The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake is a wonderful book that whisked me away to the sun-drenched hills of Italy. The vivid imagery of the charming bed-and-breakfast setting had me dreaming of booking a stay and savoring homemade pastries in a cozy Italian village. The magical allure of the cookbook at the heart of the story was captivating, blending culinary tradition with a touch of enchantment that left me eager to explore its secrets. I loved the characters as they were warm and engaging. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

If you’re looking to extend the summer a little longer with a trip to Italy…look no further! Rachel Linden’s The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake takes you there PLUS feeds you so sign me up, seriously (3.75 complimentary stars)!

Jules Costa is off to Italy with her half-sister in tow after her best-laid plans for her life are upended. Time with her Nonna Bruna at the beloved family olive farm is just the inspiration she is looking for, and while there she encounters the now-grown-up boy next door, a magical family cookbook, and some answers she didn’t even know she was searching for.

This story was so sweet. I loved the descriptions of Italy and the food, and I loved watching all the relationships develop over the course of the summer. It had the perfect touch of mystery, romance, and magical realism to keep me reading, and I really enjoyed this!

I am a picky pants about endings and this one felt a little too tidy (again - a ME problem), but that isn’t a REAL complaint, ya know?! My other non-complaint is that I have trouble buying one’s true love being their love interest from when they were 15 who they didn’t see again for like 20 years, but again - that is a ME problem and YOU are not a cynic 😌

One of the best parts of this book for me was Nonna Bruna, as I have my very own Italian nonna named Bruna (though we call her Grandma Bruna) 🥰

This was a literal sweet treat of a book and I hope you find yourself a copy when it comes out! Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a sweet and satisfying read. The main character has her own cooking show and circumstances lead her to return to Italy with her half sister for the summer. Jules is at a turning point in her life, working towards her goals, but questioning her path.
She has avoided Italy since the death of her dad but her return home brings back all the nostalgia of her youth, including her crush on the boy from the neighboring farm. Linden deftly weaves magical realism into the storyline with a family heirloom cookbook. I was constantly craving pasta and I didn’t want this one to end!
Read if you enjoy:
🍊Italian setting
💚Second Chance Romance
🍊Magical realism
💚Italian recipes
🍊complex family dynamics
Thank you to Berkley for the opportunity to read an early copy via NetGalley! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is my third book by Rachel Linden. I adored The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie but Recipe for a Charmed Life was a dud. I am happy to say I enjoyed this one. In The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake, Jules is a social media chef who also has a broken heart. She returns to the family olive farm in Italy to work on a cookbook. Her Nonna has a magical cookbook she wants to use as her inspiration. This magical cookbook only shows one recipe at a time, but when Jules opens it, the pages are blank. As she starts to uncover family secrets that are related to a lost orange blossom cake recipe, she also reignites a spark with her childhood sweetheart, Nicolo. Jules embarks on a summer of self-discovery, romance, and recipe magic.

This was such a warm, heartfelt story that perfectly blends romance, family, and second chances with a touch of cooking magic. I loved the author's descriptions of the food and setting in Lake Garda, Italy. Jules' memories of her Nonna touched me, as I was close to my grandmother and miss her cooking and baking so much. She took a lot of secrets to her grave. This is the kind of book that feels like it is wrapping its arms around you—a comfort read, so to speak. It left me feeling hungry and hopeful. It was truly a delight to read, and the attention to detail will revive all your senses. I could smell the orange blossoms and taste the cake. If you enjoy books with hope, healing, and the courage to go after what it is you want, this is the book for you. I found it incredibly uplifting, charming, and a touch romantic. I love feel-good fiction and magical realism; if you do as well, I highly recommend this one. In a word, delectable. 🫒🍊🍰🌼

this was overall great. Loved the concept and the overall story. thank you for the arc. no spice. if you like food you will like this

This book made me want to go visit Italy and find a cute little Bed and Breakfast that does cooking classes on a farm! It made me want to just figure out how to move to Italy and have a place like the Costa Olive Farm. It was beautiful reading about Jules' healing journey that she didn't know she needed and rediscovering the joy that the farm used to bring her growing up. I would love to get some sort of cookbook based on the one Jules was writing in the story. Jules relationships with the other characters all had their own little lessons and insights she needed (and a lot of us) to learn as they developed throughout the story. I love the touch of magical realism that it seems that Rachel Linden brings to her books and in this one it comes in the shape of a family cookbook. I cannot wait to try out the Orange Blossom Cake recipe (which is another thing I love about Rachel Linden's books).

"Find your right hard thing."

-Grief
-Self-Discovery
-Family
-Second Chance Romance

The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake is my first Rachel Linden novel. I really enjoyed the magical realism, Italian setting, and characters (especially Nonna, Jules, and Alex). I loved the family dynamics and the mystery of Nonna's cookbook. This is a cozy read.

4⭐️ {ARC}
Thank you to author Rachel Linden and her publisher Berkley Press. I received an Advanced Reader Copy for the 2025 release in exchange for my honest review.

Another wonderful story written by Rachel Linden. I absolute adored The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, I was so excited to get an early copy of her new release. Her writing is just so magical and cozy. Set in Italy—perfecto!

It’s lighthearted, sweet and you’ll just escape right into the pages. You’ll enjoy all the endearing characters and of course, Nonny is just absolutely lovable.

Lemon Drop is still my favorite. But if Rachel releases it—I’m going to read

Jules had an Instagram show making vintage recipes with her friend and roommate, which got her a cookbook deal. He's snapped up for a potential TV show, but she isn’t, and she's asked to go a more personal route for the cookbook. It leaves her feeling stuck and useless, so she returns to Italy to visit her beloved grandmother in the hopes that she can use her grandmother's recipes to create her cookbook. But Nonna's cookbook pages are blank for her, and the olive farm is in financial trouble. As much as there is magic in the kitchen, family secrets and a lost recipe for orange blossom cake might be the key to the future. All it would take is working with Nicolo, the boy who once broke Jules' heart, and now is the only one able to help her find answers.

Jules and her love of 60's fashion and vintage recipes are adorable and easy to get to know from the start. Her mother is a piece of work, using Jules' financial and emotional straits to push off Jules' younger half sister to Italy with her rather than spend time with her daughter in posh places. Of course, Alex is standoffish and appears disinterested at the start, since she and Jules haven't interacted and are practically strangers. I felt sorry for both of them, and the lack of connection to family they had. Nonna is wonderful, immediately showing them the love and affection they craved. The family farm was part of Jules' sense of self, as was her grief and guilt over her father's death, so it's devastating to know about the financial troubles.

The love of food in this book starts with page one, and there is an equal love for the Italian countryside. The markets and foods are all so lovingly described, as are all of the characters. Nicolo has his own tragic background and feels almost like an afterthought when introduced. The story picks up afterwards, where we see the cookbook, the blank pages, and the effect it has on Nonna Bruna. Eventually, we learn what happened to the ripped page and that the orange blossom cake is meant to show your happiest future moment. It's a big deal for the family and town, and news of the cake goes viral. It pushes Jules to make decisions she didn't feel comfortable with before, facing her emotions and sense of family as well as what she really wants for the future.

As much as this is a romance novel, it also feels like Jules is falling back in love with her family again. The distance she put between herself and her family has to close, since that's the most important thing for her. It's good to see her come into her own and finally advocate for herself and her needs. It's a lovely story, with a bonus recipe for a nonmagical cake at the end.

A love story to food, with a bit of human romance thrown in. It's a story of making the best hard decisions, even if those decisions don't seem right or safe. Jules Costa has always loved baking and cooking food. She finds her online food clips safe and wants to pursue a future in TV cooking/baking but gets rejected. Life sends her back to Italy, where she has to face issues that she'd rather ignore and to a magical cookbook that won't work for her. Love, romance, and cooking turn her summer in unexpected directions. Definitely magical realism at its core.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Rachel Linden has done it again and I couldn’t be more happy about it! This sweet, cozy and heartwarming story is full of charming characters, delicious home cooked Italian food and a touch of magic. Oh, and it takes place almost entirely on an amazing olive farm in the Lake Garda region in Italy.

Jules, along with her beloved father and sister had always spent their summers at her Nonna Bruna’s olive grove until the terrible day her dad is found dead in the lake. Jules has not returned since, until her absentee mother convinces her to take her half sister Alex with her to Nonna’s for the summer. After many years Jules is returning to the only place that’s ever felt like home.

This feel good novel will leave a smile on your face and probably a rumble in your tummy as the food described throughout the story sounds magnificent.

Highly recommend to anyone who is looking for a sweet, uplifting story about family.

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC AS ALWAYS!!

You want me to spend a summer in Italy?

I'll have to think about it. You have to think about it? What's there to think about?

Juliana's mother asked her to accompany her stepsister to Italy at their grandmother's house for the summer.

Julianna thinks about it and decided it would be the perfect place to be and she does need 50 original recipes that she can get from Nonna's cookbook for her cookbook to save her career .

What happens when she gets to Italy?

When Juliana looks at the recipes in Nonna's cookbook that have been there for years, they are totally blank?

What is Nonna hiding about the cookbook they used every day when Juliana stayed with her in the summers?

Lots of good and a few bad things happen, but most importantly we get to enjoy the Italian lifestyle, delicious food, and wonderful characters.

And ohhhh the secrets that get revealed about the lives of the characters as well as finding out what the secret of the cookbook and orange blossom cake is.

You will not be able to stop reading and will miss the characters after you turn the last page.

This book is another uplifting, marvelous read by Ms. Linden​ that will have you smiling as well as shedding tears of happiness. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Jules loved her summers in Italy until her father's accidental death. She has been hesitant to return, but when seeking inspiration for her cookbook which could save her cooking show, Jules returns to family's olive grove where this place she associated with so much pain may be the place that helps her find herself again.

I will say it right now. I LOVE Rachel Linden's books. This is my third, and it's the third to get five stars. Why, you ask? Because these books are heartfelt, warm, charming, and uplifting with a touch of magic that gives the story that extra something special.

This time around, I met Jules who cultivated an online presence during the pandemic with her retro inspired cooking show. She thought she was on the brink of a series deal, but the studio was looking for something different. Jules pivoted to put more energy into her upcoming cookbook and online presence. The only problem was she didn't think she could give the publisher what they wanted - recipes attached to memories. In order to save her cookbook and the future of her cooking show, Jules returned to spend the summer with her Nonna and hoped to tap into her family recipes and many memories along with it.

I am going to start by saying I loved Jules, but it was a web show. When she was faced with some major choices later in the story, I didn't quite buy into her dilemma. It was a web show. However, I loved Jules so much, and my my heart ached for her and her loss. She lost more than her father when he died. She lost her ties to her heritage, a very special place, and her dreams. It thrilled me that she made the brave choice and returned to this place that was waiting for her, to help her heal and to give her clarity. This was her second chance in many ways. It was her second chance to build the future she wanted and to rekindle her relationship with her first love. And the magical touch was perfect!

There was also a very sweet storyline involving Jules and her half sister, Alex. It was lovely watching their bond develop and seeing Alex blossom while surrounded by so much love. But the story was brimming with great characters who along with Alex, helped Jules rediscover her passion and herself. Nonna was a pistol. Exactly what you expect from an Italian grandmother, and the cooking! *Chef's kiss* Everything sounded delectable.

Overall, I had an amazing time with Jules and her family. Getting to visit Lake Garda was a special treat that was elevated by a beautiful story about healing, family, love, second chances, and food. Tons of heart, emotion and warm earned this book a solid five-star rating from me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! This was another lovely story from Rachel Linden. A feel-good with a little magic, a little romance, and a heavy dose of personal growth haha.

There wasn’t anything spectacular or so gripping that I couldn’t put it down. But it was nice - just as I knew it would be.

This book was a great trip to Italy to familial roots, to making memories and to a little bit of magic! I really enjoyed reading about Jules and her family. It might have been a little bit dysfunctional, but she finds out some truths as an adult on this trip that help her put her life in order. Great read!

I received an ARC and am voluntarily reviewing it.

The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake is a wonderful, magical healing read! It is filled with love, regrets, hope and mending past choices. It is also filled with Italian delicacies and of course the Orange Blossom Cake! Yes, there may be a bit of magic, but in the end the power of strength comes from inside themselves. In the end it's all about familia!

Jules Costa has an on-line cooking show with her roommate. But when he is wooed by an LA company to star in his own show, he decides to take the opportunity and go leaving Jules to have to decide to end her beloved show. But she also has a bigger problem. She signed to create a cookbook of her favorite Italian recipes. Unfortunately, since her father's tragic death years ago, she can't even remember the food she cooked with her Nonna Bruna in Italy where her family has an olive farm. And her deadline is fast approaching.

Enter her mother who decides she wants to spend the summer with Jules' stepfather and Jule's stepsister Alex has nowhere to go so her mother is insisting they both go to Italy to visit Nonna Bruna. But Jules has never really been close to Alex and has not stepped foot in Italy since her father's death. But she decides to take the trip because she hopes Nonna will be able to help with her memory of all the foods they use to cook when life was so simple.

But when they get there, Alex already wants to go back and basically sits on her phone or in her room alone. And Jules discovers that her first love, Nicolo has not only come back to their small town but is helping her Nonna with the upkeep of the farm. You see Nicolo's Nonna and Jule's Nonna have had a feud going on forever with no one really know what happened.

As the girls settle in Jules discovers her Nonna's recipe book. It is blank. She asks Nonna but she will not tell her why. But Nonna does tell her about a recipe which has magical properties, Orange Blossom Cake. But they must figure out how to create the recipe. Could this cake be the answer to all their prayers?

As they all work together to find answers, they also discover there has been much left unsaid since Jule's last visit. As the healing begins, everything starts to fall into place. But is it really magic or just love? Will we ever know?

The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake is such a funny burst of love, even though it has heartbreaking moments, in the end those moments are what make you stronger and happy and at peace. Oh, and yes, the recipe for this magical cake is at the end of the book!

Thank you #NetGalley #Berkley #RachelLinden #TheSecretofOrangeBlossomCake for the advanced copy.

I’m a huge fan of food and magical realism. This book would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, I’m a mood reader and I’m heavily into my autumnal horror streak. This book would be perfect for spring, preparing for summer, and I’ll definitely come back to read it then.

You know I love me some Rachel Linden! This woman combines food, love, friendship, and magical realism like no other. While The Magic Of Lemon Drop Pie will always hold the most special place in my heart, this one didn’t let me down at all.

This may be my favorite of Linden’s charming novels full of magic realism. I loved the Italy setting and the supporting characters all shined - this is a great book when sad or in a reading rut as I feel it’s hard not to end it with a smile.

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

Title: The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake
Author: Rachel Linden          
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: 5 out of 5

Rising star Jules Costa loves re-creating vintage recipes for her popular online cooking show. But when personal and professional disaster strikes, her only chance of saving her career is to complete her new cookbook before the end of the summer. Panicked, Jules returns to her family’s beloved olive farm on the shores of Italy’s stunning Lake Garda. Seeking culinary inspiration, she's hoping to convince her spunky eighty-year-old Nonna Bruna to share her precious collection of family recipes.

Jules’ plans quickly go awry as she discovers Nonna’s cookbook has magical and unpredictable powers. It only reveals one recipe at a time, offering a cooking experience guaranteed to satisfy the chef’s palate and bring clarity to their life. Yet it remains stubbornly blank for Jules. To make matters worse, the olive farm is in deep financial trouble, and Jules soon uncovers a web of family secrets involving the cookbook and a lost recipe for orange blossom cake that holds the key to everything. And Nicolo, the boy next door who broke her young heart, is now all grown up, even more attractive, and the only person poised to help her find answers. 

In a whirlwind summer beyond her imagination, Jules begins to unravel the mysteries baked into her family’s history and discovers the essential ingredients to create the future of her dreams.

I loved this! This had the feel of Southern fiction but made me ready to move to Italy—and eat all the pasta! This was charming and magical and full of memories and whimsy, and it just made me smile. Jules is so fixated on certain things, and the shock of finding herself scrabbling for any port in a storm in Italy is a shock to her system—and who she wants to become. I loved her Italian family—and her little sister—and live on an olive farm sounded so rewarding, especially with Nonna’s cooking and life lessons as a backdrop. This would be a perfect vacation or weekend read.

Rachel Linden lives near Seattle, WA. The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley in exchange for an honest review.)

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