A Recipe for Romance

The fifth and last book in the Bachelor Bake-Off series set in Marietta, Montana has tied up the series perfectly. Not only is the chemistry between Wes and Noelle off the charts, but their relationship and all the players and pieces involved affected the town and served to benefit all its members.

Wes and Noelle had a unique sweetness to their chemistry in that each was so unsure of the other, making they both played it safe. In doing so they created a dynamic that drove the story from beginning to end. I truly enjoyed their coming together for a HEA.

I've read other books by Ms Van Hulzen, enjoying each one...this one can be added to the pile of those of hers I'd read again for the pure pleasure of it.

This book was provided by the Publisher and Netgalley, I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Meet Wesley St. Clare, the fifth - and most loaded - bachelor got shanghaied into taking part in Bake-Off competition. His tutor is Noelle Olsen, a former ballet dancer who opened dance studio in town after a tragic accident ended her dancing career. What's a dancer got to do with teaching how to bake? An adorable five year old student of her, that's what.

This fifth entry to the story is quite a sweet, sedate-paced one; the highlight for me actually was five year-old Annalise and her father (and Wes's brother) Mike. Yep, totally missed the focus there. I just thought Wes and Noelle's story too down pat billionaire and damsel-in-distress. Now Mike... The pain of what he and his daughter's going through had a whole lot of potential to a gripping story!

But let's talk about Noelle and her prince charming; he who lived in a mansion, went everywhere in driven town car or flew in the family private jet. See, their story was sweet, true. Albeit lukewarm. Wes was the perfect gentleman; even his way of dealing with painful memories of his late mother was civilised. Same went for Noelle with her own tragedy. Although their mutual attraction was instant, the romance was muted; almost like an aside.

No, I don't mean to imply the story as boring, because it's not. At least I don't feel an aggressive dislike to both characters! Although frankly, A Recipe for Romance lack some sort of oomph that made it more memorable than the previous Bake-Off stories. And - perhaps due to the character's newness or temporary living in the Marietta - I didn't feel the small town inclusiveness as I did on previous books. Heck, other than Harry Monroe there's not much mention of people involved in the Bake-Off itself! The upside of that is: this book could be read as a standalone. All in all, A Recipe for Romance is a nice introduction to Lara Van Hulzen's books for me.


Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

what a great addition to this series. truly enjoyed this and did not want it to end. everything about it meshed so well.

Rating: 4/5

Overview:

This series, set in Marietta, Montana concerns the participants in the Bachelor Bake-Off which is being organised to help finance ‘Harry’s House’, a house where it is planned children can go, take part in activities, learn key life skills and be helped with their studies. A safe place for them all being created in memory of Harry Monroe, a first responder who was tragically killed whilst endeavouring to help an elderly couple. Each story in the series has one of the bachelor’s participating in the bake-off as the focus.

My Review:

This is the fifth novel and, sadly, the last book in this series and this time the main characters are wealthy businessman, Wesley St Clare, and ex-ballerina now dance teacher Noelle. Wes is visiting his father, brother and niece in Marietta, only intending to stay for a little while before returning to his home and work in New York. He initially can’t understand why the other three have settled in the small community but does admit that all seem much better and very settled there. Wes can’t help remembering how his mother suffered and eventually died in the small town and those memories detract the location from his point of view. However, his father seems to be playing quite an active role in the community and both his brother and niece seem happier there, too. One night he goes out to the local saloon for a drink and that’s where he sees Noelle for the first time. After a deliberately clumsy encounter he introduces himself and gets her to dance with him. The attraction is starting but a phone call tears him away and he doesn’t even know her name . . . but his father enters him in the Bachelor Bake-Off and his niece volunteers her dance teacher - Noelle - to help him! Another great recipe for romance ☺

This is a warming story of love after tragedy. For me, the heroine of the story is Annalise, a delightful young matchmaker and I really hope someone will write a romance for her father, Mike - maybe with Annalise as the matchmaker in that one, too! I’d really like them to have their own happily ever after, too. This time there seems to be less connection to the community in Marietta as both main characters are relatively new arrivals in the town and the villain of the story is also someone from out of town. The plot has plenty of twists and turns as they are chauffeured around and even jet off to New York for a surprise trip - by private jet, of course. It is a very different story in the series but still thoroughly enjoyable and can easily be read as a standalone or in conjunction with other stories in the series. There are surprises, misunderstandings, a couple of shows, a man with plans and much more in this story, a great set of ingredients creating a books to escape into!

Many thanks to the publishers for gifting me a copy of this novel, via NetGalley, with no obligation. This is my honest review.

A Recipe for Romance is the fifth delightfully sweet book in The Bachelor Bake-Off series written by author Lara Van Hulzen. Thanks to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for the advance copy.

a continuing series with a Bake off charity event as the main thrust. This time a fella who can't bake and a dancer who is back in Marietta to open her own dance studio. She gets tricked into helping him bake and the both end up with each other.

a sweet read

In A Recipe for Romance, we find Wes, a very successful business man who is visiting his father, and Noelle, a former professional dancer who, due to an injury, moved and started a dance studio. Wes is only there to visit and plans on helping his day with a business transaction and going back to his life in New York. Until he meets Noelle. Having never been in love, because he closes himself off and is highly focused on work, he doesn't realize that he loves her until he makes a mistake that just might be the end of the relationship.
Noelle is perfectly happy with her sister and her career, so when she gets volunteered to help Wes, whom she is extremely attracted to, learn how to bake for a bachelor bake-off auction, she is hesitant. Not being able to say no to Wes' niece, who is also one of her students, she agrees to help Wes. While teaching him how to bake, her feelings grow into wanting to be more than friends, but she tries to push them back because she believes he is only there for the auction and then going back home.
This was a very sweet book and I really rooted for the characters to be together, but there were times that I wanted to smack them both. I felt she was to hard on him when he told her about the business deal he was helping his dad with. I also felt that he was wrong not to tell her sooner, but understood that he wanted to know as much as he could before talking to her.
Overall, I really liked this book, I just wish that his brother Mike, her sister Holly and Frachesca will get stories. I don't think it will happen, because this is the last book in the series, but maybe Ms. Van Hulzen can develop a new series so these side characters (who I personally fell hard for) will get their happy endings as well.
I received an ARC, via NetGalley and I willingly wrote a review.

This book follows a very commonly used theme. Billionaire falls for damsel in distress and becomes her hero. While I didn’t dislike this story, I didn’t especially like it either. Nothing in it to make it memorable or make me want to go back for the others. This is a quick, clean, slow growing romance.

Noelle and her sister Holly move to Marietta, Montana for a fresh start. Noelle was in an accident that broke her leg and caused muscle and tissue damage that ended her ballet career. That same accident took the lives of their parents. Noelle opens a dance studio where Wes’ niece is a student.

Wes St. Claire runs the family business in New York. The St. Claire family is very wealthy and owns homes all around the world. This little town in Montana seems an odd place for such a wealthy family to own a home.

In an effort to get his son drawn into small town living, Daddy St. Claire volunteers Wes for a bachelor bake off auction. And, through his niece, the ballet teacher becomes his baking instructor. Wes is only in town short term and Noelle is there for the long haul.

I was drawn more to Wes’ brother, Mike, and his daughter, Annalise, than to the main two characters. I’d like to see Mike’s story.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley.

It has been difficult to keep a track of all the books in this series considering the different authors involved. However, the same reason has contributed to stories that are different and yet similar; some have an effortless narrative style, while others take more time to assimilate into a story. However, the main idea behind the book has been given due justice in all cases. The attention to detail given to the plot for this last book should be definitely applauded for. However, there are certain sections in the plot which felt a bit disconnected. The characters are adorable, though they need a bit more definition and dimension. Somehow this books gives me a hint of some kind of spin-off. The title and the cover image is a perfect compliment to the main idea of the book/ series.

A book that features finding love in unexpected places, the characters are likeable enough, but not very realistic. It was cute, but nothing special.

This fifth installment from the multi-author Bachelor Bake-Off series is full of sweetness, if a little light on Marietta and baking. Wes is a billionaire who usually lives in New York, but is spending time with his father, brother and adorable niece, while Noelle is a dance teacher who recently moved north with her sister to make a new start in the small town. Family plays a big role, as does a fair dose of damsel in distress, and it all makes for a nice, easy escape.

It is slightly lacking in spark, though. Noelle is nice, but fairly muted as a character. She has a fair bit of tragedy packed into her recent past and there’s a risk of losing her business looming on the horizon, but for the most part you wouldn’t know it. She is good for Wes, because she doesn’t seem to care about his money, but a little more depth to their relationship would have been nice.

Wes is a total cliché. Rich businessman very much in the mould of his father, doesn’t like to think of sad stuff, hasn’t got time for relationships because women only want his money anyway, falls for the ordinary woman who also happens to need his help – even if it takes them all far too long to figure out the obvious solution. He’s nice enough, but a little lacking in interesting characteristics. Although he must be a super baker underneath it all, because it only takes one (not very good) lesson from Noelle each week to turn him into a competent baker.

None of which makes for a bad read. It’s all very nice and enjoyable, but I’ll admit I found Wes’ family – his father, his brother and his adorable niece – far more interesting than him. Likewise, I liked Noelle’s sister Holly and her best friend quite a bit more than Noelle herself. It might also have been nice to have seen a bit more of the Marietta I’ve come to know over the years. I didn’t even know they had a theatre in the town. I would also have liked the bake-off scenes to have been a bit more involved. They’re blink and you’ll miss it moments, included because of the series more than because they matter to the story, which is a shame.

Overall it’s okay, not the normal type of romance I’ve come to expect from Marietta, but fans of billionaire tropes will find something to like, especially if they like their romances clean and sweet.

Despite the interesting premise, this book was a little dull and I had a hard time keeping my interest in the story. Book 1 is by far the best of the series so far.

Wes and Noelle are the 5th and last book in the Bachelor bake-off series. I really liked this one, and this series is a fun one. Each of the books is written by a different author, and yet they all blend well together. Noelle had been a ballet dancer, but after the car accident where she lost her parents she also was injured and can no longer dance. Teaching dance though, is a way to still be in the arts, and she enjoys it. Wes is the bachelor who she helps teach how to bake cookies, pies and cakes. Naturally they fall in love, and the pathway there has a few bumps, but of course there is a HEA. Still fun, and light reading. Highly recommend this book and series.

This is the first book I've read by Lara and I quite liked it. The great part about mixed author series is that you discover many brilliant new writers. For me, this book was like wrapping myself up in a blanket of soft clouds.

That is the only way I can express the way Wes and Noelle fall in love. There's nothing rushed or hurried about their feelings. More like they allowed themselves to let the love just flow over them and then they open their eyes and realize they love each other. Yup this may sound whimsy or sappy but that's exactly how I felt it happen.

ARC provided by the the publisher via NetGalley for voluntary review consideration.

This is the fifth book in the Bachelor Bake-Off series and it's a very sweet nice read. The characters, Wes and Noelle, are interesting. I would have liked a little more spark to their relationship but they are good for each other. Wes is in Marietta visiting his father when he is wrangled into the bake-off. Knowing nothing about baking he's certain this crazy idea will be a bust, but when his niece convinces the local dance teacher to help him out, things start looking up!

A sweet read that is very enjoyable.

What a wonderful addition to the Bachelor Bake-Off Series. A Recipe for Romance by Lara Van Hulzen stays true to the overall theme of this heartwarming series of helping a great cause with a side benefit of giving each man who has entered the Bake-Off a surprising Happy Ever After. In this case, it’s a young person who does the match making for her uncle. I like how it all fell together since Wes was interested in Noelle but didn’t even know her name after a chance encounter. Fate sometimes works just that way.

This is an easy read since the pacing is effortlessly and for the most part uncomplicated. I like the supporting characters as much as I did Noelle and Wes. In fact, I would love to see the five-year-old niece’s (Annalise) father receive his own story.

Each story in the series is easily read as a stand-alone but each story is wonderful on its own, but the sweetest is A Recipe for Romance.

A Recipe For Romance brings the Bachelor Bake-Off series to a close. While I enjoyed Wes and Noelle’s story, I found it to be more of a billionaire’s romance than a story set in the tight knit community of Marietta, Montana. Neither main character seems particularly thrilled to be in Marietta, in fact Wes has some major attitude against the town. So, I guess I’m simply surprised that the closer for this series has very little about the lore or the townsfolk of Marietta that keeps me coming back to this ongoing arching setting of so many great series

Wes and Noelle have had tragic events shape the people they’ve become. And while Wes isn’t exactly keeping secrets, he’s not really forthcoming with the whole truth to Noelle either. For me, the shining stars of A Recipe For Romance were not the main couple but the secondary characters.

In all this was a good romance, (a 3.5 star rating) it wasn’t what I was expecting, but that’s on me not the author.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Cute story about a woman, Noelle, who has to start a new life after being injured in the same accident that killed her parents. She and her sister move to the town of Marietta, Montana so she can open a dance studio. When she she has a brief encounter with a good looking guy at a local bar, she is surprised to meet him again when he comes to pick up one of her young students. Wes is the uncle of of her student and through some family finagling, Noelle finds herself giving him baking lessons so he can compete in a local fundraiser. Lets just say that the oven wasn't the only thing heating up.
I liked the characters in the book , both the main couple and the extended family. The premise of the story worked for me and the whole keeping secrets plot-line was not overly done. I'd love to see more books about this family.
This is the latest book in the Bachelor Bake- Off series which has been a great read from the first book.

Recipe for Romance by Lara van Hulzen has been an absolute joy to read. I've read several novellas by this author and she hasn't disappointed me once. This story is set in the small Montana town of Marietta and is part of Montana Born Books Bachelor Bake Off series. It pits billionaire businessman Wes St Clair, who is supremely confident at all he tackles in life except baking, against dance instructor Noelle Olsen, who has recently moved to Marietta with her sister Holly. While the attraction between these two is immediate and potent, both resist because Wes is only visiting Marietta and because he doesn't think he has room in his busy life for romance.
This is a sweet clean story which kept my attention from start to finish. As I said before, it has been a pleasure to read.

Noelle and her sister moved to Marietta to start over after the death of their parents. They decided they needed to get away from the tragedy. Since her injury prevents Noelle from dancing as a ballerina, she opens a dance studio where she can teach children to love dancing. Who knew a chance meeting would take a romantic turn? She meets a cute guy at Grey's Saloon. Wesley St. Claire is charming and handsome. These two have immediate chemistry. Noelle has agreed to teach Wes to bake. He needs to learn since his father entered him in the Bachelor Bake-Off. I loved seeing them together. They have such a special relationship. I loved their flirty dialogue and the closeness that grew between them. Wesley has becomed so involved in business that he's forgot how to have fun. Noelle makes him want more. I really want to learn more about the St. Claire family. Lara Van Hulzen has written a sweet and emotional romance with a touch of humor. A Recipe For Romance left me feeling good.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read. My comments are my honest opinion.

Wes St. Claire’s job is to manage the family fortune. He never thought of Marietta as more than a vacation destination. When his brother and niece move there to be with their Dad after losing his sister-in-law, Wes decides to check in and look into one of his Dad’s business proposals at the same time.
Noelle was a professional ballerina until an accident took not only her parents, but her ability to dance professionally. When her sister convinces her that she can start over, they settle in Marietta and Noelle starts a dance school.
Wes meets a beautiful stranger at Gray’s, then leaves without getting her name, but can’t get her out of his mind. When his dad signs him up for the Bake-off, and his beloved niece volunteers her dance teacher as his baking teacher, he finds himself face to face with the beautiful stranger and more invested in Marietta. As they work together, Wes finds himself understanding what his Dad and his brother have found in Marietta.
A sweet story, Wes and Noelle find fresh start, romance, and a home in Marietta. This is part of the Bake-Off series, but can easily stand alone.

The Bachelor Bake-Off series continues with book 5, A Recipe for Romance by Lara Van Hulzen. I enjoyed Noelle and Wes from the first page to the last. Noelle is in Marietta with her sister, Holly, for a fresh start. Family is also why Wes is in Marietta. An instant attraction will have you turning the pages to see what is going to happen next. I loved that Wes needed baking instructions.

A Recipe for Romance is a sweet enjoyable read that showcases another bake-off bachelor.

Another sweet installment in Bachelor Bake-Off series.

Wesley and Noelle are complete opposites. Wes is a wealthy businessman who planned a quick trip to Marietta to see his family and help his father with a business deal before heading back to his home in New York. Noelle is a former ballerina who moved to Marietta and opened a dance studio.

Wes’ father enters him into the Bachelor Bake-Off, a fundraiser to help build Harry’s House. But, since Wes can’t bake, his niece volunteers her dance teacher, Noelle, to teach him. Neither one of them expected their working together to lead to love.

This is one of those stories that you just don’t want to end. It is the perfect romance and full of surprises.

If you like super sweet love stories that involve a small town, rich billionaires and a cute little girl, then this is the story for you.

A Recipe for Romance is a cookie cutter story about former dancer, Noelle, who is now a dance teacher due to an injury that made her stop dancing professionally.

Wes is the billionaire who is in town to help out his widow brother and father run their business. He is sucked into the town Bachelor Bake Off by his father and niece.

Like I said, cute story. No real drama or angst. Like a Hallmark movie.

A Recipe for Romance is a Hallmark movie-ready story. It’s sweet, has picture-perfect characters, and the story has a reliable, satisfying plot. It’s not the freshest story out there, but it has charm and is a cozy read.

Noelle is a former ballet dancer looking for a fresh start after a tragedy turned her life upside down. She’s sweet and caring, and I definitely liked her, but I wanted to delve more into her character, her past… I wanted something that made her stand out to me. As for Wes, he’s a bit too boilerplate billionaire for my personal preferences. He’s rich, handsome, is intrigued by Noelle because she’s not interested in his money, and he can be the knight in shining armor with the wealth and power to save the damsel in distress from losing her business. It’s a story I’ve read a dozen times before and unfortunately author Lara Van Hulzen doesn’t add a fresh twist to liven the story up. That being said, A Recipe for Romance isn’t a bad book – not in the slightest. There’s nothing to dislike about it and it’s a fast and sweet read when you’re looking for something light with a satisfying happily ever after.

A Recipe for Romance is the fifth book in the multi-author Bachelor Bake-Off series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. As relative newcomers to Marietta, neither Wes nor Noelle had much of a connection to the town, which was a bit of a bummer for a small town romance. Still, while this book wasn’t exactly my cup of tea I will say that it’s sweet and the romance is light and lovely. And if Ms. Van Hulzen writes a book for Wes’s widower brother, Mike, I will definitely be first in line for that tale. Mike stole the show for me every time he appeared on the page, and I hope Ms. Van Hulzen has a happily ever after waiting for him.

I am truly enjoying this whole series and very much liked Wes's and Noelle's story. He fights his attraction to her and to Marietta and seems Ike such an opposite to Noelle who is determined to make a new life for herself in Marietta as he tries to figure out how to get back to NYC. Her almost losing her business and his almost role in that - as well as his eventually saving the day - not only bring them together for good but show him the things in life that really matter if you open your heart and mind .