Lucy Parker writes deliciously fun enemies-to-lovers perfection!” — Tessa Bailey, New York Times bestselling author
"Delightful, funny, romantic, and surprisingly emotional, Battle Royal is Lucy Parker at her best. A wonderful must read romance that I could not put down." — Kristen Callihan, New York Times bestselling author
"Lucy Parker’s books are marvels of wit and warmth and empathy, and Battle Royal is no exception. It’s as delicious as the cakes baked by Sylvie and Dominic, from first page to last. I swooned, laughed, wept, and loved the story wholeheartedly, and I can’t wait to reread it ASAP." — Olivia Dade, national bestselling author of Spoiler Alert
“As magical as it’s heroine’s confectionary creations, Battle Royal is absolutely enchanting. Lucy Parker is the Michelangelo of grumpy + sunshine. I gobbled this book up!” — Rosie Danan, author of The Intimacy Experiment
“Only an author as deft and gifted as Parker could seamlessly mix these things into one tale and have them come out as perfectly calibrated, delectably sweet, and emotionally layered as a masterful wedding cake." — Entertainment Weekly
"There are so many things to love about this book! Its wit and warmth; the deft way Parker weaves in a Great British Bake Off -like competition; the scintillating royal secrets. But my favorite by far was watching the icy hero melt into a puddle at his sunshine heroine's feet. Battle Royal is the perfect reading-slump buster, and once again proves why Lucy Parker is the Queen of the Grump." — Therese Beharrie, author of One Last Chance
"Lucy Parker's Battle Royal won my heart with its effortless effervescence and deep notes of aching poignancy. I adored this tale of rival bakers who forge an unexpected connection while vying for a royal commission." — Ruby Lang, author of Playing House
"Battle Royal is Lucy Parker at her best! This book is the coziness of your favorite baking competition show with the snipe and spark of a great enemies to lovers romance. Try and have a snack handy while you're reading this one ... you will get hungry from all the delicious descriptions while Dominic and Sylvie bake, banter, and fall in love." — Jen DeLuca, author of Well Played
"Parker is a writer who knows her audience, and she keeps raising the bar when it comes to warm romances and charming tropes. Opposites attracting over delicious cakes and the fearsome thrill of competition are a heady combination as Sylvie and Dominic's chemistry snaps, crackles, and pops off every page. The slow burn of the romance is tantalizing and well paced, though there is plenty of setting and detail to take in while readers await the inevitable happily-ever-after. An utterly delicious romance that's meant to be devoured." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"With a perfect trifecta of endearing characters, superb use of the enemies-to-lovers trope, and a chemistry-laden slow burn, this excellent start to Parker’s newest series is one readers will rush to dive into." — Library Journal (starred review)
"Parker’s winsomely witty and whimsically inventive contemporary romance is truly scrumptious. From the zippy dialogue and humorous banter exchanged between the book’s perfectly matched protagonists to the delectable descriptions of sweet treats that would not be out of place in Willy Wonka’s factory, this deliciously sexy love story whips up everything romance readers crave." — Booklist (starred review)
"Brimming with pop culture references and quick wit… irresistible banter and even more irresistible chemistry… The result has all the fun of a fluffy rom-com, with the emotional catharsis of a more dramatic romance.” — Publishers Weekly
"There are so many things to love about this book! Its wit and warmth; the deft way Parker weaves in a Great British Bake Off -like competition; the scintillating royal secrets. But my favorite by far was watching the icy hero melt into a puddle at his sunshine heroine's feet. Battle Royal is the perfect reading-slump buster, and once again proves why Lucy Parker is the Queen of the Grump."
Only an author as deft and gifted as Parker could seamlessly mix these things into one tale and have them come out as perfectly calibrated, delectably sweet, and emotionally layered as a masterful wedding cake."
"Lucy Parker's Battle Royal won my heart with its effortless effervescence and deep notes of aching poignancy. I adored this tale of rival bakers who forge an unexpected connection while vying for a royal commission."
"Lucy Parker’s books are marvels of wit and warmth and empathy, and Battle Royal is no exception. It’s as delicious as the cakes baked by Sylvie and Dominic, from first page to last. I swooned, laughed, wept, and loved the story wholeheartedly, and I can’t wait to reread it ASAP."
As magical as it’s heroine’s confectionary creations, Battle Royal is absolutely enchanting. Lucy Parker is the Michelangelo of grumpy + sunshine. I gobbled this book up!
"Battle Royal is Lucy Parker at her best! This book is the coziness of your favorite baking competition show with the snipe and spark of a great enemies to lovers romance. Try and have a snack handy while you're reading this one ... you will get hungry from all the delicious descriptions while Dominic and Sylvie bake, banter, and fall in love."
"Delightful, funny, romantic, and surprisingly emotional, Battle Royal is Lucy Parker at her best. A wonderful must read romance that I could not put down."
"Parker’s winsomely witty and whimsically inventive contemporary romance is truly scrumptious. From the zippy dialogue and humorous banter exchanged between the book’s perfectly matched protagonists to the delectable descriptions of sweet treats that would not be out of place in Willy Wonka’s factory, this deliciously sexy love story whips up everything romance readers crave."
Booklist (starred review)
One of my personal favorite combinations of romance tropes is the English lord in a contemporary tale with a Jane Austen twist, and The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker delivers.
"Parker’s voice is distinctive and pert, as bouncy and lively as her heroine, and you’ll inevitably find yourself grinning at the cheeky banter and musings that zip off the page with a warmth and alacrity that is instantly disarming."
Entertainment Weekly on The Austen Playbook
To say I loved this book is an understatement — I adored it. The romance is beautifully written and developed and the chemistry between Luc and Lily is explosive.”
All About Romance on Pretty Face
"Parker’s voice is distinctive and pert, as bouncy and lively as her heroine, and you’ll inevitably find yourself grinning at the cheeky banter and musings that zip off the page with a warmth and alacrity that is instantly disarming."
null Entertainment Weekly on The Austen Playbook
To say I loved this book is an understatement — I adored it. The romance is beautifully written and developed and the chemistry between Luc and Lily is explosive.”
null All About Romance on Pretty Face
★ 08/27/2021
Parker ("London Celebrities" series) launches a new London-based series starring baker Sylvie Fairchild. Following a rather infamous run on the competitive baking show Operation Cake a few years previously, Sylvie Fairchild has leveraged her knack for sugar and whimsy into a brick-and-mortar bakery in Notting Hill, with a popular cocktail classroom in the basement. The only unfortunate thing about the location is the proximity to Operation Cake 's unfeeling judge Dominic De Vere and his own, more traditional bakery. When the show is in need of a new judge, it turns to Sylvie, who is apprehensive but knows her shop could use the financial and marketing boost. Dominic, who believes in clean lines and sticking to foundational techniques and truths, is already dreading the tons of glitter that contestants are sure to use to try to impress Sylvie. The two are professionals, though, and grudgingly begin to work together despite their aesthetic and emotional differences. When rumors of an impending royal wedding become reality, both Sylvie's and Dominic's bakeries are in the running to create the historic cake. As they bump into each other on set and during their quest to design the perfect royal cake, their competition slowly morphs into a surprisingly heated companionship. VERDICT With a perfect trifecta of endearing characters, superb use of the enemies-to-lovers trope, and a chemistry-laden slow burn, this excellent start to Parker's newest series is one readers will rush to dive into.—Kellie Tilton, Univ. of Cincinnati Blue Ash
★ 2021-06-02
Four years earlier, Sylvie Fairchild missed her chance to reach Operation Cake 's semifinals when her mechanical unicorn cake exploded over curmudgeonly judge Dominic De Vere. Though she didn't go home a champion, her role on the show allowed her to open her own whimsical bakery, Sugar Fair, in Notting Hill. She had hoped not to have to deal with Dominic anymore, but with his own bakery continually beating her out on event contracts, their dislike for one another remains strong. Dominic is a baking purist, sticking to classic flavors and minimalist designs, while Sylvie's aesthetic is more of a fairy tale come to life, complete with edible glitter. While Sylvie's creations are an Instagrammer's dream, social media momentum goes only so far. When Operation Cake asks her back to serve as a judge opposite Dominic, both the paycheck and the chance to get under her rival's skin are too tempting to ignore. Not only must Sylvie and Dominic work together, but the bakers are anticipating the announcement of Princess Rose's engagement, and they're both ready to pitch their glamorous cake ideas for the royal wedding. Parker is a writer who knows her audience, and she keeps raising the bar when it comes to warm romances and charming tropes. Opposites attracting over delicious cakes and the fearsome thrill of competition are a heady combination as Sylvie and Dominic's chemistry snaps, crackles, and pops off every page. The slow burn of the romance is tantalizing and well paced, though there is plenty of setting and detail to take in while readers await the inevitable happily-ever-after.
An utterly delicious romance that's meant to be devoured.
With narrator Billie Fulford-Brown at the helm, Parker’s latest charming, funny, and deeply romantic story glitters on audio. Playful Sylvie Fairchild and stern Dominic De Vere first met on the British TV baking show “Operation Cake,” on which Dominic was a judge and Sylvie was a contestant whose unicorn cake went explosively wrong. Now, they own rival successful bakeries across the street from each other, they’re both judges on a new season of the show, and they’re each vying to secure the contract for a royal wedding cake. Fulford-Brown delivers on all levels—selling the humor perfectly, bringing pathos to emotional revelations, and making sure the sparks between Sylvie and Dominic fly. Listeners will be rapt as the family dramas, royal intrigue, and Dominic and Sylvie’s ever-deepening connection play out absolutely deliciously. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
With narrator Billie Fulford-Brown at the helm, Parker’s latest charming, funny, and deeply romantic story glitters on audio. Playful Sylvie Fairchild and stern Dominic De Vere first met on the British TV baking show “Operation Cake,” on which Dominic was a judge and Sylvie was a contestant whose unicorn cake went explosively wrong. Now, they own rival successful bakeries across the street from each other, they’re both judges on a new season of the show, and they’re each vying to secure the contract for a royal wedding cake. Fulford-Brown delivers on all levels—selling the humor perfectly, bringing pathos to emotional revelations, and making sure the sparks between Sylvie and Dominic fly. Listeners will be rapt as the family dramas, royal intrigue, and Dominic and Sylvie’s ever-deepening connection play out absolutely deliciously. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
