Rebecca Reviews ~ The Key to Love by Betsy St. Amant

 

Paperback, 336 pages

Published October 13th 2020 by Fleming H. Revell Company

(Goodreads)

The only thing Bri Duval loves more than baking petit fours is romance. So much so, she's created her own version of the famous Parisian lovelock wall at her bakery in Story, Kansas. She never expects it to go viral--or for Trek Magazine to send travel writer Gerard Fortier to feature the bakery. He's definitely handsome, but Bri has been holding out for a love story like the one her parents had, and that certainly will not include the love-scorned-and-therefore-love-scorning Gerard.

Just when it seems Bri's bakery is poised for unprecedented success, a series of events threaten not just her business but the pedestal she's kept her parents on all these years. Maybe Gerard is right about romance. Or maybe Bri's recipe just needs to be tweaked.

Novelist Betsy St. Amant invites you to experience this sweet story of how love doesn't always look the way we expect--and maybe that's a good thing.

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Christian Book

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Rebecca's Review

3.5 stars

"The only thing Bri Duval loved more than romance was a perfectly executed French macaron."

Working with sweets all day in a small town bakery keeps Bri Duval thinking about . . . . . well naturally, she thinks about sweets, leaving it up to her iconic aunts to share in Story, Kansas' actual matchmaking duties. . . . . until, they hit the big leagues with a nearly love-at-first-sight story that goes viral. Now the whole world (actually, maybe just part of the whole world) knows about Bri's little version of a Parisian love-lock wall tucked conveniently behind the Pastry Puff.

The social media buzz about the Kansas love-lock wall draws the attention of a Chicago based travel magazine, whose editor decides to send one of his best journalists (who just happens to be a confirmed bachelor) on location to write a feature article about Bri and the infamous wall. All preconceived notions about the keys to love go flying out the door the moment Gerard Fortier comes sauntering up to Bri's counter, complaining about the coffee. He's handsome, he's blunt, he dares to call her "cupcake", but can she deem him friend or foe? Will the power of Gerard's words sway public opinion, for unfortunately the future of the Pastry Puff hangs in the balance.

This sweet little story has its hiccups, but that's simply what they were . . . leaving plenty of room for deeper, more significant themes to shine through the ups and downs of everyday life in a delightful fictional town. It's the sort of book that improves with every page and ultimately satisfies one's longing for a happily-ever-after that doesn't have to be perfect.

" . . . there was an unfinished story lingering in the back of his mind . . . . Theirs."

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.

Senior Reviewer, Rebecca Maney

Rebecca is a graduate of Bryan College with a degree in Christian Education, and is currently serving at the First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Gastonia, North Carolina as the Director of Children's Ministry. With over 30 years of experience in her field, she has had many opportunities to use her love of reading and writing in creative ways across the generations. A wife, mother of four "nearly" grown children, and grandmother to four beautiful grandchildren, Rebecca has been able to return to her love of reading and more recently reviewing, with a renewed passion for the "beauty of story".