Holly Jolly Cake Fight

Previously published as Holly Jolly Cake Fight by Chloe Alice Balkin.

Candace Coale’s life fell apart with one disastrous summer: a scandal she couldn’t avoid, a bakery she couldn’t save, and a reputation she couldn’t reclaim. So when she’s unexpectedly invited back for Food2Love’s Great Christmas Bake-Off, she’s got nothing to lose.
And $100,000 to win.
Laurin Lavigne was once soccer’s next big star. Now he runs his struggling family bakery, which is one renovation away from losing everything. The Bake-Off could mean a miracle if he wins.
But winning would be a miracle.
When a mix-up pairs Candace and Laurin as teammates—and bunkmates—the kitchen isn’t all that heats up. Candace worries she’s falling for a trap; Laurin worries he’s been forced into a game he didn’t sign up for. As they navigate their uneasy partnership, the challenge becomes more than the competition. It becomes managing the heat between them before things get deliciously out of control.

Holly Jolly Cake Fight is a slow burn that ends with all the spice between a cinnamon roll hero and a heroine best described as a feral cat being lured in day by day with bits of shrimp. Mild content warning for history of abuse.