Nancy Naigle has written the sweetest of stories about love that was lost and found. This book has so many things to love: A small-town setting with characters that sparkle; a leading lady, Kelly, who is a very successful baker; the leading man, Andrew, a chef who returns from Paris and finds that he still loves Kelly; and a televised baking competition with enough prize money to make dreams come true. As Kelly and Andrew find themselves in a bake-off, I was hurriedly reading to find out if they got their happily-ever-after. There’s all the ingredients for a fun, entertaining read—and I’m hoping a Hallmark movie. This is the third book I’ve read by Nancy Naigle and this was just as good as the others. Just the book for those times when you want something lighter to read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars, 5 Stars if they make this into a movie. 😃

Author Nancy Naigle has blended delightful characters, a charming town, a few surprises and some great cooking to create an entertaining and delicious story. Kelly McIntyre is a hometown girl from Bailey’s Fork, North Carolina who loves to bake. Her boyfriend Alex York was the cook and between the two of them they created some delicious dishes. Their dream is to get married and open their own restaurant. Their future seems set, until Alex is offered an opportunity to study under a famous, master chef in Paris. Kelly waits for Alex to come home for seven years, but he never returns. When the story begins Kelly is in Bailey’s Fork and has opened The Cake Factory. Her creative use of flavors has made her famous. She has her own house and loves her pet pig, GRAY (which stands for Good Riddance Alex York.) Alex, still living in Paris, gets an invitation to a baking competition in New York City, so he flies in from Paris a few days early and decides to visit his hometown. He wants to mend some fences with his family. It is a small town, so of course he runs into Kelly and their feelings are still there, yet buried a bit. Kelly insists things are over, but as they run into each other on several occasions, sparks ignite. Is there a chance for them to get back together?

The first part of the book is a bit slow, with them getting to know about each other and their lives, but the second part takes off. This book is wonderful. You will meet characters that become your friends and a town that would be fun to visit. I enjoyed getting to know both Kelly's and Alex's families. I liked how some of the family relationships were mended in a very believable way. The romance is light, sweet and I found it easily believed. As I said at the beginning of my review, this would make a wonderful Hallmark movie. (unless it already is). I loved the recipe at the back of the book for the starring dish, Triple Layer Honey Almond Cake with Berries and Mascarpone Crème Fraiche. Not sure if I will try to make it (I am not much of a cake baker) but it sure sounds delicious. I highly recommend this culinary romance. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

I completely fell in love with THE SECRET INGREDIENT – and yes, Hallmark, this needs to be a movie without a doubt.

Once upon a time Kelly and Andrew had big dreams set in their small hometown. Unfortunately, reality came along and changed everything when Andrew left to study in Paris – and took almost seven years to find his way home. In the meantime, back home Kelly has turned her dreams into more than a reality with her now famous bakery and infamous cakes. She’s doing quite well now, thank you very much, so much so that she barely noticed when Andrew returned for a visit… almost barely noticed. It’s difficult to avoid running into someone in such a small town, and at times it seems the residents of Bailey Fork are determined to see this couple get a second chance to get their romance right.

THE SECRET INGREDIENT has delicious layers to Kelly and Andrew’s story. Some are subtle, others will smack you over the head but when you immerse yourself in their romance you’ll see the subtle changes, the emotions that they still have for each other, the questions, the hopes of finding their way back to each other – along with some amusing competition. I enjoyed myself in this world, although I always have a good time stepping into Nancy Naigle’s imagination. Kelly and Andrew’s second chance romance hit all the right buttons for me, delivers a believable romance with a lively cast of characters. If you love a good romance, especially that second chance to get it right, then you’ll enjoy THE SECRET INGREDIENT.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Andrew and Kelly has their future all planned out, they would get married and open a restaurant together. Everything changed when Andrew was offered an internship to France to train with a pastry chef. He left Kelly behind and their dreams together dissolved. Then 7 years later he shows back up in town and the two are unexpectedly back in the kitchen together. This book was so cute!! Such a perfect read over Valentines Day week.

I've been a fan of Nancy Naigle since I read her very first book. She is my go-to author for sweet romances. The Secret Ingredient was a second chance romance, which happens to be one of my favorite troupes. I adored getting Kelly and Andrew's story in The Secret Ingredient.

Kelly McIntyre and Andrew York were engaged 7 years ago when Andrew is given the opportunity of a life time to study in Paris and he decides to stay after graduation. All their dreams of opening a restaurant together and marriage and family come to an end when Andrew stays in Paris. When Andrew comes home for a surprise visit 7 years later, he honestly only wanted to see his family, yet everything changes when his mom and sister give him a surprisewelcome home party and Kelly is in charge of all the desserts.

Kelly has lived her dream back in their hometown by opening her own bakery called The Cake Factory. Kelly has become a huge success in her business and has helped Bailey 's Fork have a booming economy. Her bakery has allowed her to employ 100 full time bakers and helped other businesses in town. When Kelly is approached to participate in Valentine's Cake-bakeoff, she quickly agrees, not knowing that is the real reason Andrew is back in the states. None of the contestants can let anyone know where they are really going for the secret bake-off, or they will be immediately eliminated from the contest. I enjoyed seeing Andrew and Kelly reconnect before they both headed to New York for the bakeoff. There was such a sweet connection between them.

Most of the story does take place in their small hometown, and Ms. Naigle does an amazing job making the small town and the people in the town come to life. I loved seeing how the town had grown and changed while Andrew was gone and yet was completely welcoming to him when he returned. I find that the small town in a Nancy Naigle book becomes another character in the story right along side the people. I did love seeing both Kelly and Andrew in the baking competition. They had such different training, with Andrew's being from professional chefs in Paris, and Kelly's being from her grandmother, yet were both rockstars when it came to coming up with amazing ideas.

The Secret Ingredient was such a wonderful sweet romance. The small town setting was absolutely perfect for the story and I loved the crazy fun trip to New York every bit as much as I enjoyed the time in the small town. Kelly and Andrew were so much fun to see grow and mature over the course of the story not only as individuals but as a couple. The Secret Ingredient is another winner from Nancy Naigle.

Rating: 4 Stars (B+)

Sweeeet!

If you enjoy Hallmark movies, this book is for you. If you enjoy baking shows, this book is for you. If you enjoy baking competitions, this book is for you. If you enjoy second chance romance, this book is for you.

Kelly and Andrew were engaged to be married when Andrew was given the chance to hone his skills in Paris for six months. When six months turns into seven years, Kelly is not waiting for Andrew any longer. She’s become a great pastry chef on her own and she’s had enough. When Andrew returns, they realize they still care for each other. But Andrew is going to NYC to participate in a baking competition. The two end up competing on the same show while rekindling their lost love.

This was an easy read with the Hallmark love lines. Even though it was predictable, it was also a fun love story. All in all, this is a fun, easy, quick read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hallmark Publishing for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book. I am providing my honest review.

The secret ingredient is a VERY SWEET story. I had very happy tears while reading this book. You will love it. Ok, this is about Kelly and Andrew, who were high school sweethearts who did everything together. Andrew gets a offer from his aunt to go to France and school/train as a chef from the top chefs in France. Andrew is offered a job before Kelly and Andrew were to be married. The wedding never happened because Kelly wasn’t willing to leave her home and Andrew wasn’t willing to give up his dream of being a chef. 7 years later Andrew shows up to their hometown. Andrew and Kelly have both been nominated for a cooking/baking show to compete. Neither knows the other is going, no one is to know. So they both end up in New York to compete. Andrew and Kelly have never lost feelings for each other, that’s very clear. The prize of this competition is 150,000.00.....will this put a damper on trying to start the relationship back up, and who will win....hmmmm you’ll have to read it to find out. You will not be disappointed. Happy reading!! :)

What a sweet and savory story just in time for Valentine's Day! Being a huge fan of the Hallmark movies, I was excited to read this book. And it did not disappoint. I loved the small town, the lovable characters (GRAY totally stole the show), and the charming plot. And I am a huge lover of second chance romances. This book ticked off all my favorite things and I'll be rereading it often.

A sweet hearwarming second chance romance story. I really loved these story and the characters Andrew and Kelly. It was a wonderful well written story and a page turner. I couldn't put these story down.
I received a complimentary ARC from Hallmark Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions are of my own.

A sweet story that will keep you licking your fingers right up till the end. That characters feel like your family, friends and neighbors. You'll find out if love can stand the time and distance.

What do you do when life throws you a curve? If you are Kelly McIntyre, you pick up the pieces of your broken heart and you open a bakery and move on with your life.

Kelly and Andrew had big plans... plans to marry and to open a restaurant together. Until, Andrew has an opportunity to go to Paris to study in a culinary academy and he leaves Kelly behind. 7 years pass and Andrew makes a "pit stop" at home on his way to New York for a baking competition and finds Kelly has made a name for herself in her small North Carolina town. He realizes what he lost and wants to reconcile with Kelly.

On the surface, she is not interested in re-kindling their romance but is willing to be friends. Deep down, though, her heart still skips a beat when Andrew is near.

As fate would have it, Kelly and Andrew are entered as contestants in the same competition and this is when it gets interesting! No spoilers here but suffice it to say, the ending is sweet as honey!

This was a darling book and I loved it! It is sweet and clean. Kelly and Andrew were going to get married until Andrew had the opportunity to go to Paris to study baking. He never came home. Seven years later, he is home, just for a short visit, but seeing Kelly makes him realize all that he has missed. The characters are likeable and the story moves along nicely. It took me a while to start the book just because stuff happens. However, once I did get "caught", I couldn't put it down. I would definitely read more books by this author.

A heartwarming second chance romance that will delight all.Andrew and Kelly had their lives planned out, both being chefs until Andrew got a chance to go to culinary school in Paris. Fast forward seven years, Andrew has finally returned home for a visit. Kelly has opened her own bakery, which has flourished. Upon Andrew's return home he is realizing what's missing in his life, his one true love Kelly. Unbeknownst to each other they are competing in a Valentine's Day bake off.

This is book that I could not put down, makes you warm all over. Loved Kelly and Andrew, so perfect for each other. The secondary character of Gray, Kelly's potbellied pig. His name was just perfect!! If you have a sweet tooth this will be the perfect read for you, it made me hungry!! I believe this would be the perfect Hallmark movie!! I highly recommend.

The Secret Ingredient by Nancy Naigle is the first Hallmark book I’ve read. I love watching the movies and I could totally picture everything playing out on the small screen.

As young adults, Kelly McIntyre and Andrew York had their lives planned out. They would get married, live in their small hometown of Bailey’s Fork, North Carolina and open their own restaurant. Kelly and Andrew loved creating new recipes together. Kelly would be the baker and Andrew would be the chef. Their dream got a little side-tracked when Andrew was offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to study pastry under one of the world’s best pastry chefs in Paris. This little life detour took their lives in a whole new direction when Andrew was offered a full scholarship and asked Kelly to join him in Paris. Not wanting to leave Bailey’s Fork and abandon the dreams they once shared, Kelly breaks up with Andrew.

Fast forward seven years and Andrew has finally returned home to visit his family before he embarks on an opportunity that could change his life yet again. Andrew is working for and running one of the top restaurants in Paris for his mentor, while Kelly has fulfilled her dream and opened her own successful bakery. The two reconnect and are surprised to find their attraction to each other is as strong as ever.

It’s soon revealed why Andrew actually came back to the United States. He is supposed to appear on the Four Square Cooking Show, a baking competition where the identities of the contestants are kept secret from everyone, including the contestants. Not only is Andrew competing in this contest, but so is Kelly. As the two compete, you’re witness to seeing just how compatible these two really are. “If it was real love all those years ago, it’s still there.” For Andrew and Kelly, this Valentine’s Day competition will show them that love knows no time nor distance.

The Secret Ingredient was like a perfectly delicious constructed cake. The characters of Kelly and Andrew were very likeable. As were the secondary characters. This was a sweet story that left nothing out. Bailey’s Fork sounded like a town I would love to visit. Of course, the culinary creations created by Kelly and Andrew made me hungry. The love these two had for each other shined through the pages. Be prepared to shed some tears. I know I did.

I am a sucker for novels that have a cooking as an ingredient and a sucker for second chance tropes, so The Secret Ingredient really, really worked for me. When you mix in the great characters created by Naigle, the finished product is definitely 5 Stars!
Naigle has such a talent for writing novels that just flow from page to page. This sweet romance was perfect if you're looking for love and a story to keep you coming back. Kelly was a very likable, hard working woman who was a self trained baker. Andrew, her old flame and past baking partner was a guy who had a few things to learn about life and what is important, even though his professional training was far and above that of Kelly's. They are both keeping secrets, but in this case the secrets may not be all bad! Delightful!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

You think your life is all planned out and then a kink gets thrown in. What would you do with the opportunity that was given Andrew? Do you think Kelly made the right choices? I loved this book! Starting out it seemed like Kelly and Andrew were living the dream. You never know though. I didn’t much like Andrew’s dad when this story started. I love that Kelly loved her town and what she did to make it be even better. What an awesome feeling to be able to do what she did. If you’ve ever lived in a small town, you know they usually have their share of matchmakers. Hmmm, what will happen now that Andrew has come for a visit? What would you do if you were Kelly? It was fun to watch the struggles and to wait to see what was going to happen next. I can’t forget GRAY. He definitely adds to the story! It was fun to read about the baking that took place in the story and reminded me of when we had a donut shop and also made cakes. I really enjoyed my friends from Bailey’s Fork, North Carolina and hope we meet again. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

I enjoyed this cute, refreshing, mouth watering, true love romance revolving around delicious pastries that will have you craving romance and sweets. The characters are whipped to perfection and add to the sweet plot and the final presentation is very original and fun. I really enjoyed the romance and seeing what goes on behind cooking contest shows. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

As Sweet As Spun Sugar

Like the bakers did with the amazing Honey Almond Cake, Nancy Naigle has assembled all the ingredients for a wonderful story and blended them together to form the perfect sweet romance in The Secret Ingredient. I love second-chance romances, but I especially loved that Kelly and Andrew have each moved on, each built successful careers in the 7 years since their break-up. When they do see each other again, they have a new-found respect for all that the other has accomplished. This, I think, is one of the things that makes The Secret Ingredient stand out from all the other second-chance romance books. There are so many other things to love about this book. I really appreciated the special twist the author gave to the baking competition. I adore Gray, and laughed out loud when I found out what his name meant. The baking scenes were incredible, and the supporting cast was amazing. This one goes on my keeper shelf, and I'll definitely look forward to reading more books by this author.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and have provided my honest opinion of this book. .

First time reading this author and LOVED IT.
Sweet romance in every sense of the word. Not only was this a trope I enjoy - Second chance romance - this meet all my expectations. It was fun (love the acronyms) competitive, heartfelt and I have a new recipe to try.
Kelly and Andrew are childhood sweethearts in a small town who are engaged to be married. It has always been about teamwork for these two. Both have dreams that they plan to pursue and fulfill. Opportunities leads to distance and broken hearts. A reunion / homecoming revisits dreams unfulfilled. When a new opportunity arises it's the choices one makes that determines dream fulfillment. Put your heart into your actions.

I love second-chance romances and baking, so this seemed right up my alley. Plus, it’s set in a small town in North Carolina and involves a baking competition. How could I resist? And I’m glad I didn’t, because this is such a sweet, adorable romance.

“I’ve never met anyone who made me feel the way you did. The way you still do. What about that ‘if you love someone let them go’ quote? Maybe there was a reason we were apart for a while.”
“There was. You chose to pursue education and a career in another country instead of marrying me.”
“That’s not exactly how it was.”
“Fine. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. You may have only planned to go for a while, but in the end…you didn’t come back.”


Childhood sweethearts from a small town in North Carolina, Kelly and Andrew broke up when Andrew decided to stay in France after completing a pastry chef internship there. Though it scuttles their dreams of opening their own restaurant, seven years later, they’re both successful people in their own rights. Andrew is the head chef at a famous French chef’s restaurant, and Kelly has opened a famous bakery in their hometown. When the chance of a lifetime brings Andrew back to his hometown, seeing Kelly again brings up good memories – and doubts about whether he’s as happy as he thinks. But Andrew’s time back in Bailey’s Fork is limited, as he’s heading to help a friend open up a restaurant in New York City, while Kelly is traveling to Orlando for a baking convention – or so they say. Fate has a few more meetings in store for them. Can they both see past their old hurts to bake a new future together?

This is just the sweetest book – and I’m not just talking about all the desserts! Kelly is adorable – a hardworking businesswoman who hasn’t lost her sense of fun, which serves her well when designing her award-winning baked goods. Andrew, well, Andrew took a bit for me to warm up to him. In all honest, I spent at least the first quarter of the book being seriously judgmental of Andrew. While, in retrospect, I can see where some fault for their breakup might like with Kelly, it’s Andrew who chose to breakup with her over the phone and completely trashed the plans they’d made together over the course of years. While he was pursuing his studies in France, Kelly was left to pick up the pieces of her broken heart. Kelly used her heartbreak to throw herself into running The Cake Factory, which started as a little bake shop that mostly just filled orders for her parents’ cafe next door, but expanded to truly live up to its name, including fulfilling internet orders across the country. Plus, she adopted a pig she named G.R.A.Y. View Spoiler », a detail which had me giggling. Kelly does have a chip on her shoulder about being a self-trained baker, rather than the fancy training Andrew received as a pastry chef in France, and she’s wary of trying to rekindle even a friendship with him.

“I guess I did leave someone special behind. I just didn’t make it clear to her that I thought she was special.”
“You’re an idiot then. My ex was like that.” Lori cocked her head and leaned away from him. “That’s why he’s an ex. Don’t be like that.”


While Andrew realizes from his first reunion with Kelly that he lost something special with her, and that he still loves her, Kelly is more gun-shy, worried about another heart-break. After all, he left her once, so who’s to say he wouldn’t leave again when another opportunity presented itself Part of Andrew’s decision to stay in France was to prove to his father that he was a “real” chef, as his dad wanted him to follow in his footsteps and join the family mechanic shop and disapproved of his career choice. It was nice to see him start to rebuild those relationships with his family, and also gradually remember the joys of living in a small town. I will say that the book was very heavy handed on the small town vs big wide world in the first half of the book, enough that it made me roll my eyes in parts.

The first half of the book is spent in North Carolina, and while it’s a bit slow-paced, it’s a nice view into what their relationship used to be, certainly much better than the first chapter. There’s a scene where Andrew teaches Kelly how to do sugar work and it’s just obvious to the reader how well they fit each other. It’s nearly half-way through the book before the cooking competition enters the plot-line, and from there the pace picks up. I do wish they’d been able to spend a bit more time on the cooking competition portion, because some of my favorite parts where the chapters describing the challenges and how each completed them. And, yes, there are tons of delicious deserts described in this book, enough to make me break out my stand-mixer to make some baked goods. As a side-note, there’s a recipe for Andrew and Kelly’s Honey Almond Cake (which plays a pivotal role in the plot) at the back of the book. While I haven’t tried it yet, I’m pleased they finally included something similar to a recipe used in the book, as previous ones have included… odd… choices, to say the least. And, yes, the plot is very predictable, and it verges on saccharine sweet at times, but this is a Hallmark novel, so that’s to be expected!

Overall, this was a sweet confection of a book (pun intended). If you’re looking for a light, quick romance with a small town second chance romance, this is the book for you!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.