I loved Kelly and Andrew.. This book definitely needs to be a Hallmark movie. The descriptive writing style of Naigle's made my mouth water with all the yummy sounding treats. Loved this second chance story and the characters and the town were so endearing. Gray was a real hoot and definitely a different kind of pet. The maturing of the main characters and the relationships with their parents was an interesting storyline. It was nice to see Andrew repair his relationship with his Dad. Cant say enough about how much I loved this book.

The Secret Ingredient is a wonderful small town romance with the added bonus of a Valentine's Day televised bake off competition of four professional bakers. I love to watch that type of show on TV so it added an additional element of fun for me. It was interesting to get a behind the scenes view (whether or not it's that way in reality.) A sweet, easy read that made me smile. My new favorite from Nancy Naigle!

Kelly and Andrew live in a small town in North Carolina. They have lived there all their lives. She bakes in her parent's cafe and he is the chef. They are deeply in love. They have plans. They will own a restaurant, share the duties and live happily ever after.

Then Andrew gets the chance of a lifetime. He has a scholarship to go to Paris and take pastry classes with a world famous chef. He will live free in a relative's carriage house. It is a wonderful chance for him.

They both agree this is too great to ignore. Andrew goes to Paris for a 6 month class. But, life does not always go as we expect. Andrew is gone for 7 years. Kelly has never forgiven him.

When he comes back home, he realizes what he has missed. He has missed his family and the wonderful feeling of being in a place where everyone knows him and cares about him. Most of all, he has missed Kelly.

Now, Andrew is only in town for a few days. He has an obligation in New York.

And Kelly gets an opportunity of a lifetime, she must leave town for at least a week.

It seems that although they are still drawn to one another, there will not be time to explore their feelings for one another. There will not be time to find out if they can build a new relationship.

But, again, life does not always go in a direction we expect.

This is a wonderful story. Kelly and Andrew are 2 very good people. Their families have created 2 adults who are responsible, ambitious, intelligent, kind and fun. The small town has always been supportive of Kelly because she has helped it thrive. Everyone has been proud of Andrew's success, even though it was across an ocean.

All the characters, primary or secondary, are created in depth. Within a few lines we get to really know people.

The plot moves quickly and the reader is drawn into the action. And every reader is fortunate that simply reading about delicious desserts does not add calories to our day.

Ms Naigle has created a terrific story. She is skilled at creating small towns populated by likable people. I think everyone would like to live in Bailey's Fork.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

I thought this book was very good. It was a movie on Hallmark.. I actually love to read the books by the author that a movie is based on before I see the movie.

What a good book. Well written romance with a good plot and believable characters. Love this author’s writing and The secret Ingredient didn’t disappoint. I received an arc from Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

I've read, and enjoyed, a lot of the Hallmark stories, but this has been one of my favorites! I've seen these reality shows, and often wondered the logistics behind them, so the mere aspect of this book made it interesting - to see the ins and outs. But the romance behind the story was so sweet, the kind that can only come from lifelong friends whose hearts have been intertwined for ages, and it was beautiful to watch it reignite onstage. I guessed who had submitted the contestant entries about halfway through, but didn't guess at how it unfolded. Overall, a beautifully sweet (and clean) romance!

I thoroughly enjoyed this light read. It kept me happily occupied on a recent flight. The story line is just plain fun, and the characters are real and likable. I can totally see The Secret Ingredient made into a Hallmark movie. This is my first book by Nancy Naigle. Guaranteed it won't be my last.

Wonderful story about second chance love! Kelly & Andrew had their lives planned out. Get married & Andrew would run the cafe while Kelly did all the baking. Then Andrew received the chance of a lifetime. He won a scholarship to go to Paris & study. They both agreed he had to go. The problem is that he went & never came back. Now, seven years later, he’s come home for a short visit & is questioning everything he’s accomplished & what he had to give up to get there.

I really enjoyed this story & its characters. Kelly channeled her pain & anger into her career. Even though she didn’t have the fancy schooling & never left her hometown, she’s become quite a success. In some ways, she’s a bigger success than Andrew with his schooling & work in Paris. I loved that her pet is not a typical pet & is named Gray. That was a fantastic symbol. This was set around Valentine’s Day & is a great love story.

Nancy Naigle's newest, The Secret Ingredient is such a great read. Protagonists Kelly McIntyre and Andrew York begin the story as waitress and cook in a family owned restaurant. They have recently become engaged and are so much in love that working together in a small cafe is a love affair. Andrew has taught himself most of the art of cooking but he and Kelly have worked together on baking pastries and developing new recipes. In late summer Andrew's Aunt Claire has called from Paris with an invitation for him to be enrolled in a 6 month program to study at a renowned school in Paris. He could stay in her carriage house it truly was an opportunity he could not pass on. Although he preferred studying to become a chef he thought this would be a foot in the door. He and Kelly felt that although they would be apart, it is only 6 months and he would be home. They could marry and she could work on further developing her plan to open a cake shop.
As things sometimes go, Andrew did so well he was fortunate to be offered to study under a renowned Chef Francois who owned several restaurants throughout France. He took that opportunity, Kelly did not want to relocate to France. Her home was in Bailey's Fork, North Carolina. Her folks were there and she was going to own a business there, end of story or so she thought.
The novel is a delight. I was up late finishing it as it was just too good to put down. I thank Hallmark her publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Ms. Naigle's book before it is published in February of 2019.

Love love love Nancy Naigle. The Secret Ingredient is amazing. It's a second chance romance that comes with maturity and does not labor in stupid pettiness. Great story with some great twists that make for an entertaining read. Hope this book shows up on The Hallmark Channel.

Nancy Naigle has another winning combination in this book. She has created wonderful characters that I cared about immediately. The town setting and the businesses enter the story and go straight to your heart and you fall in love.

The plot is very believable and I fell into the story and enjoyed the journey so much. A couple so much in love with each other and cooking/baking, have their lives planed out until a situation changes all that. They meet up again years later and the sparks are still there. Unfortunately the hurt is still there also. This is a romance story, so yes, it has a very happy ending.

The entire time I was reading, there was a Hallmark movie of this book playing in my mind. I hope that Hallmark will make a movie from this story.

I recently discovered Nancy Naigle's book and have read a few now. I love her writing style and look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Thank you to Hallmark Publishing and NetGalley.com for allowing me to read the ARC of this book. I totally enjoyed Nancy Naigle new book!

Fantastic! Small town, childhood sweethearts, second chance love, what more could you ask for. I was drawn into this from the beginning and it held me captivated the whole way through. Great characters and I loved the whole cooking aspect. All the cakes and food were described so that it felt like you could taste them. A fabulous romantic read.

Awesome book. I enjoyed every minute of reading this. It was very hard to put down. I give it 5 stars

This delightful story quickly drew me in and kept me turning the pages until the very end. There were so many unique elements of the story to keep you invested in the outcome of Kelly and Andrew’s journey to rediscovering their once upon a time HEA. The ending is definitely not predictable which only made the story that more of a five star read. This book has been added to the list of the many books I’ve enjoyed by this author and read again.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

This book was a joy to read. If you are looking for a clean, well written book that will hold your attention from the first page until the last, here it is. It has a wonderful sounding recipe at the end. I can't wait to see this book as a Hallmark movie!

A second chance for Kell and Andrew. He left her to pursue his career in Paris. Now he is just back for a visit, but secretly (and unknow to either of them) they will both be in a cookery competition over valentines day.
An great read - and the cakes make you need snacks while you read this book!

What a wonderful love story written by Nancy Naigle. Perfect for a Hallmark movie for Valentine's Day. I really loved this book!
The characters are so easy to relate to. The descriptions of the desserts had me drooling and made me want to taste them all.
Can Kelly and Alex get beyond the past and repair the damage that has occurred?
Absolutely loved G.R.A.Y. Who is he, well....
You will have to read this book to find out!!

Thank you NetGalley and Hallmark Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

The Secret Ingredient by Nancy Naigle. Such a wonderful Hallmark love story. This book will make you hungry for dessert. I loved the descriptions you can really imagine what the cakes look like. Read the Secret Ingredient by Nancy Naigle. What more could you want chocolate, candy flowers and a proposal on Valentines Day.