Review of The Mix-Up by Holly McCulloch

This is the first book I have read by this author and really enjoyed it. A great funny and romantic feel good read. The main character Paige bakes wedding cakes for a living, but the last thing is she looking for is her own happy ending. Just after a bit of fun she goes to a party to hook up with the guy in the black top. The only trouble is there are two guys in black tops. Queue lots of hilarious fall out. Recommened

Another book I devoured in one sitting!

The Mix Up of the title appears very early on in the book and also revealed quite soon - this was quite refreshing as the book wasn't just a comedy of errors set around this mix-up. The book dealt with some serious issues and I felt that they were addressed very sensitively and with care. The characters are well drawn and I, for one, would love to have a nosey round Paige's flat and workshop!

I initially thought this was a standard anti-commitment turns into "just needed the right SO" plot romance novel and was tempted to out it down (it was a free unmasked for ebook via Netgalley). However, this was partly because I was pretty slow on the uptake. The narrator has a "breast friend" and goes on dates with fiddly bras that are particularly difficult to take off. And an ex who became an ex after he failed to support her through a difficult time... So rather than being a novel about a humorous misunderstanding over identity, picking up the wrong guy and discovering that commitment is just about the right person, this turned instead into a novel that tries to be about the long term impact of cancer on someone's self esteem and ability to trust. I liked it more than the book I thought it was going to be.I think I'd have liked it more if it had jumped genre conventions altogether, but the HEA/HFN is secure.

This was well written and easy to get stuck into but I did struggle to connect with the main character Paige a little bit. Whislt the reasons for her not wanting to have anything long term made some sense because of her history I did find her unwillingness to budge a little frustrating. I did like her interactions with her friend Sara, with Mike and with Noah who was lovely throughout. I don’t think Piage should have even given Chris the time of day after what happened between them and her family (aside from her Nan) were incredibly self centred. An interesting enough read (3 ⭐️)

I read this book in the middle of the night during a bout of insomnia and it did not help me fall asleep!
Instead I found myself gripped and desperate to know what Paige would do after her self-imposed relationship expiration date.
Between her ex, Chris, who unknowingly chooses her as his wedding cake maker, and new fling Noah, who was supposed to be a one night stand, I found myself willing her to make the right choice.
Holly has created a story filled with humour, drama and just the right amount of poignant moments. I fell in love with these characters and actually wished the ending lasted longer. A most enjoyable read!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in return for an honest review.

Genre: Romance | Womens Fiction | General Fiction

Release Date: Expected 24th June 2021


Paige is not having a good day - her ex-boyfriend and his new fiancee have just walked into her bakery to order their wedding cake ... from her.

She may spend her days making peoples dream cakes for their dream days - but largely thanks to Chris she is most definitely not thinking about getting married or even trusting another man for a very long time, if ever.

As an anti-wedding enthusiast stuck in the body of wedding cake baker, she's stayed still while Chris has moved on with his life. By chance, at a party her friend points out the perfect guy for her - a total no-strings-attached distraction who likes to be with girls for a good time not a long time - the guy at the bar in the black shirt.

This guy is gorgeous, he doesn't get attached and you should never fall in love with him ... but this guy isn't the one Paige is talking to. She's talking to Noah, an ENT Doctor, great kisser and hopeless romantic.

Could this still the the distraction she needs? Or could the wrong guy be the right guy for her?

'The Mix-Up' was a cute misunderstanding that spiralled into something else - Noah was not at all the guy she was expecting him to be and watching the two of them totally misread the situation was adorably funny.

There was a healthy dose of drama; from Paiges family issues to Chris suddenly coming back into her life unexpectedly and bringing up feelings she is not ready to confront. As the story moves forward we delve into the truth about what happened between them and the real reasons that Paige is so against marriage and love.

This book was a quick easy read but I just couldn't connect with characters and found them a bit flat - after I'd read the book I was happy to find what happened but didn't feel that sense of relief that I expected about our characters destinations.



RATING: ⭐⭐⭐



Find The Mix-Up on goodreads here: https://bit.ly/3sPgjSr

You can check out Hollys debut novel, 'Just Friends' here: https://bit.ly/3dsih4Y

Thank you to Holly McCulloch, NetGalley and Random House UK for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I find this difficult to write because the blurb discloses something that isn't apparent until well over half way through the book and omits something that is hinted at from the start and revealed fairly early in the book.

Paige learned to bake from her grandmother and inherited her cake business (and flat above the workshop) when her grandmother died. Although her business has been doing nicely, she wants to expand into higher end wedding cakes so business is a little precarious as she tries to change focus. Oh, and she is also the least romantic person in the world, something she has to keep quiet from the hopeful brides who make up her clientele.

What she could never be prepared for was for her ex-boyfriend Chris to walk into her workshop with his fiancé Pippa looking for a wedding cake. Chris might have been equally surprised but he gets over the shock quickly enough, and bizarrely still wants Paige to make their wedding cake. Six years ago Chris let Paige down very badly, he wasn't there for her and he put his own needs ahead of hers. But now he's back in her life he seems to be a changed man, wanting to make amends, and it seems as though he is having second thoughts about marrying Pippa.

To get Chris out of her mind Paige goes to a party hosted by a wedding planner that Paige is keen to work with, who promises her a no-strings one-night stand with an ex-boyfriend, a guy who is known for a good time, but not for a long time. The friend doesn't have time to introduce them but points at a group of guys and says its the one in the black top. Of course there are two guys in black tops!

Paige has a great night with Noah, the guy in the black t-shirt, but he doesn't seem to be on the same page when it comes to one-night stands, he says they are having fun and why can't it continue?

As the book continues we see why Paige has this attitude about love and marriage, and the reason why she never cries. Unfortunately this is where the book lost a star for me, because Paige is one of those characters who clings onto a belief, a mantra, a worldview regardless of how stupid it has become. The more ridiculous the belief, the longer they cling to it, despite all evidence to the contrary. Also there was a whole thing with her toxic family that went nowhere.

This was an easy read, I sped through it in a single day, and an enjoyable read, but I don't think the characters will stay with me for long. A beach read (if we ever get to go on holiday this year).

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Paige is a baker who specialises in wedding cakes. She gets a shock when her next appointment turns out to be her ex. He hurt her in so many ways, and as the story unfolds you realise what actually happened.
Paige goes to a party of a work friend, and is only looking for a good time. She is pointed in the direction of the man in the black top - but there are two of them so does she choose the right one? Noah ends up being more than just a fling, but can she let him in after what happened in her last relationship?
A great read which is emotional at times.