I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I seem to be in the minority but this book was not for me AT ALL and I ended up DNF'ing it pretty early on.

The concept sounded cute, two interns battling it out for a future at an online Food Network and falling in love, and I like to use romance novels as a palette cleanser in between other genres.

Unfortunately, in the first chapter alone there were info dumps, "not like other girls" syndrome from the main character (who stayed home watching cooking shows while other teens were out partying), and bits about both racist online comments and patronizing male figures at the Food Network. Keep in mind, the patronizing male figures weren't talking down to the MC (which would've still been dickish but would've been more realistic, as the MC is an intern) but to an older, senior member of the marketing team. So like, someone whose competence was well-established and who it was super weird to be condescending towards.

Basically, the writing for this just felt lazy. I know Hill is a new author and maybe she was just falling back on older ideas to support her debut effort, but I wish she would've not had the same boring "girl fights against establishment that needs fighting against because....reasons!"

I will try out the author's work though, in case these tropes fall away as she gains confidence and experience.

**3.5 STARS**

Content Warning: Sexism, Cyber-Bullying

All you rom-com foodies will enjoy this book! First the book cover already gives you a glimpse of what is going to come in the story. Two interns out of high school are competing for a spot on a food network. They are randomly thrown together for an amateur series but the big suits of the company want to make it competitive. Reese is from Kentucky, she’s a southern belle with food knowledge that she learned in her grandma’s kitchen. Whereas Benny is almost a cooking pro since his family owns a restaurant.

The banter between them is the cutest and you can feel the chemistry! Also – there are so many food puns. I liked how they have chemistry on screen and yet are rivals and also friends. I mean how can Reese resist Benny when he’s so good-looking, charming and can cook!

The challenges between them come because of the food network throwing them into a competition for the internship. They both have their reasons for wanting it but we see how Reese gets treated because she’s female in comparison to Benny. The story touches on sexism in the industry and of course the cyberbullying/trolling that comes with fame from something that goes viral. The men/bosses around Reese give her inappropriate looks and say things they shouldn’t and of course the online comments are the worst. The fans of the show peg Reese as a girl who’s bitchy, ugly, someone sleeping her way to the top and it really gets her down but I’m glad it doesn’t totally destroy her. She has her best friends on standby and they are her biggest cheerleaders.

Miscommunication comes between Reese and Benny so the conflict isn’t major but this is a very cute, light hearted rom-com so I think it works for the tone of the story. Also these two characters haven’t exactly had hard lives, they are just two regular teens out of high school trying to decide what the next step will be and hope they succeed.

FINAL THOUGHTS::
Why you should read it:
*you love a foodie romance story, lots of food puns
*light hearted, cute and sweet romance
*Benny and Reese’s banter and chemistry

Why you might not want to read it:
*not into food and romance

My Thoughts:

This was a cute read and if you love food and romance, you will definitely enjoy Love From Scratch.

I LOVED everything about Love from Scratch! It was sweet and funny and also tackled serious topics with care and thought. The respect Reese and Benny had for one another, the food puns, the cute nicknames, the banter, everything about their relationship was so wholesome and adorable! The take on misogyny at work, in school and online and how demoralising and gross it is, was well executed. Love from Scratch is the kind of book I needed to read as a teenager and I am so glad young adults have books like this now!

This is the perfect YA summer romance and I highly recommend it.

Beware this book will make you VERY hungry (the food descriptions are *chef’s kiss* perfect.) But there’s more than just great food between these pages. Not only are Reese & Benny great characters, they are so adorable together (the food puns alone are worth it), Hill tackles some tough topics (feminism & misogyny) while still delivering a fun and fluffy romcom and a killer happy ending. If you’re looking for a modern low angsty, rivals-to-lovers YA romance be sure to pick up this book!

Reese Camden is spending her summer after graduation working for Friends of Flavor, her favorite cooking show network. She's no chef, her real talent is in design and advertising, so she's working as the marketing intern. No matter what, she can't believe her luck; this internship could turn into a real job once college starts. The only thing in her way is the OTHER intern, Benny Beneventi, the culinary intern. When one of the hosts can't make a taping, their boss comes up with a great idea: Amateur Hour, featuring the two interns. Reese is hesitant at first, but the chemistry between her and Benny is not only undeniable, it's obvious to everyone watching, too. Soon, they're pretty much the talk of the network, and Amateur Hour gains major popularity. No matter how comfortable and natural it feels to be with Benny, it's still a competition for the job in the fall, and only one can win.

This book really is the cutest! I loved the banter between Reese and Benny, and that Benny is so careful and patient with Reese. You really grow to love them, and even though the underlying tension never really goes away, it keeps you on the edge of your seat for the whole book, always in the will-they-won't-they stage. I also really appreciated the clean romance, because it's perfect for high school and even older middle schoolers, but can be appreciated by adults too.

I received this book courtesy of NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This book was not for me at all. I skimmed most of it, if I am being honest. Reese....Reese was a lot. She is that feminist that ruins it for all other feminists. And I hate saying that because A) angry feminists rants are kind of my thing and B) that is the whole point of this book but she goes about it all wrong and never does anything about the sexism she experiences except to rant more and cry. She is a weak character because she chooses to be not because of Benny. She spends the majority of the book attacking Benny for things that aren't his fault or just being a bitch to him because he is the competition. I feel the author was trying to go about this enemies to lover trope everyone loves these days, but making one of the characters be rude just to make that trope work, is not how the trope works.

i quite enjoyed this book. it’s a fluffy contemporary and i recommend you not reading while hungry because this will make you 10x hungrier.
read it if you enjoy:
- feminist romance
- lots of cooking!
- rivals to lovers romance

Thank you to #NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read a digital ARC. This book will be published in April 2022. All opinions are my own.

Reese has landed her dream internship in the marketing department of Friends of Flavor, a wildly popular cooking channel. She’s excited to apply for their fall position and knows that the internship will give her edge. Everything seems to be on her side until she meets Benny, the culinary intern, and the two have to sub in for one of the channel’s shows. This leads to the two getting their own show called Amateur Hour where they compete to show off their qualifications for the fall job. Reese is determined to keep her eye on the prize and keep things feelings free. But, as the summer progress, things between Benny and Reese begin to heat up causing her to wonder if just maybe she can have the guy and the job.

There is so much to love about this book. To start, it’s hilarious, cheesy, and super cute. At the same time, it tackles some big issues related to feminism, anxiety, workplace inequality, and double standards. On the surface, it’s a cute little love story between two summer interns but once you look below that you realize it is so much more. Reese had to deal with a lot of misogyny and internet trolls. I liked that her anxiety and struggles were at the forefront and not swept over. I loved all of the cute nicknames the two called each other and the fun related puns. There was some really Gouda ones. 🤣 This was a fun and quick YA read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read "Love From Scratch" in exchange for an honest review.
Oh, how I loved this book. This is an adorable YA contemporary romance featuring two summer interns at Friends of Flavor, a quite popular cooking channel. When Reese and Benny have to compete for the coveted fall Internship, they realize that perhaps they are more than just friends. Okay, first, I absolutely loved the banter between characters. The characters were extremely likable and just perfect. Second: This book brings up important points about feminism as well as social media culture. For a younger audience, I think these are great things to have in a YA book, with an emphasis on women's empowerment. Overall, this book was a fun filled adventure featuring some delicious savory food, and a sweet romance.

This lived up to all I hoped it would be. Super cute, sweet, amazing strong female lead. I loved it from start to finish. Highly recommend

This book was a combination of two of my favourite things: cooking shows and a good old fashioned rivalry (that’s not actually a rivalry?)

Reading this took me back to a time when I used to be obsessed with binging cooking shows on the YouTube. I really connected with Reese as a fellow super fan that doesn’t entirely know her way around the kitchen but loves cooking anyway. Throughout the course of the book, Reese struggles with staying true to herself in a workplace environment that holds a lot of double standards. I loved the very empowering discussions about feminism throughout the book. My favourite part of the book however was the banter between Benny & Reese. They play off each other’s energy so well and I loved the adorably cheesy food puns. Overall, it was a super fun read and I cant wait for everyone to read it !!

What’s not to love about a light hearted and cheesy enemies to lovers story about summer interns staring in a cooking show together while competing for the coveted fall internship? Reese and Benny have great banter and chemistry which is clearly evident in their cooking show and it translates off camera. Throughout the story, Reese and Benny have several eye opening conversations as well as a few miscommunications but ultimately everything gets cleared up and moved forward in a positive direction. A lot can be taken away from this book about workplace issues, online bullying, mental health and the treatment of others. It costs nothing to be kind to people and should be everyone’s default status. Overall, I really liked Reese and Benny individually and together and their adorable food puns.


Thank you @netgalley and publishers for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Cute romance book about a food competition and the main characters Benny and Reese. I enjoyed the way it brought out the hypocrisy and the double standards professional women go through on a daily basis in the work place.

I received this ARC through #netgalley and I am voluntarily reviewing this book

This was such a cute book! I've read a lot of romances about cooking shows lately, but this one was different as the main character was not actually a chef. Reese and Benny are both interns at a popular online cooking show, and end up getting thrown together to film a video at the last minute. Due to the positive reaction the show gets from fans, Reese and Benny continue making videos together and end up competing for an internship. This book was very fast-paced, and it was a quick read for me. I think this will probably be enjoyed most by younger audiences. I also loved the feminist theme of the book and the ending. Overall, it was a good read!

Love from Scratch is exactly what I'd hoped it would be. Delightful baking banter and puns. Sweet romance. Strong female characters kicking ass. Everything I love rolled into one.

SO. I was recommended this book by a friend and started it thinking it would be another cliche predictable rom-com, but boy was I wrong. This book has unique obstacles in the plot and adorable romance that rendered me unable to put the book down. The feminist themes were STRONG and showed up in a lovely way through Reese's character development, through which she learns to stand up for herself when she's treated in a sexist manner. I had no idea what I was in for with this book but it had a unique way of hooking my attention and dragging me out of the reading slump that I'd been in. If you're looking for something light and cute, LOVE FROM SCRATCH is the way to go.

This was a very good book. Enjoyed the plot. The characters were unique.

Thank you NetGalley for and advanced copy.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! Such a cute, relatable YA read! Reese is the quintessential southern darling and her experiences in Seattle are simply so endearing I couldn't help but fall in love with charming Benny and his backwards hat. I especially loved all the references to his family and all of Reese's southern euphemisms. The stage of life this book takes place in, in between the main characters' senior years of high school and freshman years of college, is such a tumultuous time and was the perfect place to set this book. Of course, I would be remiss not to mention the puns, which were plentiful and outstanding. The food was amazing, the side characters were wonderful, and I truly cannot sing my praises about this book enough. I absolutely loved. I have all intentions of buying a copy once it releases and I am so happy one of my most anticipated releases of the year came through!

Reese and Benny are both summer interns at Friends of Flavor when they are presented with the opportunity to team up on their own series.
🎂
If you’ve ever read a romance ever you know how that goes. What you don’t know is that Reese is a vocal feminist and Benny is so supportive of her. It was refreshing to see a woman portrayed this way, and even more importantly a woman portrayed this way in a YA romance.
🎂
Reese’s best friends also have their own backstories shared through the novel. The author does a great job of making it clear how these stories feed into Reese’s sense of self, but what I particularly liked was the pushing boundaries of a perfect, Christian, Southern Belle.
🎂
While romance, there are also many times that Reese faces her own challenges. Benny does too, but I would say that Reese is definitely the star of the show.
🎂
My only mistake with this book was that I wasn’t fully in the mindset that it was YA. I knew the characters’ ages and situation, but for some reason I just couldn’t get my mind fully there. I feel like I lost out on some of the impact from the novel because of this. Nonetheless, good book, go check it out!

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for an advance copy!

This is sure to be one of my top books for 2022! I came into it expecting - and looking forward to - a cheesy, Hallmark-y romance story, and I got what I was here for. But I also got so much more.

Reese is one of the most authentic characters I've read in a long time. For all that she's a heroine, she's also finding her place in the world, carrying her baggage around and growing into a new role that she's helping create for herself. Sometimes she's uncertain, and she's rightly frustrated by ... a lot of her reality. But she leaves me feeling confident that things can change. That I can help change them.

And Benny? Benny is perhaps my favorite book boyfriend yet. He's dorky and sweet and compassionate and understanding, AND he cooks, AND he makes food puns? Be still my beating heart.

Sure, it was easy to know they'd be together by the end of the book, but that's why I was here. I didn't want to wonder who I should be rooting for; I just wanted to enjoy the getting there. And enjoy it, I did, from the first time Reese and Benny were thrown together in front of the camera, all the way up to their happily ever after. In between their flirty antics, there's an honest, heartfelt look at what it's like to exist as a woman in the world of social media, but not in a way that feels over the top or preachy. I laughed out loud MANY times as I read (apologies to the coworkers who were confused about THAT in the office!), and cried and gasped along the way. All in all, this was a top-notch ride, and I can't wait to go back to the beginning and start it again!