Once Upon a Cake Review

One royal competition. Two unlikely hearts. A recipe for love.

Summary

Nathaniel Alder is finally getting his chance to explore the big city, but things aren’t the same as back home. With barely enough coins to pay his way for three days, he’s looking for work–and as a cake nearly falls into him, he may have fallen into a job.
Winning the chance to provide the cake for a royal event is Thea Greene’s main aspiration right now–although avoiding her mother’s matchmaking is a close second. When a cheerful young man prevents her from dropping their competition cake and destroying her first goal, she finds herself in danger of failing the second…and as the baking competition goes on and Nat become part of their world, it’s becoming harder to remember why she wanted to avoid it in the first place.

Evaluation

🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂/5

Once Upon a Cake is another beautiful fairytale adaptation from Gabrielle Landi, full of charm, sweetness, and cozy fantasy vibes. The bakery setting was absolutely delightful, making me wish I could step right into the story and taste the cakes myself. Thea and Nat had such a fun dynamic—her grumpiness and his sunshiney charm balanced each other perfectly. The royal baking competition added just the right amount of excitement and Hallmark charm, and I loved how each character felt distinct and memorable. If you enjoy sweet romance, fairytale whimsy, and a cozy setting, this novella is a perfect treat. Enjoy!