FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.

The cover of this book caught my eye immediately, and I knew right away I wanted to read it. I had heard fantastic things about the author and her lighthearted romance stories, and that cover was completely irresistible. The premise sounded right up my alley too.

That pink loveliness that was the cover, with the sparkle lights and the bakery window, might be the best thing this book had going for it.

Or I might just not be the target audience for this book.

I was expecting a lighthearted romance, perhaps a romcom, which was exactly what I was in the mood for when I chose to read this book.

What I ended up getting was a forced romance between two people who hated each other’s guts and were completely rude to each other even after three passionate kisses. Not only did the leading lady not have any common sense or use Business 101 tactics to “save” the bakery she worked at (instead, choosing to give away more products and services than she ever sold, with no complaints from the two owners, shockingly), but other characters made major life-altering decisions for her because they apparently knew better than she did what was best for her. (The leading man, at one point, even wished her dream would get crushed because “it could be a blessing in disguise for her.”) The premise was lost on me when it became clear the lady had enough savings to make an offer on the bakery yet chose not to and hoped the magazine article would save the place or that the shop would be willed to her, and that she kept giving away practically every ounce of coffee and treats to any customer that came in off the street.

I don’t deal well with controlling characters, after having experienced that sort of thing on a personal level for eighteen years and finally making a clean break from that scenario, so this book was clearly not the right fit for me.

One thing I truly hope gets edited out before publication was the super offensive line about a particular hair color inducing anxiety in a person. No matter what color the hair is, natural or otherwise, there is no way it would cause anxiety in this adrenaline-junky travel writer character who claimed it might, nor would it in any non-traumatized person.

Another issue I noticed was that, when discussing a particular super popular, general market romance book, the leading lady said cheating was okay because the character “wasn’t married yet.” According to the Bible, sex outside of marriage (including before marriage) is never okay and always a sin. Even if I had been rooting for Miss Bri prior to this moment, that one would have lost me for sure. She never did change her view on this topic, to realize her “belief” was anti-biblical.

The nicknames the leading man gave to two different women were overused and degrading. This always irks me, especially when it’s a name given to the person he is supposed to care the most about. Even if he originally didn’t like her, which was obvious, once he did like her, it would make sense to stop using the degrading nickname and treat her with respect. As a professional journalist, it would have made better sense to respect the person he was doing a story on in the first place.

What I loved, which wasn’t much, about this book was 1) the cover, which was and still is spectacular and one of my favorites this year; 2) the preacher, John, who gave fantastic advice; and 3) the desserts, which practically melted on my tongue.

I wish I had more positives to share. I wish I would have adored this story. I wanted to adore this story so much. I’m highly disappointed right now. I’m not even sure which book to read next, because this one has left such a bad taste in my mouth at the moment.

One more positive: This book will likely have a million fans. I have a feeling I will be in the minority with disliking it. It is my hope that other readers will find the delightful story I feel I missed.

Kind of a quirky romance set mostly in a bakery where Bri Duval works for two aging owners. She hopes she’ll be able to keep the bakery after they no longer wish to work, she doesn’t dream of going anywhere other than that bakery and she wants to live a love life like that of her parents who are deceased. She’s had them on a pedestal for years. Then a handsome travel writer for Trek Magazine rolls into town to write about the bakery and the lovelock wall she created behind the bakery that mimic’s that of the famous Parisian one. She created that to help the struggling bakery, and as an homage to her parents and their love story that played out in Paris so many years ago.
The writer Gerard Fortier didn’t want to write this story but he does want to get his promotion so he’ll do as he’s told and get the story even though he seems to not like sweets, or Bri Duval, or so he tells himself. This is an unexpectedly sweet romance with two people who keep telling themselves they have no attraction to each other. You’ll have to read the story which has many good things to say about itself to find out how things work out. I recommend it, if you are looking for something that’s somewhat of a sweet diversion in your otherwise boring pandemic day.
I received this book in kindle format from NetGalley. I was not required to give a review or a positive review, the words and opinions of this book are my own freely given. #TheKeyToLove #NetGalley
The only thing Bri Duval loves more than baking petit fours is romance. So much so, she's created her own version of the famous Parisian lovelock wall at her bakery in Story, Kansas. She never expects it to go viral--or for Trek Magazine to send travel writer Gerard Fortier to feature the bakery. He's definitely handsome, but Bri has been holding out for a love story like the one her parents had, and that certainly will not include the love-scorned-and-therefore-love-scorning Gerard.

Just when it seems Bri's bakery is poised for unprecedented success, a series of events threaten not just her business but the pedestal she's kept her parents on all these years. Maybe Gerard is right about romance. Or maybe Bri's recipe just needs to be tweaked.

Novelist Betsy St. Amant invites you to experience this sweet story of how love doesn't always look the way we expect--and maybe that's a good thing.

This novel had me dreaming of freshly baked macaroons. Reminded me so much of a hallmark movie however I just couldn’t connect to the main characters.

Beautiful and deeply heartfelt, I loved the feel of this book.

“She needed someone who could kiss her and make her foot pop like in the black-and-white movies. The only thing Charles made pop was her bubble of expectations.”

A little bit of Paris brought to small town America, St. Amant beautifully spins a tale of healing and finding love where you’d least expect it in “The Key to Love.” Bri Duval is wrapped up in waiting for her perfect love; a love like her parents had. She will do anything to keep the bakery in which her mom baked masterful pastries and confections. However, her whole world is flipped upside down when Gerard Fortier walks into their little bakery. This love-hate relationship had me yearning for their happily ever after. The matchmaking “Love Angels” have their own agenda and keep a dash of humor going throughout the book. I loved the Paris and wanderlust theme, which is truly the desire of Bri’s heart. I could relate with Bri’s desire to travel and yet, not wanting to leave her safe, small town. Gerard drove me a bit nuts with his attitude, but that was also what I loved about him.

“But he didn’t ask when everything was perfect. It’s easy to love when life is shiny and looks it best…”
“It’s easy to love when everything is perfect”

Another beautiful aspect of this story in the town of Story, was seeing the beauty outside of perfection. As Bri is waiting for her knight in shining armor, she is missing out on the love God has all around her. Gerard is living in pessimism and a darker view of life after losing in love. As they both realize the lives they have lived has sheltered them from the love God has for them, the true beauty of their love begins to shine.

Though this is not a fast paced romance, it is filled with truths that made the story shine. I loved the small town feel and the references to Paris. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves contemporary small town romance with a twist of wanderlust in their hearts. Sometimes the unexpected brings us to a deeper place than we ever expected. It opens our hearts to dream bigger and perhaps put feet behind that dream.

I received a NetGalley copy of this book by the publisher, Revell. All opinions given in this review are my own and given honestly.

This is a sweet-hearted book that will make you root for the underdogs. Both of our protagonists are broken in some way...and the connection there is uncanny....but they find healing through each other. Along the way, they show their true colors in the love language of taking care of others. Lesser characters create various conflicts throughout the novel, but of course they all work out in the end. Speaking of which....the ending just might surprise you!

Due to many reviews mentioning that God is not brought up until nearly the end and it is sudden along with many mentions of this not being a realistic story I will not be reading it since my review would have a low rating.

The Key to Love is an entertaining inspirational romance reminiscent of Hallmark movies. I throughly enjoyed reading this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

By the first page, I'm already dreaming of macarons. Here, pastry chef Bri hails from a small town in Kansas and is ever the romantic, and willing to wait for her prince and HEA as long as it takes for him to turn up. In contrast, gruff travel writer Gerard is anything but, and a past relationship has made him jaded to the ideas of love. He's assigned to cover the bakery where she works, which has gone viral thanks to a love lock wall in the backyard, the owners' matchmaking schemes, a European theme, and a "cute blonde who works there." It's clearly set up to a cutesy, wholesome opposites attract trope, and it doesn't get off to the best start for this reader. It's told in back and forth perspectives and shaping up to be a pleasant, cute romance read. It's a super slowww slow burn and enemies to lovers romance with banter, like OMG, them quoting pride and prejudice to each other in French is so adorable and funny. It's fun, sweet, and cute. That's about it. Then, it gets very emotionally charged by the end with a reveal about her parents and a big bombshell, however, all that feels like an at the buzzer revelation that could have been teased or started earlier. The writing is good and captivating. but there's no extra oomph to make this book shine, and it ends up as another cutesy baking romance story. Then, each chapter ends with a cliffhanger that's barely addressed in the next section or from the other point of view and it feels abrupt and catches you off guard, because there are so many lingering questions left as a new time frame, event, or something is revealed. Then, the ending gets super religious, which almost comes out of left field because religious beliefs and God talk wasn't even addressed until the tail end. It catches the reader off guard because religious wasn't really mentioned as a guiding factor at any point beforehand. At the end, it didn't address her final actions before they got their HEA, and to me, it feels like part of their, and her, journey is incomplete as individuals and as a pair.

A very sweet and lovely bakery romance. Loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Highly recommended. This was well done and not formulaic. The characters had depth and the story read smoothly.

Could not connect with this one. The heroine just came across as mean and there were a lot of things that just seemed a little too big of a stretch in the plot. Ended up DNFing it.

All the baking made me want to bake myself! I loved the chemistry and banter between Bri and Gerald. It was super cute and helped develop their connection. Very easy read and cute story!

Bri Duval loves all things Paris and all things romantic. She thinks life should look like a fairy tale and anything less is just settling. Until she meets Gerard Fortier, Trek Magazine’s travel and adventure writer. He definitely is not her cup of tea. Or is he? By the time you’re done with this sweet romance you’ll be craving a macaron or petit four. Perfect summer read.

3.5 Stars

This is the first time I have read this author, and the blurb pulled me in. Like a Hallmark movie, this book is very formula; opposites attract rom-com based in a small town. However, I did like the characters and writing style. It was not a bad story and how can you go wrong with Grandmas matchmaking and a bakery. There was just nothing to make this stand out to give it a higher rating.

Thank you to NetGalley and Revell Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I just took a look back through my blog to see what I've read by Betsy St Amant, and I found a common theme--baking and cakes. In rereading my reviews of the books I've read by her, I also found flawed characters (not an issue, it adds realism to the plot) whose lives are marked by chaos. I am not sure if the chaos is meant to add to the humor and pathos of the book, or is just a device to move the plot along, but this time I didn't like it.

In The Key to Love, Abrielle is a rather caustic woman working at the Pastry Puff bakery in Story, Kansas. Gerard is sent by Trek Magazine to do an article on the bakery, which has a "Lovelock Wall" similar to one in Paris. Abrielle, or Bri, has an attitude and a chip on her shoulder that makes her a totally unsympathetic character. The only one worse is the lawyer trying to buy the bakery so he can tear down the wall and build a franchise coffee shop.

Gerard is not much better in the likable characters department. He's got his own chip on his own shoulder and doesn't feel the assignment he's been given is worthy of him.

This was a hard book for me to read. I do like to read books with flawed characters, it makes the plots more real. BUT, the way these characters have been written make them totally unlikable and therefore make the situations and plot lines less believable. Two Stars

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The cover for this book is simply delightful. Romantic and enchanting and just so inviting. If the bakery had been real, I would have walked right in (but then been a little confused because they seemed to only exclusively bake macarons and petit fours...there are other French pastries and deserts so not sure why only those 2 were mentioned over and over again (sorry, this bugged me way more than it probably should...I’m weird, I know.)). The small town was filled with the requisite quirky characters, including the love angels (I think my favorite part was the slap fight, honestly). If you like Hallmark-y type stories, you might like this one.

⭐⭐⭐.5/5

This was a charming romance! It had one of my favorite tropes - enemies to lovers. Gerard and Bri couldn't be more different, yet there was always tension simmering under the surface. Even when they were driving each other crazy and slinging insults, they were drawn to each other for inexplicable reasons.

Bri never wanted to make waves and that was all Gerard was living for. Watching them overcome their differences and dive into honest conversations was heartwarming. There were also plenty of humorous moments throughout the book.

It seemed to take a few chapters too long for them to start doing some real soul-searching, but both characters were living in denial. I enjoyed following their journeys of self discovery. The accompanying cast of characters were all quirky and charming as well.

This book will make you crave desserts, so settle in with a snack before you start reading!

Like the goods at the bakery, it was too sweet for me. There was just something off too me. Bit of a weird observation the word incorrigible was used a lot, never here nor there but just don't pick that word as a part of your reading drinking game for this book. I felt god and religion came up a little too frequently in this book and as someone who doesn't have those beliefs it was an awkward way to move the plot forward. I really wish this had delved more into Bri's father, she holds her mother in such high regard but like ignores her Dad and only reminisces on the time he was away.

I can see why people would enjoy this book it just wasn't for me.

I received a NetGalley arc in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the chemistry and back and forth between the main characters, but the time cane when they got together and I felt uncertain. It seemed kind of forced because neither of them really talked or explained details to each other. I was also disappointed that God or faith never really came into play. It was just dropped in a couple of spots to move the plot forward. None of the characters seemed religious or faithful at all.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So full disclosure: I was completely pre-disposed to like this book. The topics are alllll of my faves: a bakery (check!), a rough around the edges but with redeeming qualities and challenging background boy (check!), plus a romantic-at-heart girl (check!)....but this did not completely come together for me, the way I thought it would.

Baker Bri Duval's parents died in a car crash and she has been both grieving and trying to honor them ever since. Almost all of her choices and actions are made through the lens of this traumatic life event, but she is not very self aware. Journalist Gerard Fortier had his own "life trajectory change" based on the combination of his formative years with a chance meeting with his idol, who gives him (clearly) terrible advice. Since then, he hasn't been able to truly connect with others (and won't even admit he is struggling). When Gerard is assigned to write a story about Bri's bakery, the sparks begin to fly.

I had several moments of frustration throughout this entire book: I found there to be way too many obvious misunderstandings with equally predictable upsets/outcomes. Too many 'I want to shake some sense into them' moments. And is no one savvy about other people's motives, even a tiny bit?! Could he not have returned the money sooner??? (You'll understand when you get there). Twice, I actually put it down for a minute and started another book to take a break, because I was too frustrated to continue.

Anyhoo....although it may sound like I wouldn't recommend it, in hindsight there were still enough redemptive qualities to sum up by saying that you are going to have to get this book for yourself and make your own big girl decisions. I can't tell you that I would read again OR that it made me think about anything deep or moving for long, but overall.....there you go.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.