A New Yorker and a San Franciscan find themselves in rural Montana when life threw them a curve ball sums up “A Recipe for Romance ” in one sentence.
Dancing is Noelle Olsen’s life but an accident cut her ballet career short. Wes St. Claire was just being a good son, helping his father wrap up some business deals. He is a city boy. He loves the asphalt jungle better than hiking in a forest.
Noelle and Wes as characters are so cliché, even the reasons for their being in a small town instead of the big city which they call home. Surprisingly, the scenario works. Lara Van Hulzen, who writes with a light touch in her prose made Noelle and Wes three-dimensional.
And as always, the fictional town of Marietta, Montana which has become a character on its own with the different series of books featuring it also made its presence know.
A very easy read which you won’t mind if people look over your shoulder when you are sitting by the pool or sunbathing at the beach when you peruse it.
A Recipe for Romance is Rated T for Teens. There are no sex scenes in this book.
Wes planned a drive by trip to Marietta, Montana to help his dad close a business deal and then to head back to his life in New York. But when his dad volunteers him for the Bachelor Bake Off to commemorate a local fallen first responder, Wes can’t say no, even though Marietta holds painful memories and baking eludes his skill set.
After an accident sidelines Noelle Olsen’s career as a dancer, she moves to Montana to pursue a new dream: opening a dance studio in Marietta’s historic and charming downtown. When one of her students suckers her into helping the handsome Wes St. Clare whip up some winning recipes, Noelle finds herself dreaming about more than teaching dance.
Falling in love wasn’t part of Wes’ plans, and definitely not in Marietta, and as Noelle learns more about Wes and his business dealings, she fears she’ll lose her business along with her heart. Will cozy kitchens and a nudge from the St. Claire family help Wes and Noelle find the love they didn’t know they were looking for?