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A review by meganpbennett
Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall
adventurous
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
After adoring Boyfriend Material, when I saw that this was written by the same person, well, I had to give it a try! And it was wonderful. Full of Hall's trademark wit, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake takes the reader on a whirlwind adventure. Rosaline, a single mother, is a contestant on a BBC baking competition that is heavily based on the Great British Bake Off. On her way to the competition (which is, of course, in a town that doesn't get reliable rail service), she and another competitor end up stranded at a random rail stop. And she lies to Alvin, trying to make him think that she's more awesome than she really is. It totally backfires, of course. And then there's Harry. Who's a highly skilled laborer - electrician - and still somehow calls women "love." Rosaline lets him have it, and it sticks. Over the course of the competition, Alvin and Harry compete for the prize and for Rosaline's hand. Except.....
One of them turns out to be a right bastard and the other one a truly nice guy. Read to find out who she end up with, and how bad one shows himself to be a right bastard.
This book was laugh-out-loud funny, and kept me awake too late more than once, since I had to know how it ended.
Update: 2022-08-25: This was an excellent re-read. I noticed so much that I missed during the first read. There's a lot of discussion about class, which this American reader still doesn't quite get, but it was informative and interesting. It was also very cool to see the well-written evidence of what was going to happen between Rosaline and her two guys, as I noticed how they had completely different interactions with Rosaline and how those interactions telegraphed how their various relationships would play out.
One of them turns out to be a right bastard and the other one a truly nice guy. Read to find out who she end up with, and how bad one shows himself to be a right bastard.
This book was laugh-out-loud funny, and kept me awake too late more than once, since I had to know how it ended.
Update: 2022-08-25: This was an excellent re-read. I noticed so much that I missed during the first read. There's a lot of discussion about class, which this American reader still doesn't quite get, but it was informative and interesting. It was also very cool to see the well-written evidence of what was going to happen between Rosaline and her two guys, as I noticed how they had completely different interactions with Rosaline and how those interactions telegraphed how their various relationships would play out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Biphobia, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Pregnancy