Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble

Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble

by Alexis Hall
Genres: Fiction / Humorous / General, Fiction / LGBTQ+ / Gay, Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / LGBTQ+ / Gay, Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy
Published on November 1, 2022
Pages: 368
Format: eBook Source: Library

From the bestselling author of Boyfriend Material comes a sweet and scrumptious romantic comedy about facing your insecurities, finding love, and baking it off, no matter what people say. 

Paris Daillencourt is a recipe for disaster. Despite his passion for baking, his cat, and his classics degree, constant self-doubt and second-guessing have left him a curdled, directionless mess. So when his roommate enters him in Bake Expectations, the nation’s favourite baking show, Paris is sure he’ll be the first one sent home.
 
But not only does he win week one’s challenge—he meets fellow contestant Tariq Hassan. Sure, he’s the competition, but he’s also cute and kind, with more confidence than Paris could ever hope to have. Still, neither his growing romance with Tariq nor his own impressive bakes can keep Paris’s fear of failure from spoiling his happiness. And when the show’s vicious fanbase confirms his worst anxieties, Paris’s confidence is torn apart quicker than tear-and-share bread.
 
But if Paris can find the strength to face his past, his future, and the chorus of hecklers that live in his brain, he’ll realize it’s the sweet things in life that he really deserves.
 

This is the second book in the series that started with Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake. The series is set on a baking show that bears a lot of resemblance to a current British favorite.

Paris is the son of wealthy parents who want nothing to do with him. He doesn’t need to work and he is just floundering through life. He lives with a roommate who describes herself as a fat sex goddess. She is prone to bringing home random men and to trying to help Paris find some focus in his life.

“I’ve very kindly decided to go and stay with a friend this evening. And by friend I mean man I met at a bus stop.”

“Isn’t that a bit dangerous?” Tariq asked.

“Oh no, I’ve given him a safeword.”

Paris is has a very low opinion of himself and his skills. He panics early and often. He self-sabotages himself all the time. Being on the show isn’t helping these problems. The public takes his negative self-talk as proof that he is trying to manipulate people around him. They hate him on Twitter. This makes him spiral more out of control.

When he starts a relationship with a fellow contestant, it seems like this will help him. But one person can’t fix another. There is a limit to what another person can take on for you. Paris needs to learn to get out of his own head in order to be able to care about other people.

I’m loving this series. It is snarky and fun while still having stories that focus on deeper issues. I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next.