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A review by bookishmillennial
The Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH OMGOOOOODNESS IT HEALED MY SOUL I THINK
Syd (no pronouns) makes breakup brownies at work(The Proud Muffin in Austin, TX) after breaking up with longtime girlfriend, whose name is escaping me. However, whomever eats the brownies then breaks up with their current partners, so once this becomes clear, Syd along with friend Harley (he/they), must fix the fragmented relationships before it impacts the bakery! There are adorably goofy and precious recipes in between chapters, and I loved the surrealism/fabulism of Syd's magical baking abilities. I adored the messages of "you are what you eat," and "be mindful of what you put out into the world" coming to life with Syd's baking.
The exploration of gender and if agender fits Syd was a lovely one to follow. I do not have the lived experience of Syd or agender folks, so definitely listen to ownvoices. From an external perspective though, I thought A.R. Capetta wrote this with care, hope, and compassion. Admittedly, I think it's the first story I've read this year with agender representation, so this is a call-in to me to seek out more of these stories because they deserve to be told and to be heard.
I also appreciated the demisexuality representation, and thought it was done well. As someone who has recently come into their own demi-sexuality and demi-romanticism, I enjoyed reading the conversations between Harley and Syd on this. I felt their friends-to-lovers arc was authentic, relatable, and a quieter kind of love, which I appreciate seeing in young/new adult books especially. Listening to your body and how it relaxes and feels safe around certain people is such a beautiful way to realize who encourages you and enjoys seeing you authentically and unabashedly.
I will continue to seek out work by A.R. Capetta because this was so damn precious and now I want a cupcake.
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH OMGOOOOODNESS IT HEALED MY SOUL I THINK
Syd (no pronouns) makes breakup brownies at work(The Proud Muffin in Austin, TX) after breaking up with longtime girlfriend, whose name is escaping me. However, whomever eats the brownies then breaks up with their current partners, so once this becomes clear, Syd along with friend Harley (he/they), must fix the fragmented relationships before it impacts the bakery! There are adorably goofy and precious recipes in between chapters, and I loved the surrealism/fabulism of Syd's magical baking abilities. I adored the messages of "you are what you eat," and "be mindful of what you put out into the world" coming to life with Syd's baking.
The exploration of gender and if agender fits Syd was a lovely one to follow. I do not have the lived experience of Syd or agender folks, so definitely listen to ownvoices. From an external perspective though, I thought A.R. Capetta wrote this with care, hope, and compassion. Admittedly, I think it's the first story I've read this year with agender representation, so this is a call-in to me to seek out more of these stories because they deserve to be told and to be heard.
I also appreciated the demisexuality representation, and thought it was done well. As someone who has recently come into their own demi-sexuality and demi-romanticism, I enjoyed reading the conversations between Harley and Syd on this. I felt their friends-to-lovers arc was authentic, relatable, and a quieter kind of love, which I appreciate seeing in young/new adult books especially. Listening to your body and how it relaxes and feels safe around certain people is such a beautiful way to realize who encourages you and enjoys seeing you authentically and unabashedly.
I will continue to seek out work by A.R. Capetta because this was so damn precious and now I want a cupcake.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria
Moderate: Biphobia, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content