Welcome to Litsy!

Hubs and I got to sneak up to the cabin for two days minus the munchkin. It was one of those lovely times where you remember you‘re not just parents 😂we went Black Friday “shopping” at goodwill and he bought me two books :) (for those who don‘t know he‘s not a reader and rarely buys me books lol)

This was a 5 star read the first time and rereading it‘s even better so we need more stars but most importantly the unicorn scene is JUST as funny the second time 🦄

If you like baking shows or a grumpy-sunshine trope this book is a good choice. My second title finished for #auldlangspine was another fun romance.

I loved Sylvie‘s bakery, her glittery personality, and the enchanted forest speakeasy in the basement. Dominic is her rival baker and her opposite in every way… at least on the surface. It took a bit, but eventually I was so invested in their story that I had to keep reading until the end. 4⭐️

GBBO Sunshine/grumpy romance with depth, vulnerability and a wonderful supporting cast. 💕 #romantsy

Idk if it‘s the audio narrator or the book, but I‘m just not feeling this one.

I love both of these cautious, tender dweebs with my whole entire heart. All of the character work is so good! Can't wait for Pet's book!!! #reread #contemporaryromance

It's been a looonnnggg time since I did not finish a book and I came real close with this one. Two rival bakers, and judges for a baking reality show, vie to bake a royal wedding cake. As a fan of the Great British Bake-off, I was hoping more from this book. While the book did pick up a little, it did dragged in some parts and didn't elaborate enough in others.

I made it to about 50% and I‘m just bored. The MCs are one-dimensional and I‘m totally not invested. I‘m so apathetic to their story, I can‘t even care if they get their HEA. I couldn‘t even get excited about all the descriptions of cake. Just sad.

The book cover actually matches spun sugar more than it seems. #pantone2022

#wondrouswednesday

1. I don‘t celebrate Valentine‘s but my mom sent me a care package that arrived this week.

2. tagged & so far, it‘s a pan because the MCs are one-dimensional & I am not invested in their story.

3. Today I‘m grateful for understanding bosses.

Thanks for the tag Sherri! 💜

January stats! I read a lot more than I expected to, at least partly because I got back into mysteries. (Thanks, #NewYearWhoDis!) Those are generally one-day reads for me, as were most of the comics.

I found one new-to-me 5-star read (tagged) and one 4.5er (ALL THE FEELS by Olivia Dade). I also kept to my get-book-read-book thing with my purchases, though I‘ve got a couple of ARCs with later release dates still outstanding.

BATTLE ROYAL has a main romance, a secondary romance, a cold case romance, a sibling relationship, a host of coworker relationships, a reality TV show, a business rivalry, some kitchen espionage, an ornery cat, and a whole lot of baking.

And it‘s not too much. Lucy Parker nails the whole damed thing.

I read the last 150 pages in one marathon session, giggling and crying by turns. It‘s my first 5-star read of 2022.

Yesterday I wasn‘t sure I was in the right mood for BATTLE ROYAL. Now I‘m hard into it and I‘m pretty sure it‘s what I‘m doing with my day.

I did the ol‘ flop-n-read this afternoon with my daily short story (a disappointing UF offering from Tor.com‘s first five years), the end of PEKING OPERA, and the start of BATTLE ROYAL. I generally like Lucy Parker a lot, but I‘m not sure I‘m in the right mood for this one. We‘ll see how it pans out.

Admittedly this reads a bit like GBBO fanfiction if Paul Hollywood was 10 years younger/a little meaner, but I'm not complaining about it!

I did dock some ⭐s because all the characters had tragic back stories. All of them who mattered anyway. And a few who didnt. Sylvie? Tragic backstory. Dominic? Tragic backstory. Younger sister Pet? Tragic backstory. Beloved (Gothic Gamer Girl) Royal Princess? Tragic backstory. Bakery interns? You guessed it.

#BookReport
Managed to finish two lighter reads this week. But with the stress of the holiday I needed that. I've also made good progress in This Alien Shore because I misplaced Neverending Story (It's now found.)

#WeeklyForecast
My goal this week is to finish at least one of my ongoing reads. I'll probably end up reading something completely random though because that just seems to be how I roll these days.

I really liked this and feel like it's more than just a typical example of the genre. There's the rivalry premise but also a look into families, natural and found, and the way they shape the relationships people have.

To take a break from all the Halloween/fall reads, my hold for this book had come in. I absolutely loved it. I loved everything about it. I loved Sylvie and Dominic. I loved the show set up Operation Bake, though I didn‘t like that it was more about theatrics than actual baking. I definitely guessed what the issue what going to be and the “bad guy”, but it was still so much fun.

#Scarathlon #TeamHendrix +6pts

I‘m excited to participate in my first #LMPBC #GroupR with @TheAromaofBooks @DanaManiac @robinb 😁

Here are my selections, please let me know what you might be interested in or anything you‘d rather not dive into. I will happily look for my choices!

Hi Litsy, it‘s been a while! 😊 I started a new job over the summer (moving from teacher to Assistant Principal) and I‘m finally feeling like I have some time to read! Here‘s my current TBR, some books for work and some for fun.

This was giving off some major British Baking Show vibes. An enjoyable romantic read.

September 9/25 #LitsyLove

This was enemies-to-lovers AND super tender AND royal-adjacent? I am HIGH AS A KITE AND THRIVING. #contemporaryromance #romcom

So this was a mostly great, mildly steamy, rom-com with a touch of mystery. Why I say mostly, is that this feels like a book and a half. There is a portion of the story involving out characters being judges of a British Baking Show like show that seems completely extra to the story. The main story of two competing bakers and the colorful cast of characters is great. I look forward to more stories w/these characters! 4⭐️

#weekendreads
1. Reading tagged, Reset bySarina Dahlen & listening to 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard
2. The Pool Boy by Nikki Sloane
3. Cooler weather!!

Cautiously, Sylvie rose and approached the panel. When she tugged on a protruding beam, it slid back easily, revealing a narrow corridor. Her vision slipped into darkness beyond a short distance, and she couldn't see where it ultimately led.
This was now entirely too Famous Five for first thing on a Monday. She ought to have sandwiches and lemonade in a rucksack, an intelligent dog at her leg, and a gang of smugglers to foil.

"He once called you the pretty, annoying one," Mariana added, clearing up that little mind-boggler of a moment.

With intense dryness, Sylvie said, "I don't think he intended you to insert a comma into that sentence."

?

Lucy Parker writes the best enemies to lovers romances. I mean I‘m not sure what else I need to say. She comes up with wonderful scenarios where the heroine and hero have genuine reasons to not like each other but then works it all out so the bit where they get together is just the most satisfying thing. This one does need to come with a content warning: there‘s some child neglect and a whole lot of bereavement in the backstories of our leads.

Lucy Parker delivers again! This start of a new series might get you in the mood to bake (or eat!) cake as the two protagonists own rival bakeries - across the street from one another. They are also co-judges for a baking show. But slowly they realize they have feelings for each other. What will happen when they compete for a royal commission?

It's an adorable rivals to lovers story. Funny and sweet. 5❤️

#romantsy
Ebook screenshot

They're wearing gloves in archives 🤷‍♀️ Otherwise, this is delightful so far.

I‘m having a bad week so I should just buy myself this right?

Suddenly a wild Baker appears! Hold my responsibilities, please, I have a Lucy Parker to devour...

I've read enough of Lucy Parker's books to know that I'd enjoy the heck out of this title. I fully expected to laugh and I did.

I anticipated how amazingly well Lucy fleshed out Sylvie and Dominic's characters and how skillfully she developed their adversarial relationship into swoony, touchy-feely love. The slow build-up into that first tender kiss was so achingly sweet. And hot.

I hadn't expected I would cry so much. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I may have a new favorite by Lucy Parker. Dominic, the borderline grumpy hero, first met creative, joyful Sylvie when she was contestant on the baking show where he is the harsh but truthful judge. They are reunited when she returns as a judge and they end up in their own competition for a contract to bake for a royal wedding. This book was so good I was driven to start watching the Great British Bake-off in an effort to cure my book hangover.

June wrap-up. I finished the tagged book last night and it gave me my one June bingo for #BookSpinBingo.

My reading is romance heavy, but I usually get another genre or two read during a month. This month, I discovered I read all romance books!