Like cats & dogs

For 10 years, Mackenzie "Mac" Newton has been the bane of Magda Miller's existence. If Mac's obnoxious tabby named Cat isn't muscling his way into Magda's apartment and upsetting her beloved pit bull, Cupcake, then Mac is exploiting, for his own business advantage, his illicit appropriation of her grandmother's recipe for maple cake. So when Magda gets the chance to get out of Pine Hollow, Vermont, and away from Mac by becoming a contestant on her favorite show of all time, The Great American Cake-Off, she can't say yes fast enough. There is just one little thing the show's producers failed to share with Magda; this show is a very special "Arch Rivals" episode, and Mac just happens to be her rival baker! In the latest impeccably crafted addition to her puppy-filled Pine Hollow series, following Four Weddings and a Puppy (2024), Shane deftly sifts all the delicious whimsy and charm of The Great British Baking Show into a scrumptiously sweet romance that is enhanced with two dueling pets and just the right dash of zesty humor.

Mac, the owner of a coffee shop that also serves food, and Magda, the owner of a rival French-style pâtisserie, have been feuding for over a decade. The feud is legendary in their small town of Pine Hollow, and it's what lands both of them on a reality show spinoff called The Great American Cake-Off: Archrivals Edition. But Magda has no idea of the spinoff' concept change or that Mac will be there as her archrival. Mac's presence throws her off, and it shows in her baking. Mac hates being there as Magda's rival, and he's sick of their feud. As the filming progresses, contestants begin to band together against their rivals, and Magda and Mac realize that they bake best together--at least when they're not fighting. Their temporary truce could even turn into true love. This "Pine Hollow" series finale, after Four Weddings and a Puppy, adds realism to the romance. The arguments between Mac and Magda are truly spectacular, with witty comebacks and misunderstandings. The baking show is likewise believable, showing not only the on-screen edit but the drama, stress, and panic behind the scenes. VERDICT While this novel can stand alone, first-time readers will want the entire series. Highly recommended.--Heather Miller Cover