A Recipe for Romance

by Lara Van Hulzen

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Wes planned a drive by trip to Marietta, Montana to help his dad close a business deal and then to head back to his life in New York. But when his dad volunteers him for the Bachelor Bake Off to commemorate a local fallen first responder, Wes can’t say no, even though Marietta holds painful memories and baking eludes his skill set. After an accident sidelines Noelle Olsen’s career as a dancer, she moves to Montana to pursue a new dream: opening a dance studio in Marietta’s historic and charming downtown. When one of her students suckers her into helping the handsome Wes St. Clare whip up some winning recipes, Noelle finds herself dreaming about more than teaching dance. Falling in love wasn’t part of Wes’ plans, and definitely not in Marietta, and as Noelle learns more about Wes and his business dealings, she fears she’ll lose her business along with her heart. Will cozy kitchens and a nudge from the St. Claire family help Wes and Noelle find the love they didn’t know they were looking for?

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Book Details

Genre

Contemporary Romance

Subgenre

Small Town

Series

The Marietta St. Claires • Book 1

Audience

Adult

Bell Peppers

🫑

Profanity

1 None

Violence

1 None

Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco

1 None

Publication Date

August 5, 2025

Language Versions

English

Fiction Form

Novel

About the Author

Writing stories since she was a young girl, Lara’s dream of being a novelist became a reality with her Men of Honor Series.An avid reader, she worked as a book reviewer for 18 years with various organizations. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a Masters of Divinity in Chaplaincy.Lara loves tea, baseball and living in Idaho with her husband and Great Dane.

Didn't Keep Me From My Chores

The synopsis sounded interesting and the story started off okay, but as it unfolded I found that I wasn't too interested in what was happening, and the characters seemed pretty unoriginal. I had to force myself to finish; at one point, I found the heroine, Noelle, to have overreacted to the situation which seemed quite artificial. All in all, this book is fine to kill time, but it certainly didn't keep me from doing my chores.

Another bake-off

Another in the bachelor bake-off series. Wes is roped in by his father. Noelle becomes his tutor, although all she seems to do is read the recipe. A lot of will they, won't they, because he is going back to New York.

The man behind the money

Noelle was a professional dancer until an accident put a stop to that. Now she has her own dance studio and teaches. She meets Wes at a bar and has a dance with him but he has to go as his niece is in need of him and her dad. Noelle and Wes meet again when one of her little students offers her cooking skills to teach Wes how to cook for the fundraiser bake off. They get to know each other and have to find there way around some obstacles as their relationship develops. A really lovely story that’s leaves you smiling.

dancing, baking...

Another Marietta romance. All the various authors who have written about Marietta have done justice to the town, and Lara Van Hulzen is no exception.A sweet story with love, family, friends and baking thrown in. Though this is the fifth book of the series and can be read as a standalone, I really liked how some characters from the previous books make their appearance. The characters are well developed and their back stories well told. I liked the secondary characters well. Annalise is an angel, I really loved her.The descriptions are detailed. There is humour, there is tragedy. I loved the compassion and the romance. The language is simple and the story just flows. The twists and turns make the story more interesting.I would definitely want to read more stories of the other siblings of the St. Claire family.

A RECIPE FOR Romance

The book was fabulous and could not put the book down. The Author was fantastic in her writing and I hope that others will feel the same way when they read the book. 🥰