Type-A chef Carolyn Henderson has walked away from her job at a trendy NYC restaurant after an abrupt family tragedy. Now, as a guardian to her four-year-old niece, Emma, and a very disobedient mutt – kids and dogs are so not her skill set – moving back to Marietta, Montana seems the best temporary option. But when confronted by her parents’ declining health, Carolyn has to face reality. And … she’s going to need some serious help. So who better to ask than Matthew West, a blast from her high school past… and as hunky and helpful as ever.
Vet – and very eligible, if reluctant, Bachelor – Matthew West can’t believe his luck when his high school crush stumbles through his door. Dogs, kids, and gorgeous damsels in distress. Carolyn needs help with the pup, and he needs help whipping up delicious concoctions for the Bachelor Bake-Off. So she wants to make a deal: dog obedience lessons for cooking tips… but Matthew wants to broker quite a bit more…
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When chef Carolyn Henderson receives the fateful phone call about her sister’s death, she is shocked to learn she is now the legal guardian to a precocious four-year-old and a rambunctious puppy- neither of which fit into her busy lifestyle. Thinking she can talk her parents into keeping Emma, Carolyn returns to her childhood home of Marietta, Montana and runs into the one person she’d hoped to avoid- her ex-boyfriend.
Veterinarian Matthew West can’t understand how he let himself get talked into participating in a bake-off fundraising event and soon realizes he’s going to need help if he doesn’t want to look like an idiot in front of the entire town.
Serendipity occurs when he runs into his -the-one-who-got-away girlfriend, Carolyn, and they strike a bargain to help each other- no strings attached.
Will these two star-crossed lovers receive a second chance to bake up a forever romance?
Favorite Line
The Bake-Off was part of what Matt loved about Marietta—how the town worked like a big hug—
A Teaspoon of Trouble- Shirley Jump
This was an enjoyable read. I liked the interactions with Emma and the boisterous puppy and hoped Matthew would win his girl.
I give A Teaspoon of Trouble 4 lovely kisses
Carolyn Hanson left Marietta and her high school boyfriend in her rear view mirror after graduation for her dream of being a top chef in NYC. After ten years she is about to realize her dream and be named the sous chef of a trendy Manhattan restaurant when she gets the call that her sister and husband where killed in a car crash. What she finds completely surprising is that her sister named her the guardian of her 4 year old niece, Emma and her puppy, Roscoe. She returns to her hometown.
Matthew West has stayed in his home town of Marietta as a veterinarian. Matthew enters a Bachelor Bake-Off to help raise money, but he can barely boil water let alone bake. He is shocked when his old girlfriend walks into his clinic with a little girl and puppy in tow.
Carolyn and Matthew make a deal. They will swap their talents to help the other out for the time Carolyn is in town. Carolyn will teach Matthew how to bake and Matthew will teach Carolyn how to train Roscoe. When the old sparks start to fly, Matthew begins to hope that Carolyn will stay in Marietta to raise Emma and be a part of his life again.
At first, Carolyn came across as self-centered, but when you learn more of her fears and grief, you begin to empathize with her and watch the growth of her and Emma’s relationship. I felt the author handled the scenes where the family dealt with their grief were realistically written. This second chance story leaves you with a HEA smile and is well worth your reading time.
A Teaspoon of Trouble by Shirley Jump is book number number one in the Bachelor Bake-Off series. This is chef Carolyn Henderson and vet Matthew West’s story.
One day Carolyn is a chef with her dream job almost a reality then she is responsible for her four year niece and a large rowdy dog after a family tragedy. Carolyn is back in Marietta so she can figure out how to handle the changes in her life.
Matt and Carolyn dated in high school but Carolyn was so ready to leave Marietta that she walked away from their relationship. Their paths cross again when Carolyn needs help with her niece’s dog. Matt agrees to help Carolyn with the dog if she will help him with the Bachelors bake-off. Will they get a second chance at love?
This story is sweet and emotional story. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
I believe this was my first book read that was produced by Tule Publishing and it was my first visit to the small town of Marietta. I’m happy to say that I was impressed by the quality of work put out by Tule and A Teaspoon of Trouble was a great start to what looks to be a promising series.
A Teaspoon of Trouble , the first in the Bachelor Bake-Off series, revolves around Carolyn and Matthew. Carolyn left town to become a chef, but is back in town when she’s gotten custody of her young niece and dog. Matthew is a local vet and is a contestant in the Bachelor Bake-Off. The competition is a fund raiser for a local charity and features bachelors is a series of baking challenges. Matthew doesn’t have much confidence in his baking skills and Carolyn doesn’t know what to do with a pet. These old friends decide to trade services, cooking lessons for dog training.
This is really a second chance story. Carolyn and Matthew were high school sweethearts and he pretty much didn’t ask her to stay when she made it clear she wanted to leave Marietta after high school graduation. Now she’s back in town, temporarily, and Matthew’s decided he’s not quite over her. He’s willing to help her out in the hopes that maybe, just maybe he can get her to stay this time.
This is also a tear-jerker of a story. The whole story line of Carolyn dealing with a young niece after her sister passes away, just tugged at my heartstrings. Carolyn was also having to come to grips with her aging parents and really not being able to “pass off” Emma as she’d originally planned because being a single mother does not jive with the life of a New York City chef. I found myself grabbing for the tissue box quite often during the scenes with Emma and Carolyn.
All-in-all, I found this to be an enjoyable read and I can’t wait to return to this small town and the bake-off competition. Ms Jump created endearing characters that have kept with me months after having read this story. I highly recommend trying out this series.
My review originally posted at Romancing the Book.
Second Chances
Carolyn finds out her sister left guardianship of her little niece when she & her husband past away. She doesn’t feel she has the mother gene. She gets Emma & a very cute dog names Rosco and go to her parents can do it either. Then comes her first love Dr. Matt the town vet.
This was a great book! I really enjoyed this book and the characters storyline! Highly recommend this book…fun reading!
will reread it again loved it!!!
Enjoyed this book. Things like this can happen in real life and that’s what I liked about it.
Cute read for a rainy day!
OK story but the kind that you know where it is leading.
Fun read!
Don’t get me wrong … this book is not a candidate for a Pulitzer Prize … but it certainly is entertaining. I enjoyed every chapter … even picked up a couple tips to add to may culinary skills … it’s just a very likeable book. Nice, cozy job by the author … nice comfortable read …. I hope I come across other books with this same magnetism.
This book was predictable which I often don’t mind if the characters and setting make up for it. In this case, our hero, Matt, is a gem. Our heroine, carolyn is annoying and spends three quarters of th book deluding herself about what she can and cannot do. The other thing that I found questionable is that these folks live in a small town, yet matt, the town vet, had no idea that Carolyn’s sister was killed in a car accident!? I live in a small town of 9000. Our entire town would know if that happened.
Good story with happy ending.
fun read
I enjoyed the story line and the characters.
I really enjoyed this book and the characters were great and life like. However I just made sure I was at home to read since I could not stop tearing up at different little parts. Great and entertaining a book that brings it back to home.
It was ok; not the best book I’ve read
Great book. Enjoy reading it
Predictable but a fun, easy read.