Why don’t they have much cross compatibility?

I don't own Lovestruck or For Rent, but I've heard similar feedback about them. 

But regarding Home Chef Hustle, I disagree. For one thing, it's only a stuff pack, so it's supposed to be niche, and expectations for cross-pack play should be lower than for a full expansion pack like Lovestruck or FR. Nevertheless, I think it has a ton of cross-pack potential. I view it as Cottage Living 2.0, actually. It gives me more of a reason to grow, raise and buy various ingredients, and it helps me use up a lot of the produce my sims grow in their gardens. Sims (even kids) can sell foods from other packs at the food stand (popcorn, lemonade, fizzy juice, etc.). Even if you only have base game, it adds a lot of recipes and gives you a reason to grow and use fresh ingredients. I was getting bored with cooking as an activity before HCH, but now it's one of my favourite things to do in the game. I absolutely love the pizza oven and waffle iron. It's the last pack I bought at launch, one of only two or three I've ever bought at full price, and one of the few packs I would buy again without question if something crazy happened and I lost all my DLC.