A cute little romance-ish book about Syd, who works in a queer-friendly bakery in Austin. After a bad breakup, Syd inadvertently bakes a batch of magical brownies that cause couples to break up, and they have to come up with new baked goods to repair the ruined romances.

Syd is a fun character, and the handful of other bakers and queer acquaintainces are good too. It didn’t especially grab me, maybe because Syd is so young – just seventeen, and dealing with the angst of a first breakup – I was more drawn to the older characters.

It’s sweet and fluffy, like a delicious baked good, and I’m looking forward to discussing it at book club in a few weeks.

Favourite quotes

P202:

I’m worried that Harley will judge me for not being brave enough. But his brown eyes stay soft. It feels like he’s here for me, in a moment that I usually have to get through on my own. And somehow that softens the edges. It makes this one more thing that we share.

I sit down abruptly on a stool as another truth hits me.

Love is about sharing the hard bits. Not just the happiness.

W and I were good at the good. But we mostly ignored the bad, the awkward, the uncomfortable. We just kept moving like nothing would be able to catch up with us. Like if we didn’t look at it directly, it might slink away.

P337:

Harley wrinkles their nose, suddenly shy.

They kiss me lightly, carefully.

Then boldly.

I kiss them again and again and again— every kiss I wish I’d given them over the last few weeks. When my lips are nearly numb and my smile is exhausted, we twine our fingers, line up our arms, and head toward the biggest tent, walking with our sides pressed together.

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