Any book that manages to combine a good story- whether real or not- with some baking is typically a win in my book! While I am not a "foodie" I do enjoy a good food-related story. The recipes in this book have been bookmarked and I am hoping to take a stab at some of them this fall.
I enjoyed how this book took on the journey of both before and after the cheating. I felt that it gave us much better insight into who they truly were and brought their story full circle. Def a great read and will look forward to more from this author in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Ingredients of Us is a book about relationships and recipes. When missing ingredients your recipe doesn't come out right, this book shows us the same for our relationships. The recipes in this novel are an added bonus. I give this novel 4 stars it was a delight to read and has a surprising rebound relationship. Grab a copy today and immerse yourself in relationships and recipes.

“ The Ingredients of Us” by Jennifer Gold

This was an interesting read. The author found a way to integrate baking recipes into the novel as they applied to specific life events or situations.

Elle and Tom seemed to have a great marriage, but there were cracks that were not noticed and over the years became crevices. There were mixed desires and miscommunication. Elle turned to her love of baking to work through a lot of her feelings and different times in her life. Not only did she explain why they were fitting but also wrote out the recipes. As she followed her career as a baker and her husband as an on-line tutor, the issue of starting a family always seemed to be pushed aside. It’s importance greater for one than the other.

As they struggle to figure out their relationship, feelings and numerous times throughout their marriage, Elle always turns to her baking and Tom to work.

This is their story, of how a relationship can unravel over the years without both really realizing until it is too late. It is also the story of what it takes to build a strong relationship from the basic ingredients and what it takes to turn out as they should, even when it isn’t perfectly.

Rating: 4.4
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** I chose to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. All thoughts, opinions and ratings are my own.

I enjoyed this book. I found the characters to be real and engaging. It was also well-written. Similar to Elle, I associate a lot of memories with food. Food is my love language, and many of my memories (both good and bad) are tied to specific dishes. I also enjoyed the recipes scattered throughout the book. The recipes coupled with the way the story was told made it a more interesting read in my opinion. As an avid baker, this book made me want to run into the kitchen, and whip up a new recipe or two!

What pure joy this was to read. Elle runs the Sweetheart Bakery in Seattle and baking 'is her one true refuge from anything and everything'. Elle discovers her husband Tom is having an affair and the story flashes back to their early days:

'This is the way life is meant to be...This night - and every date night with Tom - is what love looks like'.

Flitting from past to present we see them fall in love and fall apart. The Ingredients of Us presents the reality of life which is messy and complicated and full of mistakes and regrets. I absolutely loved the recipes and methods included in this novel, some of which include the 'Turn Something Sour into Something Sweet with Lemon Curd Tarts' and the Triple-Layer Espresso Seduction Brownies'. Mouth-watering and moreish, this is a beautiful tale of love, friendship and ultimately hope and redemption. No spoilers, but the ending was perfection. Can't recommend The Ingredients of Us enough if, like me, you're a bit of a sucker for a good love story.

The Ingredients of Us is a book about food and relationships. But you'll find you got much more than you bargained for for when you finish it. Expect to feel many different emotions in this easy, but beautiful read. This book will surprise you and teach you an unforgettable lesson about human nature, life, and love. The recipes are a lovely bonus!

I thought this book was going to be a cute fun book. It was not as cute and fun as i thought it would be but it held my attention to the end. The recipes in here sounded so yummy and I think I may have to recreate one of the masterpieces. I love the way baking was tied into the story ask myself love baking. This was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars- I was drawn in by the pretty cover and like a good book revolving around baking. A much less caloric way of enjoying all those baked goods! This book is about a woman who discovers that her husband has been cheating on her. The book is written in two time-frames, alternating chapters between before he cheated and after he cheated. It's a nice way to know the story and the characters. You see present tense how the affair is affecting her emotionally, what is going to happen with their marriage, and how it also affects her professional life as a baker and co-owner of her own bakery. Then the glimpses back in the past allow you to see how the relationship started and grew, to figure out along with them what may have lead to the cheating, and to see how baking has always been a part of her life and her story. I particularly like the inclusion of the recipe in the chapter and how it is written to be a part of the story rather then just a recipe page tacked on here and there. The recipes are written to invoke memories, cure emotions, share feelings of love through the baked goods. I really liked that and wanted to go try a few of them as I read along.
The story is probably only three stars for me, but I'd go four stars for how well the recipes are incorporated into the storyline. Better done then other baking-themed books I've read.

Fantastic debut!! While on my girls trip to Miami with the Ride or Die squad this past weekend, we were just talking about Waitress (you know the movie that was turned into a hit Broadway show?) so this book was absolutely perfect! Yes, you can draw comparisons between the two - heartache and desserts - the two go hand in hand together..

I admit though, Ellie's lack of confidence in herself was a wee bit annoying from time to time but her strength at the end of the novel made up for every self-loathing statement in the book.

Its cute, its quick, its fluffy - and it has recipes for some amazing desserts - whats not to absolutely love and devour?????

This book was a surprise to me! I loved the cover and assumed that I would like the book because of that. I know, that can be a fatal mistake. But, in this case it wasn't. I devoured this book. I couldn't put it down! It was happy, it was sad. It was what I would expect to be feeling in Elle's situation. It felt like a mirror to a younger me. And, I loved how the author worded the recipes! This book was a happy surprise. I actually intend to try the recipes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This is so different from what you would expect!

I was looking for light, fluffy, fun - the reality was dark and twisty, truly shocking, and absolutely enthralling! I also loved the way that food was almost another character; I'm a huge baking lover, so for me it was brilliant, and I've actually saved several of the recipes for future use.

I did find the timelines a bit tricky to grasp at first, but once you do, it becomes totally worth it. Some of the characters were unlikeable, but that somehow added to the story in some way.

All in all, I loved it! Can't wait for her next book.

Nice book, with all the recipes thrown in there. But the end... I don’t think a good idea if she does that.

2.5 stars
If you enjoy novels centred around daily life where the plot is relatively 'normal' and doesn't really go anywhere aside from exploring a specific topic or event, check this one out. I know that description may not make this story sound appealing but I do know that there are readers out there that enjoy novels based on everyday life. I would consider this novel a 'slice of life' story where it explores an event, what lead up to that event, and the aftermath of that event.

Personally, at this point in my life, it was not the story for me. Who knows, maybe down the road with different life experiences having occurred, I may have enjoyed this story more.

The basis of this story is surrounding a topic that does frequently occur in the daily life of many (unfortunately) so I can see how this story could be relatable. As well, the novel shows how one decision may not be the 'right' decision for all and that there can be a different outcome for different relationships.

The writing was well done and I think for some, this story could be therapeutic if they had a similar situation occur. Or....it could potentially make a reader mad if they went through a similar situation. I'm not sure. Put simply, it was just not the story for me.

One word of caution is not to go into this novel based on the cover (I know, I know but I still had to say it). This novel is not a light and fluffy story as they cover suggests.

***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

The Ingredients of Us was a surprising and emotional read.

When the book begins, Elle has just found out her husband has been cheating on her. The story jumps around between the past and present telling how Elle and Tom came to this moment of her discovering his infidelity. I had strong opinions on what I thought Elle should do so I found myself getting really frustrated with her at first. It felt like she was in a holding pattern and couldn’t decide what to do next. I connected with her friend Bonnie because she was giving Elle all the advice I wanted to. As the story of their past and details of how their relationship developed unfolded I understood Elle’s reactions and found myself empathizing with her character more and more. In the end I really enjoyed reading this book.

Jennifer Gold has written a beautiful and complex story that illustrates just how complicated life can be and how the obvious answer isn’t always the right one.

🍰 #partner| Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer Gold & Lake Union Publishing for the free advanced digital copy! This book is available now!
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🌟BOOK REVIEW🌟
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▪️MY THOUGHTS
✔️I loved this book! The writing, the storyline, the characters - it was all so memorable!

Let’s start with the cover, it’s gorgeous! If you’re into books where food essentially is a character - this book is for you! I went in thinking this book was going to be a light read, but it ended up being such a raw beautiful portrayal of a love story and how this couple ended up where they were today.

Told throughout the years, it provided so much insight into their relationship. I even felt bad for the husband - even though I completely disagreed with his infidelity. I’m still not sure what to make of the ending, but I’m okay with that! Like life you don’t always know how things will turn out and I thought this story beautifully exemplified that! I can’t believe it’s the authors debut! ❤️
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▪️TITLE RUNDOWN
Indiscretions
Nice
Great
Relationships
Empty
Divorce
Ingredients
Empathy
Napron
Torn
Sad

A promising debut from this author. I loved how the recipes were incorporated. I did find the switching from past to present confusing at times, and I could not understand why Elle and Tom didn't have a full and frank discussion about their relationship. All of a sudden they were divorced! I did enjoy reading it though, and I like the way the author left Tom and Elle at the end.

This was cute. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. To me the big stand out good part was the included “cookbook” segments (loved how they were written). I don’t like, in general, the switching between past and present in a book like this. We already know he cheated, so I’m not super invested in seeing them fall in love in the past.

There is no recipe for life.

Elle, owner, and baker extraordinaire is thinking seriously about opening a second bakery.

She has put her heart and soul into her business leaving her husband in second place and looking elsewhere for comfort. He cheats. She doesn’t understand why and turns to what she knows best. Baking.

All of Elles’ recipes bring memories. Some more comforting than others. Confused, and not sure what to do she has her own little fling and may lose her husband in the end.

The story is told in the present, the months and years before she knew about the fling and the time afterward. That was a bit confusing, but not much. The recipes were to die for in this book. Elle wasn’t a very likable character for me.

To be honest, if I were her husband, I would have left too. She had a one-track mind and it was only on one thing. Her bakery. The marriage didn’t come with a recipe and Elle has no idea what the ingredients of one are. But can she find them? Or will it be too little too late?

I anxiously await her next book! Seriously Elle may have been clueless about marriage, but the woman knows how to bake!

NetGalley/ July 1st, 2019 by Lake Union Publishing

Elle and Tom have known each other for 9 years, have been married for 7 years, and shortly after celebrating their latest anniversary, Elle discovers Tom has recently been cheating. Elle is shocked. In her mind, they had a wonderful marriage, and for the most part, her partner Tom has always been nothing but loving and supportive. She is truly conflicted in her emotions and as the story unravels, she turns to her friends and to her craft of baking for support and refuge, respectively. Don't we all need a way to escape real life for a while? For many the go to cure is sports: from yoga to hockey, martial arts or swimming, for others it could be knitting, and for others it could be photography, painting or glassblowing. For Elle its baking, and some how, Elle bakes her way to her own solution.

I have to say one of the many thingsI loved about this book is, the recipes: their titles, the out of the usual way the recipes are presented, and the choices of recipes. Every single one sounds so delicious, I would love to try them all! One of my favourite recipes in the book was "Heart Stopping Cheesecake":
"there's something about cheesecake that pacifies emotional wounds. The bigger the tragedy the bigger the slice. If you've never used cheesecake to soothe the sadness, you've missed an opportunity.....bake at 350....The room will smell of comfort, and comfort is the first step toward mending a sore heart.

A couple of Quotes from The Ingredients of Us:
About Elle: "She wants so badly to scrub her knuckles until her whole life is shiny again, but it doesn't work that way.
"Here's something that life doesn't give you: a recipe. You have to make it up as you go along. Adjust accordingly.

Thank you Jennifer Gold for this lovely book, with all the fantastic recipes and its stunning cover. I loved it 5 stars. Thank you #netgalley for the e-ARC. It's in bookstores now.

Perfect chick lit! I loved the premise and the characters were well developed! I recommend this for anyone looking for a light and fun read!