All’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes by Betsy St. Amant

Kat works for her aunt and makes cupcakes for the shop.  The only problem is that her aunt likes the nice simple cupcakes and doesn't want to change any of her traditional recipes.  Kat dreams of mixing flavors and experiments in her kitchen with all sorts of combinations.  Most are very good, but some are awful.  Lucas, her friend from school, comes over and helps her cook and eat the cupcakes.  She will never have more if she stays here in town...

Zondervan and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It was published September 2nd, so you can grab a copy at your local bookstore now.

Lucas decides to help Kat out by entering her into a contest for baking cupcakes.  She gets chosen and she can't understand why.  He tells her, all excited about it, until he finds out what the grand prize is.  She'd be going to New York for a year to work for a famous chef and build her credentials.  That means that she'll be gone from Lucas' life.  He's torn:  He wants her to win but he doesn't want her to go!

She gets even with him for entering the contest by making him her apprentice chef.  He already works with her in her kitchen.  He can just help her while she's on TV competing with the others.  She even gives him a blue apron. What made the story more interesting is the fact that both Lucas and Kat have found their friendship growing into love.  They each think the other one is just being friends and doesn't feel the same way.  Silly people.

As Kat works on her cupcakes, she keeps getting sabotaged.  One contestant falls onto her table and ruins her decorations she created.  In one instance her cupcakes burned.  She thinks maybe Lucas did it because she knows he doesn't want her to leave.  He looks guilty because he thought about it.  Love gets set aside while the cupcake war goes on.

The author adds a very authentic touch to this story.  One of judge's makes suggestive comments to Kat and she shuts him down.  He takes her victory away from her by saying she was the one with the inappropriate comments.  I've seen that happen to a woman more than once.

This a cozy romance that is fun to read and has a happy ever after.  I enjoyed it.  Want some mouthwatering cupcake ideas?  You'll find them here along with love.