ARC REVIEW The Secret Ingredient by Nancy Naigle

 This book is so freakin' cute if the publisher wasn't already Hallmark I'd say it screams Hallmark. I loved the characters, I loved the story, I really enjoyed the baking competition. One of my favorite tropes is second chance romance and this was such a great one. Kelly and Andrew were highschool sweethearts they met at her dad's diner he was the cook and she waited tables and baked they were kindred spirits. They had made plans to open a restaurant together but when the opportunity for Andrew to study baking in Paris came up he took it with a promise he'll be back for their wedding. Andrew was then offered a spot in a culinary school and he never made it back home.

Kelly may not have had Andrew there to help fulfill her dreams but that didn't stop her from going on alone; she started The Cake Factory. A custom cake business that made it big when a rockstar gave her a shout out at a local music festival since then the business has boomed, it's even helped turn Bent Fork from a quaint little town to a place to be. Fast forward seven years Andrew is finally back stateside and visiting his family before he has to go to New York, he wanted to keep the visit quiet but his sister in her usual fashion couldn't let him which turned out to be a good thing because he got to see Kelly again. The first time in seven years they see each other and his feelings for her haven't changed or diminished in any way. Kelly would love nothing more than to give into her feelings for him but she knows he's just going to leave again. He's made a name for himself in France and while he may not have his own restaurant yet his life is in France and she can't let him in to her heart only to watch him walk away again.

To Kelly's surprise she gets invited to compete in her favorite bake-off competition show's Valentine episode. The only stipulation is that she can't tell anyone she going to be on it. Unbeknownst to her Andrew is also going to be on the show. Once in New York, Naigle builds the anticipation and creates the same feeling you get when watching a baking competition on T.V. She describes the action of the competition so well along with the mouth watering confections Kelly and Andrew make. I really wanted cake after reading this book. Overall, Naigle once again creates wonderful characters in a quirky small town and gives us a statifyingly good romance with such a sweet ending.