Time to Rise

TV 24, Book 1

By: Heléne Holmström, Marlaine Delargy - translator

Narrated by: Nina Yndis

It’s her struggling bakery. But it’s his reality show. More than tempers will flare in a warmhearted and positively delicious opposites-attract romantic comedy.

Nora Jansson will do anything to save her parents’ beloved bakery from bankruptcy, even if it means allowing a TV reality crew into her kitchen and her life. Not to mention celebrity pastry chef Henrik Eklund, its impossibly rude host who’s happy to point out Nora’s baking missteps—on cue. It’s bringing out her feisty side.

Nora’s sourdough starter isn’t exactly Henrik’s biggest worry. His popularity is slipping, and his production team has an idea for making this a blockbuster season: fake flirt. A spicy enemies-to-friends romance will be good for the show and a boon to Nora’s business. So, for the cameras, let the sparks fly.

Somewhere between saffron buns and after-hours mulled wine socials, Nora’s seeing a gentler side to the charismatic star. And Henrik is getting closer to Nora—not just on-screen. What’s pretend and what’s getting real? Soon there will be more on the line than high ratings and the bakery’s survival.

©2021 by Heléne Holmström. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Translation © 2023 by Marlaine Delargy.

Critic reviews

“Time to Rise is a lovely slice of Swedish life that’s slowly exposed through strong female friendships, tight family bonds, and alternating time lines that culminate in one contemporary romance with a decidedly happy ending.” —Booklist