I love books about cooking and baking and Mrs. Quinn's Rise To Fame has it! Such a sweet, heartfelt and endearing book centering about pursuing one's dreams, finding happiness and not letting age get in the way. The book inspires, uplifts and leaves one with feelings of hope. Enjoyable from start to finish!

Thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion

I read this in one siting - a very rare occurrence for me I rarely have the time to just sit and read - but I was waiting for my daughter to part company with her gall bladder - which for various reasons meant a long wait.

This was a lovely story - sweet and easy to read. I could relate to the main characters - Jenny and Bernard who were approaching their Diamond Anniversary as my own parents were parted a month away from theirs - and Dad did often call Mum 'Darling'

This was a multigenerational tale with youngsters helping the 'oldies' with their social media profiles and the 'oldies' could teach the youngsters a thing or two about the art of traditional baking.

Yes it was loosely based on Great British Bake Off - but thats as far as it went - loosely based.

In my view it was well researched and well written and an enjoyable way to spend a very long morning.

Jenny had a secret which was obvious from the very beginning - but the way the recipes and bakes fitted into the narrative was very clever and a pleasure to read

Might not be everyones cup of tea but stick with it - there are some gems of thoughtful phrases in there.

77-year old Jenny Quinn is approaching her 60th wedding anniversary to Bernard, and while Bernard is happily settling into the winter of his life, Jenny is wondering what she will leave behind, aside from a number of family recipes.

So it feels fortuitous, as she watches the Britain Bakes Christmas Special that they make a call for applicants for the next series. Afraid of being judged for wanting more than her comfortable life, she keeps the application a secret from her friends and family, and even Bernard. But this isn’t the only secret that Jenny is keeping and in chasing her dreams, will her secret become more than she can handle?

The story is told in the present, with flashbacks to Jenny’s life 60 years ago. I enjoyed the revel of how the story unfolded 60 years ago, and found story flowed easily between the timelines.

I loved the characters, Bernard a lovely, supportive husband; Rose and her family are delightful and I was touched at how supportive they all were to Jenny, especially teenage Max helping her to set up her social media accounts. I am gutted that Azeez doesn’t exist in real life, he was kind and supportive from the first moment we met him and I can just picture him as a contestant on GBBO (Great British Bake Off). I would have loved to know what happened to Mary and Sandra from Jenny’s teenage timeline.

The bakes were a character in their own right, and each chapter was based around something that Jenny had baked, or experienced. They were described deliciously, and while the premise of Britain Bakes was different to that of GBBO, I could absolutely picture the experiences.

A warm hug in book form, I would highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reading Mrs Quinn's Rise to Fame is as comforting and cheerful as watching the Great British Bake Off. But don't be fooled, this isn't an entirely fluffy and squidgy meringue of a book. There is a good plot, a meaningful backstory, and a lot to it.
Sometimes I want a book that is a fairly quick read with likeable and relatable characters, and this is it. Jennifer Quinn is 77-years-old and has been married to Bernard for nearly 60 years. So many of her memories are linked to the recipes she bakes, and the use of the bakes to go back in time was really well done. I definitely recommend this lovely book.
A warning though - if you are on a diet, like me, you will want a lot of cake!

I think the phrase “heart-warming” was designed for this book! It tells the story of Jenny Quinn, who has enjoyed a contented life with her husband Bernard. Now in her late seventies, she is reluctant to slow down and as they have never had children, she wonders what she will leave behind when she is gone. The one thing Jenny knows for sure though is that she loves baking and so decides to apply to appear on the next series of “Britain Bakes.” But what Jenny doesn’t expect from the experience is that it’ll bring some long suppressed emotions to the surface. Jenny has been keeping a secret for over 60 years, even from her beloved Bernard, and the various bakes she does brings back memories and she may not be able to stay quiet for much longer.

Heavily inspired by “The Great British Bake Off” this will be enjoyed by anyone who is a fan of that show. It has the same level of love and joy and manages to not get too bogged down in some of the details of each round which I was worried it would. Some of the supporting characters are a bit sketchy and much of the plot is predictable but that didn’t take much away from my enjoyment. And all the descriptions of baking and the results made my mouth water. I would definitely read a recipe book from Mrs Quinn and also recommend this novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Jenny Quinn is 77. Her favourite things are her husband Bernard and baking, and recently, she's been feeling a little unmoored. Her husband's health is declining and, afraid of losing him and feeling the lack of grandchildren she's got, she's feeling a little bit at a loose end.

Jenny's applied for the TV show Britain Bakes and hides this from everyone - even her husband Bernard - as she feels a little selfish and silly for doing this. When, to Jenny's great surprised, she gets in, a whole new part of Jenny's life starts, which unravels some things from her past which Jenny has been hiding for nearly 60 years.

I thought this was a rvery sweet story. Jenny and the other characters are really loveable, and I really liked Jenny going to do something for herself later in life. What at first seems to be quite a simple story of an older lady joining a baking show, quickly turns into a more human, complex story with Jenny's fear of losing Bernard being very palpable, and the historic timeline being pretty sad. The mix of 'happy baking show' and the historic timeline was an odd contrast at times but overall this was an easy, enjoyable read.

Make sure you have some snacks handy!

Jenny Quinn's talent for home baking has secured her a place as a contestant on primetime TV show, Britain Bakes, but she hasn't told Bernard, her husband. It's only the second time in 59 years that she's kept something from him.

Armed with her precious, passed-down family recipes redolent with memories and nostalgia, she'll be facing cameras, timed challenges and celebrity judging.

Will Mrs Quinn rise to the challenge, or, will newfound stardom cause her other big secret to unravel?

Oh how I loved this heart-warming, hopeful and positive story. It's beautifully written and the characters are wonderfully realised. It's one of those stories that hooks you in quickly and you become so invested in the characters.

If, like me, you adore cake and Great British Bake Off, you'll love this story for sure, but what really struck a chord with me was the oh-so-important message that this novel carries.

Jenny's baking journey proudly and defiantly overturns the myth that later life means a smaller, narrower one.

It highlights that people of any age can and should have dreams and ambitions, and that we can and will achieve them: doing so because of age, not in spite of it.

Love and relationships are a major theme running throughout. Jenny and Bernard's partnership shows how the most successful relationships thrive because partners support their spouses changing over the years, rather than hampering or fearing it - that we are all the product of our experiences, and change is constant.

The destructive nature of secrets is also explored. Jenny has lived with the pain of her past, fearing future revelations and at the cost of her present, terrified of judgement and disapproval. Unlike Azeez who decided he couldn't live a lie and be miserable forever, and took the brave decision to proclaim his truth.

And then there's the joy, healing, comfort, celebration and history attached to family recipes passed down through the generations, providing precious links and memories in families.

This is a truly beautiful, ultimately feel-good story with real heart and depth, guaranteed to make your mouth water, and I loved it. Thank you to the publisher, Michael Joseph, for access to the Netgalley e-ARC in exchange for my honest review

It wasn't for me, I'm afraid. The concept was promising but it all felt a little twee. It's a shame as I was really looking forward to reading it, as I am a big fan of Bake Off. Thank you for the opportunity to read it though.

Such an enjoyable read, get yourself a cuppa and a slice of your favourite cake, sit down and enjoy Great Britain Bakes.

Jenny loves to bake, she’s baked since she was a young girl and now in her seventies she still bakes amazing creations. Her husband of almost 60 years is the lucky one who gets to enjoy them all.

However Jenny feels slightly unfulfilled and secretly enters the selection process for Great Britain Bakes. Thinking it won’t come to anything she doesn’t tell Bernard, in all the years of their marriage she’s never kept anything from him, well apart from one story, from before they met.

When she makes it through the auditions to be on the GBB show, she has to come clean with Bernard, but what about her other secret from the past….

A heartwarming read, telling Jenny’s story, her love of baking, her husbands love and showing us all it’s never too late to chase our dreams and to never give up.

Highly recommended!

Nothing could be more out of character, but after fifty-nine-years of marriage, as her husband, Bernard's health declines, her friends' lives become focused on their grandchildren - which Jenny never had - Jenny decides she wants a little something for herself. So she secretly applies to be a contestant on the prime-time TV show Britain Bakes. Whisked into an unfamiliar world of cameras and timed challenges, Jenny delights in a new-found independence. But that independence, and the stress of the competition, starts to unearth memories buried decades ago. Chocolate teacakes remind her of a furtive errand involving a wedding ring, sugared doughnuts call up a stranger's kind act., and a simple cottage loaf brings back the moment her life changed forever.

Seventy-seven-year-old Jenny Quinn has always been content in her fifty-nine-year marriage to her husband, Bernard. But the couple were never blessed with children, and she now feels that there is something missing in her life, so Jenny applies to go on the TV show Britain Bakes.

The pace is slow to begin with. I loved Jenny and Bernard. This is quite a fun read. There's more to this story than just the TV show. Mrs Quinn has a secret, one she's kept for years. I loved reading her backstory.

Published 28th March

I would like to thank #NetGalley #PenguinMichaelJoseph #RandomHouse and the author #OliviaFord for my ARC of #MrsQuinnsRiseToFame in exchange for an honet review.

First of all this book will make you hungry, so make sure you've got some cake with you whilst you read this book. Seventy seven year old Jenny has been happily married to Bernard for 59 years and she has whipped up more delicious bakes than she can count. Her passion for baking is so strong she contemplates applying for Britain Bakes (yes it is similar to a certain popular show - not a carbon copy but a lovely homage). So she does what anyone would do - she applies secretly. I loved the bakes in this book. I loved Jenny, she is such a wonderful character that you will root for throughout the novel. Anyone who loves baking and heartwarming stories would absolutely love it. There are some emotional moments of course, as cakes often trigger those feelings. Her history and memories come out with every bake and I just think it is such a delightful read.

The book has a really good message of not judging anyone and that age is absolutely no barrier if you set your mind to something. This is a most enjoyable and entertaining 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. She makes a lovely friend in gay fellow contestant Azeez and gets a new lease of life after her husband Bernard appears to be settling into a smaller world (I mean, he's over 80 so I think he gets to). They've always been close to Bernard's niece and her family and they're nicely drawn, with Max creating her social media presence as the competition hots up. Will she win the show or will events at home drag her out of it. And what of the other secret (which I did guess, but it was well and sensitively done and not everything was told in detail). A nice, absorbing read.

Blog review published 20 March: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2024/03/20/two-light-netgalley-reads-mrs-quinns-rise-to-fame-and-way-back/

I’m fortunate enough to read a lot of books and every now and then there’s a real gem in the most unexpected of places. This is the story of Mrs Jenny Quinn, who in her seventies puts herself forward as a competitor in the cookery competition ‘Britain Bakes’ think ‘Great British Bakeoff’. She keeps this a secret from her husband of 59 years, and as the story unfolds it’s not the only secret she’s kept from him. The bakes Jenny prepares throughout the competition link back to important moments in her life, taking us all the way back to a youth. But the past isn’t prepared to stay there and the secrets are going to come out.
For me, a book stands out as a must read when the characters are so developed that you find yourself thinking about them each time you’re forced to put the book down. I was rooting for Jenny and her husband throughout and I’m sure I’ll be thinking about them now I’ve finished their story. Added to the wonderfully rounded characters there’s a great setting; many of us are familiar with the tv baking competition on which this is based, and also a tender story of marriage, family, and ageing. Without doubt a five star read I’ll be encouraging others to read through my bookstagram account.

I was attracted to this story, albeit with some reservations. My instinct turned out to be correct, this book is not for me. It’s just too ‘cosy’
I found it to be so saccharine sweet it set my teeth on edge. I have to confess that I am not a fan of GBBO programme, so maybe that’s why.
In addition, being in my seventies myself, I could not relate to how Jenny and Bernard spoke to each other, using ‘darling’ in every sentence, neither my husband and I, nor any of our contemporaries address each other thus. It sounded a bit false.
Sadly, the characters are one dimensional, I got no real sense of Jenny, Bernard or the others. The only one who rang true was the young teenage nephew Max. The narrative is slow, with endless detailed descriptions of baking, I found I didn’t really care enough about the characters to continue. A DNF for me, I’m sorry to say, just not to my taste.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

Mrs Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford

Thank you to @oliviajaneford and @netgalley for the ARC of this book.

As an ex baker, this was such a sweet story. Jenny proves that it's never too late to go after what you want. Or to make mistakes.

Life isn't perfect. Sometimes you fail. And that's okay. The book takes us through Jenny's journey on Britakn Bakes and delves into her memories along the way with some favourite bakes, all with their own special story.

Loved the writing style of this and would read more from this author.

A wonderful warm hug of a book that follows 77 year old Jenny through her journey on Britain Bakes and her past. The dual timeline shows the social changes in the course of her lifetime and the importance of love. Early losses in Jenny’s life, her long marriage to Bernard and solace found in baking make for an unusual central character. The supporting characters of production crew and contestants were well drawn and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this book.

Oh my goodness, what a wonderful story full of so many emotions, happy, sad and fulfilling I didn't want it to end, what a beautiful life Jenny has had, a fantastic read

This story is a very emotional and inspiring read about a pensioner called Jenny who, with her husband of sixty years, lives a steady life. She loves baking and is obsessed with a baking competition show. Even Bernie likes watching it!!!
She secretly applies and is accepted. Now she has to tell Bernie. She’s worried about being laughed at for trying to be a contestant on the show because of her age.
Jenny has a secret from the past that could be life changing if it gets out. So it’s always there in the back of her mind.
The characters in this story make the book an enjoyable read and the book has a dual timeline, so we as the reader are in on the secret too.
Thanks to Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this arc copy via Netgalley. My opinion is my own.
#Netgalley, #TheBoldBookClub, -#OliviaJaneFord.

A warm and enjoyable read with a rather different heroine. I enjoyed the main story but was somehow less happy with adoption side of the story it somehow didn’t ring quite true that Jenny married for 60 years with such a perfect husband had not confided in him, it seemed to be a betrayal of the life that they had lived together.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this book.

Jennifer loves baking and her favourite programme is 'Britain Bakes'.

She applies to go on the show, but doesn’t mention it to her husband, until she’s informed that she’s been selected to appear on it.

This isn’t the only secret she’s keeping from Richard for more than 60 years.

We follow her journey on the show and slowly we find out what the secret is, but how will it affect Richard and what will he say about it?

I recommend this book.