Mila Nicks is a new author showcasing love stories featuring women of color.

A divorced single mom has no choice but to return to her mother's house. She grabs at the offer of a menial job to keep the wolf from the door. The owner of the business is a broken man on the road to ruin. Will Rosalie's attitude that wrecked her marriage and angers her mother, inspire or ruin his life and business completely? With a hint of romance floating in the air, she is confused when her ex-husband hints at a reconciliation. A High Street chain hovers on the brink of the story and wants to buy out the business. Food and cooking are intimately involved in the story, and as a foodie and romantic, this charming story kept me riveted to the sofa on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley and BookishFirstThanks. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Note to editors: (which I will not publish on my blog) I would leave out the sentence 'Blood surged through his body and pumped into his d**k. It jars the smooth flow of intimacy and sweetness that makes this novel so endearing. Also, I would sneak more 'will they won’t they' moments into the mix. There is not enough tension.

I loved every second of reading this book, honestly couldn't put it down. This was just the kind of entertaining read I needed

This book was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed that it included grief, toxic relationships, parenting, cooking and romance in an easy to digest, feel-good story.

A few times I thought sentences were a little clunky- that a word was missing to help it flow better. But for the most part the writing style was straightforward and did a good job painting a full picture.

Some points on the plot:

At first I was a little disappointed in the way the hostility between Rosalie and her mother took shape on the page. I felt there was more telling than showing. But as the story went on, the author did a good job building on their history and adding tension to their interactions in a way that made their relationship understandable.

I feel like the main plot line of the story (the revival of the restaurant and the blossoming romance) started very abruptly. Nick decides to turn things around and impress her pretty much at their first interaction. I think I expected a little more push back from him on her plans for the restaurant.

The tone of most of the book was very sweet and charming, but as the romance became more serious all of a sudden the language changed. Not just in the sex scenes, but there seemed to be a turning point where all of a sudden the author decided not to censor herself and write a few curses in here and there too. I love colorful language and steamy romances... I just feel like they came across as trying too hard to fit in with all the trendy smutty contemporaries, and it really didn't need to. There's definitely a way to be sweet and smutty, but it just seemed in this case that there was an obvious shift in style as opposed to embracing that blend from the beginning.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. 3.5 out of 5 stars

I do love a good small town romance with a protagonist who's recently returned home. Usually there's some history between the love interests, but there's not the case with Love's Recipe so there are no serious hurdles to overcome as far as that's concerned. Nicks does highlight a contentious mother-daughter relationship, which is a bit of a departure from what we usually see in the small town romance genre, but it feels honest and refreshing in a genre where everything and everyone tends to be practically picture perfect.

The author does characters and their story lines really well. There's a bit of her next book, Wild, Dark Horses included at the end of Love's Recipe. Sign me up because the little I read of it already has me hooked.

This book was SO adorable!!!!!!

I completely fell in love with the characters, and the plot as well. Super cute, and got me right in the feels.

The recipe for love is the boy next door plus the hometown girl who has just returned after seven years away....and a pesky ex-husband, an overbearing mother, two rambunctious six-year-old girls, and a family restaurant on the brink of total disaster. Rosalie and Nick each find themselves at a crossroads in life and need each other to discover their past passions anew again. In this Kitchen Nightmares meets small town romance novel, our protagonists are able to find love and save this Louisiana town's pride and joy, Ady's Creole Cafe! They encounter bumps along the road, but what romance doesn't? This is a great read, fun for food lovers and chick lit readers alike. Thank you so much to NetGalley for this adorable ARC!

DId not finish this book. There were problems with the basic research of the place that took me out of the story.

This book was sweet and wholesome and was just as much about the family dynamic as it was a romance. Rosalie and Nick both have a lot of growth they need to go through to be the best parents they can be in the face of the new challenges their lives present to them. So when they fall into each other's paths, naturally they find themselves orbiting one another. Rosalie notices Nick is unmotivated and after overhearing a conversation between her and her mom, Nick is all too aware of her early opinion of him. Dedicated to changing the way she sees him, but also the way he's turned his life in the wrong direction, Nick agrees to work with Rosalie to make things better.

It was cute. I liked it well enough. Was it the greatest read? No. Would I read it a second time? Probably not. Do I regret reading it? No way.

It is an even 3/5 stars. Good but not great.

Nick's novel touches on themes of grief, divorce, love and single parenting and does so in a sweet yet heartbreaking manner; I definitely recommend it if you need something short and sweet.

This was a super cute read and exactly what I needed at this moment! Nick is the perfect male character for me. I love the relationship and the connection that the two daughters have with one another. There is nothing that I would have changed about this book, except making it a bit longer! Would highly recommend.

Rosalie eloped at seventeen and left town. Seven years later, she’s come home. She’s not exactly welcomed with open arms by her mother. Her mom always said Rosalie would come back. And Rosalie probably never would have come home if her divorce hadn’t left her completely broke and unable to support her young daughter Remi.

Trying to prolong her arrival at her mom’s house, Rosalie stops at a restaurant on the way in. She remembers Ady’s Creole restaurant from a few special meals out as a child.
She’s shocked by what she sees when she steps in. The restaurant is empty, it’s messy, everything is dated, the employees are disinterested and the food is disappointing. What could have changed so drastically? The owner passed away and her son Nick is now running the restaurant.

Nick’s mom passed away about a year ago. He’s grieving. He’s putting in the bare minimum effort to keep the place running.

Rosalie noticed the “help wanted” sign in the door. She needs a job and Nick needs a waitress. He hires her on the spot.

When she starts working, she realizes the depth of Nick’s laziness at the restaurant. It turns out, Nick used to be the head chef. The food used to be beloved.

Rosalie jumps into “fixer up” mode, she encourages Nick to start making things better. She also talks him into entering a local restaurant competition, the only catch is that she has to do the cooking.
Poor Rosalie grew up with a mom who wasn’t patient enough to teach her to cook, then married a man who considered it as failing as a wife that she did not cook well.

The cooking lessons Nick gives Rosalie and the fixer up project bring the two closer together. Their daughters meet at school and become instant best friends.

I like how they brought out the best in each other. They have the ability to actually improve each other’s lives and have an instant connection.

I thought this was sweet and I thought the food sounded delicious.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thanks!

I really liked this book.
This book follows Nick and Rosalie our main characters. They are both dealing with different issues when they find each other. I always said Love and good have a way of fixing things.

This novel touches on things like grief, divorce, love and trying to raise children as single parents. It’s sweet yet heartbreaking.


I really enjoyed the writing, I loved the main characters. The author did a great job on making you feel the chemistry.
It was a quick read for me. And I definitely recommend it if you need something short and sweet.



Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book.

This was such a cute romance! I always love a good single parent(s) romance and this one was so good. The characters are so relate able and you feel so much for them. This was a little slow in the beginning and is a slow burn romance but, the reading experience was enjoyable.

A lovely book about finding your footing after dealing with divorce (heroine) and death (hero). Both the main characters have made mistakes in the past and are figuring out how to mend fences and move on. I loved how the children were portrayed in this book. They weren't just there to prop up the main characters but there to add elements to the story. The romance was sweet and satisfying and enjoyed how the book ended.

Ok, I LOVE a good romance. Actually, I'm a sucker for it. This book. This freakin book has it all. POC rep, family drama, cute swoon worthy moments and amazing characters. Rosalie is definitely my favorite and I absolutely love her.

I loved everything about this book. Such a gem.

A cute romance with POC as the lead. It will definitely have you in your feels. There are many cute romantic moments as well as a little family drama. A perfect combination.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.
The cover is awesome.

A short sweet romance is close to what I think of this book, however, it's not just about love and kisses and happy endings. It's about hurt, seeking refuge, making mistakes and healing from them. Rosalie does struggle to keep her head above water and her relationship with her Mom is one of the sour points in her life, and as she comes back home 7 years after walking out swearing never to return, she's fierce in making a better life for her daughter, Remi. Nick is just the bonus and it takes her a while to learn to love and approve of herself.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.
I absolutely love the cover!