A cosy feelgood book, I really enjoyed the story and the characters.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Jennifer Quinn applies to Britain Bakes, a baking competition on tv, she keeps it a secret from her family and friends until she’s accepted. But the bigger secret that’s she been keeping for 60 years is now threatening to come out.

I loved Jen and all of the characters, they felt so real as if Jen and her husband Bernard were my aunt and uncle. Jen’s baking ambitions at 77 make you realise that life doesn’t stop at a certain age and it’s never too late to do what you want.

The author started each chapter with her thoughts and a flashback to the past so we slowly learn what it is that she has been hiding and how it comes up in her life now.

I’m a massive sweet tooth too so could relate to all of the characters in the book and everything Jen made sounded amazing! This book is how I imagine her bakes to be, classic, heartwarming and sweet. Definitely recommend!

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I'm really sorry, this one just isn't for me. The pace just couldn't keep me interested and plodding through at what felt like a painful speed put me in a reading slump. A lovely main character but so dull.

This is a charming and heart warming story about an elderly woman who takes part in a TV baking show. This triggers memories of a long-held secret that she has kept from her husband of 60 years as well as thrusting her into the forefront of unfamiliar fame and publicity. A comforting warm hug of a book but slightly lacking in depth.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Jenny Quinn is 77 and wants to finally do something with her life, so she signs up to appear on TV’s biggest baking show.

Her new found fame could finally lead to the secret she’s been hiding for six decades from everyone (including her husband) to be exposed.

Mrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame is told through dual timelines of present day and sixty years ago when Jenny was a teenager. I really loved both perspectives and just adored Jenny as a character, this book was like a warm hug.

It’s about resilience and never giving up no matter how old you might be, you are never too old to live your dreams.

My only criticism and the reason it’s not a 5 star for me is that I feel the secret was really built up only to have a very quick conclusion that was tied up very nicely and neatly. I understand not every book needs to have a big conflict but that part just felt slightly unrealistic to me.

This book was an absolute delight to read, I enjoyed every minute of it.
Jenny and Bernard have been married for 60 years. Each day Jenny sees Bernard getting older, she can't picture her life without him, but she feels she needs something. When she sees that applications are being taken for Britain Bakes she decides she will apply. Never thinking her application will be successful she doesn't mention it to Bernard. She has only ever kept one other secret from him and the weight of doing so again stirs up old memories.
The story is well written and I felt the characters come alive whilst I was reading. I highly recommend.

Not sure what I was expecting from this book but not what it delivered. Certainly two complete plot lines which do ultimately meet bu I can’t say the baking part provided much entertainment.
I wasn’t a huge fan overall but it’s one of those niche books that many will love.

A cosy, nice, warm story with loveable characters it was a pleasure to read.
Thanks to NetGalley, the editor and the author for the opportunity to access this copy.

Jennifer Quinn has been married to Bernard for almost sixty years, she has no children but dotes on her niece and her family, showing her love through baking. On a whim she decides to enter a tv baking contest but doing so opens up old memories and a secret she has kept hidden since she was a teenager.
If a were being cynical I would describe this book as manipulative and written to tick a certain number of boxes. However I'm not looking at this book in that way, I'm looking at it as a book which filled a gap for me on a day when I needed to read something that is essentially a big, warm hug and which vicariously fulfilled a desire for unhealthy sugary treats with none of the calories!

I love books with more mature characters and so was immediately drawn to this one.

77yo Jenny Quinn's love of baking leads her to be a contestant on a prime time baking competition show. Wanting adventure while her husband wants to slow down. I think it's a concept that many people would be familiar with either in their own of parents/grandparents lives.

I really enjoyed the writing and also the story and the characters.

I love new ideas for novels and this is one. Inspired by The Great British Bake Off, Jenny Quinn decides to enter a similar baking competition. She’s always enjoyed baking and at 77 she wants a challenge after living a safe comfortable life with husband of nearly 60 years, Bernard. Lots of laughs along the way but also sadness with a secret she has kept for decades.
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Mrs Quinn's Rise to Fame is a charming and heart warming story that reminds us that nobody is too old to follow their dreams. I love books about food, chefs etc and the setting of this book in a competition inspired by The Great British Bake Off immediately spoke to me. I also love books with older protagonists so the idea of 77 year old Jenny Quinn finally deciding to do something just for herself, stepping outside of her comfortable bubble with her husband of almost sixty years to enter a baking competition using the tried and tested recipes beloved of her family was instantly appealing.
I just fell in love with Jenny and her husband Bernard, their relationship is sweet in the most wholesome way possible, they simply love and care for each other deeply. It was impossible not to root for Jenny as she found the courage to enter the competition and seeing her interact with fellow contestant Azeez always brought me joy . As with any good bake, a little tartness is often needed to balance the sweetness and in this case it comes by way of the secret that Jenny has been hiding from everyone including Bernard for decades, a secret that her new fame may bring to light. This is the second plot line that runs through the book woven through in Jenny's memories of the recipes that she uses.
This is a sweet read read in the best possible way and one that I enjoyed immensely.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

A must read!!

Jenny Quinn is 77 and has two secrets she's keeping from her husband. The first has lasted the length of their marriage, the second is more recent as she's decided to enter a Great British Bake-Off style cooking show. Feeling as if she hasn’t achieved much in her life she takes the leap and applies for it without telling anyone.

When the secret comes out, there is so much going in her home life can she really keep going off to film the show or will she continue to look after everyone else like she has done all her life?

Then the risk of her life long secret coming out…..

This is such an incredible book. Heartwarming, which will have you laughing one and crying the other.

So out today is the wonderful Mrs Quinn's rise to fame. Jen is 77 and her safe life is starting to feel a little boring. Her husband of 59 years Bernard is happy to slow down but Jen wants an adventure. ⁣
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When the opportunity to apply for Britain bakes comes along she decides to apply. But doesn't tell Bernard in case it doesn't work out.⁣
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Mrs Quinn is such a sweet lady! Everything she does is laced with thought for others. I really enjoyed watching her through the competition. But also we got some back story of her life which gives you a deeper connection to the character. It also explains why entering the competition isn't the first thing she's hidden from Bernard. ⁣
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You could actually feel her joy coming out of the pages as she progresses through the competition. As well as her mixed emotions earlier in life. ⁣
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There seemed to be a general theme of Jen feeling to old to do the competition. But I think she did a great job diving in and showing you can achieve anything you put your mind too. ⁣
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Despite not being a fan of bake off I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's so lovely and comforting with a bit of drama mixed in to spice things up! ⁣
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I would recommend eating with snacks though. All the baking talk makes for hungry reading 😏

Jenny Quinn has stolen my heart! What a wonderful, heartwarming, hug of a book this is!
I have smiled ear to ear and cried several tears throughout this book and now I’ve finished I’m feeling like there’s going to be a Jenny shaped hole in my days.
I love baking and feeding my family and friends, sit glued to GBBO, and so this story just jumped out for me. From the very beginning I adored Jenny and Bernard , and I loved the way Jenny’s backstory slowly and gently revealed itself: so much tenderness and sadness dealing with such a sensitive subject so beautifully and poignantly, and Jenny delivers simply the best most uplifting ending! A real treasure of a book!
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for an arc in exchange for a review.

A charming tale of a couple growing old together. The characters are delightful. Jenny aged seventy seven and her husband Bernie eighty two, have been happily married for almost sixty years. However, Jenny sometimes feels she has missed out, having been so young when they married, and Jenny is harbouring a secret.
She sees an opportunity to take part in a TV programme - Britain Bakes, and through her love of baking Jenny embarks on her own journey. New friends are made and Jenny enjoys something different, something just for herself, a new adventure.
We eventually learn of Jenny's secret which she has kept for almost sixty years. Bernie is so supportive throughout.
Gorgeous descriptions of recipes all through the book.
A feel good novel. I loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

What a lovely story. All the characters jump out of the page. Nothing happens at high speed but I couldn’t put the story down. It was a total joy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book I will be recommending it to all my friends.

Jenny Quinn has lived a simple but loving life with her husband Bernie. They have been married for 59 years but despite having no children, they adore Bernie's niece and her children. Jenny has baked every day for years and on a whim, decides to secretly apply for TV competition Britain Bakes. She's shocked when she discovers she'll be a contestant. There, as she makes new friends and enjoys new challenges, old memories will begin to surface and secrets threaten to spill over, which may ruin her competition chances and worse, her marriage. Will Jenny rise above all this or is Britain Bakes a recipe for disaster?

There's a lot trying to be dealt with in this book. The past plotline, how the memories are affecting Jenny, her relationship with Bernard, growing older and all the technical, behind the scenes elements of the TV show. I think the book could have benefitted with something being dropped, to allow the other elements to shine. There are some lovely moments and ideas, but the pacing (specifically at the beginning) slows the story down slightly.

If you're going into this because you like The Great British Bake Off and think it'll be similar to that, this isn't the book for you. There are scenes in the baking contest and I do love Jenny's friendship with one of her competitors, but it's really a secondary element of the story. The main part is Jenny coming out of her comfort zone in the present time and confronting painful memories in her past. This exploration of the past prevents the book from being too saccharine, adding some depth. It reminds me of Dear Mrs Bird, where overall the tone of the book is sweet and charming but there are some serious plotlines too that help balance everything out.

What a lovely read! Jennifer Quinn is a 77 year old lady coming up to her 60th Wedding Anniversary with her loyal husband Bernard.
She loves to bake and watches Britain Bakes every year. When she decides to apply she keeps it secret from everyone, including Bernard, as she figures that if she doesn't pass the auditions, they don't need to share her disappointment. This is the only other secret she's ever kept from him - the other one is huge and she feels it would shake the bedrock of their marriage.
The book takes us through the auditions and the competition, interspersed with how to cook various items and why they mean so much to her.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.

Jenny has been married to Bernard for 59 years and has been harbouring a secret. When she decides to enter Britain Bakes she doesn’t tell Bernard for fear of failing but this is now secret number 2.

I loved the way this story was told, in a dual timeline. We learn Jenny's secret as we go through the book and my heart went out to her. It is interwoven with the baking story and the recipes she makes are all family favourites with memories attached to them.

I really liked Jenny and was rooting for her but apprehensive if her secret came out. Bernard was just adorable. Two lovely, relatable characters.

This is a lovely book with the focus firmly on family, love in all its guises and never being too old to follow your dreams. I would highly recommend you read this, especially if you are a fan of a certain baking television programme.

Thank you Netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.