Culinary Confessions

by Joanne Lambo

Madelyn Jones has always wanted to take over her aunt's bakery. For her dream to finally come true, she has to bake a wedding cake for a customer and nail it to perfection. Luckily for her, her best friend, Justin, is in town, after finishing culinary school. He decides to help Maddie out and the pair start working on the most perfect wedding cake they can muster.

But between sugar flowers and tasty fillings, the two best friends slowly understand that there is more than friendship lingering in the air. As they spend their days alone in a small kitchen, how long can they deny their ever-growing chemistry?

189 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 4, 2020

About the author

Joanne Lambo is a romance author who has spent the last few years writing short stories that are perfect for anyone who enjoys a cozy read with a good cup of tea, or readers who like books with relatable characters.

Reviews

[D.L. Tillery · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet, slow-burn delight that warms the heart!

This book is such a cozy, feel-good read. Culinary Confessions has the kind of slow-burn romance that sneaks up on you — gentle, sweet, and full of heart. Maddie and Justin’s story is grounded in friendship, and watching it slowly shift into something more had me smiling the whole way through.

The dialogue feels so real, the setting is warm and inviting, and the love story? Just wholesome and adorable. If you love small-town charm, second chances, and a romance that rises like dough — soft, steady, and satisfying — this one’s for you.

[Fallon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ✨

Want an adorable: friends - to maybe lovers - to friends - to lovers?! 💕 This story is adorable. Maddie and Justin have been friends since high school, now they're in college, pursuing their passion (career wise). Maddie wants to take over her aunt's bakery; she's given a chance to bake a wedding cake. Justin has experience and wants to help . . . sparks fly!

The pacing was nice and steady, showing flash backs of the past and also present.

A sweet story!

P.S. Small little detail, I was a little confused on the timeline and the same names of high school and college.

[KayReads__ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute story!!! I love how the elements of baking played a huge role!

[Morgwyn]

DNF

Sadly the tone was way too young/childish for my taste and not what I was expecting which let me down a lot. As others have pointed in the reviews, the characters sound more like teenagers (and young ones imo) than early twenties.

I also feel there's a general lack of consistency between what is said in text and how the characters behave. For example the characters just met 5 minutes ago but they talk like they have met for longer, like if they knew things they can't possibly know. The opposite also happens, Maddie and Justin at first sound like they dislike each other when they're supposed to be best friends.

I feel there's a lot of promise in this author, but also a lot to polish as well.

[JazzReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

First read

This book is my first read by this author. Over this book was just ok for me. The story is cute and I like the characters and plot.

[Holly Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the baking aspects of this story-- I'm obsessed with anything from Masterchef to the Great British Baking Show to Bake Squad, so this was right up my alley! I felt like Maddie and Justin acted a little young for their age- this could've easily been a YA set in high school based on their thoughts and actions. I was a little taken aback by just how much Justin teased Maddie, especially with her history of being bullied. And I felt his cheek strokes and long hugs were a bit unfair to Maddie since she confessed her feelings and he didn't for so long. I also wished Maddie and her friends talked about more than just boys for many of their convos. I was taken out of the story by some grammar mistakes and the prose could've been more refined-- a good line edit would've tightened things up. I enjoyed Maddie and Mia's relationship and was happy we got an HAE.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

CULINARY CONFESSIONS was a fun baking romance novel! Maddie has anxiety and is in college, and also is trying to get her baking startup project off the ground on the side. A longtime friend who she’s had an interest in, Justin, has an aunt who wants a wedding cake baked, and she hires Maddie to bake the cake… except she wants a very complicated cake and so Maddie needs Justin’s help! Told in present day and flashback, this is a cute contemporary romance that makes the perfect light summer read. 5/5 stars.

[Amanda Sloothaak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanne created such a beautiful story with plenty of cute & swooning moments. The awkward moments making it real & relatable.
It shows the life of a bakery owner while navigating college & her feelings for a certain someone at the same time. Living our lives along Maddie's while reading this novel.

I only wished the novel was a bit longer though, some moments deserved to be pulled out a bit longer & have more description. But overall I loved reading it & deserves the ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for the full 100%.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet story—pun intended! I really liked Maddie and Justin. I got a little confused about the timeline of their friendship and how well they knew each other based on conversations they were having. Still, I enjoyed them and the other characters—which is good because this felt more character based than plot based. Maddie’s family and and Justin’s were fun to read, and I really liked Charlotte’s friendship. Overall, a quick read and cute little story!

[Drew Michaels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and cozy

This book had both friends-to-lovers and second chance tropes going for it. It also felt like a cozy romance in my opinion. This is not a spicy story but it is as sweet as the cakes and other confections the main characters make throughout the book. Perfect for an Autumn read.

[Judy Ferrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance lasts.

They started as friends, but then became more. This is the story of Maddie learning she has a backbone and Justin supporting her all the way. A very nice read.

[Aiko (Temiko) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Girl boss besties? Fluffy male lead who can BAKE!?

If you can’t say “no” to a good book, you’re just like the protagonist, Madelyn, who can’t say no to baking… even if that means she now has to bake a whole wedding cake in less than three weeks. Yay!

Or not.

Because Madelyn is now in deep deep trouble because the commissioner’s demands are kind of professional and Madelyn is clearly… not.

Luckily her “best” friend (clearly not her many-years-long crush *wink, wink) Justin, is returning home from culinary school.

[mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

so cute!!

I was not able to put this book down! I finished it in one day. It’s so cute and I want more!! I love Justin, and Amber they are my favorite!! I can’t wait to read more!!

[Rally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maddie and Justin were such cuties. This was a fast cute read. I am not sure if it was suppose to be YA or not but it had that feel to it. Clean and sweet and made me hungry for baked goods.

[Stephanie]

I DNF’d this on chapter 3. It’s cute, but it feels too young for me. The characters act like they are in high school. It feels very YA, not New Adult.

[KatiesLibrary_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75⭐️

If it was longer it would be 5

It was such a cozy lighthearted read! I would really recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

Bring on the next book

[Nelly Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book to read while drinking a coffee and taking a break

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella was adorable and right up my alley, I loved every single minute of it! The bakery setting, college-age characters, and the friends to lovers romance were so fun and made this a great read. I also really enjoyed the author's writing style and the way she developed the story between the main characters with both past and present time changes so you can see their history and how they got to where they ended up. I highly recommend checking this out if you love light-hearted, endearing, and fun romance reads with a happy ending. It's an honor to read and support this author who is a friend! Can't wait for her next book!