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Winner Bakes All #3
Audrey Lane Stirs the Pot
Bestselling author Alexis Hall brings all the cozy charm of The Great British Bake Off to life in this quirky LGBTQIA+ romcom.
Audrey Lane is perfectly fine. Really. So what if she left her high-powered job as a Very Important Journalist—and her even higher-powered long-term girlfriend—to live a quiet life as a reporter for the second-biggest newspaper in Shropshire? And so what if she keeps hearing the voice of that same higher-powered long-term now-ex-girlfriend in her head night and day, constantly judging just how small Audrey's allowed her life to become?
She's fine. She's happy. She's perfectly within her groove. Do not-in-their-groove people get weekday drunk and impulsively apply for the UK's most beloved baking show?
All right, so maybe she's not completely fine, but being on Bake Expectations is opening her world again in ways she never anticipated. First through fellow contestant Doris, whose personal story of queer love during WW2 captures Audrey's heart, imagination, and journalistic interest like nothing has in ages. Then through Jennifer Hallet, the most foul-tempered (and fouler-mouthed) producer, woman, and menace Audrey has ever met. Jennifer should be off-limits, but her fire lights something unexpected inside of Audrey, making her want to burn back a million times brighter. A million times hotter. A million times more herself than she's been in a long, long time.
Audrey Lane is perfectly fine. Really. So what if she left her high-powered job as a Very Important Journalist—and her even higher-powered long-term girlfriend—to live a quiet life as a reporter for the second-biggest newspaper in Shropshire? And so what if she keeps hearing the voice of that same higher-powered long-term now-ex-girlfriend in her head night and day, constantly judging just how small Audrey's allowed her life to become?
She's fine. She's happy. She's perfectly within her groove. Do not-in-their-groove people get weekday drunk and impulsively apply for the UK's most beloved baking show?
All right, so maybe she's not completely fine, but being on Bake Expectations is opening her world again in ways she never anticipated. First through fellow contestant Doris, whose personal story of queer love during WW2 captures Audrey's heart, imagination, and journalistic interest like nothing has in ages. Then through Jennifer Hallet, the most foul-tempered (and fouler-mouthed) producer, woman, and menace Audrey has ever met. Jennifer should be off-limits, but her fire lights something unexpected inside of Audrey, making her want to burn back a million times brighter. A million times hotter. A million times more herself than she's been in a long, long time.
448 pages, Paperback
First published December 9, 2025
118 people are currently reading
2814 people want to read
About the author
Alexis Hall
62 books15.1k followersOne of those intricate British queers.
Please note: I don’t read / reply to DMs. If you would like to get in touch, the best way is via email which you can find in the contact section on my website <3
Please note: I don’t read / reply to DMs. If you would like to get in touch, the best way is via email which you can find in the contact section on my website <3
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
January 31, 2026
Here with a few hot takes, fresh out of the oven (but potentially a little underproved - you be the judge!).
This is a palatable book but not a “good” one. It was interesting enough that I kept reading it, trying to figure out why it wasn’t working… but also uninteresting enough that I read it before going to bed several nights in a row and each night I immediately went to sleep after putting it down, and slept very deeply each time.
You know that thing where you’re reading the Captive Prince series by CS Pacat and you’re like “holy shit, how can this be SO good and SO bad at the same time?” That’s this book. But where Pacat nailed their MCs’ characterizations and chemistry but put them inside writing that is so bad and a plot resolution that is wildly problematic, Hall’s writing is phenomenal on a line-by-line basis—moving, even, often!—but he’s using it in service of characters that are paper thin and narrative assumptions that are bizarrely skewed.
The moral universe of this book has gotten off its axis somehow. I kept encountering these odd small moments where…. well, here are some examples:
(1) “Kindness”
There’s a part where Audrey thinks something about how she was unkind to Jennifer because she wasn’t an ally to Jennifer, another queer woman, and instead told her she was bad at her job.
Look, I would think it wouldn’t need to be said, but sometimes the kindest thing you can say to someone is that they’re being bad at their job. (“You, surgical person, sliced into that patient wrong. Practice it like this, so you can do it better next time.” Just one example!) But even more than that, it is such an odd choice to link “being a supportive ally [whatever “ally” means here] to a fellow queer person” with “should never say something to them unless it’s free of any criticism, even if that criticism or critique is deserved, because criticism is necessarily unkind.”
(2) “Mockery”
Audrey feels bad that she’s “mocked” the elderly by saying that she has to get something done relatively quickly because otherwise “one of them could drop dead at any moment.”
The women she’s talking about are nearing 100 years old. There is nothing inherently “mocking” or disrespectful about the phrase “drop dead” - it is shockingly direct, sure, but directness is not even close to the same thing as ridicule or cruelty. To say that what she’s said is “mocking” implies that there’s something shameful about being elderly or being near death which is inappropriate to directly acknowledge. Like with (1), being direct about information that is not wholly positive is somehow the same thing as cruelty, in the eyes of the book.
…And there were many more of these small odd moments where the assumptions being made about what’s “nice” and what’s “mean” are just… not quite right. I spent the entire book trying to figure out whether this moral tilt was intentional, ie, whether it was supposed to be some commentary on Audrey’s state of mind having recently left an emotionally abusive relationship. Ironically, similar misunderstandings within Audrey and Jennifer’s relationship are brought up and then (sometimes literally) handwaved away by Jennifer. (And Audrey goes, “oh, she’s right!” The end.) But this issue is never addressed outside of that context, even though imo the weird moral framing was far more present outside of the relationship context than in it.
(3) Personal Growth, or The Absence of Opportunities For It
One example is the way Jennifer’s graphic sexual and violent commentary is played for laughs throughout this entire series, even though it’s occurring in a workplace where she is the one in charge, and is often directed toward Colin, her subordinate; Audrey, who she can and eventually does kick off the show after Audrey talks back to her; and other people who are often not in the position to be able to speak up to her about it. The thing is, I guess, I have been in environments which have involved the use of strong language and uh aggressive advocacy on behalf of one’s views. There, though, bosses and coworkers proactively and consistently communicated that (a) what they were saying wasn’t personal, and (b) you were encouraged to communicate back to them in the exact same style, with only neutral or positive repercussions for doing so. Does this book incorporate anything like that? No. Does this book appear to realize that it should, unless it wants its love interest to be unashamedly abusive and unprofessional? No.
Instead of addressing the very real moral problem that exists for this character in this setting, the book just… takes the character out of the setting and says, “here, fixed.” An odd echo to the way Audrey leaves her abusive ex by literally moving away. But whereas the book seems to realize that moving away doesn’t solve Audrey’s problems, it presents Jennifer’s departure from Bake Expectations as an uncomplicatedly happy ending for her character. Bizarre!
(4) The Divine Right of Kings
My next example of this issue is also my next hot cross take (wink wink wink): this book’s views on reality tv competition shows are royalist. Monarchist? Pro-monarchy?
A major theme in this book is how Audrey keeps being depressed by seeing and thinking about the way the judges sit around with the producers and discuss the different bakers and who they think should win or lose, and that’s how they make the decision. At one point she tells the other contestants who she thinks will make the final based on what would make a good narrative, and she’s right, and then they all lose hope and don’t want to compete.
Here’s the thing…. And I don’t mean to be an asshole here….. how do you think human people make decisions in the world? They sit around and talk about it! And sometimes you appreciate their logic and sometimes you don’t, because it’s a group of human beings sitting around and saying “I think this person should win because I like what they represent and do more than what this other person represents and does,” and sometimes you like different things! That’s called human existence! (Let’s get real, sometimes you look at the group of people deliberating and think, I don’t love this group, let’s get some more people in here - which the book does by introducing Audrey to the producing staff, but it’s totally unintentional as far as I can tell based on how at the end of the book Audrey and Jennifer both wave buh-bye to Bake Expectations entirely and that’s presented as a liberating, inspiring choice.)
There’s a point at which Audrey thinks sadly about how seeing the judges deliberate is like seeing proof that Santa isn’t real. Okay, but this is a competition, not a holiday for children - what would be the solution? The two judges vote by anonymous ballot and then if they disagree no one ever talks about it and they just throw the whole season out and start from scratch? (Again, yes, that seems to be the book’s answer based on how the characters just quit the show at the end of the book so they can go produce the most boring-sounding docu-series of all time, which will probably run for a million years because it’s totally uncontroversial on any level.) What the book seems to think would be “right” is some magic perfect God-given scenario where the most “deserving” person is known and chosen and there never has to be any conversation or conflict about who it is because they are objectively, inherently the best, and then everyone can just sit around saying that all the time.
And then again, as Audrey thinks, “You didn’t get to be at the top of a competitive industry without basically turning, in one way or another, into a colossal piece of shit.” In the eyes of this book, the only way to escape that fate is to take yourself out of the competition entirely. (By quitting to go film that boring docu-series.)
Competition can be fraught! There will probably be conflict! We don’t know for sure if the “right” person will win! So better to get rid of the competition entirely…… oh wait, oops, there goes democracy.
I am not here to say that this book’s GBBO knockoff, or even GBBO itself, are paragons of the democratic ideal. God (lol) forbid. But I think there’s a lot more nuance there than this book’s deeply and on-page-unjustifiably cynical view is willing to acknowledge. After all, who decides what’s “right”? What if the person deciding what’s “right” is wrong? (“Wrong.”) Or what if there is no unique “right” way to bake a cake?
(5) What is Art?
Here’s an example - Audrey thinks (and the narrative never questions) that the season’s final, with the oldest and youngest ever contestants plus one in the middle, is “cheap” and “saccharine.” Is it though? What about that is cheap and saccharine? People like to root for the young and the old because they are moved by the reminder of how time shapes all our lives. What about that is saccharine? But there is consistently throughout the book this vitriol toward even the most routine elements of a show which, at least on-page, is mostly neutral (verging on boring).
Is this coming from some strange, unexplained vitriol toward GBBO that has been redirected toward its wan fictional counterpart? Or is it just ineffective writing? Maybe I, too, would hate these generic judges (and host, and contestants, and producers, and show) if I saw them as they “really” are because they were written on the page as something more than cardboard cutouts. (Maybe I, too, would care about Doris if she existed on the page as more than the kind of NPC that has a really long speech you keep having to click through in order to move on.)
A key part of the stakes in a show like GBBO has to do with the fact that taste is—literally, figuratively—subjective. And there’s beauty in that subjectivity. That’s what art’s about, right? But instead the perspective of this book is predicated on the assumption that there is an objective “best” baker. In the eyes of the book the “best” baker is the one with the most proficient technical skills, and if this “best” baker does not win that means that the competition is unfair.
This assumption goes hand in hand with an odd contempt the book seems to have for affective artistry when it’s intentional - ie, casting the old woman and the young girl being seen as emotionally manipulative rather than a sweetly compelling casting choice.
Hall’s writing usually seems to start from an intellectual place rather than an emotional one: he has a concept—Fifty Shades of Grey but gay, age gap romance, Richard Curtis but gay, bully romance, trans histrom, reality show setting—and then tries to execute it successfully. And his technical writing skills are maybe unparalleled; I literally teared up at multiple *throwaway* lines in this book, a book which I didn’t even actually enjoy reading. That’s an amazing skill! Then again, from the moral perspective of this book, would those lines be considered technical successes or just “cheap” emotional manipulation? The tragedy of this book is the way this artistic self-loathing is so baked in. (No pun intended.) The only happy ending the narrative can envision for its protagonists is to leave it all behind and start making dull nonfiction.
Yes, I’m talking about that docu-series again! The ending of this book would have been so much more satisfying if Audrey had become a Bake Expectations producer, a job which she is clearly very good at, and she and Jennifer worked together to move the show in a direction that Audrey felt was more authentic. But of course that wasn’t going to happen because this book’s message is that it’s better to quit than to stay and fight. Which is, I gotta say, a weird message for a book about a reality tv competition show.
This is a palatable book but not a “good” one. It was interesting enough that I kept reading it, trying to figure out why it wasn’t working… but also uninteresting enough that I read it before going to bed several nights in a row and each night I immediately went to sleep after putting it down, and slept very deeply each time.
You know that thing where you’re reading the Captive Prince series by CS Pacat and you’re like “holy shit, how can this be SO good and SO bad at the same time?” That’s this book. But where Pacat nailed their MCs’ characterizations and chemistry but put them inside writing that is so bad and a plot resolution that is wildly problematic, Hall’s writing is phenomenal on a line-by-line basis—moving, even, often!—but he’s using it in service of characters that are paper thin and narrative assumptions that are bizarrely skewed.
The moral universe of this book has gotten off its axis somehow. I kept encountering these odd small moments where…. well, here are some examples:
(1) “Kindness”
There’s a part where Audrey thinks something about how she was unkind to Jennifer because she wasn’t an ally to Jennifer, another queer woman, and instead told her she was bad at her job.
Look, I would think it wouldn’t need to be said, but sometimes the kindest thing you can say to someone is that they’re being bad at their job. (“You, surgical person, sliced into that patient wrong. Practice it like this, so you can do it better next time.” Just one example!) But even more than that, it is such an odd choice to link “being a supportive ally [whatever “ally” means here] to a fellow queer person” with “should never say something to them unless it’s free of any criticism, even if that criticism or critique is deserved, because criticism is necessarily unkind.”
(2) “Mockery”
Audrey feels bad that she’s “mocked” the elderly by saying that she has to get something done relatively quickly because otherwise “one of them could drop dead at any moment.”
The women she’s talking about are nearing 100 years old. There is nothing inherently “mocking” or disrespectful about the phrase “drop dead” - it is shockingly direct, sure, but directness is not even close to the same thing as ridicule or cruelty. To say that what she’s said is “mocking” implies that there’s something shameful about being elderly or being near death which is inappropriate to directly acknowledge. Like with (1), being direct about information that is not wholly positive is somehow the same thing as cruelty, in the eyes of the book.
…And there were many more of these small odd moments where the assumptions being made about what’s “nice” and what’s “mean” are just… not quite right. I spent the entire book trying to figure out whether this moral tilt was intentional, ie, whether it was supposed to be some commentary on Audrey’s state of mind having recently left an emotionally abusive relationship. Ironically, similar misunderstandings within Audrey and Jennifer’s relationship are brought up and then (sometimes literally) handwaved away by Jennifer. (And Audrey goes, “oh, she’s right!” The end.) But this issue is never addressed outside of that context, even though imo the weird moral framing was far more present outside of the relationship context than in it.
(3) Personal Growth, or The Absence of Opportunities For It
One example is the way Jennifer’s graphic sexual and violent commentary is played for laughs throughout this entire series, even though it’s occurring in a workplace where she is the one in charge, and is often directed toward Colin, her subordinate; Audrey, who she can and eventually does kick off the show after Audrey talks back to her; and other people who are often not in the position to be able to speak up to her about it. The thing is, I guess, I have been in environments which have involved the use of strong language and uh aggressive advocacy on behalf of one’s views. There, though, bosses and coworkers proactively and consistently communicated that (a) what they were saying wasn’t personal, and (b) you were encouraged to communicate back to them in the exact same style, with only neutral or positive repercussions for doing so. Does this book incorporate anything like that? No. Does this book appear to realize that it should, unless it wants its love interest to be unashamedly abusive and unprofessional? No.
Instead of addressing the very real moral problem that exists for this character in this setting, the book just… takes the character out of the setting and says, “here, fixed.” An odd echo to the way Audrey leaves her abusive ex by literally moving away. But whereas the book seems to realize that moving away doesn’t solve Audrey’s problems, it presents Jennifer’s departure from Bake Expectations as an uncomplicatedly happy ending for her character. Bizarre!
(4) The Divine Right of Kings
My next example of this issue is also my next hot cross take (wink wink wink): this book’s views on reality tv competition shows are royalist. Monarchist? Pro-monarchy?
A major theme in this book is how Audrey keeps being depressed by seeing and thinking about the way the judges sit around with the producers and discuss the different bakers and who they think should win or lose, and that’s how they make the decision. At one point she tells the other contestants who she thinks will make the final based on what would make a good narrative, and she’s right, and then they all lose hope and don’t want to compete.
Here’s the thing…. And I don’t mean to be an asshole here….. how do you think human people make decisions in the world? They sit around and talk about it! And sometimes you appreciate their logic and sometimes you don’t, because it’s a group of human beings sitting around and saying “I think this person should win because I like what they represent and do more than what this other person represents and does,” and sometimes you like different things! That’s called human existence! (Let’s get real, sometimes you look at the group of people deliberating and think, I don’t love this group, let’s get some more people in here - which the book does by introducing Audrey to the producing staff, but it’s totally unintentional as far as I can tell based on how at the end of the book Audrey and Jennifer both wave buh-bye to Bake Expectations entirely and that’s presented as a liberating, inspiring choice.)
There’s a point at which Audrey thinks sadly about how seeing the judges deliberate is like seeing proof that Santa isn’t real. Okay, but this is a competition, not a holiday for children - what would be the solution? The two judges vote by anonymous ballot and then if they disagree no one ever talks about it and they just throw the whole season out and start from scratch? (Again, yes, that seems to be the book’s answer based on how the characters just quit the show at the end of the book so they can go produce the most boring-sounding docu-series of all time, which will probably run for a million years because it’s totally uncontroversial on any level.) What the book seems to think would be “right” is some magic perfect God-given scenario where the most “deserving” person is known and chosen and there never has to be any conversation or conflict about who it is because they are objectively, inherently the best, and then everyone can just sit around saying that all the time.
And then again, as Audrey thinks, “You didn’t get to be at the top of a competitive industry without basically turning, in one way or another, into a colossal piece of shit.” In the eyes of this book, the only way to escape that fate is to take yourself out of the competition entirely. (By quitting to go film that boring docu-series.)
Competition can be fraught! There will probably be conflict! We don’t know for sure if the “right” person will win! So better to get rid of the competition entirely…… oh wait, oops, there goes democracy.
I am not here to say that this book’s GBBO knockoff, or even GBBO itself, are paragons of the democratic ideal. God (lol) forbid. But I think there’s a lot more nuance there than this book’s deeply and on-page-unjustifiably cynical view is willing to acknowledge. After all, who decides what’s “right”? What if the person deciding what’s “right” is wrong? (“Wrong.”) Or what if there is no unique “right” way to bake a cake?
(5) What is Art?
Here’s an example - Audrey thinks (and the narrative never questions) that the season’s final, with the oldest and youngest ever contestants plus one in the middle, is “cheap” and “saccharine.” Is it though? What about that is cheap and saccharine? People like to root for the young and the old because they are moved by the reminder of how time shapes all our lives. What about that is saccharine? But there is consistently throughout the book this vitriol toward even the most routine elements of a show which, at least on-page, is mostly neutral (verging on boring).
Is this coming from some strange, unexplained vitriol toward GBBO that has been redirected toward its wan fictional counterpart? Or is it just ineffective writing? Maybe I, too, would hate these generic judges (and host, and contestants, and producers, and show) if I saw them as they “really” are because they were written on the page as something more than cardboard cutouts. (Maybe I, too, would care about Doris if she existed on the page as more than the kind of NPC that has a really long speech you keep having to click through in order to move on.)
A key part of the stakes in a show like GBBO has to do with the fact that taste is—literally, figuratively—subjective. And there’s beauty in that subjectivity. That’s what art’s about, right? But instead the perspective of this book is predicated on the assumption that there is an objective “best” baker. In the eyes of the book the “best” baker is the one with the most proficient technical skills, and if this “best” baker does not win that means that the competition is unfair.
This assumption goes hand in hand with an odd contempt the book seems to have for affective artistry when it’s intentional - ie, casting the old woman and the young girl being seen as emotionally manipulative rather than a sweetly compelling casting choice.
Hall’s writing usually seems to start from an intellectual place rather than an emotional one: he has a concept—Fifty Shades of Grey but gay, age gap romance, Richard Curtis but gay, bully romance, trans histrom, reality show setting—and then tries to execute it successfully. And his technical writing skills are maybe unparalleled; I literally teared up at multiple *throwaway* lines in this book, a book which I didn’t even actually enjoy reading. That’s an amazing skill! Then again, from the moral perspective of this book, would those lines be considered technical successes or just “cheap” emotional manipulation? The tragedy of this book is the way this artistic self-loathing is so baked in. (No pun intended.) The only happy ending the narrative can envision for its protagonists is to leave it all behind and start making dull nonfiction.
Yes, I’m talking about that docu-series again! The ending of this book would have been so much more satisfying if Audrey had become a Bake Expectations producer, a job which she is clearly very good at, and she and Jennifer worked together to move the show in a direction that Audrey felt was more authentic. But of course that wasn’t going to happen because this book’s message is that it’s better to quit than to stay and fight. Which is, I gotta say, a weird message for a book about a reality tv competition show.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2025
5 stars. Alexis Hall has rewired my brain because what the hell? How did I end up loving and obsessing over Jennifer when she's such a mean and unpleasant person? What does that say about my self esteem or lack thereof? I don't care because Jennifer fuckin' Hallet had me in a chokehold for 450 pages. She's not an Ice Queen as she doesn't melt in any way. She stays brash and rude and mean the entire time but we also understand that she cares for Audrey in her own unique way. There's no romantic gesture or I Love You's exchanged and I feel like it wouldn't have felt honest to the characters anyway so I didn't mind at all.
Okay, enough about my love for Jennifer this book was great. It's funny, the dialogue is full of bite and it's quick witted. Audrey is so incredibly charming and likable and I thought she was great for Jennifer because she knew how to handle her and go toe to toe with her when Jennifer was being an asshole. I loved their chemistry and banter a lot and just how snippy they were with each other. I can see how this book won't work for everyone because Jennifer is a tough pill to swallow as a character. She doesn't have a nice or soft bone in her body (and I love her for that did I mention that already??) and she is pretty terrible to Audrey a lot of the time but there was just something about her and this romance that really clicked with me. My one and only complaint is that I do think this book was a bit too long. It didn't need to be 450 pages because the plot didn't require that many pages but that's it. I loved everything else about it. I definitely want to go back and read books one and two because I thought this was a lot of fun.
Okay, enough about my love for Jennifer this book was great. It's funny, the dialogue is full of bite and it's quick witted. Audrey is so incredibly charming and likable and I thought she was great for Jennifer because she knew how to handle her and go toe to toe with her when Jennifer was being an asshole. I loved their chemistry and banter a lot and just how snippy they were with each other. I can see how this book won't work for everyone because Jennifer is a tough pill to swallow as a character. She doesn't have a nice or soft bone in her body (and I love her for that did I mention that already??) and she is pretty terrible to Audrey a lot of the time but there was just something about her and this romance that really clicked with me. My one and only complaint is that I do think this book was a bit too long. It didn't need to be 450 pages because the plot didn't require that many pages but that's it. I loved everything else about it. I definitely want to go back and read books one and two because I thought this was a lot of fun.
Want to read
February 25, 2025Update 2/6/2025: there is in fact a full description on https://quicunquevult.com/book/audrey... that doesn't appear to have made its way over to Goodreads... the Powers That Be, whoever they are, need to get on this. an F/F romance with our protagonist and... and Jennifer Hallett?? so on board with that.
(if the Powers That Be would like to give me an ARC...? one can dream)
~~
Original Review from 2023:
I adore these books, and I am aggressively manifesting a nonbinary character into the romantic plot of this book - it's a trilogy, which makes it perfect reason give us all three.
Update 1/14/2024: Is this book still happening??
Per Hachette:
"Opposites attract in this irresistible, delicious, and laugh‑out‑loud romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of Husband Material!"
On Sale: Apr 23, 2024
Update 4/17/2024: called it: Expected publication January 1, 2025 by Forever
Update 11/15/2024: Oh, there's a cover now, this does exist!
(if the Powers That Be would like to give me an ARC...? one can dream)
~~
Original Review from 2023:
I adore these books, and I am aggressively manifesting a nonbinary character into the romantic plot of this book - it's a trilogy, which makes it perfect reason give us all three.
Update 1/14/2024: Is this book still happening??
Per Hachette:
"Opposites attract in this irresistible, delicious, and laugh‑out‑loud romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of Husband Material!"
On Sale: Apr 23, 2024
Update 4/17/2024: called it: Expected publication January 1, 2025 by Forever
Update 11/15/2024: Oh, there's a cover now, this does exist!
Read
December 11, 2025This is a Doris appreciation post.
Doris (aged 96) is now tied for my favorite geriatric character in a romance novel with Gerald “What I mean is, I cried” Abraham from Kate Clayborn’s “Love at First.”
And Doris and Emily’s love story maybe even surpasses Gideon and Livia from “Again the Magic” as my favorite secondary romance storyline.
Even if you don’t like baking, or reality TV shows, or journalists, or self-described terrible women—read this book for Doris and Emily.
Doris (aged 96) is now tied for my favorite geriatric character in a romance novel with Gerald “What I mean is, I cried” Abraham from Kate Clayborn’s “Love at First.”
And Doris and Emily’s love story maybe even surpasses Gideon and Livia from “Again the Magic” as my favorite secondary romance storyline.
Even if you don’t like baking, or reality TV shows, or journalists, or self-described terrible women—read this book for Doris and Emily.
December 5, 2025
If you’re looking for your next LGBTQ romance and enjoy baking competitions, then I recommend checking out Audrey Lane Stirs the Pot! This book is genuinely funny, and I loved the banter between Jennifer and Audrey as it made me laugh so much while reading. However, I did struggle a bit with how their relationship developed because I think there was a lot of focus on Doris’s story and she was only a secondary character. I feel like I would have loved to see much more development between Audrey and Jennifer because the two have very interesting backstories which lead them to behave the way they do in this novel. Regardless of that, I adored the story. I love baking competitions and haven’t read one in a while, so this scratched an itch I didn’t even know I had! I also loved Audrey and Jennifer’s relationship and how they two are totally opposites and even grumpy vs. sunshine! Two of my favorite tropes!
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3.5 stars)
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3.5 stars)
December 11, 2025
Received from Edelweiss, thanks!
4.5 stars
Ooooh! It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to write the first review for a book! Eeee!!!
This is the third book in the Winner Bakes All series and to me, it had a very different feel to the first two. It had a different structure, almost telling three different stories at the same time. We have the main story, with Audrey Lane, then we have some information about her past relationship with, what I would consider to be, an emotionally abusive ex-girlfriend. Then we also have the story of Doris and Emily, which is told through extensive flashbacks.
Audrey is a small town reporter and when she starts talking to one of the other contestants on Bake Expectations she gets the feeling there is a story there. And there is. We learn about Doris’ life (she’s now 96!) and how she has quite the history with Patchley House, having been evacuated there during WWII, and then returning to work there in the 1950s. It’s a beautiful and sad story, though typical of the time, and I completely understand why Audrey was so drawn in.
Throughout the book we can see that Audrey has really been affected by her previous relationship, which she had been in since she left grade school. Her ex’s snide comments are frequently interrupting her thoughts, though I do love the amount of growth we see around this as the book progresses.
I also really appreciated how we see the contrast between Audrey’s terrible ex, Natalie, and her current love interest of Jennifer Hallett. We know from the previous books that Jennifer is a loud, sweary, mean-seeming woman, but as Audrey gets to know her, we sort of get to see behind that. Audrey makes multiple comparisons between Jennifer and Natalie, and I like that while she struggles with it a bit and wonders if she’s only ever attracted to mean women, we’re also shown how Natalie and Jennifer are nothing alike.
With having Jennifer as such a large part of the story, we get to see a lot behind the scenes and also get to know the host and judges of Expectations a lot more. That was really fun.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and I think it wraps up the series really nicely. I’ve always enjoyed Jennifer Hallett’s character, and I think you can tell that Alexis also really enjoys her, as this book is a ton of fun, while also covering some more serious topics, which is something I’ve come to really love about Alexis Hall books.
4.5 stars
Ooooh! It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to write the first review for a book! Eeee!!!
This is the third book in the Winner Bakes All series and to me, it had a very different feel to the first two. It had a different structure, almost telling three different stories at the same time. We have the main story, with Audrey Lane, then we have some information about her past relationship with, what I would consider to be, an emotionally abusive ex-girlfriend. Then we also have the story of Doris and Emily, which is told through extensive flashbacks.
Audrey is a small town reporter and when she starts talking to one of the other contestants on Bake Expectations she gets the feeling there is a story there. And there is. We learn about Doris’ life (she’s now 96!) and how she has quite the history with Patchley House, having been evacuated there during WWII, and then returning to work there in the 1950s. It’s a beautiful and sad story, though typical of the time, and I completely understand why Audrey was so drawn in.
Throughout the book we can see that Audrey has really been affected by her previous relationship, which she had been in since she left grade school. Her ex’s snide comments are frequently interrupting her thoughts, though I do love the amount of growth we see around this as the book progresses.
I also really appreciated how we see the contrast between Audrey’s terrible ex, Natalie, and her current love interest of Jennifer Hallett. We know from the previous books that Jennifer is a loud, sweary, mean-seeming woman, but as Audrey gets to know her, we sort of get to see behind that. Audrey makes multiple comparisons between Jennifer and Natalie, and I like that while she struggles with it a bit and wonders if she’s only ever attracted to mean women, we’re also shown how Natalie and Jennifer are nothing alike.
With having Jennifer as such a large part of the story, we get to see a lot behind the scenes and also get to know the host and judges of Expectations a lot more. That was really fun.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and I think it wraps up the series really nicely. I’ve always enjoyed Jennifer Hallett’s character, and I think you can tell that Alexis also really enjoys her, as this book is a ton of fun, while also covering some more serious topics, which is something I’ve come to really love about Alexis Hall books.
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December 13, 2025I really hoped this would be a return to form, but I hate it. God, I hated it. Well-written, funny, clever, I hated it I hated it I hated it.
January 14, 2026
There was a story she remembered, although she couldn´t recall where she´d heard it or from whom, about somebody who´d met an old man at a dinner party in the 1980s, and the old man had shaken his hand and then said, “you have just met a man who once met a woman who once danced with Napoleon.” Audrey had no idea if it had really happened, or even if the numbers added up-it would need to have involved some lucky overlaps of some very old people with some very young people. But, as a journalist, she was keenly aware of the difference between factual and true. And it did capture something true, something about the way that people and places and things formed this strange, tangled chain across time. Something that, if you looked hard enough and went far enough, connected everybody to everybody else.
Theoretically anyway. But in practice those dances through time tended to go boy-girl-boy-girl unless you looked really hard. And even if you did look really hard, you´d get people telling you that you were making shit up. After all, what with the world being what it was, you were extremely unlikely to meet a man at dinner and have him say, “You´ve just shaken hands with a man who once fucked a guy who was once one of Oscar Wilde´s rent boys.” Which was ironic in a way because Bosie´s boyfriend probably banged more people than Napoleon danced with.
This is the type of thing that makes me love Hall’s books
Theoretically anyway. But in practice those dances through time tended to go boy-girl-boy-girl unless you looked really hard. And even if you did look really hard, you´d get people telling you that you were making shit up. After all, what with the world being what it was, you were extremely unlikely to meet a man at dinner and have him say, “You´ve just shaken hands with a man who once fucked a guy who was once one of Oscar Wilde´s rent boys.” Which was ironic in a way because Bosie´s boyfriend probably banged more people than Napoleon danced with.
This is the type of thing that makes me love Hall’s books
December 25, 2025
The ending of this book made me go "awwwww" out loud!! I really liked this one! Very clever story structure. Doris, Emily, Audrey & Jennifer have my whole heart. 🖤
December 23, 2025
I guess I have to give this one 4 stars because I gave the first book in the series 4 and I still think that was the best book in the series, but I was tempted to give this one 5. I love how all three books are so different even though they have overlapping characters and are about the same competition show. My favorite part of this one was Doris. I wanted to keep going back to her story. But I did like Audrey and Jennifer's story too especially since they actually communicate with each other (even though they don't think they are good at communicating with each other). Even though I think Jennifer is a little over the top (I'm not sure a woman could get away with talking to her employees the way she does for that many years), I appreciate that she doesn't suddenly change because she fell for someone.
January 27, 2026
I think this book is doing a lot of things. And doing them all very well.
Yes, fangirling over here.
At least for me, the attentive care the author has on building character and weaving several plots and deconstructing a world created in previous books, even at creative swearing 😁… it seems almost supernatural.
An amazing feel-good, thought provoking book.
I do wonder if the last sentences were there all along, or added once the author succeeded in getting this book published.
Yes, fangirling over here.
At least for me, the attentive care the author has on building character and weaving several plots and deconstructing a world created in previous books, even at creative swearing 😁… it seems almost supernatural.
An amazing feel-good, thought provoking book.
I do wonder if the last sentences were there all along, or added once the author succeeded in getting this book published.
December 10, 2025
oh gosh so I unfortunately have another instance of me so looking forward to a book in a series that I have loved previous books in only for that newest one to let me down. I loved Rosaline Palmer. it is still my favorite of the series and I think it is a standout book. I really liked Paris Dalleincourt Even though his anxiety triggered my own anxiety.. and while I liked Audrey Lane as a character, I did not like this book very much.
Audrey Lane is a hobby Baker who drunkenly auditions for Bake Expectations and somehow she gets on. she has this controlling toxic ex that's always in her head and a lot of her thought process is what her ex would think which did get kind of annoying. but anyway Audrey ends up on the show and she's a journalist first and foremost and so she's always looking for new stories and interesting people etc. she notices pretty early that this season of fake expectations has both the oldest contestant ever and the youngest contestant ever. Alanis is only 16 and is the first friend that Audrey makes on the show. then she makes friends with Doris who is 96.
the highlight of this book for me were Alanis and Doris and then Doris's story. this book is very different than the last two and that the baking is there and is talked about but it isn't like a major plot point for the main character. the best part of this book for me was the life story that we get of Doris. Audrey doesn't intend to but essentially she starts interviewing Doris because Doris previously lived at patchley house during the war. she was relocated there and spent some time there and then worked there as a housemaid and in that time she actually falls for the owner's daughter which was very taboo and not allowed in the '50s.
it was by far the most interesting part of the book and the part that I wanted to just keep flipping through to find.
The worst part of this book is Jennifer hallett. we see Jennifer in the past books and she is not a pleasant person. I believe in a redemption arc, I really do but I don't think that she has one. she maintains her brash mean and obnoxious attitude through the entire book and really doesn't show any sliver of humanity. I did not like the romance and I do not think that it translated well to page. I kind of feel like I'm being a little harsh but it was not for me.
now I do still think this book has a lot of redeeming qualities and I think that it's worth it to read if you like a very bantery hate fucking situation. I personally am a very sentimental emotional person and I don't like it when people are mean. but if that's your jam, I think you will really enjoy these two and enjoy the side plots as well.
2.5 stars
Audrey Lane is a hobby Baker who drunkenly auditions for Bake Expectations and somehow she gets on. she has this controlling toxic ex that's always in her head and a lot of her thought process is what her ex would think which did get kind of annoying. but anyway Audrey ends up on the show and she's a journalist first and foremost and so she's always looking for new stories and interesting people etc. she notices pretty early that this season of fake expectations has both the oldest contestant ever and the youngest contestant ever. Alanis is only 16 and is the first friend that Audrey makes on the show. then she makes friends with Doris who is 96.
the highlight of this book for me were Alanis and Doris and then Doris's story. this book is very different than the last two and that the baking is there and is talked about but it isn't like a major plot point for the main character. the best part of this book for me was the life story that we get of Doris. Audrey doesn't intend to but essentially she starts interviewing Doris because Doris previously lived at patchley house during the war. she was relocated there and spent some time there and then worked there as a housemaid and in that time she actually falls for the owner's daughter which was very taboo and not allowed in the '50s.
it was by far the most interesting part of the book and the part that I wanted to just keep flipping through to find.
The worst part of this book is Jennifer hallett. we see Jennifer in the past books and she is not a pleasant person. I believe in a redemption arc, I really do but I don't think that she has one. she maintains her brash mean and obnoxious attitude through the entire book and really doesn't show any sliver of humanity. I did not like the romance and I do not think that it translated well to page. I kind of feel like I'm being a little harsh but it was not for me.
now I do still think this book has a lot of redeeming qualities and I think that it's worth it to read if you like a very bantery hate fucking situation. I personally am a very sentimental emotional person and I don't like it when people are mean. but if that's your jam, I think you will really enjoy these two and enjoy the side plots as well.
2.5 stars
January 5, 2026
oh i ADORED this
okay first i want to get out of the way that there was some really problematic opinions about tiffany lamps in this book and even worse, some really cruel treatment of them. as a champion of lamps, i felt really hurt betrayed etc
otherwise tho, goddamn this BOOK
i love rosaline palmer and i thought the second one was just fine but this one TAKES THE CAKE (pun intended). i love how hall takes the gbbo and just turns it into a completely different thing, like yes love it king. our mc is great, lots of fun complexities, but it’s really the love interest and their dynamic that steals the show. and other elements, i’ll get to those soon. but their BANTER and the way hall portrays mean angry rude lesbians and does it so spectacularly and loveable and real. goddamn. slaps roof of book, this baby can hold so many mean lesbians
i laughed soooooo much and there was also so much beauty and realness about the world in this. there was also a really lovely portion about old lesbians (!!!) from ww2 to the 80s that took the form of oral interviews and god that fucking slapped. this book was just an ode to queer history mean lesbians and the gbbo, everything i adore
great side characters, lots of casual and lovely diversity. just a spectacular time, hall has done it again imo!
also this one was surprisingly sexy for an alexis hall. he’s so random on whether there are going to be any sex scenes or if they’ll be good but i thought these were fun!
okay first i want to get out of the way that there was some really problematic opinions about tiffany lamps in this book and even worse, some really cruel treatment of them. as a champion of lamps, i felt really hurt betrayed etc
otherwise tho, goddamn this BOOK
i love rosaline palmer and i thought the second one was just fine but this one TAKES THE CAKE (pun intended). i love how hall takes the gbbo and just turns it into a completely different thing, like yes love it king. our mc is great, lots of fun complexities, but it’s really the love interest and their dynamic that steals the show. and other elements, i’ll get to those soon. but their BANTER and the way hall portrays mean angry rude lesbians and does it so spectacularly and loveable and real. goddamn. slaps roof of book, this baby can hold so many mean lesbians
i laughed soooooo much and there was also so much beauty and realness about the world in this. there was also a really lovely portion about old lesbians (!!!) from ww2 to the 80s that took the form of oral interviews and god that fucking slapped. this book was just an ode to queer history mean lesbians and the gbbo, everything i adore
great side characters, lots of casual and lovely diversity. just a spectacular time, hall has done it again imo!
also this one was surprisingly sexy for an alexis hall. he’s so random on whether there are going to be any sex scenes or if they’ll be good but i thought these were fun!
December 20, 2025
Once again, NOT a Bake Off fan, but this series continues to be my kind of wholesome. For a change, the protagonist isn't a baker extraordinaire, and the tone is more wistful rather than chaotic. You get two romances for the price of one, with dual timelines, and spend a lot more time in the production side of things than the baking, which was kind of a cool departure from the last two. That said, I never could quite buy Audrey and Jennifer. There is an underlying theme of falling for someone who is kind of awful to you, and while there is SOME acknowledgement of it being traumatic, I somehow never like Jennifer being unnecessarily, deeply unpleasant and cruel to Audrey for a majority of the time. Something about their whole journey, never clicked for me, and felt rushed to some kind of HEA that's meant to be endearing but just didn't work for me. The banter, however, is very Alexis Hall, so no complaints on it being a very enjoyable audiobook.
December 27, 2025
I found the relationship genuinely romantic and comedic, which is surprisingly rare for a romcom
December 28, 2025
Honestly, a perfect end to this series and easily my favorite entry.
January 19, 2026
Perfection 🧁
January 25, 2026
For me this book was just okay.
January 27, 2026
crying. i loveeeeed this so much. at first it's kinda like wtf is happening and then it all comes together so beautifully. i love the ending to this lovely series so much.
January 27, 2026
Good fun, and touching. I wasn't sure about the flashback stuff at first, but it won me over. And I know some people found Jennifer too abrasive, but it's hard to find good sapphic enemies to lovers stories that aren't toothless, and I actually quite liked her colourful language and grudging admissions of attraction to Audrey.
December 18, 2025
Banger finale to a banger trilogy
December 15, 2025
4.25 stars. Definitely my favorite of this series.
December 29, 2025
"Ah." Jennifer greeted Audrey with all the warmth and enthusiasm of a shark with a chainsaw. "Audrey, so glad you could make it. Now perhaps you can explain to these fine people...how you managed to fuck me so hard that your strap-on ripped through the back of my uterus and wound up going up both of their arses."TV producer Jennifer Hallet was a scene-stealing delight in the first two books of the Winner Bakes All trilogy. But while her foul-mouthed snark made her a memorable secondary character, as the object of the titular Audrey Lane's affection she's utterly unconvincing. We never get to know anything about her except the fact that there was a bad romance somewhere in her past, and her behavior towards Audrey thaws just the tiniest amount. In fact, it's worrisome to me that Audrey, who has been scarred by a previous relationship in which her girlfriend made all of the decisions regarding their lives, finds an HEA/HFN with someone who has the same force majeure personality. Hall tries to make the case that Audrey learns to stand up for herself so it's okay, but I didn't quite buy it.
There is an interesting subplot about a fellow contestant on the faux-GBBO show, and we get to see the production side of a reality show as well as a discussion about how much reality is truly being presented. None of the MCs from the previous books appear, although it is mildly amusing to see how much people hated Paris from Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble.
I appreciate the fact that Alexis Hall never writes the same book twice and that he's not afraid to take risks with his characters. This one didn't work for me, but I'm sure one of his upcoming releases will be just my cup of tea.
November 30, 2025
*ARC Review, all thoughts are my own*
This book ended 4.5 stars, but it started at a 2.5. The first 200 pages were dulled with baking show episodes, repetitive language, and repetitive plot points that dulled the incredible banter and adorable main characters, which absolutely shined in the second half. The banter, let me emphasize further, made me laugh and even want to tell my husband about how funny it was. I loved the LGBT inclusivity (this is the most lesbian-loving novel I’ve ever read).
I will say, I didn’t love a lot of the writing choices being made. I felt Natalie was too prominent, as her snarky remarks showed up what felt like every page, and it didn’t seem necessary. These choices and the slogging of the first half was why it’s rated a three.
However, I do find this book is worth reading if you want an inclusive, funny, heartwarming novel that’s cute with baking involved. I will also say that you don’t need to read the other books in this series to read this one. I didn’t read the first two, and this one was great on its own, which is a huge plus. Overall, I do recommend reading this book. It’s a seasonal heart-warmer and great for a reading slump.
Thank you to my best friend for giving me the copy after receiving a physical ARC from the publisher at a book conference!
This book ended 4.5 stars, but it started at a 2.5. The first 200 pages were dulled with baking show episodes, repetitive language, and repetitive plot points that dulled the incredible banter and adorable main characters, which absolutely shined in the second half. The banter, let me emphasize further, made me laugh and even want to tell my husband about how funny it was. I loved the LGBT inclusivity (this is the most lesbian-loving novel I’ve ever read).
I will say, I didn’t love a lot of the writing choices being made. I felt Natalie was too prominent, as her snarky remarks showed up what felt like every page, and it didn’t seem necessary. These choices and the slogging of the first half was why it’s rated a three.
However, I do find this book is worth reading if you want an inclusive, funny, heartwarming novel that’s cute with baking involved. I will also say that you don’t need to read the other books in this series to read this one. I didn’t read the first two, and this one was great on its own, which is a huge plus. Overall, I do recommend reading this book. It’s a seasonal heart-warmer and great for a reading slump.
Thank you to my best friend for giving me the copy after receiving a physical ARC from the publisher at a book conference!
December 25, 2025
I really enjoy Alexis Hall's writing, but as with nearly all romance novels, I remain unconvinced by the main romances.
Audrey Lane has two unconvincing romances, courtesy of flashback chapters. Both romances are predicated on the question, what if you fall in love with a really mean person who has a lopsided power dynamic with you?
Well, if you were sane, you'd go to therapy and figure out why you're attracted to someone who doesn't love you the way you deserve to. If you're Audrey and Doris, you fall head over heels in love and hope for the best!
Honestly, Jennifer cracks me up. She's terrible but also very fun. But she is definitely not relationship material, and it's insane what Audrey puts up with. And Emily may be a sociopath.
Come for the plot, cringe through the toxic romance.
Audrey Lane has two unconvincing romances, courtesy of flashback chapters. Both romances are predicated on the question, what if you fall in love with a really mean person who has a lopsided power dynamic with you?
Well, if you were sane, you'd go to therapy and figure out why you're attracted to someone who doesn't love you the way you deserve to. If you're Audrey and Doris, you fall head over heels in love and hope for the best!
Honestly, Jennifer cracks me up. She's terrible but also very fun. But she is definitely not relationship material, and it's insane what Audrey puts up with. And Emily may be a sociopath.
Come for the plot, cringe through the toxic romance.
October 29, 2025
Within the framework of a GBBO-style baking show, this is the story of Audrey finding her passions in life, and it’s so much fun! I especially loved the Doris sections, learning her story going back to the Blitz and forward to the present day was just as engaging as Audrey’s storyline, and I was a little sad every time it switched POVs.
December 18, 2025
I can always count on Alexis Hall. I really enjoy all of the Winner Bakes All books and it was kind of cool that this one was more about the behind the scenes. The commentary about Bake Expectations was so spot on (if we are comparing to the commentary about GBBO) and the commentary about reality shows in general. I love Jennifer so much and I love that she never changes her personality (and also I love that she hates restaurants so valid you anxious queen). It's not that I didn't enjoy the Doris stories, it just wasn't my favorite part of the book but basically I'll read anything by Hall at this rate.
January 13, 2026
Love this. Audrey rocks Jennifer Hallet's shit to a hilarious degree (and I also appreciated that Audrey isn't a stereotypical sunshiny golden retriever to Jennifer's black cat, they're both black cats, imo).
I also adored this look into queer history of WWII era lesbians through Doris's story that is woven throughout the main storyline.
Thanks for Sourcebooks for the galley.
I also adored this look into queer history of WWII era lesbians through Doris's story that is woven throughout the main storyline.
Thanks for Sourcebooks for the galley.
January 10, 2026
Every time I pick up an Alexis Hall novel I know I’m in for that unique brand of British humor that I love.
Audrey is the latest contestant on the new season of Bake Expectations. She’s a bit fish out of water, and the story becomes less about the baking competition and more about the people, specifically an elderly contestant whose backstory has a connection to the shooting location.
Audrey being a journalist sees the potential for a human interest piece, but is thwarted by none other than Jennifer, the 150% and then some grumpy, profanity-spewing producer of the show. Audrey isn’t fazed by Jennifer, and they often go toe-to-toe. The push and pull tension is exhilarating for both of them.
I’ve always found Jennifer to be funny in her ridiculously raunchy way, and to get the full effect in this story was something! This is the quintessential grumpy-sunshine scenario. Though we get more of Audrey’s backstory than Jennifer’s, we do get the sense that their natures are balanced out by the other.
As usual Hall includes quirky characters and dialogue that crack me up. And they’re so good with those sensitive moments. This was definitely a fun read, and a good addition to the Winner Bakes All series.
Thanks @sourcebookscasa for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Audrey is the latest contestant on the new season of Bake Expectations. She’s a bit fish out of water, and the story becomes less about the baking competition and more about the people, specifically an elderly contestant whose backstory has a connection to the shooting location.
Audrey being a journalist sees the potential for a human interest piece, but is thwarted by none other than Jennifer, the 150% and then some grumpy, profanity-spewing producer of the show. Audrey isn’t fazed by Jennifer, and they often go toe-to-toe. The push and pull tension is exhilarating for both of them.
I’ve always found Jennifer to be funny in her ridiculously raunchy way, and to get the full effect in this story was something! This is the quintessential grumpy-sunshine scenario. Though we get more of Audrey’s backstory than Jennifer’s, we do get the sense that their natures are balanced out by the other.
As usual Hall includes quirky characters and dialogue that crack me up. And they’re so good with those sensitive moments. This was definitely a fun read, and a good addition to the Winner Bakes All series.
Thanks @sourcebookscasa for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 3, 2025
“The best gift, it turned out, was one you didn’t even realize you’d been missing until you were given it.”
Big thanks to Colored Pages Book Tours and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I just adore Alexis Hall. I devoured Boyfriend Material and it was over from there. He has such a way to balance humor with emotion to the point where I always find myself laughing but also loving the journey his characters go on.
I was so happy to be back in the world of Bake Expectations. The recurring characters in this series are so fun so it was a joy to be back with them. For Audrey, this is her chance to prove something after her breakup and move out of London. But she doesn’t expect the show to literally change her life, in two wildly different ways.
She connects with Doris, a nonagenarian who’s lived a vibrant life. By just talking with her she finds out these incredible details about her life during and after WWII, including her lost love. The chapters from Doris’s perspective form back then are great and add this additional layer to the story. It also creates tension between Audrey and show-runner Jennifer Hallet.
My favorite thing about this book was that it didn’t go the way I expected, between Audrey’s trajectory on the show and her romance with Jennifer. Their banter is excellent, but Audrey didn’t take it from Jennifer like others have, and I like that it shows a different side of Jennifer. This was just a great book, managing to perfectly balance all these different plot-lines. It’s fun and heartwarming, and perfect for anyone who loves The Great British Bake Off.
Big thanks to Colored Pages Book Tours and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I just adore Alexis Hall. I devoured Boyfriend Material and it was over from there. He has such a way to balance humor with emotion to the point where I always find myself laughing but also loving the journey his characters go on.
I was so happy to be back in the world of Bake Expectations. The recurring characters in this series are so fun so it was a joy to be back with them. For Audrey, this is her chance to prove something after her breakup and move out of London. But she doesn’t expect the show to literally change her life, in two wildly different ways.
She connects with Doris, a nonagenarian who’s lived a vibrant life. By just talking with her she finds out these incredible details about her life during and after WWII, including her lost love. The chapters from Doris’s perspective form back then are great and add this additional layer to the story. It also creates tension between Audrey and show-runner Jennifer Hallet.
My favorite thing about this book was that it didn’t go the way I expected, between Audrey’s trajectory on the show and her romance with Jennifer. Their banter is excellent, but Audrey didn’t take it from Jennifer like others have, and I like that it shows a different side of Jennifer. This was just a great book, managing to perfectly balance all these different plot-lines. It’s fun and heartwarming, and perfect for anyone who loves The Great British Bake Off.
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