Recipe for Love

A Christian Small Town Rom-Com (Small Town Shenanigans, Book 1)

By: Penny Zeller

Narrated by: Emma Faye

A clumsy baker. A hunky tourist. A recipe for disaster...or love?

Nothing interesting ever happens in Cloverdale Falls, which suits Maisie Carpenter just fine. Small-town drama keeps her entertained until that small-town drama brings news Maisie never imagined. Main Street has sold, and with it, the building housing her bakery. Ask any resident, and they’ll readily provide a dismal answer as to what will become of the friendly town founded by chicken farmers in the 1800s. What happens when she discovers the man connected with purchasing the businesses is the very same man she’s recently fallen in love with?

Hudson Tressler is content working for his uncle's company, helping to revitalize struggling towns. Cloverdale Falls is his next mission, and he quickly discovers the residents are as quirky as the town itself, with its famous Henrietta the chicken mascot. Hudson finds himself drawn to one such resident—the clumsy, but cute baker who makes the best chocolate cookies he's ever tasted. With the residents fearing for Cloverdale Falls's future, Hudson finds himself navigating chickens, self-appointed geriatric investigators, and falling head over heels for Maisie.

Can chocolate cookies, small town shenanigans, and a concealed identity become a recipe for love?

Take a trip to Cloverdale Falls, a town you'll want to become a resident of in this hilarious first book with the following tropes:

Concealed identity
Small town
Humor
Secondary characters in every generation
Fun rom-com (think Great American Family/Pureflix or Hallmark with faith)

**Please note that Recipe for Love is a faith-filled Christian contemporary romance.**

©2025 Penny Zeller (P)2025 Penny Zeller

recipe for love

I love Zeller's stories .and this was no exception a mix of small town life , with many characters and some funny antics ,and yes some serious moments with a sweet romance. Zeller did an excellent job of using God's word in response to the day-to-day lives of her characters. Zeller is always descriptive of her characters too and adding the great job of the reading with matched voices made the story most enjoyable adding an even more visual of each of them as I listened to the story I recommend this book . great job !!

A comical Romance

I absolutely loved this story—Maisie and Hudson's journey is truly captivating. It vividly illustrates how a small town's gossip and suspicions, especially those cast upon newcomers and tourists, can either strengthen or shatter the community and even destroy meaningful relationships. The characters are so well-developed that I found myself genuinely invested in their lives. The vivid descriptions of the town made me feel as if I was right there, experiencing it firsthand. The audiobook narrator did an outstanding job, bringing the story to life and making it impossible to put down. Don't miss out on this unforgettable tale—it's a powerful reminder of the impact of perception and the importance of community.

Love Small Town Stories

I loved this audiobook and I loved Coverdale Falls. A small town where everyone knew each other. There is nothing like that “hometown feel”.
Hudson was so kind to everybody even though he was investigating the town for his uncles company. They never suspected that he was the one they were searching for all the time. They were so worried their little town was going to be demolished.
I enjoyed Maisie and Hudson’s story and them getting to know each other. The little old ladies were a hoot and had to have Maisie along with them wherever they went.
A little forgiveness goes a long way when one of the little ladies keeps doing something wrong. Then all of a sudden she did something that woke her up to the fact that she needed help.
I just enjoyed every aspect of this book. I highly recommend.
I received this audiobook from the author but was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Wonderfully heartwarming!

Hunter has come to town to check out the property his uncle just bought on Main Street. He uses visiting his grandmother as his cover and slowly gets to know all the merchants and people of Cloverdale Falls. He has taking a liking to Maisie, the owner of the town bakery, but little does he know, she is trying to find out who has purchased the property and their intentions. These two begin to spend some time together and enjoy going out. But this secret is huge! What will happen when it comes to light? This is the first book in this series that I have listened to, and I am loving this town. Quirky characters, nosy neighbors, sweet people and a couple that is finding out just what love is! I fell in love with these two and enjoyed every minute.

Enhancing the story is the narration by Emma Faye. She is fantastic at all the characters in this story. From Maisie and Hunter to the women of the detective agency to the store keepers, each has a distinct voice and engaging personality. She is wonderful!