Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Hi friends! Hope you had a great weekend. I had a very relaxing one. I got the chance to listen to not one but two great audiobooks from our friends at NetGalley! So look for another post coming out on Wednesday.

This first one, Bake It Til You Make It, I discovered while spending my allotted three minutes… who am I kidding? I was mindlessly scrolling TikTok when I saw the author say they had received a review saying the book had too many F-bombs. Right then, I knew I had to check it out for myself and requested a copy right away. I was so happy that Kassie Jones and the folks at the Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op got me a copy, and I set right off to listen to this one.

Bake It Til You Make It introduces us to the sunshine, positivity, and slight chaos that is Taylor Madden. She works in a soul-crushing call center but lands a chance at her dreams by competing on America’s Next Great Baker. She is going to do her best to win the competition, but she is going to do it her way: with hard work and positivity. She wants to quit her horrible job and fulfill her dream of owning her own bakery, filled with her own brand of sunshine.

Then enters the stoic Alexander Harrington, who only agreed to enter the competition to get his parents off his back and finally open his dream restaurant. They want the Harrington name to have better brand recognition in the States, so he is supposed to win over the audience. He just wants to do the one thing he knows how to do: bake. Only now he is stuck in the kitchen with Taylor, her sunshine is infectious, and the judges are calling him boring.

Do either one of them have a chance at winning this competition? You’ll just have to pick it up to find out!

This book is so cute! If you have binged every episode of The Great British Baking Show like I have, you are also going to adore reading about Taylor and Alex and how they go from competitors to something more. Is there an F-bomb, as promised by the reviewer? Yes, but it definitely does not take away from the story. They are appropriately placed. Who does not appreciate a well-placed expletive every now and then?

Since I listened to the audiobook, I need to tell you that Autumn Mercer and Brandon Francis did a fantastic job bringing Taylor, Alex, and all the other contestants, hosts, judges, and more to life. With such a full cast of side characters, they had their work cut out for them, but they made everyone unique and memorable, no matter how big or small their role was in the story.

If you are looking for something to satisfy your appetite while waiting for the next season of The Great British Baking Show—or the next season of your favorite baking show—look no further. Pick up Bake It Til You Make It when it comes out on audiobook starting August 15th, or now on Kindle Unlimited or at your favorite bookstore.

Until next time, friends. I hope you are able to add to your TBR and find uninterrupted time to read and listen!