The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

Title: A Pan of Pumpkin and Pastries

Series: Enchanted Confections #4 (standalone within the series)

Author: A.G. Marshall

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Retelling

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

A dab of pumpkin, a dusting of cinders, and a drizzle of midnight baking that could change everything.

Celine Blackthorne is the secret ingredient behind the kingdom’s most fashionable bakery. While her stepmother and stepsisters bask in the dining room spotlight, Celine bakes and cleans in the basement kitchen. When a Royal Patisserie Competition threatens to expose her family’s lack of coin and lack of talent, Celine must take matters into her own flour-dusted hands and save the family business.

With the help of the cobbler’s apprentice next door, Celine risks her anonymity to save the people who take her for granted. But when the contest requires her to leave the bakery for the ballroom, Celine’s secret participation may not stay secret for long. As heat rises in the royal kitchen, Celine must decide if she’s baking for her family’s approval or for a love that’s as sweet as it is unexpected. – summary from Goodreads

*I received an ARC from the author, and all opinions are my own.

A Pan of Pumpkin and Pastries is a cozy, delectable Cinderella retelling with friends-to-lovers, baking competitions, and finding your worth!

This book was so cute! It had super cozy vibes and was a wonderful take on the Cinderella story.

I loved the take on Cinderella. One of my favorite Cinderella retellings is The Coronation Ball by Melanie Cellier, mainly because it took place in a baking setting. This book did that but on a deeper level that I really enjoyed. We got the stepfamily cruelty, but it more nuanced in this book. Honestly, for part of this book I was struggling to figure out if they were being mean or just oblivious. The author did an amazing job of making this hard for the reader to figure out right along with Celine. I also loved how the prince was incorporated into this story. It wasn’t a ball to find a bride, but a welcome home ball, which I like a little more. The way the shoes were incorporated was absolutely amazing and I loved it so, so much! It was perfect and fit the story so well.

Celine was an amazing character! She was so kind and hardworking. A big part of the book was her finding her self-worth and realizing that she was talented and mattered. It was an incredibly moving storyline, and I loved how Mouse guided her, but also wasn’t forceful. Celine had the classic Cinderella kindness, but it felt more realistic and authentic this book. There was some grief exploration, but it wasn’t the center of the book.

I loved Mouse! He was such a sweet character, and I loved how he cared for Celine. He was always showing up for her no matter what, and even when she didn’t ask. It was so sweet and I loved their friendship!

The romance was a friends-to-lovers, as well as a little bit of a slow burn. It took most of the book for their feelings to be realized, but I loved seeing them as friends. And the ending where they chose each other and discussed what their lives would be like together was very sweet.

The stepfamily was interesting. Again, they were written wonderfully, as it was hard to figure out if they were meaning to be cruel. They were and the way they treated Celine was awful and became progressively worse.

The baking in this book was absolutely amazing! I am not the biggest baker, but I do love a good baked good. This entire book I was wanting to jump up and make something delicious. It was wonderfully immersive- you really felt like you were in a bakery. The bakery and the competition were the perfect setting and made the story so unique and fun. This has been compared to The Great British Bake Off, but fantasy, and while I haven’t seen a lot of that show, I have to agree. This is pure baking show vibes and I adored it.

I also loved the baking competition contestants! They were amazing and they were so kind and considerate towards Celine. Arthur, Martha, and Jacque were wonderful characters. I especially loved the quiet way Arthur cared for Celine- it was sweet and fatherly, providing nice moments of kindness and support throughout the story. Jacque was also a lovely character, who provided some humor throughout the story.

The ending was so sweet! I love a good ending, and this one was wonderful. It was everything I want from a fairytale, and I was very happy with it. I also particularly liked how Celine took time to heal before she married. I thought that was a nice inclusion.

A Pan of Pumpkin and Pastries is a cozy Cinderella retelling, with friendship, baking, and realizing your worth!

A Pan of Pumpkin and Pastries will be released on May 29, 2026.