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Love from Scratch
Rival interns with sizzling chemistry in and out of the kitchen? That's a recipe for love.
“Sweet and satisfying!” —Jenna Evans Welch, New York Times bestselling author of Love & Gelato
This summer, Reese Camden is trading sweet tea and Southern hospitality for cold brew and crisp coastal air. She's landed her dream marketing internship at Friends of Flavor, a wildly popular cooking channel in Seattle. The only problem? Benny Beneventi, the relentlessly charming, backwards-baseball-cap-wearing culinary intern—and her main competition for the fall job.
Reese's plan to keep work a No Feelings Zone crumbles like a day-old muffin when she and Benny are thrown together for a video shoot that goes viral, making them the internet's newest ship. Audiences are hungry for more, and their bosses at Friends of Flavor are happy to deliver. Soon Reese and Benny are in an all-out food war, churning homemade ice cream, twisting soft pretzels, breaking eggs in an omelet showdown—while hundreds of thousands of viewers watch.
Reese can't deny the chemistry between her and Benny. But the more their rivalry heats up, the harder it is to keep love on the back burner. . . .
“Sweet and satisfying!” —Jenna Evans Welch, New York Times bestselling author of Love & Gelato
This summer, Reese Camden is trading sweet tea and Southern hospitality for cold brew and crisp coastal air. She's landed her dream marketing internship at Friends of Flavor, a wildly popular cooking channel in Seattle. The only problem? Benny Beneventi, the relentlessly charming, backwards-baseball-cap-wearing culinary intern—and her main competition for the fall job.
Reese's plan to keep work a No Feelings Zone crumbles like a day-old muffin when she and Benny are thrown together for a video shoot that goes viral, making them the internet's newest ship. Audiences are hungry for more, and their bosses at Friends of Flavor are happy to deliver. Soon Reese and Benny are in an all-out food war, churning homemade ice cream, twisting soft pretzels, breaking eggs in an omelet showdown—while hundreds of thousands of viewers watch.
Reese can't deny the chemistry between her and Benny. But the more their rivalry heats up, the harder it is to keep love on the back burner. . . .
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2022
232 people are currently reading
24362 people want to read
About the author
Kaitlyn Hill
4 books457 followersKaitlyn Hill is a writer who lives to tell love stories and make people laugh. While books make up most of her personality, Kaitlyn also enjoys messy reality TV, has never met a tea she didn't like, and thrives on overly ambitious home improvement projects. She resides in Kentucky with her real life romance hero. Find her on Instagram and TikTok @thekaitlynhill and at thekaitlynhill.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,285 reviews
May 5, 2023
Sweet- partly enemies mostly rivals to lovers troupe with great criticism of cyber bullying, self awareness is such a great combination when it executed with so much lovable main characters like Reese and Benny!
The interns who take each other’s place at Friends’ Flavor but eventually liking each other way too much and things go viral!
Feminism vibes blended with misogyny, inequality, double standard at workspace perfectly. This book was not only sweet, easy to read journey with not only its caring, relatable characters and thought provoking plot line, it also presents us such lovely supporting characters. When you have friends like Nat, Clara who are so supportive, smart, you wouldn’t care your self doubts, you just get encouraged and easily find your place in the earth.
Overall: this is not only light, entertaining, sweet YA fiction, it also questions many important issues and discusses them boldly, representing provocative issues which inspired you with more girl power!
I absolutely loved it!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Delacorte Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
The interns who take each other’s place at Friends’ Flavor but eventually liking each other way too much and things go viral!
Feminism vibes blended with misogyny, inequality, double standard at workspace perfectly. This book was not only sweet, easy to read journey with not only its caring, relatable characters and thought provoking plot line, it also presents us such lovely supporting characters. When you have friends like Nat, Clara who are so supportive, smart, you wouldn’t care your self doubts, you just get encouraged and easily find your place in the earth.
Overall: this is not only light, entertaining, sweet YA fiction, it also questions many important issues and discusses them boldly, representing provocative issues which inspired you with more girl power!
I absolutely loved it!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Delacorte Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
September 18, 2022
⭐⭐⭐ Too light for my taste! lol :P
But still delicious with many sweet bakeries!!
At first, I think it's gonna be intense competiton about baking! but alas... not what I expected. The hero Benny has crush on our heroine Reese too fast!! Then, the romance goes on with his firting. I'm not in the mood for Insta-like. 😂😂 I WANT INTENSE COMPETITION!! 🤣🤣🥧
Anyway, read it if you want something yummy and cutee! 😜
But still delicious with many sweet bakeries!!
At first, I think it's gonna be intense competiton about baking! but alas... not what I expected. The hero Benny has crush on our heroine Reese too fast!! Then, the romance goes on with his firting. I'm not in the mood for Insta-like. 😂😂 I WANT INTENSE COMPETITION!! 🤣🤣🥧
Anyway, read it if you want something yummy and cutee! 😜
May 3, 2022
Reese had a lot of room to grow. And that's fine, considering we all have room to grow and improve, and she's just eighteen, fresh out of high school. However, since Benny was basically the perfect human, also at the age of eighteen, fresh out of high school, it made Reese seem all the worse.
The premise of the show was adorable. But the overarching theme of feminism felt like a little on the nose. Everyone is a misogynist asshole?? Except for her boyfriend and the women?? That's a bit too much. How was there not a single other redeeming man? How was her boyfriend literally perfect when she had so, so, so many flaws?
I am all about feminism. I am a woman. I am very outspoken about the patriarchy and misogyny. However, be knowledgeable about what you're talking about please. Not Reese saying out of pocket things like, I didn't want to hear Benny mansplaining about the difference between sugar and flour. (Idk, I'm making up an example.) It's not mansplaining if he actually knows more about it than you do and is explaining it to you in the correct context. This would be the correct context, since YOU ARE BOTH ON A COOKING SHOW. AND HE KNOWS MORE ABOUT IT THAN YOU DO.
Reese annoyed the shit out of me. I wanted Benny to validate my feelings. Girl, all he's done is validate your feelings. He's in love with you for some reason when you have not shown him anything useful. He's literally so kind, so emotionally intelligent, so sweet, so communicative, so healthy? And she's not any of those things?
I get the sentiment about her growing. We are all growing. We all have flaws. I can name so many of mine. It's just that the two characters side by side were very stark in contrast. It made me not at all like Reese.
I did like the little part at the end where Reese got a little "here's how the world works" talk. Because I think that was important. However, it was also not very helpful. I don't know, I just wasn't a very big fan of the feminist angle.
Ultimately, I was so excited about this book when we met Benny, but Reese completely ruined it for me.
And I'm out.
The premise of the show was adorable. But the overarching theme of feminism felt like a little on the nose. Everyone is a misogynist asshole?? Except for her boyfriend and the women?? That's a bit too much. How was there not a single other redeeming man? How was her boyfriend literally perfect when she had so, so, so many flaws?
I am all about feminism. I am a woman. I am very outspoken about the patriarchy and misogyny. However, be knowledgeable about what you're talking about please. Not Reese saying out of pocket things like, I didn't want to hear Benny mansplaining about the difference between sugar and flour. (Idk, I'm making up an example.) It's not mansplaining if he actually knows more about it than you do and is explaining it to you in the correct context. This would be the correct context, since YOU ARE BOTH ON A COOKING SHOW. AND HE KNOWS MORE ABOUT IT THAN YOU DO.
Reese annoyed the shit out of me. I wanted Benny to validate my feelings. Girl, all he's done is validate your feelings. He's in love with you for some reason when you have not shown him anything useful. He's literally so kind, so emotionally intelligent, so sweet, so communicative, so healthy? And she's not any of those things?
I get the sentiment about her growing. We are all growing. We all have flaws. I can name so many of mine. It's just that the two characters side by side were very stark in contrast. It made me not at all like Reese.
I did like the little part at the end where Reese got a little "here's how the world works" talk. Because I think that was important. However, it was also not very helpful. I don't know, I just wasn't a very big fan of the feminist angle.
Ultimately, I was so excited about this book when we met Benny, but Reese completely ruined it for me.
And I'm out.
October 10, 2022
4 stars
This was adorable! Benny is the sweetest hero I’ve read about in a while. It was almost a 10 hour audiobook but it flew by- such an easy and sweet read. I’ll be honest, Reese aggravated me at times. I understood her reasonings for some of her behaviors but it frustrated me. Then I remembered she was 18 and had just graduated high school so I cut her some slack. I was happy with this book by the end and I never get sick of cooking show books!
This was adorable! Benny is the sweetest hero I’ve read about in a while. It was almost a 10 hour audiobook but it flew by- such an easy and sweet read. I’ll be honest, Reese aggravated me at times. I understood her reasonings for some of her behaviors but it frustrated me. Then I remembered she was 18 and had just graduated high school so I cut her some slack. I was happy with this book by the end and I never get sick of cooking show books!
Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Bailey Carr
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance YA/NA
Length: 9h 59m
April 5, 2022
Buckle up and hold on for a word burst! This cute, hilarious, and sometimes even cheesy enemies to lovers young adult about feminism was just what I needed!
Pitched as a young adult but more a crossover between young adult and new adult (without steamy scenes), and sometimes feeling like an adult rom-com, Love from Scratch is an adorable story. Reese from Kentucky and Benny from San Francisco are both interns at a cooking channel and meet when they have to improvise for a cooking video. When the video becomes a huge hit, people start shipping them both until Reese realizes she and Benny are competing for the same fall internship.
I loved Benny with all his nicknames for Reese and his food puns. He was such a cute bean, a cinnamon roll, definitely the cherry on the cake. I had to warm up a little to Reese, though. Somehow, she felt too ambitious, too driven, too perfectionist. But when I got to know her better, I started to like her more. She had to deal with a lot of misogyny, a boss who looked at her legs and only talked to Benny, people back home who called her a skank, and people online who left ugly comments. How do you deal with those things as an eighteen-year-old?
Love from Scratch is a quick and easy read that will probably captivate many teens. I round my 3.5 stars rating up to four because a low angsty romance like this was, like I said before, just what I needed.
I received an ARC from Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Pitched as a young adult but more a crossover between young adult and new adult (without steamy scenes), and sometimes feeling like an adult rom-com, Love from Scratch is an adorable story. Reese from Kentucky and Benny from San Francisco are both interns at a cooking channel and meet when they have to improvise for a cooking video. When the video becomes a huge hit, people start shipping them both until Reese realizes she and Benny are competing for the same fall internship.
I loved Benny with all his nicknames for Reese and his food puns. He was such a cute bean, a cinnamon roll, definitely the cherry on the cake. I had to warm up a little to Reese, though. Somehow, she felt too ambitious, too driven, too perfectionist. But when I got to know her better, I started to like her more. She had to deal with a lot of misogyny, a boss who looked at her legs and only talked to Benny, people back home who called her a skank, and people online who left ugly comments. How do you deal with those things as an eighteen-year-old?
Love from Scratch is a quick and easy read that will probably captivate many teens. I round my 3.5 stars rating up to four because a low angsty romance like this was, like I said before, just what I needed.
I received an ARC from Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 24, 2021
5 stars. I can’t wait til ABBA writes a movie-musical version
December 29, 2022
2 stars :)
The beginning was pretty good, but past the halfway point, it just dragged and felt like a recycling of old problems.
The beginning was pretty good, but past the halfway point, it just dragged and felt like a recycling of old problems.
April 10, 2022
So for all of my smut fans out there, be aware that this book has no steamy scenes at all. But it gives you a baking show and a romance so cute and sweet you´ll likely get diabetes from it, so what could go wrong.
This is definitely a feminist read, topics like womens dress code, sexual harassment and how women are perceived at work are discussed in the book.
The book was really sweet and I liked the romance between Reese and Benny, really liked how the book portrayed womens issues and standards society sets for them. Both of the MCs are 18, so this is definitely YA. Benny makes it pretty clear from the start that he likes Reese, calling her Reese´s pieces and Reese´s Cup because he thinks they are the best candy ever.
Was this really Rivals to lovers? No.
Was this slow burn or angsty? No.
But it was a sweet, fun read that was comforting and nice; so this book gets 3 stars from me.
This is definitely a feminist read, topics like womens dress code, sexual harassment and how women are perceived at work are discussed in the book.
The book was really sweet and I liked the romance between Reese and Benny, really liked how the book portrayed womens issues and standards society sets for them. Both of the MCs are 18, so this is definitely YA. Benny makes it pretty clear from the start that he likes Reese, calling her Reese´s pieces and Reese´s Cup because he thinks they are the best candy ever.
Was this really Rivals to lovers? No.
Was this slow burn or angsty? No.
But it was a sweet, fun read that was comforting and nice; so this book gets 3 stars from me.
July 22, 2020
A feminist rom com set in a bon appetit-style video series kitchen? What more could I possibly ask for???
I had the distinct pleasure of reading an early copy of this book, and I love Benny and Reese an aggressive amount. Reese's voice is so funny and her ambition is incredible (and her rants about sweet tea are very correct). Benny is the absolute sweetest boy the world has ever seen. I want him to make me macarons.
I had the distinct pleasure of reading an early copy of this book, and I love Benny and Reese an aggressive amount. Reese's voice is so funny and her ambition is incredible (and her rants about sweet tea are very correct). Benny is the absolute sweetest boy the world has ever seen. I want him to make me macarons.
April 8, 2022
This was a fun new adult romance with depth. Set in Seattle as two newly graduated teens are interning at a Food Network type tv studio. Reese is working as the marketing/media intern while Benny is working more hands on with the talent.
When the network is looking for new ways to create content, Benny and Reese get thrown together in an amateur cooking show. Initially Reese tries to keep her distance knowing that her and Benny are both competing for the single paying job at the end of the summer. However, try as she might she can't resist Benny's charms and good looks.
I loved how sweet Benny was and how supportive and great a listener he was for Reese. Reese has her own emotional scars from an early high school relationship and is very leery about social media criticisms as she and Benny turn into a viral presence. The author did a great job digging into the double standards and sexism that is rampant in workplaces everywhere and how damaging social media comments can be.
Great on audio narrated by Bailey Carr, this book is perfect for fans of A taste for love by Jennifer Yen or Where there's a whisk by Sarah J. Schmitt - two other YA books with cooking competition plots.
When the network is looking for new ways to create content, Benny and Reese get thrown together in an amateur cooking show. Initially Reese tries to keep her distance knowing that her and Benny are both competing for the single paying job at the end of the summer. However, try as she might she can't resist Benny's charms and good looks.
I loved how sweet Benny was and how supportive and great a listener he was for Reese. Reese has her own emotional scars from an early high school relationship and is very leery about social media criticisms as she and Benny turn into a viral presence. The author did a great job digging into the double standards and sexism that is rampant in workplaces everywhere and how damaging social media comments can be.
Great on audio narrated by Bailey Carr, this book is perfect for fans of A taste for love by Jennifer Yen or Where there's a whisk by Sarah J. Schmitt - two other YA books with cooking competition plots.
February 8, 2022
This book was not for me at all. I skimmed most of it, if I am being honest. Reese....Reese was a lot. She is that feminist that ruins it for all other feminists. And I hate saying that because A) angry feminists rants are kind of my thing and B) that is the whole point of this book but she goes about it all wrong and never does anything about the sexism she experiences except to rant more and cry. She is a weak character because she chooses to be not because of Benny. She spends the majority of the book attacking Benny for things that aren't his fault or just being a bitch to him because he is the competition. I feel the author was trying to go about this enemies to lover trope everyone loves these days, but making one of the characters be rude just to make that trope work, is not how the trope works.
November 6, 2021
First of all, I absolutely adore this cover. Second off, I absolutely adored Benny. The puns he made were so cute. Reese? Not so much. So I guess we'll start there. She comes across very not liek other girls, if you know what I mean. She's a feminist. Her bestie is a lesbian. She left behind her small Southern town for Seattle. She is marginally annoying. And not in a good way for an FMC, I'm sad to say. (Do you want to know how long it took my Southern husband to not ask for sweet tea when he, at 23, came home north with me? One time. How long did it take for Reese? Oh, she's still cutting off servers in Seattle over this topic right this second.) However, I happen to adore FMCs who are a little different like that, so that wasn't a deal breaker or turn off for me.
Reese is woke, but she's woke in like, a very teenage, very annoying, very shove-it-down-your-throat way. As one of the FoF followers accurately said, "she srsly can't go 5 mins w/o making some stupid comment about the patriarchy I watch this channel for the food not for an idiot pushing her views on everyone."
*"I must have forgotten to check my internalized self-consciousness from years of sexist school dress codes at the door today. That shit runs deep." Given the characterization set up for Reese, I don't believe this is something she's still dwelling on. As a teacher, I also don't believe she was ever dress coded. And given the comments about her parents, I doubt she owned anything that would've come close to it. This was just a stupid thing to add in that really made me roll my eyes. Is she correct about school dress codes? 100% Do I care in the confines of this book? Nope. And then later, she's talking to Benny about it and says, "The rules don't apply to you. The dress code's entire purpose is to police women's bodies." Again, she is right. But it comes across as eye roll inducing, fake, written-by-an-adult. Also, there 100% would be a mens part to the dress code, or that'd be an HR nightmare.
*"What a blessing it must be to be a good-looking, confident dude." Sweetie, the same could be said of ladies. For her being so feminist, this was incredibly sexist.
*"On the other hand, even if I had been better prepared or more knowledgeable, I probably wouldn't be accepted as easily as Benny. I'd be a know-it-all or bossy. If I laughed at all his jokes and went along with everything he said, I'd be a ditz or falling all over him. It's just another one of what seems like countless situations in life where as a women, you can't win." (Clearly written by an adult.) She's right. Based on her character, if she'd been more confident, yes, she would've been a bossy know-it-all. Because she wasn't personable. Not because she was a girl. Again, sexist.
*"I have half a mind to go back there and deliver Mr. Geoffrey Block, CEO, a swift kick in the pants for that...whatever that was. Of all the people to treat me like a girl-shaped dress mannequin, I swear." Y'all. All he did was look at her and compliment her dress. She was self-conscious about the dress and projected that onto him. Was he rude to only talk to Benny? Yes. But again, Reese is so woke that's all she can focus on.
Reese is either self-un-aware, dumb, or again, projecting onto other people her insecurities. She gets feedback on the videos her and Benny are doing, and they tell her to be a little nicer. She's coming across a little mean on camera. LAWD HAVE MERCY. "...they wish I was more like my costar in everyway--ie male--but this was the only criticism they could acceptably say aloud." NO GIRL. They want you to stop acting judgmental towards your costar ON CAMERA. Shows like that are made or broken by the chemistry the hosts have. If she's constantly hurling insults loosely disguised as jokes, the audience will notice and stop watching. THAT'S what her bosses were concerned with. Not that she was a girl. FoF had plenty of girl hosts.
Reese is judgmental. In a you-don't-have-a-right-to-be way. I wish authors would stop taking this route to drive home the "FMC doesn't like MMC right away." Do they always have to just look cocky? You just know they're cocky? I mean... "I meant to look away, but my eyes catch on his, and on the cocky smirk playing over his face. Ugh. He knows he's objectively attractive, and now he knows that I know." Which, spoiler alert, Benny actually does not know he's objectively attractive, not like Reese is accusing him of, at least. Another: "I barely know the guy and what I know so far, I'm not sure I much care for. He's cocky, which I hate..." Hoooowwwww do we know he's cocky? Fellow reader, we do not. We are simply told by Reese. Oh, and then, when Benny is trying to be sweet and get to know her (as you do when you meet a stranger), she internally freaks. "His question raises my defensive porcupine quills. I've known this guy for all of forty-eight hours. I don't owe him my 'story' yet." No, girl, you do not owe anyone anything. But geesh. I can't see why Benny kept pursuing her if that was her mindset to get to know someone, at 18, in a new city all the way across the country.
My last complaint is this quote: "They're all from like, Illinois and Nebraska and other white-bread middle-American states. Makes no difference. Bigots are bigots." As someone who grew up in Illinois and then moved, and taught, in the South, this is wildly offensive. This quote, among some of the others mentioned above, really made me wonder about the sensitivity beta reading on this one. Like damn. Are there bigots in the Midwest? Yes. But they're not confined to flyover states. Just like not all flyover states are bigoted. Are there backwoods idiots in the South? Yes. But I'm not writing a book about that stereotype because it's seen as outdated, rude, and ignorant.
Here's the thing, Reese aside, this was a cute book. I loved the romance blossoming, even if I wasn't a fan of Reese (and don't believe they'd last as a couple, not sorry.) Benny was swoon worthy. Their dialogue was so cute. The plot was fresh, unique, and just perfect. This was overall a 4 star book, but Reese's irritants that were sprinkled here and there brought the book down for me. Should you check it out? YES! You (probably) won't regret it. Would I recommend this? Yes! Students, girlfriends, baking show lovers alike. Will I read it again? Probably not.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Reese is woke, but she's woke in like, a very teenage, very annoying, very shove-it-down-your-throat way. As one of the FoF followers accurately said, "she srsly can't go 5 mins w/o making some stupid comment about the patriarchy I watch this channel for the food not for an idiot pushing her views on everyone."
*"I must have forgotten to check my internalized self-consciousness from years of sexist school dress codes at the door today. That shit runs deep." Given the characterization set up for Reese, I don't believe this is something she's still dwelling on. As a teacher, I also don't believe she was ever dress coded. And given the comments about her parents, I doubt she owned anything that would've come close to it. This was just a stupid thing to add in that really made me roll my eyes. Is she correct about school dress codes? 100% Do I care in the confines of this book? Nope. And then later, she's talking to Benny about it and says, "The rules don't apply to you. The dress code's entire purpose is to police women's bodies." Again, she is right. But it comes across as eye roll inducing, fake, written-by-an-adult. Also, there 100% would be a mens part to the dress code, or that'd be an HR nightmare.
*"What a blessing it must be to be a good-looking, confident dude." Sweetie, the same could be said of ladies. For her being so feminist, this was incredibly sexist.
*"On the other hand, even if I had been better prepared or more knowledgeable, I probably wouldn't be accepted as easily as Benny. I'd be a know-it-all or bossy. If I laughed at all his jokes and went along with everything he said, I'd be a ditz or falling all over him. It's just another one of what seems like countless situations in life where as a women, you can't win." (Clearly written by an adult.) She's right. Based on her character, if she'd been more confident, yes, she would've been a bossy know-it-all. Because she wasn't personable. Not because she was a girl. Again, sexist.
*"I have half a mind to go back there and deliver Mr. Geoffrey Block, CEO, a swift kick in the pants for that...whatever that was. Of all the people to treat me like a girl-shaped dress mannequin, I swear." Y'all. All he did was look at her and compliment her dress. She was self-conscious about the dress and projected that onto him. Was he rude to only talk to Benny? Yes. But again, Reese is so woke that's all she can focus on.
Reese is either self-un-aware, dumb, or again, projecting onto other people her insecurities. She gets feedback on the videos her and Benny are doing, and they tell her to be a little nicer. She's coming across a little mean on camera. LAWD HAVE MERCY. "...they wish I was more like my costar in everyway--ie male--but this was the only criticism they could acceptably say aloud." NO GIRL. They want you to stop acting judgmental towards your costar ON CAMERA. Shows like that are made or broken by the chemistry the hosts have. If she's constantly hurling insults loosely disguised as jokes, the audience will notice and stop watching. THAT'S what her bosses were concerned with. Not that she was a girl. FoF had plenty of girl hosts.
Reese is judgmental. In a you-don't-have-a-right-to-be way. I wish authors would stop taking this route to drive home the "FMC doesn't like MMC right away." Do they always have to just look cocky? You just know they're cocky? I mean... "I meant to look away, but my eyes catch on his, and on the cocky smirk playing over his face. Ugh. He knows he's objectively attractive, and now he knows that I know." Which, spoiler alert, Benny actually does not know he's objectively attractive, not like Reese is accusing him of, at least. Another: "I barely know the guy and what I know so far, I'm not sure I much care for. He's cocky, which I hate..." Hoooowwwww do we know he's cocky? Fellow reader, we do not. We are simply told by Reese. Oh, and then, when Benny is trying to be sweet and get to know her (as you do when you meet a stranger), she internally freaks. "His question raises my defensive porcupine quills. I've known this guy for all of forty-eight hours. I don't owe him my 'story' yet." No, girl, you do not owe anyone anything. But geesh. I can't see why Benny kept pursuing her if that was her mindset to get to know someone, at 18, in a new city all the way across the country.
My last complaint is this quote: "They're all from like, Illinois and Nebraska and other white-bread middle-American states. Makes no difference. Bigots are bigots." As someone who grew up in Illinois and then moved, and taught, in the South, this is wildly offensive. This quote, among some of the others mentioned above, really made me wonder about the sensitivity beta reading on this one. Like damn. Are there bigots in the Midwest? Yes. But they're not confined to flyover states. Just like not all flyover states are bigoted. Are there backwoods idiots in the South? Yes. But I'm not writing a book about that stereotype because it's seen as outdated, rude, and ignorant.
Here's the thing, Reese aside, this was a cute book. I loved the romance blossoming, even if I wasn't a fan of Reese (and don't believe they'd last as a couple, not sorry.) Benny was swoon worthy. Their dialogue was so cute. The plot was fresh, unique, and just perfect. This was overall a 4 star book, but Reese's irritants that were sprinkled here and there brought the book down for me. Should you check it out? YES! You (probably) won't regret it. Would I recommend this? Yes! Students, girlfriends, baking show lovers alike. Will I read it again? Probably not.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
dnf
August 7, 2022DNF @ CHAPTER 7, 27%
I really tried my best to get into this book but I couldn't.
The book was bland and the characters were uninteresting. Maybe I really can't get into YA other than a few exceptions.
I really tried my best to get into this book but I couldn't.
The book was bland and the characters were uninteresting. Maybe I really can't get into YA other than a few exceptions.
July 27, 2020
I was super lucky to receive an early version of this book and let me tell you, folks, it is golden. Right out of the gates, you are welcomed to Reese and Benny’s world with a fireworks display level of fun food puns that deliver until the last page. Reese is relatable, thoughtful, and strong, and quite easy to cheer for as she navigates her internship, a new relationship, and of course, some stuff from her past. Reese and Benny are SO cute, Benny is a nugget, and OMG their kisses. Their super swoony, adorable kisses. *melts into a puddle, slips through the cracks in the floor*
But I think what makes this book exceptional is the nuanced attention to gender discrimination/double standards/sexism, and the way many women (me! Definitely me!) can internalize some of the S$%$ society throws at us. Having struggled with self-worth and a history of blaming myself when things happen both in the workplace and socially/in relationships, this book was a breath of fresh air, and definitely something I wish I had around a few years back.
In this sense, LFS is that badass friend cheering you on and letting you know someone else gets it. But not in a preachy bogged down way. Hill does a fantastic job incorporating tough discussions to an otherwise light book. make no mistake, this book is SO fun, has a killer happy ending, and did I mention the kisses?!?!
Overall, LFS is charming, swoony, funny, and thoughtful and will definitely make for some happy tears.
But I think what makes this book exceptional is the nuanced attention to gender discrimination/double standards/sexism, and the way many women (me! Definitely me!) can internalize some of the S$%$ society throws at us. Having struggled with self-worth and a history of blaming myself when things happen both in the workplace and socially/in relationships, this book was a breath of fresh air, and definitely something I wish I had around a few years back.
In this sense, LFS is that badass friend cheering you on and letting you know someone else gets it. But not in a preachy bogged down way. Hill does a fantastic job incorporating tough discussions to an otherwise light book. make no mistake, this book is SO fun, has a killer happy ending, and did I mention the kisses?!?!
Overall, LFS is charming, swoony, funny, and thoughtful and will definitely make for some happy tears.
dnf
January 16, 2023dnf @ 57%
» thank you to netgalley & random house for the arc !!
» thank you to netgalley & random house for the arc !!
December 5, 2022
The premise of this book seemed fun, but honestly the main character acts like she is better than everyone and I couldn’t stand that. Also Benny does nothing but be nice and she acts like he is the most annoying person in the world. I just don’t like the girl. It’s kind of sad.
January 13, 2022
Love From Scratch is everything I've been looking for in a novel. A cooking show and a romance novel are always a hit. They're both adorable and cheesy. This narrative was produced by their banter and culinary jokes. I'd give anything to read them for the first time again.
Reese and Benny are both Friends of Flavor summer interns. Their marketing intern is Reese, and their culinary intern is Benny. When the two original people filming the video had to go somewhere else, they were both thrown into making a video. These two flirting teenagers have just gone viral, thanks to that video. They transformed their one-time arrangement into a series called Amateur Hours.
It's all fun and games until they start filming videos, which started as them cooking together to now forcing them to compete. They must now compete for the fall culinary position, as only one of them will be chosen. This isn't exactly fair because Benny has the upper hand over Reese, but Reese isn't going to let him win because of it.
Their chemistry is growing as the videos and competition go on, not to mention their fame is increasing. Even if everything is going well, one event can send it all crashing down. All of this fame has resulted in a slew of nasty comments. The hatred is always directed at the females, particularly Reese.
It's difficult to ignore when the hatred is directed solely at you. It's difficult when individuals who are sitting behind a computer and do nothing, try to put you down because of the way you speak, look, smile, or whatever. It's absurd, but that's how real life works. And I'm pleased it was included in this book. When I read this, I believe it's an eye-opener because we all probably send some hateful texts, but we don't think about how horrible it will hurt someone. And all of this hatred is difficult for Reese, and it hurts her, even more, to know that Benny remains unaffected. However, if she breathes in the wrong way, someone will come after her. I call bullshit.
This book featured wonderful feminist perspectives and voices. Because of the hatred, their relationship will face some difficulties. But, being the gentleman that he is, Benny always listens and understands how she is feeling and that she has every right to be upset. I mean, when she told him about the oppressive dress code that solely tells women to cover their bodies, he took away her cardigan because he believes the dress code is complete nonsense. He's constantly ready to rip men apart or launch vicious attacks upon those who hurt Reese. Benny is the picture of perfection. He is the type of man I wish every man on earth to be, but we don't always get what we want. Understanding men >>>>
Anyway, I'm about to scream at my parents for calling me Maddison because I don't have a cute nickname like Reese's Pieces/Reese's Cups.
*Thanks to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
Reese and Benny are both Friends of Flavor summer interns. Their marketing intern is Reese, and their culinary intern is Benny. When the two original people filming the video had to go somewhere else, they were both thrown into making a video. These two flirting teenagers have just gone viral, thanks to that video. They transformed their one-time arrangement into a series called Amateur Hours.
It's all fun and games until they start filming videos, which started as them cooking together to now forcing them to compete. They must now compete for the fall culinary position, as only one of them will be chosen. This isn't exactly fair because Benny has the upper hand over Reese, but Reese isn't going to let him win because of it.
Their chemistry is growing as the videos and competition go on, not to mention their fame is increasing. Even if everything is going well, one event can send it all crashing down. All of this fame has resulted in a slew of nasty comments. The hatred is always directed at the females, particularly Reese.
It's difficult to ignore when the hatred is directed solely at you. It's difficult when individuals who are sitting behind a computer and do nothing, try to put you down because of the way you speak, look, smile, or whatever. It's absurd, but that's how real life works. And I'm pleased it was included in this book. When I read this, I believe it's an eye-opener because we all probably send some hateful texts, but we don't think about how horrible it will hurt someone. And all of this hatred is difficult for Reese, and it hurts her, even more, to know that Benny remains unaffected. However, if she breathes in the wrong way, someone will come after her. I call bullshit.
This book featured wonderful feminist perspectives and voices. Because of the hatred, their relationship will face some difficulties. But, being the gentleman that he is, Benny always listens and understands how she is feeling and that she has every right to be upset. I mean, when she told him about the oppressive dress code that solely tells women to cover their bodies, he took away her cardigan because he believes the dress code is complete nonsense. He's constantly ready to rip men apart or launch vicious attacks upon those who hurt Reese. Benny is the picture of perfection. He is the type of man I wish every man on earth to be, but we don't always get what we want. Understanding men >>>>
Anyway, I'm about to scream at my parents for calling me Maddison because I don't have a cute nickname like Reese's Pieces/Reese's Cups.
*Thanks to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
May 5, 2022
DNF about 20% in. I think I am just... over white het contemporary romances lol. And the constant shade thrown at Seattle in this? Sorry we don't have sweet tea, protagonist, the way YOU want it.
May 13, 2022
flat 3 stars. meh 🫤. i could have picked a better beach read.
May 3, 2022
Rating: 3
Thank you so much @theexp for buddy reading this one with me! Thank ‘goodness’ you did because I probably wouldn’t have made it on my own. I had a blast discussing it with you!
I want to start by saying I absolutely love the cover. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to read it. After seeing the cover and reading the synopsis I was expecting a super cute and fun romcom. Sadly, this book wasn’t for me. The first few chapters were okay. I was enjoying the banter between the two main characters and certain jokes were making me smile. But then everything I was enjoying started to become so repetitive and overdone. I don’t need to hear the same joke or phrase every few paragraphs. The writing also wasn’t for me. It felt too basic, wordy, and gave way too much information when it wasn’t needed.
I also had no idea before reading this that the main characters were so young, only 18. Since I’m a fan of YA this doesn’t typically bother me but when I was expecting an adult romance I was disappointed I didn’t get that. They should definitely change how they are marketing and at least give readers an idea that it’s YA. This book felt very YA and even a little immature at times. I couldn’t connect with either of the characters and Reese kept making decisions I couldn’t understand. One thing I really hate in romance books is the miscommunication trope and this one had a little bit of that. Instead of feeling invested in the characters I was left feeling so annoyed and I couldn’t care less if they ended up together.
Overall, this book was cute but ultimately it was just okay. I don’t think I would recommend it but I do think some people will really enjoy this one. It definitely depends on the reader and what they find annoys them in books.
Thank you so much @randomhousechildrens for the #gifted copy on #netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you so much @theexp for buddy reading this one with me! Thank ‘goodness’ you did because I probably wouldn’t have made it on my own. I had a blast discussing it with you!
I want to start by saying I absolutely love the cover. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to read it. After seeing the cover and reading the synopsis I was expecting a super cute and fun romcom. Sadly, this book wasn’t for me. The first few chapters were okay. I was enjoying the banter between the two main characters and certain jokes were making me smile. But then everything I was enjoying started to become so repetitive and overdone. I don’t need to hear the same joke or phrase every few paragraphs. The writing also wasn’t for me. It felt too basic, wordy, and gave way too much information when it wasn’t needed.
I also had no idea before reading this that the main characters were so young, only 18. Since I’m a fan of YA this doesn’t typically bother me but when I was expecting an adult romance I was disappointed I didn’t get that. They should definitely change how they are marketing and at least give readers an idea that it’s YA. This book felt very YA and even a little immature at times. I couldn’t connect with either of the characters and Reese kept making decisions I couldn’t understand. One thing I really hate in romance books is the miscommunication trope and this one had a little bit of that. Instead of feeling invested in the characters I was left feeling so annoyed and I couldn’t care less if they ended up together.
Overall, this book was cute but ultimately it was just okay. I don’t think I would recommend it but I do think some people will really enjoy this one. It definitely depends on the reader and what they find annoys them in books.
Thank you so much @randomhousechildrens for the #gifted copy on #netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 3, 2022
Let’s begin by just announcing that Reese’s Southern Woman card is revoked, or maybe just admitting that Kentucky women ain’t shit. Because as a woman from Tennessee, we don’t fixate on some dumb high school rumour like that, nor do we let it completely ruin our lives. I hated Reese. I need that to be known- I thought she was a bitch and definitely expected too much from a SUMMER boyfriend. Should Benny have defended her in front of their bosses? Sure, that’s what a decent man does, but online to someone he barely knows? Girl fight your own battles. She essentially becomes a recluse after being called a slut in high school and then goes on this whole “fuck the patriarchy” rant (that no woman really thinks about like that btw) and It was annoying to read about. I ended scanning anything that wasn’t banter between the two. Also her constant nicknames were just too much.
Benny was sweet in a dopey way. That’s all I got on him.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC
Benny was sweet in a dopey way. That’s all I got on him.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC
January 17, 2022
Thank you so much to Random House Children's for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I LOVED THIS BOOK! I’m still grinning from ear to ear after having read it. This is a perfect YA rivals-to-lovers summer romance with such great themes of feminism, standing up for yourself, healing from past trauma, and living life to its fullest. I adored Reese and Benny’s dynamic so much and I honestly wish there was more in the epilogue because I can’t get enough of how cute they are!
Speaking of Reese, I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure if I’d like Reese as an MC because I have a history of finding white, blond YA female MCs in books to be super pretentious and ignorant. However, I really admired Reese and the strength she showed from healing from the horrible incidents that occurred in her high school to moving to Seattle and being determined to make herself known at Friends of Flavor and fighting for her spot for the fall internship. I also loved how diverse the supporting cast was in this book and how these supporting characters reminded Reese that even with her being a female intern at FoF, she still carries a lot of privilege that other employees at FoF don’t have. The representation among the supporting cast was handled really respectfully, and I appreciate Kaitlyn Hill for doing so!
As far as Benny, the entire time, I was picturing Jaren Lewison from Never Have I Ever as Benny, probably because his name is also Ben in the show lol, but just a more obnoxious version of Ben from NHIE. I wasn’t sure I was going to like him either, especially since I could already see hints of how uncomfortable the environment at FoF was for women. But, Benny was a TOTAL SWEETHEART and I honestly swooned at how caring and open he was about Reese’s situation of continually being sexually harrassed, not just at her high school, but at FoF too. Also, the fact that he openly communicates with Reese and directly tells her how he feels about her right up front without playing any shady tricks or games? SO SWOONWORTHY. Guys really need to take notes. The way he would get so flustered around her IRL while pulling off this suave, cool, charming exterior whenever they were on camera was also so adorable.
Overall, this is such an adorable YA romance and most possibly one of my favorite YA romances of all time now. I highly highly recommend this book if you’re a fan of books by Rachel Lynn Solomon, Lynn Painter, or Michelle Quach and I can’t wait for everyone to read Love From Scratch when it releases in April!
I LOVED THIS BOOK! I’m still grinning from ear to ear after having read it. This is a perfect YA rivals-to-lovers summer romance with such great themes of feminism, standing up for yourself, healing from past trauma, and living life to its fullest. I adored Reese and Benny’s dynamic so much and I honestly wish there was more in the epilogue because I can’t get enough of how cute they are!
Speaking of Reese, I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure if I’d like Reese as an MC because I have a history of finding white, blond YA female MCs in books to be super pretentious and ignorant. However, I really admired Reese and the strength she showed from healing from the horrible incidents that occurred in her high school to moving to Seattle and being determined to make herself known at Friends of Flavor and fighting for her spot for the fall internship. I also loved how diverse the supporting cast was in this book and how these supporting characters reminded Reese that even with her being a female intern at FoF, she still carries a lot of privilege that other employees at FoF don’t have. The representation among the supporting cast was handled really respectfully, and I appreciate Kaitlyn Hill for doing so!
As far as Benny, the entire time, I was picturing Jaren Lewison from Never Have I Ever as Benny, probably because his name is also Ben in the show lol, but just a more obnoxious version of Ben from NHIE. I wasn’t sure I was going to like him either, especially since I could already see hints of how uncomfortable the environment at FoF was for women. But, Benny was a TOTAL SWEETHEART and I honestly swooned at how caring and open he was about Reese’s situation of continually being sexually harrassed, not just at her high school, but at FoF too. Also, the fact that he openly communicates with Reese and directly tells her how he feels about her right up front without playing any shady tricks or games? SO SWOONWORTHY. Guys really need to take notes. The way he would get so flustered around her IRL while pulling off this suave, cool, charming exterior whenever they were on camera was also so adorable.
Overall, this is such an adorable YA romance and most possibly one of my favorite YA romances of all time now. I highly highly recommend this book if you’re a fan of books by Rachel Lynn Solomon, Lynn Painter, or Michelle Quach and I can’t wait for everyone to read Love From Scratch when it releases in April!
November 7, 2021
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
While I was charmed by the premise of this book I didn’t actually enjoy it the way I thought I would. This is not to say that the story was lacking or that it was written badly, that’s not the case at all. In the end it comes to my personal preferences.
It’s very hard for me to enjoy a book when the main character is so anxious and paranoid and self doubting ninety percent of the time. It’s especially unbearable when the whole book is solely this characters point of view. With no other characters, not even the main love interest to give the readers a break from the constant second guessing and looking at everything that is happening from the worst case scenario.
Even when fun things were happening I couldn’t enjoy it fully because it wouldn’t be long till the main character would self sabotage her own joy.
This is not the kind of reading experience I enjoy and therefore it was an effort to finish.
While I was charmed by the premise of this book I didn’t actually enjoy it the way I thought I would. This is not to say that the story was lacking or that it was written badly, that’s not the case at all. In the end it comes to my personal preferences.
It’s very hard for me to enjoy a book when the main character is so anxious and paranoid and self doubting ninety percent of the time. It’s especially unbearable when the whole book is solely this characters point of view. With no other characters, not even the main love interest to give the readers a break from the constant second guessing and looking at everything that is happening from the worst case scenario.
Even when fun things were happening I couldn’t enjoy it fully because it wouldn’t be long till the main character would self sabotage her own joy.
This is not the kind of reading experience I enjoy and therefore it was an effort to finish.
dnf
April 15, 2022DNF @ 27%
I was really excited for this one since books about cooking are among my absolute favourites to read, and the premise sounds so cute. However, the dialogue feels very outdated and childish, which makes the humour fall flat. I also have some issues with the main character’s “feminism.” There’s a (usually off-topic) feminist comment on practically every other page, which makes it feel almost insincere. I will say that there are some moments when Reese calls out sexism in her workplace which I appreciated, but for the most part, feminism is reduced to remarks like “Why is he so pure and beautiful? Be still, my nontoxic-masculinity-starved heart.” Unfortunately, I’m not interested enough to continue reading this one.
I was really excited for this one since books about cooking are among my absolute favourites to read, and the premise sounds so cute. However, the dialogue feels very outdated and childish, which makes the humour fall flat. I also have some issues with the main character’s “feminism.” There’s a (usually off-topic) feminist comment on practically every other page, which makes it feel almost insincere. I will say that there are some moments when Reese calls out sexism in her workplace which I appreciated, but for the most part, feminism is reduced to remarks like “Why is he so pure and beautiful? Be still, my nontoxic-masculinity-starved heart.” Unfortunately, I’m not interested enough to continue reading this one.
September 27, 2022
Love from Scratch kam für mich zum genau perfekten Zeitpunkt. Lonely Heart hat für mich ein need für fluffy Romance Bücher gestartet und ich könnte nicht happier damit gewesen sein.
Backen, Rivals to Lovers und he falls first sind alles Aspekte des Buches, die mir sooo gut gefallen haben! Auch, dass die Protagonistin ihren love interest über Sexismus an ihrem Arbeitsplatz aufmerksam gemacht hat, war für mich nochmal ein Pluspunkt.
Alles in allem habe ich das Buch sehr geliebt und kann es euch nur empfehlen, wenn ihr eine luftig leichte Romanze lesen wollt.
Review kurz nach dem Lesen:
Tausend Milliarden Sterne - ich LIEBE dieses Buch
beste Entscheidung seit langem es zu kaufen
Backen, Rivals to Lovers und he falls first sind alles Aspekte des Buches, die mir sooo gut gefallen haben! Auch, dass die Protagonistin ihren love interest über Sexismus an ihrem Arbeitsplatz aufmerksam gemacht hat, war für mich nochmal ein Pluspunkt.
Alles in allem habe ich das Buch sehr geliebt und kann es euch nur empfehlen, wenn ihr eine luftig leichte Romanze lesen wollt.
Review kurz nach dem Lesen:
Tausend Milliarden Sterne - ich LIEBE dieses Buch
beste Entscheidung seit langem es zu kaufen
May 31, 2023
The only reason i finished this book was bc i bought it. The premise of this book is super cute but it falls flat. I couldn’t stand the way the feminist angle was done and the romance wasnt cutting it for me. There was a few good scenes and a heart to heart i enjoyed at the end but thats all. I was relieved when i finished it
November 15, 2022
5 stars
This was absolutely adorable and also I need a Benny. Like now. Pretty please.
This was absolutely adorable and also I need a Benny. Like now. Pretty please.
January 9, 2023
I would’ve DNF’ed before 25% but I’m a glutton for punishment.
Didn’t realize this was barely new adult, if not straight YA, with main character just out of high school/18 years old.
Reese is super annoying. She’s not the sweet ‘southern girl’ she thinks she is. She’s not the perfect candidate for the job she wants. She’s not even nice most the time.
Still, this book involves massive online bullying and shaming.
The only good quote in the book:
“I mean it with zero judgement and only your best interests in mind when I say that, long term, I recommend therapy.”
Didn’t realize this was barely new adult, if not straight YA, with main character just out of high school/18 years old.
Reese is super annoying. She’s not the sweet ‘southern girl’ she thinks she is. She’s not the perfect candidate for the job she wants. She’s not even nice most the time.
Still, this book involves massive online bullying and shaming.
The only good quote in the book:
“I mean it with zero judgement and only your best interests in mind when I say that, long term, I recommend therapy.”
February 18, 2024
4.25★ rivals to lovers is now my favorite trope and why is benny not real?
August 28, 2022
1 Sentence Summary: Reese Camden landed the internship of her dreams with cooking channel Friends of Flavor, but when a scheduling error forces her and the other intern, Benny, to film a video together that ends up going viral, the job turns out to be way more than she signed up for.
My Thoughts: This did not go how I was expecting it to! I was pleasantly surprised by all the feminist themes. And I love cooking shows, so this was so fun to read!
Reese could be annoying at times, but you could see where she was coming from. (Except, do southerners actually say “good gravy”???? Someone from the south please enlighten me!) Benny was very much an adorable puppy dog but was almost…too perfect? Like, Reese is often extremely rude to him and never apologizes and yet he always forgives her and never gets mad?
There was a good mixture of humor (oh my gosh the cake scene I was dying 😆) and seriousness. And the ending was really incredible! I love when women band together and become unstoppable powerhouses.
At one point in the novel, one of the characters says that the romance genre is the most feminist genre in fiction, which I thought was so interesting! I’ve never thought about it that way before, but it totally makes sense the way they explained it. At its heart, romance is about women asking for and getting what they want and claiming their happiness, and most romance books tell women they can have it all. So cool, right?!
Recommend to: Fans of cooking shows and feminism
(Warnings: swearing; harassment)
***
Buddy-read with matty !
And a scene I found really funny:
My Thoughts: This did not go how I was expecting it to! I was pleasantly surprised by all the feminist themes. And I love cooking shows, so this was so fun to read!
Reese could be annoying at times, but you could see where she was coming from. (Except, do southerners actually say “good gravy”???? Someone from the south please enlighten me!) Benny was very much an adorable puppy dog but was almost…too perfect? Like, Reese is often extremely rude to him and never apologizes and yet he always forgives her and never gets mad?
There was a good mixture of humor (oh my gosh the cake scene I was dying 😆) and seriousness. And the ending was really incredible! I love when women band together and become unstoppable powerhouses.
At one point in the novel, one of the characters says that the romance genre is the most feminist genre in fiction, which I thought was so interesting! I’ve never thought about it that way before, but it totally makes sense the way they explained it. At its heart, romance is about women asking for and getting what they want and claiming their happiness, and most romance books tell women they can have it all. So cool, right?!
Recommend to: Fans of cooking shows and feminism
(Warnings: swearing; harassment)
***
Buddy-read with matty !
And a scene I found really funny:
We are not friends. For some reason, my idiot body doesn't get the memo and decides to stand up when he approaches the table, meaning it now looks like I expect to be greeted somehow. I almost sit right back down again, but I feel like that would be weirder, so I stand there and hope he decides how to deal with my absurdity.
When Benny gets close, he starts to raise his arms the slightest amount and I see the hesitation on his face. Taking pity since I put us in this situation, I mimic the action and lean closer. The result is a loose, awkward half hug like we're two middle schoolers at church camp trying to leave room for Jesus.
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