“It was the exploding unicorn that finally broke him.”
As far as first sentences go, Battle Royal did not come to play. Meet Sylvie Fairchild and Dominic De Vere, two bakers who couldn’t be more different. Dominic is a revered baking show judge who is known for his stoic demeanour, minimalistic cakes, and rules the baking world with an iron fist. Sylvie, meanwhile, has never met a baked good she couldn’t improve with a dash of colourful glitter and is sunshine personified. Years after a very traumatic encounter on the baking show Operation Cake that ended with Dominic nearly getting decapitated by a unicorn cake prop and Sylvie being eliminated from the competition, the two of them find themselves next to each other on the judging panel and the tension is high. The rivalry between the two only grows stronger when it’s announced they’re competing to bake the cake for an upcoming royal wedding. But while cake batter, glitter and witty jabs may fill the air whenever Dominic and Sylvie are in the same room, the one thing that’s going in for the kill may just be the sparks neither of them expected.
Battle Royal joins the ranks of the new boom of baking-show related romcoms, a trend I am here for wholeheartedly. Sylvie and Dominic’s rivalry made for a great recipe. From their baking styles to their personality, the amount of times the two butted heads and competed in unofficial snark battles was fun to witness. Granted, Dominic took me quite a while to get used to—some of the things he says and thinks made for some cringey moments and I don’t think the way he initially treats Sylvie is quite redeemed in the novel—but once he opened up and showed more of his vulnerable side, like having trouble expressing himself on an emotional level when he likes someone, he got more intriguing as a character. Sylvie, meanwhile, had all of my heart because she’s the kind of woman who takes charge, won’t let her standards and beliefs be compromised and certainly won’t stop being colourful just to please someone else. If you’re looking for a fierce romance heroine, you’ve got one in Sylvie.
Parker also knows how to make secondary characters feel real,from the royal couple to the people in Sylvie’s and Domnic’s lives—staff, family members, friends—everyone felt like they could jump right off the pages. There were quite a few mini-stories on top of Sylvie’s and Dominic’s romance and while that was great because it added a lot of depth to the protagonists, it also means that at times a lot is going on in this book and that pulls the focus in a few different directions and inadvertently muddles the pacing. With all the storylines going on, the last third of the book has a lot to resolve and deal with and even set up for the next book in the series and that was a lot to handle. But with characters this eccentric and interesting, you can’t really blame Parker for wanting to spend more time with them—I certainly didn’t. I can’t wait for the second installment in the Palace Insiders series (which follows two characters from this book and promises to be a wild ride!)
While this is for the most part a lighthearted story, there are some topics that are a bit darker and definitely pack an emotional punch. Without spoiling too much, there is talk of grief and child neglect and I think Parker handled that very well, balancing it with the sweetness of the story.
All in all, if you’re a fan of baking shows and a sucker for the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, Battle Royal needs to be on your beach read TBR!
Battle Royal is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of August 17th 2021.
Will you be picking up Battle Royal? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Beloved author Lucy Parker pens a delicious new romantic comedy that is a battle of whisks and wits.
Ready…
Four years ago, Sylvie Fairchild charmed the world as a contestant on the hit baking show, Operation Cake. Her ingenious, colorful creations captivated viewers and intrigued all but one of the judges, Dominic De Vere, the hottest pastry chef in London. When her glittery unicorn cake went spectacularly sideways, Dominic was quick to vote her off the show. Since then, Sylvie has managed to use her fame to help fulfill her dream of opening a bakery, Sugar Fair. The toast of Instagram, Sugar Fair has captured the attention of the Operation Cake producers…and a princess.
Set…
Dominic is His Majesty the King’s favorite baker, the go-to for sweet-toothed A-List celebrities, and a veritable British institution. He’s brilliant, talented, hard-working. And an icy, starchy grouch. Learning that the irksome Sylvie will be joining him on the Operation Cake judging panel is enough to make the famously dour baker even more grim. Her fantastical baking is only slightly more troublesome than the fact that he can’t stop thinking about her pink-streaked hair and irrepressible dimple.
Match…
When Dominic and Sylvie learn they will be fighting for the once in a lifetime opportunity to bake a cake for the upcoming wedding of Princess Rose, the flour begins to fly as they’re both determined to come out on top.
The bride adores Sylvie’s quirky style. The palace wants Dominic’s classic perfection.
In this royal battle, can there be room for two?
