Many thanks to @foreverreads and @hachetteaudio for the #gifted copies. 

 

Forewarning:  it’s not Paris’ baking that is crumbling.  It’s him.  

 

Set amongst the backdrop of a cooking competition, Hall’s newest book is an intense portrayal of clinical anxiety and the toll it takes on living life to its fullest.  You’ll find no rom-com here.  Only a struggling, messy protagonist.

 

I ask a lot of questions.  It helps me to feel prepared. I have a strong need for consistency.  At any given time, my mind can create the most outrageous scenario(s) to current life situations.  This is how anxiety can impact my life when left unchecked.  

 

Reading a book where a character represents something of yourself can feel so freeing.  And there were parts of Paris’ journey that resonated.  

 

Yet, Paris’ experience was almost unbearable.  Was it because his every thought was so excruciatingly detailed? Was it because he didn’t receive treatment until the end?  Was it because, while not my experience, it is a very valid and hard truth?  I’m not sure. 

 

Though I had reservations about the anxiety portrayal, I was fully engaged in the self-realization that happened once Paris sought help.  Seeing a character willingly change, putting effort into growth… now that, I am here for!  Anxiety is manageable.  That is the most important takeaway from this book.  

 

Parts of the story that held up:

-Great British Bake Off vibes… We return to the same show, Bake Expectations, which is brilliantly executed with the same quirky atmosphere

-Jennifer the producer, my favorite from the first book, is back with more great lines!   

-Eclectic mix of supporting characters to include four Daves and a fat Glaswegian sex goddess

-A cat named Neferneferuaten 

-Recipes at the end of the book!  I love those extra details!

 

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble is the second installment in the Winner Bakes All series.  Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake is my favorite thus far, but I’ll definitely be looking out for book #3.   

 

This is a book you want to listen to.  Ewan Goddard’s depiction of Paris in the audiobook was nuanced and gave an authenticity to Paris’ gamut of emotion.  I’m also a sucker for a good accent, and Goddard’s was lovely.