Stacey Ballis cooks up a delicious broth of a novel about a woman whose perfect life falls apart in spectacular fashion--leaving her with a house to restore, an antique cookbook (but no cooking talent), and one very unhappy schnauzer. For fans of Jen Lancaster, Jennifer Weiner, and Emily Giffin. Β Β
To an outside observer, Anneke Stroudt is a messβher shirts are stained, her fingernails stubby, her language colorful. But, despite her flaws, Annekeβs life is close to perfect. She has a beautiful historic house to restore and a loving fiancΓ© who cooks like a dream.
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Until Annekeβs charmed existence falls apart when she loses both her job and her future husband in one terrible day. In need of a new start, she packs up her disgruntled schnauzer and moves into her half-finished home, where she throws her pent-up frustrationβand what little savings she hasβinto finishing the renovation.
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But at the first step into the houseβs overhaul, Anneke is sidetracked when she discovers a mysterious leather-bound book, long hidden away, filled with tempting recipes and steamy secrets from Gemma Ditmore-Smythe, the cook for the houseβs original owners. Slowly, with the help of some delicious food and Emmaβs life lessons, Anneke begins to realize that, just like a flawless recipe, sheβs been waiting for the right ingredients to cook up a perfect life all alongβ¦
βWith the perfect blend of humor and heart, Ballisβs writing is powerfully honest and genuinely hilarious.ββJen Lancaster
INCLUDES RECIPES
Stacey Ballis cooks up a delicious broth of a novel about a woman whose perfect life falls apart in spectacular fashion--leaving her with a house to restore, an antique cookbook (but no cooking talent), and one very unhappy schnauzer. For fans of Jen Lancaster, Jennifer Weiner, and Emily Giffin. ...