The Ingredients of You and Me

The halfhearted third romance in Nina Bocci’s Hopeless Romantics series (after Meet Me on Love Lane) introduces a charmless couple who behave in unbelievable ways. After Parker Adams sells her successful New York City cupcake shop, she visits her best friend, Charlotte, in small-town Hope Lake, Pa. Parker has a secondary motive for the trip: on a previous visit she secretly began a relationship with Charlotte’s friend Nick Arthur, which continued long-distance. They were in the midst of planning Thanksgiving together when he ghosted her, leaving her so heartbroken she couldn’t bake. Despite Parker’s desire for answers, when she sees Nick again she refuses to let him explain. As their communication issues get increasingly tedious, readers will find it hard to care about a couple who so consistently hurt one another. More successful are the mouthwatering descriptions of Parker’s baked goods and the quirky older ladies who welcome Parker to town and inspire her to figure out a career that will allow her to stay in Hope Lake with her undeserving beau. This misses the mark. Agent: Kimberly Brower, Brower Literary & Management. (Apr.)