Title: Battle Royal (Palace Insiders #1)
Author: Lucy Parker
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: August 17, 2021
Genre: Romance
Ready…
Four years ago, Sylvie Fairchild charmed the world as a contestant on the hit baking show, Operation Cake. Her ingenious, creations captivated viewers and intrigued all but one of the judges, Dominic De Vere. When Sylvie’s unicorn cake went spectacularly sideways, Dominic was quick to vote her off the show. Since then, Sylvie has used her fame to fulfill her dream of opening a bakery. 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 and a veritable British institution. He’s brilliant, talented, hard-working. And an icy, starchy grouch. Learning that 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 fight 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?
Why This Book
Not only do I love Battle Royal and adore this couple, but the publisher was kind enough to send me a finished copy after I sent an email to request one. I’d only ever read one, maybe two, books published by Avon, so had no reason to think they would even consider sending me a copy. I was so surprised to receive a very nice email back letting me know I was on the list to receive one. Of course, I didn’t think it meant I was actually going to get one. But a package arrived and I saw this lovely book just waiting for me. So I am so thankful for Avon for sending me this one; it was so much fun to read and I can’t wait for the next book.
Reviews
My review: “Battle Royal is all about love and family, both blood and found. It’s sweet and beautiful, and all about fighting tooth and nail for the one you love. Oh, and there’s absolutely a ton of delicious (and some questionable) cake!”
The Book Date said “First of all the tone is one of romantic comedy with smart writing but it sort of held me, the reader, at arm’s length from the characters. And they do have moving stories. I just didn’t get emotionally involved until way into the book. The plot seemed to weave about a bit and I was a little bored here and there.”
Celebration of Books gave this an 8 out of 10, saying “There’s a bit of culinary espionage, a veritable culinary wonderland, delectable descriptions of mouth watering chocolates, and a baking competition, which despite the description’s emphasis on it, really takes a back seat to everything else in the story. Our royal couple have their own challenges, as do our bakers, and it all mixes together to make the lightest and fluffiest chocolate cake of a book that you could possibly imagine.”
The Hi Reader gave this a 4.5, saying “I loved Parker’s voice and writing style; it was beautiful and resonant while still managing to be relatable and laugh-out-loud funny. Sylvie and Dom were fantastically fleshed-out and some of the strongest characters I’ve read about in a while”
Smart Bitches Trashy Books gave this an A-, saying “I loved Battle Royal. While it did have minor flaws, it more than made up for them with humour, tenderness, and food porn”
What Is Quinn Reading? said “Between exploding unicorns, devious kitchen spies, and an unflinching look at the way childhood tragedy can irrevocably shape us, I loved every part of this book. Parker does a wonderful job building out these characters so that they feel real and grounded, and their decisions throughout the story make sense.”
Purchase Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | Kobo | Target | Walmart | Waterstones (UK) | Booktopia (Australia) | Audible | Google Books | Apple Books | Scribd | Books-A-Million | Libro.fm | !ndigo (Canada) | Blackwell’s (UK) | IndieBound | Greenlight Bookstore | Audiobooks | The Haunted Bookshop | Dymocks (Australia) | Chirp | eBooks.com | WHSmith (UK)
Check out all the other books featured this month on The Curated Bookshelf.
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The Lily Cafe 
Good review! And it’s good seeing what other bloggers think. I’ve been seeing this book around and I love the cover. I’ll definitely check it out 🙂
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Thank you! I love doing these posts because it’s so much fun to see what other readers thought. It’s such a cute and delicious read. The cover definitely drew me in right away! And I’m so excited the second book will be out later this year.
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