Fantastic debut!! While on my girls trip to Miami with the Ride or Die squad this past weekend, we were just talking about Waitress (you know the movie that was turned into a hit Broadway show?) so this book was absolutely perfect! Yes, you can draw comparisons between the two - heartache and desserts - the two go hand in hand together..

I admit though, Ellie's lack of confidence in herself was a wee bit annoying from time to time but her strength at the end of the novel made up for every self-loathing statement in the book.

Its cute, its quick, its fluffy - and it has recipes for some amazing desserts - whats not to absolutely love and devour?????

This book was a surprise to me! I loved the cover and assumed that I would like the book because of that.  I know, that can be a fatal mistake.  But, in this case it wasn't.  I devoured this book.  I couldn't put it down!  It was happy, it was sad.  It was what I would expect to be feeling in Elle's situation.  It felt like a mirror to a younger me.  And, I loved how the author worded the recipes!  This book was a happy surprise.  I actually intend to try the recipes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This is so different from what you would expect!

I was looking for light, fluffy, fun - the reality was dark and twisty, truly shocking, and absolutely enthralling! I also loved the way that food was almost another character; I'm a huge baking lover, so for me it was brilliant, and I've actually saved several of the recipes for future use.

I did find the timelines a bit tricky to grasp at first, but once you do, it becomes totally worth it. Some of the characters were unlikeable, but that somehow added to the story in some way.

All in all, I loved it! Can't wait for her next book.

Nice book, with all the recipes thrown in there. But the end... I don’t think a good idea if she does that.

2.5 stars
If you enjoy novels centred around daily life where the plot is relatively 'normal' and doesn't really go anywhere aside from exploring a specific topic or event, check this one out. I know that description may not make this story sound appealing but I do know that there are readers out there that enjoy novels based on everyday life. I would consider this novel a 'slice of life' story where it explores an event, what lead up to that event, and the aftermath of that event. 

Personally, at this point in my life, it was not the story for me. Who knows, maybe down the road with different life experiences having occurred, I may have enjoyed this story more. 

The basis of this story is surrounding a topic that does frequently occur in the daily life of many (unfortunately) so I can see how this story could be relatable. As well, the novel shows how one decision may not be the 'right' decision for all and that there can be a different outcome for different relationships. 

The writing was well done and I think for some, this story could be therapeutic if they had a similar situation occur. Or....it could potentially make a reader mad if they went through a similar situation. I'm not sure. Put simply, it was just not the story for me. 

One word of caution is not to go into this novel based on the cover (I know, I know but I still had to say it). This novel is not a light and fluffy story as they cover suggests. 

***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

The Ingredients of Us was a surprising and emotional read. 

When the book begins, Elle has just found out her husband has been cheating on her. The story  jumps around between the past and present telling how Elle and Tom came to this moment of her discovering his infidelity. I had strong opinions on what I thought Elle should do so I found myself getting really frustrated with her at first. It felt like she was in a holding pattern and couldn’t decide what to do next. I connected with her friend Bonnie because she was giving Elle all the advice I wanted to. As the story of their past and details of how their relationship developed unfolded I understood Elle’s reactions and found myself empathizing with her character more and more. In the end I really enjoyed reading this book. 

Jennifer Gold  has written a beautiful and complex story that illustrates just how complicated life can be and how the obvious answer isn’t always the right one.

This book is full of cheating and confusion and death. I wanted more from it. More life more story more jeuzz. Ah well can’t win em all

🍰 #partner| Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer Gold  & Lake Union Publishing  for the free advanced digital copy! This book is available now! 
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🌟BOOK REVIEW🌟
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▪️MY THOUGHTS
✔️I loved this book! The writing, the storyline, the characters - it was all so memorable!

Let’s start with the cover, it’s gorgeous! If you’re into books where food essentially is a character - this book is for you! I went in thinking this book was going to be a light read, but it ended up being such a raw beautiful portrayal of a love story and how this couple ended up where they were today. 

Told throughout the years, it provided so much insight into their relationship. I even felt bad for the husband - even though I completely disagreed with his infidelity. I’m still not sure what to make of the ending, but I’m okay with that! Like life you don’t always know how things will turn out and I thought this story beautifully exemplified that!  I can’t believe it’s the authors debut! ❤️
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▪️TITLE RUNDOWN
Indiscretions 
Nice 
Great 
Relationships 
Empty 
Divorce
Ingredients 
Empathy 
Napron
Torn
Sad

A promising debut from this author. I loved how the recipes were incorporated. I did find the switching from past to present confusing at times, and I could not understand why Elle and Tom didn't have a full and frank discussion about their relationship. All of a sudden they were divorced! I did enjoy reading it though, and I like the way the author left Tom and Elle at the end.

This was cute. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. To me the big stand out good part was the included “cookbook” segments (loved how they were written). I don’t like, in general, the switching between past and present in a book like this. We already know he cheated, so I’m not super invested in seeing them fall in love in the past.

There is no recipe for life.

Elle, owner, and baker extraordinaire is thinking seriously about opening a second bakery.

She has put her heart and soul into her business leaving her husband in second place and looking elsewhere for comfort. He cheats. She doesn’t understand why and turns to what she knows best. Baking.

All of Elles’ recipes bring memories. Some more comforting than others. Confused, and not sure what to do she has her own little fling and may lose her husband in the end.

The story is told in the present, the months and years before she knew about the fling and the time afterward. That was a bit confusing, but not much. The recipes were to die for in this book. Elle wasn’t a very likable character for me.

To be honest, if I were her husband, I would have left too. She had a one-track mind and it was only on one thing. Her bakery. The marriage didn’t come with a recipe and Elle has no idea what the ingredients of one are. But can she find them? Or will it be too little too late?

I anxiously await her next book! Seriously Elle may have been clueless about marriage, but the woman knows how to bake!

NetGalley/ July 1st, 2019 by Lake Union Publishing

Okay first of all, that cover! I know that's not what books are really about but this would certainly stand out to me in a bookshop, anything with or about cake is a winner for me. The fact that this is so much about baking and how Elle turns to it in hard times was what really caught my attention in the first place. Baking is my favourite hobby, it doesn't matter how I'm feeling, it just makes me feels good so for that reason alone, I felt like I could relate to Elle. She has her own bakery with friend Bonnie which takes centre stage throughout and because of that there are actually several recipes throughout which I thought was a nice touch.

I found from the beginning I really liked Elle. Her ambition and love for baking shone through. All of the characters in the book were developed well but Elle in particular, I just grew fond of quickly. I also couldn't help but feel for her when we get into the real nitty gritty and discover husband Tom has been having an affair. From here we go back and forth to the days where their relationship was just starting, Elle's bakery was getting off the ground and when she loses her father. Though it does tend to flit from past to present each chapter, it flows incredibly well and allows for you to discover what's led to their marriage falling apart. It felt very authentic, a realistic look at life and how marriage does need to be worked at over the years.

Whilst from the cover you might assume this is a bit of a girly and fluffy read, I actually found it packed a real emotional punch. Yes, it was lighthearted and there were funny moments between Elle and friends, but to me it was so much more than that. A strong story that deals with loss, betrayal and trust, topics that I'm sure are relatable for so many people. I just loved Jennifer's writing too and it was a book that once I started I just wanted to keep coming back to it. Every opportunity I had, I was reading another chapter. I even like that the ending keeps you guessing too when normally I'd prefer for everything to be rounded off nicely. After everything have Elle and Tom managed to work their way back to one another? I'd love to read more from Jennifer in the future and another book about these particular characters would be wonderful.

The Ingredients Of Us was a really unexpected but enjoyable read and I actually think I'll be going back through it again soon to try out some of the recipes. Warm scones with jam and cream - yes please. I've never found a recipe which gets them just right so maybe this is the one!

Elle and Tom have known each other for 9 years, have been married for 7 years, and shortly after celebrating their   latest anniversary, Elle discovers Tom has recently been cheating.  Elle is shocked. In her mind, they had a wonderful marriage, and for the most part, her partner Tom has always been nothing but loving and supportive. She is truly conflicted in her emotions and as the story unravels, she turns to her friends and to her craft of baking for support and refuge, respectively. Don't we all need a way to escape real life for a while? For many the go to  cure is sports: from yoga to hockey, martial arts or swimming, for others it could be knitting, and for others it could be photography, painting or glassblowing. For Elle its baking, and some how, Elle bakes her way to her own solution.

I have to say one of the many thingsI loved about this book is,  the recipes:  their titles, the out of the usual way the recipes are presented, and the choices of recipes.  Every single one sounds so delicious, I would love to try them all! One of my favourite recipes in the book was "Heart Stopping Cheesecake":
"there's something about cheesecake that pacifies emotional wounds. The bigger the tragedy the bigger the slice. If you've never used cheesecake to soothe the sadness, you've missed an opportunity.....bake at 350....The room will smell of comfort, and comfort is the first step toward mending a sore heart. 

A couple of Quotes from The Ingredients of Us:
About Elle: "She wants so badly to scrub her knuckles until her whole life is shiny again, but it doesn't work that way.
"Here's something that life doesn't give you: a recipe. You have to make it up as you go along. Adjust accordingly.

Thank you Jennifer Gold for this lovely book, with all the fantastic recipes and its stunning cover. I loved it 5 stars. Thank you #netgalley for the e-ARC. It's  in bookstores now.

Perfect chick lit!  I loved the premise and the characters were well developed!  I recommend this for anyone looking for a light and fun read!

A light read, lighter than I was expecting given the subject matter, tried to be interesting , but for me it just felt a bit too light and fluffy and I lost interest halfway through in caring about what was happening

While It was a bit predictable (too similar to a few other books related to love and cooking I have read). I did find it cute and enjoyable! A light read on a heavy subject. The recipes made me hungry and I actually wanted to try a few out. Golds writing style is intriguing and magical. A great read for someone going through infidelity, or marriage woes. I enjoyed this and would read other books by Gold. 

Thank you to Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was really looking forward to this book after seeing the beautiful cover and reading the description.

Unfortunately, the story didn't work for me.  What did work was the idea of recipes for certain times of your life. Also, Elle's best friend Bonnie was a nice addition to the story. 

 What didn't work for me were the characters.The flip flopping chapters didn't help.  It was a confusing format because the timelines jumped all around from the day she found out, to a month before she found out, to a week after she found out, to nine years before, etc. It was hard to get a handle on the development of Elle and her husband Tom's relationship. I went into the story expecting not to like the cheating husband, and I didn't, but wanted to like Elle.  However, she did not come off as a sympathetic character to me. For a woman who is 35 and a business owner she was extremely naive and insecure. She knew her husband got involved with her before his divorce and yet she is surprised he cheats. I also disliked that she never communicated with her husband that she didn't want kids when she knew how much he wanted a child. She hooks up with another guy while she's still married and again no communication. Elle's mother was also unlikable. Her mother's comment regarding her husband's ( Elle's father) cancer was so rude and off putting.

Hopefully other readers will find a better connection with the characters than I did.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Divorce is such a horrible thing! People love each other for what they think is forever! What happens between the former and the latter. The characters seem so real and their reaction to things  were believable. All and all a very good book!

4/5🌟
First of all, this cover, you guys! It makes me want to eat CAKE.🍰


Would love to thank Netgalley and lake union publishing for sending me this free ARC to read and in return to give them my honest review on Jennifer golds debut novel . 


In this novel you are brought into the lives of Elle and Tom, a couple whose marriage is crumbling right before their eyes. Will they be able to find the recipe for love, or is it too late? 


Elle is a motivated and talented baker who has a passion and love for baking , when her time and energy is consumed in her baking and spending all her time at the bakery . Elle has no idea that her marriage is falling apart 




Jennifer gold put this story so well together ! I loved Elle and her passion, independence and her desire for baking. The book was so well written I felt as if I was in that bakery making cinnamon rolls along side with Elle . Oh and I definitely appreciated all those recipes !! Gave this book a unique touch to it !

⭐️Book Review ⭐️
The Ingredients of Us by Jennifer Gold
3/5 Stars

**I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**  

I really wanted to love this book after all the hype about it on social media. The dual timelines were absolute confusion. It’s one thing to jump to ‘before’ and ‘after’ and event, but this timeline would jump to years before, days after, months before, etc. I almost needed a notebook to keep track of where we were at in the story.  We were told how the couple met 2/3 through the book- it seemed out of place. 

Tom and Elle have a good marriage until she finds out he cheated. It’s very predictable. Tom is typical good husband turned scoundrel and wants Elle back. Elle is a fabulous baker owning her own bakery with her friend Bonnie. The book is filled with yummy recipes that I could never recreate, but sound delicious. 

The story follows Elle and Tom through their relationship ups and downs along with Elle and her bakery trials.

I did enjoy the story and it was sweet, but I would not recommend the book or buy it myself. No depth...