"A Gingerbread Romance" tells of an architect and a baker who team up to create a life-sized gingerbread house in order to win a contest. Taylor (the architect) believes the project will help her achieve her dream of working in Paris. Adam (the baker) hopes to achieve name recognition for his pastry chef skills, moving forward his dream of opening his own bakery. Little did they dream of the resulting relationship that had nothing to do with either of their business dreams. Throw in Adam's cute daughter, and you have the makings of a wonderfully warm holiday story.

I loved the premise of the story, and wondered how they would construct a life-sized gingerbread house of almost all edible materials. The characters seemed genuine, and were both lovable, as were the supporting cast of the story. The story contains no sexual content or swear words. I also liked the subtle suggestions that the characters were African-Americans, without it smacking the reader in the face or coming across as social commentary.

I did not like the fact that neither Adam nor Taylor ever expressed their love for each other, until it was almost too late. I also wish the author had stopped before the epilogue, which in my mind added a "made for TV" ending to the beautiful story. I am sure the drama of the epilogue works well on TV, but on paper it seems unnecessary and unrealistic, as if the writer could not figure out how to end the story. However, it is still a great holiday story to be shared by families.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. ( )

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm becoming addicted to Hallmark books. I'm already a sucker for their movies, all seasons, but they do Christmas right. A Gingerbread Romance, by Lacey Baker, is the format we all love, sweet and has a happily ever after. Available September 17, 2019, the book is based on the original Hallmark movie. I'm wondering if it's too soon to put a tree?

Taylor Scott moved around a lot, really a lot, during her childhood. She caught the wanderlust bug from her parents and now embraces it to the fullest. She's hoping her architectural firm will promote her to the Paris office. Paris, France not Paris, Tennessee. The problem with Taylor is she's rigid, a control freak & a workaholic. Not one bit of balance in her life. Her firm wants to build a life-size gingerbread house in a city contest. Guess who gets to design it? Not happy but taking one for the firm.

Adam Dale is a baker deep in his soul, been cooking since he could reach the countertop. He's a widower with a 10 year old his and has had to find balance in his life, no other way to make it through the day. He and Taylor are different sides of the same coin. They balance each other out, smooth ruff edges. Of course, they don't like each other at first but are attracted. Fight the feelings, learn to work as a team and fall in love. Perfect Hallmark plot. The author has made me want to spend a day shopping and sightseeing in Philadelphia, her descriptions are fabulous. Happy reading.
#Netgalley #LaceyBaker #HallmarkPublishing #romance #Christmas. ( )