Review at a Glance
- Title: Love is What You Bake of It
- My Rating: 4
- Genre: Contemporary Romance
- Format: eARC*
- Publication Date: March 24, 2020
- Author: Effie Kammenou
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Book Blurb
The only love Kally Andarakis is baking is in the form of the sweet treats she whips up in her café, The Coffee Klatch.
Kally never believed herself to be a person worthy of love, but when an intoxicating man she considered out of her league pursues her, she risks everything to be with him. Later, when tragedy strikes, truths are revealed that leave Kally brokenhearted and untrusting.
Eight years later, Kally is a successful pastry chef running the café she’d always dreamed of owning. With a home of her own, a profession she’s passionate about, and the support and love of friends and family, Kally is content with the life she has carved out for herself.
Until the day Max Vardaxis walks into her café…
With arguing parents, meddling relatives, an overly energetic grandmother, a man-crazy best friend, and the long ago, mysterious disappearance of a grandfather, this new man in town is just one more complication in Kally’s life, if not the main one.
Kally must now decide whether to keep her heart safe or to once again take a ‘whisk on love.’
My Thoughts
My favorite hobby other than reading has to be baking. I love the idea of science and art coming together to make something that people can physically enjoy. So, when I was given the chance to read Love Is What You Bake of it by Effie Kammenou, I snatched it up.
The heroine, Kally, May have stolen my dream of owning a coffee shop and a bakery with a cozy reading corner, but I forgave her after reading this novel. It’s definitely a wild ride, but everything you expect and want from contemporary romance, with a charming dash of Greek heritage thrown in as the secret ingredient.
I only had a few minor issues, that I will try to describe without giving away any spoilers. There was one moment (not major) that bugges me because it broke my rule of contrived conflict. I can’t stand it when conflict is created awkwardly to create problems for the characters. In Love Is What You Bake of It, the main love interests have a fight because Kally describes her past relationship in a way the purposefully upsets Max but isn’t a true representation of her past. Luckily, Effie handled the misunderstanding quickly and didn’t create a major obstacle for the couple, it was honestly dealt with in the same conversation, but forced drama always irks me, it’s like nails on a chalkboard when I’m reading.
Otherwise, this was a great start to a new book series. The characters were so alive and vivid with the plot moving at a perfect pace. I especially loved Kally’s Greek relatives, Kally’s γιαγιά in particular. As you will find out in the book, there is a story there, but I have to wait until the next book to learn more about that mystery.
Max was an extremely charming and believable male lead, with a good heart and a difficult past. He spends a lot of the book attempting redemption from his mistakes with his daughter and Kally. The most impressing thing about him was his willingness to try. Working to right past wrongs can be extremely difficult, which is why a lot of people don’t even try, but Max seemed to be able to acknowledge his mistakes and make amends in any way he could, not matter how hard he had to work.
There’s never a dull moment in the Coffee Klatch or in this book. I definitely recommend you pick it up for an entertaining and heartfelt read.
*Special thanks to Effie Kammenou, and LoveBooksGroup for providing a copy of Love is What You Bake of It in exchange for an honest review.
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