77 year old Jenny loves baking as it connects her with her past. She plucks up the courage to apply for popular cooking show Britain Bakes but she is so convinced she won’t be successful that she doesn’t tell her husband. As she practises her baking memories and secrets come to the forefront but will she be able to keep a lid on things.

A lovely thoughtful provoking book which had me fully behind Jenny and everything she did.

You need to read this book if you like baking, eating baked goods or dramatic family revelations. Reading this was like a warm hug in a book. If it does’t inspire you to get in the kitchen and bake something, I don’t know what will.

This book was an absolute joy to read. The central character reminded me so much if my own Nan who taught me to bake. It felt like going back in time! Loved the modern take on it when she applies to “Bake off”! Would love to see this as a film!

Mrs Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford

Jennifer Quinn has a secret. Her love of baking has just won her a spot as a contestant on a primetime TV show. It's only the second time in fifty-nine years that she's kept something from her beloved husband Bernard.

She's about to be whisked into an unfamiliar world of cameras, timed challenges and celebrity judges. She could be in with a chance of being crowned the best baker in Britain.

A poignant , read and nice that the protagonists are not in the first flush of youth .
The book might not have many twists and turns or on the edge of your seat stuff , but nonetheless it's a Heart warming take of an ordinary woman finding her self in the limelight and deciding she wants to find out something she has been wanting the answer to for many years.

I absolutely loved this book. I could have read about this wonderful couple for weeks, but sadly it was over in two days, I simply couldn’t put it down. Such an endearing and uplifting story. Anyone would love Jenny to be their Auntie/Grandma especially with all her wonderful bakes!! Bernard was a fabulous character too, such a huge amount of love between them. The bond Jenny had with the other contestants was absolutely adorable but she was definitely my Star Baker! I loved the story of her younger years that ran in parallel to the current day. This was my first book by Olivia Ford and it was a pure delight. It deserved 6 stars.

Thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read in exchange for my open and honest review. As always, my reviews will also be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Waterstones and interaction on Facebook and instagram where possible.

Jennifer Quinn is 77 and feels like she hasn’t done much in her life. Baking has always been part of her and without telling her husband, Bernard, she auditions for a tv baking show. When she passes the audition she is caught up in a whirlwind on prime time tv, judges and stardom but will it also bring the other secret she's been keeping to the surface. The secret that was supposed to stay hidden forever.

I loved the characters of Mrs Quinn and Bernard from the off. The TV show is loosely based on a well loved baking show that I love to watch so this book was a win win for me. It was sweet, heartwarming and I couldn’t help but feel emotionally attached to Jenny and Bernard, as in I wanted them to be my Aunt and Uncle. Behind it all however was a poignant storyline and it was so well written. Now for my pun….. I devoured this book (lol) within a day and half. Seriously though I could not put it down and the ending was perfect. A definite 5 star read of 2024.

Mrs Quinn's Rise To Fame follows Jenny Quinn, loving wife of 59 years and baker extraordinaire, as she secretly applies to go on TV show, Britain Bakes. During her time on the show, Jenny rediscovers her independence, and memories from her life before Bernard. Can Jenny and Bernie reach their 60th year of marriage, or will Jenny's secret be too much to take?

Told through recipes, memories and the present day, Jenny's story is a heartwrenching one. I found myself gripped from start to finish, always wanting to know what happened next, or previously as the case may be.

The characters in this story were so fleshed out I felt as if they were my friends, family, neighbours, etc. I was truly invested in Jenny's story, and the story of those around her. This book made me feel all the emotions, and is one that I'll be thinking about for quite some time.

The main thing that stood out for me was the original premise and the sharp witty humour. I also loved that the FMC is an older woman. If you love a cosy, funny read, this one is for you.

Jenny has a secret which she has been keeping for years for over 60 years. She enters into British Bakes, as she has always loved baking recipes from her childhood. She initially also keeps his from her husband, until she finds out that she has been shortlisted to be on the programme. Her husband knew she was hiding something, but he was not sure what. During one of the filming her husband has an accident, which means she is having second thoughts of being on the programme. However, her husband convinces her to carry on so she only is missing from one show. This brings memories back to Jenny about the baby she had out of wedlock and had to give up, her husband has no ideal as this all happened before they met. After giving birth to the baby she called him James and put in a book of family recipes, she never thought she would see her son again. But after doing the programme it brought memories up of the son she never spent time with, and the things she had missed out on. This resulted in her looking on Facebook not realising that everyone would be able to see that she had been looking up children who have been adopted page, before she had managed to speak to her husband it was published about the long lost son in the local paper, so when Jenny was meant to go for interview at the studio, she found out about the newspaper article and rushed how to see her husband, She could not find him anywhere. At the end of book it shows that she met up with son, but no details were mentioned., I would highly recommend this book it is easy to read, and it lovely to heard about Jenny and her adventures.

I wondered at the start if this would simply be a nice cosy story without much to it (but a lovely read) and I was wrong. It’s sharply funny, with really closely lovingly drawn characters and I loved it.

What a lovely little book. I really enjoyed all the descriptions of the ‘bakes’ they certainly made my mouth water!
As for the heartache that poor Jenny had to endure, well, that was upsetting.
I would love to meet Jenny Quinn in real life as the character needs a lovely hug.
It’s a pleasant story that I’m pleased to be able to recommend.

If you like the great British bake off you’ll like this! With an elderly main character you can’t help but root for and bakes that have their own backstory plus friendships within the contestants this was a sweet read (no pun intended).

This was a “try something new” venture for myself personally. I’m very delighted to have been given early access and enjoyed the book far more than I thought.

If you like Great British Bake Off you’ll love this heartwarming take on Britains favourite baking show. Jenny is 77 and doing something she’d always dreamed off, entering Britain Bakes. Keeping it a secret from husband Bernie we follow her journey through the competition, but also back through her life story.

Jenny has an even bigger secret that she has been keeping from Bernie, something that has eaten away at her over the years and her new found fame prompts her to do something about it.

Jenny is such a likeable character, from her close family bonds to her wonderful friendship with Azeez on the Britain Bakes competition it’s a joy to read and you really end up rooting for her in the competition.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend for anyone who likes a happy ending and a good cake!

This is a tricky book to provide feedback on as the plot is fundamentally a television show that has successfully aired for over a decade, making the plot feel like something of an easy win for the author, with very few relevant details actually changed.
That said the characters made up for the pilfered plotline with heartwarming relationships both in and out of the program.
I particularly liked the way the different bakes Jenny made were given their own backstory, from the person whose recipe it was or was based on to the feelings the finished product evoked both for Jenny and for her family, and how that tied in with her own backstory.
Overall a lovely read, if a little on the cheeky side from the plot point of view!

Jenny Quinn is in her late 70s and is married to Bernard who is in his 80s. They are both retired with no children and Jenny is beginning to want something more in her life as she is aware that both she and Bernard are getting towards the later years of their lives. With this in mind she decides to make use of her passion for baking and apply to Britain’s Bakes, a televised national baking show. The story is told through her wonderful bakes with each chapter telling us about one of her creations. To begin with the story is a little slow but as it progresses and we hear about Jenny’s past we realise there is much more to Jenny than her baking talent and she has many secrets that she has kept to herself for most of her life. The love Bernard and Jenny feel for each other is a strong theme throughout and Jenny’s modesty in her ability to create magic in the kitchen is another. I loved the descriptions, particularly about the cakes and other treats Jenny makes but also the characters including the young man she befriends on the programme, Azeez.

A nice easy read. I really liked the characters and it shows age is just a number. I did find it a bit slow to start with but stick with it and you will enjoy it.

What a wonderful debut novel by Olivia Ford.

Jennifer Quinn has just one a place in one of the nations favourite baking programmes..,,in her seventies.

She steps into stardom as a contestant but at the same time, has to deal with a few things from her past.

A fantastic feel good book that reminds us that age is just a number.

Really enjoyed this story. It was easy reading and a feel good story. About two thirds of the way through I'd guessed what her secret was, but it was still very enjoyable. And very good to have a happy ending - a nice joyful story.

Olivia Ford's storytelling simply oozes warmth and heart, and fans of The Great British Bake Off are in for a huge treat, although I would contend this would apply to anyone who reads this! So do yourself a favour, arm yourself with snacks and baked goods, along with a cup of tea/coffee, settle down and make yourself comfortable, then you're prepared to begin. Jennifer Quinn is in her late seventies, and married for nearly 60 years to the delightful stand up guy that is her husband, Bernard, although his health is not good, they have no children, leaving her feeling she needs something more to mark her life. To do this, she is willing to push herself, putting herself out there, despite her inner fears, and risk stepping out of her comfort zone to try something new, proving it is never too late to venture out of your shell.

Jenny has always had a passion for baking through the years, although there are things she struggles with, and secretly applies for the popular loved TV show Britain Bakes, not really expecting anything to come of it. She could not have been more wrong as her dream becomes real, entering the starry world, being in front of cameras and watched by a huge audience. There are the inevitable pressures and challenges, and an increasingly independent Jenny finds the process dredges up her past, the food and recipes that are inextricably tied to specific people. But there is more, there are buried secrets emerging that Jenny has been burdened by and kept from Bernard, will her long marriage crack under the threats?

The tempting food and recipes will have your mouth watering, Ford has written a lovely and enticing book with such beautiful and marvellous characters that will captivate and grip. This is a engaging, comforting, tender, and charming read, with some emotionally affecting parts, that speaks of love, marriage, grief, food, and friendships. I cannot imagine anyone not enjoying this! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.