Author: Jackie Lau
Publication Date: 26 October 2021
Publisher: Berkley
Page Count: 368
Reading Method: Digital ARC [Thank you to the publisher!]
Dates Read: October 24 – 25
Baking and romance – there is no sweeter combo for a romance novel! Don’t get me started on the adorable pun of a title.
Lindsay is a badass baker, constantly creating new and exciting donut flavors for her small bakery. Ryan is taking some time off from filming to look after his family when he decides to sign up for a celebrity fail baking show (think: Nailed It!). He turns to Lindsay to learn the basics of baking, but they cook up more than cakes over the course of their lessons.
The relationship between Lindsay and Ryan is excruciating slow to built. I am not a fan of the slow burn, but it was fun to watch the feeling develop and the intensity between them grow. I loved the baking elements. There were so many times during their lessons that made me laugh out loud. They also use this time to explore their feelings of grief and help each other through tough times.
The only thing holding me back from being absolutely obsessed with this story is the writing. It seems a little disjointed. There were plenty of instances where it felt like the author was telling rather than showing and the dialogue was a little cheesy/unbelievable. It wasn’t awful by any means, but it did pull me out of the story every once in a while.
The true star of the story is Ryan’s dad – #silverfox. The way the families played a role in the story broke my heart a little and then slowly put it back together again. This story deals with a lot of important elements like race, discrimination, post-partum depression… and it is all handled really well.
Overall, a fantastic read and not a bad way to spend a couple afternoons!
About the Book
Actor Ryan Kwok is back in Toronto after the promotional tour for his latest film, a rom-com that is getting less-than-stellar reviews. After years of constant work and the sudden death of his mother, Ryan is taking some much-needed time off. But as he tries to be supportive to his family, he struggles with his loss and doesn’t know how to talk to his dad—who now trolls him on Twitter instead of meeting him for dim sum.
Innovative baker Lindsay McLeod meets Ryan when he knocks over two dozen specialty donuts at her bakery. Their relationship is off to a messy start, but there’s no denying their immediate attraction. When Ryan signs up for a celebrity episode of Baking Fail, he asks Lindsay to teach him how to bake and she agrees.
As Lindsay and Ryan spend time together, bonding over grief and bubble tea, it starts to feel like they’re cooking up something sweeter than cupcakes in the kitchen.
About the Author
Jackie Lau decided she wanted to be a writer when she was in grade two, sometime between writing “The Heart That Got Lost” and “The Land of Shapes.” She later studied engineering and worked as a geophysicist before turning to writing romance novels.
Jackie lives in Toronto with her husband, and despite living in Canada her whole life, she hates winter. When she’s not writing, she enjoys gelato, gourmet donuts, cooking, hiking, and reading on the balcony when it’s raining.
