If you like baking then this book offers an entertaining framework for Hall’s latest offering (which is about as far from a romance as I could think of).
Paris is, on first impressions, someone it’s hard to like. He comes from money, doesn’t have to work very hard to get what he wants and is good at what he does. However, as the book progresses we realise that sometimes the public face we show others doesn’t tell the whole story.
The book focuses on Paris’s involvement with a BBC baking show, the weekly torment and his developing relationship with one of the other contestants. There’s plenty of comic moments and this is interspersed with Paris’s growing acceptance that his self-loathing and awkwardness in social situations might not just be a case of him messing up but a genuine medical condition.
While the format was entertaining I found the character of Paris exhausting to be around. The other characters felt a little wooden and though Paris and Tariq helped each other in many ways, they really were not a good relationship match.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this.

A baking related romance was already off to a great start. A lovely little romance I enjoyed reading this book.

This is the first book by Alexis Hall that I've read, and I enjoyed this take on GBBO! GBBO is one of my favourite shows ever, and it was so much fun reading it alongside watching this current season (especially reading the Pastry Week chapter while watching the Pastry Week episode!). I liked how this was so different from your typical romance in that the focus is very much on the mental health and growth of the main character while the romance is on the back burner - it was so different to what I was expecting.

Paris has a severe anxiety disorder and honestly, it was kind of difficult for me to read this because there are a lot of anxious thoughts going on and it was so, SO similar to how my own brain works, and it was pretty eye-opening. Yes, Paris doesn't handle it well, and at times, that can get kind of old, but I just felt that the representation of anxiety was done so well, at least for my own anxiety. However, there was almost no relief for the reader, and that is what makes this book definitely less romance and way more contemporary fiction, because it was tiring at times to be in Paris' head like that constantly. It was very intense, and I think that is important to note if you're looking to pick this up - it is no way an easy or light read.

I also kind of wish that the romance had turned out differently. Tariq is an absolute joy and I love him, but I don't know if he and Paris work well together. Paris has a lot of work on himself still to go by the end, and there are other barriers to their relationship (such as religious beliefs - Paris' insensitivity about this cannot be blamed just on his anxiety I'm sorry - and boundaries around sex) and honestly I just don't think that they were meant for each other. Tariq blames a lot of what happens in their relationship on Paris in a way that is not handled well, and as I just said, Paris is so painfully insensitive in so many ways that I don't see how Tariq can forgive him for it - or if he even should.

However, the baking show element of this book is completely delightful, and again, I thought the anxiety representation was done really well, and I liked the promotion of therapy towards the end of the novel. But if you are looking at this fun, cartoon-illustration rainbow cake cover that suggests this book is a light read, it is not. Please be aware that there is a lot of very triggering elements (kudos to the author for including a content warning list at the start, including homophobia and Islamophobia).

A quick, easy and cute romance that involves baking - I mean whats not to like. The characters were well developed and relatable and I loved Paris. This won't be the last book I read by this author.

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.

I have not read any of Alexis Hall's previous work so therefore cannot compare to anything else by her. However, I just didn't really connect with this one at all, I felt no emotional connection to any characters and kind of hated them all? It was felt a little drawn out and like it was never going to end if I'm honest.

I did really like the plot in terms of the baking show because who doesn't love a baking show? I rated this book 3 stars because I can see the potential and I'm sure others will really enjoy this but unfortunately it just did not gel with me.

I hate having to give this two stars. I usually adore Hall's writing and always find the style to be engaging and enjoyable but this book was just tiresome. I wanted to like it so bad but I just couldn't.

None of the elements of this book stood out to me or really worked. I couldn't connect or empathize with any of the characters and despite a promising beginning I just couldn't make myself care about the story or Paris. I get that this book has a very different tone than a lot of Hall's previous novels and that it covers some very serious topics but there wasn't enough heart in the rest of the novel to make it work for me. I didn't like either Tariq or Paris (although I felt bad for Paris for the majority of the book and honestly I think he gets blamed for far too much and just got the short end of the stick all around) and the side characters were for the most part forgettable.

There were elements to this that were fun but overall? It was just... eh. I wish I enjoyed this one more.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble' by Alexis Hall.

'Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble' is a perfect contemporary inspired by GBBO. I know multiple people were disappointed by the lack of 'romance' portrayed in this book but honestly, I think that the romance might have broken this book. Paris goes through a lot in this book and I love his journey and how he develops from recording Bake Expectations to the aftermath and release of his season. Every character felt realistic to me - Morag being my personal favourite - and I think the execution of the book was great. Were there scenes I was a bit iffy about? God yes but I cannot lie and say that they didn't affect my ratings.

I was super excited when I saw I got approved for a proof copy of this, as 'Boyfriend Material' was easily one of my favourite reads of the year.
Unfortunately, 'Paris Daillencourt' did not live up to that standard.

Whilst I understand the book is a different one to some of Hall's other work, it very much did not feel like a romance for much of the book, which is frustrating, when that's the main reason I picked it up. I think the themes it was trying to display were important, but I felt like it wasn't what I'd signed up for. Spending so much time in Paris' head was genuinely exhausting, and though this may be an accurate representation of what severe anxiety can be like for some people, for a reader of what I assumed was a contemporary romance baking book, it was not an enjoyable experience at all. I've struggled with mental illness (granted, not to the degree of Paris), and some of my favourite books are those that tackle it and accurately represent it (see: 'The Charm Offensive', for example), but I think it's very important that your readers know exactly what they're getting themselves in for, and I just don't think that's true here, for 'Paris Daillencourt'.
In addition to this, the ending of the novel almost felt too--easy? It's clear right from the first page that Paris has severe issues, and yet he seems to be massively better after only a couple of weeks of group therapy and drugs by the end. I'm not disputing that both of these treatments can be massively helpful to people, but it's just such a short time frame, that it feels almost trivialising, and frustrating. I find it difficult to imagine Paris and Tariq staying together as well, as we are shown barely any evidence of them working well as a couple.

Overall, there were definitely some enjoyable moments in this book, and times where Hall's writing did shine, and make me laugh out loud in a way reminiscent to 'Boyfriend Material', but simply did not live up to the challenge in the way I wanted it to.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for this eARC!)

Alexis Hall knows how to write a romantic comedy, without a doubt. And this is definitely hilarious throughout.
This is a male/male romance novel between two students. Paris is a severely anxious man in his twenties, born to two highly successful parents knew what was happening and lives with his Glaswegian sex goddess Morag who from the start is hilarious, and his cat whose name I won’t attempt to spell.
Tariq is a Muslim student in his twenties who lives with many men named Dave: Jewish Dave, Welsh Dave, Gay Dave and there may be more that I’ve forgotten!
Both men are contestants on the latest series of Baker Expectations. Picture a fictional ‘Great British Bake Off’ with dramatic judges, intense film crew and ever more contestants that are funny.
Immediately Paris is extremely anxious, to the point he cannot from an entire sentence. I was slightly confused as to why a self-conscious, anxiety-ridden man would go onto a televised competition show but it was fun to read about all the baking and each week a new theme being set.
Straight away Paris and Tariq hit it off. Quite literally. Paris accidentally hits him in the face with the fridge door and to Paris, it’s the end of the world. They started dating slowly but Tariq’s boundaries and Paris’ anxiety did not combine very well and this led to conflict between them.
I have to be honest, I struggled to connect to their relationship. I was rooting for them. From personal experience with anxiety, I could completely relate to his struggles but it did become infuriating to read at points. I felt Paris was completely naive to his struggles and considered it just part of his personality. It definitely was not. It was extremely detrimental and affected himself and also everyone around him. I’m glad Hall wrote into the book his process of seeking help but it was only considered once he’d ended up in the hospital. The difference between to TV show-Paris and Paris-post-starting-treatment was fantastic. I’m so glad he acknowledged his behaviour towards Morag and Tariq and could see what went wrong.
I’m really happy generalised anxiety has been written about and how it shows real-life issues it causes but there were parts where the miscommunication caused bigger issues than necessary. I’m not going to comment intensely on the racism or religious issues as I’m a white cis woman with no insight into how people are effected by these but I found Alexis Hall’s coverage of these really well. I think Tariq was a fantastic character and having insight into daily life for a gay Muslim was fantastic.
Thanks so much for the eARC

I really liked this book. Paris is a really relatable character. I loved the romance, sweet and funny. There's a great chemistry. The writing is super good. It's original and really cute.

If you're looking for an uplifting romcom, this is not it. Rather, this is an in-depth look at a man struggling with his family, anxiety and mental health, in the context of his wider relationships and a baking show.

I still enjoyed this book, and felt it was an accurate portrayal of the media and anxiety (as far I can attest to), but the cover was definitely deceptive. I would also have loved to see more about some of the side characters (such as Tariq and the protagonist's flatmate), and felt that the growth Paris saw at the end of the story could have been explored in more depth. The presenters and other characters were fantastic, and there were plenty of moments where I laughed out loud.

If you loved the author's other novels, you'll love this!

Three and a half stars.

Paris Daillencourt is crippled by self-doubt and anxiety. Despite living rent-free in a glossy London flat that his parents no longer use, with a designer wardrobe, he is lonely and spends most of his time with his cat. A classics student who loves to bake and travelled the world with his wealthy parents as a child, his mouthy Glaswegian flatmate/tenant has secretly entered him into the reality TV show Bake Expectations (basically The Great British Bake-Off).

Despite constantly dripping with tears and fearful of being sent home, Paris is actually doing very well, winning the first week, even though he did smash a fridge door into another contestant's head, accidentally.

The unfortunate other student, Tariq, is a good-looking, beautifully dressed, nail varnish wearing, Muslim student. Together they form a friendship, which could be more if Paris could believe that Tariq actually likes him for himself.

I liked this, Alexis Hall has a knack for showing the reader the characters' vulnerabilities whilst also filling the novel with humour and dreadful baking puns. Having said that, Paris felt awfully similar to a few characters in other books, maybe it's just they have a tendency to write young, damaged, gay men as lead characters?

What made me knock half a star off was what felt like a very rushed ending in terms of Paris' journey. For most of the novel Paris was a guy who would smile across the room at Tariq then agonise that he had embarrassed himself, and then he would stop looking at Tariq in case he had come across like a stalker, then worry he appeared to be giving Tariq the cold shoulder, and basically constantly apologising for everything, including apologising too much. Then bish-bash-bosh he's got confidence and is giving bants with the best of them. It felt too quick, too easy, and too advanced. However, I will confess that I was bone tired as I got to the end of the book so if I missed the long-drawn-out changes in behaviour and relapses forgive me. Also, anyone who cries as much as Paris does in this novel is clearly in need of support.

Overall, like the first book in this series, this mixes a well-known cosy, comic reality TV show with romance and some more serious issues. Can't wait for the next one.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

Paris Daillencourt Is About To Crumble is a novel about a Classics student who worries about everything and is suddenly having to worry about being on a national baking show. Paris Daillencourt lives in a posh London flat with his cat and his flatmate Morag, but when she feels that he needs to believe in himself, she enters him into Bake Expectations. Paris has to navigate baking, not crying, and cute fellow contestant Tariq whilst battling his huge fear of failure and the realities of being on TV, and maybe come to terms with the fact that he needs more support.

Like Hall's previous book in this universe, Rosaline Palmer Takes The Cake, this book isn't as much of a romance as it is marketed as, even less so than the first book. It is from the perspective of Paris and centres really around his own personal journey with anxiety, interpersonal relationships, and being on a baking show. Being from Paris's point of view means this is a depiction of anxiety that can be a lot to read, focusing on him spiralling and dealing with difficult thoughts in ways which are repetitive to read but also really show how much he needs help. If you pick up this book looking for a light romance, the amount of first person self-loathing and anxiety might put you off.

There's a quirky cast of characters who have their stereotypes like real Bake Off contestants have to and the storyline is good, though the romance element falls down somewhat as it's not quite satisfying. Paris is very insensitive to Tariq's beliefs and experiences as a gay Muslim man in Britain, and even in his character development it is never really dealt with in a way which shows Paris widening his understanding of Tariq's faith and ensuring that their relationship has a foundation not built on Paris not getting it but also being too scared of being offensive to talk about it. To be fair, the book ends on more of a hopeful note than a happy ending, so maybe it is meant to be implied that this would happen offpage.

I don't think this is the first time I've read a book that is marketed as a gay romcom and is really about someone dealing with mental health issues, and probably if the book was marketed more as general contemporary fiction it might suit it better, as it does fit into that genre of contemporary fiction where a character spiralling into a bad place needs help, even if it takes the book a while to get there. It was a decent read and tries to deal with some complex issues, but sometimes someone's anxious thoughts don't quite work as a narrative.

Thank you for the advanced copy.

I chose this book because of the cover, as a gay woman I like to read LGBTQ+ romance every so often.
This is my first book by the author Alexis Hall. I realised that Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble is the second in the series (I didn't read the first one!). I finished this in one sitting, I enjoyed it, I found it to be light hearted with some great characters, in particular Tariq. The mental health issue was dealt with sensitively.

Well written, I would recommend this as an easy afternoon read

Paris Daillencourt finds himself entered into his favourite show, Bake Expectations, by his flatmate, Morag. Paris is a gifted cook and talented classicist but suffers from deep-seated insecurity. On the first bake, he accidentally hits a fellow contestant with a fridge door, and things start to go downhill as he panics and overthinks each decision. Paris and the contestant, Tariq, find friendship, and then a relationship blossoms, but everything becomes too much for Paris, and it all “crumbles.”

Alexis Hall is one of my favourite authors, and Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble is the second in the Bake Expectations series. At first, I did wonder if this would follow the first a little too closely, but Paris's journey is quite different. The tone is also different (but with Hall’s trademark style). In particular, Alexis offers a genuine and insightful representation of mental health. Paris's struggles increase in a natural rather than a sensational manner, and there is no magical cure which is all too often the case.

There is an excellent supportive cast — Tariq is brilliant, and I love Bernard. We even get to see the vile Alain from the first novel.

Once again, Alexis Hall has delivered a brilliant, funny, but moving novel that I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

What a fun read! I’ve read several of Alexis Halls books previously, and hugely enjoyed them. This is a slow burning romance set in the world of a competitive baking reality show, and it is absolutely gorgeous. Avoiding standard tropes and starring two well rounded characters (one with a particularly accurate depiction of an anxiety condition), it’s a heartwarming read that manges to avoid veering into predictability

Have I ever met an Alexis Hall book I didn’t love? No. Do I, without fail, end up reading into the small hours because I don’t want to put it down? Yes (this time I finished at 1.30am, after binging it in one sitting.)

Paris’ flatmate and best friend (only friend, beside his cat) entered him into the baking competition and he’s going to do his best—and even that isn’t good enough, according to his anxiety. He quickly catches the eye of Tariq, another contestant. Or, more accurately, he quickly catches Tariq’s nose with a fridge door during the first bake. Always half-caught in his spiralling thoughts, Paris’ quickly puts his foot in it, but he likes Tariq enough that he wants to do better.

Oh Paris. The mental health rep in Hall’s books is frequently relatable (looking at you, Luc) but this is the first time it felt viscerally familiar as someone who has severe anxiety. This book gives you Paris’ internal monologue, which means you’re taken on every twist and turn and spiral his brain can come up with — there were a couple of moments that I had to pause to ground myself because oof was it /real/. (There is a comprehensive content note at the beginning, by the way, so I knew what to expect, it’s just very realistic.)

Tariq is always doing his best, and I love him for that. He’s charming and kind and unapologetically sparkly, and he tries to look out for Paris even when he’s a bit over his head (oh the confidence of youth - they’re both uni student.) The romance felt organic and sweet: simple attraction tempered by the challenges they’re both dealing with, in their personal lives and with the stress of a telly baking competition. As a devout Muslim, Tariq won’t have sex before marriage, so it doesn’t get spicier than kissing.

As usual with Hall, there’s a wonderful supporting cast, with Tariq’s wonderful family and Paris’ fabulous flatmate and Rodney, who always wears a cardigan and can be relied upon to have a story about baking for his daughters. The cat, Neferneferuaten, gets an honourable mention.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown for the ARC of this book.

I enjoyed this feel good romance between a couple of contestants on a cooking show which is basically The Great British Bake Off. It is the second book in a series set in this world. I have not read the first book and I don’t think you need to have to enjoy this book. Other than a couple of passing mentions of characters from the previous book, it seems to be a standalone story.

The main character, Paris, has severe anxiety issues. I did think it was unlikely that someone with such clear mental health issues would be allowed to participate in a reality TV programme, but maybe I am just naive. I believe Nadiya Hussain, who actually won bake-off, had a history of panic attacks and agoraphobia.

Paris has a romance with another competitor called Tariq. Tariq is a genuinely lovely character to the extent that I wasn’t sure that you should route for their relationship because he deserves someone perfect for him who doesn’t have the sort of issues that Paris has. Paris is very self-absorbed and barely able to function as a human being sometimes. However, I think the author allows for enough realistic personal growth in both characters to just about pull off the required feel good happy ending.

The romance is very clean, because Tariq does not believe in sex before marriage, so there is nothing more graphic than kissing. This, combined, with the baking show setting makes for a sweet and cosy read in spite of the exploration of severe mental health issues.

I really really enjoyed this. Not only was it a cute love story, but it had emotional depth. It was fascinating and heartbreaking learning how much general anxiety disorder can affect a person’s life. I’ve had mental health issues myself and can empathise with the horror of panic attacks, and I’m sure many of us have felt anxious at some point. This story was an informative portrayal told with warmth and empathy. It was also really interesting to read about how difficult it is to be gay and Muslim, and again I felt that the author did an excellent job.
The characters were great, and I loved meeting all of them, the connection between Paris and Tariq was just fabulous. The addition of a couple of recipes makes this a perfect bake-off romance.

It is with a heavy heart that I had to DNF this. I loved the author's previous book and was so excited, but it was just very repetitive and I knew the main character suffered anxiety but the constant over thinking was just too much to read.