Publishers Weekly
08/30/2021
In the wake of being dumped by their girlfriend, 17-year-old agender baker Syd—who works at the Proud Muffin, South Austin’s best queer bakery—accidentally infuses a batch of brownies with their heartbreak and confusion, causing every couple who tries them to break up soon after. Determined to fix their mistakes, Syd teams up with Harley, a transmasculine, demisexual bike delivery person, to find the brownies’ victims, starting with the Proud Muffin’s owners, and cure them with more baked goods. But as Syd and Harley navigate the intricacies of Austin’s queer community in their quest to save relationships, they unexpectedly start one of their own and must figure out what they want from each other. Capetta’s (The Storm of Life) recipe for the story involves equal parts romantic comedy, heartfelt explorations of queer identity, and mouthwatering descriptions of baked goods, as well as interstitial recipes for treats such as Breakup Brownies and Very Sorry Cake. A natural chemistry between Syd and Harley and an intersectionally inclusive supporting cast help to fuel the narrative. The final product is a tasty romance with subtle hints of culinary magic. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
Capetta’s groundbreaking romance makes magic by centering queer and trans characters and relationships. . . . LGBTQ+ characters are allowed to experience joy, fall in love, and break up. Between all that, a groundbreaking agender protagonist, a love interest who uses both he/him and they/them pronouns, and a cast of complex queer and trans characters, this book proves a necessary addition to the young adult romance genre. Every scene involving magic baking is pure perfection, and the romance is as mouthwatering as Syd’s recipes, all of which will make readers want to pull out a bowl, a baking sheet, and a sprinkle of their own magic.
—Booklist (starred review)
A.R. Capetta describes both baking and the excitement of first love in luscious, sensuous detail. . . . Syd, who is agender, is an expertly constructed protagonist and a notable step forward in representing the full spectrum of gender identities in YA fiction. Syd’s earnest musings about gender, bodies, performance and identity are likely to resonate deeply with teens who’ve shared those thoughts and experiences.
—BookPage (starred review)
LGBTQ+ characters take center stage in this work, led by agender narrator Syd (who does not care for pronouns) and demisexual Harley. . . While outright bigotry is not shown, Syd’s life demonstrates the difficulties of having to explain one’s orientation and gender and the burden of feeling unheard. . . . This sweet story shows that relationships don’t follow a recipe.
—Kirkus Reviews
Capetta’s (The Storm of Life) recipe for the story involves equal parts romantic comedy, heartfelt explorations of queer identity, and mouthwatering descriptions of baked goods, as well as interstitial recipes for treats such as Breakup Brownies and Very Sorry Cake. . . a tasty romance with subtle hints of culinary magic.
—Publishers Weekly
An irresistible story of love and found family. . . We don’t recommend reading it if you are even the slightest bit hungry.
—BookPage
The best books come with a sprinkling of magic and a whole lot of heart baked in, which is precisely the case with this new A. R. Capetta novel.
—Buzzfeed
This sweet-as-sugar speculative romance about love, identity, and the pursuit of happiness stars agender (a first for traditionally published mainstream YA fiction) baker Syd, who's staring down the breakup of a four-year relationship and feeling a lot of feelings.
—Buzzfeed
Few books made me feel as truly seen as The Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta did. Syd’s journey to figure out what pronouns fit, if any, and Harley’s ever-shifting pronouns reflected through what pronoun pin they’re wearing. The way A.R. explores gender and queerness and the intersections therein. How communities and found families can be just as important, or even more so, as the family you were born into. This is a YA fantasy novel I’ll be thinking about for a long time to come.
—Tor.com
This cozy magical realist story is a delightful love letter to queer love and community.
—Autostraddle
MARCH 2022 - AudioFile
Narrator Krystal Hammond brings listeners an incredible love note to the queer community. After an abrupt breakup, Syd, a teenage baker at the Proud Muffin, pours heartbreak into the brownies. But the "breakup brownies" cause havoc throughout Austin, so Syd and bicycle delivery person Harley attempt to make things right. The inclusivity and representation in this audiobook are outstanding. Agender persons, POCs, deaf people, LGBTQIAs, and so many more are part of the story. There is an unexpectedly slow and breathy quality to the narration that listeners may find either soothing or distracting, but Hammond captures the characters' emotions and growth in exquisite detail. Listeners will want to pay attention as one character changes their pronouns frequently. E.P. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2021-07-13
Syd navigates relationships and discovers a magical power.
After a rough breakup, 17-year-old Syd, who works at the Proud Muffin in Austin, Texas, bakes all the negative feelings into a batch of brownies. Unfortunately, Syd has also just unlocked a magical power, and the customers who buy the brownies start to go through breakups of their own—including the gay couple who own the bakery, putting its very survival at risk. Aided by genderfluid delivery person Harley, Syd is determined to repair these broken relationships. This may seem simple at first, but Syd soon discovers that no relationship is entirely cookie cutter. LGBTQ+ characters take center stage in this work, led by agender narrator Syd (who does not care for pronouns) and demisexual Harley; there’s a polyamorous triad among the supporting cast, and at one event, a nonbinary elderly person serves as a reminder that queer people come in all ages. While outright bigotry is not shown, Syd’s life demonstrates the difficulties of having to explain one’s orientation and gender and the burden of feeling unheard. Syd’s love of baking shines throughout the text, with actual recipes that Syd uses interspersed throughout. Over the course of the narrative, Syd examines different types of romantic feelings, from infatuation to love, and considers what precisely is key to a healthy relationship. Syd and Harley are White; the supporting cast is racially diverse.
This sweet story shows that relationships don’t follow a recipe. (Fiction. 14-18)