I absolutely loved this book.

The characters are so relatable—not just in their family dynamics, but also in the honest portrayal of trying to build a life through social media. It felt very real and current.

One of my favorite elements was the theme of generational legacy. Jules’ return to her Nonna’s olive farm in Italy after years away, especially after losing her father, felt both tender and powerful. There’s something so healing about reconnecting with your roots.

The romance between her and Nicolo was another highlight. It’s not an over-the-top, whirlwind love story—they simply reconnect after years of being apart and get to know each other again, this time as adults. It felt mature, grounded, and full of genuine connection.

I also loved the quiet legend of the orange blossom cake and a family cookbook itself, which was passed down through generations. Not magic exactly, but a blessing tied to an act of kindness generations ago. It added a beautiful layer of meaning to the story.

This is one of the few books I’ve read in while where food is a true connector, bringing people together, and serving as a healing elements. Truly beautifully done.

What stayed with me most was the message: maybe knowing our future isn’t what makes us happy. Maybe it’s living life fully—whatever that looks like—that brings the most joy.

Highly recommend this one if you love heartfelt stories with family, food, second chances, and a touch of legacy.
Thank you, @netgalley @berkleypub for the ARC.

A lovely book filled with magic and romance and delicious food descriptions! Jules is a successful online media presence, but when her media partner opts for a Hollywood deal, Jules is left on her own. She's been offered a Cookbook deal with a healthy monetary advance and an approaching deadline. Jules decides to return to her family's Olive Farm in Italy, and to her Nonna, who she hasn't seen in years. Jules is still mourning the death of her father and returning to the farm brings up so many memories. Nonna also has a special magical cookbook, but in order for the magic to work, Jules will need to come to terms with her grief and figure out who and what she wants with her life. I loved this book...read it for a sweet and magical experience.

I had forgotten what a delightful storyteller Rachel Linden is until I opened this book. She brings the whimsy and magic from The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie to The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake.

Jules Costa is kind of a mess. Living in Seattle, working at Trader Joe's to pay the bills, she dreams of making it big with her YouTube cooking show where she brings vintage recipes to life on camera with the help of her friend and roommate, Drew. But when Drew gets an offer to move to LA to shoot a tv pilot leaving her behind, Jules needs a new path. Her job is to finish the cookbook she's under contract for, but how can she create a cookbook of family recipes when she won't allow herself to think about the past. She finds herself back in Italy at the family olive farm with her half sister, Alex, for the summer. And it's not long before she rediscovers the magic of family, love, and home.

Sweet and poignant. And now I have to go back and re-read all the rest of Linden's novels!

Rachel Linden's always brings a feel good magic to her books and The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake is no different. Like many of us Jules is struggling to find her place in the world and her family after a tragic event and its grief leave Julia living in the safety zone of life. However, when the chance arises for her to connect her present with her past Jules is challenged to take a leap of faith, jumping out of her comfort zone, It's a good thing Nicolo her teenage crush form the neighboring Olive farm is determined to show Jules that its ok to be scared but we shouldn't let that stop us from living our best lives. This magical heart warming read is a great summer read that will have you swooning over thoughts of limoncello and a second chance with a first love.

This book was so great! It was well written and the characters were so relatable. I really enjoyed it and will definitely recommend it to others!

A lovely story in a beautiful setting. This is about family and legacy as well as amazing food and a touch of magic. I really enjoyed it.

The cover sucked me in (gorgeous!) and the story kept me there. This is my first book by this author but won’t be the last. I loved Jules so much! Her job and her family and her travels were an honor to read about. And a magical cookbook! Amazing. Nicole was absolutely dreamy. This was so much fun. I simply loved it.

I devoured this book in one day! It was a sweet, yet thoughtful read and discussed the importance of taking chances and risks in life. I enjoyed the rich scenes and character development throughout the story. I am eager to read more by this author!

You cannot go wrong with her books!

She creates emotional, wholesome, fun, descriptively adventurous books. This made me feel like I was in Italy whipping up some magical recipes.

Her books are my go to books for when I know I need something that will put me together by the end. The magic of lemon drop pie will always be one of my favorite reads.

I highly recommend giving this a try!

4.25

The plot didn’t completely hold together for me, but I enjoyed the story and especially all the food and cooking descriptions.

Please take me to Italy and leave me there!

I already love Italian food and culture, The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake has someone made me fall in love with it more.

Our female main character Juliana is the cohost of a popular instagram cooking show, but when her partner decides to go off to try something new and her half-sister all of a sudden needs an escort to stay with her Nonna in Italy; she decides that now is the best time to face her demons and return home. After 15 years away, we can really see Juliana's nostalgia for the olive farm she grew up on; at it's core this novel is a love letter to Italy or maybe just the home of our childhoods. Rachel Linden did a great job of showing us the importance of familial connection and history. Through each recipe Juliana relearns from her childhood, you can see it healing her.

I have to say I think my favourite part of the story was her budding relationship with her half-sister Alessandra. It's very apparent that their mother is a flake- so watching the girls bond and Alessandra growing warmer towards her sister and finding a home is really heartwarming. I also think it's beautiful watching Juliana sharing her culture with Alex and teaching her about the things she loved growing up. It's clear that she is at a loss of how to be around her half-sister but watching that bond form felt special.

Magical realism goes a long way with me, I really love it. In my opinion it always infuses a book with a certain whimsy that I am constantly craving. If you love a book about family, culture and a touch of magic, this is the book for you!

Jules is writing a cookbook and she is having a hard time putting together the recipes. She gets the opportunity to spend the summer on her Nonna's olive farm in Italy. She hopes her Nonna's cookbook will help her pull recipes together. What she doesn't know is that the cookbook she remembers from her childhood has magical powers to help whoever needs it.
I loved the Italian setting and the descriptions of the food. The story was very, very slow and it never really felt fully fleshed out to me. I have loved other books by this author so I will definitely read her next book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Rachel Linden was one of the first authors that got me into Magical Realism as a genre and I was so excited to read her new one after loving her past two. However, this one didn’t capture my attention like her other works.

A magical cookbook and a summer on her family’s Italian olive farm help a brokenhearted social media chef cook up a satisfying new life.

I absolutely loved the Italian setting and the descriptive writing style made you feel like you were right there in on the olive farm. It will also make you hungry with all of the delious and mouthwatering recipes described. However the romance was clunky, all over the place and often read like an after thought. The magic also kept appearing and reappearing and the writing itself was at times way too repetitive and dragging.

Unfortunately I Dnf this at 48%