A new author for me and an excellent debut book from Olivia. This one ticks all the boxes for me and didn't disappoint.

I don't bake cakes, in fact I don't particularly like cake that much and I've never seen an episode of Bake Off, but despite all that I really enjoyed this book.
At 77 Jenny is content in life with her beloved husband Bernard, he loves his garden, she loves her baking and they both love their small family, especially their great niece Poppy.
When Jenny enters Britain Bakes she embarks on an emotional journey that will deliver so much more than a golden spoon.
A beautifully written character driven tale of family, love, oh and cake.

I loved this book and I loved Jenny and Bernard Quinn. The story is a warm hug in Winter, it's sinking into your own bed after a hard day, and getting a snuggle from your favourite furry pet. Jenny loves to bake so, feeling a bit lost at the age of 77, she decides to apply to a TV baking show. There are some funny moments as she tries to keep this a secret from Bernard until she knows that she has been accepted and these help to stop the book feeling saccharine - as does the sadness that comes from the secret that Jenny has kept from Bernard for six decades. This secret is exposed piece by piece by using dual timelines and it is pivotal to the whole book in that it gives a deeper poignancy to Jenny and her baking. Her starting recipes are mostly from other family members so she remembers those people when she is baking their recipes and she remembers the events surrounding the secret. It is all skilfully balanced with the heart-warming current storyline of Jenny traversing the highs and lows of a televised baking competition. She meets new friends and rediscovers strengths she had forgotten about herself.

At its core this story is about family, regrets, and finding happiness in each stage of your life. It's a realistic portrayal of how a relationship changes as you both age, and the different things you have to accept about yourself and your partner...and about real from-the-bottom-of-my-heart love.

I absolutely loved Mrs Quinn's Rise to Fame - a book which is made up of so many special ingredients which have all gone into creating an absolutely incredible masterpiece of a book.

Mrs Jennifer Quinn, an extremely keen and talented baker, goes completely out of her comfort zone and on impulse, she decides to enter for Britain's favourite TV baking show, thinking that she will never get past the application form process. Her husband Bernard is not aware that she has entered the competition.

However, much to her surprise and delight, but with lots of nerves and trepidation, Mrs Quinn gets into the baking competition and goes from strength to strength and creates the most wonderful bakes which have the judges smiling from ear to ear. At the start her husband is unaware of her taking part, but is getting suspicious of all the baking she is doing, especially when one morning he came down to find lovely baked treats and devoured one - this was one of Mrs Quinn's competition bakes!

It was so interesting to read behind the scenes of the show. I am a huge fan of GBBO and it was so interesting to read from the perspective of a contestant, as we only normally get to see what goes on in one hour when filming takes so much longer.

However, with fame, and being on TV, you are opening yourself up to the world. Not only did Mrs Quinn initially keep being a participant in the baking show secret, she has also carried a secret from her husband for all their married life. The secret is revealed and we go on to find out so much more about Mrs Quinn and her earlier life before Bernard.

Along with very sad moments, the book was full of joy and happiness - for the ambition that Mrs Quinn had to achieving her dream. I loved how every chapter was about different bakes, which all linked to her past, which we then learnt about, in particular from before meeting her husband Bernard, and about her family. I loved the characters - her husband Bernard was very very supportive, Rose was just a lovely lovely lady and Max was brilliant - setting her up with social media accounts! Mrs Quinn also makes so many wonderful friends along the way, who all added their dimension to the story.

If you have a dream, no matter how old you are, or how nervous you feel, you should go for it and give it a go! Mrs Quinn did at 77 years of age, and despite all the challenges she faced, she did it and was so very proud of herself - as was her family. You are never too old to dream and push past your fears and boundaries. Mrs Quinn definitely rose to the occasion and achieved her dream.

Mrs Quinn is a star and this book gets a fantastic 5 stars from me! A wonderful wonderful debut! I highly recommend this beautiful and heartwarming book.

Thank you very much for my advanced copy. This review is based on a NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

This is almost a case of 2 books within a book as you've two totally separate storylines running which eventually link together. The baby part was more interesting I thought because of how different things were 'back then' compared to now and so you so felt for what Jenny went through. The cooking part of the book was a bit meh and I found myself more skim reading that parts which is why I am giving this book 3 stars.

A really, really feel good story written, luckily, by a really, really good writer! This is a way to spend quality time reading a story that will make you feel happy and then slightly sad at the end because you have finished the novel.
Thank you Newgalley, publisher and author for the ARC and a very pleasant time spent reading.

At 77 years of age , Jenny Quinn feels that something has been missed from her life, a bit of excitement, a sense of purpose or even an achievement that she can look back on.
She has always used her families recipes to great acclaim, so when she stumbles across an advert to apply to become a contestant on ‘Britain Bakes’, she sees it as a way to fulfil her ambition to achieve. After much self doubt she finally applies.
This is a sweet and humorous story about never being too old to dream. I loved the characters, even Ann!

Such a beautiful feel good read. Bernard was definitely my favourite character, sorry Mrs Quinn!

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

A gentle romp through the POV of a fictional Bake-Off contestant. Jenny Quinn decides to sign up for the baking TV show to have something significant for herself in her later life. The book charts the filming of the show, the impact it has on her nearest and dearest and a sub plot of a secret she's been keeping for 60 years!

I really enjoyed this ARC from Netgalley and Penguin and would recommend it for anybody who wants a gentle fiction book. Lovely.

It is such a sweet storyline based around a 'bake-off' reality show. Jenny Quinn, aged 77, has applied to go on the show. The storyline flits between her present and memories of her younger self. She sees a recipe that reminds her of things or people in her life. I loved how the chapters were different bakes.

It was a really nice paced read that would make the perfect beach read.

This thoroughly enjoyable story gets your tastebuds tingling as you read it. Jenny Quin is 77 and decides that she wants to enter a TV baking show, she has watched it and finally wants to enter. She does this unbeknownst to her husband Bernard. so begins a secret that reveals more about her than she would have believed possible.

Jenny has always baked and the recipes she uses have been handed down over the generations, from an uncle's favourite bake to an aunt's or granny's favourite pudding. They are all there in Jeeny's book and each one comes with a memory.

As Jenny bakes the stories from her past are gradually revealed. While Jenny thinks of herself as just being Jenny, her family considers her a fabulous baker. Jenny's decision to sign up for the show is so that she can say she has done something significant.

The story is a nice comfortable one with mentions of cakes, bakes, puds and tarts. Each one brings a memory and this is how you gradually get to know Jenny and her life before meeting Bernard. When she joins the show she meets other bakers and friendships are made. Gradually she comes out of her shell and it is lovely to read.

The story ambles away at a nice pace and there are some wonderful moments in it. There is a secret that comes out that does get resolved, for me that finished a little too quickly and I would have liked to have had a little more information and more story about this.

This is a charming story and one of family, friendship, memories and secrets. A good one for those who like a story with a heart and about a woman having the courage to do something that is unlike her. I liked this one a lot and I would happily recommend it.

As wonderful and comforting as a slice of homemade Victoria sponge. I totally loved this feel good story with its wonderfully drawn main character. A total treat.

This was a cute read, not something I would normally choose - a very unique idea/story-line and like nothing else I've read recently.

I liked that the characters weren't young and it gives strength to the idea that it's never too late to do something new.

I love the cover art which was what initially drew me to requesting the book.

It was fairly slow moving and struggled to hold my interest occasionally. The writing style was a little overly flowery/cliche in places which made the characters appear one dimensional.

Nonetheless, a must-read if you love baking.

If you love Bake Off - then you will probably love this book too.

Jenny is 77 and decides before it is too late she needs to make a mark in the world. So she applies to be a contestant on the TV programme Britain Bakes, and is successful. The BB programme has many similarities with GBBO and to me felt like a glimpse behind the scenes with all the bits you don't see, which I loved.

Whilst the story of Jenny appearing on TV is happening there is a also a flashback storyline from Jenny's youth interspersed in the pages. It was a little bit of a jolt from the lovely baking and at first I did resent it a little for intruding on my enjoyment. So many of Jenny's recipes come from her family and so the tie in with each of the storylines was a recipe.

Wonderful descriptions of the baking which made me want to get in the kitchen, or maybe just eat cake! Jenny is a lovely character and so is her husband. That's why when she hides not one but two secrets from him it is worrying if their relationship will survive.

A wonderful ending left me with a tear in my eye. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the down to earth writing. No trying to tie up loose ends in neat words, it was at times a little brutal even, but I still couldn't wait to get back to reading this book.

What a brilliant debut! I absolutely loved this book. It’s full of heart, love, family, secrets and baking. It’s so charming, sweet and enjoyable right from the start.
The story follows Jenny Quinn as she secretly applies to compete in a tv baking competition-Britain Bakes.
I loved the descriptions of all the different bakes and how each recipe was connected to a memory, revealing Jenny’s past and a secret she’s been hiding for sixty years.
It’s beautifully written, full of emotion with a great setting.
I loved all the characters as they are likeable and relatable. The relationship between Jenny and her husband Bernard is so sweet. My favourite was Azeez, his character and the friendship he builds with Jenny is just lovely.
A brilliant, witty and heartwarming book. I laughed and I cried. I couldn’t put this book down. I was totally hooked.
Definitely recommend. I look forward to reading more books from @OliviaFord in the future.
With thanks to #NetGallery #MichaelJoseph #PenguinRandomHouse for an arc of #MrsQuinnsRiseToFame in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 28 March 2024.

I am not a fan of cookery programs let alone Bake Off which is what I assume Britain Bakes is based on, but I am a fan of cracking characters and I found Mrs Quinn (Jenny), and to a slightly lesser extent, Mr Quinn (Bernard), to be definitely in that category! About to celebrate their 59th anniversary and with Bernard's health deteriorating Jenny decides that she could, even at her age, try and do something just for her. And being as she has a great love, and indeed, great talent for cookery, secretly applies to be a contestant on Britain Bakes a prime time cooking talent knock out show. Little believing she would even be called to audition, let alone get to actually get through to the TV show!
Obviously she does, that's no spoiler, but we do have a bit of fun getting there, which I will leave you to discover yourself. Talk about juggling and subterfuge! And that's even before we get anywhere near the TV show itself...
I loved Jenny - she's one of those characters who stay with you even after the book is done. One that you root for through thick and thin. One who both defines and exposes herself through creating food. Each dish she creates has a story which also gives the reader more of her own backstory. Now where I am a bit disinterested in the food creation per se, the stories that went with were fascinating and enlightening.
I especially loved the way that Jenny blossomed through the book. How she interacted and made friends with an eclectic mix of other characters all ages, races, and backgrounds. That part was really wonderful. That and age being no barrier to doing pretty much anything. A great message to take home...
Imagine my surprise when I finished this book and went to check out the author's back catalogue, finding instead that this is her debut book! No way! Although I wasn't surprised to find out that she works in the TV industry as this side of the story did feel extremely real. Write what you know I guess. Anyway, having been blown away by this book I am very excited to see what she serves up (see what I did there) next time! My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I love books about cooking and baking and Mrs. Quinn's Rise To Fame has it! Such a sweet, heartfelt and endearing book centering about pursuing one's dreams, finding happiness and not letting age get in the way. The book inspires, uplifts and leaves one with feelings of hope. Enjoyable from start to finish!

Thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion

I read this in one siting - a very rare occurrence for me I rarely have the time to just sit and read - but I was waiting for my daughter to part company with her gall bladder - which for various reasons meant a long wait.

This was a lovely story - sweet and easy to read. I could relate to the main characters - Jenny and Bernard who were approaching their Diamond Anniversary as my own parents were parted a month away from theirs - and Dad did often call Mum 'Darling'

This was a multigenerational tale with youngsters helping the 'oldies' with their social media profiles and the 'oldies' could teach the youngsters a thing or two about the art of traditional baking.

Yes it was loosely based on Great British Bake Off - but thats as far as it went - loosely based.

In my view it was well researched and well written and an enjoyable way to spend a very long morning.

Jenny had a secret which was obvious from the very beginning - but the way the recipes and bakes fitted into the narrative was very clever and a pleasure to read

Might not be everyones cup of tea but stick with it - there are some gems of thoughtful phrases in there.

77-year old Jenny Quinn is approaching her 60th wedding anniversary to Bernard, and while Bernard is happily settling into the winter of his life, Jenny is wondering what she will leave behind, aside from a number of family recipes.

So it feels fortuitous, as she watches the Britain Bakes Christmas Special that they make a call for applicants for the next series. Afraid of being judged for wanting more than her comfortable life, she keeps the application a secret from her friends and family, and even Bernard. But this isn’t the only secret that Jenny is keeping and in chasing her dreams, will her secret become more than she can handle?

The story is told in the present, with flashbacks to Jenny’s life 60 years ago. I enjoyed the revel of how the story unfolded 60 years ago, and found story flowed easily between the timelines.

I loved the characters, Bernard a lovely, supportive husband; Rose and her family are delightful and I was touched at how supportive they all were to Jenny, especially teenage Max helping her to set up her social media accounts. I am gutted that Azeez doesn’t exist in real life, he was kind and supportive from the first moment we met him and I can just picture him as a contestant on GBBO (Great British Bake Off). I would have loved to know what happened to Mary and Sandra from Jenny’s teenage timeline.

The bakes were a character in their own right, and each chapter was based around something that Jenny had baked, or experienced. They were described deliciously, and while the premise of Britain Bakes was different to that of GBBO, I could absolutely picture the experiences.

A warm hug in book form, I would highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reading Mrs Quinn's Rise to Fame is as comforting and cheerful as watching the Great British Bake Off. But don't be fooled, this isn't an entirely fluffy and squidgy meringue of a book. There is a good plot, a meaningful backstory, and a lot to it.
Sometimes I want a book that is a fairly quick read with likeable and relatable characters, and this is it. Jennifer Quinn is 77-years-old and has been married to Bernard for nearly 60 years. So many of her memories are linked to the recipes she bakes, and the use of the bakes to go back in time was really well done. I definitely recommend this lovely book.
A warning though - if you are on a diet, like me, you will want a lot of cake!