THE SECRET OF ORANGE BLOSSOM CAKE

A desperate cookbook writer unearths a magical secret when she visits her family’s Italian olive farm.

Juliana Costa loves nothing more than hosting her retro online cooking show, The Bygone Kitchen, with her roommate, Drew. She makes vintage recipes, like pandowdy and Jell-O salad, and her loyal viewers eat it up. Jules hopes to expand their show, but when Drew gets a big opportunity and moves on without her, she’s heartbroken. Worse, she has a cookbook under contract and her publisher doesn’t like the direction she’s taking. Her agent says they want her to have more of a personal connection to her recipes, and Jules is afraid she can’t provide that—after her father’s traumatic death years ago, she’s tried her best to not even think about her family’s past in Italy or the recipes that connect to her history. But now, with the threat of having to pay back her advance, she books a trip to visit her Nonna Bruna. Jules knows that if she can get her hands on Nonna’s book of family recipes, she’ll have more than enough material for her cookbook. With her teenage half sister, Alex, in tow, Jules shows up to discover that the cookbook is no mere collection of treasured recipes—it’s magic. It reveals only one recipe at a time, and that recipe will help the chef with some conundrum in their life. Jules must also deal with the reappearance of her first love, Nicolo, who has only grown more attractive since their teenage romance. As she and Nicolo work together to bring their families’ farms into the future, Jules starts to question what she really wants out of life. Linden blends romance and family drama as Jules uncovers secrets about her family, comes to terms with her father’s death, and gets to know Alex and Nonna. With so many plotlines, the pace can drag a bit at times, but the story is still filled to the brim with comfort and coziness. The detailed descriptions of Italian food don’t hurt, either—it’s hard to finish reading without wanting a taste of the titular orange blossom cake (recipe helpfully included!).

A super sweet, food-filled family story with a side of romance.