The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake

(Paperback)

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Description

A magical cookbook and a summer on her family's Italian olive farm help a brokenhearted social media chef cook up a satisfying new life in this delectable novel from the bestselling author of Recipe for a Charmed Life. "Heartfelt, heartwarming, joyful, and uplifting. You can't go wrong with a Rachel Linden book."-#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber A magical cookbook and a summer on her family's Italian olive farm help a brokenhearted social media chef cook up asatisfyingnew lifein this delectable novel from the bestselling author of Recipe for a Charmed Life. Rising star Jules Costa loves re-creating vintage recipes for her popular online cooking show. But when personal and professional disaster strikes, her only chance to save her career is to complete her new cookbook before the end of the summer. Panicked, Jules returns to her family's beloved olive farm on the shores of Italy's stunning Lake Garda. Seeking culinary inspiration, she's hoping to convince her spunky eighty-year-old Nonna Bruna to share her precious collection of family recipes. Jules's plans quickly go awry as she discovers that Nonna's cookbook has magical and unpredictable powers. It reveals only one recipe at a time, offering a cooking experience guaranteed to satisfy the chef's palate and bring clarity to their life. Yet the pages remain stubbornly blank for Jules. To make matters worse, the olive farm is in deep financial trouble, and Jules soon uncovers a web of family secrets involving the cookbook and a lost recipe for orange blossom cake that holds the key to everything. Then there's Nicolo, the boy next door, who broke her young heart years ago. He is now all grown up, even more attractive, and the only person poised to help Jules find answers. In a whirlwind summer beyond her imagination, Jules begins to unravel the mysteries baked into her family's history and discovers the essential ingredients to create the future of her dreams.

Reviews

Heartfelt, heartwarming, joyful, and uplifting. You can't go wrong with a Rachel Linden book.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

"Linden has a permanent place on my list of auto-buy authors!"
Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times Bestselling author of The Summer of Songbirds

Praise for the novels of Rachel Linden

The perfect mix of delicious backdrop details, family secrets, and the quest for purpose and lasting love. Enchantingly delightful from first page to last.
Susan Meissner, USA Today bestselling author of Only the Beautiful

"Recipe for a Charmed Life is actuallya recipe for a magically marvelous read about expectations, second chances, and following your heart. Rachel Linden writes complicatedand compelling characters that are as relatable as they are likeable. I enjoyed every bit of this delightful novel."
Jenn McKinlay, New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading

"Charming locales, delicious food descriptions and magicthis tale has it all!"
Woman's World

"A magical story!"
FIRST for Women

A delightful tale of food, family, and sweet romance. Channeling Julia Child, Linden's main character Georgia, a sous chef at a famed Parisian restaurant, follows her own path to reclaiming her purpose and passion, one delicious bite at a time. This story is an absolute feast!
Lauren K. Denton, USA Today bestselling author of The Hideaway and The Summer House

Completely charming! Take a spunky heroine, add a swoon-worthy, orange-rubber-overall-wearing-oyster farmer, throw in a dash of the real-life messiness we all understand, and sprinkle a dusting of Lindens signature magical realism, and youve got the recipe for a delightful story you cant put down. I giggled, I sighed, and I got swept away from the first page in Paris to the final moment in the Pacific Northwests Friday Harbor.
Katherine Reay,bestselling author of A Shadow in Moscow

"Recipe for a Charmed Life satisfied my voracious appetite for delectable foodie novels. Lindens exploration of what we lose when we can no longer taste the flavors we love is savory food for thought. This magical story offers the perfect recipe for a gratifying read."
Kim Fay, national bestselling author of Love & Saffron

"With a dash of magic, a dollop of romance, a sprinkling of family secrets, and exquisite 'places I want to visit' settings, the ingredient list of Recipe for a Charmed Life adds up to a deliciously satisfyingread."
Marie Bostwick, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly

Filled with suspense, magic, and mouth-watering descriptions of food, and set against a backdrop of a gorgeous island in the Pacific Northwest, Recipe for a Charmed Life brings us a spunky, gritty heroine who must try to reinvent herself after a devastating heartbreak. This beautiful story is a feast not to be missed!
Maddie Dawson,bestselling author of Snap Out of It

"A sweet, slow-burn novel that celebrates food, nature, family and a little touch of magic."
Fresh Fiction

"With delicate touches of magical realism and an abiding sense of comfort, Linden offers a gentle hug of a story."
Library Journal

"This poignant story folds in themes of food and cooking with magical realism, grace, and a touch of romance."
Booklist

A magical novel about second chances! Warm, witty, and wise, I loved it! Linden is a master at creating loveable characters! The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is escapist reading at its best!
Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Deal

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is an enchanting tale about the one thing weve all imagined: a magical second chance. Rachel Linden expertly mixes romance, mystery and family-drama into a delicious recipe of a story. When Lolly is given three lemon drops, each a chance to do one day in her life over again, she sets off on an adventure that is as charming as it is exciting. With her trademark warmth, Linden delivers a captivating story with a magical heartbeat at its center.
Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah

Rachel Linden whips up an irresistible family drama oozing with charm and magic! The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is a must read for anyone who longs for second chances. A gem of a novel that charmed me from get-go,perfect for fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Alice Hoffman.
Lori Nelson Spielman, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany

A delicious read, down to the very last lemon drop! Rachel Linden delivers a delightful escape, wonderful characters, and a magical experience that will leave readers hungry for her next book.
Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Perennials

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is a charming, heart-warming story about what ifs and second chances. Readers will fall in love with the cast of delightful characters, and I defy anyone to read this book and not want to immediately eat lemon meringue pie. A beautiful, life-affirming read.
Freya Sampson, author of The Last Chance Library

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is a deliciously sweet tale about refusing to give up on your dreams and finding your bliss against all odds. Linden gives readers so much to enjoyromance, family drama, and bittersweet second chancesall served up with the perfect dash of magic.
Kate Bromley, author of Here For the Drama and Talk Bookish to Me

A heartwarming and uplifting tale about the power of choices and the hope that comes from second chances.
Fabulous Washington

Author Bio

Rachel Linden is a novelist and international aid worker whose adventures in more than fifty countries around the world provide excellent grist for her writing. She is the author of Recipe for a Charmed Life, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, Ascension of Larks, Becoming the Talbot Sisters, and The Enlightenment of Bees. Currently, Rachel lives with her family on a sweet little island in the Pacific Northwest where she enjoys creating stories about hope, courage, and connection with a hint of romance and a touch of whimsy.