Book Review: Heart Break Bakery
Original review written 4/8/23
What's it about?
Syd is a phenomenal baker working at Proud Muffin, a bakery built on feeding and creating a safe, fun and accepting landing for all members of the LGBTQIA+ community and Syd’s proud of it!
Syd's kind of got it all, a girlfriend, friends, acceptance and a job Syd loves. But then things start to fall apart. Syd's girlfriend ends their relationship, leaving Syd devastated and using her baking as an emotional release. But then, it seems almost obvious that the brownies that hit the counter, made at Syd's own hands, are filled with unsettling emotions that cause anyone who eats them to fight with their significant other and the relationship to crumble. Syd feels absolutely guilty about the ending relationships all around the bakery and goes on a mission to repair all of the relations ruined by the brownies and shenanigans ensue! There may even be a new love interest in the recipe!
Favorite:
Favorite Character: This book is filled with so many great characters, it was hard to choose but I'm going with Syd and Harley as my two favorites. I'm not sure I can pin point a specific thing that makes me love them, but I do.
Favorite Part: The recipes. There are a lot of other really cool parts and I adored the part where Harley gives Syd a gift but the recipes have a hold on me. Even the recipes for things like a really bad night. They were fun, (mostly) delicious sounding and perfect for not just the story, but the telling of the story which I so loved and appreciated.
Favorite Part: "Walk around with your head high, your socks higher." (pg. 87)
Other Thoughts:
There were just so many things about this book that I really enjoyed, from the recipes, to the representation, to the emotional journey that they went through. I loved the acceptance and community. I enjoyed the characters and I just have to mention that, maybe this is a thing that's mainstream, but Harley's pin...I'm in love! I thought that was so cool and such a cool way to share pronouns without making a big deal about it (because it's not).
I loved the recipes and the magical aspect which often had me wondering if it was really a thing, can Syd literally bake emotions into the concoctions created in Syd's very hands? Or is it all just something imagined and a project used to help recover from a break up? I loved how it wasn't entirely clear for most of the book, allowing us to either believe entirely or question it.
I loved the representation and the very idea of the Proud Muffin. It just sounds like a cool place and an amazing support, which instantly made me fall in love.
My big "complaint" is that even though Syd is supposed to be in school, we really see almost nothing of Syd's school career which kind of made it easy for me to forget that Syd is only 17. I would have liked to see more of Syd in that environment and see the struggle between baking, a career and school. I know that the school aspect doesn't have a huge part in the story, but I feel like it could have been used to show more of Syd's character and the internal struggles that Syd is going through.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and I would not be sad at all if there's a sequel to this one. Maybe see the relationships that were maintained, built and alluded to in the books, the future of the Proud Muffin. I'd totally read it again and, even though I haven't yet, I totally have plans to gather my kids into the kitchen and create a recipe or two provided by Syd.
Ratings:
I give this book a
7
out of
10 Coffee and Muffins
But that's what I thought. What did you think? Who did you relate to? Did you love the idea of the Proud Muffin as much as me? Let us know in the comments!
