Love From Scratch by Kaitlyn Hill – (YA/Romance, c/o Netgalley, April 2022) Reese and Benny are two high school students interning at an online culinary network. They end up doing a video together that goes viral, leading to a regular segment that they star in. But they are both competing for a job with the company in the fall, so despite the chemistry heating up between them, Reese wants to keep it platonic. As a food lover, I enjoyed the cooking and behind the scenes aspects of a culinary network. Overall, this was a cute read.

**Book review will be published April 1st on Instagram/Goodreads/Blog/Storygraph**

WELL, I ADORED BENNY.

3.5 stars

I really wanted to love this more than my review shows and while I did like a lot of it, there were some aspects that held me back. Something I did love was the setting!! I loved the concept of a company with online cooking videos and the like.

Benny. He was top notch one of the better YA love interests I’ve read in awhile. He was incredibly supportive, realistic, and charming. I love that he was the sunshine between the two and had a positive attitude. Benny was all things sweet and the grand gesture at the end was completely over the top and I loved it.

Reese. I was much slower to warm up to her. I didn’t mind that she was the grump in the relationship and I liked that they got together halfway through! She showed some growth and, but towards the end it got a bit stagnant. I didn’t love the way the conflict was handled and I felt my care for her decisions wane as she became increasingly whiny. It was okay.

I realize this is a contemporary romance and I love that. That’s why I picked it up. That’s what drew me in. Unfortunately the larger agenda of the book felt forced and pushy. Even for things I am all for and in support of, I felt suffocated by that storyline over what I thought was the main aspect of the plot (the romance).

Overall audience notes:
- YA Contemporary Romance
- Language: light
- Romance: make-outs
- Trigger/Content Warnings: skeevy older men, misogyny, slut-shaming

Love the cover. Love the setting. Love the story. Love the trope!
I wanted a fun and cute romcom, it’s exactly what I got.

Love From Scratch is a funny enemies to lovers young adult book but at times it felt like I was reading a New Adult book (no steamy scenes if that's what you are looking for). Reese is from Kentucky and Benny is from San Francisco (Bay Area boy after my own heart) and both intern on a cooking channel.

There were so many food puns in this book I just loved it. Reese wasn't fully doing it for me, I had to come around to her character. I felt there were real world issues young girls sadly face just starting in The workplace such as a misogynistic boss who wouldn't give her the time of day unless he was staring at her legs and bullying back home from her peers who left nasty comments online about her.

Love from Scratch is a fun, breezy read likely to hold the attention of many teen girls. For me, this book is anywhere from 3.5 to 4 stars but I do believe the target audience of teens/young adult will enjoy this story.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was cute! I really enjoyed Benny and Reese's chemistry and their adorable food puns. The culinary aspect was a fun twist for the romance genre. I also liked that Reese was a strong, feminist lead character and that Benny was very sweet and supportive. I did feel like the writing was a little lacking at some points and started to lose me towards the middle of the book but the ending was strong.

Overall, a very fun and quick read.

I love a book with banter between the characters. This was so cute and adorable I found myself smiling so many times. The names the came up with for each other just melted my heart. Def one of those cozy comfort reads.

First I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book.

Love from scratch was an adorable and fun read. It made me giggle out loud a bunch of times. I loved the relationship between Reese and Benny, my favorite thing was the cute little nicknames they came up for each other throughout the book.

I think the romance was a lot of fun to read and it was so sweet. There is no smut in this one for all my smut lovers but I think the fun light banter makes up for it. Definitely recommend for anyone who loves romance and needs something light and quick.

I had to DNF this book. I found it quite boring and didn’t relate to the characters. The premise sounded great but just didn’t deliver for me.
Others might enjoy this but this one wasn’t for me!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went into Love from Scratch expecting a fun & cute rom-com, and that's exactly what I got. I liked Reese & Benny a lot. They had tons of chemistry and I loved their competitive yet playful nature towards each other. The cooking aspect & reality show twist to this was great as well. It added a fun element to the story that I enjoyed more than I thought I would.

Overall this was a fun & fast read.

Love from Scratch is the story of Reese and Benny, young interns at a food network style company that produces cooking shows. When they're thrown together into an amateur cooking segment, they're forced to work through their fears and insecurities to see if they're solid or a recipe for disaster. Lots of food puns, sass, real world issues, and a heavy dash of feminism.

For those who want romance that doesn't delve into graphic, this would be a good fit-- I would rate the sizzle PG. All in all a sweet read that I'm sure I'll revisit at a later date.

This book doesn't come out until April, but what a wonderful read it was! Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Children's Books and Kaitlyn Hill for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I was thoroughly engrossed in this book from beginning to end. There was a lot of talk about how women are treated today and how it hasn't changed from the beginning of time. You'd think by now we’d get a little more respect, but alas that is not the case. I enjoyed reading through Reese's story about how she overcomes some hardships, how she deals with some major trolling and how she learns to be more confident in herself. Sometime there really are some great people out there that will have your back you just have to let them into your space.

I enjoyed the fun flirty banter between Reese and benny, and their cooking shows. It was a cute and fun way for them to get to know one another while trying to further in their careers.

Really Benny was just perfect for Reese, he's the epitome of what men should be like, he was supportive, loving, caring, and just always wanted nothing but the best for Reese. Also, this book held a very important lesson in my eyes, communication. Without communication you just end up assuming things. Again, you must let people in and tell them what you are really feeling.

Overall, I really liked this book and cannot wait to read more from this author, definite a must read.

This book in 3 words: Cutie. Empowering. Funny. 

Love From Scratch focuses on our 2 main characters, Benny and Reese, as they work/compete against each other on a foodie next work, during their summer internship.

This book is so SWOON. I found myself smirking and giggling throughout most of this new adult rom com. Strong characters paired with a fun plot make for easy reading in Love from Scratch. 

While this story has much to offer, my favorite component is the dialogue among characters. Each character has their own distinct voice which helps deepen their presence in the story. Kaitlyn Hill does a stellar job of truly depicting YouTube style banter and commentary as well as character-to-character interactions. 

While this book is full of stellar puns and jabs, it does tackle serious themes. I feel this story does a good job of portraying toxic masculinity along with other issues women face in the workplace. No matter your gender, you'll find something to relate to, whether it's an in-office experience or just general social media woes. 

All in all, this is a strong story and I really enjoyed it.

The banter, the nicknames, the rivalry! Truly such a cute and adorable rom-com!

I loved Reese and Benny! I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two with all of the fun nicknames, banter, and of course the food puns.

It was interesting to see how Reese navigated through her career goals, anxiety, and love life. Reese’s struggle of wanting to be taken seriously in such a setting where she’s subject to such public scrutinization—which she has not had the best experience with— brings up important topics like double standards, misogyny, and the challenges of social media.

Benny was a funny, charming, and so incredibly lovable. I absolutely loved how supportive and attentive he was when it came to Reese! I mean this guy was funny, punny, supportive, and could cook— say less! I would have loved to get more of Benny’s story, but I get that, without a dual POV, there’s only so much we could get!

Overall, this book was super adorable and I definitely enjoyed reading it! I was rooting for Reese and Benny the entire time, not knowing who should end up with that fall internship at the end! Would recommend!

One of the most recent books I read was about a cooking contest as well and I think I maybe shouldn’t have read this one so soon after because I loved that one so much that this one just fell a little short for me. While I liked it, I just didn’t love it and I really wanted to love it.

Do you like watching Hallmark movies and cooking shows? If so, this may be the perfect book for you! Reese and Benny are summer interns at Friends of Flavor who, thanks to a scheduling snafu, find themselves in front of the camera filming their very own amateur segment. It leads to a summer of fun and food with a side of romance, but also a strong dose of patriarchy and Internet bullying. Can their budding relationship survive or will it…flame out?

This will definitely land on my list of favorite contemporary YA novels ever. It was absolutely adorable and pretty much perfect in every way in terms of pacing, character development, dialogue, romantic tension etc. Reese and Benny were SO cute. She is so relatable and he's just a cinnamon roll of the highest power. The issues Reese faced as a woman infuriated me and kept me turning the pages so quickly. LOVED LOVED LOVED it and already cannot wait for Kaitlyn's next book!!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was such a cute book. It was as sweet as the cover would suggest. I loved how Reese and Benny were a team as soon as they got paired together, and how supportive yet competitive they were. This was like reading a fan fiction of the Bon Appetit YouTube channel and I loved that. This book managed to be cute and lighthearted while also addressing the serious topic of sexism and double standards in the workplace. If you’re looking for a quick and cute romance I 100% recommend Love from Scratch! Thank you netgalley for my copy!

LOVE FROM SCRATCH is a dishy story starring two culinary rivals wanting to shine on a culinary video shoot, which instantly turns them into internet viral sensations. The story follows Reese Camden, a sweetly Southern belle, who has dreams of landing a marketing internship at Friends of Flavor, a cooking show in Seattle. She competes against lovable, stud muffin Benny
Beneventi, culinary extraordinaire, for the coveted fall internship, in a food war cooked up by the shows' bosses. There is rivalry between them, but slowly heat simmers between them too. What happens when their scene stealing, show-stopping love spats spills over into real life?

Grab a snack and a drink because LOVE FROM SCRATCH is definitely unputdownable! I absolutely relished this book! The author expertly cooks up contrary concoctions with tension, teasing and titillating chemistry that reels you in. The romance is sweet, wholesome and clever. Benny is good-natured and genuine. I enjoyed Benny's attentiveness towards Reese and his honest personality. Reese gets the short stick from her bosses. Then, online viewers and people from her hometown weigh in with negative comments. The author deftly handles the pitfalls of feminism with handsy bosses, fake rumors, image issues, and more. Reese discovers her self-worth, self-esteem and taking a stand with feminism. This story has grit, tough love and real heart. Definitely not your typical rom-com filled with fluff. LOVE FROM SCRATCH is like a hot fudge sundae drizzled with sweet caramel sauce. Temptingly hot and incredibly delicious!

Romance and a cookie show? What more could you need? Reese and Benny are interns for Friends of Food and end up filming together. The enemies-to-lovers relationship does a great job highlighting how devastating social media can be and places a light on the ways women are treated in the workplace. The cute new adult romance tackles some real world issues but keeps you feeling light-hearted with food puns and sweet moments.

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.
Love From Scratch is a cutesy New Adult story that follows Reese and Benny. They are both interns for a cooking show and at one point, have to be in front of the camera. Everyone loves their chemistry and decides to use the two characters in a small competition, all while Reese and Benny are falling for one another.
I enjoyed this sweet little romance. The characters were funny and lovable.