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12 of the most anticipated debut books of 2024

Olivia Ford

As delicious and comforting as a freshly baked sponge. A most heartwarming story and delightful debut

Ruth Jones, bestselling author of Love Untold

A gorgeous, gorgeous book. Funny and sad in equal measure, the humour in Mrs Quinn's Rise to Fame is razor sharp and the sadness incredibly poignant. . .a fabulous, ultimately joyful read.

Jennie Godfrey Sunday Times bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things

Mrs Quinn&rsquo;s Rise to Fame is an absolute delight. A lovely novel full of warmth, courage and heart, Jenny Quinn is a heroine you&rsquo;ll cheer for every step of the way

A J Pearce, Sunday Times bestselling author of Dear Mrs Pearce

Bake Off fans, don&rsquo;t miss this! Delectable food writing and a quietly loveable heroine.

Calling all Great British Baking Show fans: When you've salivated your way through the latest season (and the entire back catalog), this charming novel will fill the cake-shaped hole in your heart. The story of an older woman who enters a televised baking show is as cozy as a night in grandma's kitchen with the kind of feel-good suspense we love from the likes of Paul Hollywood.

Ford transports you back to that cozy, something&rsquo;s-in-the-oven world where you somehow know (or at least believe) that everything is going to be OK

Indulge in this tantalising debut novel. A charming, cosy and lighthearted read

A gentle read that pulls at the heartstrings - read with a slice of cake.

Mrs Quinn's Rise to Fame is a charming, heartfelt and uplifting novel about love, family and the emotive power of home baking. I loved every minute of it!

Libby Page, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Lido

Ford. . . entertains readers with backstage shenanigans while also focusing on the depth and intimacy that come from a lifetime of knowing someone.

Olivia writes with such warmth. Not just for bakers, this novel is an intensely rich love-letter to family, friends and new beginnings.

Eva Rice, bestselling author of The Lost Art Of Keeping Secrets

This delicious read packs an emotional punch and is guaranteed to leave you feeling full

One of those books you just want to hug to your chest. I loved it so much.

Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of The Proposal

Do not read this delicious debut novel while hungry as its mouth-watering descriptions of cakes and bakes will send you into a tummy-rumbling decline. At seventy seven, Julia Quinn is good at two things; baking and being married to her devoted husband Bernard. When she wins a spot on the TV show Britain Bakes, Julia finds a new self-confidence but is also forced to confront the secret she&rsquo;s kept from everyone, including Bernard.

This warm-hearted book is full of delicious descriptions of food, and a powerful message about it never being too late to try new things

Fans of cooking competition shows will devour this romp about an elderly home baker who appears on one in secret. As cozy as a cup of tea and cake.

Soul-enriching&hellip;.From its enticing setting to its perfect ending, Mrs. Quinn&rsquo;s Rise To Fame is absolutely marvelous. Like a great dessert, you&rsquo;ll wish you could come back for more.

J. Ryan Stradal, New York Times bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest

Delightful and heartwarming, Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame is the ultimate comfort read and a sweet reminder that it's never too late to pursue our dreams.

Margarita Montimore, USA Today bestselling author of Oona Out of Order

The fact that I was still thinking about Jenny and Bernard long after I'd turned the last page just goes to show that the smallest lives can sometimes leave the biggest impact. Olivia Ford has achieved that rarest of feats: in Mrs Quinn&rsquo;s Rise to Fame she has created hope. A delicious feast of warm, witty, and wise. This novel is Lessons In Chemistry meets The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. I was still thinking about Jenny and Bernard long after I'd turned the last page

Joanna Nell, bestselling author of The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village

Olivia Ford has written a moving, uncommon coming-of-age story, and if the age Mrs. Quinn is coming of is a few decades older than usual, it&rsquo;s all the more uplifting and empowering for it. I loved the insider&rsquo;s look into a reality TV show and the delicious descriptions of all the bakes, but it&rsquo;s the love stories at the center of this novel that so beautifully rise.

Laurie Frankel, New York Times bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is

A warm-hearted book that rises to the top with its delightful story and wonderful characters

Phaedra Patrick bestselling author of The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper

Reality TV producer Ford debuts with the charming story of a British home baker’s turn in the spotlight. Fans of cooking competitions will find this feel-good story delectable.

Mrs Quinn&rsquo;s Rise to Fame is a delightful story full of warmth, kindness and cake. Author Olivia Ford shows us that it&rsquo;s never too late to take chances and step out of our comfort zone, and readers will be inspired and moved by Mrs Quinn&rsquo;s charming coming-of-age tale. So sit back with a cup of tea and a slice of cake while you devour this deliciously feel-good story.

Freya Sampson, bestselling author of The Lost Ticket

This is a treat of a tale - as comforting, moreish and delicious as the cakes it describes. Yet it achieves this would shying away from the complexities and sorrows of life and, as a love story, it's refreshing, authentic and deeply affecting. I hugely enjoyed this book.

Susan Fletcher, bestselling author of Eve Green

There are a couple of recipes included at the end of the book. I haven&rsquo;t attempted them, but I&rsquo;m going to assume that taking them out of the oven will &mdash; like The Great British Baking Show and Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame &mdash; feel all warm and cozy.

Olivia Ford's warmhearted debut novel, Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame, traces the story of one woman's life through baking. . . Like Jenny's expertly crafted pastries, Ford's narrative layers in sweetness, rich flavors, and the occasional bit of salt. . .Compassionate, thoughtful, and full of mouthwatering descriptions, Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame is a tribute to kindness, following one's dreams at any age, and the deep joy and nourishment of baking.

A sweet confection . . . Readers are sure to eat up this delicious paean to pursuing one's dreams at every age

Mrs. Quinn&rsquo;s Rise to Fame is a charming story that falls within the growing niche of books set in, essentially, fictionalized versions of the Great British Bake Off. At 77, Jennifer Quinn lives in the English countryside with her husband Bernard, and despite the quiet peace of their existence, she has begun to feel the smallness &ldquo;of having reached a point where there was far more of life behind her than ahead of her.&rdquo; A lifelong baker, Jenny works up the nerve to apply for the competition show Britain Bakes and earns a place as a contestant. Baking brings up secrets and memories from Jenny&rsquo;s past, and these anecdotes are interspersed throughout the present-day narrative. It&rsquo;s a sweet, approachable book that&rsquo;s fit for the times you simply want something that soothes.

Charming, uplifting and triumphant, the story we al need right now, proving that you&rsquo;re never too old for a challenge

Cathy Bramley, Sunday Times Top Ten best-selling author of The Lemon Tree Cafe

One of the most heartwarming stories you&rsquo;ll read this year. I absolutely adored it

Jenny Quinn has a secret. She just won a spot as a contestant on a prime-time TV baking show. It's only the second time in her marriage that she's kept something from beloved husband Bernard. And now she's got a chance of being crowned Britain's best baker. 
 
But as her ordinary life collides with unexpected stardom, the other secret Jenny's been keeping - the one supposed to stay hidden forever - is in danger of surfacing. 
Could Jenny Quinn's rise to fame also be her downfall?

Olivia Ford

Articles featuring Olivia Ford

12 of the most anticipated debut books of 2024

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