The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake [J0264]

2025 - PB Gift-Worthy condition. 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 in this delectable novel from the bestselling author of Recipe for a Charmed Life. Rising star Jules Costa loves re-creating vintage recipes for her popular online cooking show. But when personal and professional disaster strikes, her only chance to save her career is to complete her new cookbook before the end of the summer. Panicked, Jules returns to her family's beloved olive farm on the shores of Italy's stunning Lake Garda. Seeking culinary inspiration, she's hoping to convince her spunky eighty-year-old Nonna Bruna to share her precious collection of family recipes. Jules's plans quickly go awry as she discovers that Nonna's cookbook has magical and unpredictable powers. It reveals only one recipe at a time, offering a cooking experience guaranteed to satisfy the chef's palate and bring clarity to their life. Yet the pages remain stubbornly blank for Jules. To make matters worse, the olive farm is in deep financial trouble, and Jules soon uncovers a web of family secrets involving the cookbook and a lost recipe for orange blossom cake that holds the key to everything. Then there's Nicolo, the boy next door, who broke her young heart years ago. He is now all grown up, even more attractive, and the only person poised to help Jules find answers. In a whirlwind summer beyond her imagination, Jules begins to unravel the mysteries baked into her family's history and discovers the essential ingredients to create the future of her dreams.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "I love stories about women working together and empowering each other. I love the richness of the characters . They all became alive for me."; "Nice easy read that has some magic to it. And who doesn't need a little magic in their life!!!"; "There is romance, family issues, and a touch of magical realism that involves Italian cooking that me me hungry, constantly. with a touch of cooking magic. This is a cozy, heartwarming comfort read that makes you want to curl up on your favorite reading chair, eat delicious cooking with one hand and continue reading with the other one. It's full of hope, touches on grief, and the family is so welcoming, I felt like I was sitting with them through the entire journey."