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.0
Title: Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame
Author: Olivia Ford
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: January 30, 2024
T H R E E • W O R D S
Redemptive • Gentle • Delicious
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Nothing could be more out of character, but after fifty-nine years of marriage, as her husband Bernard’s health declines, and her friends' lives become focused on their grandchildren—which Jenny never had—Jenny decides she wants a little something for herself. So she secretly applies to be a contestant on the prime-time TV show Britain Bakes.
Whisked into an unfamiliar world of cameras and timed challenges, Jenny delights in a new-found independence. But that independence, and the stress of the competition, starts to unearth memories buried decades ago. Chocolate teacakes remind her of a furtive errand involving a wedding ring; sugared doughnuts call up a stranger’s kind act; a simple cottage loaf brings back the moment her life changed forever.
With her baking star rising, Jenny struggles to keep a lid on that first secret—a long-concealed deceit that threatens to shatter the very foundations of her marriage. It’s the only time in six decades that she’s kept something from Bernard. By putting herself in the limelight, has Jenny created a recipe for disaster?
💭 T H O U G H T S
There's no denying older characters in books is one of my favourite tropes. Add in some food elements, and of course, I had to add Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame to my most anticipated 2024 releases. I just knew this book would deliver so many things that work for me before I even picked it up.
Jenny was an absolute star! I really loved getting to know her and her story. Ford utilizes parallel storytelling (snippets of the past interwoven into the present) to give us Jenny's back story and it worked perfectly. As for Bernard, her supportive husband, I absolutely adored him. Honestly, I just want to hang out with these two. The other characters, especially the other contestants, could have used more development.
This novel is predictable in the best way possible. It certainly wasn't hard to figure out how things would go once I knew what Jenny's secret was. My one issue is that for a lighter-hearted story it was longer than it needed to be. I just wanted to get to the reveal, likely because I knew what to expect.
Olivia Ford's experience in the entertainment industry made the baking contest realistic and she gave the reader just enough of it without it bogging down the narrative. All of the food descriptions were absolutely delicious. I seriously wish a sample of each of Jenny's creations could be delivered to me while I was reading.
Overall, Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame was an absolute delight. It's a coming-of-old, feel-good story with depth, filled with tender moments and with high entertainment value. It's that gentle reminder that it's never too late to peruse a dream or doing something for yourself. Olivia Ford is an author I will be keeping an eye on.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• baking shows
• yummy food
• coming-of-old stories
⚠️ CW: infidelity, misogyny, sexism, death of parent, pregnancy, adoption, grief, chronic illness, medical content, medical trauma, sexual assault, alcohol
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It's strange, she thought, how recipes outlive the people that wrote them and yet they almost bring a part of that person back to life, as if a tiny piece of their soul lives in those instructions."
"'Recipes are very precious things. They contain little pieces of history, of nostalgia, and of people - exactly as they were at the time when they wrote them. In reading their words and following their methods, they were by my side. I thought I was alone when I headed into the barn, but I never really was.' She paused, thinking of her recipe book, of him. 'I suppose what I mean to say is: keep writing them down, keep making them, and keep passing them on.'"
Author: Olivia Ford
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: January 30, 2024
T H R E E • W O R D S
Redemptive • Gentle • Delicious
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Nothing could be more out of character, but after fifty-nine years of marriage, as her husband Bernard’s health declines, and her friends' lives become focused on their grandchildren—which Jenny never had—Jenny decides she wants a little something for herself. So she secretly applies to be a contestant on the prime-time TV show Britain Bakes.
Whisked into an unfamiliar world of cameras and timed challenges, Jenny delights in a new-found independence. But that independence, and the stress of the competition, starts to unearth memories buried decades ago. Chocolate teacakes remind her of a furtive errand involving a wedding ring; sugared doughnuts call up a stranger’s kind act; a simple cottage loaf brings back the moment her life changed forever.
With her baking star rising, Jenny struggles to keep a lid on that first secret—a long-concealed deceit that threatens to shatter the very foundations of her marriage. It’s the only time in six decades that she’s kept something from Bernard. By putting herself in the limelight, has Jenny created a recipe for disaster?
💭 T H O U G H T S
There's no denying older characters in books is one of my favourite tropes. Add in some food elements, and of course, I had to add Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame to my most anticipated 2024 releases. I just knew this book would deliver so many things that work for me before I even picked it up.
Jenny was an absolute star! I really loved getting to know her and her story. Ford utilizes parallel storytelling (snippets of the past interwoven into the present) to give us Jenny's back story and it worked perfectly. As for Bernard, her supportive husband, I absolutely adored him. Honestly, I just want to hang out with these two. The other characters, especially the other contestants, could have used more development.
This novel is predictable in the best way possible. It certainly wasn't hard to figure out how things would go once I knew what Jenny's secret was. My one issue is that for a lighter-hearted story it was longer than it needed to be. I just wanted to get to the reveal, likely because I knew what to expect.
Olivia Ford's experience in the entertainment industry made the baking contest realistic and she gave the reader just enough of it without it bogging down the narrative. All of the food descriptions were absolutely delicious. I seriously wish a sample of each of Jenny's creations could be delivered to me while I was reading.
Overall, Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame was an absolute delight. It's a coming-of-old, feel-good story with depth, filled with tender moments and with high entertainment value. It's that gentle reminder that it's never too late to peruse a dream or doing something for yourself. Olivia Ford is an author I will be keeping an eye on.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• baking shows
• yummy food
• coming-of-old stories
⚠️ CW: infidelity, misogyny, sexism, death of parent, pregnancy, adoption, grief, chronic illness, medical content, medical trauma, sexual assault, alcohol
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It's strange, she thought, how recipes outlive the people that wrote them and yet they almost bring a part of that person back to life, as if a tiny piece of their soul lives in those instructions."
"'Recipes are very precious things. They contain little pieces of history, of nostalgia, and of people - exactly as they were at the time when they wrote them. In reading their words and following their methods, they were by my side. I thought I was alone when I headed into the barn, but I never really was.' She paused, thinking of her recipe book, of him. 'I suppose what I mean to say is: keep writing them down, keep making them, and keep passing them on.'"
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, and Medical content
Minor: Death of parent, Death, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Sexism, Infidelity, and Misogyny
adoptionssjensen's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, and Pregnancy
Minor: Rape
rachelle_reads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
This book is a fairly gentle read that pulls at your heartstrings a bit, too. I just love Jenny so much. What courage, to stretch outside of her role as wife and auntie and apply for a reality TV show. Her backstory adds depth to what might otherwise be too sweet and simple a tale. The pacing of this book is perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Infidelity
abby_can_read's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
📱
This was an adorable book. I loved it. I shed plenty of tears. The characters were great and their relationships were solid. The plot was a little predictable, but it kept me interested and engaged.
This was an adorable book. I loved it. I shed plenty of tears. The characters were great and their relationships were solid. The plot was a little predictable, but it kept me interested and engaged.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Pregnancy, and Medical content
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, and Sexism
kdailyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Pregnancy, and Medical content
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Blood, and Infidelity
mishale1's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? No
4.5
This book was wonderful. It was very sad at times but I think that only served to make the reader route for Jenny even more. You ache for her at times and as a result the ending really pays off.
I also absolutely loved all of the characters. I loved Jenny. I loved her husband of almost sixty years Bernard. I loved her niece Rose. I loved her fellow competitor Azeez. I loved everyone in this book.
Jenny is 77. She’s lived her whole adult life as Bernard’s wife. They didn’t have children together and Jenny was a home maker. She has always been known for being an amazing baker. But at her age she’s starting to get maudlin, she’s thinking about what happens when she’s gone. She feels like she’s never left a mark on the world. And she decides to enter the Britain Bakes cooking competition and is amazed when she’s accepted.
We get to follow Jenny on her journey as a contestant. And we also see how her reflecting is bringing up a very sad memory from her past. Now, I’m not a fan of a sad book but I did not feel the sadness overwhelmed the story. The issue isn’t content that upsets me but if might be for others.
Overall, I just really wanted good things for sweet Jenny and Bernard and I love how his story ended. Very satisfying ending.
I also absolutely loved all of the characters. I loved Jenny. I loved her husband of almost sixty years Bernard. I loved her niece Rose. I loved her fellow competitor Azeez. I loved everyone in this book.
Jenny is 77. She’s lived her whole adult life as Bernard’s wife. They didn’t have children together and Jenny was a home maker. She has always been known for being an amazing baker. But at her age she’s starting to get maudlin, she’s thinking about what happens when she’s gone. She feels like she’s never left a mark on the world. And she decides to enter the Britain Bakes cooking competition and is amazed when she’s accepted.
We get to follow Jenny on her journey as a contestant. And we also see how her reflecting is bringing up a very sad memory from her past. Now, I’m not a fan of a sad book but I did not feel the sadness overwhelmed the story. The issue isn’t content that upsets me but if might be for others.
Overall, I just really wanted good things for sweet Jenny and Bernard and I love how his story ended. Very satisfying ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
calamitydeeds's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
My new favorite book! Heartwarming and inspirational!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Grief, Sexism, and Death of parent
kitwhelan's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
A very sweet book that was much sadder than I anticipated due to our heroine’s backstory (which is gone into detail in flashbacks). Still funny, inspiring, and with happy ending!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
mctmama's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
Jenny Quinn shows us that age 77 is not too old to follow your dreams! A lifelong baker, Jenny and her husband, Bernard, are big fans of the show, Britain Bakes. When Jenny sees an ad asking for new contestants, she decides to enter in secret. To her surprise, she is selected for the show, and struggles with how to tell her husband, Bernard, who is in his early 80's and struggling with asthma. While Jenny looks over her family recipes to prepare for the show, she begins to remember another time, and a secret in her past that she still struggles with today.
Being a fan of the "Great British Baking Show" I really enjoyed all the baking treats, and the "behind the scenes" look of how Jenny auditioned for the show, and then the daily business of the show. I loved the friendship she formed with a fellow contest, Azeez.
What held me back from 5 stars - I guessed the "secret" plot line, and did not like how Jenny kept secrets from Bernard. Bernard seemed like a saint - never angry, full of love - maybe a tad unrealistic?
In general, this was a feel good story, with a satisfying ending. A fun read! Thanks to Netgalley for an Advanced Reader copy.
Being a fan of the "Great British Baking Show" I really enjoyed all the baking treats, and the "behind the scenes" look of how Jenny auditioned for the show, and then the daily business of the show. I loved the friendship she formed with a fellow contest, Azeez.
What held me back from 5 stars - I guessed the "secret" plot line, and did not like how Jenny kept secrets from Bernard. Bernard seemed like a saint - never angry, full of love - maybe a tad unrealistic?
In general, this was a feel good story, with a satisfying ending. A fun read! Thanks to Netgalley for an Advanced Reader copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
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