This is my first book by this author, it was highly entertaining and had me hooked from the start.
Within the first few pages I was giggling away at this book and the giggles didn't stop.

A story of two people who were once married.
Lucy's heart was broken into a million tiny pieces... she had vowed to give relationships as wide a berth as possible and to focus all of her time and energy into her career. Suppressing that inescapable feeling that there is something missing from her life is not easy. She thinks that she is doing a good job of keeping things together – until a blast from the past in the form of her estranged ex husband throws her perfectly ordered life into chaos!

As long-buried feelings resurface, will Lucy and Oliver find a way back to one another? Or are there too many obstacles standing in their way for the two of them to ever give love a second try?

A thoroughly enjoyable read and highly recommend.

I was really looking forward to reading this book after seeing the cover and reading the book’s blurb and I can tell you now that I was certainly not disappointed!

I loved the storyline and I adored the characters, Lucy was great and I just wanted to give her a great big hug! The story had just the right amount of detail to keep me hooked and entertained.

loved the whole thing and the ending was everything I wanted it to be – definitely 5 stars from me!!

I don't have a sweet tooth, but I am definitely up for cakes and no way I was going to pass a book on a master cake baker. The story revolves around Lucy and Oliver and it begins long after the end of their happily ever after. Choosing his career over marriage, Oliver has reached to the stars while his wife is left in the hometown picking up the pieces. Now Oliver is back to reclaim his not yet divorced ex-wife, Lucy.
The plot, as you can see, showcases so much potential and Belinda doesn't disappoint you a bit. Lucy and Oliver have a bumpy ride ahead of them and until the very end, we are made to guess what might happen. What I liked most about both these characters is that they are not perfect and they remain imperfect to the last page of the book. I am happy that the author chose to portray them so; perfection is something that exists only in an ideal world. It is the flaws in our characters that make our lives special and different.
Consequently, Oliver is an egotistical, business-minded but talented chef and Lucy is a stubborn woman with excellent baking skills. Will they make it? I think it entirely depends on them. Here in the book, we can give them a happy ending, but they are so alive one could clearly believe them to be real. That makes this work stands out from the typical fairy tale romances and for this sole reason, I loved it to the core.
More than a month has passed since I finished this one. But even now, while writing this review my mind is crowded with beautiful scenes from the story making me smile. Thank you Rachel and NetGalley for this review copy, this was a delicious read :)

I absolutely adored this book. Belinda Missen has written a wonderful second-chance romance with a twist that is full of humor and still manages to be heartfelt (so often a romance has one or the other, but not both done well). The relationship between Lucy and her estranged husband, Oliver, is completely believable, as are the troubles they face as they try to figure out their futures. The author also did an excellent job of weaving the workplace issues with the personal issues of Oliver and Lucy. I liked that the secondary characters were in and out of the story, but didn’t take over the plot; their appearances were very realistic. I also liked the Australian setting and language; that was a pleasant change from so many that are set in England. What made this book stand out from other similar romances, however, was the sense of humor the characters (especially Lucy) exhibited. While there were no laugh riot moments, although a few came close, there was plenty of “blink and you’ll miss it” dry humor. At one point, Lucy mentions that her friend’s purse holds everything from baby wipes to an Angolan road map. My favorite observation, however, is that of all reviews of a restaurant, the ones on social media are chosen because of the “overly reliable sensibility and level-headedness” that is found on social media (I did literally laugh out loud at that one). I definitely recommend this book, and look forward to more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, HQ Digital Publishing, and the author for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Delicious Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This was a delightful story that left me with a smile on my face and a craving for cake! Anyone who follows my blog or reads my reviews knows I am a huge sucker for a lighthearted romantic comedy.... and this book checked off all the boxes for what I love about these books.... fun characters✔️ laugh out loud moments✔️ fabulous friendships✔️ lovely setting✔️ and it always helps when there is delicious food✔️✔️✔️ oh and I cannot forget the romance✔️ got to love the love!

This was a realistic second chance love story... Lucy and Oliver met when they were 15, bonded by their mutual love of cooking/baking... when given the chance to move from Australia to France and pursue his dreams Oliver makes the move and leaves Lucy behind.... now A famous chef Oliver is back, but what does he want? What happens after you’ve already had your happily ever after?

Really like Lucy and I was right there with her as she tried to figure out whether or not things would work again with Oliver.... I was seriously as fickle as Lucy throughout this book.... One minute I thought Oliver was worth a second chance and then he’d say or do something stupid... Lucy was very reactionary and occasionally her reactions were immature, but that’s what I found so realistic about her.... I mean we’ve all been known to throw an occasional fit, right? Right??? So... do these to get a second happily ever after? Well you will need to read the book to find that one out!

Another fabulous part to this book were the secondary characters... I love the strong friendships between Lucy and Zoe, and Lucy and Patrick.... they were both loyal and fierce friends that any of us would be lucky to have! I would love to see a follow up that included either one of these characters.... I also loved Lucy’s lovely family.... although mom was a little too fond of Oliver, I could see where that would be a bit annoying....

Absolutely recommend to people who enjoy a fun sweet romance, that is guaranteed to leave you craving cake 🍰

*** many thanks to HQ Digital and Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for my copy of this book ***

This book had me in fits of giggles at times. Two people, once married,have a chance encounter. We follow them as their future unfolds. We meet friends and family along the way as well as hearing about food delights.

Favorite Quotes:

A nervous Oliver was like Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket. You knew there was one out there somewhere, but you’d be hard-pressed to find it without some serious legwork.

A small crowd of adults gathered around the cake, like it was baby Jesus in the manger. Instead of offering me any kind of rare gifts, they offered my cake to the Instagram gods.

My vagina is depressed – that is officially something that can happen, mind you– and I don’t know what to do… It’s a thing… They waste away and die. God knows they probably drop off and run away of their own volition.

You don’t know this is for sure, though, so let’s not roll down worst case scenario hill, it’s right next to depression valley and crazy cat lady land.

I slipped across the road and into my car, all the while reminding myself there were no cakes in prison, nor were there any savoury pinwheels or cheese twists.

A local bookshop is, and I quote, going down quicker than a cheerleader on a Saturday night. Can we please stop by and buy some books?

My Review:

I giggle-snorted my way through this delightfully witty and cleverly written tale. I have a new favorite author to fangirl as I treasured Belinda Missen’s cunning and irreverent sense of humor and would gleefully worship at her writing desk as her rabid acolyte. I had reams of favorite quotes to painfully whittle down to include in my review. The characters were quirky and endearing yet deeply flawed and I held my breath for them as a couple as I couldn't tell what outcome this sly scribbler was going to choose for them. Lucy was a prickly pear and still nursing a grudge and tended to be defensive and pick unnecessary fights and fly off in a temper, yet I still adored her.

The writing was crisp and insightful and pulled sharp visuals to mind while tripping my salivary gland and whetting my appetite with the keenly detailed efforts of, and the sumptuous meals and delectable treats created and ingested by, Chefs Oliver and Lucy. For some reason, my clothes feel a bit tighter – as if my immense enjoyment of Ms. Missen’s crafty and delicious words had led my traitorous body to believe I had actually consumed the vast amounts of butter and sugar described. Curses! If this phenomenon were possible it would surely happen to me.

A delightfully funny, engaging and warm-hearted read that takes a look at what happens after the happy ever after, Belinda Missen’s A Recipe for Disaster is a sparkling Australian-set tale that is simply fantastic!

After having had her heart broken into a million tiny pieces, Lucy had vowed to give relationships as wide a berth as possible and to focus all of her time and energy into her career. As a master wedding cake baker, when Lucy isn’t in the kitchen dreaming up recipes, she is a school canteen crusader who spends her spare time with her family and friends who, with their loudness and exuberance, keep her from thinking about a broken heart that simply won’t mend. Suppressing that inescapable feeling that there is something missing from her life is not easy, but with the help of her family and friends, Lucy just about manages to stop herself from dwelling about her broken heart. She thinks that she is doing a good job of keeping things together – until a blast from the past in the form of her estranged ex husband, Oliver Murray, throws her perfectly ordered life into chaos!

Small town Australia had always been too claustrophobic and stifling for a man with big ambitions like Oliver. Having always wanted to make a name for himself in the culinary world, when an opportunity had arisen for Oliver that compelled him to move far away from the marital home, he had chosen his ambition over Lucy and had walked out on their marriage. Lucy had thought she would never hear from Oliver ever again, so she is absolutely flabbergasted when she hears that he is back in town and that he won’t leave until he speaks to her and manages to persuade to agree to work with him on a project that could change Lucy’s life forever. As Lucy’s life begins to crumble around her like flaky pastry, she begins to wonder whether she can trust Oliver again after all he had done to her…and whether she is in danger of falling in love with him all over again.

As long-buried feelings resurface, will Lucy and Oliver find a way back to one another? Or are there too many obstacles standing in their way for the two of them to ever give love a second try?

A thoroughly enjoyable contemporary tale that had me giggling on many an occasion, A Recipe for Disaster is a funny, engrossing and thought-provoking exploration of modern marriage, ambition and wanting different things from a relationship that effortlessly balances humour and pathos with flair and aplomb.

Belinda Missen’s wonderful writing style draws you in from the very beginning and I found myself unable to put A Recipe for Disaster down once I started reading the book. I adored the characters and the small-town Australian setting was wonderfully atmospheric and really brought home to me the challenges and frustrations of rural life for people with big dreams of making it in the big city.

A terrific read that will certainly have me looking out for more Belinda Missen titles in the future, A Recipe for Disaster is a captivating and compelling read I highly recommend!

I've always admired the skills required to make wedding cakes so I couldn't wait to meet Lucy, the main character in A Recipe For Disaster.

She is delivering a wedding cake to a venue when she hears the unmistakable sound of her ex-husband coming from the kitchen. They had split when Oliver went to seek his fortune overseas as a celebrity chef. Lucy thought she had moved on, however bumping into Oliver unexpectedly bought memories flooding back.

Now he is back, opening a restaurant and telling Lucy he regrets leaving her

Will she go ahead and pursue their dream, or simply walk away with her head held high?
A sweet romance about childhood sweethearts, broken apart. A look at relationships and different personalities and how people change over time. Do people learn from the mistakes they made in the past or continue to go over old ground?

A pleasant. light funny read, well written and thought-provoking.

I loved that this book was set in Australia I think that it really helped to give a more relaxed feeling to the story especially as it is set in a small town. After meeting Lucy and Oliver who are estranged I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. On the whole they are both likeable although they each have their flaws and could be stubborn especially when they find themselves spending time with each other again. I guess there is a slightly more realistic side to the story as we see that sometimes love doesn't always work out first time around. Life gets in the way and of course people do change.

The story moves at a good pace and was lovely to spend a few evenings reading and seeing how the will they/won't they plot would play out. In all this book is an enjoyable second chance story that has the perfect addition of cakes and delicious food with a bit of drama to keep things interesting.

A Recipe for Disaster is a light hearted look at how complex life can be. Showing the highs, lows, friendship and love!

Four stars from me!

A Recipe for Disaster features two strong characters who are both driven in their own ways and who failed to communicate at a crucial time in their lives. Oliver appears back in Lucy's life and it is not clear at first as to whether this is purely for business or something else. Are second chances possible ? I enjoyed the 'will they, won't they' aspect throughout.

Lucy is at a turning point when Oliver reappears and just dipping her toes back into cake making. It is good to see how she develops in confidence about her own creativity and starts to recognise possibilites for herself. You get to see flaws and virtues in both Lucy and Oliver's characters which gives them more depth. Set in Australia, in a small town, you feel you get to know the small community Lucy is settled in and all in all, it s a story to be savoured, just like Lucy's cakes.

In short: Cakes, romance and misunderstandings to be sorted.

Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.

I enjoyed this book light hearted & kept me entertained. Perfect summer reading thanks for giving me the chance to review it.

Lucy Williams is a baker- and a good one at that. Since she and her husband Oliver split when he went abroad to work she has been working school dinners and making the occasional birthday cake but not feeling at all fulfilled, both in life and in her bank account. When Oliver breezes back into town, he is now a celebrity Michelin starred chef and wants her to work for him. Lucy knows what this will entail but having ambition does things on her own terms. As she prepares to divorce Oliver her side of the business takes off- but having a star behind her helps. This is so much more than a romance/ rom-com. A book about someone not being taken for granted and using both their talents and good sense to do the best for them. Not what someone else wants but them. Sometimes you have to put yourself first when life has perhaps been harsh to you in the past. We all learn from experiences and although perhaps don’t always know what we want or need, we may know what we don’t want. Maybe even to look at ourselves as well as at others for we may need to make steps in one direction or another. If you love a strong character, cakes (who doesn’t?) and a smile then this could be the book for you. I just wish there was a recipe book to follow!
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

Second chance romance stories are not my favorites. I figure if you broke up before there was probably a good reason. Especially if you break up for the incredibly stupid reason that the couple in this book did. They are both chefs. She's a pastry chef. He gets a job offer in Paris. She decides to stay at home in Australia because there is no work for her. As a PASTRY CHEF. IN FRANCE...

At this point I was muttering to myself about agreeing to review this book, but the book surprised me. There wasn't a magical fix to the relationship as soon as her estranged husband reappeared. She is still insanely jealous of what he's been able to do. He is still prone to running over everyone else's thoughts and feelings in pursuit of what he wants. They can't communicate at all about anything other than food.

They both need to grow up and decide if their relationship is more important than their businesses. Can they work together and have professional disagreements without it hurting their personal relationship?

This book turned out to be deeper than I expected from the first few chapters. It shows that life is messy and complicated and that you need to learn to work through it to get what you want.

I liked this book but i was heavily confused by where it was located because i was convinced it was located in Scotland then it became apparent it was Australia and then i was confused again by all the constant references to London and drinking 4 quid Aldi wine which really threw me.

Anyway Lucy and Oliver are childhood sweethearts, together 15 years. Lucy is a talented Pastry Chef and Oliver is a normal Chef. Nine years into their marriage Oliver gets the chance to be the Head Chef at a restaurant in Paris, Lucy doesnt want to go so Oliver leaves without her.

3 years later Lucy has moved on with her life, has a new boyfriend Seamus and has made a wedding cake for a friend of hers. As she delivers the cake she stops dead to right because right there across the room is Oliver. He has come home to set up a new resturant and it throws Lucy in a big way.

It was a good read but i was secretly rooting for Lucy to end up with a different person than the one she ended up with.

For Lucy and Oliver, friendship came first, followed by romance and what appeared to be a good marriage and shared reams. Until opportunity arose, Oliver became a celebrity in his field and moved away from home. Leaving Lucy behind, and as with many celebrities, not mentioning the existence of a wife. All of this happens before the book begins.
This story starts when Oliver returns, continuing to pursue HIS dreams as well as some of their shared dreams. He just isn't as upfront and communicative as he should be about it. He means well, but he doesn't go about it the best way. What he also wants is to get their marriage back on track.
Lucy has been getting by, but she still has dreams. Does she want Oliver back? Can they work together towards old dreams? Only time will tell.
All around her, people she cares about are also going through crises of marriage. Her parents, who are very different from each other seem to have made life and marriage work, but others, who seemed to be headed in the right direction, are now floundering. How can one tell what will work or when to call it quits?

While there is conflict and a question of will they or won't they make it, it is a very mild conflict.
I was rooting for them as a couple and as business partners, but I was equally concerned for Lucy's brother's chances as a single parent and best friend Zoe's marriage woes and unpredictable future.
I would have liked to have been more attached to the main couple and unsure of their outcome.
It did not come quickly, but I knew how it would end.

I guess I just wanted more consequences and impact and to see more character growth.

I loved this sweet light-hearted romance. Perfect summer holiday read!

The story is a simple tale of two people, perfect for each other, torn apart by life circumstances.

It is a perfect read on the beach, or travelling or even just sitting in the garden! Easy to pick up and read a few pages and then go off and do whatever needs doing, to return later and pick up where you left off. The story is fun and easy going and has you thinking “will they, won’t they” all the way through….

I have a sweet tooth and reading all about Lucy's cakes (and icing) was not good for my diet - but ohhh I do love a sweet romance!

I have not read Belinda Missen previously but I do like her style and will have her on my reading list going forward. This is Belinda Missen’s first book (of a six book deal) with HQDigital UK (HarperCollins) and I am eagerly awaiting the next release!

This book starts very differently to most. You see Lucy and Oliver have already been married to each other and then separated. Oliver moved away to a whole new country the other side of the world and Lucy had to learn how to be single again. How to cope alone again. How to move forward. And she did. Lucy has created a new life for herself and has achieved a certain amount of peace of mind. But then Oliver returns. And he’s a big celebrity chef now. And Lucy’s felling become all tipsy turvy. Again
The author has shown us humanity with all its flaws, all its chaos and all its mistakes. And that’s what makes this book so enjoyable. You will recognise elements of yourself and your family and friends in these pages....

Lucy used to love baking, making masterpieces was her passion, then she married Oliver (Ol) everything changed.. They had gone to college together, Oliver decided he wanted more with his profession, asking Lucy to follow him to France.... They ended up separating because of this..... Fast forward several years and Lucy is at a family wedding, there is a surprise guest, this is where the fun and heartbreak begins. I absolutely loved this story, I had never read a book by Belinda Missen before, but, rest assured I will be reading more! Absolute must read

I really enjoyed this book immensely and read it in 2 sittings.
Lucy and Oliver meet on a catering course while very young. Both have ambitions about what they would like to achieve and they fall in love and marry young.
Oliver's ambition is fuelled by an opportunity to work in Europe, where he becomes a famous celebrity chef. Lucy refuses to go and so their relationship disintegrates.
Whilst Oliver's fortunes are on the ascendant, Lucy is left in unfulfilling work and a bad relationship just to make ends meet.
Enter Oliver: he is catering at a wedding and Lucy has been drafted in as an emergency to bake a wedding cake.
This is a book of twists and turns and will they-won't they renew their relationship with mature understanding.
It features a cast of believable characters who all have their own points of view.
I loved it and would highly recommend this.