Rosaline Palmer Takes The Cake by Alexis Hall
CW: Drinking, Heavy Drinking, Queerphobia, Bi-phobia, Sex Descriptions, Sexual Harassment, Classism, Sexism, Manipulative Parents, Gaslighting, Heavy Swearing, Money Problems, Discussion of Teenage Pregnancy, Consideration of Abortion, Blackmail Attempt, Mild Violence
4/5
I can honestly say this is the first adult book I've read where the main character is a bisexual woman and is having a romance with a man. I have read two teen books like this, but never for adults. That being said, the romance wasn't the part of the book that pulled me in. The real romance to focus on is the one between Rosaline and herself. If you want a story about a woman setting boundaries and finding out what she wants out of life, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake is a really good book for that.
Rosaline Palmer is a single mom in her late 20s who works in a shop. Although she can take money from her parents, it has conditions. There's a certain life they imagined for her and the fact that she strayed from it is upsetting to them. To pay her parents back and help her daughter, Amelie, have a better life, she enters a baking competition show. As the weeks go by, Rosaline meets two men that show her what she does and doesn't want out of life. There's Alain, who sees a lot of potential in her and her parents approve of him. Then there's Harry. He shows her that she is already an impressive woman, plus he knows how to win Amelie over. By the end of the competition, will Rosaline find what she's after?
Initially, I did not like either Alain or Harry and considered putting the book down. However, I've read both Boyfriend Material and Husband Material by Hall, so I trust his writing. Additionally, I was already pulled in by Rosaline and Amelie. Their mother-daughter relationship was sweet and fun. Hall knows how to write books with an ensemble of characters. It's not just a main plot and a love story that you get when you read his work. As this book revolves around a baking competition, we get to know the other contestants and the TV crew. They filled the story with energy and kept me reading. Considering there are two more books ahead of me in this series, I am especially grateful for the TV crew.
The built-in structure of a weekly competition kept the book at a realistic and enjoyable pace. The time dedicated to both men, exploring Rosaline's relationship with her parents, the baking competition itself, Rosaline's home life with Amelie, and Rosaline bonding with her competitors was enough and very well balanced. Despite being only slightly interested in the love plot, I didn't want to put this book down. It was entertaining, emotional, funny, and cute. Certainly things that I want from a book.
As I mentioned previously, I've never seen straight-passing bi romance offered for adults in book form before. This representation is important no matter the age. Rosaline faces a lot of queer and bi-phobia within the story. Her parents prefer for her to be with a man, she faces people assuming she would be okay with a threesome, one of her fellow competitors provides unsolicited opinions about her sexuality, and her daughter's school has rules about mentioning LGBTQ+ related topics. Romances between a bi person and someone not of their gender are important because they show you that you don't have to "look" queer to be queer.
If you've seen any of The Great British Bake Off, you'll understand exactly what Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake is going for. Even if that's not the case, I think this book still appeals to a wide audience. Single moms, fighting classist rhetoric, and bi representation! I can't wait to read the sequel!
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