Fairy Cakes in Winter

By: Lane Hayes

Narrated by: Michael Dean

A grumpy baker, a quirky ad man, and a recipe for forever....

Scott

So this cute guy sits next to me on the plane and proceeds to talk my ear off for hours. Not good. I don’t like talking and I don’t like strangers. But Theo’s sweet, smart, and sexy—the perfect distraction from business woes and personal worries.

Okay, things got overly friendly, but we’re adults and we know the score. I’m too old, he’s too nice, and we live on different continents.

Then, out of the blue, he shows up at my bakery with that pretty smile and a list of wacky marketing ideas—like how to make fairy cakes a thing.

I don’t like fairy cakes.

But I do like Theo, so…maybe?

Theo

The new me takes risks. The new me is brave and confident. The new me flirts with hunky, imposing bears on planes while traveling to a foreign country.

It’s going well, thank you.

However, my plans to do some sightseeing, drink tea, and eat my weight in biscuits every day get derailed when I realize there might be a way to help Scott and prove a few things to myself.

Don’t worry. I won’t fall for the grumpy baker. No way. He’s complicated and broody and....

Uh oh…it might be too late. Help!

Fairy Cakes in Winter is a bisexual, age-gap, grumpy/sunshine MM romance featuring a sexy baker, a sunny tourist, and a few dozen fairy cakes.

©2023 Lane Hayes (P)2023 Lane Hayes

enjoyed it

📖 Story comment: easy pace, interesting characters, entertaining story.
Overall I enjoyed the story, although I would have liked the end and the epilogue to be expanded.
Uncomplicated plot, so what I'd call an easy listen - a good story to listen to while doing something else without losing track of what's going on..

🎧 Narrator comment: .. what to say about Michael Dean's performance.... he suits the characters, has good cadence, inflections and intonations and brings life to every scene... the guy knows his stuff!

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📌 Where does it fall on my personal scale? 7
• 1 not my thing • 2 didn't like the narration • 3 didn't keep my attention • 4 was good, but once was enough • 5 enjoyed it • 6 will listen again if i'm in the mood for the narrator [4⭐] • 7 goes on the "re-listen" list [4⭐] • 8 kept me up past bed-time [4.5⭐] • 9 recommended to family/friends [4.75⭐] • 10 own it in all formats [5⭐] • 11 keep a copy with me at all times [5⭐]
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Adorable!

I’m a big fan of Michael Dean as a narrator. I always feel like there’s a small joke he’s in on and is sharing with the audience. Like you can hear the sly wink in his voice. He always makes for an entertaining listen.

This book is adorably sweet, charming, and just lovely. It has baking, humor, and just enough grumpy/sunshine to warm even the coldest heart. It’s comfort reading at its very best. Definitely recommended!

A book as sweet as fairy cakes

Instantly loved these two from the very beginning. Delightfully read, sweetly written. So good. Just read it already!

Awesome listen

I really enjoyed this listen. This , to me, is a grumpy and shine shine read! I love the setting and the characters. The storyline is cute and everything is an awesome listen!

What a sweet and hot story!

Theo is a very nervous flyer and he latches on to his seatmate, Scott. Much to Scott’s dismay they strike up a bit of conversation that eventually turns a bit naughty. Theo wants to be a changed man, someone who takes risks, so he proposes a restroom rendezvous with Scott when their plane lands.

I loved everything about this book. The witty repartee between Theo and Scott was delightful. I loved how Theo’s sunshiny nature brought Scott out of his grumpiness. They both were rewarded with a relationship that neither of them was looking for.

Michael Dean was the perfect choice to perform this story and he did a fantastic job!

A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me at my request; my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.

Fairy Cakes in Winter

I was excited for this release and happy the audiobook was released immediately. It is short, the audiobook is only 5 hours. Do you get second hand embarrassment from characters? I do and this book was filled with it lol. I do wish it was longer because the becoming a couple happens at the last minute.

Scott and Theo

"𝑰'𝒎 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈...𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒊𝒕. 𝑰𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆."

𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 by Lane Hayes
4 Maple Leafs | 3 Flames

Scott and Theo meet on their plane ride over to England. Initially determined to ignore each other on the flight, turbulence changes everything and they get to know each other. After the flight, they indulge in a tryst in the bathroom and then go their separate ways only to come face to face again a few days later in Scott's bakery.

Scott and Theo's story is sweet and entertaining. I enjoyed their meet-cute-ish plane ride and their journey to their happily ever after. I loved how Theo would go on nervous rants and was able to crack Scott's broody exterior.

This was my first ever Lane Hayes book, I enjoyed it and can see myself reading/listening to more books by her.

Michael Dean did a great job of bringing Scott and Theo to life and their story and making you feel like you were on their journey with them.

Get ready for... mm, small town, strangers, age gap, grumpy/sunshine, bisexual
POV... dual first-person

Sweet Grumpy/Sunshine

I enjoyed this story. Following along with Theo & Scott from their chance meeting on a plane made for a good story.

4.5 stars for Fairy Cakes in Winter

The first things that come to mind about this story are cute, sweet, and that it is just a really satisfying story. And yes, I may have shed a tear or two at one point. I think though that I’d label this more “Reluctant/Sunshine” than “Grumpy/Sunshine” for the matchup between Scott and Theo. Extra points for being set in England, primarily in Bath which is one of my favorite cities to visit.

Theo is such a sweetheart, and is a perfect contrast to Scott. Even with Scott trying to keep things professional between them, and Theo trying to not get in too deep when he knows things can only be temporary, they still are amazing together. Theo fit right in with everyone there and was a whiz at coming up with marketing ideas for Scott’s business.

Even with that one point at which my eyes became a bit misty, this was still a feel-good story that left me wanting to just hug both Theo and Scott. Fairy Cakes in Winter gets 4.5 stars from me! I listened to the audio version, and overall Michael Dean’s narration was great. The character voices were consistent and pacing was good, the only thing that was a little off for me were the accents for the British characters…so four stars for the narration.

Cute story

This is a cute, quick read typical of Ms. Hayes. The cover is AMAZING.

Scott and Theo have a definite meet cute on the airplane where Theo wedges his way under Scott’s skin. Theo is having a bit of a life crisis and is taking time off to regroup. He’s finding himself and helping Scott live again. Scott has basically been just grumping his way through life for the last few years. Theo brings a smile to his face and gives him a reason to celebrate life, not just move through it.

Thankfully, there isn’t a lack of communication or any misunderstanding. Scott takes the bull by the horns when things could be a mess. The story is predictable but adorable.

The audio performance is good...my only complaint is the voice for Becca is rough. The female British accent is a little much for Mr. Dean.