Whisky Me Away by Georgia Beers had a really compelling setting—high-end kitchens and bakeries are notoriously toxic and competitive, so even the wilder plot twists (no spoilers!) didn’t feel as far-fetched as they might in a different context.
The dynamic between Ava and Hailey leans into the classic enemies-to-rivals trope, though it’s only lightly touched on. Honestly, if someone had gotten me fired, I’d be a lot more upset and way less quick to forgive—but maybe that’s just me being petty.
The story was enjoyable overall, but the romance felt a bit too easy. The relationship shift happened without much buildup or fanfare, and once feelings were in the mix, every disagreement was smoothed over almost instantly. It left me wanting more tension, more slow burn, more emotional stakes.
All in all, it’s a well-written romance—as Beers always delivers—but not one of my favorites from her. I’ve definitely fallen harder for other couples she’s created.

I am always happy to read Georgia Beers! Whisk Me Away is a great read with a full cast of characters and a little bit spice. A fab sapphic book for any sapphic fan! Bold Stroke Books needs to keep publishing books like this! :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for a copy of this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Offered a chance to attend an exclusive 8 week baking retreat under the tutelage of a famed tv baker, Ava and Regan find themselves thrust together. It isn't quite the cosy learning experience they hoped for, with competition and stress part of each day. Despite a fraught interaction in the past, as roommatea on the retreat, these two womennfind themselves dealing with feelings they didn't expect.

This is a other great story from Georgia Beers. It has a number of tropes like enemies to friends, and forced proximity. I personally enjoyed the baking theme, though the food descriptions definitely left me with a few cravings. The tension and relationship are steamy. If you enjoy stories about professionals building relationships, you could enjoy this one.

Ava and Regan, two bakers with a complicated past, end up at the dame baking retreat, hosted by a famous tv chef and host. While there, they sort out their past, fall for each other, learn new baking techniques, and get messed with by the host. We get to follow along as we watch to see if their relationship can stand up to the heat.

This book was a lot of fun. I enjoyed all the cooking adventures, though I will admit U was a little disappointed that, while it was a competition, it wasn’t a tv show, which is what the description made it sound likes.

The romance was nice, though I wish they had had a few more actual conversations to build a relationship, instead of what felt like just a lot of physical activity. But that might be a personal preference.

I found both women interesting, and enjoyed the rest of the cast of characters, besides head chef, but I suppose that’s the point.

This is a very sweet book and will make you very hungry. The whole retreat concept is slightly awkward but it doesn't take anything away from the book. All characters are very likeable, especially Regan. Lovely book overall.

thank you to netgalley and bold strokes books for this arc!

as a baker who is also sapphic seeing this book on netgalley was an immediate request, and it did not disappoint. it was very cute, with the right amount of angst mixed in, dare i say exactly like baking is!

i loved the cast of characters, and the concept of whisk me away, as well as regan and ava's relationship. whilst i didn't love liza, i thought her character was a really good way of executing the story, and the different plot points and bumps in the road really made the development work well.

Beers is hit or miss for me, and unfortunately this one was a miss. I'm not sure what to rate it. If you've been dying to read a simple queer romance, especially one set in a kitchen, then go for it! but be prepared for it not to satisfy you're craving.

Ava got Reagan fired years ago, so there's some animosity, but they apologize for what each did wrong back then and forgive each other. Enemies to lovers this is not. They're technically rivals at the retreat but that doesn't affect the way they treat each other. There's no banter. No chemistry. Besides being the only two queer girls, and thinking the other was hot, I honestly couldn't see why they get together. And yeah sometimes that works. But this isn't 8th grade summer camp, I need more than that or for it to at least be written well, and for me, this wasn't.

The characters don't feel fleshed out either. The story drags on, though the relationship isn't slow-burn, and it's utterly predictable though it pretends not to be.

I really liked the concept, I thought it was tailor made to please me. I love baking, had a brief stint as a pastry chef, adore the TGBBB, and am queer af. So the disappointment stings more. I thinks Beers struggled with finding the appropriate amount of tension and it's source.
If the retreat had been as advertised, solely a calm mentorship type holiday, then more focus could've been on creating attraction and letting the tension be solely between the romance, like maybe the head chef kept forcing them to work together to get over their issues. Or it could've been a proper competition, where the tension came from them being rivals, and slowly falling for each other and having a sweet romance that is tested by their circumstances and drive to succeed.
Unfortunately it was neither, and turned out anticlimactic and unsatisfying for us the readers, as the retreat was for the attendees.

And don't get me started on the head chef, that kady was just a huge cow. I truly do not how her character added anything to the story. Her saying "you're a black woman in a male dominated field, so I was extra hard on you to help you" like what??? You're supposed to be mentoring them, you picked them as the best from a huge pile of qualified applicants. Do you not think that passing down your knowledge, and reassuring her she belongs there, would've been more helpful. I'm pretty she knows how hard it is lady.
The parting letter did not change my mind about her at all, and just seemed incongruent with her character if taken at face value, instead of as a way to cover her ass.

Also mega spoilers:
I hate Ava's ending, like im happy she got her dream, but like its super unrealistic that 50k would get you to buy or rent a place in NYC, revamp it to fit your needs and start a business from scratch. Using as a down-payment for an existing business, that is going to sell it to you cheaper because they know you, is way more likely. I thought Reagan was going to offer Ava a job, and maybe turn the bakery into a wine and dessert bar at night. That would've made more sense.

This was cute! It’s a pretty quick read, with a couple of spicy scenes, but is more focused on the cooking aspect and the dynamics between the different characters.

The plot wasn’t super flushed out, but that’s to be expected with such a short book. Although I wanted more, I didn’t feel like there were any huge gaps.

This book is third person dual POV, and the POV frequently switched multiple times during a chapter. Since it was third person and wasn’t noted, I found it a bit hard to follow at times.

Regan Callahan and Ava Prescott are two of six pastry chefs invited to a very exclusive two month mastery course. The host/teacher is renowned but is eccentric in her behavior. This isn’t supposed to be a competition but a hint of prize money is thrown in when the chefs arrive. Ava currently works at a high end NYC restaurant and Regan at a beloved bakery in the city as well. The two worked together once and it didn’t end well.

I am always a fan of Beers and her easy going writing. Her characters are down to earth, have good friends and usually have pets, in this case cats. The pair are assigned to room together so they need to work out their differences. I don’t think either was expecting the attraction to spark between them. I didn’t love that the hosts' motivations were not explained better. Of course there is a happy ending but it was a little clunky getting there. This is an enjoyable story and I can tell Beers’ has done her homework on pastry baking.

Whisk Me Away serves up an enemies-to-lovers F/F romance, set against the high-stakes backdrop of a baking retreat turned competition. Regan and Ava have a tangled history, and now they’re not only at the same retreat, but they are stuck being roomies for 8 weeks.

This book is a fun treat: sweet, lightly spiced, and packed with the kind of female friendships that feel authentic and comforting. There’s a twist near the end that adds a little extra flair to the otherwise cozy vibe, and the slow-burn tension between the leads is satisfying.

While a few of the descriptions and passages felt a little clunky at times, the strength of the character development more than made up for it. Beers does a lovely job balancing fun banter, emotional depth, and the warmth of found family vibes.

If you’re looking for a light, feel-good sapphic romance with competitive energy, a few surprise layers, and a whole lot of heart, Whisk Me Away is worth adding to your TBR.

Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my voluntary honest review. All opinions are my own.

Really good book. The main characters were well written, and the story just put me in the setting of a reality cooking show competition. I like anything to do with baking and competition. The main characters had a lot of drama and angst throughout their relationship and it made this story even better and helped to keep me engaged. I also liked the slow build of the romance in this story, it just made it better. I would recommend this book to my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author.

This story is about a kind of masterclass for pastry chefs, given by a well-known chef who's starred in several successful TV shows and who has a somewhat strange demeanor, to be honest. This woman has been giving these masterclasses so that other, less experienced pastry chefs can learn her tricks. She selects the participants and hosts them at her home. There are rumors circulating within the profession, and anyone who aspires to be known as a pastry chef longs to participate. But then her behavior during the months she teaches these classes is pretty weird. She's distant and sometimes even cruel to the girls, sometimes for no reason or justification. The group of women in the course is diverse in terms of background, professional level, and overall diversity. But the two main characters knew each other before, and they definitely didn't end up as friends. Now they're going to have to share a room, and since they're both openly out, well, you know the drama is on the menu. The book has culinary jargon, although it's not indecipherable by any means. There are some good-natured jabs, and others that aren't so friendly, stirred up by the professor/hostess mostly. It's not a perfect story, but it's got its interesting points.

It's official. Whisk me up and put a cherry on top, (see what I did there?) I have a new favorite Georgia Beers book! Whisk Me Away...well, it blew me away. First, I love to cook and bake. Second, who doesn't love a baking competition show? Third, throw in a couple of lesbians and BAM! (as Emeril would say) we have a winner! It funny and it's full of sexual tension. There's drama and lot's of yummy sounding food. How can you not love all of those things?

A sapphic romance with a unique concept. Georgia did a great job bringing this to life. You got a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes of a reality cooking show and the restaurant business. The chemistry was great and overall quite a funny read. I found myself laughing out loud at times. My advice, never skip a Georgia Beers novel . I recommend, well done..

Thank you Bold Strokes Books Inc and NetGalley for this digital ARC Copy.

Whilst I ready wanted to like this, (sapphic romance with a baking competition is a great combo!) I was really put off by the language choices of the author. The dialogue was fine but a lot of descriptive language felt like I was reading something written by a middle grade teenager and it kept pulling me out of the narrative.

Hopefully others enjoy this but unfortunately it was a DNF for me

This book was a joy to read! This was my first book by Georgia Beers, and I will definitely be picking up more of her stories soon. While both characters irked me at times, they were both very lovable, realistic, and experienced growth that was beautiful to witness. The romance was the sweetest and the spice scenes were very well written and not rushed at all in terms of point of the relationship. Perfect!

I thought the concept was unique–an exclusive retreat for pastry chefs to learn from an expert, who isn't quite the idol the participants thought they would be learning from. I wasn't a fan of all the ways Liza treated the participants, but I appreciated the way this was nicely wrapped up by the end of the story.

Plus, as a home baker, I loved the detailed descriptions of baking and the results. My mouth was watering on multiple occasions, and I generally don't love sweets very much. I love a good forced proximity enemies-to-lovers story, and this one certainly didn't disappoint!

(Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher, but this has in no way influenced my review. My thoughts are entirely unbiased and honest.)

I had high hopes for Whisk Me Away because I absolutely love it when contemporary romances are set in a reality show/ cooking competition, especially if the characters are queer.


Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed with the writing style and the romance. No chemistry between Regan and Ava.

Having that third act breakup also didn't help because the other female main character did not act her age and communicate dkfkfm

Great start. Love so far neither main is evil nor is there awful present situations (Tho’ life is not perfect!). Beers writes well, so it is no surprise I am enjoying the style, what is a surprise is how quickly I have been pulled in to this book!
I barely raised my head. I enjoyed the relationship, yes the angst was foreshadowed and I wasn't happy cos I liked the mains. However it wasn’t long drawn out and it fitted. (I have recently, with other books, bemoaned lack of tension as bored with mains getting on so well, so well done Beers for keeping the happy couple’s happiness interesting!) Very close to upping to a 5.

A Georgia Beers novel is always a guaranteed good read, and this one was no exception. While the plot is predictable, the characters and premise were so enjoyable that it didn't matter. A little behind-the-scenes glimpse at reality cooking shows and the restaurant business, a solid romance between the main characters, and a diabolical celebrity chef make this book a fun read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

📖 Bookish Thoughts
I never skip a Georgia Beers book—she’s an auto-buy author for a reason! This sapphic romcom had me laughing so much. I absolutely adored Reagan and Ava! They start off as rivals with some previous history, but luckily, we don’t stay in enemies territory for long. Reagan won me over right away with how sweet she is. I was a little unsure about Ava at first, but we really get to understand why she’s so guarded—and it made me root for her even more.
And y’all… the spice? 🔥🔥🔥

It was also super fun getting to know the other retreat contestants. And Liza? The retreat host? Bestie was absolutely unhinged in the most chaotic way 😭. Ma’am, who hurt you??

💖 Read if you love
✨ Enemies to lovers (but make it sweet)
✨ Cozy sapphic romcom vibes
✨ Baking retreat competition
✨ Pastry chefs with a past
✨ Sunshine vs. Ice Queen energy

💬 Favorite Quote:
“Yes. I knew then.”
“Knew what?”
“That we were supposed to be together. That I’d fall for you. I’d already started.”

💭 Final Thoughts: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️
This was such a sweet and fun romcom! Their chemistry felt natural, and I was fully rooting for them both—individually and as a couple. The cozy retreat setting, the baking, the spice 👀🔥—it all just worked. That epilogue?? Perfection. It beautifully showed that you can build a relationship without giving up on your own dreams and desires. 💖

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc. for the advance copy! All opinions are completely my own.