The Secret Ingredient
A Curvy Girl Small Town Culinary Romance
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4.4 • 244 Ratings
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- $3.99
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
From USA Today bestselling author Kilby Blades, the first in the Hot in the Kitchen series...
TV chef Cella journeys to an idyllic seaside town to write an Italian cookbook. She's also mourning a failed restaurant project, dodging her predatory agent, and finding respite from soul-crushing fame. When she learns that her next-door neighbor, hot doctor Max, is the nephew of a late, famed Italian restaurateur, she convinces him to teach her authentic touches that will help her write the book.
This is a mixed blessing for guilt-ridden Max, who botched his own attempt to become a chef--a failure that's left his aunt's gorgeous restaurant sitting empty for years. No one has challenged Cella when it comes to her cooking in ages. Max's fiery disposition sparks her intuition and reminds her how to feel the food.
But the heat between Max and Cella may be hotter than the flames on the stove. Max's gentlemanly nature and Cella's professionalism stop being enough to keep them apart. With Max's vacation ending and Cella slated to return to L.A., how will they ever say goodbye?
“Blades delivers a saucy romance full of lovely characters who complement each other like a fine wine does a good meal, blending an inviting, homey locale with scrumptious descriptions of Italian cuisine. Romance-inclined foodies will love this contemporary.”
- Publisher's Weekly
“The Secret Ingredient was a slow-burn, highly developed, and impeccably detailed romance novel.”
- T. Rosado, Goodreads
“I absolutely loved this book. The writing was excellent and the characters well developed. But the thing that made me keep reading was how flawlessly the author told the story.”
- Karen, Amazon reviewer
“By the time I finished this book I felt as tho[ugh] I had taken a trip to Italy. It's not set there and I've never been there but the atmosphere created by this author was absorbing and real.”
- L_iam, Amazon reviewer
Awards and Accolades for The Secret Ingredient
2021 Finalist. The RWA Vivian Award
2020 Finalist: The HOLT Medallion
2019 Quarterfinalist: Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Prize for Fiction
2020 Finalist: National Readers Choice Award
2020 Finalist: New England Reader’s Choice Award
2019 Winner: I Heart Indie Contest
2018 Winner: Unpublished Stiletto Contest
2018 Finalist: Sexy Scribbles Contest
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Blades (Crazy Old Money) delivers a saucy romance full of lovely characters who complement each other like a fine wine does a good meal, blending an inviting, homey locale with scrumptious descriptions of Italian cuisine. Marcella Dawes, a celebrity chef, is visiting Longport, N.C., to write an Italian cookbook. Her temporary neighbor, Max Piccarelli, is a plastic surgeon who performs reconstructive surgery for children in distant locales on behalf of a nonprofit. He also happens to be a skilled cook and one of Cella's biggest fans. When the two of them meet after Max's dog sneaks onto Cella's rented property, their connection and attraction is instantaneous. Over the course of four weeks, Cella is drawn into the world of Max's picturesque hometown and his storied culinary family history, especially that of his late aunt, who founded the legendary Piccarelli Italian restaurant. Their inevitable love affair seems destined to be brief: the demands of fame draw Cella away from Longport just as Max begins letting himself fall in love. But neither is going to give up easily. The slow burn sometimes feels a little too slow, and the ending is Hallmark-sweet and predictable, but snazzy Cella and sweet Max carry the story. Romance-inclined foodies will love this contemporary. (BookLife)
Customer Reviews
So glad that I found this book.
What a good read. Pure pleasure. Just the right antidote for Covid social distancing and isolation.
Delightful
I read a ridiculous amount of free books from iBooks. This one stood out from the beginning with its wonderfully designed cover art. Yes, it follows a couple towards their HEA, but without the tired, overused melodrama. It was delightfully refreshing and also makes me want to get in the kitchen and cook from scratch!
The secret ingredient
My first time to ever leave a review on any book. An awesome light hearted read with just enough enticing to continue to read the entire book. Can’t wait to read more from this author.