Every so often a fun, modern romance is just what it is needed. The Ingredients of You and Me by Nina Bocci is just that with the addition of lots of baking and a few recipes at the end.
About The Ingredients of You and Me:
After selling her famous bakery back in New York, Parker Adams visits Hope Lake, Pennsylvania, to figure out her next steps. And soon she’s wondering why she ever loved city life in the first place. Between the Golden Girls—the senior women who hold court—and Nick Arthur, her equally infuriating and charming former flame, Parker finds a community eager to help her get her mojo back.
But even though Hope Lake gives her the fresh start she’s been looking for, Parker discovers that it’s not so easy to start over again with Nick. Their chemistry is undeniable, but since Nick is a freshly taken man, Parker is determined to keep things platonic. With a recipe for disaster looming, Parker must cook up a new scheme, figuring out how to keep everything she’s come to love before she loses it all.
Perfect for fans of Amy E. Reichert and Jenny Colgan, The Ingredients of You and Me is a scrumptious romantic comedy that lets you have your cake and eat it too.
About the Author:
Nina Bocci is a USA TODAY bestselling novelist who loves reading and writing about swoony, relatable heroes and smart, witty heroines. If the story is set in a small town, even better. You can always find her chatting on social media about her massive, crazy Italian family and her favorite person in the world, her son. Find her at @NinaBocci on Twitter and Facebook and @Ninapolitan on Instagram.
My Opinion:
Parker is the owner of a bakery in New York that specializes in delivery a sweet with a dark message. She decides to sell and finds herself a bit at odds so she decides to make an extended visit to her girlfriend in a small town in Pennsylvania. What her friend doesn’t know is that Parker had been having a relationship with a guy from town. Now that she’s back she isn’t sure how she feels about seeing him again.
Parker settles in and makes friends with a group of older women she affectionately calls “the Golden Girls.” They try to help her find her baking spark again and along the way they provide her with a brilliant idea for her way forward. As she settles into the life of the town she really finds a home.
This is a light beach read perfect for this time of year. It’s not the kind of book that asks too much of you and you basically just sail right through it. The romance wasn’t the all encompassing kind and it felt a little flat. I was more invested in the relationship between Parker and the Golden Girls – there was a lot of fun and sparkle as they worked on the recipes and made their baking videos.
Overall a book to pass the hours but not one that lingers. I would have baked something to go with this review but my pantry didn’t match the recipes included.
Rating:
3.5
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