Review: Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble

I’m a big fan of Great British Bake Off and I love when novels put their characters in similar competitions. It was partially for that reason that I read Alexis Hall’s Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake back in 2021 (review here). Unfortunately, I was really upset with one aspect of the plot and the rest of the book was soured. BUT. After reading more of Hall’s work, I thought I’d give the semi-connected series another go. And I’m glad I did as I enjoyed Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble.

Here’s the book’s description:

Paris Daillencourt is a recipe for disaster. Despite his passion for baking, his cat, and his classics degree, constant self-doubt and second-guessing have left him a curdled, directionless mess. So when his roommate enters him in Bake Expectations, the nation’s favourite baking show, Paris is sure he’ll be the first one sent home.
But not only does he win week one’s challenge—he meets fellow contestant Tariq Hassan. Sure, he’s the competition, but he’s also cute and kind, with more confidence than Paris could ever hope to have. Still, neither his growing romance with Tariq nor his own impressive bakes can keep Paris’s fear of failure from spoiling his happiness. And when the show’s vicious fanbase confirms his worst anxieties, Paris’s confidence is torn apart quicker than tear-and-share bread.
But if Paris can find the strength to face his past, his future, and the chorus of hecklers that live in his brain, he’ll realize it’s the sweet things in life that he really deserves.

Paris is, like some desserts, an acquired taste. He has pretty serious anxiety that he hasn’t addressed because he doesn’t know he needs to - he just thinks he is the way he is and that’s all there is to it. But he makes excuses for himself that I had no time for, especially after he started getting help. I’m not sure how much of the “omg I’m the worst ever” was part of the anxiety (Yes, I know it would be a huge part) but there were still some instances where I felt he should have behaved better. Perhaps I’m wrong. I don’t have anxiety like Paris so I can’t fully get into his head but I know it’s tough. I wish I could remember some of the specific examples but, alas, I read this one so long ago (oops). 

I loved the baking show aspects of the book, obviously, and that the book was divided up by each episode. It helped keep track of time in a fun way. It was always fun to see what the bakers were making each week and I always liked when the whole cast was hanging out together.

The romance in this one was a delight - even with all of the awkward and terrible moments. I respected Tariq so much and wish I could be more like him. He knew who he was and wasn’t about to apologize for not being a stereotypical British baker. Is it wrong to say I think he might have been too good for Paris? It might be, right? Whether they were truly right for each other, I don’t entirely know, but the romantic in me was expecting more of a romance novel and so I was rooting for a Happily Ever After between the two of them.

Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble was a cute read with funny moments but a lot of really heavy topics and topics that should be tackled in contemporary reads. Alexis Hall doesn’t always deliver a total winner to me but I continue to read his books because I appreciate his talent and humour and the ability to make me look at the world a little differently than I did when I started the book.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by Forever via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: Finding Audrey

I've been reading Sophie Kinsella books for a long time now. When I heard she was writing a Young Adult novel I was immediately intrigued. I wasn't really sure what to expect from Finding Audrey...literally. I didn't even read the synopsis before requesting a review copy. That's how much faith I have in Kinsella!

Here's what this novel is all about:

An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey's daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother's gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she's never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.

This was a super fast read for me. I sat myself down at my patio set in the backyard (I read it back in June) and did not move from the chair until I was done. Part of this was due to the fact that it was an easy read. The other was that I was 100% in and would not rest until I found out how Audrey's story ended up.

I talked with my friend Natalie, of Browsing Bookshelves, a day or so after I finished the book. She too had finished the book quickly and could not put it down either. We also both had the same reaction when we were done. We realized there's a lot of merit in a book that we could not stop reading but...does that mean it actually was a really good read? Because we did have some issues with this book. (You can read Natalie's review here.)

I was a little unsure about the way Audrey's anxiety disorder was approached. I loved that Kinsella wrote a book about a girl who isn't your typical YA heroine. But...I was a tad hesitant about how Audrey was eventually able to deal with her anxiety. I felt like it made it look too easy and gave too much importance to certain relationships. Now, I don't have an anxiety disorder. I don't know anyone who does, at least not like Audrey. I'm no doctor. So I'm not really sure what would help someone with a disorder like this. Does Kinsella, really? I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt and hope that she did a lot of research before writing this book.

I absolutely adored Audrey. I was her biggest fan the entire time I was reading this book. I think what helped this feeling was how the novel was told. I felt like I had just sat down with Audrey and she was telling me all about her life. It was totally conversational and I loved it.

I also loved Audrey's family. She has two brothers, one is a bit older (who is giving her mother absolute hell because he's, in her words, addicted to computer games) and one is much younger (he's just the cutest thing). Her parents were her biggest supporters and you can tell they are trying so hard to fix the world for their daughter.

All in all, I was really happy with Finding Audrey. I think Sophie Kinsella has done well with her first foray into Young Adult and I'd definitely recommend it to others. Have you read this one? I'd love to hear what you thought of it!

*A copy of this novel was provided by Doubleday Canada (Penguin Random House Canada) in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*