Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake (2021) Alexis Hall (Winner Bakes All)

Rosaline Palmer gave up medical school to become a single mother.

“The last bold thing I did was decide I was keeping the baby, and while I’m glad I did, as decisions go it’s not exactly been without consequences.”

She loves her daughter, and manages, mostly, but wants something more.

The problem is she isn’t sure she wants what her parents want for her.

“I don’t want to be famous. I just want… enough money to pay for some things and enough people to think I’m good at baking that I might be able to get a slightly better job.”

“Truly. Yours is a hubris of Homeric proportions.”

There are some fascinating things in this story, from Rosie being a single mother, to her being bisexual but ending up dating a guy, which, I honestly understand why Alexis did this, since bisexuality often ends up demonized in the straight and gay communities, but that thread felt heavy-handed at times.

Another thing I found fascinating is that several of the unspoken rules of romance were broken, but of course I can’t talk about them without giving away important parts of the story. So–I really like that thing Alexis did. ;)

And I was really pleased with Amelie in the story. She isn’t a plot moppet and also comes across as an actual kid.

Amelie beamed up at her not, if Rosaline was honest, looking hugely like she’d missed her times very much at all. “I had a lovely weekend with Auntie Lauren and we played games and watched television and made sandwiches and”— she cast Lauren a conspiratorial glance—“ I always went to bed on time and ate very healthily.”

And as expected, lots of amusing dialog.

And besides, the quiet ones always go like a train.”

“I’m not totally convinced I want a train in my vagina.”

“I said like a train. Meaning powerful and enduring.”

“You don’t use public transport much, do you?” asked Rosaline, laughing. “You say train to me, and I think overcrowded, endlessly delayed, and subject to constant technical failures.”

I’ll be honest–there was a lot of buzz about this story, and I went in afraid it wouldn’t live up to the hype–or to some of my other favorite Alexis books–but it was good, and I enjoyed it very much.

Publisher: Forever
Rating: 8/10

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