This is a story about the intersection between ambition and love.  Reese Camden has traveled across the country from Kentucky to Seattle for her dream marketing internship at Friends of Flavor, a popular cooking channel.  Reese is hoping that the summer internship turns into a fall internship once she starts college.  But she soon realizes she is going to have tough competition for the fall role -- Benny Beneventi, the charming, and cute, intern on the culinary team.  

When Friends of Flavor has a hole in their programming one day, Reese and Benny are thrown together for a video shoot.  Their chemistry is undeniable, and the video goes viral.  The Friends of Flavor bigwigs decide to make the Reese and Benny show a regular thing.  Reese is committed to staying focused on winning the fall internship, and avoiding any distractions, including her and Benny’s growing attraction.  But as their professional competition heats up, Reese's resolve is tested -- in and outside the kitchen.

I really enjoyed this book.  The rivals-to-more dynamic in this story was so well executed.  Reese and Benny are both such enjoyable characters, and it is great to go on the journey of the ups and down of their relationship.  The book also dealt with important issues related to sexism in the workplace and the difficulties of social media in a thoughtful and insightful way.

Heartily recommended!

Love from Scratch is a wonderful workplace romance for fans of cooking shows.

While this book addressed heavy topics, it was the sweetest love story. Benny was a goner for Reese who was fighting her attraction. I thought that the author handled the double standards women face in the workplace, from sexism to sexual harassment to cyberbullying. I felt seen with how Reese struggled with overthinking and presenting a front that made others comfortable.

I loved Reese, her struggles and concerns were real and authentic. Benny's nicknames for Reese were so lovely and he was a cinnamon roll that had me swooning. I appreciated how much they grew together and the support that they, especially Benny, gave each other.

You don't want to miss this beautiful debut.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute rivals to lovers story of two teens vying for the same job with swoon-worthy romance. From the start, I already love the banters, the tension between them and all the food puns they threw each other. The concept is really cute and I really enjoyed the rivalry a lot especially the dynamics between the two characters. Reece and Benny were two interns from this famous cooking company, Friends of Flavors, marketing and culinary intern respectively. Both of them are competing for the fall internship position which Reece is really determined for. She's been a huge fan of Friends of Flavor because it helped her get over the hardest time of her life which is why she couldn't afford getting distracted by her charming co-star, Benny. They suddenly had to film a cooking show together and the video surprisingly went viral with everyone shipping them together so hard, I can’t blame them though lmao. This ended up with them having their own show and continued filming together. And that's where all the fun begins.

It was really cute and all and I just adore Benny so much since its really obvious how smitten he is but Reece gets a bit overboard sometimes especially on the latter part of the book. I get that she experienced all those bad stuff but she gets on my nerves at some point. It feels like she’s overthinking some people’s actions and making issues all by herself when she herself often makes sexist remarks. Also, Benny really didn’t deserve getting attacked by her like that. Overall, it was an okay read for me, I love that it tackles feminism and gender inequality in the workplace, plus all the food talk kept me hungry the whole time and the ending was super cute.

A huge thanks to PRH International and NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC to review.

Huge thanks PRH International, and Kaitlyn Hill for my e-ARC in exchange for the honest review.

Friends of Flavor, Reese's favorite culinary channel, has offered her an internship. Friends of Flavor helped her through a tough time in her life, and she hopes to be chosen for fall employment to support her studies. When Benny, the charming intern cook, arrives, he takes Reese on an adventure. He's not only charming, but he's also head over heels in love with Reese. Reese and Benny end up in a culinary battle for Fall employment. Reese struggles to push her growing infatuation with Benny to the side as the competition progresses.

Love From Scratch is an excellent combination of lovely personalities, yummy food, and a heartwarming romance. The banter between the main characters is adorable, and you can sense the chemistry between them. I like how the author approached the subject of cyberbullying in a genuine and emotive manner. You don't see many novels these days that tackle such heavy subjects as Kaitlyn did. Reese is a fantastic character who is easy to adore and root for as she struggles through her internship. In addition, the culinary puns in this book were amusing and contributed to the story's cooking theme. It was a lovely, fluffy read that lifted my emotions. It was an excellent debut, and I eagerly await Kaitlyn's next book.

Reese Camden has finally left her hometown to become an intern at her favorite cooking channel, Friends of Flavor. She secures the internship for marketing but hopes to learn some cooking skills along the way. When Benny, the cute, intern chef shows up, he takes Reese for a wild ride. Not only is he extremely charming, but is completely in love with Reese. The problem is, both are competing for the 1 spot in the FoF fall internship and Reese has her eyes set on it. This Fall internship will cause Reese to question her worth and relationship with Benny.
My absolute favorite part of this book was the feminism and demonstration of female inequality in the workplace. Reese deals with real obstacles that women face daily. I also loved the way Benny reacted and supported Reese through all the prejudice. Reese and Benny were super cute and I was completely intrigued by their romance. This book was a super cute, fluffy read that brightened my mood and hopes for romance.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read the E-ARC and sharing this honest review!

This is the first romance novel I have read that has not only focused on a budding relationship, but also took the time to tackle some pretty serious women’s issues. I absolutely loved this poignant take on such a serious topic and how the author was able to balance it with lovable characters (especially supporting characters), witty banter/food pins, and an overload of cuteness. Reese was extremely relatable (I also overthink and have a tendency to people please). Benny was a sensitive, average height king (its great to see a protagonist who isn’t six feet tall!). Overall, an extremely sweet read!

Reese & Benny are both summer interns at Friends of Food (think Food Network) who get suddenly thrown into their own web series called Amateur Hour. While this is right up Benny's alley being the culinary intern, Reese is the marketing intern & used to monitoring the brand's social media accounts. The stakes of the series get higher when the two find out they're competing against each other for the coveted fall internship.

This was such a cute, fun read that managed to tackle some more serious issues at the same time including unequal workplace treatment based on gender & the harsh realities of social media impacting one's real life/job. I wasn't expecting it to really get so 'deep' but I thought it was great - Reese went through so much in her past with the online bullying in high school only to now have the fans of the web series swooning over Benny while ridiculing her in the comments as well as the male higher ups diminishing her contributions. I was so happy to see her and the other women of FoF come together in the end to fight for inclusion in the network.

Benny is such a freaking sweetie who tries his best to really break Reese out of her shell, not to mention all of his nicknames for her (my fave was Reese's Pieces) were so cute. The grand effort at the end to stick up for Reese & tell everyone (literally everyone online!) how he felt about her had me swooning & crying all at once.

I'd classify this as New Adult but a very PG New Adult - we don't see much of the physical relationship, which is something I want in my romance reads, but for this book I think it worked! We got to see the emotional buildup and the real life struggles of the young couple trying to juggle the merging of their personal lives into their work lives.

*** I received an early digital review copy in exchange for an honest review ***

I didn’t realize this was YA (teenagers) and it just not what I normally read. My fault. I read only til 30% The story was cute, just doesn’t work for me. If you are into YA romances, you’ll really love this! It realeases APRIL 5th, 2022…..

Let’s begin by just announcing that Reese’s Southern Woman card is revoked, or maybe just admitting that Kentucky women ain’t shit. Because as a woman from Tennessee, we don’t fixate on some dumb high school rumour like that, nor do we let it completely ruin our lives. I hated Reese. I need that to be known- I thought she was a bitch and definitely expected too much from a SUMMER boyfriend. Should Benny have defended her in front of their bosses? Sure, that’s what a decent man does, but online to someone he barely knows? Girl fight your own battles. She essentially becomes a recluse after being called a slut in high school and then goes on this whole “fuck the patriarchy” rant (that no woman really thinks about like that btw) and It was annoying to read about. I ended scanning anything that wasn’t banter between the two. Also her constant nicknames were just too much.
Benny was sweet in a dopey way. That’s all I got on him

Love From Scratch is a sweet romance with an adorable set up of two teen interns vying for the same job opportunity.

With out a doubt a book with romance and a premise about food, I’m in. And this book is filled with yummy food. Think Food Network meets British Bake Off (amateur style), but not too cutthroat because Reese Camden’s love interest is all in when it comes to a relationship.

Love From Scratch is a delight. Readers will experience the two main characters fall for each other as they compete while hosting a food show.

The book is a great mix of banter and baking and will have romance readers ready to sample, then quickly eat up, Love From Scratch from beginning to end.

Happy Reading ~ Cece

Trigger Warnings: sexism, sexual harassment, bullying.

3.5/5 ⭐️

Thank you @netgalley for this book!

This book is out April 5th!

Synopsis: This delectable debut romantic comedy about two rival interns with the recipe for love is perfect for foodies, feminists, and fans of aspirational YA romance like LOVE & GELATO and AGAIN, BUT BETTER.

I flew through this book and loved the characters, the food aspect and the setting! Benny is such a sweet and kind character and I love the way he treats Reese. Friends of Flavor is a fun concept and I enjoyed reading about the tv station and the role models that Reese had.

Reese’s friends were great, supportive and I loved their relationship. I didn’t love how the middle dragged on a bit but overall, I enjoyed this fun YA rom com book.

I loved that this was a debut novel and I’m excited to read what Kaitlyn Hill writes next!

This was such a sweet romance and I loved it! One of my favourite YA romances that I’ve read in a while!

Love From Scratch felt like an older YA read, on the verge of NA (nothing inappropriate for YA), which could be one reason why I loved it so much. Reese has landed her dream summer marketing internship at Friends of Flavour, a cooking channel she has been obsessed with for a long time. She also hopes to gain the Autumn internship. Once there, she meets Benny, the culinary intern, who is also hoping to get the Autumn internship. The only problem is there is only one spot.

‘I should probably act cooler about it, but I like you so much and just want you to know it.’

Benny is totally charming and Reese decides there is a no feeling zone and only wishes to have a friendship with him. This doesn’t go to plan when Reese and Benny stand in for two of the chefs and end up starting a new show called Amateur Hour. These scenes really bring out the rivalry and banter between these two characters. They soon become the internet’s newest ship, as the tension between them is broadcast to the world.

‘I haven’t abandoned any efforts when it comes to you. I’m just playing the long game.’

I adore it when the boy falls first and their relationship is written perfectly! Reese is extremely aware of their rivalry for the internship, and tries desperately to ignore her feelings. This becomes increasingly difficult when it’s clear the producers are favouring Benny because he’s male. I loved the camaraderie between the female colleagues and how they help Reese to deal with the misogyny she faces in the workplace.

This book was so cute and funny and such a good read! I definitely recommend if you love rivals to lovers romance! There were so many great scenes between Reese and Benny!

This is a really cute book with an excellent more serious side as well. The cute romance side focuses on the romance in the kitchen and offset, food puns, and shared meals. On the serious side we see the sexism that Reese faces, the dark side of social media, and Benny striving to be a good ally and learning to understand what Reese is up against. Both sides blend beautifully to create a really fun and satisfying romance. I thought the characters were well written and had some great depth. The setting was well used for the plot but also really fun and interesting, I love cooking shows so this was what initially drew my interest. All around I thought this was a cool book.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one! Had I realized it was a YA, I would not have requested it but I’m glad I made that mistake. I found the characters to be fun, the plot line interesting and the book was cute! I would like to read more by this author!

I am apparently always gonna be a sucker for a baking romance. This was really cute. Rivals to lovers, full of banter, competition, and feminism - this story has a bit of everything (including food puns).

I really enjoyed Benny and Reese together. I liked the other Friends at FoF. And that tension was *chefs kiss*. However, I would have enjoyed this much more without SO MUCH internalized misogyny. I honestly got a bit tired of being in Reese's head.

I DNF'd this book about 20% in. I found Reese entirely unlikable. The vibes she was giving off (uptight, judge mental, and honestly just plain bitchy) were not doing it for me. It is entirely possible that she would have some character growth and the storyline would improve, but I wasn't willing to find out.

Reese Camden has just begun a Summer job that holds the promise of possible Fall internship if she can prove herself and her abilities at FoF. She may not know a lot about cooking, but she can't be counted out quite yet. She has competition in Benny, an Italian boy with cooking background that knows his way around the kitchen. There is one position in the fall and two of them, who will get the job? Benny and Reese eventually find themselves hosting the Amateur Hour on the network and they become a hit with their teasing and undeniable attraction towards each other. Reese struggles with the new found fame and the social media bullying she faces. I personally, found the book to be cute. I felt that it wasn't necessarily my cup of tea, but I would feel comfortable allowing my daughter to read it. I would recommend it to young adults at my library. I think it has a good message about finding confidence in yourself.

Thank you Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

This is a very cute YA romance. I don't think there's a world where cooking shows don't work for romcoms. It was a fun book that took me a little bit to get into, but, once I did, it was I enjoyed myself. That being said, it doesn't stick out when compared to other young adult romantic comedies.

Southern girl Reese has snagged her dream summer internship as a marketing assistant for a Seattle-based foodie TV network. When she and culinary intern Bennie are teamed up to make internet cooking videos, they've got instant chemistry—both on and off the screen. The trouble is, they're both competing for the same job come fall. Can this summer romance lead to forever?

This is an adorable, angsty young adult / new adult romance (both characters are 18 and starting college in the fall). It's got heart, humor, well-developed characters, and a strong, well-paced plot to keep the pages turning. I couldn't help falling in love with Reese and Bennie. So cute!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

gracias netgalley for this book in exchange for a honest review! i have a high standard for rom coms. and this met every single box oh my goddddd i loved it so much !!! rivals to lovers ✔️ and it has baking/cooking !! the whole book is so so cute and reese is so amazing. it was light and fun but at the same time touched on some slightly heavier topics! reese and benny are 💖 i genuinely had such a fun time reading this and i would highly recommend!