This was a cute read, not something I would normally choose - a very unique idea/story-line and like nothing else I've read recently.

I liked that the characters weren't young and it gives strength to the idea that it's never too late to do something new.

I love the cover art which was what initially drew me to requesting the book.

It was fairly slow moving and struggled to hold my interest occasionally. The writing style was a little overly flowery/cliche in places which made the characters appear one dimensional.

Nonetheless, a must-read if you love baking.

If you love Bake Off - then you will probably love this book too.

Jenny is 77 and decides before it is too late she needs to make a mark in the world. So she applies to be a contestant on the TV programme Britain Bakes, and is successful. The BB programme has many similarities with GBBO and to me felt like a glimpse behind the scenes with all the bits you don't see, which I loved.

Whilst the story of Jenny appearing on TV is happening there is a also a flashback storyline from Jenny's youth interspersed in the pages. It was a little bit of a jolt from the lovely baking and at first I did resent it a little for intruding on my enjoyment. So many of Jenny's recipes come from her family and so the tie in with each of the storylines was a recipe.

Wonderful descriptions of the baking which made me want to get in the kitchen, or maybe just eat cake! Jenny is a lovely character and so is her husband. That's why when she hides not one but two secrets from him it is worrying if their relationship will survive.

A wonderful ending left me with a tear in my eye. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the down to earth writing. No trying to tie up loose ends in neat words, it was at times a little brutal even, but I still couldn't wait to get back to reading this book.

What a brilliant debut! I absolutely loved this book. It’s full of heart, love, family, secrets and baking. It’s so charming, sweet and enjoyable right from the start.
The story follows Jenny Quinn as she secretly applies to compete in a tv baking competition-Britain Bakes.
I loved the descriptions of all the different bakes and how each recipe was connected to a memory, revealing Jenny’s past and a secret she’s been hiding for sixty years.
It’s beautifully written, full of emotion with a great setting.
I loved all the characters as they are likeable and relatable. The relationship between Jenny and her husband Bernard is so sweet. My favourite was Azeez, his character and the friendship he builds with Jenny is just lovely.
A brilliant, witty and heartwarming book. I laughed and I cried. I couldn’t put this book down. I was totally hooked.
Definitely recommend. I look forward to reading more books from @OliviaFord in the future.
With thanks to #NetGallery #MichaelJoseph #PenguinRandomHouse for an arc of #MrsQuinnsRiseToFame in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 28 March 2024.

I am not a fan of cookery programs let alone Bake Off which is what I assume Britain Bakes is based on, but I am a fan of cracking characters and I found Mrs Quinn (Jenny), and to a slightly lesser extent, Mr Quinn (Bernard), to be definitely in that category! About to celebrate their 59th anniversary and with Bernard's health deteriorating Jenny decides that she could, even at her age, try and do something just for her. And being as she has a great love, and indeed, great talent for cookery, secretly applies to be a contestant on Britain Bakes a prime time cooking talent knock out show. Little believing she would even be called to audition, let alone get to actually get through to the TV show!
Obviously she does, that's no spoiler, but we do have a bit of fun getting there, which I will leave you to discover yourself. Talk about juggling and subterfuge! And that's even before we get anywhere near the TV show itself...
I loved Jenny - she's one of those characters who stay with you even after the book is done. One that you root for through thick and thin. One who both defines and exposes herself through creating food. Each dish she creates has a story which also gives the reader more of her own backstory. Now where I am a bit disinterested in the food creation per se, the stories that went with were fascinating and enlightening.
I especially loved the way that Jenny blossomed through the book. How she interacted and made friends with an eclectic mix of other characters all ages, races, and backgrounds. That part was really wonderful. That and age being no barrier to doing pretty much anything. A great message to take home...
Imagine my surprise when I finished this book and went to check out the author's back catalogue, finding instead that this is her debut book! No way! Although I wasn't surprised to find out that she works in the TV industry as this side of the story did feel extremely real. Write what you know I guess. Anyway, having been blown away by this book I am very excited to see what she serves up (see what I did there) next time! My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

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.