Review: Recipe for Love - Small Town Shenanigans #1

Recipe for Love book cover on blue background

After reading the Clearly Christian Readathon's contemporary buddy read, I knew that I needed to continue the Small Town Shenanigans series by Penny Zeller. The next book, Recipe for Love, is an uproarious novel brimming with Christian content that will make you want to visit Cloverdale Falls.

Book Synopsis

Welcome to Cloverdale Falls, home to the famous chicken statue, new romance...and an unexpected mystery.

Rumors started flying when all of the businesses on Main Street in Cloverdale Falls sold last month. Bakery owner Maisie Carpenter finds herself appointed to uncover the mysterious new owner’s identity, and in the process, hopefully allay some of the residents' fears. What happens when she solves the mystery and discovers the man connected with purchasing the businesses is the very man she has recently fallen in love with?

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

H.T. has multiple meanings in this book, making it a delightful story about intrigue at first sight in the Small Town Shenanigans series. Readers will enjoy seeing what the Handsome Tourist is up to and how his presence affects a small town, bringing about some investigative services that will have you rolling with laughter as some seniors in the community take matters into their own hands. This is a book where the small town is definitely the star of the show, complete with a chicken named Henrietta.

As a result, I love that Hudson and Maisie are so active in the community and that their heart is in giving back to others. You can tell that they are both respected community members, making it easier to cheer for their budding feelings for one another. The way that Hudson treats his grandparents is a testament to his character, granting him leading hero status. I appreciate that there are open conversations about faith and that the characters live out their beliefs by how they act. If you enjoy a Christian romance with humour, small town fun, and baking along the way, Recipe for Love is as delightful and comforting as chocolate chip cookies after a splendid meal with family and friends.

Book Summary

Format of book: 📱
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendation: 👍

Comments

Didactic Scenes

I love researching and recently looked into Harlequin's Love Inspired line's submission guidelines to find out if there were certain parameters in the stories they accept and publish. One of the lines that stood out to me was: "Mandatory faith element that is integral to story and shows rather than tells, avoiding didactic, preachy tone or doctrinal language." This had me thinking about one of the cinematic attributes I've heard over the years between British and American movies and television, where one tends to show the story and have people reason it out, whereas the other can get into further detail, eliminating the need to piece things out as much when watching a story. I wish I could find the source for this thought as it's shaped how I view and compare a lot of mysteries and dramas (I confess that I may be a tad too shy for British comedies)—broadly speaking, of course. As a result, I can understand how didactic language isn't always pleasant to s...

Lord of Our Entertainment

I have to give full credit for the title of this post to Heather Wood who used this phrase in an Instagram story to promote the #ClearlyChristianReadathon . Thank you for using this term as it's been in my head ever since I saw it! In thinking about what it means to have Jesus as the Lord of my life, this clearly and obviously extends to how I fill my time and what content I consume. Although my reasons for being more intentional with my reading were initially pragmatic (as in if I die soon, did I waste a lot of time in my life reading things that weren't even that great?), I also see how it can both reflect my walk with God and shape what it becomes. Though I'm sharing a lot of content about the Clearly Christian Readathon , I'm encouraged to think of all of my entertainment choices in the light of eternity. While I've certainly struggled with this at different times in my life, it's been hitting me in a different way now. I confess that even quite recently, ...

Christian Book Review Programs

Over time, I've been on the hunt for Christian book review programs that readers can join. As a result, I've been able to compile the following list which may be of interest if you are seeking review copies of Christian books. This list mostly applies to print and ebooks, although some publishers offer audiobooks as well. If further information is available for any of the publishers below (or any missing publishers), please let me know as I am happy to update this list—thank you! Please note that you can also search for these publishers on NetGalley and other review sites in case there are no review programs available to you or you don't qualify for one 😊 List last updated: September 23, 2026 Christian Publishers 10ofThose Availability: U.S., Canadian, and U.K. residents Format: Only books published by 10ofThose qualify for review requests so as to avoid impeding with other Christian book review programs Genre: Christian non-fiction, children's books Email for availabi...