Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake

 Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis J. Hall   435 pages

Summary from Goodreads: Following the recipe is the key to a successful bake. Rosaline Palmer has always lived by those rules—well, except for when she dropped out of college to raise her daughter, Amelie. Now, with a paycheck as useful as greaseproof paper and a house crumbling faster than biscuits in tea, she’s teetering on the edge of financial disaster. But where there’s a whisk there’s a way . . . and Rosaline has just landed a spot on the nation’s most beloved baking show.

Winning the prize money would give her daughter the life she deserves—and Rosaline is determined to stick to the instructions. However, more than collapsing trifles stand between Rosaline and sweet, sweet victory.  Suave, well-educated, and parent-approved Alain Pope knows all the right moves to sweep her off her feet, but it’s shy electrician Harry Dobson who makes Rosaline question her long-held beliefs—about herself, her family, and her desires.

Rosaline fears falling for Harry is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Yet as the competition—and the ovens—heat up, Rosaline starts to realize the most delicious bakes come from the heart.

And here's what I thought:  This book has a bunch of elements I like: Baking contest, fun characters, and some surprise elements. I very much appreciated that there's more than meets the eye to Rosaline (spoiler: she is bisexual) and she's a great character -- someone I'd want to know in real life. I liked the baking elements, especially because I'm a fan of The Great British Baking Show. And while I don't usually read romance stories, I liked this one --- it's light, and the romance elements are there but they don't drive the entire story. And Rosaline has a good head on her shoulders, which I appreciated.