Synopsis
It’s the festive showdown to end all festive showdowns …
“Queen of Chocolate” Beatrice Wodehouse, known for her decadent desserts, is ready to go head to head with her social media nemesis, clean lean baking machine Charlie Simmonds, in the Great Christmas Cook Off TV show.
Beatrice is fed up of Charlie’s sanctimonious attitude and is ready to show him that food is there to be enjoyed. Surely she’ll blow his keto, low sugar, low-carb mince pies out of the water with her chocolatey creations?
Except filming for the Cook Off turns out to be anything but sugar, spice and all things nice when the contestants realise there’s a festive saboteur in their midst – leading to melted ice cream, trifle mishaps and private stories leaked to the press.
As the countdown to the final commences, suspicions run high and sparks are bound to fly – and not just from the flaming Christmas puddings!
Book 5 – Spotlight Series. Book 1 – Strictly on Ice. Book 2 – Celebrity SOS. Book 3 – Strictly Christmas Spirit, Book 4 – Keeping Up with the Kershaws
Helen Buckley
Helen Buckley lives in Bedfordshire with her husband and two sons. After working in the charity sector in the UK and abroad, she turned her hand to writing and her first novel, Star in the Shadows, was published in 2019. She writes any moment that she can, enthralled by stories of fame, romance and happy ever afters. Apart from being addicted to writing and enjoying soft play with her sons, she’s an avid reader, action-movie fan and chocolate addict.
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This is a great story with a mystery, a bake off and a romance, something for everyone!
The whole thing hinges on how easy it is to judge people on first appearances. Beatrice is the heroine who hides herself behind an emotional wall. When she and Charlie become competitors in a Christmas bake off sparks fly,and not just between them. The competition is a hotbed of delicious food, competitive bakers and supportive judges. But who can be trusted? No-one apparently! You will have to read to the end of the book to find out what will be the outcome and who the master baker will be.
5* A real page turner, almost a Who Done It.
The time is just before Christmas and filming is about to commence for the TV show The Great Christmas Cook Off, bringing together well known bakers competing in the the Baker of the Year award. At the pre-production meeting, all participants seem genuinely friendly but once filming begins unexplained incidents occur to the bakers or their creations.
Written from the alternating POV of Beatrice Wodehouse, Queen of Chocolate, and her media rival, healthy food enthusiast Charlie Simmonds. Both are keen to prove that they are the better baker of the two. Would either resort to win by cheating?
Cleverly written to keep the reader guessing with hints and clues a plenty, is there a saboteur within the competition or are these genuine mishaps. Lots of intrigue, a book to keep anyone absorbed to the very last page.
Word of warning, with all the Christmas goodies described it’s inadvisable to read if you’re hungry or on a diet.
Beatrice is the queen of chocolate and decadent desserts. Charlie is a success at baking with only healthy ingredients. These two opposites have previously clashed and now face each other on a national TV bake off show. Could two such opposites ever become friends? Both have past secrets and when these become public both understandably suffer feelings of betrayal. But could someone else be working to bring down these two bakers? This novel will keep you captivated from start to finish and through its twists and turns. I loved it and highly recommend it.
Beatrice is a talented chef and is at a posh hotel for The Great Christmas Cook Off competition. Fellow competitor Charlie is one of her biggest rivals. He believes in healthy recipes & hates the fact that Beatrice’s creations contain a lot of fat & sugar. As well as their rivalry, there is an attraction simmering beneath the surface.
The story deals with grief and loss well and teaches us an important lesson on not to jump to conclusions & judge people on face value. A few surprising twists too. Very enjoyable.