Start with the purest golden retriever of a love interest, add a messy feminist heroine trying to stand on her own, stir in exactly the right proportion of food puns (which is lots), blend in some deeply necessary thinking about the toxic nature of being a woman online, and you've got this sunny, delightful nom-com. LOVE FROM SCRATCH is exactly the cheerful yet thoughtful Test Kitchen-inspired romance I hoped it would be, and I would happily read a second epilogue that's just Reese coming up with new and creative nicknames for Benny for an additional 10 pages. This book made me smile—and it made me hungry.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's books and Delacorte Press for allowing me to read and review this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Love From Scratch is about two rivals who are a part of a baking competition. Reese is trying to have a no dating policy with her competitors especially with gorgeous Benny.

I normally love an enemies to lovers story but this book was definitely intended for its targeted audience, which is okay. I liked Benny but I wasn't much of a fan of Reese. I felt like her "voice" was too annoying for me to read. The writing was okay and the plot wasn't anything special.

2.5 stars

First of all, I absolutely adore this cover. Second off, I absolutely adored Benny. The puns he made were so cute. Reese? Not so much. So I guess we'll start there. She comes across very not like other girls, if you know what I mean. She's a feminist. Her bestie is a lesbian. She left behind her small Southern town for Seattle. She is marginally annoying. And not in a good way for an FMC, I'm sad to say. (Do you want to know how long it took my Southern husband to not ask for sweet tea when he, at 23, came home north with me? One time. How long did it take for Reese? Oh, she's still asking in Seattle right this second.) However, I happen to adore FMCs who are a little different like that, so that wasn't a deal breaker or turn off for me.

Reese is woke, but she's woke in like, a very teenage, very annoying, very shove-it-down-your-throat way. As one of the FoF followers accurately said, "she srsly can't go 5 mins w/o making some stupid comment about the patriarchy I watch this channel for the food not for an idiot pushing her views on everyone."
*"I must have forgotten to check my internalized self-consciousness from years of sexist school dress codes at the door today. That shit runs deep." Given the characterization set up for Reese, I don't believe this is something she's still dwelling on. As a teacher, I also don't believe she was ever dress coded. And given the comments about her parents, I doubt she owned anything that would've come close to it. This was just a stupid thing to add in that really made me roll my eyes. Is she correct about school dress codes? 100% Do I care in the confines of this book? Nope. And then later, she's talking to Benny about it and says, "The rules don't apply to you. The dress code's entire purpose is to police women's bodies." Again, she is right. But it comes across as eye roll inducing, fake, written-by-an-adult. Also, there 100% would be a mens part to the dress code, or that'd be an HR nightmare.
*"What a blessing it must be to be a good-looking, confident dude." Sweetie, the same could be said of ladies. For her being so feminist, this was incredibly sexist.
*"On the other hand, even if I had been better prepared or more knowledgeable, I probably wouldn't be accepted as easily as Benny. I'd be a know-it-all or bossy. If I laughed at all his jokes and went along with everything he said, I'd be a ditz or falling all over him. It's just another one of what seems like countless situations in life where as a women, you can't win." (Clearly written by an adult.) She's right. Based on her character, if she'd been more confident, yes, she would've been a bossy know-it-all. Because she wasn't personable. Not because she was a girl. Again, sexist.
*"I have half a mind to go back there and deliver Mr. Geoffrey Block, CEO, a swift kick in the pants for that...whatever that was. Of all the people to treat me like a girl-shaped dress mannequin, I swear." Y'all. All he did was look at her and compliment her dress. She was self-conscious about the dress and projected that onto him. Was he rude to only talk to Benny? Yes. But again, Reese is so woke that's all she can focus on.

Reese is either self-un-aware, dumb, or again, projecting onto other people her insecurities. She gets feedback on the videos her and Benny are doing, and they tell her to be a little nicer. She's coming across a little mean on camera. LAWD HAVE MERCY. "...they wish I was more like my costar in everyway--ie male--but this was the only criticism they could acceptably say aloud." NO GIRL. They want you to stop acting judgmental towards your costar ON CAMERA. Shows like that are made or broken by the chemistry the hosts have. If she's constantly hurling insults loosely disguised as jokes, the audience will notice and stop watching. THAT'S what her bosses were concerned with. Not that she was a girl. FoF had plenty of girl hosts.

Reese is judgmental. In a you-don't-have-a-right-to-be way. I wish authors would stop taking this route to drive home the "FMC doesn't like MMC right away." Do they always have to just look cocky? You just know they're cocky? I mean... "I meant to look away, but my eyes catch on his, and on the cocky smirk playing over his face. Ugh. He knows he's objectively attractive, and now he knows that I know." Which, spoiler alert, Benny actually does not know he's objectively attractive, not like Reese is accusing him of, at least. Another: "I barely know the guy and what I know so far, I'm not sure I much care for. He's cocky, which I hate..." Hoooowwwww do we know he's cocky? Fellow reader, we do not. We are simply told by Reese. Oh, and then, when Benny is trying to be sweet and get to know her (as you do when you meet a stranger), she internally freaks. "His question raises my defensive porcupine quills. I've known this guy for all of forty-eight hours. I don't owe him my 'story' yet." No, girl, you do not owe anyone anything. But geesh. I can't see why Benny kept pursuing her if that was her mindset to get to know someone, at 18, in a new city all the way across the country.

My las complaint is this quote: "They're all from like, Illinois and Nebraska and other white-bread middle-American states. Makes no difference. Bigots are bigots." As someone who grew up in the Midwest and then moved, and taught, in the South, this is wildly offensive. This quote, among some of the others mentioned above, really made me wonder about the sensitivity beta reading on this one. Like damn. Are there bigots in the Midwest? Yes. But they're not confined to flyover states. Just like not all flyover states are bigoted. Are there backwood idiots in the South? Yes. But I'm not writing a book about that stereotype because it's seen as outdated, rude, and ignorant.

Here's the thing, Reese aside, this was a cute book. I loved the romance blossoming, even if I wasn't a fan of Reese (and don't believe they'd last as a couple, not sorry.) Benny was swoon worthy. Their dialogue was so cute. The plot was fresh, unique, and just perfect. This was overall a 4 star book, but Reese's irritants that were sprinkled here and there brought the book down for me. Should you check it out? YES! You (probably) won't regret it. Would I recommend this? Yes! Students, girlfriends, baking show lovers alike.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one was so adorable! I knew I wanted it as soon as I read it was enemies-to-lovers with baking. And it didn't disappoint! It was just as good as I was expecting, if not better.

My favorite thing was definitely the romance. Reese and Ben were adorable together! They had their issues, and yes, they were rather large issues, but they worked through them so well. Their romance was realistic, and it was so beautiful because of that.

I also really loved the Friends of Flavor crew. They tackled real issues like misogyny without it seeming fake or preachy. It was inspiring to see them work together, and they had some of the best friendships.

It's late, so this is getting a short review, but you should definitely read this! It was super adorable, and a super fun read.

This book was a humorous, tantalizing look at the possibilities of the intersection between social media and feminism. The protagonist struggles with having endured sexism in her past and in her career path, but her resilience and puns will keep you reading. I recommend this book to anyone interested in teenage activism, feminism, food, and/or romance.

To start off, I want to say thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to receive an arc of this book!

This book was so fun and I loved it so much. the characters were so cute and Reese’s accent was funny asf. The baking aspect was so interesting and overall this was just a feel good story. It was definitely a 5/5 and again thank you to Netgalley for letting me read a review copy of this novel! :)

If you devour every, last cooking show like I do, you will adore this book, which has it all: rivals to lovers, witty banter, incredible chemistry, and even a discussion of feminism! An absolutely charming rom com -- I'm already casting the Netflix movie! Highly recommended!

What a cute and sweet story. With some important themes of the issues of social media and feminism, the story flows well. Likeable and believable characters.

Thanks Netgalley for a arc copy of this book for a honest review..  
Love From Scratch was such a sweet delightful book. I enjoy watching I also enjoying Reese and Benny love story they made me smile throughout the whole book. 5 star read 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟



Happy Reading Lisa 📚

Really enjoyed this slow burn, friends to lovers YA Contemporary. We follow Reese as she and Benny (the other network intern) have their summer responsibilities broadened into a cooking show together. The episodes are full of food puns, witty interactions, and denied chemistry between the two, and so is their off-camera time. Though we do not get to read Benny's perspective, he is a delightful, and supportive, ray of sunshine. Reese though, tries her best to appear just as delightful on at work while battling sexism and gender double standards, both from management and what she has internalized through her life experiences.

I highly recommend this PG-rated YA Contemporary to all YA readers, and think many will find it as incredibly relatable as I do.

This novel was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review:

This was a cute sweet YA Rom-Com. It has positive female vibes throughout. It teaches a strong lesson in how women are sometimes treated unfairly in a man's world.

Reese, who has experienced a traumatic bullying incident, just graduated high school and is traveling to work an internship at her dream job. By accident, she ends up having to work with the other intern, Benny.

Benny and Reese are the positive picture that teen girls should strive for in a relationship. This is definitely a good positive influence for a teenager or a young adult.

Sweet young adult romance. Very cheesy but cute. Follows several tropes and no real surprises. There was a sweetness to the romance that was nice.

Disclosure: While I do not know Kaitlyn Hill personally I do know her sister and was excited about this book from the first time I heard about it. To that note, I have also pre-ordered the book.

Love from Scratch is the romance I didn't know I needed. Set in a world I am very familiar with, a famous cooking network that wasn't not BA, Reese and Benny are spending their summers interning for the network in hopes to get the coveted fall position. Reese is a strong young woman who knows what she wants and has been supported by those around her to go after her dreams. Benny, we learn over time, is a boy struggling to figure out who he is as he emerges from a close family where seemingly his life was planned out for him. I absolutely loved the evolution of friendships, of female empowerment, and discussions of the damages that can come from social media. I can't wait to see more from Kaitlyn Hill in the future!

5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Love from Scratch by Kaitlyn Hill is a fun book that comes out in April. Reese and Ben are 18 year old summer interns on a TV Cooking Show. They are thrown together onto their own show after they fill in for the regular host and then compete with each other all summer for one fall internship.

I like the author’s humor and food puns and was totally hooked into the story. Reese is interested in Marketing while Ben has grown up helping out at his family’s Italian restaurant.

Reese is creative and cute. She has issues from past dating in high school that she is working through. Ben is sweet and I loved their nicknames for each other and their playful banter. I got hungry hearing about their recipes.

One of the themes in the story is about challenges women still face in the workplace and how they deal with it. It also touches on cyberbullying as Ben and Reese become an internet sensation.

Thank you Kaitlyn Hill, NetGalley, and the publisher for this advanced copy of the book.

This was the sweetest (no pun intended) romcom I've read in awhile! Love from Scratch by Kaitlyn Hill was baked to perfection! Reese and Benny's love story was adorable. I found myself laughing and doing the occasional "AWWW" as I was reading. Not only was it a great read but Kaitlyn captured the true essence of the characters and made them feel realistic. Two thumbs way up!

Thank you NetGalley for sending this arc for an honest review!

Listen the cover within itself was enough to get me to pick up the books. Or rather browse through NetGalley and press I am intrested In reading it lol. I mean come on the pun on the title is truly captivating. Following along the journey of Reese and Benny was such a heartwarming joy. Like trust me when I tell you a story can’t get any sweeter than this (no pun intended).

I always enjoy the stories that have a romance revolving around baking and cooking because for some reason I always feel like the love is so real, cuz just like the pour their heart in the food I find that they do the same for each other.

Reese and Benny definitely have my heart. I absolutely loved this book and I loved how the author included real issues for women in the workplace. I think this story was great and I look forward to reading more from Kaitlyn Hill.

I absolutely loved Reese and Benny’s love story! It was the cutest and I found myself constantly smiling and giggling because of how cute those two are together! Even for being an adorable romance, there were some real life issues thrown in, like how women are treated differently in the workforce and how they are judged more harshly on social media. It really made this story more than just another romance, but opened up to real topics that many can relate to. I loved this and recommend this to all!

4 STARS || ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
young adult, romance, fiction
low steam

Do you love cooking shows?
Do you love a little bit of teen rivalry?
Are you a fan of enemies-to-lovers? What about forced proximity?
Would you consider yourself a feminist? Or an advocate for women's rights?

If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, then I'd have to make a wager that you will absolutely adore LOVE FROM SCRATCH by Kaitlyn Hill! This book was all kinds of adorable & made me laugh out loud and (in the words of the Bachelor podcast Love to See It) curse the patriarchy.

And that pantry scene! (IYKYK - but, c'mon now folks, this is a YA novel, so while this scene was adorable, the steam level index was next to non-existent). The food puns & "Holy biceps, Batman" were probably what made me fall in love with Benvolio & Reese's Cup to begin with!

Some things that I REALLY enjoyed in this book:
- I absolutely loved the friendship between Natalie, Clara, & Reese. Their connection radiated off the page & their text conversations made me laugh out loud literally every time (I feel like I could see a little bit of myself in Nat.)
- I liked the fact that Reese's high school trauma was a rather believable situation & I believed that what she went through could realistically cause her reaction to Benny later in life. I was getting a little worried early on that it was going to be either a tad ridiculous - but I was proven wrong!
- While I did indicate that you have to be a feminist to enjoy this book, I don't think that storyline should deter you from reading if you like to use books as escapism from real life. HOWEVER, I think this book did a good job of highlighting the double standards between men & women in the workplace and when it comes to standards on social media. Hill did a really great job of juxtaposing Benny & Reese to show how working in the same job & doing the same thing had very different consequences for both of them!

10/10 would recommend (and already have to several friends, telling them to preorder this book immediately).

Love from Scratch was really adorable, and Benny was almost TOO perfect! I did love that he wasn’t the “normal” romance character standing 6ft tall, but his perfect personality needed to have at least one flaw. :)
I think Reece was witty and loved her storyline, but I didn’t think her reasons at the beginning of the book were strong enough to be rude to Benny. He was too kind, too funny, too flirty, and she was just plain mean sometimes. Halfway through the book, you finally hear about what happened in high school, and her fears (and rudeness) are a little more understandable.
I liked the book…strong messages and real world problems made for a good storyline.
I would rate it a 3.5!