Book Review: The Ingredients of You and Me by Nina Bocci

Posted May 1, 2020 by Asheley in review / 1 Comment

The Ingredients of You and Me by Nina Bocci
Book Review: The Ingredients of You and Me by Nina BocciThe Ingredients of You and Me by Nina Bocci
Series: Hopeless Romantics #3
Published by Gallery Books on April 28, 2020
Source: the publisher
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five-stars

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of the “heartwarming and refreshingly sweet” (Lauren Layne, New York Times bestselling author) On the Corner of Love and Hate comes a story about a baker who takes her chances on a new town…and an old love.

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.

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

REVIEW:

This is exactly the type of book that I want more of. Such a fun, non-stressful read.

Parker has lost her motivation. She sold her wildly successful bakery in NYC, but still can’t find her mojo. Her best friend Charlotte invites her to come visit in Hope Lake, Pennsylvania and spend some slower, more peaceful time there, hoping that it will help her find inspiration. When Parker gets there, she finds tons of space and a lot of great friends that offer her ideas and opinions, and slowly she is able to get back to where she wants to be in terms of creativity and her career. But her relationship with Nick is a problem, and life would be much better if she and Nick could work out…whatever their problem is.

Nick lives in Hope Lake, but he and Parker have been sneaking around. Or, they were sneaking around until they just stopped communicating with one another. Nick thinks he has moved on, but he thinks about Parker all the time, just like Parker thinks about him all the time. Now that she is staying in Hope Lake for a little while, it would be a perfect time for them to clear the air a little and work out exactly what their relationship is. But that is harder for both of them than it probably should be.

The Ingredients of You and Me by Nina Bocci
I loved this one from the first page!! I love it when book characters are bakers or chefs, and I loved the way the baking was a huge part of this story. I always enjoy books where a central character is at a big of a crossroads in life or is having to make big decisions about his/her future. In this case, Parker needs a big career change, but she is undecided about how to make that work for her. I also loved Parker’s large friend group right away because it was obvious to me that they all cared for one another and wanted to help Parker in whatever way they can. I’m fairly sure that some of this friend group have been featured in the previous two books in this series, and I can’t wait to go back and read their stories.

There is another fun group of friends in this story, one that Parker meets when she first arrives in Hope Lake. The Golden Girls of Hope Lake are a group of older women in the area that meet regularly with food and drinks. They’re all fabulous and quirky and have huge personalities. I love that they fold Parker into their group even though she is much younger, because they play a massive role in helping her get her baking mojo back.

I enjoyed when Nick and Parker were on the pages together. They have a lot of tension between them (the good kind), and I could feel it when I was reading. They really had to concentrate on how they communicated with one another so they could move ahead. The relationships in this story are all so good and fun, and the baking is too.

I read this one so fast-one day! And I’ve got the two previous books in this series on hand and plan to inhale them too.

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About Nina Bocci

Nina Bocci Author Photo

Nina Bocci is a novelist, publicist, eternal optimist, unabashed lipgloss enthusiast, constant apologist, and a hopeless romanticist. She has too many college degrees that she’s not using, and a Lego addiction that she blames on her son.

Asheley

About Asheley

Asheley is a Southern girl. She loves Carolina blue skies, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and NC craft beer. She loves all things history but prefers books over everything.

You can find her somewhere in North Carolina, daydreaming about the ocean.

Find Asheley on Litsy @intothehallofbooks!

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One response to “Book Review: The Ingredients of You and Me by Nina Bocci

  1. Sara Strand

    I am so excited to read these books myself, but I love it when a book grabs you from page one! Thank you for being on this tour. Sara @ TLC Book Tours

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