The Last True Bake-Off
£3.59
Arthur, a traditional baker from Iowa, and Mateo, a modernist pastry star from NYC, are culinary rivals thrown together as finalists on a elite baking show in Italy. Their very public feud—butter vs. liquid nitrogen, heart vs. intellect—is catnip for the cameras. Forced into proximity in a secluded villa, their bitter clashes slowly give way to grudging respect, then into something far more dangerous and delicious.
As they face challenges that test their souls as much as their skills, they discover the vulnerable person behind the other’s professional armor. A stolen kiss amidst a cloud of spilled flour changes everything, but when a scandalous photo leaks, threatening Mateo’s carefully constructed brand, he must choose between protecting his empire or embracing the real, messy connection he’s found with Arthur.
The Last True Bake-Off is a warm, witty, and heartfelt enemies-to-lovers rom-com. It’s a story about embracing the unexpected, finding your perfect blend, and discovering that the greatest creations often come from the most explosive collaborations. Perfect for fans of heartfelt banter, foodie backdrops, and stories where love is the ultimate showstopper.
A deliciously tense and funny enemies-to-lovers story where the heat isn’t just in the kitchen.
Arthur Evans is a third-generation baker from small-town Iowa. His world is built on butter, flour, and the steady, comforting rhythm of his family’s bakery, Hearth. He believes in tradition, heart, and recipes that feel like a warm hug.
Mateo Ruiz is a dazzling, social media-famous pastry chef from New York City. His world is one of liquid nitrogen, deconstruction, and edible art. He believes in innovation, intellect, and pushing the boundaries of what dessert can be.
Their philosophies clash in a spectacularly viral online comment war, cementing their status as bitter rivals. Arthur calls Mateo’s creations “bloodless science projects.” Mateo dismisses Arthur’s baking as “sentimental and stale.”
Their feud is forced to a head when they are cast as the final two contestants on The Last True Bake-Off, the world’s most prestigious baking competition. Trapped together for weeks in a secluded Italian villa, with nowhere to hide from the cameras—or each other—their competitive fury is the show’s main attraction.
At first, it’s all sharp words and sharper knives. Arthur battles with temperamental brick ovens and his own stubborn pride. Mateo wages war with precise temperatures and a carefully constructed facade. But as the challenges unfold—from the soulful “Bread of Memory” to the high-pressure “Citrus Illusion”—something unexpected begins to simmer beneath the surface.
Arthur discovers the surprising vulnerability behind Mateo’s arrogant smirk, a man baking not from legacy but from a deep-seated need to prove his worth. Mateo, in turn, is disarmed by Arthur’s unshakable integrity and the profound, quiet love he kneads into every loaf.
A forced collaboration challenge forces them to create a single dessert, a plate that must hold both of their opposing styles. The resulting “Harmony and Discord” is a masterpiece that shocks the judges and themselves, revealing a chemistry that transcends rivalry. A midnight meeting over a failed sourdough starter leads to a confession. A kitchen covered in flour leads to a kiss that changes everything.
But their budding connection is thrown into chaos when a tabloid photo exposes their secret, threatening Mateo’s meticulously built career and branding. Forced to choose between the real thing and his polished image, Mateo makes a decision that shatters their fragile trust, leading to a “Burnt Offering” of a challenge where Arthur’s heartbreak is baked into a raw, failed pastry.
From the sun-drenched hills of Puglia to the frantic pace of a New York kitchen, The Last True Bake-Off is a story about the conflict between tradition and innovation, not just in baking, but in life and love. It’s about finding the courage to be vulnerable, the strength in embracing someone who challenges your entire world, and the sweet, messy, glorious result of blending two perfect, opposing recipes into something entirely new. This is a rivals-to-lovers romantic comedy that proves sometimes, the most important ingredient isn’t in the pantry—it’s the person standing across the kitchen aisle.
3 reviews for The Last True Bake-Off
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
-
Add to cartA forbidden love could shatter an empire.
Snatched from his Albanian village, Emre is chosen for the Ottoman Sultan’s bed—a beautiful captive in a palace of impossible luxury and ruthless intrigue. His survival depends on pleasing Sultan Selim II, a man of immense power and complex desire. Marked by a pearl and isolated in a gilded cage, Emre’s only solace is Halil, a silent attendant whose kindness becomes a dangerous, secret love.
But in Topkapi Palace, every whisper is heard. Their bond is a fatal weakness, watched by jealous rivals who would use it to destroy them. To protect Halil, Emre must master a deadly double life: the Sultan’s enchanting favorite by night, and a cunning strategist by day. Each gift from the Sultan—a stone, a dagger, a share of power—tightens the chain around his heart.
From the steamy intimacy of the hammam to the cutthroat politics of the council chamber, Emre navigates a world where love is treason and the mind can be a weapon as lethal as any blade. The Gilded Cage is an epic tale of forbidden romance, survival, and the crushing weight of absolute power. Perfect for fans of emotional historical fiction and intense, character-driven sagas, this story explores what remains of a man when everything he loves is used against him.
-
Add to cartA Family for Christmas: Sometimes the family you find is the gift you needed most.
Noah, a small-town artist, and Leo, a corporate lawyer escaping his gilded cage, meet by chance at a snowy Christmas market. An instant connection leads to tree lightings, cozy coffees, and a glimpse into each other’s opposite worlds: one of chaotic farmhouse love, the other of cold, polished expectations.
Drawn together by a powerful attraction and a shared longing for authenticity, they embark on a transformative journey. Leo must find the courage to choose a real life over a performative one, even if it means walking away from everything he knows. Noah must believe he is worthy of a love that promises both incredible joy and daunting challenges.
Their romance blossoms through seasons of change—a wedding that blends their families, the creation of a community art gallery, and the quiet strength needed to face a family illness. Ultimately, their love expands to include their greatest dream: building their own family through adoption.
A Family for Christmas is a sweeping, emotional MM romance about the courage to be true to yourself and the incredible family you can build when you find the person who feels like home. It’s a heartwarming story of found family, resilient love, and the everyday magic that happens when two hearts decide to build a life together, not just for the holidays, but for every day that follows.
-
The Ashen Queen
£3.59Add to cartA Cinderella story reimagined with fire, passion, and two queens destined to rewrite their world.
Cinderella’s prison isn’t just a manor; it’s the frozen magic of her cruel stepmother, Beatrice. But beneath the ashes smolders a wild, elemental power. When a royal ball calls, Cinderella forges her own magic: a gown of twilight and slippers of moonlight, and walks to the palace on a path made by the loyal earth.
Princess Arianna, sharp and sovereign, seeks an equal, not a suitor. In the defiant, powerful woman who arrives from the night, she finds her queen. Their instant, incendiary connection defies court and convention, sparking a war with the vengeful Beatrice, who poisons the very land to destroy them.
To save the kingdom, Cinderella and Arianna must unite Cinderella’s nurturing fire with Arianna’s commanding will. Their battle is one of symbiotic love against parasitic control, a fight that will crown them as twin rulers of a new era.
“The Ashen Queen” is a complete, epic F/F fantasy romance. It’s a tale of intense passion, magical warfare, and a love so profound it heals a blighted kingdom and seeds its harmony into the stars. This is a “happily ever after” that builds a throne, founds a dynasty, and ultimately becomes the foundational truth of a universe. For fans of sapphic romance, dark fairy tale retellings, and stories where love is the most powerful magic of all.
-
The Midnight Compass
£3.59Add to cartThe Midnight Compass
A journey begins in a blizzard. A life begins in its wake.Driven to breaking point on Christmas Eve, successful but suffocated Lucas flees his perfect life, only to be stranded in a catastrophic blizzard. His rescue comes in the form of Leo, a charismatic, free-spirited hitchhiker with nothing to lose. Forced together by the storm, their desperate fight for survival in an abandoned diner sparks an undeniable connection.
As Lucas confesses long-buried truths about his identity and desires, Leo becomes an unexpected guide. Their intense bond deepens into a passionate, life-altering romance that awakens Lucas to a world of authenticity and art he had long denied himself. But embracing this thrilling new path means confronting the painful wreckage of his past and making an impossible choice as the New Year dawns.
The Midnight Compass is a gripping, emotional story of sexual awakening, second chances, and the courage to rebuild your life from the ground up. It’s a celebration of finding love, finding yourself, and discovering that the greatest journey often begins when you’re brave enough to leave the map behind.
-
Add to cartIn the opulent, dangerous court of Versailles, a love that could cost them everything begins with a single touch.
Prince Augustin, suffocated by royal duty, finds his only freedom in the palace gardens—and in Léo, the humble gardener whose quiet strength and connection to the earth captivate him. From tentative friendship in secluded bowers, their bond deepens into a passionate, secret love, nurtured in a humble cottage and under moonlit waters.
But their sanctuary is fragile. The watchful eyes of the court are everywhere: the cunning Comtesse Isabelle, who sees Augustin as her pawn; the ambitious valet, Pierre, who collects secrets like currency; and the ever-present threat of scandal. When jealousy and blackmail turn their private haven into a battlefield, Augustin and Léo must transform from clandestine lovers into daring conspirators. To protect each other, they must risk using the very tools of the gilded cage they seek to escape.
The Gilded Garden & the Hidden Heart is a lush, emotionally charged historical romance of forbidden desire, heart-stopping risk, and the transformative power of a love that defies all boundaries. It is a story of tender intimacy and fierce defiance, where the greatest riches are found not in gold-leafed halls, but in the secret, verdant world two hearts build together.
-
The Jack Dickson Dossier
£3.59Add to cartThe Jack Dickson Dossier
He’s the deadliest agent in the service. His greatest mission wasn’t on the books. And his only ally is the man he can’t resist.
Related products
-
Add to cartWhen the first of eight brothers comes out to his traditional Brazilian family, it’s a shock. When the second, third, and fourth follow, it’s a pattern. By the time the eighth and youngest son speaks his truth, the Carvalho family is on a completely unexpected journey.
Spanning seven years from 2018 to a pivotal Christmas in 2025, Oito Sóis: A Christmas Reunion is the epic, heartfelt story of parents Jorge and Maria grappling with a reality that shatters their every expectation. As each of their eight sons navigates love, identity, and partnership with men who gradually become part of the family fabric, the Carvalhos must dismantle their old foundations and build something new, stronger, and more beautiful.
This is a novel about the family you’re born into and the family you choose. It’s a celebration of the messy, joyful, and transformative power of love in all its forms. From whispered confessions and tearful embraces to joyous weddings and the arrival of a new generation, follow the Carvalhos as they learn that the greatest love stories aren’t always romances—sometimes, they’re the story of an entire family choosing to love louder, prouders, and without limits.
-
Add to cart
A Family for Christmas: Sometimes the family you find is the gift you needed most.
Noah, a small-town artist, and Leo, a corporate lawyer escaping his gilded cage, meet by chance at a snowy Christmas market. An instant connection leads to tree lightings, cozy coffees, and a glimpse into each other’s opposite worlds: one of chaotic farmhouse love, the other of cold, polished expectations.
Drawn together by a powerful attraction and a shared longing for authenticity, they embark on a transformative journey. Leo must find the courage to choose a real life over a performative one, even if it means walking away from everything he knows. Noah must believe he is worthy of a love that promises both incredible joy and daunting challenges.
Their romance blossoms through seasons of change—a wedding that blends their families, the creation of a community art gallery, and the quiet strength needed to face a family illness. Ultimately, their love expands to include their greatest dream: building their own family through adoption.
A Family for Christmas is a sweeping, emotional MM romance about the courage to be true to yourself and the incredible family you can build when you find the person who feels like home. It’s a heartwarming story of found family, resilient love, and the everyday magic that happens when two hearts decide to build a life together, not just for the holidays, but for every day that follows.
-
Add to cartThe Silent Language of Us: A Novel of Unspoken Bonds
In a world of noise, they built a quiet world for two.
Arthur, a reclusive cartographer, and Leo, a soulful carpenter, form an unexpected friendship in the silence of the British Library. Their connection, built through shared glances, cups of tea, and a deep understanding of each other’s broken pieces, slowly transforms into a profound and abiding love. But this love has its own rules—it is a chaste, sexless bond, a fortress for two in a world desperate to label them.
Together, they navigate personal crises and societal pressure, their partnership becoming a silent language only they speak. Arthur helps Leo find his voice, while Leo teaches Arthur how to rebuild. They restore broken artifacts and, in doing so, learn to restore each other, discovering that the cracks in their pasts are what make them strong.
This 49-chapter journey is a testament to a love that exists beyond romance and physicality. It’s a story for anyone who has ever found a soulmate in a friend, proving that the most powerful connections are those built on the bedrock of unwavering presence, not passion. Discover the quiet, revolutionary love story of Arthur and Leo.
-
Single Dads LGBTQ+ Club: Love, Hugs, & Second Chances: Book 1 of the Single Dads Club Romance Series
£3.59Add to cartSingle Dads LGBTQ+ Club: Love, Hugs, & Second Chances
Architect Marcus’s life is orderly, quiet, and lonely. Teacher Leo’s life is chaotic, warm, and on pause. Their worlds collide in the one place designed for them: the Single Dads LGBTQ+ Club.
Marcus, a single father to Lily, is intrigued by Leo’s genuine profile—a fellow dad to Sofia who admits to failing at French braids. What begins with hesitant texts about parenting fails blossoms into a powerful connection over pancakes, pillow forts, and shared fears.
But merging two ready-made families is the ultimate test. They must navigate skeptical exes, blend chaotic schedules, and build trust with each other’s daughters. From designing their dream home together to facing a real-life storm that threatens it, their love is tested at every turn. Supported by a vibrant found family from the Club, they learn that true strength isn’t in going it alone, but in building a “village” strong enough to hold all their dreams.
This is a heartfelt, steamy romance about second chances, blended families, and the beautiful, messy work of building a home and a love that lasts. It’s a story that proves family isn’t just who you’re born to, but who you choose, and that the bravest thing a person can do is open their heart to love again.
admin –
Name: Marcus Thorne
Email: marcus.t@bookmail.com
Title: “The Enemies-to-Lovers Trope, Baked to Perfection”
Rating: ★★★★★
I’m a huge fan of the enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and this is one of the best executions I’ve read. The rivalry between Arthur and Mateo is established with such clarity and heat that you are 100% invested in their showdown. The transition from hatred to tolerance to respect to love is slow, simmering, and absolutely believable. Every glance, every accidental touch, every barbed compliment that slowly loses its sting is crafted with masterful precision.
The Italian setting is a character in itself—vivid, romantic, and isolating, forcing them to confront each other. The LGBTQ+ representation felt natural and central to the plot without being the sole defining feature of the characters. They are complex, flawed, ambitious men who happen to fall for each other spectacularly. The ending is heartwarming and left me with a huge smile, especially the epilogue that gives us a glimpse of their hard-won future. If you like your romance with intelligent dialogue, palpable tension, and a generous helping of heart, this book is for you. A standout in the genre.
admin –
Name: Sophia J. Chen
Email: s.chen.writes@outlook.com
Title: “More Than a Romance—A Love Letter to Craft”
Rating: ★★★★★
The Last True Bake-Off delivers on its promises of steamy rivalry and heartfelt romance, but it surprised me by being a deeply moving tribute to art and craft itself. Arthur and Mateo’s love story is beautifully parallel to their journey as artists learning from each other. The baking challenges are not just plot devices; they are character studies, and each result (the tied “Memory Bread,” the failed “Pithivier”) tells you exactly where they are emotionally.
The author’s knowledge and passion for the culinary world shine through without ever feeling like a textbook. I learned about laminating dough and the science of a mirror glaze, but it was always in service of the story. The supporting cast, especially the judges Giovanni and Flick, are wonderfully drawn. The third-act conflict felt real and painful, not contrived, which made the resolution all the more satisfying. This book is for anyone who believes that creating something with your hands is an act of love, whether it’s a perfect loaf of sourdough or a lifelong partnership. Utterly superb.
admin –
Name: Cameron Lee
Email: cameron.reads@gmail.com
Title: “A Perfect Blend of Sweet and Savory Emotions”
Rating: ★★★★★
I devoured this book in two sittings. As someone who loves baking shows and slow-burn romance, this was a literal perfect recipe. Arthur and Mateo’s chemistry crackles from the first page—their banter is sharp, funny, and so believable. The author does an incredible job making their professional philosophies (tradition vs. innovation) feel like authentic extensions of their personalities and pasts. I felt like I was in that Italian villa, smelling the bread and feeling the tension.
But what truly elevated this story was the emotional depth. This isn’t just bickering that turns to kissing. It’s a profound exploration of vulnerability, family expectations, and what it means to build a life that’s truly your own. Mateo’s journey, in particular, shattered my heart and then put it back together. The midnight baking scenes, the sabotaged showstopper, the chocolate cake apology… every beat felt earned and poignant. The food descriptions are lush enough to make you hungry, but the heart of the story is the beautiful, messy, glorious relationship at its center. An absolutely delicious read.