Thank you to Gallery Books for providing me with a copy of The Ingredients of You and Me in exchange for an honest review!

If you're looking for a book of fluff that's mixed with the trope of exs-to-lovers then The Ingredients of You and Me is the perfect selection. Sometimes when you read books like I do (gorey-filled horror), you need a palate cleanser and that's exactly what this book was for me. I adored it, I thought it was absolutely precious and HELLO, there's baking involved which is what instantly drew me in. There's also a group of elderly women who are so kick-ass & are dubbed The Golden Girls, you'll definitely fall in love with them even if you don't care for this book.

Does this book stand out from other romances? Not really. However, it was cute and it was a pleasant read.

I loved this book! Author Nina Bocci brings another wonderful sweet story full of humor and self discovery.
Memorable characters and a fast read.

It was great to see these two charactes find themselves and then each other.
I look forward to reading the other books in this series. This was my first story by this author and it will not be my last.

This was my first foray into Nina Bocci’s works, and overall it was a good one. The Ingredients of You and Me is the third book in her Hopeless Romantics series, but it easily stands alone as a good story about two modern adults making their way in the world.

Parker Adams is a sophisticated NYC girl known for her bakery, Delicious and Vicious, which makes baked goods with overly blunt messages (i.e. the “I really hate kissing you” special can be ordered for a break-up). She founded the bakery six years before and has poured her blood, sweat, and tears into the business during that time. But while D&V took off like she always dreamed, Parker has grown tired of the mean messages, and tired of long days at work followed by late nights spent inventing new dishes. So she takes the radical step of selling the business and prepares for some changes in her life, starting with a (temporary) move to suburban Pennsylvania, where some of her best friends live.

Part of the impetus for that life change involves - or involved - Nick Arthur, the guy she was secretly dating at the time she sold her bakery. He’s basically the definition of the perfect small-town bachelor. Nick is smart, funny, already a part of Parker’s friend group, and goes out of his way to be kind to the senior citizens of the town. When things started to develop between them over the previous summer, he and Parker kept their relationship a secret to avoid their friends’ well-meaning nosiness. And for a while it was going well, albeit strained by the distance between them and Parker’s long hours. But then, just as Parker gets the offer for her business, Nick abruptly stops calling her. By the time Parker moves to Hope Lake, PA, their interactions are downright icy.

Not even Parker’s chilly demeanor can hold up against images of Nick shoveling snow and caring for the town’s seniors, though. When she gets to town, she is quickly taken under the wing of Mrs. Mancini, a member of the Hope Lake Senior Citizens’ Club. Mancini wants Parker to help her, and many of the other women in the group, recreate recipes passed down in their families which have ambiguous measurements (e.g. one jelly jar of sugar). Not only does this project light Parker’s fire for baking again, but it also puts her in regular contact with Nick as he comes around to help the group with various handyman tasks. Soon enough they are back in the realm of flirtatious banter.

Although this should be a straightforward path to romance (under the watchful gaze of Mrs. Mancini), a wrench is thrown in the works in the form of Nick’s girlfriend Jillian, who he started dating almost immediately after things died off with Parker. Jillian is the textbook evil girlfriend, appearing perfect to Nick but quietly managing to control him and distance him from his friends. She starts complaining whenever he’s out for a guys’ night instead of staying in with her, and she obviously hates Parker with a passion, to all of which Nick is completely oblivious.

I’m of two minds regarding this book, which ultimately resulted in my compromising on a B- grade. On the one hand, the writing is very good, and secondary characters like Mrs. Mancini practically jump off the page. The story is also very well-paced, so that even when I was dissatisfied with the characters, I felt compelled to keep reading.

However, the problems encountered by Parker and Nick wrapped up so neatly in the end that any depth those struggles lent the characters was lost. It’s a common pitfall for series set in small towns to feel too-good-to-be-true, and unfortunately that happens here as everything falls into place for Parker and Nick; Parker gets her inspiration back, they start a community kitchen project, they’re adorably happy with their perfect friends from the previous books, who are getting married and having babies. I love a happy ending as much as the next romance reader, it’s part of what draws me to the genre. But even happy people get headaches, so the complete elimination of problems in Parker and Nick’s lives felt silly rather than sweet.

Having said that, I would still be interested in reading more books by Nina Bocci. I suspect that earlier books in the series - where groundwork is still being laid for conflict in future instalments – may not have the same overdose of perfection. And really, ‘too perfect’ isn’t so bad in this day and age.

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**3.5 Fiery Hearts!**

*I received this book free from Gallery Books | Simon & Schuster, Inc. via NetGalley.*

Parker is at a crossroads in her life. She had thought she'd done the right thing by selling her business, and she had, but the factors that partially went into her decision were no more, leaving her struggling for direction.

What better way to get your mojo back than to go visit your bestie, which is exactly what she does. Turns out the entire 'Golden Girls' squad has her back. And nothing like a bunch of ornery senior citizens who love to intervene in their own heartfelt ways to help you find your direction.

There's also a little second chance romance (aka Nick) which adds a little awkwardness throughout the book, especially since he has a crazy, and I mean hella crazy, girlfriend. And no, there's no cheating while he's dating said crazy chick, but it does add to the awkwardness factor.

"Let me get this straight. Me being here is driving you insane, and your bright idea is to spend more time with me? I'm in the Twilight Zone."

The Ingredients of You and Me is more of a journey to self discovery than a romance like the title suggested (at least it did to me). It is laced with humor, interesting situations, and a whole lot of sexual tension.

The beginning starts slow, which left me unsure of the direction of the book. It did eventually pick up the pace though. The characters were interesting. I loved the things that would come out of Mancini's mouth, and you never knew what she had up her sleeve. Being inside Parker's mind was interesting with her trying to decide her future. And Nick was sort of this confused, sad excuse of a man, but with a heart of gold.

The Ingredients of You and Me by Nina Bocci is a sweet story. A great small town romance. The book is well written and enjoyable. I loved the cover too!

First off, I liked most of this book.

Among the 3 books, I'd put this one in the middle with Meet Me on Love Lane as my favorite and On the Corner of Love and Hate as my least favorite.

As with all of the books in the series, these are labeled as romances, but they really veer towards women's fiction with a strong dose of romance, and in none of the books did I get as much interaction or character development with the male love interest as I wanted. What I really have appreciated about these is that the friend group is featured in each book, so by book 3 you really feel like you know the town and the dynamics of the friends. If this was a real place, I would move there. They've got a small bookstore, a lake, very fun elderly people...

Now to this book. I found the story similar to Meet Me On Love Lane. In Love Lane, Charlotte, the main character, had lost her job and was finally coming back to her home town, kind of broken and searching, and found, through her grandmother and reconnecting with old friends, that there was a perfect Charlotte-sized hole waiting for her to fill it and a sweet man hoping desperately that she'll stay. In this one, Parker, a semi-famous baker, is at loose ends, jobless (though for different reasons than Charlotte), and is boosted by the elderly movers and shakers in town. She is urged strongly by the friend group to stay and start a business too. The biggest difference is that she is hiding a months-long tryst she had with Nick Arthur, member of the friend group, who ghosted her. Now they're in the same town and he's hard to avoid, no matter how hard she tries.

What I loved about the story is that Parker is trying to figure out a way to get her baking mojo back, and that she is pretty forthright with Nick about how his actions have hurt her, but they really have very little interaction throughout the book. My biggest criticism is that everything suddenly comes together at the end without enough reconnection or dialog between the two. I'm not sure why that all had to happen in the last few chapters instead of moving some of the timeline up so they could believably get together. So I liked most of the book but was very disappointed by the speedy and unearned resolution.

I didn’t realize that this was the third book in a series but since each book follows a different person, I didn’t feel as if I missed much. I loved the character of Parker. She is a successful business woman who had the opportunity to change her life and try to find what her true happiness is. As she struggles with romantic relationship turned sour and her disappearing ability to bake, she finds her strength and calling while helping a group of elderly woman.

The relationships that are described in this story bring the reader right into the lives of these characters. I was so invested in Parker’s situation and her ideas that I flew through this book.

I recommend this if you are looking for a lighthearted, enjoyable read that will make you crave some sweet treats while reading it.

Oh Em Gee...It was good, no GREAT to be back in Hope Lake. Too bad Parker and Nick took too long to actually hook up this time. They had a clandestine tryst and then a misunderstanding and Nick ghosted Parker and now Parker has sold her bakery in New York and looking to start Parker Phase Two in Hope Lake. The only problem is she is baking blocked and the Golden Girls are her new Pack. This whole story is one hoot after another and I was charmed from page one through to the end. The only thing that would have made it better is if Nick and Parker would have hooked up sooner. Definitely a keeper for me!

**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

From my blog: Always With a Book:

While this is the third book in Nina Bocci's Hopeless Romantic series, it's only the first one I've read and it was exactly the type of read I needed right now. This book is equal parts charming, sweet and downright funny and I loved every minute I spent with these characters. I had a smile on my face the entire time I was reading this - it was just what I needed with all that is going on right now.

While I don't typically like to jump into a series in the middle, I've found that it is not always possible to start at the beginning, especially when I am offered a book for review that is part of a series. So, I've thrown my own rule out the window and have decided to just read whatever book it is I'm given and if I like it, then I go back and start the series at book 1. If I don't like it, then no need to read anymore. And, what I've been finding is that most authors are writing the books in their series in such a way that each book really does stand on their own.

Luckily, my experience with this book is that I definitely plan on going back to read the earlier books. I'm not sure if the characters we meet in this third book are all involved, but either way, I want more of this author's writing.

As for this particular book...I loved it. While there is a romance component to this book, and a second chance romance at that, I don't necessarily think it's the main focus. It's mainly focused on Parker finding her passion for baking again. Luckily she has a great group of women to help her with this - the Golden Girls. And what a group they are! These women have such huge personalities and really made the book. They had me laughing so hard at times, yet I also found myself thinking of my grandmother each time they offered their unsolicited advice.

I loved this book. I loved the small town charm and the way friends banded around Parker. I loved the Golden Girls and cannot wait to read the earlier books just so I can get more of them alone. This was definitely a feel-good book and it includes recipes...I can't wait to give them a try!

I truly enjoyed every but of this book, from the cover to the last page. The chaacters were so likeable and I felt like I kew them personally .

Thank you NetGalley, Gallery Books and Nina Bocci for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
After falling out of love with the business she spent years building, Parker Powell decides to sell her New York bakery and visit her best friend Charlotte in Hope Lake. Suddenly Parker’s life of cakes and cookies is swapped for a group of elderly friends, new business opportunities and her ex-flame, Nick Arthur. Nick is in a new relationship with a woman who is less than thrilled at the idea of Parker in his life again. Just when things seem to be falling in place again for Parker, her new life she’s built is threatened. Can she fight for what she wants and who she’s come to love?
This was my first Nina Bocci read, and the third book in a series. I read this as a standalone and thought that worked just fine! Now I need to go back and read the first two! I was in the mood for a solid contemporary romance and this gave me so much more. If you’re looking for a book that has romance, friendships, self-discovery and forgiveness, this is the one for you! I will be reading more Nina Bocci in the future!

Favorite Quotes:

“Mancini, you’re the only person I know who answers a question without giving a lot of answers.” She shrugged. “It’s a gift.”

I’m not even sure the wildlife outside my lake house would eat the stuff I’ve been baking lately… you wouldn’t want it even if you were starving. I tried tossing a couple scones that I had made this morning out to the squirrels. I think I might have concussed one of them.

What, is there some sort of sophisticated spy network around town that reports through a switchboard? My God, you guys are quick on the gossip…

“I mean, I’m a bit old for the YouTubes, right? I’m almost seventy.” I leveled her with a disbelievingly look. “Okay, seventy plus twelve,” she sighed.

You did something stupid. We don’t give up on people for doing that. We wouldn’t have anyone left if it was a one-strike system.


My Review:

This was my third time indulging myself in the clever levity of Nina Bocci and I am enamored with her sharp wit and uniquely quirky and dynamic characters with my pet being the indomitable Mrs. Mancini, my favorite octogenarian. I want to be Mrs. Mancini when I grow up. The storylines were entertaining yet realistic and relatable, the characters were infuriating at times yet likable and well-meaning, and the writing was crisp, witty, and divinely amusing. Creating a snarky message delivery system through baked goods and naming the bakery Delicious and Vicious was nothing short of ingenious. I declare myself one of Nina Bocci’s most devoted acolytes.

The Ingredients of You and Me
by: Nina Bocci @ninapolitan
Hopeless Romantics #3
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This is the last book in the book in the Hopeless Romantics series, and if you’ve read the first two books, you’d know this would involve Nick (the only single one in the friend group). His love interest? His girlfriend Jillian. However, Jillian is not the main character. Parker is. Parker is Charlotte’s New York BFF who recently sold her successful bakery and comes to visit Hope Falls for an extended vacation. The catch? Nick and Parker have had a secret pseudo-relationship that abruptly ended when Nick ghosted her. Now that Parker is in Hope Falls, they end up working on a new community-kitchen business venture... and there are definitely unresolved feelings between the two. This is a slow burn of a romance book - meaning they couple isn’t together for most of the book. In general, these aren’t my favorite. This one? I liked. It was cute and sweet. If you’re in the mood for more Hallmark movies but can’t watch anymore quarantine TV, pick up this series!
I received an ARC from NetGalley!

I read the first two books in Nina Bocci's Hopeless Romantics series back in January and I reviewed the second book, Meet Me On Love Lane, for a book tour so of course I had to read the third book to find out what happened with Nick the remaining non-attached male of the friends who grew up together in Hope Lake, Pennsylvania and Parker (best friend of Charlotte from Meet Me On Love Lane), a semi-famous New York baker who sold her notorious bakery and seems to have lost her baking mojo. Like the previous books, this one is a light romance that reads like a Hallmark movie and there's nothing wrong with that in today's crazy world. If it weren't for all the snow (this book takes place in the winter), I'd happily move to Hope Lake with its fun and quirky citizens, especially the group of senior ladies Parker nicknames The Golden Girls as they bring sass and humor to the stories and I'd like them to unofficially adopt me as they do Parker once she hits town. They are excited to have a Food Chanel celebrity in their midst and want her to help recreate their grandmother's old recipes which come with love and not a lot of measurements. It's a task that intimidates Parker as since she sold her business in New York, can seem to work her previous magic in the kitchen. Adding to Parker's angst is her relationship with Nick, kept hidden from the friends that fizzled out when he suddenly stopped calling. She finds out why when she hits tone and finds him with a clingy new girlfriend.

It's a sweet story (baking pun fully intended) and while predictable as happily-ever-afters are, it's still fun to get to the conclusion. The Ingredients of You and Me is definitely the "foodiest" of the three books and that makes it my favorite. If you are a fan of romance or need something light and fun to distance at home with, this is an excellent book and series to escape with.

3.5 Stars

The Ingredients of You and Me by Nina Bocci was a light, refreshing, and quick read. I didn’t know it at the time, but it is the third book in her Hopeless Romantics Series. However, you do not necessarily have to read the other books to understand the plot or characters.

The book jumps straight to Parker selling her NYC bakery and moving to the small Pennsylvania town of Hope Lake. Upon this major lifestyle modification, Parker is thrown into a season of waiting and uncertainty...professional and personally. She has her two closest friends, the neighborhood Golden Girls, and an old flame to help her bring back her spark. Are they going to be the right ingredients for a restart (Parker Phase 2). (Don’t worry I won’t give any spoilers.)

If you like Jenny Colgan or Kristan Higgins I think you would enjoy this book. It’s adorably sweet and is just what you need if you want to daydream about fleeing to a small town and opening a bakery.

*** Big thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

While I enjoyed this book and I still really like Parker, it wasn’t my favorite of the series.

Parker and Nick hooked up on July 4th when she came to visit Charlotte. Neither of them expected that their connection would continue. Right as Parker is deciding to sell her bakery, Nick disappears and stops returning her calls. Parker, stuck in a rut, decides to visit Hope Lake and her best friend in hopes of getting her baking mojo back. But that also means facing Nick again.

Parker is one of my favorite of the female characters. I like her more than I liked Emma. But while I liked Nick in the previous books, I felt like he fell flat in this one. In the previous books he was a bit of a bad boy and had a bit of a naughty spark. In this book, he spent the majority of it in a relationship with someone who is not the main character and he’s boring. I know that’s a little bit of the point, but it didn’t make for much of a love story.

Even though this is a romance novel, it seemed more like a contemporary fiction. It focused mostly on Parker’s growth and what she wanted to do with the romance on the side. While it didn’t bother me too much, I think it might disappoint some people who expect more of a romance.

The Parker/Nick connection is interesting. They do have a good connection, but Bocci spent the majority of the novel keeping them apart. It seemed like she kept them apart because she couldn’t think of another way to stop them from getting together.

I did love getting to catch up with the old characters, though I do wish that there had been a little bit more Parker and Charlotte. I did like the feature of Mancini and the other older women of the town. I love the town of Hope Lake and everyone that lives there and Bocci didn’t fail to bring this to this book.

I was torn between giving this book 3 or 4 stars. There was a lot of it that I liked, but there were parts I was disappointed in. Like I said, I liked Parker, but the romance side was lacking considering this is meant to be a romance novel. I could see this entire series on Hallmark, so I do love it. I also think this one is stronger than the first book, but not as strong as the second. It rounded out the series well, and I would recommend looking into the series as a whole.

The Ingredients of You and Me (Hopeless Romantics, #3)
by Nina Bocci
Like Lewis Capaldi song; Grace, Parker did not want to be another of Nick's mistakes. Her affair with Nick changed her focus from her bakery, Delicious and Vicious to finding something that is more inspiring. Parker had spent years developing her Bakery, the idea, based on her reaction to the end of an old relationship. After the sale of her business she feels that she has lost her mojo. She is unable to bake, she feels lost. Parker went to Hope Lake to find it. Her best friend Charlotte is there with the Golden Girls, and they have a challenge for her. Only problem, Nick is in Hope Lake, she has not only has to face the man whom Ghosted her, but find the mystery why, with everything clicking he stopped talking to her.
The Ingredients of you and me, shows the struggles in modern society in relationships. Everyone becomes involved in a relationships in a small town. The struggle is finding how to communicate your feelings and try to genuinely connect. The Golden Girls, have lessons not only in baking for Parker, but in being true to her feelings. This is a great book of showing how talking can solve many problems, and bring out the truth of a person.

4 1/2 stars

Each of the novels in Nina Bocci’s Hopeless Romantics series has been very different as well as very welcome. Bocci’s voice is fresh in a genre that’s frequently stale.

While I knew from the last book in the series that Parker and Nick would be the couple in The Ingredients of You and Me, I am so glad that Bocci didn’t take some easy way out and give us an improbable romance. No, The Ingredients of You and Me is full of lack of communication, present in so many relationships, and misunderstanding.

Nick ghosts Parker just before the holidays. She isn’t destroyed (thank you), but she is hurt and when she returns to Hope Lake to vacation and visit her best friend, Charlotte,, she is not open to Nick. And then to discover that he has a new girlfriend, acquired just around the time he ghosted her, is a slap in the face, but she carries on. The attraction is still there, huge and fiery, but she won’t act on it or welcome it because she abhors cheating.

I just found so much to like about The Ingredients of You and Me. First, I have to mention that it’s not a traditional romance. It is definitely more women’s fiction, with Parker rediscovering herself after success and redefining herself.

Her interactions with the senior citizen ladies who she dubs the Golden Girls is beautiful and funny and warm. I loved the idea of these women having recipes dating back 90+ years when women would use whatever was at hand to make a recipe–a jam jar, a handful. It reminds me of the beautifully written recipes my mother acquired over the years.

The only thing that kept this from being a perfect novel for me was Nick’s new girlfriend, Jillian, whose characterization felt a little too contrived in a novel where everything else felt so original and right.

And for anyone who thinks that a novel without graphic sex scenes can’t be sexy, you should give this one a try and pay attention to the scenes where Parker and Nick are sizzling without touching. That is chemistry.

So, yep, I read this one almost crazy quickly, didn’t want to put it down because it constantly gave me the unexpected, the appreciated, and made me love these characters, all of the characters of Hope Lake more. I sincerely hope that Bocci has more Hopeless Romantics in store for us at Hope Lake.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Ingredients of You and Me by Nina Bocci

I am so in love with the town and all the characters that live there. Parker & Nick steal your heart and before you know it, you're falling head over heels with them and their passion and respect for each other. I haven't been reading much lately, but with The Ingredients of You and Me, I was so captivated by their story (and the Golden Girls) that I couldn't stop. I read the book in one afternoon.