Series: None
Author: Sarah J. Schmitt
Published October 5th 2021 by Running Press Kids
Goodreads Synopsis
Life is what you bake it.
Peyton Sinclaire wants nothing more than to escape her life as a diner waitress in her small, North Florida town and attend culinary school. Top Teen Chef, Food TV's new show that pairs reality TV drama with a fast-paced culinary competition, is her ticket out of her boring future. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make her dreams come true and Peyton is determined to prove to herself, and the world, that where you're born does not determine where you can go. However, once on the show, Peyton quickly discovers that there is more to the competition than just a well-seasoned dish.
As things start to heat up on and off the set, Peyton will have to prove to the judges that she deserves to win while trying to untangle what is real and what is scripted drama, and decide what she is willing to risk to win before her dreams end up on the chopping block.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Teen baker, Peyton Sinclaire, wants out from her run down life in Florida. Her father arrest for fraud, her mother unable to work, she's living with her aunt on a trailer park, pulling double shifts at the local diner while also going to school. When the opportunity to take part in a new TV show, Top Teen Chef, comes around, she jumps at the chance, and luckily, is picked to be one of the eight competitors. But when she arrives in New York, it's clear that the producer wants to use her past for ratings, and want her to start a romance with a fellow competitor too - if she doesn't, she's off the show. As it seems that one of the judges, and another competitor, is out to get her, Peyton must do whatever it takes, even colluding with a rival, to stay in the show, and hopefully win the scholarship she so desperately needs.
This was a book I wasn't too sure what to expect, but I couldn't put it down once I'd started it. I'll admit, I love watching shows like The Great British Bake Off, and reading books that follow that kinds of plot line has always been one I've enjoyed. I really liked Peyton, and her goals. Life had dealt her a bad hand, and she was doing just about everything to change her future, and being on this show - and potentially winning - would be the making of her. She really didn't like the idea of pretending to be something different for the ratings, but when it was clear she had to, and so did the person she joined forces with, she went along with it, while also picking up hints and tips that made her a better cook. Some of the recipes that people were making I would hate, but some sounded lush, and I was dead hungry at some parts of the book. There was a bit of a love triangle, which I wasn't overly keen on, but I liked the camaraderie between the contestants, and the ending of the book, plus epilogue, was perfect for Peyton's story.
Dates Read:
August 25, 2021
Rating
4 Stars
