I really enjoyed this LGBTQ+ romance.

I thought that Paris’ anxiety was dealt with extremely well and felt very real. The way that Tariq responded to this aspect of Paris’ character also felt very realistic and authentic.

Overall a great easy read.

This was a funny, lighthearted read, perfect for lovers of LGBTQ+ romances and The Great British Bake Off.

Paris Daillencourt is signed up for Bake Expectations by his flatmate and friend, Morag. She hopes it will bring him out of his shell and prove that he is more talented than he believes himself to be. But in the very first episode he accidentally smacks a fellow contestant with a fridge door so hard that Tariq has to pause his baking to get medical attention. Things are not off to a good start… Paris has a tendency to worry and overthink about everything, convincing himself that his baking is awful and that he’ll be sent home imminently. Yet somehow he keeps doing well and his relationship with fellow baker, Tariq, appears to be developing, despite Paris’ constant apologising and general panicking. As time goes on, Tariq and Paris become closer but Paris’ anxieties are creating challenges for them both.

As someone with diagnosed anxiety, I can relate to so much of what Paris goes through. As I read I kept thinking ‘yes exactly! I do that too!’ At times I wanted to grab Paris by the shoulders and shake him, but most of the time I wanted to wrap my arms around him and let him have a good cry. His one-sided relationship with his parents broke my heart a little, but his friendship with Morag and blossoming relationship with Tariq were sweet and wholesome.

Tariq is a well developed character and I enjoyed the frank discussions that he and Paris had about being both Muslim and gay. Tariq was incredibly patient with Paris as he struggled with his anxieties. He encouraged Paris to talk about his feelings openly, without being ashamed. He also had hilarious housemates (all the Daves!) and a wonderful family, especially his dad, Mo.

This book made me laugh out loud on numerous occasions but also made me want to hug the characters and make them a cuppa. It was sweet and lovely and depicted anxiety in a realistic (in my experience) manner. It feels quite different to Boyfriend Material, but in a good way!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

I hate dnfing ARCs, but from the very first page, this book was truly unbearable for me. I just can’t finish this book.

The writing style was... insufferable. It was so hard to read— superfluous dialogue and off-tangent inner monologues really hindered the fluidity. The way the each character spoke and interacted felt inauthentic and was exhausting to keep up with. While the attempts at humour and being quirky failed miserably.

And because of this, I wasn’t attached to any of the characters, least of all Paris. The moment I realise I don’t care about any of the characters, it’s game over for me AND the book.

But thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC :)