I am happy to be hosting today's TLC Book Tours stop for the newest book in the Hopeless Romantics series by Nina Bocci, Meet Me On Love Lane. I hadn't read the first book in the series, but fortunately I was offered a copy of that one, called On the Corner of Love and Hate, as well. I'm not here to review Book 1 today, but I will tell you that I devoured it from start to finish. I was sucked in to the small town of Hope Lake and its residents.While Book 1 focused on Emma and Cooper, Book 2 introduces us to Charlotte, and brings some of On the Corner of Love and Hate's supporting characters to the front lines. While reading the first book isn't essential to enjoying the second, I highly recommend you start from the beginning to add more depth to your experience.
Meet Me On Love Lane is a fun romantic comedy (my weakness) that includes the heroine losing her job in the big city and moving "home" to the small town where she spent her early childhood years. It includes a love triangle. It includes following her dreams and discovering who she really is and what she really wants. And of course, it includes an HEA. What more could a fan of romantic comedy as for?
Well, food of course. Charlotte's big city bestie just so happens to be an amazing baker, and the Hope Lake posse also keeps food, cooking, and eating at the center of their lives...which I am all about (only makes books better in my opinion).
The passage from the book that I drew inspiration on today was...
"How about you order your favorites, and I'll help you enjoy them."
"Sounds good." He looked to the waitress. "We'll have two dozen garlic-Parmesan wings, that meatball appetizer with the mozzarella inside, and a couple of the HLBC grapefruit on draft. Oh, and Nana's special pizza. Anything else?" he asked me, folding up the paper menu and putting it back behind the napkin container.
Also check out my previous stop on this TLC Book Tour, a guest post from Meet Me On Love Lane author, Nina Bocci, in which she talks about a couple of my favorite things - the kitchen and The Golden Girls.
Meet Me On Love Lane
author: Nina Bocciseries: Hopeless Romantics (book 2)
publisher: Gallery Books (December 10, 2019)
genre: Romantic Comedy
soft cover: 304 pages
"foodie" read: yes, although Book 1 was even more so!
opening sentence: We ran across town, holding hands and laughing as we darted through yards.
teaser: From the USA TODAY bestselling author of On the Corner of Love and Hate comes a romantic comedy about a woman who grudgingly returns home to small-town Pennsylvania, only to find herself falling in love—not only with the town, but with two of its citizens.
Charlotte Bishop is out of options in New York City. Fired, broke, and blacklisted by her former boss, she’s forced to return to her hometown of Hope Lake, PA to lick her wounds. Although she’s expecting to find a miserable place with nothing to do, she is pleasantly surprised to discover it is bustling and thriving.
She’s only supposed to be in Hope Lake temporarily until she can earn enough money to move back to New York. She’s not supposed to reconnect with her childhood friends or her beloved grandmother. She’s not supposed to find her dream job running the local florist shop. And she’s definitely not supposed to fall for not one but two of Hope Lake’s golden boys: one the beloved high school English teacher, the other the charming town doctor.
With a heart torn between two men and two cities, what’s a girl to do?
A perfect blend of humor and heart, Meet Me on Love Lane is the second in a new series from USA TODAY bestselling author Nina Bocci that is sure to charm fans of Josie Silver and Sally Thorne.
about the author: Nina Bocci is a USA TODAY bestselling novelist who loves reading and writing about swoony, relatable heroes and smart, witty heroines. If it’s set in a small town, even better. You can always find her chatting on social media about her massive, crazy Italian family, and her favorite person in the world, her son.
connect with the author: website | facebook | twitter | instagram
recipe inspired by the book: Garlic Parmesan Wings (see below)
Garlic Parmesan Wings
Yield: serves 4-6
prep time: 15 Mcook time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 H & 15 M
Chicken wings smothered in a garlicky parmesan sauce are the perfect non-spicy wing offering (and sure to become a fast favorite).
ingredients:
- 2 to 2.5 pounds chicken wings (see here for how to break down a chicken wing)
- vegetable oil, to coat
- sea salt, to taste
- garlic powder, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 ounces salted butter
- 4 fat cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
instructions:
How to cook Garlic Parmesan Wings
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with foil, then set a wire rack on top.
- Place the broken down chicken wings in a gallon-sized ziploc baggie. Drizzle them with a light coating of vegetable oil, then season them with salt, garlic powder, and pepper (use enough to flavor them well). Zip the baggie shut and smoosh everything around so the wings are evenly coated.
- Tip them out onto the prepared baking sheet. Slide into the hot oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the wings register 165° F on an instant-read thermometer and are as crispy as you like them on the outside. (Alternately, you could fry them.)
- While the wings are in the oven, melt the butter, garlic cloves, and Italian seasoning together on the stovetop or in the microwave. Once melted, stir in the Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a bowl large enough to hold the wings.
- When the wings come out of the oven, carefully add them to the bowl with the sauce. Place another bowl upside down over that bowl, hold them together tightly with potholders, and shake to coat them in sauce.
- Serve immediately.
©allroadsleadtothekitchen
