I want to express my gratitude to Netgalley for giving me a taste of 'Time to Rise.'
The story follows Nora Jansson, who's doing everything to rescue her parents' bakery from bankruptcy. The unexpected twist? A reality show crew, led by the brutally honest celebrity pastry chef Henrik Eklund, barges into her kitchen and her life.

Facing Henrik's critiques, Nora, with her strong character, strives to save her business. Meanwhile, Henrik deals with not just a toxic family dynamic but also rating and popularity issues. The proposed solution from his team? A fake flirtation with Nora. They expect sparks to fly... in front of the cameras.

The relationship between Nora and Henry has a peculiar pace, starting slow and suddenly picking up. What worsens the situation is that they introduce another couple, not mentioned in the synopsis, who takes up half of the book, stealing the spotlight from Nora and Henry and making it challenging to form a deeper connection with the characters.

The resolution feels like the author opted for a fairy godmother approach, neatly solving all the characters' problems before they could take action.
However, it still was a cute and light romance to read for christmas. I enjoyed all the talk about winter and cooking, In that sense the author made a great job, setting the right vibe and giving cozy and immersing descriptions. I swear I could clearly imagine the pastry shop, the little town covered in snow and all the bread while I was reading.