The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove is the latest (finally here, eek!!) installment in the Dove Pond Series from Karen Hawkins. Ella is a baker. Just one bite of her creations will bring you memories from your past that have you re-living the moments. When she starts having dreams about a giant cupcake chasing her, she decides it is time to figure out why. She heads home to Dove Pond, an old friend with a grudge, and a former flame. A sweet story and a lot of fun, I am continuing to enjoy my time with the Dove girls. I can't wait for the next one. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Ella is one of seven Dove sisters and each has their own special magic ability. Ella's desserts spark happy memories in anyone who eats them and she's become a social media sensation for her baking videos. But lately she's been having a disturbing recurring dream, leading her home to Dove Pond to try and solve it. Years ago, her mentor had falsely accused her of stealing their family's precious heirloom recipe book and even though she didn't take it, she's determined to apologize and reconcile with her friend. But Angela has another reason to hold a grudge... her son Grey's broken heart after Ella left town. It's impossible in this small town not to run into her former fling especially since she's just as attracted to Grey as ever, but this time he's holding her at arms length to protect his heart.
I liked the slight hint of magical realism to this story with the sister's abilities and the random appearances of pink frosting were funny, I liked the shy, sensitive, nerdy personality of Grey, the fact that Ella was it for him since high school and didn't even know it, his love for his farm and adopted cows, and his determination to give it all up for her. It just gave me all the feels lol. The writing in this book was good and drew me right into the story even though I haven't read the other books in the series. It can definitely be read as a standalone.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A cozy, light-hearted read that moved at a leisurely pace. This one didn’t hook me like the others, with it taking much longer for me to finish compared to the previous two. I think for me, the main drama came off a bit extreme with the enemies of the main protagonist seeming like a caricature.
I’m definitely invested in the series as a whole and absolutely love the concept, I just think this one wasn’t as much my cup of tea as the previous two. If anything I was left desiring more of Ella’s special gift, but it wasn’t as prevalent as the other two sister’s (Sarah and Ava) we were previously introduced to. I actually forgot this had a magical element throughout most of the reading, and didn’t feel like Ella’s gift was even utilized like how heavily they were in Sarah’s and Ava’s stories. I did enjoy the way the story wrapped up, and I’m excited to be acquainted with another sister in the coming years!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early reviewer copy!

The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove is the third in the Dove Pond Series. In this book we follow Ella´s story and her gift with baking. Something brought her back home and she needs to solve it so she can go back to her normal, wanderer life. But she might find more than she was looking for…
It was amazing to read again about the Dove sisters, I really liked the previous books and now I got to meet charismatic Ella and her very interesting gift. I wish I could taste one of her desserts! The baking part was really captivating and I enjoyed reading more about Ava and Sarah.
There were some characters I did not like at first, but as the story went, I got used to them, but I still think they were terrible to Ella. Gray was such a lovely character, I wish I had my own Gray, Adorbs included.
Overall, it was a heartwarming story, full of charm and nice things. I cannot wait to read the next sister’s story and know more about the Dove family and their friends.

The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove was just so much fun! It was so nice going back to Dove Pond and getting another peak into the lives of the Dove sisters and their family and friends. Ella is the baker of the family and I sure wish I could taste one of her desserts! She and Gray go way back but she's afraid of commitment. Plus there's a family stolen cookbook that brings more trouble to their love story. Hopefully this time they can make it work!

I've loved all the books in this series and can't wait for more!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 15 August 2023

This was the third installment of the Dove sister series. It has been a pleasure getting to know the Dove family.

Ella like her sisters has a gift but unlike Sara and Ava, she is a wandering soul. Ella doesn't like to be tied down to one place or one person. When she returns home, things get complicated because of memories and past relationships. Ella isn't the only one returning home so is Angela She wants to reconnect with her daughter Jules.

What I love about this story is it is based on love, family, and a strong sense of community. This tight-knit family not only supports each other but they believe in helping their neighbors. The book is filled with so much depth and a touch of magic. It makes me want to live in Dove Pond if it truly existed.

I also loved that the author didn't write characters that were perfect she gave us real people. People who are flawed but with good hearts. I absolutely love this book. I love the entire series these characters are like newfound friends I want to keep coming back to visit. I could also see these stories becoming a mini-series or a movie.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley and am writing this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.

"Three lives converge as a wildly talented baker returns to Dove Pond to face her past in this entry in the charming series that proves that sometimes miracles really do happen.".
Another fun trip to Dove Pond Great character building and dialogue.

This is one of those series that interests me but the books don’t generally hook me. I want to know what happens with the characters; not only the main characters but also the other people in town. Yet each time I find myself putting the book down too easily until the last 25% or so. I think I just need to remember to go into each book with the expectation that it will take me a few days to read and I can take my time enjoying the setting.

While I understood the motivations of all the characters and their reasons for being the way they were, I still found it hard to sympathize with Ella and Angela. Especially Angela. The story is told from three POVs. Ella, Gray, and Angela. Ella and Gray grew up together and had a short romance a few years back. Angela is Gray’s grandmother and was a dear friend to Ella back when she was dating Gray.

Angela’s past is not why I didn’t connect with her, it was what she was doing in the present that bothered me. She deserved to have forgiveness from her daughter Jules, but her methods not only put her in a bad position but also brought others into her deceit. That’s where I got annoyed with her. It went on far too long.

There is a second-chance romance here between Ella and Gray, and it does end in a HEA for them, but I don’t consider this book a romance. Ella had a lot of growing to do. She had to learn to open herself up to others. Not just Gray, but also her sisters. She’d been closed off for so long that she didn’t know how to reciprocate affection. In fact, it scared her. Poor Gray, who is wonderful, had the least amount to do in this story. He had already had his character growth before the tale started so, although he was my favorite, he did a lot of waiting around.

The series as a whole is about the magic of the Dove sisters. Each has a special gift that helps their town and those around them. This story went a bit off the rails with the magic though. Keep in mind, this is not a fantasy. The gifts these sisters have can be chalked up to great instincts with an oomph. Yet in this story we have magically appearing frosting, and even a non-Dove sister character melting plastic and boiling water with his emotions. The frosting I could look past, it fits with the theme of Ella Dove and her family. The other thing did not fit in with the story and wasn’t necessary for the narrative. It was just odd.

Overall, I didn’t love this story. It was more cohesive than the previous story, but not quite as fun. Since these books always end on a high note for me they do keep me wanting to read the next one. I just need to adjust my expectations of the flow before starting opening the book.

A Magical Family, an Enchanting Town

Ella Dove, a middle child, has always felt out of place in her family of seven sisters. After her father’s death, with whom she was very close, she started running away and years later she hasn’t stopped, but now a disturbing dream has her returning to her home town of Dove Pond.

Ella is an internationally known baker with a large internet following. However, she has been having a disturbing dream and feels that she must return to Dove Pond to put things right. She is concerned about a rift between herself and her mentor Angela Stewart Harrington. Ella was accused of stealing a valuable cookbook from Angela. She knows she’s innocent, and she’d like to heal the breach. There’s also the problem of Angela’s grandson, Gray, her first love and heartbreak.

Angela has her own family problems. She wants to connect with her daughter Jules, who has never forgiven her for divorcing her father. The relationships are complex with plenty of meddling and secrets.

This was my first visit to Dove Pond, although this is book three in the series. The book is a little slow, but I enjoyed the pace and the visit to the enchanting area of Dove Pond. This was a story of homecoming and mending relationships. It was heartwarming and satisfying. I’ll be making more trips to this town and magical family.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for this review copy.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Gallery Books. All opinions are my own, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Romance, Women's Fiction, Romance with Paranormal Elements, Magical Realism
Spice Level: Sweet-Medium (kissing on page but references to sex—nothing graphic)
Tropes: Second-Chance

I've read a previous book set in Dove Pond and was excited to delve into this one.

The set up as a second=chance romance worked for me because Ella moved on from Gray because of her deep-rooted fear, related to family trauma. Because of these circumstances, she's full of wanderlust.

Having to return to Dove Pond is a big deal because she must face the root of her problems.

Then there's Angela (in her 70s) who is back and trying to reconnect with her daughter. In ways, Angela seemed superficial to me, but I was okay with that because she was growing. She also injects the story with some humor.

Gray had returned to Dove Pond a few years ago and works on projects on his farm. (Here's my shout-out to the cow. Calves are particularly adorable.) I love how he works to be uninterested in Ella. Oh, his scheming is one of my favorite bits.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's exactly what I wanted and expected from this author and series. And I hope to read the next one as soon as it's available.

I recommend this book!

Happy reading!

I love the sisters and community of Dove Pond and wish it was a real place!! Even knowing where this book was headed I still enjoyed the ride! I can't wait to see which person in the community the next book is about and which sister will be involved w/her special ability!

I loved the whimsy and magical realism of this book. This is my first by Karen Hawkins and won’t be my last!
Ella returns to her hometown because she feel a recurring dream is prompting her to make amends with her friend. Her encounters with the Stewart family uncover a wealth of hidden information and allow her to reconnect with Gray her childhood friend.
I didn’t realize this was part of an established series when I started it, so at times I did feel like I was missing some details about the secondary characters, but I don’t believe it diminished the story at all.

Ella Dove has returned home as a famous baker with a huge social media presence. Having had reoccurring dreams of being chased by a cupcake, then waking & finding icing on her (hair, arm), she has decided she should return home to finally fix being wrongly accused of stealing a cookbook. While at home she deals with Gray (ex of the family accusing her of stealing said book), his family & her own. Fast forward to a cake bake off, learning her true feelings, a confession & all ends well. A wonderful read yet again from Karen Hawkins. I look forward to reading the next in the series. Thanks to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Ms Hawkins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

The Dove Pond series is amazing! Each book focuses on one of the seven sisters of the Dove family. And each sister seems to have their own special talent, with a little magic thrown in. That's what I enjoy the most about all of these books—the touch of magical realism that the author adds to the story. I'd like to believe that we all have a bit of that in our lives.

In The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove, Ella finds herself back to Dove Pond, a place she really doesn't want to be, but knows that there is something she has to set right. She's only going to stay a few days, maybe a few weeks at the most, until the issue is resolved. But in true Dove Pond fashion, things don't always work out that easily in this small, friendly town.

I love the complexity of the relationships of all of the characters and I especially love the lengths that Angela goes to, to get what she is looking for in her relationship with her daughter. So not only is there the wonderful, magical storyline of the Dove sister, there are so many other great characters that you can't help but love. I love my trips back to Dove Pond and can't wait for more.
I highly recommend The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove, as well as this whole series, for some major escape reading. You're going to love it!

Oh, how I love Karen Hawkins' Dove Pond series. I loved this story so much and it makes me want to re-read the first two books in the series. This is truly a magical story, which is fitting because the Dove sisters of Dove Pond are magical all in their own ways. In this story, Ella Dove returns to her small town after she sells her patisserie in Paris and is looking for a new adventure. Ella's sisters have been asking for her to come home, and Ella's media team thinks that the small town is perfect for a short stay along with all the blogging and social media posts that will come from the quaint town.

Ella returns because she is having vivid dreams of being chased down Main Street by a cupcake and she is waking up with strawberry frosting somewhere on her body. Ella decides she has some issues to resolve at home before she decides where she'll go next.

I loved the interaction between Ella and her sisters, and her interactions with others from her past whom she is trying to make amends. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll leave it at that. If you are looking for a wonderful, magical story that transports you, this book and series is for you.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you don’t want your heart involved then The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove isn’t the book for you. From the opening line I fell for Ella. I also was the person who could hide in a crowd and I understand that feeling of being out of place even when you’re with the people who love you most. Plus, there is just something about how she hides her heart that makes you want to protect her.

Returning to Dove Pond to clear her name of a painful accusation just to be extremely difficult for her. As I read I could just feel her turmoil and desire to run. Goodness knows I would have… Even with the cupcake chasing me and errant icing appearing. I just don’t know that I could have forced myself to chase down Angela.

I loved that The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove was a completely stand alone book. It’s very difficult to write books that can carry an underlying story-line but still allow you to jump in at any point and read the books in any order but so far this stuff on series has been just that. I don’t remember any of the other books in the series when I’m reading the current one and don’t have to do a catch up to figure out who’s who, there’s just enough information to let me read this book and enjoy every word.

Now it’s your turn. Jump into dove pond but don’t miss any of these seven sisters falling into romance.

Ella Dove, the now famous baker, has returned to Dove Pond to set some things right. Ella never stays in one place for long and she never comes home for long, but this time she is determined to talk to her mentor, Angela Stewart, who long ago accused her of stealing the family cookbook.

Ella thinks Jules, Angela’s daughter, has something to do with why they cut Ella off. Maybe it was because Ella broke up with Jules son?

No matter they are all in Dove Pond at the same time, and things need to be made right.

Oh how I laughed in this one. And was indignant on Ella’s behalf! And in the end, families will come together.

NetGalley/ August 15, 2023, Gallery Books

A fun read with "Magical Realism" this is a story with quirky characters. Ella Dove returns home to Dove Pond in order to put things right with another woman in town who accused her of taking her family's heirloom cake cookbook. It leaves one to think about accepting people, their flaws included. Forgiveness is the name of the game. I didn't know this was part of a series, but certainly can be read as a standalone. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fun quirky story of Ella Dove, small town superstar of the influencers on the internet with her baking creations. Ella is a wanderer and restless spirit, but when a recurring dream is haunting her, she returns home to find the answers. Believing that it has to do with being falsely accused of stealing her friends family heirloom, the book of cakes. She tries to reach out to Angela to proclaim her innocence, but Angela’s family is playing interference. Plus Ella is trying to avoid her old boyfriend who just happens to be Angela’s grandson.
Gray has had his heart broken once by Ella, but his love for her hasn’t changed. Can he try again? The women has commitment fears and wanderlust. Gary has just finally found his roots back home.
This is a series, but definitely can be read as a standalone. The first I read, but now I want to read about the other Dove’s sisters. Each has a little magic which makes it a fun read. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #TheSecretRecipeofEllaDove

Ella Dove is an acclaimed baker, with a huge social media following. The things she bakes are not only delicious, but they will also make you remember things - things that you had forgotten, things that brought you so much joy. Ella has never put down roots anywhere, but lately, thanks to a disturbing recurring nightmare, she is heading back to her hometown of Dove Pond, to talk to her Aunt Jo.

Years ago, while Ella was living in New York, she ran into Angela Stewart Harrington, who was also formerly from Dove Pond. They started spending a lot of time together, shopping and cooking, and then when Angela's grandson's came around Ella and Angela's grandson Gray started dating. Ella broke it off before she could get her heart broken, but it was too late for Gray. He was already head-over-heels for Ella. Then their coveted family recipe book, known as the Book of Cakes went missing and Angela & her daughter Jules accused Ella of stealing it. Nothing Ella said could convince them otherwise.

Now, back at Dove Pond, Ella is convinced the nightmares she keeps having are a sign that she needs closure with the situation with Angela. She just needs to make Angela listen to reason, and understand she would never steal the cookbook, and the nightmares will stop. Meanwhile, Gray & Ella start seeing each other again, and Gray is determined to find a way to make her stay this time. He just needs to figure out how to show Ella that it is ok to stop running away from everything and everyone.

This book was so good. This is the third book in the Dove Pond series, and each book is just as magical and heartwarming as the one before it. Set in the North Carolina Mountains near Asheville, Dove Pond is a quaint, small town, so small that they don't even have Uber, much to Angela Stewart Harrington's dismay. They do have a meatloaf special that is to die for at the local café', and of course they have a Piggly Wiggly. This enchanting story is about life in a small town, living with regrets, making amends, learning from your mistakes, learning to trust, and so many delicious desserts that it will keep your mouth watering the entire time you are reading it. Bonus: there are a few recipes at the end of some of the more frequently mentioned desserts!