4 1/2 Yummy Stars!!

I had high expectations for The Ingredients of You and Me. Nick was always one of my favorite characters and I couldn't wait to see what Ms. Bocci had in store for him in this book. I didn't see it coming....that's for sure...but it was a good and somewhat angsty read and I ate it up.

Nick and Parker had carried on a clandestine relationship and then he "ghosted" her. Heartbroken, Parker has made some major life changes and is struggling to get her baking mojo back. Yes, she is a pastry chef....a very good one. However, she currently can't bake a cookie to save her life. So, she takes a trip to visit her good friend, Charlotte in Hope Lake. While there, she becomes entrenched in a project with some of the town's older ladies, she explores some new business opportunities, she tries to rediscover her love of baking and she sees Nick again...but that is very complicated. If you want to know more, you'll have to read the book. I won't give away any spoilers here...and trust me, you don't want me to. This book is such a "sweet treat" that you'll want to read it for yourself!

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books and Nina Bocci for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I picked this up at lunch and got completely sucked into it. I’d say it was like opening a bag of potato chips and not being able to eat just one, but it was much more like opening a box of Girl Scout Cookies, where the serving size is supposed to be 2 cookies, is really more like an entire sleeve, and is, just occasionally and for the right cookie, the entire box. (Samoas for me, but your cookie mileage probably varies)

The story in The Ingredients of You and Me is both a fairly direct followup to the previous book in the series, Meet Me on Love Lane, and a complete standalone at the same time. It’s a followup because the heroine ingredient of this book was the NYC best friend of the heroine in that second story. And Parker met Nick, the hero of this one, while visiting her bestie Charlotte in Hope Lake.

But the sparks that flew between Parker and Nick at that first meeting, and all their subsequent – and clandestine – meetings, were kept very much a secret from everyone who knew either of them. No one was cheating on anyone, this is not that kind of story. They just wanted to see what their relationship might be – if it was even going to be anything beyond a series of hot, long-distance booty-calls – without the pressure of all their mutual friends watching every move they made – or didn’t.

So when Nick ghosted Parker at Thanksgiving – just when she wanted to tell him that she had sold her successful NYC bakery and was hoping they could have more time together, she was left at very loose ends.

Not that she sold Delicious & Vicious for Nick, because she didn’t. She sold it for herself and did very well out of the deal. But she did hope that while she was deciding on the next phase of her life that Nick might be interested in being factored into those decisions.

Now that the bakery has sold, Parker is at loose ends. AND she’s lost her baking mojo. So she sets out for an extended – OMG winter – vacation at chilly but heartwarming Hope Lake PA, to spend time with Charlotte and see what she, meaning Parker, wants to do next in her life.

That’s where the fun begins – along with just a bit of melodrama. While Charlotte reconnected with Gigi, the grandmother that she left behind in Hope Lake, Parker finds herself “adopted” by the entire gaggle of Hope Lake “Golden Girls”. It’s through her relationship with the group that becomes famous – and sometimes infamous – as “The Baked Nanas” that Parker figures out who Parker Phase Two really is. And she gets her baking mojo back by helping the Nanas translate their old family recipes from imprecise old-fashioned measurements – like jelly jars and fists – to modern day equivalents that will allow them to pass those recipes on to their own families.

It’s in the process of Parker’s healing and reinvention that she learns where Nick went and why he ghosted her. Now Nick is torn between his unfinished but still smoldering feelings for Parker – and his new relationship with “Miss Suzy Perfect”. Who is, of course, anything but.

But this is Parker’s show every step of the way. She’s in Hope Lake to figure her life out for herself. Nick can be part of that, or not. But he can’t be half in or half out. It was fun sneaking around when there was no one to be hurt, but she won’t be his dirty little secret while he’s making a relationship with someone else.

Whether Nick will see the light and fix himself is anyone’s guess. But Parker is taking care of Parker, and doing a damn fine job of it with or without him. Thanks in no small part to those “Baked Nanas”.

Escape Rating A-: I loved this one even more than I did Meet Me on Love Lane, and I liked that one quite a lot. But this one had a compulsion to it that the earlier book, sweet as it was, didn’t quite.

And even though this story directly follows from that earlier book, this one still feels like it stands alone. Because the story here is really about Parker losing herself and finding herself, and it all happens in this story. The characters from the previous books (I haven’t read the first one, On the Corner of Love and Hate) are in the background here, but getting involved in Parker’s story doesn’t depend on any in depth knowledge of the first two. This one is all her and it’s all here.

Howsomever, like the previous book in the series, The Ingredients of You and Me mixes the ingredients of contemporary romance with women’s fiction, and it feels like the women’s fiction is the stronger part of the story.

Parker is at a crossroads. She’s sold the bakery that she put her heart and soul into in NYC, and it was the right choice for her. She was overtired, overstressed and burned out. She had no life, only work and sleep. Her fling with Nick did bring that home to her, that she wanted more time for a real life and couldn’t have it if she kept on the bakery treadmill.

She has time and enough money to let herself be, to figure out who she wants to be and where and how to do it. She just doesn’t have a plan – and Parker is usually all about plans. Staying in Hope Lake lets her reconnect with friends, make new ones, take a breath, look around, and let inspiration come to her.

And it does in the larger-than-life-size personages of the Baked Nanas, especially the outrageous Mancini who adopts Parker instantly upon her arrival. It’s through the relationships among all of the women that Parker is able to let herself be herself and muddle through to where she wants to be.

Nick is more than a bit of ass through the whole thing. And Parker doesn’t try to fix him or change him – or herself. She takes care of herself and if that means putting distance between them, so be it. That she cares but never bends over backwards or begs or grovels is one of the things I liked a LOT about this story.

Parker doesn’t always take the high road, but she does take the honest road. That she gets her reward at the end is icing on a very lovely cake.

One final comment. The series title, Hopeless Romantics, has given me a terrible earworm that I have to pass along. It’s part of a line from the Eagles’ song New Kid in Town. And the line from the song certainly fits the series, “Hopeless romantics, here we go again.”

The Ingredients of You and Me is a perfect combination of romance and small town charm. We are introduced to Parker, who's a big city girl from NYC where she owned a bakery , Delicious and Vicious known for their revenge cakes. When she sells her bakery, and winds up in Hope Lake, she runs into her old flame, Nick. Unfortunately, Nick also now has a "Jillian". We see the perks of small town life, new friends, and support of a community as Parker figures out what "Phase 2" is for her.

This book requires some patience, Booci does an excellent job of telling the entire story without rushing through it. It catches you from the beginning and gives every detail along the way. You'll find yourself wanting to speed through it to find out what happens!

This is the 3rd book in a series. I haven't read the first 2, yet did not feel lost with this one. I could tell there were bits of other couples that I was missing their background, but it didn't leave me confused as to what was going on here. I love a series that you can read in order, and know the ins and outs of every couple, or just the one.

Overall, absolutely adorable! I loved how Bocci showed the tension yet chemistry between Nick and Parker. I felt like the emotions were very real and relatable. The dynamic between the entire group is so much fun and you're left wanting your own Baked Nanas!

Thank you Gallery Books for the gifted review copy!

Review also available on Goodreads and Amazon

As a reader, we experience Parker’s journey of re-self discovery, Parker Phase 2. After selling her bakery she moves to Hope Island to find her baking mojo again. What ensues is not exactly that but rather the “Golden Girls” (my favorite senior citizens of the series) help inspire other aspects of her life. The hero takes a back burner in this novel (and I’m super ok with that) but the friendships and the strong bond between the residents of Hope Island prove this to be a novel full of girl power.

I was really curious to see how Nick's story would go. The glimpses you catch of him in the previous stories shows a fun guy with a great sense of humor who would just about do anything for anyone in Hope Town. Those glimpses weren't wrong, but this story showed a different side of him. And to be honest, I didn't like this Nick all that much...at first. He was truly whipped and that was hard to see after the man who was full of life before dwindled...but as always...there IS a story behind it all and he redeemed himself in my eyes. Parker was everything I'd hoped for and so much more. She also would do anything for others and proved it time and again. The Golden Girls? They are EVERYTHING and I want to grow up to be just like them. Will the small town boy and the big city girl be able to find common ground to become friends and maybe more? There are obstacles thrown in their way but watching them dodge the landmines is half the fun.

This book took me a while to get into, but it turned into a really cute small town romance. The majority of the book reads like Women's Fiction, with Parker figuring out what she wants to do with her life after selling her bakery. She was struggling to get through "baker's block" and be creative in the kitchen again. Hope Lake provided her a change in scenery that helped her find her mojo again. The Baked Nanas provide so much inspiration, friendship, and amazing fun for the reader. They are the best part of this book! Nick is so grumpy and making Parker grumpy now that they're seeing each other again, but he's with Jillian now.

Some aspects of this book were really amazing, namely The Baked Nanas, the friend group, and the town of Hope Lake. Other aspects were not so great. The dancing around that Parker and Nick do while not communicating at all is really frustrating.

I would recommend this book for people who like small town romances and foodie romances. All of the dishes Parker makes sound amazing!

Trigger warning: emotional cheating

This is book 3 in a series and they should be read in order. I did read this as a standalone and it was fine. I am curious about how the other couples got together.

If you like baking books then this book is for you. Parker just sold her baking business and decided to spend an extended period of time in Hope Lake, PA. At the time she has lost her way and was looking for a way to get her mojo back.

This is a second chance romance but the hero Nick ghosted Parker after being together for a short period of time. There was a lot of miscommunication between the two of them. For most of the story Nick is in a relationship. There is no cheating in this book.

What stood out of this book is the Golden Girls. These is a group of older ladies who are in the know of the town and want to support Parker in her journey. They first get Parker to recreate their childhood recipes, then they go into business together. I really love the touch of creating a YouTube channel.

What I love about this book?

All of the baking scenes. Ever since I have been on quarantine I have been spending more time in the kitchen. I found it a meditative experience. I also love all of the business talk. I loved that Parker’s journey was beyond finding love. This book is more Women’s Fiction rather than Romance.

REVIEW WILL BE POSTED ON MAY 15 - http://www.whattoreadnextblog.com/blog/bookreviewninabocci

I absolutely loved the first two books in the Hope Lake series and this third installment did not disappoint. The Ingredients of You and Me focused on the Parker and Nick's love story, but it did a great job of revisiting characters from the first two books (it's like catching up with old friends!), as well as introducing fun, new friendships (hello Parker and the Golden Girls!). Add a dash of romance, a sprinkle of friendship, a pinch of humor plus a smidgen of eye rolls (I wanted to throttle Nick for being so clueless sometimes!!) and you've got yourself the ingredients for a great book!

I freaking LOVE this series! I've been waiting for Nick's story since we met him in the first book and Nina Bocci did not disappoint. Parker is the perfect woman for him. She's smart, sassy, strong, and independent. The perfect complement to his fun, outgoing, selfless personality.

But the group that stole the show for me were the Golden Girls. Can I be an honorary Golden Girl? I love these women and how they embraced Parker and made her part of their group. And how she reciprocated and helped them out - that's what friendship is about.

And of course, it was awesome to catch up with Cooper and Emma (can we please have a novella about their big day?), Henry and Charlotte, and the rest of the crew in Hope Lakes.

If you're looking for a series about love, friendship, loyalty, respect, and sense of community, I highly recommend the Hopeless Romantics series. I don't think I'll ever get enough of these characters.

This is the third book in the series and can be read as standalone but I am sure you would like to read them all. In this one we get Parker and Nick's story, a baker that loses her mojo and finds herself with Nick her ex who is back in town but not single. This story takes you in an amazing adventure where you will find Parker being an amazing woman who just wants to find her happiness, but she is not one to come in between someone's relationship and that made the difference in the story, you will love her as "The Golden Girls", I love that I always get to see the series previous couples. I enjoyed this slow burn second chance romance story so much. Nina Bocci has evolved in her writing in the best way and I will always look forward to reading her next book.

3.5 stars
An overworked baker from New York sells her bakery and visits her best friend in a quaint Pennsylvania town where her secret ex fling also happens to be. Sparks fly and his new girlfriend doesn’t like it. Meanwhile, she finds her mojo again and gets her baking creativity back.

The book felt like a Hallmark channel movie. The writing was pretty good, but the whole book felt a bit vanilla. The story was predictable (which is sometimes what you want), but nothing really made the story stand out. The “tension” of the crazy new girlfriend felt contrived and it didn’t make sense why he didn’t just break up with her.

This is the third book in the series, but you don't need to have read the first two books.

If you need a predictable comfort read and love the Hallmark channel, then this book is for you.

Oh My Geee...I love Nick and Parker so much!
Gawwww these two...
I got sucked into Hope Lake once again!
Parker is your typical independent lady, while Nick is your typical gentlemen.
These two get together on the down low...things happen...feelings...then Nick "misreads" a situation and we cut to a few months down the road. It's a bit bumpy at first, but these will find out that with a bit of communication almost anything can be solved.
I love the Golden Girl gang so much...I think they need a novella or something LOL

I really enjoyed the story of Parker ans Nick in this book plus all of the other characters were strong. This is the story of Parker who goes back to New Hope to find herself back in her baking as she feels she has lost her touch. She also needs to find out what happened in her relationship with Nick. There is also the story of her best friend and her other friends. also Mancini and the other golden girls who all help her out.See what happens . This is a GOOD READ..

After Parker Adams sells her famous New York City bakery, she feels like she has totally lost her mojo and visits her best friend in the small town of Hope Lake, PA, to think about her next steps (and this has nothing to do with a former love who also happens to live there, nothing at all). Nick Arthur (said former flame) has a new girlfriend, so it should be easy to focus on her new friends the Golden Girls and opening a new bakery. Right?

Hope Lake is a charming small town, and this story will make you want to run away and open up your own dream shop and find love with a handsome young man who shovels snow from old ladies' driveways. This should definitely be turned into a Hallmark movie. Would watch 100x.

The Ingredients of You and Me is the last book in the Hope Lake series, and Nina Bocci really saved the best for last! Parker is my favorite heroine so far and I love that the Golden Girls - the old ladies of the town who basically run everything on top of being the holders of all the best gossip - have a central place in the story. They really are the best part of the series!

Nick is a little bit of a bummer for most of the book, which really annoyed me and almost made me want Parker to move on and find another man; but I can't argue with a happy ending.

Thank you to Nina Bocci, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for the eARC.

I really adore this series and this was probably my favorite of the three books. After selling her bakery Parker heads to Hope Lake to figure out what comes next and to hopefully rediscover her baking mojo. It means time with her best friend but it also means facing Nick,the man she had been secretly seeing who ghosted her a few months back. She becomes involved in project with a group of delightful local senior women all of whom I could read several books about. Her feelings for Nick and her hurt and confusion about the way he left things made me so sad for her but I really wish Nick had been written as a stronger character. He is always around shoveling snow and giving rides but nothing showed him as a person worthy of her heartache. I never rooted for him or really even forgave him. That is my only complaint and luckily Parker was a strong enough character to carry the book on her own.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sent from my iPhone

5 Stars

I was up until 2:30am finishing The Ingredients of You and Me - I could not get enough of Parker and Nick! I was in love with Charlotte and Henry from Meet Me on Love Lane, but now...Parker and Nick are my favorite.

The chemistry between Parker and Nick was off the chart from the beginning. Even though they hid their relationship from their friends for months, their chemistry never went away.

Parker decides to get her baking mojo back by hanging and relaxing in Hope Lake, Pennsylvania, where her best friend, Charlotte lives. She sold her business in NYC and trying to figure out her next steps in life. Once she lands in Hope Lake, she quickly befriends the sweet "Golden Girls" - a group of fiesty and sassy senior ladies, who are absolute joy!

But living in this small tow, Parker can't avoid Nick. Nick is surprised to see Parker temporarily staying in Hope Lake and trying to remain friends proves to be hard.

The third book in the series is centered around Parker and Nick. The two have a secret past that gets complicated when Parker moves to town to focus on her bakery business and spend time with her bestfriend Charlotte. The drama escalates when Nick’s new girlfriend causes all sorts of havoc for the group of friends.

A cute second chance romance where the characters had great chemistry but had a story filled with a lot of drama that it took away a little too much spark from the couple. I enjoy reading Nina Bocci and this series, this just wasn’t my personal favorite. I’m excited to see if there will be another story in this series. The Ingredients of You and Me comes out on Tuesday 4/28

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I was so excited when I saw this on NetGalley, it's been on my Amazon wishlist since I read Charlotte and Henry's story. I adore all of these characters (except the girlfriend... I could just slap her!!)

I give this book a 3.7. This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.After getting burned out from owning bakery in NY with a crazy schedule Parker decides to sell her bakery and visit her best friend in PA after loosing her ability to bake. Nick comes off as a nice guy who is unaware his girlfriend is manipulating him. Nick and Parker have a past that is hidden and it causes some issues that go throughout the book. My favorite characters were the golden girls!


I received a ARC for my honest opinion.

I recently read the previous 2 books in Nina Bocci's Hopeless Romantics series, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this book from NetGalley! Just as in the first two books in the series, The Ingredients of You and Me has a slow-burn love story involving people within the same friend group. It was a bit of a slower burn than the previous books, but I enjoyed that very much.

I loved returning to Hope Lake and reuniting with some favorite characters, especially the Golden Girls/Baked Nanas! In fact, this book involved more of the Golden Girls than the previous - which I absolutely LOVED. It was a very cute, feel-good story with many lovable characters (of all ages!).