This sweet young adult story was just what I needed! Reese and Benny are from opposite sides of the country, when they meet in San Francisco and find a camaraderie together while filming a cooking video. The humor and heart warming nature of Reese and Benny’s relationship made for a great read. This story included a positive message of empowerment that resonated with me. While I myself am not the same age as the heroine, I could relate to her struggles and I empathize with her plight. This is a delightful romance and one that I anticipate many others will thoroughly enjoy as much as I did! Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy, all thoughts are my own.

A quick, sweet read about two interns falling in love over the course of filming baking show offs.

I think enjoyed the banter and back and forth between the Benny and Reese before the started a relationship and as the book progressed. Still enjoyable overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me this free copy of Love from Scratch in exchange for an honest review.

I was coming off of cooking-related romance book that didn't wow me, and Love from Scratch definitely stepped up to the plate and was so much fun! The rivals to lovers aspect between our main characters was well developed and I adored both characters. Love from Scratch also brought up real problems within the cooking world, within internet stardom and the corporate world of business in general. The problems were presented and handled in a realistic manner that I connected with as a reader and as a woman.
This was a perfect YA romance, with just a bit of spice in the kissing department, but nothing that would warrant a "New Adult" tag.

The ending was a little too super-charged with cheese for my liking and played out as expected. The grand gesture at the end was very sweet but not something I could imagine a well-established company let happen.

Overall, I really liked this and would recommend it to those who love sweet romances!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I loved this book! I loved Reese and Ben. I laughed so much while reading with their food puns. 2 things I love are books and baking. Put them together and it is a recipe for an amazing book (see what I did there?)

Need a sweet romance to get out of a reading slump? This is the YA rom-com for you!

Book Review: LOVE FROM SCRATCH by Kaitlyn Hill

🧁 Synopsis: Reese Camden has moved across the country for a summer marketing internship at Friends of Flavor, her favorite cooking channel. Benny Beneventi is also interning, and unfortunately there’s only room for one of them come fall. When they’re paired together to take the competition on screen, their playful rivalry goes viral and things really heat up.

😍 Review: I loved this book! I adored Reese and her amazing feminist friends who cheer her on throughout the story. Benny is also a gem; he’s totally crush-worthy thanks to his sweet, earnest, and playful demeanor. The story is largely character driven, and Reese and Benny both deliver with believable backstories and well-developed mixed motives. Reading their romance and simultaneous entry into the working world was a total treat.

👩🏻‍🏫 Reader Notes and Possible Triggers: Internet trolling, misogynistic men in positions of professional power, high school slander, and creepy men. On the flip side, this includes a romance between consenting 18 year olds that remains sweet and chaste.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story has been one I've been looking forward to for a while after hearing the author talk about it. It was wonderfully romantic and sweet (no pun intended), and I truly fell in love with the characters that Kaitlyn Hill created.

I loved the premise for this story, and until this book I hadn't read one like it. I also found the characters to be relatable, and were easy to route for. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this amazing novel.

Content: One middling make-out scene, a sprinkling of profanity, and one F-bomb.

I was given an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

While this is a lighter romance, it's not a light story at all. The main character, Reese, deals with some pretty heavy duty stuff. I love the support that she gets not only from the hero, but also from her girl squad, made up mostly of much older women. Being a much older woman myself, I appreciate the theme of older woman reaching a hand out to help our younger counterparts along.

THIS WAS SO ADORABLE. A great, somewhat cheesy, YA contemporary romance that involved a whole lot of cooking/baking and the sweetest cinnamon roll of a hero (I would do anything for Benny... like ANYTHING)! At times it was a little cheesy and I didn't love the conflict towards the end, but overall, I did enjoy this, mostly because of Benny LOLz

“ ‘Sounds like a pretty good cake,’ I manage with a soft smile.
‘The best,” he breathes.”

What a stunning debut for Kaitlyn Hill. Love from Scratch is a romcom set at Friends of Flavor kitchen media company reminiscent of the glory days of Bon Appétit. The sweet story follows Reese and Benny the two summer interns of FoF who just so happen to be competing against each other for the one fall internship available. However Benny isn’t interested in competition he’s much more interested in getting to know Reese better, but she’s been hurt by letting her guard down before and she’s determined for it not to happen again. Can the two become more than rivals, or will the weight of competing against each other be too much?

You might like this book if you’re interesting in:

M/F rivals to lovers
work places romances
food puns
cooking challenges
incredible banter
tension
the softest sweetest boy I’ve read in a while
discussion of online and workplace harassment
or you miss the good ol’ days of the BA test kitchen


Oh boy was Love from Scratch a delicious read from start to finish. Hill does a great job building the world of Friends of Flavor and the varying personalities that make up it’s successful shows. I love books that have such a fun diverse cast of supporting characters that all have such unique characteristics and points of view that they bring to the story.

Reese and Benny are incredibly dynamic characters that stand tall on their own but work even better together. Determined to let nothing stop her from succeeding Reese is strong-willed, not easy to trust, and searching for her role in a world, and industry that often limits and hinders women. Benny is often the opposite, acting as the sunshine to Reeses clouds. He’s incredibly friendly, quick to take an interest in Reese, and definitely does not want to focus on the competition separating them. The banter and tension that’s created between them is so enjoyable and actually had me blushing and laughing out loud while reading.

While this book definitely was a fun, deliciously sweet romcom, it actually delves into surprisingly heavy topics. Hill does a fantastic job of balancing fluffy romance, with also the seriousness of work place harassment, the painful double standard women face compared to their male counterparts, and the terrible world of online comments. There are painful moments where Reese is told to smile more, be happier, try a little harder and those are all relatable moments for most women. My heart hurt more and more as the book went on. I won’t spoil anything but the resolution in the book made me tear up. It was also incredibly endearing that Benny never brushes away Reese’s doubts or concerns. He genuinely wants to understand her and help in any way he can. I want to scream about how soft he is.

Overall Love from Scratch was so so enjoyable. I loved every moment I spent reading it, and still smile thinking about all the cute moments and cheesy food puns. I would share a cup of sweet tea with Reese, and let Benny cook me pasta anytime.

I can’t wait to read literally anything else Kaitlyn Hill writes, and I’ve already recommended this book to everyone I know. If you’re looking for a perfect weekend romcom look no further.

Get ready for a gushing review of this book because I loved it! It's a sweet YA enemies-to lovers story that also deals with cyber bulling, which is such a necessary topic to explore.

Reese is originally from Kentucky is spending her summer as an intern at a Seattle based cooking channel. Reese is determined to prove herself and hopefully snag the fall internship. But when her bosses pitch her and the cooking intern Benny (who is charming and handsome) doing an amateur cooking show, Reese' realizes that her simple plan isn't so simple after all. Forced to face her own fears with social media, Reese tries to protect herself in any way she can and that includes not falling for Benny -- no matter how great he looks in t-shirts or how much he makes her laugh.

One of the things I loved most about this was how the author turned the enemies-to-lovers on its head. You still get the banter and the slow burn aspect, but Benny is one of the sweetest love interests ever. He truly cares about Reese and does whatever he can to support, even as she continues to push him away. I also loved once Reese explains the misogyny and double standards that she's experiences at the internship, Benny immediately sided with her -- and wanted to become a better feminist himself (swoon!). I also loved that the grumpy-sunshine troupe was reversed: Reese is the grumpy one and Benny is the sunshine one.

I also enjoyed all of the food challenges as well - they made me hunger but were also delightful to read.

I adored this book so much and I hope everyone loves it as much as I do. If you want a sweet and super quick read with a great story and characters, then you should definitely check this one out.

Special thanks to Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Summer interns vying for a fall internship at a popular Seattle food channel network, Benny and Reese, go viral during an online cooking segment. Instant attraction blossoms into young love, but how could they pursue something more when they’re technically battling each other for the prime spot? Would they be able to separate their professional goals from their personal relationship?

Hill did a remarkable job with conveying a message through her debut YA novel. Navigating through gender inequality in the food network business, finding yet not fully trusting a blossoming young love, and finding strength in countering internet slander made by internet trolls. Whew. The insta-love was a bit much for me, but overall, I enjoyed Benny’s character, his grand gesture on national television, and Reese’s strength to stick up for herself.

“I want you to know that I’m on your team. Doesn’t matter what happens with us, or with the job, whatever you need, I’m here. I’m your guy.”

THIS BOOK!! I’ve been in a huge romcom mood lately, and this was exactly what I needed. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I COULD NOT put it down! It takes a good book to make you ignore the world, and this book did just that.

When I read that it was a baking romcom with a bit of competition, I knew that I was going to love it. Love From Scratch has the perfect balance of amazing food, amazing banter, and an amazing leading man. It’s the kind of romcom that everyone needs in their life!

“I’d listen to you talk like that every day if you let me.”

Let me take a second to talk about the wonderful character that is Benny Beneventi. I swear, if my future boyfriends aren’t exactly like him, I don’t want them. He’s such a genuine person, and his personality is the perfect mix of humor, confidence, and kindness. Also, never in my life did I think I would be swooning over a backwards cap, yet here I am, completely in love with Benny. He also does such a great job at supporting Reese every step of the way, and I love their nicknames for each other. The nickname game is strong with this book!

I also want to take a second to talk about how strong our leading lady Reese is. This book touches on some really important problems that appear in the workplace, as well as the price of being a woman in the spotlight. She has to deal with so much, and I’m so proud of her and everything she overcomes.

Overall, anyone who loves romcoms will be OBSESSED with this book, and my advice to you all is that you go out and buy it right now!

Rivals to lovers done right! I loved this so much. I don’t usually like cooking shows but I enjoyed this. It was sugary sweet but so good.

Thank you Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for the eARC of Love from Scratch by Kaitlyn Hill in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It felt like the perfect rom com -- a little bit of ambition, chaos, yummy food, and the SOFTEST love interest. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this debut from Kaitlyn Hill. I really loved Reese's friendships, and absolutely understood her mental blocks when it came to social media and putting herself out there. Those challenges felt real and relatable.

Benny is an absolute dreamboat -- the softest love interest I've read in a while. He'll make you laugh and fall in love too.

This was a solid 4/5 stars for me -- and it's likely a book I'll purchase on release day, just to have on my shelf.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Love From Scratch

Author: Kaitlyn Hill

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Diversity: Anxiety MC, non-descript people of color side characters, queer side character

Recommended For...: young adult readers, cooking, contemporary, romance, food

Publication Date: April 5, 2022

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Age Relevance: 15+ (language, racism, sexism, sexual harassment, religion, religious trauma, romance)

Explanation of Above: There is an occasional curse word used here and there and a rant with a few used at the end. There is racism mentioned and sexism shown. There is also one scene where there is some small sexual harassment. Religion is mentioned once and some religious trauma is mentioned in regards to how a side character was kicked out of their church for being queer. There is also romance in the book, but nothing beyond kissing.

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 368

Synopsis: This summer, Reese Camden is trading sweet tea and Southern hospitality for cold brew and crisp coastal air. She's landed her dream marketing internship at Friends of Flavor, a wildly popular cooking channel in Seattle. The only problem? Benny Beneventi, the relentlessly charming, backwards-baseball-cap-wearing culinary intern--and her main competition for the fall job.

Reese's plan to keep work a No Feelings Zone crumbles like a day-old muffin when she and Benny are thrown together for a video shoot that goes viral, making them the internet's newest ship. Audiences are hungry for more, and their bosses at Friends of Flavor are happy to deliver. Soon Reese and Benny are in an all-out food war, churning homemade ice cream, twisting soft pretzels, breaking eggs in an omelet showdown--while hundreds of thousands of viewers watch.

Reese can't deny the chemistry between her and Benny. But the more their rivalry heats up, the harder it is to keep love on the back burner...

Review: Overall, I liked this book. I loved the intern cooking show romance and how the romance was rivals to lovers. I loved that the MC was a foodie and I loved all the anti-purity culture talk. The book shows what it’s like for females who are in social media/media presence and it highlights the sexism and misogyny that women constantly face in that presence. The book does good to show how men could literally be doing the same thing women do, but yet the women are shamed for their position while the men are congratulated. It was a great show on how women could take back their own power as well. The book had good world building and good character development as well.

However, I did feel like the pacing was a bit too slow for the book and I would have liked to see more of the competition and less of the characters being flirty with each other. I also didn’t like the full resolution to the book and how sexist bosses were kept in power. While I get it’s realistic, it was maddening to me.

Verdict: It was good!

Thank you for a copy of an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very cute book! It’s young adult romance and features topics around feminism and cyber bullying that are incredibly relevant to our world today.

Benny is a kind guy with a lot of food puns who is the culinary intern and wears too many hats. Reese is the marketing intern who struggles with self esteem issues and trauma from a previous relationship. And guess what? They both are going for the same fall internship. It’s workplace rivals, it’s forced proximity, it’s a heck of a lot of fun and witty banter. My favorite scene is definitely the first video they do together! So much fun and witty banter.

This is a solid book, it’s not perfect, but it’s so warm, fuzzy, and whole-hearted so what’s not to love about it?

"Most romance is actually, at its heart, about women asking for and getting what they ant, whether it's out of a partner career, life in general"

Title: Love From Scratch
Author: Kaitlyn Hill
Series: Standalone
Genres: Romance,Young Adult, Chick Lit, Contemporary

If you're looking for a sweet, fast and punny book this is it. Love From Scratch is a very PG cute first love story. The story follows our main characters Benny and Reese. They both are interns at Friends of Flavor, a cooking channel show. Due to a mishap of sorts, they both get paired to participate in a live cooking session and due to the way it went viral the CEO's decided to keep the section of the show. As the chemistry increases between the two, so does the rivalry that the "suits" want to add for the show, making it impossible for them to really understand how to build a healthy relationship with each other.

The book also touches upon a lot of women issues, which I found really powerful that they were shown and in a way dissected in this type of platform. Many times Reese gets side benched or mistreated for being a woman, and seeing that in such a sweet story made it real and current.

The relationship in general is what bumped a few stars for me and the simplicity of the characters. I didn't love Benny. I found him very flat as a character and didn't find myself loving his cheesy nature, but it is not because of him it was mostly because of me and not being interested in the love relationship they had. It was too simplistic and there wasn't enough banter or tension for me to feel the love and chemistry. The scenes that we do get that are a little bit more tension filled - Reese damages them because she's way too much of an over thinker.

Overall I found the story to be very unique and this is the aspect that made the story fast paced and fun to read. However, the characters were too immature and babies for my liking BUT this is only my opinion as it is a YA book and it is kinda what you would expect in this type of first love story.

--- 3 stars ---

This is a story about the intersection between ambition and love.  Reese Camden has traveled across the country from Kentucky to Seattle for her dream marketing internship at Friends of Flavor, a popular cooking channel.  Reese is hoping that the summer internship turns into a fall internship once she starts college.  But she soon realizes she is going to have tough competition for the fall role -- Benny Beneventi, the charming, and cute, intern on the culinary team.  

When Friends of Flavor has a hole in their programming one day, Reese and Benny are thrown together for a video shoot.  Their chemistry is undeniable, and the video goes viral.  The Friends of Flavor bigwigs decide to make the Reese and Benny show a regular thing.  Reese is committed to staying focused on winning the fall internship, and avoiding any distractions, including her and Benny’s growing attraction.  But as their professional competition heats up, Reese's resolve is tested -- in and outside the kitchen.

I really enjoyed this book.  The rivals-to-more dynamic in this story was so well executed.  Reese and Benny are both such enjoyable characters, and it is great to go on the journey of the ups and down of their relationship.  The book also dealt with important issues related to sexism in the workplace and the difficulties of social media in a thoughtful and insightful way.

Heartily recommended!

Love from Scratch is a wonderful workplace romance for fans of cooking shows.

While this book addressed heavy topics, it was the sweetest love story. Benny was a goner for Reese who was fighting her attraction. I thought that the author handled the double standards women face in the workplace, from sexism to sexual harassment to cyberbullying. I felt seen with how Reese struggled with overthinking and presenting a front that made others comfortable.

I loved Reese, her struggles and concerns were real and authentic. Benny's nicknames for Reese were so lovely and he was a cinnamon roll that had me swooning. I appreciated how much they grew together and the support that they, especially Benny, gave each other.

You don't want to miss this beautiful debut.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute rivals to lovers story of two teens vying for the same job with swoon-worthy romance. From the start, I already love the banters, the tension between them and all the food puns they threw each other. The concept is really cute and I really enjoyed the rivalry a lot especially the dynamics between the two characters. Reece and Benny were two interns from this famous cooking company, Friends of Flavors, marketing and culinary intern respectively. Both of them are competing for the fall internship position which Reece is really determined for. She's been a huge fan of Friends of Flavor because it helped her get over the hardest time of her life which is why she couldn't afford getting distracted by her charming co-star, Benny. They suddenly had to film a cooking show together and the video surprisingly went viral with everyone shipping them together so hard, I can’t blame them though lmao. This ended up with them having their own show and continued filming together. And that's where all the fun begins.

It was really cute and all and I just adore Benny so much since its really obvious how smitten he is but Reece gets a bit overboard sometimes especially on the latter part of the book. I get that she experienced all those bad stuff but she gets on my nerves at some point. It feels like she’s overthinking some people’s actions and making issues all by herself when she herself often makes sexist remarks. Also, Benny really didn’t deserve getting attacked by her like that. Overall, it was an okay read for me, I love that it tackles feminism and gender inequality in the workplace, plus all the food talk kept me hungry the whole time and the ending was super cute.

A huge thanks to PRH International and NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC to review.