Years ago, Kelly McIntyre and Andrew York were engaged and dreaming of opening a restaurant together. Then he chose an opportunity to study in Paris over the small-town life they’d planned, and their romance came to a bittersweet end.

But Kelly’s doing fine. She’s not only the owner of a potbellied pig named Gray, but also of her own bakery. Business is good—so good that she’s invited to compete in a Valentine’s Day bake-off. As she prepares for the contest, she tries not to get distracted by Andrew’s visit to town.

When Andrew sees Kelly, it stirs up his old feelings. Little does he know that soon, in New York, he’ll compete against her in the bake-off…and they’ll both realize how much their past is a part of them still.

My thoughts:
I loved this book. It was a quick, sweet read! I love food themed books so this one fit in with what I liked! I enjoyed the writing and the characters!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book!

I don’t think that you can ever go wrong with a Hallmark book! Kelly and Andrew were so sweet together and I was rooting for them the whole time! If you are looking for a lighthearted, sweet romance than this is definitely for you!

Another great hallmark romantic novel that leaves you feeling warm and asking when is the next book going to be released?

Great well-crafted characters and a quaint cozy setting make this one of my favorite reads.

This delightful second chance romance was such a sweet story. I loved the small town setting and the characters, especially Kelly. The story had a good flow and just enough twists to keep it interesting. I loved all of the scenes set in the bakery and talking about baking and especially the baking competition. It was fun to get a behind the scenes look at a competition where none of the contestants know who they are baking against or what the others have made until after they had completed the challenge. The ending was perfect. I highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Want to curl up with a cozy romance? This is it.
Nice characters.
Great premise.
Lovely writing.
Just sip your tea and drift away in this cozy romance.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

I greatly enjoyed this sweet story, written directly in relation to the Hallmark movie of the same name. I was so happy at how close the movie and book were when it’s not the norm. Nancy Naigle never disappoints.

Baking championship show meets rom com. Kelly and Andrew were once engaged now they are rivals during a bake off. Not only was this like reading a Hallmark channel movie it was also like reading a baking show. I enjoyed it more than I thought it would.

As a person who loves watching baking competitions on TV I really enjoyed reading a romantic novel with that type of theme. This story was very entertaining and was a feel good read. I loved the characters and the story was so well written. Nothing boring about this book at all! Nicely done! I highly recommend this book.

I'm a big fan of romances in the kitchen; baking or cooking or restaurants. This was a sweet second-chance romance between high school sweethearts. It had been many years since their break up. Kelly remained in their hometown, growing her pastry business to enhance her parents' restaurant--a restaurant that Andrew was once expected to take over as a short-order cook. However, Andrew is encouraged to go to Paris to study under a pastry chef--and the implication is that Andrew's parents intended for him to go far away from the notion of marrying right out of high school. While everyone didn't seem opposed to Andrew and Kelly's union, it seemed like they were accepting of their relationship as fully established adults, which seemed unfair and meddlesome.
While the couple had a chance to come together after brief introductions of their lives after their break up, there were points where it was almost too saccharine-ey sweet: lots of 'I love you's and "forgiveness" that felt contrived, especially during competition. Despite knowing each other for years, I felt the couple should have spent time getting to know their adult selves, especially after spending the latter half of the book apart.
As expected from a Hallmark Romance novel, the couple found their happily ever after. Lovers of sweet romance will enjoy this tale and the many descriptors of baking and a reality show competition.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Love this story! Great ending. Enjoyed getting to know the characters. So much fun to read and loads of laughs. A competition is always a great way to bring about happily ever after!

This book was simply delightful! If you’re a fan of romantic movies and cooking shows this is the perfect way to get your fix! I love the title...it’s perfect for this second chance romance between Kelly and Andrew that brings them back together when they’re both chosen to appear on a Valentine’s Day bake-off TV show. A great cast of characters including a pot belly pig named Gray, a small town setting that always appeals to me and lots of conflicting emotions that I hope will lead to these two characters reconciling, falling in love again and enjoying a happily ever after. It’s a very entertaining and well written story and what more could you ask for in a Hallmark story? I read an early copy of this book through NetGalley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.

An enjoyable second chance at love story. I laughed out loud, giggled to myself & shed a few tears during this story. The surprise of the person who nominated both Andrew & Kelly for the baking challenge show really shouldn’t have surprised me when she kept bringing them together as often as she could once Andrew got back to town. I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve read by author Nancy Naigle so far, looking forward to reading more of her books. Recommend to read.

This was a delightful romance story with the twist of baking and cooking being involved. While the ending was the somewhat predictable happy one, the journey was still worth the time spent.

What I am itching to do now is try the Hallmark original recipe for Honey Almond Cake with Berries and Mascarpone Crème Fraiche.

A heartwarming second chance romance that will have you wishing it wouldn't end. Andrew and Kelly were happy and had their entire lives planned and ahead of them, until Andrew got a chance to go to culinary school in Paris. Seven years later, Andrew has finally returned home for a visit. Kelly has opened her own bakery, which has flourished. Upon Andrew's return home he is realizing what's missing in his life, his one true love Kelly. Unbeknownst to each other they are competing in a Valentine's Day bake off.
I could not put this book down. Kelly was serious, but had a funny side as well. This book not only makes you warm all over, but will have you craving cake. Kelly and Andrew were so perfect for each other, but sometimes I wanted to reach into the pages and shake them so they would realize what they had. Gray, the potbellied pig added some fun and laughing! As a person who watches Hallmark a lot, I believe this would be the perfect book to make into a movie. I highly recommend this book and will definitely read more by this author.

The Secret Ingredient by Nancy Naigle was a great read. I really enjoyed it. I won’t give any spoilers but it was a fun Romantic read. I enjoyed the characters in this book and recommend it highly. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book and thank you to the publisher as well.

I absolutely loved this holiday-themed book by Nancy Naigle! From the second chance at love for two very successful and talented leads to the adorable pet pig (including the origin of the pig's name), this was easily the best Christmas book I read in 2019! I can only hope Nancy Naigle brings her talent to another entry in the Hallmark imprint this year!

This is a second chance romance, set in a small town, even though a lot of the key action takes place in New York.
Kelly and Andrew were engaged - they were going to get married and open a restaurant together. All that changed when Andrew was offered the chance of a lifetime to go to Paris and study under the greatest chefs in the world. They tried to make it work, but eventually, they had to give up. Kelly heartbroken, threw herself into her baking. Andrew, likewise, threw himself into his training.
The book takes places seven years later when Andrew comes home for a brief visit. Kelly runs a successful bakery now and isn't likely to move. Andrew is established as a chef. The story is about how they navigate their feelings for each other and the wildly divergent paths their careers have taken.

This is an adorable read. As it's from Hallmark, it's a sweet romance, with low levels of angst, which was just what I needed. Both Kelly and Andrew are a good mix of ambition and caring. And the cakes! The cake descriptions made me so hungry. It's not a book to read when you're on a diet. If you're a fan of the Great British Bake Off (or the British Baking Show or whatever it's called now), then you'll love this book.

THE SECRET INGREDIENT is not the first book I've ever read by Nancy Naigle and it certainly won't be the last. The twists and turns keep coming and I had to know how it was going to end! Every time I thought I knew where this story was going, a few pages later, Ms. Naigle threw me for a loop and I knew I was wrong! I'm kicking myself for not reading this wonderful novel sooner. I knew I was going to love this story just by the description.....love is like a perfect recipe.....you never want to lose it!


THE SECRET INGREDIENT is a quick read and unputdownable! There were quite a few times when reading it that I wanted to reach into the pages and shake Kelly and Andrew to wake them up because I mean, what were they thinking? I found myself laughing one second and then being totally aggravated the next. If you are looking for a great story with lots of giggling to pull you out of your book slump, you can’t go wrong with THE SECRET INGREDIENT. I’m so excited to read more by Nancy Naigle and she is one of my auto buy authors.


I've got to tell you, the whole time I was reading this I was craving cake in the worst way! THE SECRET INGREDIENT begins with Andrew and Kelly having the perfect lives. They have big dreams of opening a restaurant together until the day he has the opportunity of a life time. Now Andrew is gone, their engagement is off, and the six months he was supposed to be away in Paris have come and gone. Kelly tries to move on with her life and owns her own bakery now, but she is alone, with the exception of her pet pig, Gray! Gray stands for Good Riddance Andrew York! I thoroughly enjoyed reading THE SECRET INGREDIENT.


Seven years later, Andrew comes home for a visit. He knows Kelly hates him so he thinks he will be able to avoid her for the few days he is there. Yeah, well we all know how that's going to go right? Will these two ever be able to let go of the past and maybe have another chance at love? I was really hoping so. When they both find themselves in a baking competition, it's really going to tug at your heart strings! You won't know who to cheer for! There is so much going on in this story, but Ms. Naigle does a wonderful job of weaving all the pieces together. All of the characters will have you feeling sad and then yelling on the same page. More than once I wanted to be in Baileys Fork, NC with my new found friends! Once you finish devouring this story, you are going to want to tell everyone you know about THE SECRET INGREDIENT.


I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

Sweet is the best word to describe this book.

- Sweet characters.
- Sweet pet.
- Sweet story.
- Sweet baked goods.

Kelly and Andrew were high school sweethearts with a big dream in common, to open their own restaurant where to serve their recipes. But life had other plans for them and when Andrew decieded to stay in France to study with the best Chefs of the World they broke up,leaving an heartbroken Kelly behind. They didn't see each other for a long time and when Andrew comes back to US for a short holiday he notices that his hometown has changed a lot thanks to Kelly's resolve and great ideas.
Is their love still alive?Will they have enough time to find it out?

This book made my heart happy and my stomach growling.

Kelly and Andrew are the ideal young couple, working together, sharing a mutual love of recipe creation and cooking. Kelly loves creating scrumptious desserts, while Andrew prefers savories. They're also engaged.

When Andrew's aunt offers to pay for a course at an exclusive pastry school in France, he feels that he can't refuse. He leaves, with many promises to return, but we all know what happens.

Left alone, Kelly starts her own bakery, reinvests her profits, and creates new jobs for her community.

Suddenly, without notice, Andrew returns to visit his parents. Will Kelly forgive and forget, or will she give Andrew a taste of his own medicine?

This title is a light, entertaining read.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title to review from Net Galley.

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