The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake

"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 a satisfying new life in 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.

Author: Rachel Linden
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 09/30/2025
Pages: 384
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.50lbs
Size: 7.90h x 5.20w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780593816639


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 07/09/2025
Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2025

About the Author
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.