I give this book a 3.7. This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.After getting burned out from owning bakery in NY with a crazy schedule Parker decides to sell her bakery and visit her best friend in PA after loosing her ability to bake. Nick comes off as a nice guy who is unaware his girlfriend is manipulating him. Nick and Parker have a past that is hidden and it causes some issues that go throughout the book. My favorite characters were the golden girls!


I received a ARC for my honest opinion.

I recently read the previous 2 books in Nina Bocci's Hopeless Romantics series, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this book from NetGalley! Just as in the first two books in the series, The Ingredients of You and Me has a slow-burn love story involving people within the same friend group. It was a bit of a slower burn than the previous books, but I enjoyed that very much.

I loved returning to Hope Lake and reuniting with some favorite characters, especially the Golden Girls/Baked Nanas! In fact, this book involved more of the Golden Girls than the previous - which I absolutely LOVED. It was a very cute, feel-good story with many lovable characters (of all ages!).

If you are a fan of rom coms you will absolutely love this delightful story! This was a feel good romance with great characters (LOVED the Golden Girls) and a couple you will route for!
So grateful for my copy and couldn't put it down!

1 cup romance.

1 cup friendship.

1 heaping teaspoon of charm.

A generous sprinkling of humor.

A sweet story filled with so much whimsy and heart. The perfect small town cozy romance, packed with lovable colorful characters and a darling setting. Parker is ready for a new chapter in her life so she decides to sell her successful NYC bakery and set out in a new direction. The problem is she’s not quite sure what her next chapter looks like and it appears as though she may have lost her baking mojo as well. When her BFF hears what is going on she invites her to come stay with her in the small town of Hope Lake. Parker knows a change of setting will probably do her good, but going to Hope Lake also means she will run into her ex flame Nick (a flame nobody knows about). What will make it even more awkward is that Nick completely ghosted her and it appears as though he is no longer single. But Parker decides the change of scenery is worth it and packs her bags for an extended visit. What follows is a fun story of awkward moments, golden girls, unsolicited advice, recipes, YouTube, friendship, a new business, chemistry, and love.

This is the third book in this delightful series, but it can definitely be read as a standalone. Parker is a relatable and likable character and you cannot help but put yourself in her position. I cringed and felt awkward right along with her as she navigated some of the situations in this book. One of the best parts of this book were the friendships. Not only Parker’s friendship with Charlotte and Emma, but also Parker’s relationship with the Golden girls. The golden girls were hilarious a group of senior ladies who have a lot of personality and even more heart. The romance in the story was very tricky. There was obvious attraction between Parker and Nick, but Nick had a girlfriend? Wasn’t sure how that was going to be resolved, but I was happy with the solution. The icing on the cake of this book was well, all the cake! These ladies could bake and I was craving sweets throughout the entire book. A sweet satisfying story in more ways than one.

This book in emojis 🥧 🧁 🍰 ☕️

*** Big thank you to Gallery for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

The Ingredients of You and Me is a deliciously frustrating slow burn with great banter and fantastic secondary characters. Even though this is the third installment in the series, it can be read as a standalone without feeling lost in the plot. I adored the "Baking Nanas", I hope I grow up to be Mancini, she adds great humor, a lot of wise words, but also some comfort. My heart hurt so much for Parker and Nick so many times. Initially, I was so frustrated with Nick since this is written in 1st person pov, we have no idea what he's thinking until the last chapters. But I'm glad it was that way despite the miscommunications and frustrations the story wouldn't have had nearly the same feeling had it been dual pov. Another thing I really liked was that it didn't end in marriage or pregnancy (I have nothing against either since I'm married with kids) I think that's an often overlooked group of women especially in romance novels, Nick and Parker were happy with their situation and relationship as it was and I think that's perfect. This is a super sweet, fantastic small town read.

I've been looking forward to reading The Ingredients of You and Me, Nina Bocci's third book in the Hopeless Romantics series and was so excited when I got an advance copy from Netgalley. Like the other books in the series, this one did not disappoint and even though I love the other two books, this might be my new favorite!

The Ingredients of You and Me follows the story of Parker, Charlotte's baker best friend from New York, and Nick, the man who charms everyone in Hope Lake. Parker and Nick had a secret fling that ended when Nick ignored Parker. Looking to get her baking mojo back, Parker visits Hope Lake where she befriends all of the Golden Girls and runs into Nick basically at every turn, except this time around he isn't single.

The character of Parker was incredibly relatable. Who hasn't hit a point in their life or career where they feel stuck and don't know how to move past it? And when it came to her closure with Nick, as much as she knew she needed to have the conversation with him to move on, you are afraid to do it knowing all that hurt you felt before is going to come back. I love that Bocci showed all of these parts and didn't just add the perfect bow in the beginning to make the journey for both Parker and Nick easy. Her characters show real emotions and missteps and I think that is why I enjoy reading her books so much since they feel much more authentic.

If you haven't read the other two books in the series, you can easily jump right in with this book, each book is written as a stand alone with character overlaps. Though I highly recommend reading the full series so you can enjoy them all!

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for providing me with an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Nina Bocci takes her readers back to Hope Lake in book 3 of this trilogy. It was great to catch up on the women from the first two books and to read Parker's story. All three of these books are romances with strong female characters but they also about the importance of friendship. As all three women worked to fulfill their dreams, they depended on each other to keep them on the right path.

Parker is a well known baker. Not only did she have a highly popular bakery in New York City but she had also been on Food Network in various shows and had a following of people from those appearances. She decides that it's time to sell her bakery and make some changes in her life. Along with the bakery, she had also sold her recipes to the new owners and needed to develop new recipes but all of a sudden, so can no longer bake and none of her new recipes end up being eatable. She decides to temporarily move to Hope Lake where her best friend Charlotte (from book 2) and her new friend Emma (from book 1) have very successful jobs and very serious boyfriends.
Parker hopes that getting away from NYC will help her regain her baking expertise. The other person she knows in Hope Lake is Nick. They had a romance that they kept hidden from their friends until he just dropped her with no explanation. So while she is excited to see her girlfriends and their men, she is unsure of how she'll feel to see Nick again and their subsequent social interactions are just as confusing to her as the end of their relationship.

I enjoyed most of the characters in this novel - along with the other books in he series. I also enjoy reading a romance novel that has strong female characters with careers. Hope Lake sounds like any small town where everybody knows everyone else's business and likes to talk about it. This a light fun series and perfect to read while you are quarantined in the house.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Without a doubt this book is my FAVORITE in this beautiful series about home, friendship and beautiful small town love!

Each book has its own couple finding their way and navigating life in the small town of Hope Lake! This book is no different but what had me hooked and invested is that Parker is a city girl! A city girl who has just made the biggest decision of her life and now she finds herself in the beautiful small town her best friend grew up in! A town that at some point she frequented often!

As she tries to find herself and what comes next she leans on the towns hilarious “Golden Girls”! Parker discovers that maybe her next venture in life isn’t just about her but about the bigger picture of life and well the beauty and wisdom that Nana’s have to offer! With her unknown past with the town bachelor Nick weighing on her Parker tries to find her place in the world!

I absolutely loved the “Golden Girls of Hope Lake”! Their hilarious advice and funny meddling had my heart filled with joy! I absolutely loved my grandma and so much of their antics reminded me of her! I just felt like I could relate to Parker and her journey! At some point we all hit a “what’s next” point in our life! I loved that she took it on fearlessly and didn’t cave when times got tough, but more importantly when it came to Nick I love that she knew her worth, knew when to admit her mistakes and was trying to move on! She was a woman filled with strength and I love a book heroine with strength and determination!

Definitely one of my favorite Nina Bocci stories to date!

My Thoughts

Today is my tour stop with TLC Book Tours, Gallery Books and Nina Bocci.

This is such a feel good story, I couldn't get enough of it.  Parker Adams is one of those characters who is hard not to love.  A successful baker in New York City she gives it all up for a slower paced life, and a chance at love.  Oddly enough after Parker sold her business she hit a wall in the baking and romance department.

I loved the little town of Hope Lake, PA.  The author made it sound so picturesque with the Victorian Houses and the never-ending falling snow.  Little old Mancini and the rest of the old ladies, who are later named the Golden Girls, are just the cutest.  I couldn't get over how hospitable they are to Parker and her friends. They sound like so much fun to be/have around.

Unfortunately for Parker, Nick, her top secret old flame who ghosted her, is also friends with Mancini and her crowd.  Parker is doing her best to get her mojo back in the kitchen and keeping her feelings for Nick a secret. As for Nick he has moved on with a Jillian.  Right away I found Jillian annoying, clingy and sweet to the point of fake. I loved every character with the exception of her!

I have never read a book by this author, and now I need to!  This was the perfect light and quick read I needed, and I feel like I keep saying that when I review romance...but it's true.  

Grab your copy of this page turner on April 28, 2020.

Book Rating: 4/5 and it's only a 4 because I wanted more steam! More action!

For the grand finale this would pair nicely with a Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells.

This is the third book in the series - though you won't have needed to read the other two to read this one (however, I do recommend you do so you get the backstory on the secondary characters). This was another quick, light romance read focused on a couple in the town of Hope Lake, PA. This time we're following Nick and Parker, the last of the sixlet of couples the Hopeless Romantics series has featured. I enjoyed the book for the most part but it was very low on romance and I felt like the end of the book was very rushed and didn't fully dive into things as much as I would have like. Overall though, it was a solid, quick, light-hearted read, just what I needed!

Romance novels aren't normally my cup of tea, but I was looking for something light to read and fluffy to read. This book was exactly what I was looking for. It's an easy read and the characters are engrossing, which makes it easy to care about what happens to them. Im curious enough about the other books in the series that I plan to read them.

4.5 stars rounded up!

I’ve had the pleasure of reading and LOVING the first two stories in the Hopeless Romantics series by Nina Bocci (On the Corner of Love and Hate and Meet Me on Love Lane), so when I heard that a book three was coming, you can imagine that I jumped at the first opportunity to read it. Now, if you haven’t had the chance to read the first two books in the series, don’t worry, you can still read and enjoy The Ingredients of You and Me as a standalone.

Parker Powell was baker extraordinaire and owner of the upscale bakery Delicious and Vicious in bustling NYC. Unlike most bakeries, D&V was known for delivering baked goods with any message you wish, so cheating husbands could get “I hope it falls off” cupcakes and bosses can get 2 week notice cakes.

In search of a new adventure and to move past her current “baker’s block’, Parker sells D&V and heads to the small town of Hope Lake where her friends currently reside. Unfortunately, she also runs into Nick, the guy from their friend group that she secretly dated for months who ended up ignoring her and leaving her to pick up the pieces…and he’s not single.

This heartwarming story was more than just a contemporary romance. This story was about friendship (loved the entire storyline of Parker helping the grandma’s in town reconnect with baking), self discovery, honesty, and forgiveness. Nina Bocci does an incredible job of creating truly authentic characters that come to life on the pages. There’s none of the love at first sight or unrealistic romance. The relationships are messy and full of miscommunication and everything else that is a part of everyday life (and I don’t just mean the relationship between Parker and Nick).

Overall, if you’re looking for a laugh out loud, feel-good story that also includes lots of baking then definitely pick this one up!

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for the tour invite and to Gallery Books for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

We were so excited to receive an early copy of this book! We just knew that we would love it and it did not disappoint!! The Ingredients of You and Me is the third book in this series. I loved reading Nick and Parkers story! The appeal of these books is that they feel like a Hallmark movie, but not in a cheesy way. I love the way Nina Bocci makes her characters human. Her characters have beautiful love stories, but they also make a 'lot of mistakes along the way. Anyways, I have adored this series!! I would highly recommend it to any one that loves romantic comedies!

Thank you to Net Galley, Nina Bocci, and Gallery Books for the advanced copy!

2.5 stars

This was pretty disappointing since I loved the first two books in the series. It’s a quick read and it had drama and angst to keep me hooked, but I have a love/hate relationship with this story.

What I loved: Parker and the Golden Girls. Parker goes through an amazing journey of self discovery with the help of some hilarious baking nanas. She stayed true to herself throughout the whole story. She deserves better, though.

What I hated: Nick. Probably one of the worst heroes I’ve read in a while. His excuse for ditching Parker was lame and the fact that he put so much effort into Jillian so easily, but didn’t fight for what he and Parker had didn’t make him worthy of Parker at all.

If you’re not looking for romance, but want to connect with a strong heroine, you might like this story.

The Ingredients of You and Me takes us back for a third time to the adorable town of Hope Lake, this time with a focus on Parker, the fun-loving baker friend of Charlotte, who first appeared in Meet Me on Love Lane. Parker has decided to sell her successful New York bakery and spend some time in Hope Lake. At the same time, she hopes to find out what went wrong with Nick, one of Charlotte's childhood friends. I loved this- it was the fluffy rom com I needed during this social distancing time. I look forward to what Nina Bocci releases in the future.

The third in a series where I highly suggest you start at the beginning as each book builds on another. In each book there are different main characters, but they show up in each other's books and they all take place in a small town.

This book centers around Parker Adams who has just recently sold her bakery to a large company and isn't sure what she wants to do next. She ends up in the small town that her best friend has just moved to and Charlotte is establishing herself as a florist and Parker decides its a good place to land for the time being. Nick Arthur is a part of a friend group that has been together forever and to bring a girl into this group could be close to impossible, so Nick hasn't dated a ton, could Parker be the one to be his love and fit in the group.

I have LOVED this series. They are great storylines in a small town with minimal sexy times. Each book has a great plot which I love even though its a romance and you know where the story will end, these journeys are so worth the read.

I hope this series continues, I enjoy each one of the books in their own unique way.