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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
I love second-chance romances and baking, so this seemed right up my alley. Plus, it’s set in a small town in North Carolina and involves a baking competition. How could I resist? And I’m glad I didn’t, because this is such a sweet, adorable romance.
Childhood sweethearts from a small town in North Carolina, Kelly and Andrew broke up when Andrew decided to stay in France after completing a pastry chef internship there. Though it scuttles their dreams of opening their own restaurant, seven years later, they’re both successful people in their own rights. Andrew is the head chef at a famous French chef’s restaurant, and Kelly has opened a famous bakery in their hometown. When the chance of a lifetime brings Andrew back to his hometown, seeing Kelly again brings up good memories – and doubts about whether he’s as happy as he thinks. But Andrew’s time back in Bailey’s Fork is limited, as he’s heading to help a friend open up a restaurant in New York City, while Kelly is traveling to Orlando for a baking convention – or so they say. Fate has a few more meetings in store for them. Can they both see past their old hurts to bake a new future together?
This is just the sweetest book – and I’m not just talking about all the desserts! Kelly is adorable – a hardworking businesswoman who hasn’t lost her sense of fun, which serves her well when designing her award-winning baked goods. Andrew, well, Andrew took a bit for me to warm up to him. In all honest, I spent at least the first quarter of the book being seriously judgmental of Andrew. While, in retrospect, I can see where some fault for their breakup might like with Kelly, it’s Andrew who chose to breakup with her over the phone and completely trashed the plans they’d made together over the course of years. While he was pursuing his studies in France, Kelly was left to pick up the pieces of her broken heart. Kelly used her heartbreak to throw herself into running The Cake Factory, which started as a little bake shop that mostly just filled orders for her parents’ cafe next door, but expanded to truly live up to its name, including fulfilling internet orders across the country. Plus, she adopted a pig she named G.R.A.Y. View Spoiler », a detail which had me giggling. Kelly does have a chip on her shoulder about being a self-trained baker, rather than the fancy training Andrew received as a pastry chef in France, and she’s wary of trying to rekindle even a friendship with him.
While Andrew realizes from his first reunion with Kelly that he lost something special with her, and that he still loves her, Kelly is more gun-shy, worried about another heart-break. After all, he left her once, so who’s to say he wouldn’t leave again when another opportunity presented itself Part of Andrew’s decision to stay in France was to prove to his father that he was a “real” chef, as his dad wanted him to follow in his footsteps and join the family mechanic shop and disapproved of his career choice. It was nice to see him start to rebuild those relationships with his family, and also gradually remember the joys of living in a small town. I will say that the book was very heavy handed on the small town vs big wide world in the first half of the book, enough that it made me roll my eyes in parts.
The first half of the book is spent in North Carolina, and while it’s a bit slow-paced, it’s a nice view into what their relationship used to be, certainly much better than the first chapter. There’s a scene where Andrew teaches Kelly how to do sugar work and it’s just obvious to the reader how well they fit each other. It’s nearly half-way through the book before the cooking competition enters the plot-line, and from there the pace picks up. I do wish they’d been able to spend a bit more time on the cooking competition portion, because some of my favorite parts where the chapters describing the challenges and how each completed them. And, yes, there are tons of delicious deserts described in this book, enough to make me break out my stand-mixer to make some baked goods. As a side-note, there’s a recipe for Andrew and Kelly’s Honey Almond Cake (which plays a pivotal role in the plot) at the back of the book. While I haven’t tried it yet, I’m pleased they finally included something similar to a recipe used in the book, as previous ones have included… odd… choices, to say the least. And, yes, the plot is very predictable, and it verges on saccharine sweet at times, but this is a Hallmark novel, so that’s to be expected!
Overall, this was a sweet confection of a book (pun intended). If you’re looking for a light, quick romance with a small town second chance romance, this is the book for you!
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
“I’ve never met anyone who made me feel the way you did. The way you still do. What about that ‘if you love someone let them go’ quote? Maybe there was a reason we were apart for a while.”
“There was. You chose to pursue education and a career in another country instead of marrying me.”
“That’s not exactly how it was.”
“Fine. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. You may have only planned to go for a while, but in the end…you didn’t come back.”
Childhood sweethearts from a small town in North Carolina, Kelly and Andrew broke up when Andrew decided to stay in France after completing a pastry chef internship there. Though it scuttles their dreams of opening their own restaurant, seven years later, they’re both successful people in their own rights. Andrew is the head chef at a famous French chef’s restaurant, and Kelly has opened a famous bakery in their hometown. When the chance of a lifetime brings Andrew back to his hometown, seeing Kelly again brings up good memories – and doubts about whether he’s as happy as he thinks. But Andrew’s time back in Bailey’s Fork is limited, as he’s heading to help a friend open up a restaurant in New York City, while Kelly is traveling to Orlando for a baking convention – or so they say. Fate has a few more meetings in store for them. Can they both see past their old hurts to bake a new future together?
This is just the sweetest book – and I’m not just talking about all the desserts! Kelly is adorable – a hardworking businesswoman who hasn’t lost her sense of fun, which serves her well when designing her award-winning baked goods. Andrew, well, Andrew took a bit for me to warm up to him. In all honest, I spent at least the first quarter of the book being seriously judgmental of Andrew. While, in retrospect, I can see where some fault for their breakup might like with Kelly, it’s Andrew who chose to breakup with her over the phone and completely trashed the plans they’d made together over the course of years. While he was pursuing his studies in France, Kelly was left to pick up the pieces of her broken heart. Kelly used her heartbreak to throw herself into running The Cake Factory, which started as a little bake shop that mostly just filled orders for her parents’ cafe next door, but expanded to truly live up to its name, including fulfilling internet orders across the country. Plus, she adopted a pig she named G.R.A.Y. View Spoiler », a detail which had me giggling. Kelly does have a chip on her shoulder about being a self-trained baker, rather than the fancy training Andrew received as a pastry chef in France, and she’s wary of trying to rekindle even a friendship with him.
“I guess I did leave someone special behind. I just didn’t make it clear to her that I thought she was special.”
“You’re an idiot then. My ex was like that.” Lori cocked her head and leaned away from him. “That’s why he’s an ex. Don’t be like that.”
While Andrew realizes from his first reunion with Kelly that he lost something special with her, and that he still loves her, Kelly is more gun-shy, worried about another heart-break. After all, he left her once, so who’s to say he wouldn’t leave again when another opportunity presented itself Part of Andrew’s decision to stay in France was to prove to his father that he was a “real” chef, as his dad wanted him to follow in his footsteps and join the family mechanic shop and disapproved of his career choice. It was nice to see him start to rebuild those relationships with his family, and also gradually remember the joys of living in a small town. I will say that the book was very heavy handed on the small town vs big wide world in the first half of the book, enough that it made me roll my eyes in parts.
The first half of the book is spent in North Carolina, and while it’s a bit slow-paced, it’s a nice view into what their relationship used to be, certainly much better than the first chapter. There’s a scene where Andrew teaches Kelly how to do sugar work and it’s just obvious to the reader how well they fit each other. It’s nearly half-way through the book before the cooking competition enters the plot-line, and from there the pace picks up. I do wish they’d been able to spend a bit more time on the cooking competition portion, because some of my favorite parts where the chapters describing the challenges and how each completed them. And, yes, there are tons of delicious deserts described in this book, enough to make me break out my stand-mixer to make some baked goods. As a side-note, there’s a recipe for Andrew and Kelly’s Honey Almond Cake (which plays a pivotal role in the plot) at the back of the book. While I haven’t tried it yet, I’m pleased they finally included something similar to a recipe used in the book, as previous ones have included… odd… choices, to say the least. And, yes, the plot is very predictable, and it verges on saccharine sweet at times, but this is a Hallmark novel, so that’s to be expected!
Overall, this was a sweet confection of a book (pun intended). If you’re looking for a light, quick romance with a small town second chance romance, this is the book for you!
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I've been a fan of Nancy Naigle since I read her very first book. She is my go-to author for sweet romances. The Secret Ingredient was a second chance romance, which happens to be one of my favorite troupes. I adored getting Kelly and Andrew's story in The Secret Ingredient.
Kelly McIntyre and Andrew York were engaged 7 years ago when Andrew is given the opportunity of a life time to study in Paris and he decides to stay after graduation. All their dreams of opening a restaurant together and marriage and family come to an end when Andrew stays in Paris. When Andrew comes home for a surprise visit 7 years later, he honestly only wanted to see his family, yet everything changes when his mom and sister give him a surprise welcome home party and Kelly is in charge of all the desserts.
Kelly has lived her dream back in their hometown by opening her own bakery called The Cake Factory. Kelly has become a huge success in her business and has helped Bailey 's Fork have a booming economy. Her bakery has allowed her to employ 100 full time bakers and helped other businesses in town. When Kelly is approached to participate in Valentine's Cake-bakeoff, she quickly agrees, not knowing that is the real reason Andrew is back in the states. None of the contestants can let anyone know where they are really going for the secret bake-off, or they will be immediately eliminated from the contest. I enjoyed seeing Andrew and Kelly reconnect before they both headed to New York for the bakeoff. There was such a sweet connection between them.
Most of the story does take place in their small hometown, and Ms. Naigle does an amazing job making the small town and the people in the town come to life. I loved seeing how the town had grown and changed while Andrew was gone and yet was completely welcoming to him when he returned. I find that the small town in a Nancy Naigle book becomes another character in the story right along side the people. I did love seeing both Kelly and Andrew in the baking competition. They had such different training, with Andrew's being from professional chefs in Paris, and Kelly's being from her grandmother, yet were both rockstars when it came to coming up with amazing ideas.
The Secret Ingredient was such a wonderful sweet romance. The small town setting was absolutely perfect for the story and I loved the crazy fun trip to New York every bit as much as I enjoyed the time in the small town. Kelly and Andrew were so much fun to see grow and mature over the course of the story not only as individuals but as a couple. The Secret Ingredient is another winner from Nancy Naigle.
Rating: 4 Stars (B+)
Review copy provided by publisher
Kelly McIntyre and Andrew York were engaged 7 years ago when Andrew is given the opportunity of a life time to study in Paris and he decides to stay after graduation. All their dreams of opening a restaurant together and marriage and family come to an end when Andrew stays in Paris. When Andrew comes home for a surprise visit 7 years later, he honestly only wanted to see his family, yet everything changes when his mom and sister give him a surprise welcome home party and Kelly is in charge of all the desserts.
Kelly has lived her dream back in their hometown by opening her own bakery called The Cake Factory. Kelly has become a huge success in her business and has helped Bailey 's Fork have a booming economy. Her bakery has allowed her to employ 100 full time bakers and helped other businesses in town. When Kelly is approached to participate in Valentine's Cake-bakeoff, she quickly agrees, not knowing that is the real reason Andrew is back in the states. None of the contestants can let anyone know where they are really going for the secret bake-off, or they will be immediately eliminated from the contest. I enjoyed seeing Andrew and Kelly reconnect before they both headed to New York for the bakeoff. There was such a sweet connection between them.
Most of the story does take place in their small hometown, and Ms. Naigle does an amazing job making the small town and the people in the town come to life. I loved seeing how the town had grown and changed while Andrew was gone and yet was completely welcoming to him when he returned. I find that the small town in a Nancy Naigle book becomes another character in the story right along side the people. I did love seeing both Kelly and Andrew in the baking competition. They had such different training, with Andrew's being from professional chefs in Paris, and Kelly's being from her grandmother, yet were both rockstars when it came to coming up with amazing ideas.
The Secret Ingredient was such a wonderful sweet romance. The small town setting was absolutely perfect for the story and I loved the crazy fun trip to New York every bit as much as I enjoyed the time in the small town. Kelly and Andrew were so much fun to see grow and mature over the course of the story not only as individuals but as a couple. The Secret Ingredient is another winner from Nancy Naigle.
Rating: 4 Stars (B+)
Review copy provided by publisher