Four years ago, Sylvie was booted from a Great British Baking Show-type competition early due to a technical mishap involving a faulty glittery unicorn cake and the show's resident broody and grumpy judge, Dominick. Fast forward to the present, and Sylvie owns a popular, colorful, and whimsical bakery that just so happens to be located across the street from Dom's classic and elegant bakery. The duo's rivalry becomes even more exacerbated when they are forced to compete for the incredible opportunity to bake the cake for an upcoming royal wedding. I am a big fan of Lucy Parker's romance novels; she has a unique way of building delicious and sweet intimacy between her characters. It is impossible now to root for Sylvie and Dom to fall in love, as their seemingly opposite personalities actually might be more similar to each other than they once thought. The two also share similarly tragic childhoods that lead them to bonding and building deep connections. This novel also features one of my personal favorite romance novel quirks, which is when the novel's climax does not revolve around if the couple will get together or not, but instead has an external conflict. There's no doubting Sylvie and Dominick's relationship. This novel is perfect for fans of Mhariri McFarlane, Beth O'Leary, and Mariana Zapata.Publisher's description:
After being kicked off a baking competition show by judge Dominic De Vere, successful London baker Sylvie Fairchild returns to "Operation Cake" as a judge, setting off an intense rivalry and maybe a bit of romance.