He’s a master baker with a big…cannoli.They call me the sugar whisperer.Anything your tongue desires, I can bake it. Scones? Child’s play. Cupcakes? I’ll frost them so good you won’t know what hit you. Donuts? Please.You’re talking to a master baker.But there’s one egg I’ve never been able to crack.My best friend.Correction: My former best friend.She’s the apple in my pie. The whip in my cream. … former best friend.
She’s the apple in my pie. The whip in my cream. The lemon in my meringue. The wish in my bone.
She’s the one who got away.
After ten years in the military, she’s back. She’s bruised and battered by life, but she’s back.
Except she’s not my second chance. She’s gone to the dark side.
Running a rival bakery in a town not big enough for two.
So now I have to decide—which do I want more?
My bakery?
Or the woman I never should’ve let go of in the first place?
Master Baker is a deliciously fun friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy featuring a smooth-talking baker, the one who got away, and a goat with more matchmaking tendencies than a nosy old grandpa. It stands alone with no cheating or cliffhangers.
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This was suck a great read, with a warped sense of humor. Grady Rock and Annika Williams are in a bakery war fueled by town rivalry. I loved the fact that there was a bit of a role reversal and the Grady was the one pining away while Annika went off to grow up the only one she thought she could. There was such great banter between all the characters, and the supporting characters in the book made it so much more. Plenty of times I wanted to slap Annika for the woe-is-me perception she had on life but it all worked its way out.
Welcome to the baking wars!
A dirty talking HOT baker, a former army lady turned baker-in-the-making who can’t bake, a sassy sister that can bake. Throw in the mix a rivalry between two towns that goes centuries back, and elderly couple famous for their inappropriate escapades, a foul-mouthed parrot, a goat that plays matchmaker and you have the perfect recipe for a modern day Romeo and Juliet story.
True to her writing style, Pippa Grant delivers another laugh out loud romantic comedy, full of strong and deep emotions and hillarious situations. You’ll laugh till your belly aches, you’ll cry your heart out, you’ll root for Grady and Annika all the way to their HEA. And the cherry on top? Cameo appearances from the Burger twins and other characters from Pippa’s other books. And don’t forget to download the bonus epilogues! More awesomeness to make your day!
And my usual words of caution: read in private, unless you want to embarass yourself in front of family, friends, collegues… you name it, and for God’s sake don’t eat or drink, unless you do so at your own risk.
Pippa Grant writes my kind of crazy reads. She creates stories where the reality of life and expectations take a back seat and nothing but camaraderie, family and humour rule the day.
How could you not love a modern day Romeo and Juliet story based in the towns of Shipwreck and Sarcasm? Where the local plumbing company is called No Sh*t and the donut bakery Duh-Nuts.
I couldn’t pinpoint which character I loved more, but Bailey, Annika’s teenage sister had some cracking comebacks. One of my favourites after the baseball to poor Grady’s family jewels was “If she’d been trying, we’d still be out there scavenging for his little swimmers.”
Funny and moving
What a beginning, I was laughing out loud. Some parts are more moving. I loved to find back the characters from other stories, during the baking contest,I also loved the character of Brady, but I wasn’t a fan of Annika. She had sometimes some good reason for her behavior, but sometimes she was just annoying.
What I like in Pippa’s stories, is that there always funny, with an animal who becomes a character. In this story, it’s Sue, a goat who acts like a dog.
Brady is sue’s owner, is a baker with a shop, but is destabilized when he discovers that in the city next to his, his ex girlfriend who abandonned him 10 years ago to go in army, is back, and she’s opening her own bakery even if she can’t bake.
What could have been a simple story, is rocked by hatred between the two cities , but between the two families too. Sometimes these scenes are hot, funny and or moving.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
I’m a newish reader to Pippa Grant. I loved the other couple of books I read by her so I grabbed this one too. When I opened it to read it, I had this oh no moment because it’s a big book (like 400ish pages big). Books scare me because I’m always afraid that it won’t pick my attention. This one even though it was long, it did pick my attention. I liked this one.
Annika was away in the military for the last 10 years. She’s back in town with a lot on her plate. Her mother has gone blind and she has a teenager sister to help take care of. They are trying to make her mom’s dream of owning a bakery take flight too. She has a lot on her plate but she a down to earth girl. She fun at points and serious at times too. Grady was her best friend before she left town. Grady is running a a bakery in the next town. He sees Annika’s bakery as a threat. Annika is the one that got away from Grady and ther’s still a spark there now. They have a rivalry that’s a bit funny at times. I laughed at parts but I was expecting it to be a little more funny. I enjoyed reading this one.
Amazingly funny and spirited. I am always amazed at Pippa’s writing. I found myself relating to the characters and wishing i could visit both Shipwreck and Sarcasam. I love the character building world building that Pippa equips in her books. This is an amazing read.
A second chance romance with two hot kitchens, a naughty parrot and goat and a family feud. Welcome to Romeo and Juliet bake off style! Grady and Annika offer heat, love, romance and a town rivalry older then both of them. What happens when you’re afraid to admit your feelings? What happens when the towns Grady and Annika come from hate each other? Can they overcome their past and the towns hate for each other to find happiness?
This is an amazing story!!
I think I started reading Master Baker in the worst possible mood. However the crazy antics of Grady, Annika, Bailey, the extended Rock family and Sue went a long way in making me feel better.
This was a very different take on the friends to lovers / enemies to lovers trope. Mostly because they aren’t really enemies and are secret best friends.
After ten years away, Annika comes back to the town of Sarcasm to help her suddenly blind mother with her brand new bakery. Annika however is a walking disaster in the bakery and can’t bake to save her life. Or in this case, her mother’s dreams.
Grady is the former best friend from Shipwreck, so it’s basically Romeo and Juliet, without the needless death. But Grady has his own bakery and does not like that a rival one has opened in the next town over, because he’s barely in the black.
But it turns out a little town rivalry is great for both businesses. Because both towns want their own bakery to win.
Grady and Annika are a real slow burn. Annika has a lot of hang ups based on the fact that her mum was a single mother who got pregnant as a teenager and didn’t want that for herself. But Grady and his want to be there for here, by helping in insane ways makes her more open to the idea that they could be together.
Master Baker is so funny, Grady talking dirty to his baked goods, Sue the goat who is a boy, the Sarcasm vs Shipwreck softball game, a crazy bake off featuring some of our fave Pippa heroes, are only a tiny part of what makes this another awesome story.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.
It’s the Hatfields and McCoys! Oops, wait, wrong story. This isn’t a story about two feuding families. It’s a story about two feuding towns! They feud about anything and everything. Grady is a hot, sweet talking master baker in Shipwreck. He can sweet talk a donut like nothing you’ve ever heard. He has a pet goat named Sue ( she’s a he) and a matchmaking grandfather with a parrot named Long Beak Silver who can out cuss a pirate! Annika is his long lost love who has just returned after ten years in the army and done the unthinkable. She’s opened a rival bakery in Sarcasm, her home town. She has a mom, a 13 year old sister and can’t bake a lick! The ensuing chaos is hysterically funny, involving friends, family, and the rivalry between both towns. There are also misunderstandings, apologies, hot sex, secrets, worries, hot sex, baseball games, stolen recipes, a wild baking cookoff, hot … you get the idea! If you’re looking for a good time, come to Shipwreck and join in the fun!
This book is hard to review without giving a way any spoilers. To be honest, even though I loved this book, it actually took me a good bit to get into it, but once I was I couldn’t stop until I finished! It was an emotional rollercoaster once I got “onboard” and like all other great things, it came to an end too soon! Like every other Pippa book, it’s worth the time to read!
Holy goats!
The only thing worse than failure is fear.
Grady and Annika both have an unhealthy fear.
It takes the ultimate fear of losing each other, to face their fears head on together.
There are delightful visits to Shipwreck and Sarcasm, descriptions of some truly mind warping, mouthwatering bakery items, alongside the descriptions of some of the inedible cooked goods which could have other uses.
This story encapsulates what family should truly be, whether it’s blood, work or residential.
Oh and the icing on the cake….an appearance by the Berger twins.
This book returns readers to the little town of Shipwreck, VA, and develops the long-standing rivalry between Shipwreck and the neighboring town of Sarcasm. This is a second chance, friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance, by an author that readers can always expect to deliver a rom-com worthy of laugh-till-you-cry moments.
Grady Rock is hilarious as he literally sweet talks his creations while baking. Annika is a disaster in the kitchen with a make it or die motivation to succeed. Their history as friends allows them to read each other, but also have hurt feelings and disappointment until an understanding can be reached between them.
As is often the case with this author, readers can expect crazy antics with animals- in this case, a goat named Sue and a dirty-talking parrot; smoking hot scenes between Grady and Annika; and poignant scenes as the characters grow individually and together. There are a slew of interesting side characters and the relationships within the Rock family are developed in order to set up potential future stories that I am dying to read.
I really liked this story and I appreciated Grady’s soft heart in a hot-hot-hot hero shell. I love Annika’s commitment to her family. Her sense of responsibility is so true to life for an oldest child of a teenage mother that my heart was breaking for her. I love that they overcome all the obstacles to get their HEA.
This was a truly enjoyable book and I highly recommend that you don’t miss it.
This is not your typical romcom. Pippa Grant weaves hilarity and romance in a very unique brand of storytelling. Neighboring towns of Shipwreck and Sarcasm can’t possibly be big enough foe two bakeries. Especially since these towns are feuding and have been for years. Enter baker rivals Grady and Annika – old friends, old lovers, now…rivals? This is a wonderful second chance romance with plenty of fascinating side characters. Whether this is your first adventure into Pippa Grant’s carefully crafted world or you have been anxiously waiting, you’re sure to get plently of laughs and swoony moments. Are you ready? Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
Sweet Donuts!
I throughly enjoyed this trip back to Shipwreck and getting acquainted with Sarcasm. We got to see a lot of old friends in this book. A town with a pet goat named Sue and a cursing parrot can’t be wrong. This was a friends to enemies to lovers/second chance romance. Ms. Grant never fails to make me forget all the bad and just enjoy a book. Her books are the ones I go to when I need a pick me up. Grady and Annika’s story was sweet and funny. I recommend All of her books.
Master Baker was everything I expected it to be. I really enjoyed Grady’s character from the glimpses we’ve seen in previous books so I was very much looking forward to this one! Grady is a dirty talking baker who owns his own shop. Annika is on leave from the military to take care of her mom and younger sister – who also happens to own a bakery in the town next to Grady. They were best friends in high school but the need to succeed pushed them apart. When Annika comes back to town, they can’t deny their attraction. Can they make it work? Can they overcome the hurt they’ve caused each other. Can they bridge the gap between their opposing towns? Will it be crazy? Yes. Will it be worth it? Absolutely yes! This is another highly recommended Pippa book. She always delivers!
Wow! Pippa Grant does it again!
Sarcasm isn’t just a fun way to upset people it is a town in the mountains and full of some fabulous people!
Shipwreck is the rival town and full of pirates….in the mountains??!?!?
When two old friends turned enemies (more like rivals) come back to their eternally fighting towns it makes for a laughing good time!
Annika and Grady are best friends who had some issues at high school graduation and haven’t talked in years….fate decided to throw them together and Pippa Grant used fate to make us laugh!
Rocking good time!
Did you know you needed a baker story in your life? Well you know now!
In typical Pippa Grant fashion, there is plenty of over the top humor between these rival towns of Sarcasm and Shipwreck, but also deep emotion between almost-lovers meeting again. What was once amorous feelings has turned to hatred – and things explode when they become rivals.
When you seduce dough by talking dirty, things will inevitably become quite interesting.
These two main characters deliver feels, among all the laughter, and some serious overcoming of the past. And don’t underestimate the secondaries, top notch every single one of them!!
You simply don’t want to miss this book.
In Master Baker we meet Grady and Annika, one the town’s baker and the other helping her mom reopen her bakery. I loved reading and following these two once friends, but now competitors for customers. I found the book to be very funny from the start and it continued through out to the end. Those who love reading Pippa Grant, will love this book.
I can always count on Pippa to deliver my next book boyfriend. And holy cannoli Grady does not disappoint!! Grady and Annika, former friends turned business rivals, are my new favorite couple. Throw in a goat named Sue and Long Beak Silver and hilarity ensues. I laughed throughout their story, cheered for them and fell in love with Shipwreck all over again. Though Sarcasm is growing on me. I highly recommend this HEA stand alone.
The next installment in the town of Shipwreck. One of the Rock brothers. This one is about Grady Rock. Grady is a baker, owns the bakery shop in town. He loves his job, I love the way he talks to his creations. Its ADORABLE and so endearing. You know what else he loves? Annika. His best best best friend from 10 years ago. The one that got away. The one that left. The one that is now back, opening up a bakery in the rival town next to Shipwreck. Sarcasm is the town, and these two towns hate each other.
Annika is bruised and battered from life. She wants to help her mother acheive her dream, she has a sister to take care of but she absolutely missed Grady so much over the years. She knew there were deep deep feelings they shared for each other, but she never allowed that to go any further than friendship. She also left town because she didn’t want to end up like her mother when she was in her teens. Pregnant, struggling and alone. So she wanted to make her own path in life and even if that decision was to walk away from Grady Rock, her best friend, her soulmate.
I loved the supporting characters in this story. I need a Sue in my life. Cooper is same ole fantastic Cooper. I cannot wait for his story. Pippa has created such a fantastic world in this series, so much fun, so steamy, so much depth, so much book boyfriend material. LOVE LOVE LOVE.