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aimzthereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved the writing style. I loved the plot especially the setting of it being on the Great bake which is the Great British bake off 100%. It was I reretibg to hear about the competition while having a romance happen at the same time. This id also a story of friendship. The power of standing up for yourself and being your true self and being fine with that and making others realize they need to be accepting and respectful.
The daughter in this is also super cute and that’s a great storyline of seeing Rosaline as a single mother and all the experiences that go along with that.
There were many many moments where I found myself snapping/clapping along at this book, nodding my head and smiling and also getting mad at certain characters. This book also made me watch the great British bake off and I highly recommend that for a
Multimedia experience.
I will read many more books by Alexis hall because to me this book was perfection .
Graphic: Alcohol, Homophobia, Cursing, Biphobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, and Mental illness
Minor: Body shaming, Violence, and Medical content
lettuce_read's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Classism, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Biphobia, Sexual assault, and Cursing
displacedcactus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
-A love triangle
-A heroine confident in her sexuality and tired of dealing with casual biphobia
-Two physically attractive love interests
-A colorful cast of fellow contestants and friends and family "back home"
-Lots of descriptions of bakes
-Lots of cheeky inuendo
-Lots of "behind the scenes" reality TV baking competition hijinks
-A precocious plot moppet
-Steamy love scenes
One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the structure -- It was broken up by week of filming the show, and then the days within that week. This made it REALLY easy to keep track of where we were in the timeline of the competition and exactly how much time has passed as these relationships developed.
One thing I didn't like was well, the love triangle. Major spoilers ahead:
I always feel a little bad for the love interest who gets chosen by default because the other guy ends up being a jerk/already married/dead by the end of the book. It feels less like Harry gets chosen for who he is, and more like he gets chosen for being Not Alain and being there for Rosaline when Alain goes too far.
A little elaboration on the TW at the start of the book about an attempted assault:
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Biphobia, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
readingqueerly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Biphobia, Violence, Classism, and Cursing
amberinpieces's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Classism, Biphobia, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexism and Mental illness
cheye13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Classism, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Gaslighting, Biphobia, and Cursing
Minor: Bullying and Fatphobia
caseythereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
- Friends, Alexis Hall plus baking competition show romance equals an absolute hug of a book.
- I adored everything about ROSALINE PALMER TAKES THE CAKE. Hall's signature banter and self-effacing characters are so perfect in this setting, plus it also takes on larger issues like classism, thorny familial relationships, and biphobic stereotypes.
- This is a bit of a SPOILER!!!! but I don't think I've ever read a romance where the love interest changes halfway through! And I'm so glad I trusted Hall, because I thought Alain was a bit of a tool early on and thought it was going to be a story where he sees the error of his ways and tries to reform, and I'm so glad it wasn't like that.
Graphic: Biphobia, Classism, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Alcohol, Cursing, and Sexual assault
unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Biphobia, Cursing, Misogyny, Classism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Sexual content
abbylundborg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Classism and Cursing
Moderate: Sexual assault and Biphobia
readingthroughinfinity's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Alexis Hall has done it again with another wonderful romance book. This is a brilliant, queer adult romance, between two lovable but very different main characters. Set on a Great British Bake Off-inspired baking show, Bake Expectations (I LOVE IT), the book follows Rosaline, an aspiring baker and single mother as she grapples with friendships, a new relationship, and trying to win a baking contest.
I adored Rosaline, she's such a sweet, funny protagonist and it's easy to tell how much she cares for her daughter. Rosaline is openly bisexual and the novel spends a lot of time discussing biphobia, challenging it, and dismantling stereotypes about bi people, which I absolutely loved. Alexis Hall also uses the narrative of Alan's and Rosaline's parents' prejudices to discuss classism and challenge stereotypes about working class people.
Hall's writing is, once again, and absolute triumph of humour and sharp wit. The dialogue and interactions between the contestants and between Rosaline and her best friend were incredibly entertaining. Harry is a cinnamon roll and I would throw my 5 ft 3 self in front of his 6 ft something self to protect him at all costs. Amelie is a sweetheart. Alan is a toad.
I also really want to know if Alexis Hall went undercover on the set of Bake Off to do research for this book because the descriptions of the show, how it works, and all the behind the scenes moments seem SO accurate (to how I imagine it being)??? Alexis Hall, if you're reading this please feel free to DM me, I would LOVE to know.
Overall, this is a DELIGHT, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Alexis Hall just writes brilliant books, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
(One thing to note is that this book contains a sexual assault scene, so be careful going in if that's a trigger for you.)
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Alcohol, Biphobia, Classism, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship