So what if she left her high-powered job as a Very Important Journalist—and her even higher-powered long-term girlfriend—to live a quiet life as a reporter for the second-biggest newspaper in Shropshire? And so what if she keeps hearing that same higher-powered long-term now-ex-girlfriend in her head night and day, constantly judging just how small Audrey’s allowed her life to become?
She’s fine. She’s happy. She’s perfectly within her groove. Do not-in-their-groove people get weekday drunk and impulsively apply for the UK’s most beloved baking show?
All right, so maybe she’s not completely fine, but being on Bake Expectations is opening her world again in ways she never anticipated. First through fellow contestant Doris, whose personal story of queer love during WW2 captures Audrey’s heart, imagination and journalistic interest like nothing has in ages. Then through Jennifer Hallet, the most foul-tempered (and fouler-mouthed) producer, woman, and menace Audrey has ever met. Jennifer should be off-limits, but her fire lights something unexpected inside of Audrey, making her want to burn back a million times brighter. A million times hotter. A million times more herself than she’s been in a long, long time.
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Combining sharp wit, cerebral dialogue, and diverse romantic pairings across genres such as urban fantasy, science fiction, and contemporary romantic comedy, modern LGBTQ+ fiction offers rich narrative variety seen in popular releases like Boyfriend Material. Alexis Hall is an English writer who fiercely guards personal privacy, writing under a pen name and omitting author photographs from published works. Known for using whatever pronouns, Hall famously dislikes writing biographies or talking about himself in the third person, residing in southeast England with an extensive collection of hats and four angry duckchildren.
Before beginning a professional publishing career in 2013, Hall held an eclectic succession of jobs, including work as an ice cream maker, fortune teller, lab technician, and professional gambler. Hall's personal website name derives from the opening line of the Athanasian Creed (Quicunque vult), reflecting an interest in language, history, and wordplay. Since debuting in fiction, Hall has maintained a high-volume creative output across multiple subgenres. In 2016, Hall received the RITA Award for Erotic Romance for For Real: A Spires Story, and later published four romance novels in 2022 alone.
Hall's writing style features witty banter, cerebral character dynamics, and sweepingly romantic plotlines that balance emotional vulnerability with comedic energy. Whether crafting urban fantasy with paranormal investigations or classic romantic comedy tropes, Hall's stories frequently combine romance, swordfights, mystery, and humorous character interactions. Across contemporary and historical settings, the work emphasizes distinct character voices and authentic LGBTQ+ relationships without shying away from angst, humor, or theatrical storytelling.
Winner Bakes All
