Tag Archives: competition

Jan28

If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

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If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

Murphy, Julie. If the Shoe Fits (Meant to Be). Disney-Hyperion, 2021. 304 pp. ISBN 9781368050388 $26.99

***

Recent fashion school grad and shoe designer Cindy is feeling aimless and creatively blocked. Giving up on her dreams of designing shoes and eventually her own fashion line in NYC, she returns to the west coast home she shares with her (nice) stepmother and (nice) stepsisters. Her stepmother Erica is the brains behind Before Midnight, a bachelor-style reality television series. When two contestants are out of the running before filming begins, Erica decides all three of her girls should join the show and compete for the gentleman in question–who turns out to be the seatmate that Cindy had a moment with on the plane trip home. Cindy and Henry agree to pretend not to know one another, and even though they have a tiny history and major chemistry, she has to watch him woo a plethora of other women.

The other contestants, family and crew allow Cindy to develop supportive and adversarial relationships with other women, and create drama. In a twist, her stepsisters are generous and supportive even as they are vying for the suitor. Cindy is plus-sized and comfortable in her own skin, and a wonderful fat heroine. Most pleasing of all is that queer and trans characters are 100% accepted, and the main character follows her own dreams. The fashion details are fun and there is also a lot of behind the scenes about the fakeness of reality television and the influence of producers on the desired outcome. Readers who love all the gory intimate details may be disappointed. That said, this is a little superficial, shallow, sanitized and Disney-fied. Still, if the shoe fits is a sweet story and a strong start to the princess-themed series.

I received a free advance reader’s copy of#MeanttoBeIftheShoeFits from #NetGalley.

Dec29

Take the Lead by Alexis Daria

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Take the Lead by Alexis Daria

Daria, Alexis. Take the Lead. (Dance Off #1) St. Martin’s, 2023. 352pp. ISBN 9781250817969 $17.99

***

This remastered romance novel gets a facelift with updated text and an artful cover. Strong silent type Alaska native Stone Neilson stars with his family in a roughing it wilderness show; he is paired with vivacious Puerto Rican dancer Gina on a Dancing with the Stars-type reality television dance competition. He needs to help pay for his mother’s hip replacement surgery, and keep the truth about his family’s backstory quiet. Meanwhile, Gina is looking for a bigger break to launch her career, and if she and her dance partner don’t make it as finalists this year, she’s out of a job. Her boss is itching for some showmance between them to bring in the ratings.

In movies, the way a couple dances together–intense, playful, timid–is supposed to serve as a metaphor for how they are in the sack together. Part of Stone’s character growth is understanding how dance can convey emotion. In spite of his lack of formal training, he’s a quick learner with a good teacher. Gina is resistant to a relationship with a dance partner for personal and professional reasons, but their attraction is immediate and palpable, and she gives in. Their chemistry is both a boon and liability. They foxtrot, tango, jive, rumba and more, mostly scoring high throughout the completion. Some mean-girl antics from a fellow competitor, support from some crew members, and scheming from the producer round out the drama of this tale.

High on dance moves, fashion details, and peppered with Spanish, the writing is straight forward but solid. I appreciated the Puerto Rican cultural details and that the author didn’t feel the need to translate any words or phrases, but skillfully conveyed meaning to the reader through context. My two quibbles: the author–or editor–chose to leave some dramatic competition scenes off the page. Sometimes we get more details about rehearsal than the pivotal moments! Secondly, probing conversations with well-meaning parents are so short they seem abrupt.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #TakeTheLead from #NetGalley.

Dec26

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall

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Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall

Alexis Hall. Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake. (Winner Bakes All, #1). Forever/Grand Central Publishing, 2021. 368 pp. ISBN 9781538703328 $15.99

****

I love watching cooking competition shows: the amazing and unique dishes, the personal stories, the drama… and also, yes, okay, the moment when the cake collapses or someone drops their pan of deliciousness right out of the oven has a healthy dose of schadenfreude. It hadn’t occurred to me I would enjoy READING about a cooking competition as much as watching, and Rosaline Palmer did not disappoint.

Amatuer cook and single (bisexual) mom Rosaline has just landed a spot on the nation’s top baking competition show. She does well in some challenges and not so well in others, interacts with a fabulous and unique cast of characters with their own agendas, and gets involved in a love triangle with a man who’s a substantial and dependable meat pasty and another who is more of a delicate souffle. Her personal growth is as important to the story as the show, and I devoured (pun intended) this sweet, funny, awkward tale which is more fiction with strong romantic elements, but features great conversations around ideals, goals, compromise and consent.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #RosalinePalmerTakesTheCake from #NetGalley.

Dec25

Paris Daillencourt is About To Crumble by Alexis Hall

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Hall, Alexis. Paris Daillencourt is About To Crumble. (Winner Bakes All, #2) Forever/Grand Central Publishing, 2022. 368 pp. ISBN 9781538703335 $15.99

****

Alexis Hall is sort of like the James Patterson of the romance genre: he pumps out a pretty decent bestseller every 4-6 months. In this one, Paris, a wealthy ball of anxiety, goes on a competitive baking show when his larger than life Glaswegian sex goddess roommate signs him up for it, where he meets Tariq a sweet Muslim man abstaining from sex until marriage. They embark on an relationship with an agreement to be honest with one another, but Tariq comes to the honest conclusion he cannot in fact handle Paris’s Parisienne-ness, and they split which prompts Paris to seek a diagnosis and get some professional help in managing his GAD.

Conversations about penises and consent; race, class, colonialism, and religion; celebrity, fame, and social media; and toxic masculinity and mental health are the chunky, hefty, salty peanut butter to the decadent chocolate that is the two weekly baking challenges. That’s not to say that part is going smoothly–except with every challenge Paris is sure he’s getting sent home and he wins the two in a row. The hosts are hilarious caricatures of the worst of competition cooking shows. I did squirm at jokes about Nazis, homophones, and anti-semites, but they were lambasting them, not supporting them. Tariq and Paris work through several misunderstandings and conflicts in very a healthy, mature, and realistic manner. The first half of the narrative is focused on the filming and the crumbling of Paris, while the second half is focused on the airing of the showing and rebuilding of Paris.

Sometimes I’m not sure if Hall is trying too hard or just truly over the top brilliant and funny, but the acknowledgements and book club questions at the end are as screamingly funny as other moments in the books, so I’m going with authentic, real deal. The dialogue is fast paced and whip smart, and Paris is so painfully awkward it’s not to be believed … except I DO know people like that. Hall puts the comedy in romantic comedy for sure. Some readers may find the humor and situations cringe-worthy but I know others will eat it up. Side note: Paris texts his absentee parents once a week, and they never reply; this added a poignant counterpoint to the shenanigans. The recipes at the end are a nice touch. And the cover art is pretty perfect: a rainbow layer cake that hints at the baking theme, the seven-episode art of the competition, the character complexities, the LGBTQIA+ cast, and the delicious story.

Perfect for fans of The Great British Bake-off or Rosaline Parker Takes the Cake (also by Hall) which has some of the best qualities of Paris Daillencourt—great foodie descriptions, warm relationships and quirkier characters—with the anxiety and penis jokes dialed back.

I received a free advance readers review copy of # from #NetGalley.

Dec10

Hazel Fine Sings Along by Katie Wick

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Hazel Fine Sings Along by Katie Wick

Wick, Katie. Hazel Fine Sings Along. Wattpad Books, 2023. ISBN 9781990778582. $18.99

***

I do have a biased and allergic reaction to self-published books — I figure if it’s really good, an established publishing house will pick up a manuscript and put it through the professional editor wringer. Editing is everything. You might even note in my reviews, I am more likely to cast blame on an editor for errors, inconsistencies, and plot holes than to blame the writer. I haven’t been in the habit of checking who the publisher is before I request items on NetGalley (although, if it’s from #Berkley, it’s usually an automatic seal of approval for me!). I sometimes get 10% through a book, sigh, wonder if it’s self-published, and then flip to the title page to confirm my evidenced hypothesis.

I didn’t get too far in Hazel Fine Sings Along before wondering if it was self-published; not quite. Wattpad is an online platform for books (most often written episodically, like serialized fanfiction) to find readers, and in this case, the cream rises to the top. I did find two typos, and sometimes the plotting and styling was a little amateurish, but no worse than a Colleen Hoover novel, which I understand are beloved but don’t do it for me.

The novel opens with Hazel Fine leaving the fleabag motel she’s been staying at with her rescue rabbit. to get to the open call for a musical competition called The Sing Along (think American Idol) with her fake ID and fake identity. The story takes us through the competition, alliances, fallouts, and resolution of the full season, with a side of romance. Supporting characters are interesting: her bestie Amber is a sex worker with a child, portrayed with positivity and sensitively; Benji, already a TikTok star in his own right, helps to create interest (and deflect a lecherous producer) by staging a fake relationship with Hazel. The drama is high but not over-the-top, and Hazel’s past is revealed at a good pace. Her love interest, Nick, is on the production side of the show. A songwriter and pianist, he’s mysterious, attractive and kind. It was hard to suspend my disbelief that Hazel’s forgiveness for her parents actions was so quick and complete, when boundaries can be an acceptable; we are not obligated to maintain relationships, even with family members, who are not good for our mental health.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #HazelFineSingsAlong from #NetGalley.