A grumpy baker, a quirky ad man, and a recipe for forever…
Scott
So this cute guy sits next to me on the plane and proceeds to talk my ear off for hours. Not good. I don’t like talking and I don’t like strangers. But Theo’s sweet, smart, and sexy—the perfect distraction from business woes and personal worries.
Okay, things got overly friendly, but we’re adults and we know the score. I’m too old, he’s too nice, and we live on different continents.
Then, out of the blue, he shows up at my bakery with that pretty smile and a list of wacky marketing ideas—like how to make fairy cakes a thing.
I don’t like fairy cakes.
But I do like Theo, so…maybe?
Theo
The new me takes risks. The new me is brave and confident. The new me flirts with hunky, imposing bears on planes while traveling to a foreign country.
It’s going well, thank you.
However, my plans to do some sightseeing, drink tea, and eat my weight in biscuits every day get derailed when I realize there might be a way to help Scott and prove a few things to myself.
Don’t worry. I won’t fall for the grumpy baker. No way. He’s complicated and broody and—
Uh oh…it might be too late. Help!
Fairy Cakes in Winter is a bisexual, age-gap, grumpy/sunshine MM romance featuring a sexy baker, a sunny tourist, and a few dozen fairy cakes.
Lane Hayes loves a good romance! She’s the bestselling author of the Out in College, Starting From, Better Than, A Kind Of, Right and Wrong, and Leaning Into Series! Lane loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). All things she can find in sunny SoCal where she lives with her amazing husband in a not quite empty nest.
Fairy Cakes in Winter is a stand alone, fairly short story by Lane Hayes. Oh my, oh my! This book needs ALL the sweet stars!! I am so in love with Theo and Scott! I spent the entire time while reading this in a butterfly filled, snoony state of bliss! Absolute BLISS!! I feel like I could just fill up this entire review with hearts and it would be perfect.
Scott O’Brien is thirty nine years old, is originally from Seattle but has been living in England for the past several years as a baker. He’s a grumpy, quiet man and wonders if he might get lucky and not have anyone sit next to him on the way home from a family visit. But instead, a cute man who seems like he might keep quiet for the long flight sits next to him. But a funny thing happened on that nine hour flight back to London. He didn’t mind talking to his seat mate, he didn’t mind listening to him or comforting him. And by the time they landed, he didn’t want to say goodbye.
Theodore “Theo” Belden is at a crossroads in his life. He is twenty nine years old and is making a career change from marketing to accounting. But there is some down time before he starts his new job in San Francisco, so he’s visiting his parents. First his dad in Seattle, and now is on his way to visit his mom in England. Only Theo doesn’t much enjoy planes. Especially when turbulence hits. It’s a good thing he’s got his sexy seat mate to comfort him.
A few days later, Theo just “happens” to visit Scott’s bakery. Scott needs some marketing advice for his business and Theo needs reminding that helping businesses flourish by creating ways for them to reach the public is something that he loves to do and is good at. They also realize that the connection they share is something they both want to take advantage of while Theo is there. It’s supposed to be a fun, no strings arrangement with an expiration date.
These two! I don’t really want to say much more. You just need to meet them. I love them both equally but oh my heart, Theo!!! He’s the sunshine to Scott’s grumpy. And he literally warms Scott’s soul, melts the ice right out of him. This is just the sweetest, warm and fuzziest, most wonderful story. How about if I just say, READ THIS BOOK! You need it in your life.
These days, contemporary MM doesn’t hold as big a lure for me as it once did. In my old age, I like to avoid angst and miscommunication and running away from one’s issues/problems. Thankfully, none of that was here.
Scott is world weary, cynical, and people avoidant. All he wants is to bake his confections with little fuss and to basically be left alone. Who knew comforting the exact type of person he tries to avoid at all costs - a chatty beam of sunlight - on a transatlantic flight would be the chance encounter that would change his life. In contrast, Theo is in a major life transition, trying to take the safe route instead of cultivating his creative strengths. Lucky him that a surly sexy baker is just the push he needs to reconsider his plan.
My return to Hayes’s recent releases has been a surprising success. The characters were drawn well, their insecurities valid, and the chemistry was on point. So if you want a really easy opposites attract, grumpy sunshine, age gap romance that was full of banter and sexy, with a bit of hurt comfort and some yummy feels then this is for you!
I was very much in a book slump when I picked this up (“My father’s lover” put me there) and all I did in my chill time was eat ice cream and rewatch “The golden girls”. 🤣Then I stumbled upon this book and I remembered I liked this author’s story in this winter anthology so I decided to give this a try. Well, it was LOVELY!!! I loved the British setting (Bath) , I loved the characters (Scott and Theo were so freaking cute and so 🔥 and I loved their story . The meet-cute was …cute and it’s impossible not to love the grumpy giant baker Scott and the blabbering sweet Theo. Light, funny, feel good and quite entertaining; I recommend it.
After reading a rather dark and exhausting book, this book felt like sunshine. I was smiling most of the time I read it, it was light and I enjoyed it a lot. Although now I'm craving cake .... bad book, no cookie! 😂
The problem with these fluffy books is that I forget about them really quickly. I finished this one yesterday and today I was reading three different books and unfortunately I forgot a lot of things. That's not the fault of this book, that's my stupid mind that can't even enjoy a little something. So, now I have to think about what this was about ...
Oh yes cake, oh boy so much cake. I didn't really understood it at first. Theo is such a quirky character that I couldn't quite keep up at first. I felt like Scott in the beginning on the plane.
“Scott.” “Great name,” Theodore enthused. “I had a border collie named Scottie McMuffin when I was a kid. He was a real firecracker. Every time I tossed a ball to him, he’d fetch it, race the perimeter of the vineyard, and circle around to drop it at my feet. Just watching him go was exhausting.” 🤣😂🤣
Oh but it was all so cute and I loved that the two were cautious with each other, because the whole thing had an expiration date, but still did not hesitate and went fully into their attraction.
He was a manly hunk of muscle with the lightest layer of frosting over his abs. I liked that. He was solid and real, and the way he looked at me did something to my insides. 🥰🥰🥰
You see, now I remember and I should bookmark this book for a rainy day, I think it would manages to get me out of almost any funk. And I love reading winter books in summer.
Dnf at 50%. I don't feel anything for the characters, they are like one-dimensional caricatures, there is no chemistry, the writing is bland. The story's beginning wasn't for me (I'm not a fan of sex in public spaces, neither in real life nor on paper) but the further I read the book sadly didn't improve for me. The older MC's constant thoughts how he was so much older were grating on my nerves.. he was 39 to the younger one's 29! That's not really an age-gap isn't it? Both MC's characters felt artificial (the grumpiness of one and the blubbering sunshine-feel of the other). I don't even remember their names, oops.
At first, I thought it’s some kind of Christmas novella, but it’s not.
First of all, it takes place AFTER Christmas. It begins on a plane to London, where Scott, a rather grumpy bear of a man who hates talking to people, especially on a plane, meets Theo, a 28yo man who’s on his way to visit his mother for a few weeks. The Ambien Theo took before the flight doesn’t work, so they end up talking for hours during the flight, followed be a hot makeout session when they land.
I couldn’t relate . I didn’t like people . Not many anyway . But I liked Theo .
They part ways without exchanging phone numbers, but after a few days of thinking about him, Theo shows up at Scott’s bakery - because yes, of all things sweet, Scott is a baker. A baker who dislikes fairy cakes, but Theo (who worked in marketing for years) convinces him to draw up a campaign around them to get the business going.
This book… it’s sweet, without being sugary, funny, but without being over the top, the characters just the right amount of cliché without making it boring.
I loved everything about it, and even though their relationship develops in a relatively short amount of time, it doesn’t feel insta-anything, it’s organic and believable without some unnecessary drama - just two very different men falling in love with each other.
"I think I’ve been waiting my whole life for you . I feel it . In here . " I smacked my chest and sucked in a breath . " You walk into a room, and everything stops . You’re music and laughter and light and peace ."
Highly recommended if you’re looking for something heartwarming - 5 swoony stars from me & thank you Vanna for recommending it to me!
This was the perfect Winter story to warm me up inside. From the initial meeting to every meeting after I was completely charmed.
I loved seeing Scott come out from under the dark cloud that was suffocating his life and realizing that taking new chances on his business and another chance on love was worth everything. And Theo, gah, I loved seeing Theo overcome, well, his everything. Taking chances. Realizing his true passion professionally and personally. It was such a treat to read.
Lane always delivers and if I've said it once I've said it a million times, she ranks at the tippy top of my favorite authors and I love her stories.
If you love the feeling of joyful happiness that you get from drinking a mug of hot chocolate, then this book will give you the reading equivalent.
From the off, Lane gives us a super sweet, but never overly sickly, romance when two strangers meet on a plane to England and fate takes a turn at influencing where their lives go from then.
This small age gap story is one which will put a smile on your face and keep it there throughout as Theo and Scott muddle their way to happiness.
It's also a bit of a love story to the English city of Bath, with its Roman history, Jane Austen connections and the charming Georgian heritage which makes up its character.
As Scott fights to let down his walls, Theo unwittingly delivers killer blows that help to crumble them into tiny fairy cake size pieces as he provides marketing advice and sexual shenanigans in equal measure.
There wasn't one bit of this novella I didn't fall in love with, from the initial meet-cute, through Scott's determination to ignore the fairy cake advice and the steamy hot encounters they fall into with regularly.
A nice set of secondary characters helps round out the setting and the Epilogue is a fabulous glimpse into their near future.
I also loved the little Easter Egg nod to the book which stars my favourite Lane couple, Wes and Nick from Leaning Into The Fall 😁
#ARC kindly received from the author via GRR Tours in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Awww ... this is such a sweet story with just a hint of angst.
The setting is Bath, England, which I had the pleasure of visiting many moons ago. Hayes does a great job describing this picturesque town, with its boutiques and cafés.
Scott is an expat living in the UK where he runs a fledgling bakery business.
Theo is in between careers, but he's a marketing guru and offers to help Scott promote his bakery after the two meet on a fight to London and hook up.
Their friends with benefits situation is, of course, so much more, but Scott, especially, refuses to admit it.
There's quite a bit of spice to go along with the sugar, and some fun secondary characters.
The ending felt a bit rushed. Weeks were summarized in a few paragraphs, making the epilogue feel not entirely earned.
I needed a few more chapters to flesh out the characters and relationship.
3.5 stars - This quick and easy read was absolutely adorable! Scott was less grump and more introvert, but Theo was definitely sunshine and rainbows. His nervous chatter was so endearing and I loved how Scott couldn't help but be kind to him on the plane, even though all he wanted was a nice, quiet flight. So much about this book was cute, cute, cute. My only complaints were that I detest the word "pucker" unless you're talking about lips, the dirty talk made me want to laugh and there was some telling instead of showing that was probably done for the sake of brevity, but bothered me nonetheless. Otherwise, I really liked this book and recommend it if you're wanting something sweet, fluffy and heartwarming.
What a little gem! Sweet, lovely romance with endearing characters and a beautiful setting. I love Bath and it was lovely to read that the author wrote this after being inspired by a holiday there. This is low angst, feel-good but written beautifully with no unnecessary dribble and nice brisk pacing.
Theo is the sunshine and Scott is the rain. Their relationship started very unusually but developed at a rapid speed. I loved these characters so much. Scott has been hurt by relationships so he really is unsure about Theo. Theo was such a great and lovely character. His positivity made you want only good things for him. I think this attitude rubbed off in Scott.
The ending was especially sweet! Loved this romantic love letter to baking and Bath. 💕🧁🧁
What a charming book! I adored Lane Hayes' diversion from college students and entertainers to a bubbly former marketing whiz and a grumpy expat baker in Bath. Her love of the setting shone through and the setting became another character in the book, as did the delightful-sounding fairy cakes in the title. This steamy romance is a slow burn, and a delightful one at that. I'm hoping the author decides to revisit the area in future stories.
It's short and sexy - maybe more sexy times than what I like, but I know what I will be getting since I am familiar with this author's works. I think Scott and Theo have chemistry - sparks sure flying despite them being on the slight opposites in terms of characteristics.
And clearly this is a love story for Bath... which makes me DREAM OF COMING TO THIS TOWN!!!!! Fingers crossed I will be able to do this one of these days.
Fairy Cakes in Winter is a sweet story that can be easily read in one afternoon. It's not very long but is very, very good. I consider it a palate cleanser in between reading angstier books.
Scott and Theo, both American, meet on a flight from Seattle to the UK, and even though Scott doesn't usually like to chat with his seatmates, there's something about Theo that draws his attention. At first, he's reserved and tries to put up walls to discourage conversation, but still, they end up talking almost the entire flight.
Theo is changing career paths after being disappointed by the treatment he got in his last job, but accounting is just a safe and sensible choice. It doesn't excite him. Helping Scott advertise his bakery and boost his sales reminded him how much he enjoyed his previous job though.
Scott is closed off and careful with relationships after what his ex did to him. He was still affected by it, but when Theo entered his life, that changed without him realizing it.
So they both helped the other, and even though they appeared not to have many things in common at first glance, they actually complemented each other and easily found things to talk about.
There are some side characters, but they were mostly just mentioned in the narrative. They didn't have a lot of actual page time where they appeared in a scene, but that didn't bother me because they still felt like part of the story, and the social circle of the MCs was clear. I liked George's surprise appearance though I wish he had a bigger part.
I recommend this book to anyone who is in the mood for a low-angst story, a small age gap between the MCs, a story set in the UK (mainly outside of London), and, of course, fairy cakes.
~ Copy provided by Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn't a requirement. ~
Theo is a ray of light shining on grumpy Scott, just what he needed, not! Still, Scott can’t look away from that pretty guy sitting next to him on their flight to London. Theo keeps talking and can’t seem to close his mouth, Scott didn’t expect to enjoy him so very much, but he did.
Scott is doing crazy things to Theo’s head, he just offers Scott a bj and he’s stunned by himself, even more, when Scott accepted.
“Being in his orbit felt like tripping on a happy pill.”
Theo has great marketing ideas for Scott’s bakery. For the time he’s in England, he’ll help Scott upgrade his business. Scott is smitten by Theo, they have the best time together. Scott can’t stand the idea of Theo leaving for the US. But asking him to stay, nope he’s the strong one.
“Help! I was in lust with this man!”
You really can say opposite attracts, grumpy/sunshine, ten years age gap, small/huge guy, an accountant, and a baker.
They were so wonderful together, old fashion romantic, hot, funny, silly, easygoing, a perfect fit. I loved these two adorable, lovable guys very much, their hea was so deserved! Overall a wonderfully written, sweet, fast-paced, heart-melting, lovely read, fluffy all over!
This was a quick, easy, and angst-free read. Much needed for me right now. I do wish that we would've had more with these two together and building their relationship. It wasn't until the last two pages of the book they declare everything and then it's over. That's the most frustrating part.
The epilogue helped redeem it some, but I still would've loved seeming more with these two building their lives together vs all the self pity inner dialogue we got throughout the book.
Scots bakery business is doing okay, but he has some marketing problems, Theo, the sweet little guy he met on a plane from Seattle to London offers to help. Those two are like fire and ice and they have some explosive sex in an airport bathroom right after their flight. Both know it can only be a fling, but they keep coming back for more. This was a fluffy story about cup cakes, baked goods and fun times together. Lots of sugar and sweetness, two cute guys and a happy end that approaches without a lot of drama or distraction - which was not a bad thing for me. Nice 3 star read, even if it will not leave a lasting impression.
I adored this book! It was so cute! Theo is such a ball of sunshine and although Scott considers himself to be a grump, he certainly develops a soft spot for Theo.
Scott and Theo meet on a trans-Atlantic flight to London. A bout of turbulence frightens Theo and the two strike up a conversation. Theo is transitioning from marketing to starting a job as an accountant. He’s going to spend five weeks in the UK visiting his mom while waiting on his new job to start. Scott is a baker. There is a 10 year age gap between the two. Theo lives in San Francisco. Scott is originally from Seattle, but lives in England. Something beyond words exchanges between the MCs. They find themselves not wanting to say goodbye once they disembark, so they end up having an impromptu rendezvous in the airport bathroom.
A few days later, Theo runs into Scott again at his pop-up bakery in Bath. During their conversations, Theo realizes that he has the skills to help Scott better market his business. At the same time, the pair strike up something similar to a friends-with-benefits-relationship. Scott is reticent to talk about his past. There’s a story there for sure. (Jack is something else). Despite not wanting to make things messy by bringing in emotions, Scott and Theo ultimately deepen their connection. They have some pretty spicy moments, but they are also really tender with one another as well. Gah, that last chapter! I definitely felt a swoon a time or two. The epilogue is so sweet! This book is sure to put a smile on your face.
Aww...this is super cute and adorable. And made me want to visit Bath and experience all the bakeries there. And probably meet Theo and Scott and talking about fairy cakes :) Sweet, with a little sprinkle of angst on top, just added to my recommendation for friends to read!
Really surprised on how 😍 adorable and 😂 funny this book was! There's nothing much to say about the story without spoiling it but I promise this is a quick funny read to even get you out of a slump.
The hate Scott had for fairy cakes had me laughing all the time 🤣 until Theo convinced him to give it at the store 🧁. Well jokes on him because of course Theo was right! Not only on business ideas but on the chance to chase what you want like falling in love with a really hot guy.
Quirky MC meets more serious MC, shenanigans happen, MCs meet again and romance develops. Loved Theo, and Scott grew on me, as he became less grumpy and depressed, which wasn't difficult to do, I suspect, seeing Theo's nature. And Theo gets a chance to really figure himself out and what he's passionate about. Loved that.