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Once Upon a Breakfast Show
She’s a breakfast radio star, the queen of witty banter and humorous accounts of her chaotic love life – until a secret from her past makes headlines of its own.
Emily Blake, known to listeners as the fearless, filter-less Blake from Mack & Blake for Breakfast, has built a career out of turning her messy life into radio gold. But when a cheeky on-air stunt spirals out of control, Blake finds herself accidentally crowdsourcing her next date…and unearthing a past romantic encounter she thought was long buried.
Thirteen years ago she spent one unforgettable whirlwind week with a man who then vanished. And now, with her daughter starting high school and asking questions about the dad she never knew, Blake does something she’s never dared she asks her radio listeners for help. Can she find the one that got away?
What starts as ratings bait quickly becomes something much more personal. Now, with the whole city listening, Blake must decide if she’s ready to discover the truth…not just for her listeners, but for the person who deserves it most – her daughter.
Witty, sexy, and full of heart, Once Upon a Breakfast Show is a laugh-out-loud love story about missed chances, hot mics, and what happens when a woman finally takes control of her own story.
Emily Blake, known to listeners as the fearless, filter-less Blake from Mack & Blake for Breakfast, has built a career out of turning her messy life into radio gold. But when a cheeky on-air stunt spirals out of control, Blake finds herself accidentally crowdsourcing her next date…and unearthing a past romantic encounter she thought was long buried.
Thirteen years ago she spent one unforgettable whirlwind week with a man who then vanished. And now, with her daughter starting high school and asking questions about the dad she never knew, Blake does something she’s never dared she asks her radio listeners for help. Can she find the one that got away?
What starts as ratings bait quickly becomes something much more personal. Now, with the whole city listening, Blake must decide if she’s ready to discover the truth…not just for her listeners, but for the person who deserves it most – her daughter.
Witty, sexy, and full of heart, Once Upon a Breakfast Show is a laugh-out-loud love story about missed chances, hot mics, and what happens when a woman finally takes control of her own story.
319 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 4, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 19, 2026
Yes yes yes! @stefmacfie I adored this read! Thank you so much @text_publishing for gifting me a copy!
This is the perfect RomCom! it is funny, cute and mysterious 👏🏻 Reading this felt like a warm hug from a loved one : familiar and comforting 😍
Emily Blake is the slightly chaotic, oversharing main character. She is the host of a radio show, mum to a tween and trying to juggle it all.
I enjoyed the time jumps from 2013 to 2026, it felt nostalgic because I’m around the same age as Emily!
There is a swoon worthy love story between Emily and Leo for a week. Then he disappears…. 13 years later Emily gets the city of Melbourne to help track him down.
As well as laughs there was moments that I connected with, especially her motherhood letter.
Definitely recommending this one 😍
This is the perfect RomCom! it is funny, cute and mysterious 👏🏻 Reading this felt like a warm hug from a loved one : familiar and comforting 😍
Emily Blake is the slightly chaotic, oversharing main character. She is the host of a radio show, mum to a tween and trying to juggle it all.
I enjoyed the time jumps from 2013 to 2026, it felt nostalgic because I’m around the same age as Emily!
There is a swoon worthy love story between Emily and Leo for a week. Then he disappears…. 13 years later Emily gets the city of Melbourne to help track him down.
As well as laughs there was moments that I connected with, especially her motherhood letter.
Definitely recommending this one 😍
July 23, 2026
Thank you so much Text Publishing for the gifted physical copy in exchange for an honest review!
Bittersweet, romantic and moving.
Emily Blake is well-known across all of Melbourne for being half of the iconic Mack and Blake duo - the most popular radio station in Victoria. But ratings have been slowly dipping and they’re desperate to get more listeners. So when Emily’s daughter Morgan starts asking questions about who her dad is, Emily turns to the radio to see if her listeners can help.
Emily met Leo at Eurofest and the week they spent together back in 2013 changed Emily’s life forever and left her with a daughter who has no idea who her dad is. But 13 years later, Morgan starts asking questions and Emily brings every memory she has of Leo to the studio and empties her heart out to all of Melbourne, with a flicker of hope that she might just finally find the father of her daughter and the man she’s never been able to forget.
What Emily thought was going to be a quick splash of gossip on the radio turns into a proper investigation where the whole community bands together to find out who the mysterious Leo is. They met at Eurofest so Emily thinks he was performing but all the leads are starting to come up dry. Will Emily ever find the mysterious Leo? Does he even want to be found? And if she somehow manages to find him, what happens next?
Soon enough, Emily realises she’s in way over her head but it’s too late to take back the words that have changed her and her daughter’s life forever. Will this end in a happily ever after? Or will Emily regret sharing one of the deepest moments of herself to all her listeners?
Oh my gosh this was so much more heartfelt than I thought it would be. I went in expecting a light-hearted romcom and left with tears in my eyes and a heaviness in my chest. This was beautifully written and there was so much heart to it. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time reading, and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen. I would definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for a romance novel that goes deeper than finding the lost love of your life. It handled some sensitive topics really well, and was an enjoyable read!
Perfect for fans of a fast-paced romance novel that’ll have you rooting for the main character the entire time reading!
Bittersweet, romantic and moving.
Emily Blake is well-known across all of Melbourne for being half of the iconic Mack and Blake duo - the most popular radio station in Victoria. But ratings have been slowly dipping and they’re desperate to get more listeners. So when Emily’s daughter Morgan starts asking questions about who her dad is, Emily turns to the radio to see if her listeners can help.
Emily met Leo at Eurofest and the week they spent together back in 2013 changed Emily’s life forever and left her with a daughter who has no idea who her dad is. But 13 years later, Morgan starts asking questions and Emily brings every memory she has of Leo to the studio and empties her heart out to all of Melbourne, with a flicker of hope that she might just finally find the father of her daughter and the man she’s never been able to forget.
What Emily thought was going to be a quick splash of gossip on the radio turns into a proper investigation where the whole community bands together to find out who the mysterious Leo is. They met at Eurofest so Emily thinks he was performing but all the leads are starting to come up dry. Will Emily ever find the mysterious Leo? Does he even want to be found? And if she somehow manages to find him, what happens next?
Soon enough, Emily realises she’s in way over her head but it’s too late to take back the words that have changed her and her daughter’s life forever. Will this end in a happily ever after? Or will Emily regret sharing one of the deepest moments of herself to all her listeners?
Oh my gosh this was so much more heartfelt than I thought it would be. I went in expecting a light-hearted romcom and left with tears in my eyes and a heaviness in my chest. This was beautifully written and there was so much heart to it. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time reading, and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen. I would definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for a romance novel that goes deeper than finding the lost love of your life. It handled some sensitive topics really well, and was an enjoyable read!
Perfect for fans of a fast-paced romance novel that’ll have you rooting for the main character the entire time reading!
August 3, 2026
I love reading books set in cities I have visited/lived in and Once Upon a Breakfast Show was no exception!
We follow Blake (Emily) who is a co-host of Melbourne’s number 1 breakfast show, “Blake and Mack for Breakfast”. After a series of bad crowd-sourced dates, she reveals on-air her week-long whirlwind romance with a man she met thirteen years ago - and is the father of her daughter. The story of Blake finding her long-lost love quickly boosts the ratings on the show and soon all of Melbourne is tuning in to watch the story unfold.
The mystery man kept me HOOKED and quickly turning the pages - I just had to find out who this man is!! I loved the very “Melbourne” dates Emily and Leo went on in the past POV (bunnings sausage sizzle anyone?!) and the dynamic between Blake and her daughter Morgan (who is neurodiverse) in the present timeline. The quirky cast of characters at the radio station kept me super invested in the story.
This was such an excellent debut novel - I definitely recommend if you enjoyed And Now, Back to You by B.K Borison!
Thank you Text Publishing for sending me an early copy for review!
We follow Blake (Emily) who is a co-host of Melbourne’s number 1 breakfast show, “Blake and Mack for Breakfast”. After a series of bad crowd-sourced dates, she reveals on-air her week-long whirlwind romance with a man she met thirteen years ago - and is the father of her daughter. The story of Blake finding her long-lost love quickly boosts the ratings on the show and soon all of Melbourne is tuning in to watch the story unfold.
The mystery man kept me HOOKED and quickly turning the pages - I just had to find out who this man is!! I loved the very “Melbourne” dates Emily and Leo went on in the past POV (bunnings sausage sizzle anyone?!) and the dynamic between Blake and her daughter Morgan (who is neurodiverse) in the present timeline. The quirky cast of characters at the radio station kept me super invested in the story.
This was such an excellent debut novel - I definitely recommend if you enjoyed And Now, Back to You by B.K Borison!
Thank you Text Publishing for sending me an early copy for review!
August 4, 2026
What a wonderful debut!
Blake has built a solid radio career and while on air she is known for her fearless and confident attitude, behind the scenes her life feels anything but
Single mum to teen Morgan, she is trying to hold everything together. But when Morgan starts to ask questions about the dad she has never known, a quick decision sees Blake share a more private side live on air, declaring she spent a magical time thirteen years ago with a mystery man named Leo
Believing her time with Leo would be a once in a moment romance, no details were shared, and life went back to normal until much later when Blake learned she was pregnant with Morgan
She asks her listeners for help in finding the man who stole her heart all those years ago. While just trying to find answers, the story becomes a big break for Blake and takes the city by storm! But is Blake ready for this kind of publicity, she has spent so long protecting Morgan, will this find the answers they are both looking for?
A fabulous premise, gorgeous FMC and a perfect amount of spice! I devoured this wonderful book!
Highly recommend for all the romcom lovers out there!
This is one of those books that would be a brilliant movie! It has that beautiful 90s romcom vibe throughout!
Thank you so much Text Publishing for my gifted review copy
Blake has built a solid radio career and while on air she is known for her fearless and confident attitude, behind the scenes her life feels anything but
Single mum to teen Morgan, she is trying to hold everything together. But when Morgan starts to ask questions about the dad she has never known, a quick decision sees Blake share a more private side live on air, declaring she spent a magical time thirteen years ago with a mystery man named Leo
Believing her time with Leo would be a once in a moment romance, no details were shared, and life went back to normal until much later when Blake learned she was pregnant with Morgan
She asks her listeners for help in finding the man who stole her heart all those years ago. While just trying to find answers, the story becomes a big break for Blake and takes the city by storm! But is Blake ready for this kind of publicity, she has spent so long protecting Morgan, will this find the answers they are both looking for?
A fabulous premise, gorgeous FMC and a perfect amount of spice! I devoured this wonderful book!
Highly recommend for all the romcom lovers out there!
This is one of those books that would be a brilliant movie! It has that beautiful 90s romcom vibe throughout!
Thank you so much Text Publishing for my gifted review copy
August 11, 2026
A behind the scenes glimpse for some. A nostalgic trip for the media-initiated. My radio-soul was sitting in the studio alongside Blake and the team (or in the street patroller giving out those icy cold cans of coke); my 2013 self cringed at wearing too-small jackets, tight jeans and ballet flats; and my book-loving, lit-nerd devoured the witty banter, Aussie-isms, and fairy tale romance with a man written by a woman 👌
Take yourself to church and enjoy this one over a Tim Tam Slam.
Take yourself to church and enjoy this one over a Tim Tam Slam.
August 22, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.75/5
𝙰 𝚏𝚞𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝙼𝚎𝚕𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎 𝚛𝚘𝚖-𝚌𝚘𝚖 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝.
𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝙸 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚕𝚒𝚙 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚝/𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐.
𝙻𝚘𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙰𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚗-𝚎𝚜𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚞 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚐𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚘𝚍.
𝙰 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚕 𝚞𝚙 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑.
𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: 𝐈 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 ’𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞’ & 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭.
𝙰 𝚏𝚞𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝙼𝚎𝚕𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎 𝚛𝚘𝚖-𝚌𝚘𝚖 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝.
𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝙸 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚕𝚒𝚙 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚝/𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐.
𝙻𝚘𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙰𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚗-𝚎𝚜𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚞 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚐𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚘𝚍.
𝙰 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚕 𝚞𝚙 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑.
𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: 𝐈 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 ’𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞’ & 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭.
August 4, 2026
Once Upon a Breakfast Show is a joyous heartwarming read. I didn’t want to put it down.
I’m positive there will be so many other readers just like me who will engage with the characters, delight in the mystery, the relationships, intricacies of breakfast radio, the search for the one that got away and be brought to tears and left wanting more.
I’m positive there will be so many other readers just like me who will engage with the characters, delight in the mystery, the relationships, intricacies of breakfast radio, the search for the one that got away and be brought to tears and left wanting more.
August 18, 2026
Writing was a bit choppy to follow at times (maybe worse on audiobook?) but the story was sweet and different and I loved the ending. + we love an aus based book!
Review of advance copy
My Amazon pre-order arrived several days early & I’m so glad it did! Stef’s first book is a fast-paced book set in a very realistic, very chaotic radio station. From the first chapter we’re set up to root for our FMC, somewhat dislike her cohost and also be a big fan of the on-air anchor. Emily Blake is messier than her tshirt after dinner, she’s doing the most to raise an incredible daughter solo, and the flashbacks through the book show her softer side as well as how hard she’ll work to chase her dreams and give her daughter the best she can.
As someone who works in the industry, I found the world of this so easy to step into because of how realistic it is and inhaled the book in an afternoon. An easy read, a feel-good story and a (mostly) loveable group of characters. It was a palate cleanser I enjoyed - and saw some familiarities in characters as people I’ve met during my career. (Full disclosure I have worked in the same office as the author in the past, but paid for this with my own money and would again).
As someone who works in the industry, I found the world of this so easy to step into because of how realistic it is and inhaled the book in an afternoon. An easy read, a feel-good story and a (mostly) loveable group of characters. It was a palate cleanser I enjoyed - and saw some familiarities in characters as people I’ve met during my career. (Full disclosure I have worked in the same office as the author in the past, but paid for this with my own money and would again).
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews