From USA Today bestselling author Kilby Blades, the first in the Hot in the Kitchen series…TV chef Cella journeys to an idyllic seaside town to write an Italian cookbook. She’s also mourning a failed restaurant project, dodging her predatory agent, and finding respite from soul-crushing fame. When she learns that her next-door neighbor, hot doctor Max, is the nephew of a late, famed Italian … nephew of a late, famed Italian restaurateur, she convinces him to teach her authentic touches that will help her write the book.
This is a mixed blessing for guilt-ridden Max, who botched his own attempt to become a chef–a failure that’s left his aunt’s gorgeous restaurant sitting empty for years. No one has challenged Cella when it comes to her cooking in ages. Max’s fiery disposition sparks her intuition and reminds her how to feel the food.
But the heat between Max and Cella may be hotter than the flames on the stove. Max’s gentlemanly nature and Cella’s professionalism stop being enough to keep them apart. With Max’s vacation ending and Cella slated to return to L.A., how will they ever say goodbye?
“Blades delivers a saucy romance full of lovely characters who complement each other like a fine wine does a good meal, blending an inviting, homey locale with scrumptious descriptions of Italian cuisine. Romance-inclined foodies will love this contemporary.”
– Publisher’s Weekly
“The Secret Ingredient was a slow-burn, highly developed, and impeccably detailed romance novel.”
– T. Rosado, Goodreads
“I absolutely loved this book. The writing was excellent and the characters well developed. But the thing that made me keep reading was how flawlessly the author told the story.”
– Karen, Amazon reviewer
“By the time I finished this book I felt as tho[ugh] I had taken a trip to Italy. It’s not set there and I’ve never been there but the atmosphere created by this author was absorbing and real.”
– L_iam, Amazon reviewer
Awards and Accolades for The Secret Ingredient
- 2021 Finalist. The RWA Vivian Award
- 2020 Finalist: The HOLT Medallion
- 2019 Quarterfinalist: Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Prize for Fiction
- 2020 Finalist: National Readers Choice Award
- 2020 Finalist: New England Reader’s Choice Award
- 2019 Winner: I Heart Indie Contest
- 2018 Winner: Unpublished Stiletto Contest
- 2018 Finalist: Sexy Scribbles Contest
more
A fun and informative read about the culinary industry. She’s a famous TV chef. He’s a travelling surgeon (think Doctors Without Borders) with ambitions to become a chef. They meet in a Carolina beach town, both on R & R, and a delicious slow burn flickers to life. This novel has a more relaxed pace, medium angst, and contains a tremedous amount of detail about her career and his–which I enjoyed, as I’m fascinated by the culinary world. Be forewarned, though, if you prefer the romance plot front and center. Their careers are a big part of what kept Cella and Max apart, and the author gives those complications full play, displaying tremendous knowledge about the culinary world. Well-rounded characters, a few steamy love scenes, and a very satisfying ending.
This is a story for foodies and non-foodies alike. Every once in a while a story comes along that has that ‘little something extra’— what south Louisiana natives call ‘lagniappe.’ This story has it in spades!
There’s the foodie aspect of it that adds interest. Both Cella and Max are capable chefs. Cella is a celebrity chef, and Max comes from a family that is well-known in foodie circles. Throw in the famous chef angle, a threatened lawsuit with an ex-business partner, a small town that protects its own, and a plastic surgeon who works on people in third world countries who don’t have access to good medical care and certainly can’t pay for it. Then there are all of these family traditions and memories that get shared and eventually passed down; well, you get the picture. There are a lot of warm fuzzies in this book! Oh and there’s a dog named Cujo…
This book was so much fun to read! There are good friends who go above and beyond the call of duty to help each other, a few shady characters who have no interest in helping anyone, and a few travel scenes. This is one of those books that I’ll still be thinking about next week and next month. It is well-written and filled with evocative prose—this author paints beautiful pictures with words! And these protagonists are likable characters who make choices based on the love of what they do and not on the accolades that they may or may not receive. This book is a true delight in many ways and worth the time spent reading and enjoying it!
Easy read
Great story! Really enjoyed the concept of the charity doc actually loving being a chef … and the chef learning to be loved.
I really enjoyed this book very cute
An entertaining story with wonderful characters! An enjoyable afternoon read.
Fun read. Really enjoyed the characters .I always love a happy ending. It lifts my day.
I held my breath fearing all would not work out but it did
The pages come to life with expressive characters, in a page turning story interwoven by relatable emotions and experiences telling a tasteful romantic story.
Good book
Fab romance develops between the pages of a new cookbook; Tutti a tavola!
March 25, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
I adored this romance!! It’s the third book I’ve read by author Kilby Blades and definitely rivals YA romance Friended for my favorite. The story’s well-written, keeps up a good pace throughout and concludes with happiness and joy, all wrapped up in more cooking. Though it’s not a short book it ended way too soon for me!
Cella, the celebrity chef, and small-town resident/wannabe chef Max are perfect — generous, kind, introverted types who push themselves to greet and embrace a more public life. I love their dedication to others and their refusal to take the easy path when a matter of principle is at stake.
This book is steeped in an atmosphere of honoring departed loved ones, maintaining small-town values, enjoying good food and friends, reveling in the beauty of a sunrise, and finding the lifestyle that will bring the most fulfillment. The romance has its roadblocks and evolves in fits and starts; no passion from page one here! But it’s all the better for the realistic hiccups along the way and the way Cella and Max develop both romance and friendship through their love of cooking and a North Carolina coastal town facing the pressure of rapid development to accommodate the exploding summer tourist trade.
Several villains and a callous newbie town physician notwithstanding, the characters and the place endeared themselves to me. I hope Blades writes more about Max and Cella’s friends, family and neighbors.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
I’m only a passable cook, but I love watching other people with the passion for it doing their thing. Max and Cella definitely have the passion; for food, for helping, for his small town, and most especially for each other. There’s lots of drama and angst as the pair sacrifice their own happiness for each others’ dreams. To the point where I want to take them both to try and shake some sense into them. But there’s also lots of love and camaraderie that make me very sorry the book’s over already.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through Hidden Gems Books.
Kilby does not disappoint in this beautifully written book about a hot doctor and his beautiful neighbor who happens to be a well known chef. These two hit it off and make some hot dishes together in the kitchen. Great book with a hea.
Really enjoyable, well developed characters and well done chic lit. Good writing, I’ll happily read more Kilby Blades!
Max was a doctor who loved cooking thanks to his grandmother. He also had a serious crush on Marcella Dawes who hosts cooking with Marcella. What he didn’t expect was that she would become his neighbor for the summer to write a cookbook or that he would become her assistant. As these two become involved with the book their relationship was evolving but the drama that Marcella kept at bay was beginning to come to the forefront. Will it be a recipe for disaster? I voluntarily agreed to receive an ARC of this book for an honest review.
slow boring and repetitive
Cute story and an easy read
Loved this book
Liked the different twist on setting
I love this story about two characters who learn that what they truly want is worth pursuing.