Two estranged sisters are manipulated into participating in a baking competition by their grandmother.

I like that the sisters rediscovered a relationship as a result. I like that Linnie begins to realize that second place does not mean "first loser".

I didn't like some of the cutthroat methods used by the competitor's to sabotage the others. What's wrong with doing your best and letting the others do their best? (And I don't mean something simple like you needed 4 eggs for your recipe and you took the last 4 eggs there were so another team that dropped theirs had none--no, this is things like substituting salt for sugar or trying to incapacitate another competitor by putting drops in their coffee!)

There's a bit of a twist in that in the end, the winners end up sabotaging themselves unknowingly. ( )

You know, there are times I want to read a book that is just 'fun'. One that I'm not supposed to get a lesson from or learn how to do anything. Just a good time. This was one of those books for me. I read it and enjoyed it thoroughly. ( )

Beth Kendrick’s The Bake-Off is a sweet, fun and entertaining look at family, love and the perfect pastry. Kendrick immediately drew me into the Bialeks’ world with tales of Linnie’s unfulfilling life in Vegas and Amy’s frazzled days in Connecticut. Each woman was sympathetic, colorful, interesting — a fully fleshed-out and compelling character. I could sense the discord between them — anyone could, of course — but there was something tangible beneath the surface: love. And a sense that they wanted to repair what was broken between them . . . but didn’t know how.

Enter Grammy Syl. What a lovable, hilarious woman — and a devoted matriarch of their family. Syl’s undying hope that her granddaughters would reunite is endearing even when it seems ill-advised, and I could definitely imagine a determined grandmother scheming to bring her family back together in just this way. It seems like the tension between Amy and Linnie is insurmountable, but is it? I didn’t want to think so. Kendrick does a wonderful job of making the issues real without overwhelming us with drama.

In fact, for a novel about a baking competition, the drama was anything but cheesy; it was fun. After the sisters arrive to make with the famous szarlotka, their competition is willing to do anything for a cut of the $100,000 grand prize. Tai and Ty Tottenham are The Bake-Off’s villains — a husband and wife duo not averse to sabotage. Watching Linnie and Amy navigate around them was very amusing.

At the heart of the story, though, is the apple pie that brings the girls together — and my mouth was watering at descriptions of the perfect crust and tart filling. Amy and Linnie’s relationship progressed beautifully and left me feeling tender and warmhearted for my own sibling, and I think that’s what Kendrick would want. Though I wasn’t a huge fan of the love story that developed partway through, it didn’t bother me much. My eye was on that pie.

Fans of women’s fiction, foodie fiction and novels about sisters will delight in Kendrick’s descriptions, vivid characters and fast-paced, hilarious dialogue. A book that often had me laughing aloud — and wiping away a tear at points. Recommended. ( )

Sisters Amy and Linnie are brought together by their crafty Grammy Syl, in an attempt on her part for them to bury the hatchet and be a part of each others' lives. Sounds easy enough, but neither sister is a baker and Grammy has entered them in a National Baking Contest, using her Polish Apple Pie recipe. Linnie needs the prize money and Amy's time away from her family may help her see a new career path. Their situation grew from differences in their childhood and it's great to see them begin to appreciate each other as adults. What I really liked, however, was Kendrick's handling of the Baking Contest itself. From the descriptions of the rules, runners to the pantry and the mock cooking areas set up for each set of contestants, I felt I was learning a lot about this strange world. The baking world is not without its' own rivalries and scandals either and these made for some interesting parts of the story. ( )