Bake Me A Match

Lauren Holbrook #5

by Erynn Mangum

Annie McKay is loving her new job at Merson's bakery and cafe, loving the church she's attending and loving the people who have adopted her into their circle of friends. Life seems to be going great - even with the 3:45am alarm clock every day. At least, it's going great until she accidentally creates the town's newest delectable obsession leaving her crazy busy at work, running into old coworkers and then there's Zach, the attractive music pastor at church, who is always asking her out. It could be love, but that would open up a huge box from Annie's past that is best left locked up tight in the attic of her heart...and surely God wouldn't want her to be opening it back up. Right? With the help of good friends like Laurie Holbrook, a few hundred cinnamon rolls and a lot of prayer, Annie is about to discover that life isn't always taking the easy, smooth highway but that the back roads, though bumpy and painful, can also be full of fun.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Romance, Christian, Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Christian Romance

434 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2015

About the author

I love to read, love to write and am very blessed to be a wife and mama of two precious boys and a beautiful little girl. My latest books are The Broken Branch and Mind the Gap! Look for the Lauren Holbrook series (Miss Match, ReMatch, Match Point, Match Made and Bake Me A Match), the Maya Davis series (Cool Beans, Latte Daze and Double Shot) Sketchy Behavior, and the Paige Alder series (Paige Torn, Paige Rewritten and Paige Turned) and the Carrington Springs series (Katie in Waiting, Once Upon Eliza and Happily Ever Ashten) in paperback and ebook format, along with lots of ebook novellas. :) To learn more, visit me on Instagram @ErynnMangum.

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

About this book:

“Annie McKay is loving her new job at Merson's bakery and cafe, loving the church she's attending and loving the people who have adopted her into their circle of friends. Life seems to be going great - even with the 3:45am alarm clock every day. At least, it's going great until she accidentally creates the town's newest delectable obsession leaving her crazy busy at work, running into old coworkers and then there's Zach, the attractive music pastor at church, who is always asking her out. It could be love, but that would open up a huge box from Annie's past that is best left locked up tight in the attic of her heart...and surely God wouldn't want her to be opening it back up. Right? With the help of good friends like Laurie Holbrook, a few hundred cinnamon rolls and a lot of prayer, Annie is about to discover that life isn't always taking the easy, smooth highway but that the back roads, though bumpy and painful, can also be full of fun.”


Series: Book #5 in the “Lauren Holbrook” series. Reviews of Books #1 Here, #2 Here, #3 Here, and #4 Here!


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are remembered, read, mentioned, & talked about; Prayers & Blessings over food; Church going, sermons, & hymns; ‘H’s are capitalized when referring to God; Many mentions of churches, church going, pastors, sermons, services, hymns/songs, & Sunday school classes; Mentions of God & Jesus; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, & Bible studies; Mentions of thanking & praising God; Mentions of Christians & witnessing; A few mentions of Heaven; A few mentions of missions & missionaries; A few mentions of a monastery; A mention of Godspeed.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dang it’, a ‘holy smokes’, a ‘shoot’, two forms of ‘crap’, two forms of ‘darn’, two ‘gosh’s, five ‘heck’s, six ‘sheesh’s, eight ‘oh my gosh’s, and eight ‘holy cow’s; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); Quite a bit of sass & sarcasm; Eye rolling; Mentions of serial killers & killing (teasing/joking mentions); Mentions of Annie’s parents’ divorce, them fighting, & the physical abuse she went through (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a divorce & a custody battle; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of alcohol, Annie’s dad spending a lot of time bars, & being drunk; A few mentions of thieves; A few mentions of babies’ tendencies to excrete bodily fluids; A couple mentions of blood & stitches; A mention of suicide; A mention of jealousy;
*Note: Mentions of TV shows, movies, celebrities, & fictional characters; A few mentions of car & clothing brands; A couple mentions of Starbucks; A couple mentions of a zombie apocalypse; A mention of social media.


Sexual Content- a cheek kiss, and a barely-above-not-detailed kiss; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, & Nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Some noticing; Mentions of dating, dates, kisses, & kissing; A few mentions of a fiancé cheating; A few mentions of blushes; A couple mentions of flirting; Tiny bit of love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A couple mentions of butting into a conversation; A couple mentions of nursing; A mention of PMS-ing.

-Annie McKay, age 28
1st person P.O.V. of Annie
434 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
Ah. Just a big happy sign from me. Can I leave my review at that? I just feel so refreshed and special after reading this highly anticipated book. One scene in particular had tears in my eyes and touched my heart so much. I loved that while this is currently the final book in this series, the ending is left open enough where we may one day visit the small Colorado town and see everyone again.


Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Celestria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute but I just didn't like these last 2 books as much as the original trilogy

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I've said this before, but only Erynn Mangum can write a book where very little happens but it's still a fantastic book.
I love Annie and Zach, and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship grow. I really liked the focus on Annie's personal growth--professionally and personally.
Overall, a great book, like catching up with old friends over coffee.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books have relatively simple plots - the day to day lives of the characters and such - but somehow they are compelling. Erynn’s characters are quite witty so that helps a lot too.

You can really see Annie grow and change in this book. She’s come a long way from when she was introduced in the 4th book. Laurie didn’t get on my nerves as much. Yes, she’s still somewhat overbearing and nosy, but she’s also a loyal friend.

I definitely liked these last 2 books the most in the series. The romance between Annie and Zach is very sweet.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just spent two hours praying, processing, crying, and worshiping all while reading the end of a novel.

There's something about this series that makes ordinary life feel beautiful. It makes you laugh, roll your eyes, and crave cinnamon rolls. It makes you want to hug a chubby cheeked baby and be called Auntie one day. It makes you talk to God without realizing it and go to church without getting out of bed. I don't know how else to describe it.

More than anything though, this book proves that people can live completely different lives, go through completely different hardships, and still struggle with the same emotional pain that can only be mended by the love of Jesus. It's beautiful. It's healing. I don't want it to end, but it has.

So I just want to say thank you to the author. Thank you for writing a book that touched my soul while making me laugh aloud on my back porch. I needed this book, this series. And just in case you ever wondered if anyone would be impacted by your painstaking work, I was and I'll always be grateful.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie just gets more and more relatable!!!

It was so fun seeing her doing a job she loves and is really, really good at. I also enjoyed seeing her learn how to be in one place with friends who care about her. Honestly, I've always dreamed of a group like Laurie has. A "found family" as it were.

Zach is amazing. I have to wonder if there are really guys out there who would be that understanding and patient.

All the little kids add even more humor (different humor) to the stories. Because that's what little kids do.

The book ends in a good place but Annie's story feels unfinished. It's not a bad ending at all, it works, it just seems like Mangum would have done more or an epilogue or something.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good to the last drop ... And still wanting more

Why do authors leave you hanging? Annie McKay's story continues in this fifth installment as she joins Merson's as head baker. Lots of appearances by familiar characters and a path of self discovery make this a charming read. I just want to know what happens next.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m hungry for dessert after reading about cinnamon rolls and chocolate ganache cupcakes. Yummy story with some thought provoking moments on value and purpose.

[Celestial · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the final book in the Lauren Holbrook series!
Honestly, I am sad about that, though I am very content with the ending. I love this book so much that I had to pace myself while reading it so I didn't read it to fast. :D
Annie was a fun main character, and her romance was just great! I really really love Zach as well as Annie and Zach together. I like how Hallie and Annie became good friends. It seems to work really. Annie working at Merson's was just great. It was so sweet to see Annie and Shawn work together, because he is like her big brother. It made me so happy! Also I want to eat every baked-good Annie creates. Seriously, I will figure out how make those cinnamon rolls.
This book was really touching in some ways that I won't reveal. I will however say that I teared up a few times.
There are a lot of typos in this book and Match Made (the fourth book). This could bug some people, but I don't really care. I just wanted this book so much in paperback form that I was so happy to own and read it.
This is such a good book and series! I recommend any and all Erynn Mangum books. So far I haven't encountered a book of hers that I don't like.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a sweet story about finding your place and overcoming your past... and is your past who you are now or just something you got through to get where you are. I love that Annie was adopted into Laurie's huge, crazy Framily... I wonder how many of the cute, funny kid antics really happened to the author.

Like with the last one, I hate saying anything bad because it is a sweet story that I raced through... but it was just okay. It has the same tone and voice as the series, but it could have been so much tighter of a story.... and I guess that is the editor/librarian in me. There were copy edit errors but also dates/times that didn't add up or things that could have been explained once not over and over.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erynn Mangum writes such sweet books! This one totally follows suit. It is a very easy, quick read that is full of sweet, funny moments. The character development in Match Made and this book is very wonderfully done!
I could read Erynn Mangum books all day long and not get tired of her fabulous stories and wonderful writing style.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another juicy, cheesy, sweet read in the Laurie Holbrook series - wish it wasn’t the end, but there you go. I have liked the Annie character too, and Zach though he feels suspiciously like a male version of Laurie haha

Unfortunately, it was poorly edited - I don’t know if that’s just my copy, but that was frustrating.

Nevertheless, I love Mangum’s writing!

[Annie Hogle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an enjoyable read, however I wish there were more interactions between Ryan and Laurie and Annie and Zach!

[DM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erynn Mangum: making me obsessed with cinnamon rolls one book at a time.
(I really enjoyed this book.)

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another 4.5 stars. Very sweet conclusion to the series. No one does sweet like Erynn :)

[Abby Bannister · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series just grew sweeter and sweeter. I’m not ready for it to be over. Adorable read!!

[Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erynn Mangum is a wonderful storyteller, and she's become one of my all time favorites over the past year. I'd really enjoyed the way she wrapped up the original three books in the Lauren Holbrook series, and I was hopeful that I'd end up feeling the same about this one.

Annie actually ended up surprising me by becoming probably my favorite protagonist of all the books I've read by Erynn. She has such a wonderful heart for Jesus, and I loved how the reader gets to witness her journey from being a loner keeping everything to herself to learning how to let others in, and grow so much in the process.

This book was probably one of the best illustrations of the biblical fact that we are all new creations in Christ; despite what we may be boggled down with from our past. I felt like I was learning this right along with Annie, and it was a heartwarming plot point to watch her trying to come to terms with it.

Annie and Zach's romance was spot on, and is probably also my favorite romance from any of the books. It felt authentic and heartfelt, and definitely gave off all the swoony vibes.

It's no secret that I obviously loved the majority of this story, but two factors kept it from being the five star read I was hoping for.

First, I honestly wish this one had been better edited before it was published. So many discrepancies existed throughout the bulk of the story, and it did get a little irritating after awhile. There were also numerous grammatical and spelling mistakes that grated on my nerves, and it did hinder my enjoyment a bit.

However, that being said, those issues wouldn't have been enough to drop the rating down to four stars. My main issue with this entire story was a conversation that happens between Annie and Lauren's oldest sister Laney about Lauren's other sister Lexi. From the first book about Annie, the reader discovered that Lexi and her husband Nate were having fertility struggles. The way that particular issue was handled in this story didn't bother me, but this particular conversation did.

Without giving away spoilers, the conversation includes a lovely statement from Laney to Annie about how "Jesus saved Lexi from experiencing traditional parenting" for another opportunity, and wow did that rub me the wrong way. I'm pretty sure that no one who has ever actually experienced infertility would appreciate it being described that way, and it felt like the author was just glossing over all the hard bits that would go into all these decisions.

That being said, I did honestly still love this story, I just wish the author had tackled certain sensitive issues a bit better than she did.

Final Rating: 4/5.

[Michaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Such a light, easy read that is cute and enjoyable. I feel like I’m a part of these characters lives and I’m just catching up with old friends while reading this book. Loved reading more of Annie’s story, while also getting little updates about Laurie and the rest of the gang from the other books in this series.

[Suzie Waltner · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, let me say that I love Erynn Mangum’s books. They are some of the few books I love to pick up over and over again. Her characters are lovable and you just want to be a part of the groups of people. Whether I’m following Laurie Holbrook (now Palmer), Maya Davis, Paige Alder or Annie McKay, I feel like I’m with friends. And I’ve been looking forward to the conclusion of Annie’s story.

So, before I get to that, let me put on my pet peeve hat here for a few seconds. There were several major content errors in this book (and within a matter of a few paragraphs span and from page 1). Annie mentions she got a call for a job last week and then a few paragraphs later she says she went on a six week road trip after she got the call. She talks about going to work the first day and using her key but then the second day her boss texts here and tells her where he hides the key (did he take the first key away?). Annie talks about getting to sleep in the next day because she’s off and she’s got church and then she says she’s got to get up and go to work. And for fans of the Lauren Holbrook series, there’s even more errors like this. Even from “Match Made” to “Bake Me a Match.” In “Match Made,” Zach likes seafood and Annie hates it. In “Bake me a Match,” it’s the opposite. Annie’s eating seafood and Zach is giving her a hard time about it.

Ok, off my soap box now. While all of that was a little distracting, you can’t help but feel like you’re a part of this group when you’re reading these books. Laurie Holbrook’s ability to draw the characters into her circle extends beyond the page to the reader. Annie’s struggles with her new job and trying to reconcile her past with her present resounded with me. Lexi’s news made me tear up (and no, I’m not giving you more details. Spoilers). And even with all of the errors, I would still read another book in this series (or maybe another book in the other two series, hint, hint).

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

So it's not out yet but I gave it a preemptive 5 stars because I know it will be fantastic.
I AM SO EXCITED TO READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!

Also, it's coming out June 15th. Can you say day-early BIRTHDAY PRESENT?????

6/21/15: Perfect. This was all I hoped it would be and also more because it's by Erynn Mangum. That's all that really needs to be said because her books are the best. More of an actual review to come.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed reading from Annie's POV. Probably because, as an introvert, I can relate in many ways. Like all of Erynn Mangum's books, this is an easy lighthearted read. She sprinkles some hard truths and moments in, but it's never bogged down. I have enjoyed the extra two books in the Lauren Holbrook Series and can't wait to see what is next.

[One Book at a Time! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet book

What a sweet book. I would like the ending to be a little different a little more closure in some of the characters, so I hope the author writes another book in this series, would love to know a little more about Annie her new love! I also need to find a bakery or recipe for some cinnamon rolls!

[Janae Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a little unsure about this at first because I missed Laurie being the main character, but I was happily surprised by this book. It was wonderful and really made me think. I'm curious to see if there will be another one, but I doubt it. I really recommend reading this :)

[Debra LeFew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Christian Fiction

Love Erynn Mangum books. They are hard to put down, and I’m sorry as each book ends.
This book could be enjoyed by any female reader high school and above who enjoys a pleasant romance

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bittersweet; but wonderful. :)

[Cayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erynn Mangum has a wonderful gift of turning something ordinary into extraordinary. Her novels are always must-reads for me!

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those rare books that I hated to see end. Love Erynn Mangum.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way her stories flow. It's hard not to fall in love with her characters. I haven't read a book of hers that I haven't loved.

[Valerie (Val's Vicinity)]

review coming soon

[Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 5 of 5
*Wonderful! Love Erynn Mangum!