Battle Royal by Lucy Parker is Romantic, funny, charming and emotional. The slow burn between Dominic and Sylvie worked brilliantly. I liked that their relationship was given time to develop and evolve. The baking competition, the location of their organizations, and the royal wedding cake contract. They all worked admirably for the forced proximity trope. It was reviving to see characters who were a little older and more settled in their lives, and that there wasn’t some force for marriage and youngsters to enter the mix.
At a very early age, Sylvie lost both her parents and was fortunately raised by her caring auntie until she died. Having endured so much at a youthful age, Sylvie has struggled to completely open up to and trust many people.
Dominic, the result of an affair, was treated cruelly by his family until he had the option to flee to his granddad at 13. Despite the fact that his granddad provided him with affection, Dominic has always found it hard to connect and open up to other people.
Sylvie and Dominic initially met four years prior on the set of “Operation Cake”. It was a show where she was a contestant and he was a judge. The newest season of the show has requested Sylvie to return as a fellow judge.
We see Sylvie and Dominic gradually understand their attraction with one another as they likewise structure a friendship. I liked that they feel comfortable and gradually open up to each other…really bearing their spirits and insecurities to one another.
The sparks between this mismatched, yet perfectly matched. The pair are designed to cause fires yet more importantly, the glow, care, and love that develops between them as they gradually uncover their actual selves to one another while managing different individual and professional crises is totally endearing.
If you are new to Lucy Parker, I highly recommend Battle Royal and her London Celebrity series where the main characters work in theatre.
Also Read: The Man Who Died Twice By Richard Osman
