Thank you so much to Macmillan publishing, Fierce Reads and NetGalley for providing me with an arc copy of The Secret Recipe for Moving On by Karen Bischer!
I’m a huge fantasy lover, but from time to time I can’t resist a cute YA contemporary romance read and I’m so happy I got to read this one! This definitely gave me my fix. I can now happily add this in my favourites list.
This book was sooo addicting! I just couldn’t put it down. And I of course finished it in one day!
This book had great character development and I love the portrayal of the family and friendships in this. Thank you to the author for being so diverse in her characters! Honestly everyone can relate to at least one character! And for me, my heart goes out to the main character. I love the main character so much. I enjoyed seeing Ellie grow as an individual and fighting for what she believes in. I love how resilient she is. I love how passionate she is about meteorology! (honestly I think that is the coolest thing ever!). But I cannot forget the “biggest misfit guys”.
ISAIAH
AJ
LUKE
My heart has a soft spot for Luke, but honestly all the characters were amazing! Each of their storylines was so fascinating. I’m happy we got to see a deeper level and understand them for who they were and not from what the rumours suggest. All characters were so unique. It was interesting seeing the challenges in their life and I love how they got to bond over the course of the school year. I’m happy they not only found friendship in one another, but a FAMILY MEMBER!
This book really gave me all the feels.
It made me angry, smile, laugh and swoon!
If you are a contemporary lover this is for you! Definitely a guilty pleasure read for me and I cannot wait to reread it.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the title for sure. Moving on from trauma in life can be one of the hardest things. A young-adult book discussing this really excited me.
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When I first started this book I thought it was going to be too cliche that it would be boring. However , I was quickly proved wrong by the main character, Ellie, and her ability to stand up for herself and persevere through uncomfortable situations really made this story a good one. Especially for a high school audience.
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The heartbreak in this story is relatable and the romance is adorable. This story was an enjoyable read.

This was an adorable YA read with lots of swoony moments and great moments. Set in the backdrop of a home and careers class, this story take the reader along for the ride as Ellie rediscovers herself after a terrible break up. This is a story about friendship and taking the time to get to know yourself, as well as learning how falling in love can surprise you sometimes. I read this quickly and I enjoyed every moment of it. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from Karen Bischer! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

After Ellie's parents ran into some financial issues, her family was forced to move, and she had to start over at a new school. Before she even settled in, she met her boyfriend and was immediately absorbed into his life. His friends were her friends. His interests were her interest. When he breaks up with Ellie out of nowhere, she is forced to start over from scratch. She thought the breakup was one of the worst things to happen to her, but it just might be one of the best.

If I was forced to be brief while describing this book, I could sum it up as super cute. There were just so many things in this story that brought a smile to my face.

First and foremost, I was #1 fan of Ellie's life skills "family". Ellie thought being in a group with these boys would be utter torture. She had some preconceptions about a few of them, but the more they worked together, the more they learned about each other, and they bonded. This combination of diverse personalities was a winning one, and they all won a place in my heart, and I especially adored seeing them move from being "family" to being family.

Joining this group was one of Ellie's first steps outside her comfort zone, and it didn't stop there. Ellie continued to stretch her wings throughout this story. She attended events Hunter never liked, and you know what? She had a good time. She joined clubs Hunter didn't approve of, and there she discovered talents she never knew she had. The more decisions she made for herself, the more she discovered about herself. Her confidence grew, her circle of friends grew, and Ellie grew.

When I said this book was super cute, I was also talking about the romance. I will admit, my first meeting with Luke was less than stellar, but gosh darn it! He was a gem. The boy had layers, and underneath those layers were lots of surprises. But it was more than just him for me. It was the combination of him and Ellie that was all sorts of adorable. You could feel the excitement and electricity flowing between them. I just loved it!

I was definitely here for the romance, but the focus on friendship and Ellie finding her own path made it an even better experience for me. I think a lot of people will relate to Ellie's heartbreak and cheer for her as she attempts to find the secret recipe for moving on.

The Secrete Recipe for Moving On follows a character named Ellie and right from the start I was rooting for her simply because we have the same name. Yes this is 100% a valid reason to like a character. I was also rooting for her because her boyfriend was a giant jerk (this point is proven not only by his actions but also by the fact that he's in an acapella band) and from there the story begins as he dumps her for his best friend and Ellie is forced to be in the same home-ec class with the new loved up pair.

I thought this book was a lot of fun. It had it's cringey moments but the cringe was thankfully overshadowed by the funny and the romance which I shipped from the get go. I could have done without the mix of communication towards the end there but I'll take what I can get. This was a fun one.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Karen Bischer's upcoming book, The Secret Recipe for Moving On, is a cute YA rom-com about overcoming heartache and finding your place.

Having to switch high schools junior year was hard for Ellie, but after she quickly met and started dating Hunter, a handsome classmate, she quickly became part of his circle of friends and started doing things they wanted to do. But things between them seem strained just before senior year starts, although Hunter tells her everything is fine.

On the first day of school, Hunter dumps Ellie unexpectedly, and it’s not long before she finds out he’s already hooked up with his longtime friend, Brynn. (Perhaps even before he and Ellie broke up.) To make matters worse, she has to share a life skills class with both of them and watch everyone ship the adorable couple, saying how great it was that they finally got together.

When Ellie gets teamed up with a group of misfits for a year-long competition in class, at first she feels like an outsider. But when her competitive spirit is awakened, and the team focuses on beating Hunter and Brynn’s team, Ellie allows herself to have fun with her new friends, especially Luke, a tattooed stunt-biker who is much more complex than she imagined.

But is Ellie willing to trust someone again after Hunter’s lies? The more she focuses on competition the more she ignores the needs of those around her. She’ll need to figure out what she really wants—and whom she wants to be with.

The Secret Recipe for Moving On was a really cute high school-based rom-com. There’s nothing quite like teenage drama!

I was grateful to be part of the blog tour for this book. Storygram Tours, Fierce Reads, Swoon Reads, and NetGalley provided me with an advance complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

The Secret Recipe for Moving On publishes 3/23/2021!

The Secret Recipe for Moving On is a young adult contemporary romance by Karen Bischer. This book was an adorable coming of age story. It is perfect for young adult readers of all ages. There are some references to under age drinking, but overall I think this book had characters that were very age appropriate, which I always like to see in young adult stories. The Secret Recipe for Moving On is equal parts emotional , funny and sweet. It is a lighthearted read about how to get past a breakup and how to put the pieces of yourself back together. I really enjoyed this coming of age tale.

In The Secret Recipe for Moving On we meet our main character Ellie as she has to deal with a public abrupt breakup at school. To make matters worse, she is now forced to not only watch her ex move on right before her eyes, but she also feels very alone because she met all of her friends through her ex. Ellie is so relatable as a character, and I loved watching her come into her own throughout the story! As she pairs up with a group of guys in her life skills class, so many adorable moments happen throughout the book. Some embarrassing ones too, but overall I really enjoyed this cute and easy read. Her partners in life skills are great. She gets teamed up with A.J., Isaiah and Luke who are dubbed the “misfits” of the class. I loved them all!

Ellie and the boys turn out to be a great team, and the class overall was great! I loved the eclectic mix of assignments they have, and I really appreciated how they pushed Ellie to grow as a young adult. As a side note, this life skills class seems like a really wonderful class to take in high school. I wish they had a class like that when I was in school. It seemed useful and fun. Bottom line: This book is a really cute read that will appeal to character driven readers of all ages. I loved watching Ellie come into her own as a young woman. She is super likeable and relatable. I wanted to see her shine, and I was so happy when I did! I really enjoyed The Secret Recipe for Moving On.

This was the cutest book. It gives you all the feels. From teenage angst over a break-up, to the giddy thrill of new love, to a bunch of misfits finding friendship. It was a great book and just what I needed on a gloomy day. The last couple chapters I smiled the whole way through.

From the mom of teens perspective, I cringed a bit regarding a few things, but all in all it's handled pretty well.

I feel like I've fallen in this cycle of fairly heavy reads, and that made this a breath of fresh air. I didn't realize how much I need a lighter, predictable, teen rom-com.

I enjoyed the realism, the story and the happy ending-I needed it and I'm guessing there are at least a few teens at my library that need it too.

For Libraries: I think this is a perfect fit for your contemporary romance collections.

This book was amazing, I loved the main character and her friends. I loved the parts of the book when they were in home ec class. I like how she was tough and got over her ex and she learned to love her home ec family. She treated them like a real family would.






Thank you NetGalley and Swoon Reads for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Transferring high schools in the middle of junior year when her father's restaurant went bust was hard but now Mary Ellen "Ellie" Agresti has the perfect boyfriend and new friends as she starts her senior year.

Until Ellie is dumped right when school starts so Hunter can get together with his childhood best friend Brynn.

Now Ellie has to watch Hunter and Brynn being lovey-dovey everywhere--including a class they all share. Applicable Life Skills for Young Adults (AKA Home Ec) was supposed to be an easy A but now it's an easy way to get Ellie's blood boiling.

Hoping to salvage the class and her senior year, Ellie focuses on revenge. If she can beat Hunter's team, that will mean she wins the breakup and the class competition. The only problem is that Ellie's pretend "family" for class is more like a group of misfits with loudmouth AJ, horse racing junkie Isaiah, and stunt-biker Luke.

Bonds can form in the unlikeliest places but even Ellie isn't sure what to do when her "family" starts to feel like friends (or maybe even more with Luke) especially when she still isn't sure how to get over the breakup she never saw coming in The Secret Recipe for Moving On (2021) by Karen Bischer.

Find it on Bookshop.

The Secret Recipe for Moving On is Bischer's debut novel.

Any charm to be derived from this plot, is lost early on as the entire first twenty per cent of the book focuses on the build up to the breakup and Ellie's initial wallowing. While the immediacy of Ellie's distress is admirable, I didn't need to feel like I was going through the entire thing with her--particularly when jacket copy suggests the breakup is a done deal by the time the story starts.

The Secret Recipe for Moving On is also hopelessly mired in classism and sexism which, although it is acknowledged, is never fully interrogated. During the home ec class each group of students is assigned an imaginary family to work with for their budget and other class projects. Ellie's group is "stuck" with a single mother raising two children on a bus driver's salary. Much to the group's dismay (even though both Ellie and Luke are low income students compared to their classmates).

Combining their initials, the group decides to call their family "JAILE" saying it will intimidate other teams (by implying prison connotations?) which is further insulting. Finally, the point where I knew I was done with this book was when a classmate in a rival "family" told Ellie and her group that their single mother could turn to stripping for extra cash or rely on food stamps during a grocery shopping exercise. While the character behind these remarks is eventually cast as a villain, the comments themselves stigmatizing poverty, sex work, and government support are never addressed or commented on.

During the same shopping exercise, AJ picks up two grapefruits pretending to be a woman while shopping (you can imagine) and the only comment is Luke acknowledging with a look that the joke might be less funny given Ellie's presence. As part of the core group AJ has some growth as the story progresses too but, again, we are past the point where sexist remarks or actions like this should ever get a pass.

The Secret Recipe for Moving On has all of the pieces to be a fun and sweet story. Unfortunately, the book takes too long to interrogate all of the really problematic elements--for the ones that are examined at all. Readers looking for a fun rom com should pick this one up with caution.

Possible Pairings: With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo, Suffer Love by Ashley Herring Blake, The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo, Lucky Caller by Emma Mills, Cake Pop Crush by Suzanne Nelson, A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*

This book was very cute and was such a fun read! I loved the plot and the main characters, they were unique and interesting. This book really pulls your heart strings and makes you wish for more books by this author. I will be purchasing it for my library.

I really liked this book and how she got over someone. I enjoyed the romance and the friendships. I liked she came to enjoy her home ec family. I liked that she was able to get over a boy and move on with her life. Great story.

The Secret Recipe for Moving On has a little sugar, a little spice, and a lot of things nice. A cute YA contemporary read that is sure to connect to readers with its coming-of-age story and fun characters. While it didn't bring anything exactly new to the table for me personally, it is full of heart which makes it all the more endearing. 3.5 stars.

Ellie Agresti was dumped by her boyfriend Hunter on the first day of senior year in the worst possible way, he just ghosted her and didn’t actually break up with her until she confronted him later that day. To make matters worse he got together with his best friend Brynn pretty much right after and she has to see them being all coupley every day in the Life Skills Class they all take together. So she has no boyfriend as well as no real friends since she just moved to the school in the middle of her junior year and hooked up with Hunter right away and never made any friends that weren’t his and who all picked him in the break-up. She ends up partnered for the year In Life Skills Class with A.J., Isaiah and Luke who are the “misfits” of the class as a family unit and she realizes that there is more to her class family then she knew and they end up becoming really good friends.

I really love how much Ellie starts pushing outside her comfort zone by getting in front of the camera for her school’s TV station where she does some interviews and ends up doing the weather report every day since she wants to be a meteorologist. The interactions with Ellie and the boys were really good and all the class assignments in Life Skills really helped them get to know each other and become really good friends by the end of the book. I just really loved this book and it was a really fast read once I started I couldn’t put it down. There were of course the misunderstandings between Luke and Ellie that were all resolved in the end where she overheard someone saying something and jumped to conclusions that weren’t accurate since she was still dealing or not dealing with the repercussions of knowing about Hunter and Brynn and how they got together. But this was a really cute story and I can’t wait to read more by Karen Bischer.

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

This is a cute and fun YA romance/coming-of-age story about Ellie, a high school girl who suffers a humiliating public break up. On top of that she realizes that all of her "friends" were through her ex and she feels completely alone. Worst of all, she is stuck with all of them in a home-ec class, giving her a front-row seat to her ex and his new girlfriend all over each other everyday! Cast out from her "friend" group, Ellie is forced to team up with a group of misfit guys for the class's team competition. At first she's miserable but she soon realizes there is so much more to her teammates than she thought. I could feel some Breakfast Club and One Of us is Lying (minus the murder mystery) vibes and I enjoyed reading this.

For any concerned parents wondering if this is appropriate for younger teens: There is some underage drinking and peer pressure issues, but I'd say that most of the characters make good choices and it stays mostly PG-13.

This was a pretty standard, cute YA contemporary. The characters were enjoyable and the plot moved along decently. It was a pretty quick read as well. If you are a fan of YA contemporaries, I recommend picking this one up.

Thank you NetGalley and Swoon Reads/MacMillan for the opportunity to read Karen Bischer's book The Secret Receipe for Moving On. This was a delightful, fun read over the Thanksgiving holiday. I loved the idea of the Home Ec class and the various assignments that showed the bonds of friendship among Ellie and her classmates evolve and helped one another gain better understanding of themselves and their lives in the community outside of high school.

Really cute book.. Not what I was expected judging by the cover but the it was amazing. The characters and the dynamics between them worked well and I couldn't stop reading it!

Ellie Agresti is still feeling like the new girl at Ringvale Heights High, but has a great boyfriend...until she doesn't. What she thought was going to be a fun senior year suddenly begins all wrong and Ellie makes a plan to get back at her boyfriend and his new girl through a competition in Home Ec. Ellie builds new friendships and ends up learning more about herself and how to put what other people think about her behind her.

This novel become more than what it appeared at the start. Schools can be challenging places teens to be themselves and accepted and I think that Bischer does a great job with Ellie's evolution as a person and friend. Ellie learned not to let what people thought of her stop her from doing what she wanted and by being open and accepting to different people, she was able to develop great friendships.