The Ingredients of Us by Jennifer Gold

The Ingredients of Us by Jennifer Gold – 258 pages 

Book Blurb:

Elle, an accomplished baker, has a recipe for every event in her life.  But when she discovers her husband’s infidelity, she doesn’t know what to make of it.  Jam, maybe?  Definitely jam.  Fed up with the stale crumbs of her marriage, Elle revisits past recipes and the events that inspired them. A recipe for scones reminds her of her father’s death, cinnamon rolls signify the problematic courtship with her husband, and a batch of chocolate cookies casts Elle in a less-than-flattering light. Looking back, Elle soon realizes that some ingredients were missing all along. After confronting her husband, Elle indulges her sweet tooth in other ways, including a rebound that just leaves her more confused. As secrets from the past collide with the conflicts of the present, Elle struggles to manage her bakery business and maintain the relationships most important to her. In piecing her life back together, will Elle learn to take the bitter with the sweet?

My Review: 3 stars- Guest Review

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The Ingredients of Us is a debut novel from this author, and was a light, easy, and fast read. The story is told from Elle’s point of view as she deals with the trials and tribulations of her relationship, both prior to, and following the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. 

The story follows Elle as secrets from her past clash with the conflicts of her present situation. The story is told in an unusual way, where it jumps back and forth in time from the time period after Elle discovers her husband’s betrayal, to when they first met, and also the years in between.  The chapters were very short and were clearly labeled (i.e. “6 Days after Elle found out”, “7 Years before Elle found out”, etc.).  I wasn’t sure that using this unconventional timeline added anything to the story.  The constant jumping around became confusing at times, and I had to frequently go back in the book to determine exactly where I was in the storyline.

Although the book was a pleasant read, and kept me turning the pages, the story fell short for me in terms of character development. I liked Elle, but never fully connected with her and wasn’t particularly invested in her struggles, maybe because I never got a strong sense of who she was. She was often portrayed as weak, insecure, and emotionally fragile, but instead of feeling empathetic, I often felt annoyed by her. I intensely disliked the character of Tom, which could be what the author intended. I never understood what motivated him and didn’t understand why these two characters were together or what attracted them to each other in the first place. At times, the dialogue between the two of them appeared awkward and just did not ring true. In contrast, the two secondary characters of Elle’s best friend Bonnie (who she owned the bakery with), and her husband Charlie were much more well drawn. I did enjoy the relationship between Elle and her parents, which felt more realistic and heartfelt. 

The best parts of the book were the recipes that the author wove into the story in a clever and unique way. During Elle’s times of stress, she turned to the comfort of baking. Each recipe reminded Elle of an event in her past. Elle baked certain goodies to reflect the emotion she was feeling and most of us can identify how many of our memories are tied to food.  The author (who used to work in a bakery) included the actual delectable recipes along with cute little sidebars to illustrate how the recipes related to her emotional state and memories.  Many of the recipes were complex and several pages long. These recipes were cleverly named and included: Double Chocolate Comfort Cookies, Triple Layer Espresso Seduction Brownies, Lover’s Lazy Morning Coffee Cake, Lonesome Pancakes, and Too Many Bananas Bread. The recipes were way out of my league, but they were fun to read.

This was a light read where the author humanized food in a unique way.  Although I didn’t connect with the main characters in the way I would have liked, I did enjoy the book and would read her next book. Readers might enjoy and appreciate this book for the recipes alone. Review by Guest Fairy Ronna. 

Quotes I liked:

Life is easier if you stay on everyone’s good side.”

“Funny how “no offense” is always followed by something offensive.”

“Why is it that bananas are green forever, ripe for a moment, and brown too soon?”