REVIEW: The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove by Karen Hawkins

The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove by Karen Hawkins: The Dove sisters’ are renowned for their special gifts, and when Ella discovers hers is cooking, or more specifically, cooking to stimulate the recollection of memory in others, she realises the hole in her heart since her fathers death can be soothed by a sense of purpose and belonging.

Introverted and yet entirely free spirited, Ella has the reputation of not staying in one place too long, and so when she returns to her home town, she is suddenly set upon by strawberry cupcake dreams that have begun transcending into her waking reality. Consulting her ‘Aunty Jo’, it becomes evident that the dream is leading her in one direction – back to the Stewarts residence where an accusation from the past continues to haunt her despite her innocence.
As one failed attempt at reconciliation fails after the other, Ella agrees to stay in town longer than intended on interesting albeit deceptive pretences, and finds herself drawn to the man she was able to easily walk away from several years prior.

With gorgeous character development and the type of writing maturity that creates deep subtext and energy between readers and central characters, this was the type of slow burn that whilst obvious, deserved its day in the sunlight. As our central lovers, Gray and Ella were absolutely perfect, and despite having various complex obstacles to overcome, were engaging in every way – Ella with her warmth and Gray with his intentionality. Being set in a small town, naturally there were various small town themes unpacked but for the most part family, loyalty and friendship were the true headliners that kept the pages turning.

Whistle clean, it teetered on the verge of being a little too hallmark and yet, the mixup of some magical realism, enabled a certain whimsy that warmed the heart and ensured a patient wait for the perfect happily ever after to come. As far as genuinely good romance goes, this was high quality and I highly recommend it for any lazy afternoon when a good family roast is cooking merrily in the over.

Book Info:

Publication: 15th August 2023 | Gallery Books | Dove Pond #3

Ella Dove is an acclaimed baker whose desserts spark vivid, cherished memories in those who taste them. A restless soul, Ella goes wherever the wind takes her—but driven by a haunting dream, she’s coming home to Dove Pond. Years ago, her mentor, Angela Stewart Harrington, falsely accused Ella of stealing her beloved family recipe book, known as the Book of Cakes. Now, Ella believes it’s time for them to reconcile.

Angela has her own share of amends to make. Her daughter Jules has never forgiven her for divorcing her father, and they’ve been estranged ever since. But just as Angela begins to hope that she and Jules might mend their tattered relationship, a miscommunication turns into a lie that could destroy everything.

Meanwhile, Jules’s son Gray is shocked that Ella, his first love and his first heartbreak, has returned to Dove Pond. But even though he knows Ella is a wanderer and will soon leave, he’s unable to stop himself from falling for her once again. Can Gray find a way to convince Ella to give him, and their town, a serious chance? Or is he once again on the road to a broken heart?

With so much at stake, Ella, Angela, and Gray must learn to accept each other—flaws and all—forgive the many mistakes of their pasts, and trust that love can, and will, always find a way.