Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame: A Novel | 
pickI loved this GBBO-inspired book so much!! The PERFECT cozy holiday read for me (it doesn‘t exclusively take place around the holidays, but the Christmas bits were great). Plentiful and detailed recipe descriptions and such a sweet story in all the ways. Great audio narration, too.
I‘m cheating a bit, but March was an excellent reading month for me. I had three 5-star reads—books that I met at the right time, exactly when I needed them.
I adored Mrs. Quinn. The Collected Regrets of Clover was simply beautiful. North Woods was so different from my typical reading, but I find myself thinking about the book (and the other two as well). #12BooksOf2024
Hidden message in a library book and coincidentally I‘ve been told awkwardness is my superpower.
pickJenny has always loved to bake and at 77 feels like her life is slowing down so she tries out for TV baking competition. Along the way she revisits the memories of the recipes that have been the most important to her, including those that remind her of her most painful secret. This was a sweet (a bit too sweet for my tastes) read. It touches on some weighty topics but never scratches enough below the surface to satisfy. Still I adored Bernard.
pickThemes: Family & Relationships, Baking, Heartwarming Fiction
This was a sweet read from beginning to end 🥰 I loved Jenny‘s backstory as well as the current triumphs and trials she faced. Reading the acknowledgments brought my attention to the ‘Bernard Quinn Fan Club‘, which I would definitely join ♥️ I will definitely keep an eye out for more from Olivia Ford, what a great debut work 👍
pickThe cover makes it seem like this is a light little story about a 77-year-old woman who decides to apply for a British Bake-Off style show. (It‘s great to have a story centering an older person.) But Jenny has a sad secret, and her story unfolds throughout the book. I loved the MC and her relationships with her husband, extended family, and a fellow contestant. I wish the last chapter had gone a little further. I read it in just a couple of days.
pickThis is a wonderful story about following your dreams. 77 yo Jenny auditions for Britain Bakes and is astonished that she makes it on the show. She stretches herself creatively and makes new friends. However, she's been living with a painful secret for decades- one she never told her husband- and as she works her way through the baking show memories from the past begin to haunt her. Her secret comes out in a way she didn't expect, causing a lot of
pickI read this book in one day. Reading it gave me a warm happy feeling, just like I get when watching The Great British Baking Show. The contestants seem so nice, like family, and I am happy the baking show in the book felt the same. I liked that the main character was 77 years old and living her best life. This book was a fast read, and should appeal to fans of cooking shows and following your dreams.
pickA fun read for fans of The Great British Bake Off, bakers or fans of novels with older protagonists. Jenny, 77, & married to Bernard for 60 years, takes a chance & becomes a contestant on a baking show. She's successful, but this life changing experience conjures up memories she's buried for the majority of her life. Alternating between flashbacks & current events, the novel has a somewhat predictable plot, but is still enjoyable.
pickSeventy-seven year old Jenny has a lifelong love of baking. As she approaches her 60th wedding anniversary with Bernard, she feels like she wants to have made something of herself, so she applies for a spot on Britain Bakes. This is a bit treacly at times and a bit heavy-handed at others, but it‘s a fun story with some nice relationships.
pickIt is such a privilege to grow gracefully old with the person you love. Would that every couple could approach their 60th wedding anniversary with the feelings Jenny and Bernard share for each other. This book was as sweet as a baked goods story should be. I wasn‘t expecting the mother-baby home storyline - it‘s just heartbreaking. I‘d like to think we‘d never disrespect unwed pregnant women so callously again, but I‘m worried about that.
pickHow I loved this one! Think Rachel Joyce‘s The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Kathleen Rooney‘s Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, with a bit of Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal.
Jenny is 77 years old, loves to bake, loves her husband of nearly 60 years Bernard, and has a secret. She also impulsively applies to be on a British baking competition. The story weaves between past and present through her recipes. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
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This book captures the art and heart of baking in a literary form, offering comfort, inspiration, connection, celebration, and remembrance. I love that we‘re getting more stories featuring protagonists of all ages. As the equally lovely Mr. Quinn points out, older age doesn‘t mean you have to live a smaller life, and dreams can be achieved because of our age rather than in spite of it. 🎧
pickSuch a charming delight! A UK Golden Gal named Mrs. Quinn enters a reality show baking contest (think Great British Bake-Off) and rises through the ranks while dealing with secrets of her past. Just a sweet read if you like Fannie Flagg, Fredrick Backman, and Jennifer Ryan.
