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Unabridged Digital Audiobook
Runtime: 9 hours, 18 minutes
Read by Anne-Michael Smith
Reality TV competitions can be wildly entertaining—with contestants completing challenges involving anything from cooking to fashion design. But while the challenges can be thrilling, the behind-the-scenes drama often adds to the fun. And in the audio edition of The Baking Games by Rachel Hanna, a reality TV contestant tries to survive the drama to win the competition.
The story finds Savannah Greene taking a chance and entering The Baking Games, a reality baking competition, in hopes of winning the $200,000 in prize money, so she can put her younger sister through college and open her own bakery. When she gets a spot on the show and learns that her competition includes her ex-boyfriend, Connor, and her pastry chef school rival, Rhett, she realizes that it could be a very long six weeks. But as she settles in and forms an alliance with her old rival, she starts to believe that she actually has a chance.
In between facing the ups and downs of competing in one baking challenge after another, Savanna is also forced to deal with the tension and drama at the house. With the cameras always running—and paid subscribers tuning in around the clock—she manages to find a friend in her 65-year-old roommate, Maggie. Other contestants, though, are sometimes more ruthless than friendly—and Rhett is just plain confusing. She just can’t seem to figure out how she feels about her cranky former rival, who’s proposing a fake romance to keep the audience voting in their favor, so they can face off in the final round.
Though the baking competition mostly plays out in the background, the mix of sugary treats and romance is still the recipe for a light and sweet and entertaining read. From the competition’s outcome to the will-they-or-won’t-they romance, there aren’t a whole lot of surprises here. At times, the author seems to skim over parts of the story that could have added more conflict and drama—and, admittedly, the strangely over-edited narration can sometimes be distracting. But the author creates a lovable character in Savannah—and she allows Rhett to grow along the way. And both of these characters will have readers rooting for their happily-ever-after.
In blending together a little bit of reality TV drama and some charming grumpy/sunshine romance, The Baking Games is as sweet and airy as a meringue. It’s a cozy, laid-back listen that will keep you entertained (though maybe not entirely engrossed) on your daily walk.
Listen to the review on Shelf Discovery:
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