Suburban soccer mom Amy has always wanted to stand out from the crowd. Former child prodigy Linnie just wants to fit in. The two sisters have been estranged for years, but thanks to a series of personal crises and their wily grandmother, they’ve teamed up to enter a national bake-off in the hopes of winning some serious cash. Armed with the top-secret recipe for Grammy’s apple pie, they should be unstoppable. Sure, neither one of them has ever baked anything more complicated than brownie mix, but it’s just pie-how hard could it be?

Two sisters, one a genius from birth and the other a social diva, brought together after years apart to pull of the baking competition of a life-time but can they win? In an effort to reclaim stolen property Linnie will do just about anything, including reconcile her past and set aside her differences with Amy. Unfortunately for Linnie her social awkwardness is almost more than her sister Amy can deal with. Throw in conniving competition, a time-honored family pie, a gorgeous wealthy hotel owner and you’ve got the recipe for a perfect disaster or perhaps a spectacular story.

This truly was such a fun read. It had all the enjoyable elements that make a great Chick Lit book fantastic. From a sisterhood rivalry to a romantic rendezvous with a gorgeous but very intelligent leading man to a wonderful variety of locations, the entire book was the perfect read for a great getaway afternoon. One of the things I absolutely adore is when a book can make a food theme work and Beth Kendrick truly does. It’s not because it’s the focal point, but more of a setting or feeling that runs through the pages of the book. As if you could smell the baking pies coming from the pages of the book much the way you do when you smell a baking pie in your home, you know it’s there baking away but you’re not mixing the ingredients together. Perfectly done!

In addition to the food related aspects of the book being well done, I thought the relationship between Amy and Linnie was just the right mix of believable. Linnie grew up a tested genius and was driven from competition to competition until she entered college at fourteen. After the abrupt end to her college career only one year later she decides to quite the “genius role” and ends up dealing blackjack in Vegas until she’s nearly 30. Amy on the other hand has lived a relatively normal life with the exception of performing in a rock band in college, is now married with two children and is a dental hygienist. Obviously, I related a bit more to Amy being that she’s a mom and still has trouble playing the balancing act that comes with that territory, but still loved both characters. Linnie’s neurotic behavior though is what really propels the story and the dynamic between the two. Her constant checking of logistics and weighing of statistical probabilities is a constant thorn in Amy’s side, but proves to pay off in the end not only for the baking competition but the sister’s relationship as well.

Though I related to Amy much better, it was Linnie’s story that remained the primary focal point of the story which in a way is kind of ironic. Amy always hated the focus that was placed on Linnie because of her genius abilities, but Linnie resented her sister’s freedom. In the end it was Linnie who needed to break away and become the person she had been stifling herself against for years. Much of this was aided through her complex relationship with Cam, the handsome hotel owner who unexpectedly sweeps her off her feet. I loved their interaction and how it helped Linnie to let down her guard, becoming a more relaxed version of herself.

The Bake-Off by Beth Kendrick is the perfect summer read! If you’re a Chick Lit fan who may also indulge in the occasional baking competition show on TLC, loves a great sister story or just simply loves to be swept off your feet than you need to pick up The Bake-Off. It’s not necessarily a book that’s going to have you rethinking your life or making major changes, but it was certainly the perfect getaway read. Knowing now that I loved this story so much and also being aware that Kendrick has written several other novels, I’m making my way to my bookstore to pick up a few of her other books for just the right time.

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me a copy of The Bake-Off for review!

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