Thank you NetGalley, Revell and Betsy St. Amant for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Bri Duval loves love. She believes in happily ever after and cries at sappy romance movies, so what better theme for her bakery than romance? When her copycat love lock wall goes viral and a magazine sends a writer out to Kansas, Bri’s life suddenly gets a whole lot more interesting.
I REALLY wanted to like this one, and I did, for the most part. I liked the idea of the storyline and I think this was SO close, but there is nothing worse than unlikeable main characters. I just couldn’t get into this one because of my own issues with Bri and Gerrard. When I’m reading a romance I want to be rooting for them to be together and in this one, I really think they were meant to be apart.

In this latest release by Ms. Amant, readers will journey along with two unlikely matched people to discover the true key to love. This was a sweet, inspiring romantic novel. Bri is a baker who lives her life to serve and love others. Holding onto the memories of her parents and their marriage, she seems to want to stay stuck in place awaiting the perfect person and love story that can happen. Gerard is a reporter who is writing a story to help a small-town bakery stay open after a few posts from the small town goes viral. Gerard is not a believer in love after being hurt in a previous relationship. Readers will read about their journeys and what occurs when the battle to save the bakery heats up and Bri discovers some hidden information. This book was a refreshing read including some life lessons on love. I highly recommend this book! I know you will not be disappointed!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, I have purchased her books before.

There is a lot to like about this story but it wasn't what one might expect to find in a sweet romance. Bri Duval is in her late twenties, resides in a small Kansas town named Story, is a superb pastry chef and lives in a romantic fantasy bubble. The latter has been derived by the seemingly romantic marriage her parents lived who were tragically killed in a traffic accident a decade ago. Perhaps it was the trauma of losing her parents so suddenly but Bri is convinced that her parents lived the ultimate romantic story.

Gerard Fortier, is a travel writer, hoping to crack the big time. He's naturally ruggedly handsome, rides a motorbike and on the surface appears everything alpha-male. He's running from love, a broken heart from a hastily ended engagement and some unusual advice from a mentor who encouraged him to believe that true love is unattainable.

I grappled for the first half of the book because not a lot happened and Bri and Gerard seemed to keep going over the same ground, misunderstandings, Bri over-thinking everything, inadvertently running into each other all the time and on it goes. Until they began to question everything they had relied upon for so long. That had in fact kept them trapped in their own worlds: Bri's a very small one in Story, his a globe trotting one where he never stayed long enough to establish any kind of roots. And this was when the story began to get interesting and the layers of the onion, so to speak, began to be pulled back.

Love is messy and hard work. It requires commitment and communication and forgiveness and vulnerability. It sometimes requires letting go of perceptions we've held onto for too long that have actually led us astray and limited our ability to say yes to the love that is staring us in the face.

I noticed a number of elements of romance movies: "You've Got Mail" - the mother/daughter running a business with elderly family members acting as guardians of sorts, mom even 'twirled' in the kitchen plus the incorrigible male lead who antagonises the female lead; Sweet Home Alabama's 'so I can kiss you whenever I want' (great line BTW).

Both Bri and Gerard grew through this story which made the second half a delight to read. I kinda think this would be a story that would work better a hundred pages shorter so we can cut all the going over old ground but be encouraged that the reward is worth it in the end as the lessons on the key to love are good ones.

I received a complimentary ebook copy as a member of the Revell Reads Reading program via NetGalley without any expectation of a positive review.

If you enjoy sugary sweet romances, The Key To Love truly could not be any sweeter... pun fully intended.

In The Key To Love, we meet Bri- a smalltown baker obsessed with Paris, romance and keeping the legacy that her parents had left behind. When the bakery goes viral because of their own version of Paris' love lock wall, it brings with it an unexpected surprise in the form of Gerard- a cynical travel writer tasked to write about the bakery. Theirs truly is a story of opposites attract in this sweet read.

To be honest, I went back and forth on this story nearly the entire time I was reading. I enjoyed the concept of the story, and enjoyed the quirky matchmakers and even Gerard with his skepticism. The banter between the two was fun and probably really what kept the story going for me. There was truly a lot to like about it. That being said, there was something about Bri that I just could not personally find myself connecting with. I wanted to, I just couldn't get there 100%. I'm not sure what it was about her, as again I so enjoyed the other characters, but unfortunately, that does just happen sometimes.

Still, as I said the book had a lot of positive points, and I'd still give it a solid 3.5 stars. I would still certainly suggest that fans of sweet romances give this one a fair shot, you might be pleasantly surprised!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

Paris has nothing on Story, Kansas. Key to Love is a sweet story (literally.) Bri, following in her mother's footsteps, bakes macarons and petit fours at the local bakery. She's determined to tread the perfect path to romance, like her parents, until a secret changes her perspective. Oh and there's Gerard, an attractive, single man who swings a wide berth around romance. What a story these two make with their back and forth bantering and polar opposite view points. Key to Love is a delightful romance filed with dreamy scenarios and likable characters. Dive into this delicious tale and escape for a few hours into a modern romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A sweet romance, one that would make a great Hallmark movie. Could not put this book down. Loved the secondary characters too, the comedy relief was so good. A wonderful read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Title: The Key to Love

Author: Betsy St. Amant

Ch: 28

Pg: 336

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Rating: 5 Stars

Publisher: Revell



Bri Duval is a hopeless romantic Gerard Fortier is anything but. However the bakery she works at goes viral thanks to the love lock wall and the matchmakers who own the bakery put them on the path to meet when travel writer Gerard is sent to cover the wall the matchmakers and the bakery. The two main characters couldn’t be more different but that’s what makes for such an interesting story.


That while this is Bri and Gerard story it’s the secondary characters that stood out the most to me. Though I did love Bri’s and Gerard’s banter though not everyone will. I love how the secondary couple show Bri and the reader that love isn’t always perfect that more often than its messy.


Mabel and Agnes the bakery owners and matchmakers reminded me of a couple of older people at my church that love to play matchmaker even when the person they are trying to match up doesn’t want it.


I generally don’t cry when I read romances and even made it to chapter twenty five before i started crying. Mr. Mac was the character that brought tears to my eyes when he told Bri what he told her in chapter twenty five. I should have known that it would be the Marine in the book who would bring tears to my eyes. Mr. Macs love story takes the Marine Corp motto Semper Fidelis to an even more personal motto for Mr. Mac he’s also the character that i picture my dad being like at that age for many of the same reasons makes that part of the story personal for me.


I love this book and I didn’t want it to end. Not to mention that the author made me cry and that’s not an easy thing to do.


Readers who are fans of Betsy’s previous books as well as Becky wades Bradford sisters series and Jessica Kate will enjoy this book. And those who love Hallmark movies will love this book.



I received a complimentary copy The Number of Love from the publishers. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Bri lives in Story, Kansas where she works in the same Paris inspired bakery her mother did. She spends her days making delicious concoctions and dreams of finding the perfect man to have her own fairy tale that rivals her dead parents’ love story.

Cynical and burned by love Gerard arrives into town from Trek magazine. He’s doing a feature on the bakery and the lovelock wall behind it that was inspired by the one in Paris.
He and Bri immediately clash; Gerard disgusted by the over the top sweetness of Story and Bri by Gerard’s view of the world. Sparks soon fly but each discovers that the other was right to be annoyed.

I’m obsessed with this cover! It’s so gorgeous! I also liked the setting for the book and the enemies to lovers trope. However, I did find Bri annoying in her naïveté and her unrealistic expectations on love. She definitely grows up by the end of the book, but not soon enough for my liking.

This book is perfect for a feel good, fun Hallmark type read. But make sure you have a special treat to enjoy while eating. There’s lots of bakery treats mentioned! 🧁🍰🍡

Thanks to @revellbooks and @netgalley for copy in exchange for an honest review.

This romance begins is a very sweet place: The Pastry Puff bakery in small town Story, Kansas. Bri Duvall is desperate to make the Pastry Puff a success because it holds such strong ties to her mother. When Gerard Fortier comes to town to write a feature story about the Puff that will appear in a national magazine, it seems that Bri’s hope for the bakery may come true. She’s not expecting to clash with Gerard as much as she does; but more than that, she’s totally unprepared for the feelings she develops for him. Bri and Gerard both have strong, opposite, unrealistic feelings about romance. Bri thinks that any romantic relationship will be an absolutely perfect one; Gerard is scornful of anything about love.

There’s much to love about this book. The secondary characters of elderly sisters Mable and Agnes, with their cute matchmaking ways, were delightful. Bri’s baking made me want to bake; and the dialogue between Bri and Gerard was always interesting. There’s a subtle theme of faith that adds inspiration to the story and leads both Bri and Gerard to understand that although our relationships here on earth may not be perfect, God’s love will never fail us.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Bri worked at The Pastry Puff Bakery which is owned by Mabel and Agnes who see.themselves as matchmakers after setting up different couples and now they have decided Bri is next as one of there success stories but will it work. Gerard is a writer for Trek Magazine and now he has been told by Peter who is the Managing director and wants him to write about romance for his next assignment so now Gerard is of to The Pastry Puff Bakery to write his article about all that is going on there even though he is not happy about it. When Bro and Gerard meet things do not go as planned or very smoothly but will everything work out to bring in more business or not. This is the first book that I have read by Betsy St Amant and I have to say that it was a brilliant story and so well written and I definitely recommend you read it.
I voluntarily reviewed an Arc copy of this book.

The Key to Love is another recent read that I'm very conflicted about how I ended up feeling about it. On one hand, there were quite a few elements that I adored. I loved the small town bakery setting, and how the bakery was inspired by Paris and included its own Love Lock wall. I adored the two elderly sisters who ran the bakery, and how they become semi famous for their eccentric matchmaking attempts. They were as different as night and day, but I loved how their playful banter indicated just how strong of a sisterly relationship they truly shared. I found quite a few of the townspeople to be the perfect compliment to the story, and in particular I really enjoyed the town pastor and Mr. Mac. The characters and setting truly came together to give this story an almost idyllic small town cozy vibe and I loved that.

However, I never really did care for either Bri or Gerard as characters, and I found that they both had extremely worldly and materialistic world views, and I never really saw that change. I also didn't enjoy how their relationship goes from hating each other to being obsessed with each other in the blink of an eye, and it left the bad taste in my mouth that most of their relationship seemed to be built on physical attraction and not much else. Some of the scenes between the two of them were way steamier than I was expecting from a Christian fiction title, and I'm finding some of the edgier content being included in new Christian published titles to be extremely disheartening.

Since I wasn't a fan of the main characters or their romance, it's probably not surprising that I didn't end up loving this one. While there were some elements that made it an enjoyable read, it's not my favorite by this author and I don't see myself ever rereading this one.

Final Rating: 3/5.

Thanks so much to Revell for allowing me to read and review this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Revell) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book! Betsy’s voice is strong and her story so enjoyable. I laughed aloud in several places.

Our heroine is a romantic, but she isn’t realistic. No one could measure up to her ideals. Our jaded hero has his own secrets and reasons for rejecting romance, in general. He isn’t comfortable staying in one place, thus his travel writer career. These two almost couldn’t be more opposite in their approaches to life and love and even hope, which makes for great conflict.

The secondary characters are a hoot, adding to the fun in this novel. I enjoyed the bakery setting, along with the small-town ambiance.

Before I picked up this book, I began reading a very heavy story from another author. If you’re looking for a lighter novel that will make you laugh, or at least chuckle, I recommend this one.

Looking forward to Betsy’s next book!

Lots of thoughts about this story, but I’ll withhold most of those.

I think the reader and what you expect from a story, may largely depend on as to whether you will like this one.

Overall I think the plot & content would have been more suited to a novella. I found myself skim reading a lot, and didn’t miss any significant events. I’m not sure how I feel about random characters approaching the two main characters and randomly giving their “opinion” without any invitation to, and without them knowing the background story but somehow they do. The residents of Story are experts in mind-reading.

This wasn’t for me, which made me a little sad, this cover was the main draw for me. It is a cute one! I’m also enjoying the people-less covers.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC. This is my honest review

I have previously enjoyed the sweet novels from Betsy St Amant and “The Key to Love” has her gorgeous and vivid writing style but felt a little more serious than I anticipated.

I missed in the back cover summary, though it’s revealed early in the novel, that our leading lady, Bri, is grieving the death of both her parents. The impact of this loss taints all her actions and subsequently a large part of the novel. She desperately clings to a sense of home created by the bakery she works at. Our leading man, Gerard, is smarting from a broken heart and an abusive relationship. Again, not light material for a romance. If emotional abuse or loss is a trigger for you, this is one to skip.

There is plenty of small town humour, delicious pastries and warm fuzzy moments in the book but the tone felt deeper. Bri’s exploration of the reality of her parents marriage is so sad, I really felt for her. One way and another, her whole world goes upside down during this novel. Gerard similarly has his world spun. I think I just expected a more cheery read, not such a big topic, deep discussion type book, it was bittersweet rather than sweet! Because of that, my rating is three of five on the enJOYment scale. I can’t fault the writing, it is beautifully and emotively done, just not quite for me this time.

Betsy St. Amant is a new-to-me author, and my first taste of her writing was definitely sweet! I loved the small town of Story, Kansas, and the quirky characters who call it home. Bri and Gerard are the epitome of opposites attracting - homebody Bri dreams of a romance like her parents', while career-focused Gerard never stays in one place for long and is a little jaded after a broken engagement.

If this story were a petit four, the supporting characters would be the icing on top! Mabel and Agnes, the owners of the bakery, are the charming matchmakers who are like aunts to Bri. Casey and Nathan’s love story provides both funny and heartwarming moments too. This book has all the charm and sweetness of a Hallmark movie with a spiritual depth that fans of Melissa Tagg and Tari Faris will enjoy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Revell!

White it’s a classic opposites-attract semi-predictable romance there were some twists and turns along the way that I did not see coming. I loved how Bri was always making others feel cherished and valued. Thats a great quality to have. I also loved the bakery and Parisian themes throughout the book as a baker and fellow Paris afficionado myself.

The key to love is about a young Pastry chef Bri who works in a Bakery in Kansas.
With the owners Mabel and Agnes they created a Lovelock wall like in Paris…
Mabel and Agnes love helping people find love and a video posted on Youtube about their matchmaking gained a lot of view and allow the bakery to become famous… Gerard a travel writer is send to Story Kansas to write an article about their bakery.
Gerard is not the romantic type and he reluctantly agree to this new assignement contrary to Bri who believes in love and marriage. Bri has a real passion for pastry, especially French pastries (macarons, petit fours) who comes from her mother and she doesn’t want to lose the bakery even though sometimes business is running slow… So she really hopes a lot from this article.

The story seems very interesting but I could not really connect with the characters they are so different and I didn’t finish it.
I really like the book cover it’s beautiful.

I began my read of "The Key to Love" by Betsy St. Amant with great anticipation. The idea of a romance developing in a small town bakeshop is very dear to me. The love locks appeared to be an exceptionally nice touch. Unfortunately, the characters grew more unlikable as the book progressed. There did not seem to be a natural progression in the romance. To be in this genre, there was far less mention and concern about godliness, and a relationship with God, than I would prefer.


I received a complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley and was not required to write a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

Betsy St. Amant is one of those authors whose books I will immediately drop everything to read. I LOVE THEM, Y'ALL. </end capslock of doom> And this one is no different. It makes me want to go to Paris. (Well, I might want to do that already.) It makes me want to eat scads of petits fours. (And yes, I spent much time debating over the plural of "petit fours" and whether it stays "petit" or changes to "petits." Turns out either works. French is a funny language...says the native English speaker. Sigh.)

Gerard proved to be a fascinating character and pleasant surprise. I couldn't help but conjure a mental image of Gerard in "The Christmas Calendar" (Hallmark Christmas movie), which proved a delightful casting imho. I also enjoyed the book's setting in small-town Kansas. It was a nice change of pace from other recent reads.

All the talk of French cooking really made me want to give it a shot myself. I've watched one or two or twenty streaming cooking shows; macarons can't be that hard, can they? (HA. I remember a few "Holiday Baking Championship" kerfuffles, and would prefer to simply buy and eat the end results, not make them.) St. Amant did a delightful job at bringing the world of pastry cooking to life.

Plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, not least of which with the matchmakers! St. Amant has a great senes of humor herself, and that absolutely shines through in "The Key to Love." Recommended read.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I usually stay away from "romance" novels. They usually are too mushy for me. But this one was more a study of human behavior. Bri is hanging on to a past she hopes is real but finds out it wasn't what she thought it was. Gerald uses a failed relationship as a guide for all female relationships. This book explores how impressions of our past can taint the present and future. Bri and Geard seem to be polar opposites, but they are exactly what the other needed to grow. As with so many books of this type, you want to yell at the characters to just talk with one another. But in this novel, they do talk and eventually work things out. It's a feel good book with just enough romance to make it interesting without all the "mush".