The Parisian Christmas Bake Off by Jenny Oliver follows Rachel, a young primary school teacher. Following the death of her mother at Christmas, Rachel a) hates Christmas and b) refuses to bake. Her friends decide to surprise her by entering her into a bakery competition in Paris just before Christmas. Reluctantly she heads to Paris, only to find her dreams of champagne and glamour shattered as she is lead up to a dingy apartment. A glimpse of the Champs Élysées out the window reminds her of what she's there to do, bake in the glamorous surroundings of the most romantic city on earth.
She gets off to a good start in the competition by earning the name flower girl from chef Henri, referring to her apron loving adorned with embroidered flowers courtesy of her grandmother. The other contestants play dirty throughout the competition as they work their way through baking various loaves, pastry and petit fours. As they progress, friendships are made, and there is even the possibility of love for Rachel, with the gorgeous Philippe, who turns out to be the treacherous brother of Henri.
Having left Philippe at the station, Rachel heads home to find her friends had bought her an abandoned cafe. They work together to create her new venture, the Squashed Croissant and creates a legacy her late mother could really be proud of. The Parisian Christmas Bake Off is a really easy going read, and the perfect escapism for a day in front of the fire or a long train journey. I'd definitely recommend checking it out!
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