Exploring the themes of friendship, romance, and culinary delights, this novel by Stacey Ballis combines humor and emotion. It delves into the lives of best friends navigating love and life, highlighting the joy that food brings to their relationships. Fans of contemporary women's fiction will appreciate the relatable characters and engaging storytelling that captures the essence of true connections.
"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. To an outside observer, Anneke Stroudt is a mess-her shirts are stained, her fingernails stubby, her language colorful. But, despite her flaws, Anneke's life is close to perfect. She has a beautiful historic house to restore and a loving fiance; who cooks like a dream. Until Anneke's 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 frustration-and what little savings she has-into finishing the renovation. But at the first step into the house's overhaul, Anneke is sidetracked when she discovers a mysterious leather-bound book, long hidden away, filled with tempting recipes and steamy secrets from Emma Ditmore-Smythe, the cook for the house's original owners. Slowly, with the help of some delicious food and Emma's life lessons, Anneke begins to realize that, just like a flawless recipe, she's been waiting for the right ingredients to cook up a perfect life all along. With the perfect blend of humor and heart, Ballis's writing is powerfully honest and genuinely hilarious-- Provided by publisher
The Spinster Sisters, Jodi and Jill Spingold, navigate life as independent women in a society that often pressures them to conform. Their journey explores themes of sisterhood, resilience, and the joys and challenges of singlehood. Through humor and heartfelt moments, the sisters confront societal expectations while forging their own identities. Their story highlights the strength found in familial bonds and the pursuit of personal happiness, offering a refreshing perspective on what it means to be a modern woman.
Balancing a demanding career as an executive culinary assistant to a celebrity chef and her personal life proves challenging for Alana Ostermann. While managing recipe development and navigating her boss's romantic entanglements, she unexpectedly connects with RJ, a charming newcomer from Tennessee. As Alana's priorities shift, she must navigate her evolving feelings and make crucial decisions about her future, all while maintaining her culinary passion. The story explores themes of love, ambition, and the quest for balance, accompanied by delicious recipes.
The last thing Melanie expected to lose when she went on a diet was her husband. Former lawyer Melanie Hoffman lost half her body weight and opened a gourmet take-out café specializing in healthy and delicious food. Then her husband left her—for a woman twice her size. Immediately afterwards, she's blindsided by a financial crisis. Melanie reaches out to a quirky roommate with a ton of baggage and becomes involved in a budding romance with a local documentary filmmaker. In this warm and often laugh-out-loud novel, Melanie discovers that she still has a lot to learn about her friends, her relationships with men, and herself—and that her weight loss was just the beginning of an amazing journey that will transform her life from the inside out.
In a reality TV setting, two singles, both fashion consultants and interior designers, embark on a whirlwind home makeover challenge. With just four days to transform each other's spaces, they prepare for a celebratory party with friends. However, what begins as a dream job for Lily Allen quickly spirals into chaos, highlighting the unpredictability of love and life beyond the scripted confines of television. The narrative explores themes of personal growth, creativity, and the sometimes messy nature of relationships.
Set against a backdrop of culinary passion, this novel intertwines romance and food, reminiscent of You've Got Mail and Julie & Julia. It follows characters navigating their personal and professional lives through the lens of gastronomy, exploring themes of love, ambition, and the joy of cooking. The story promises a delightful blend of humor and heart, appealing to food enthusiasts and romantics alike, while showcasing the transformative power of food and connection.
A dare between friends leads to startling revelations and simmering tensions in the latest novel from the author of Wedding Girl. Eloise is happy with her life as a successful private chef. She has her clients, her corgi, and a recipe for the world’s most perfect chocolate cream pie. What more could she need? But when her long-lost trio of high school friends reunites, Eloise realizes how lonely she really is. Eloise, Lynne, and Teresa revamp their senior-class assignment and dare one another to create a list of things to accomplish by the time they each turn forty in a few months. Control freak Lynne has to get a dog, Teresa has to spice up her marriage, and Eloise has to start dating again. Enter Shawn, a hunky ex-athlete and the first man Eloise could see herself falling for. Suddenly forty doesn’t seem so lonely—until a chance encounter threatens the budding romance and reveals the true colors of her friends. Will the bucket listers make it to forty still speaking to one another? Or do some friendships come with an expiration date? Readers Guide and Recipes Included
Opowieść o kobiecie, która po przejściu na dietę straciła zbędne kilogramy (i męża), ale nie apetyt na życie.Po latach walki ze zbędnymi kilogramami i znienawidzonej pracy w zawodzie prawniczki, Melanie Hoffman – z pomocą kochającego męża Andrew – postanawia odzyskać kontrolę nad życiem. Dwa lata później, już o połowę lżejsza, otwiera własny biznes: lokal ze smacznym i zdrowym jedzeniem na wynos. Nareszcie wszystko układa się po jej myśli! Do momentu gdy Andrew oznajmia Melanie, że odchodzi… do kobiety dwa razy grubszej niż ona.Gdy interes przestaje się kręcić, Mel szuka wyjścia z kłopotów finansowych, wynajmując pokój ekscentrycznej Nadii. Poznaje też Nathana, realizatora filmów dokumentalnych, którego zaloty w równym stopniu ją ekscytują, co przerażają. Okazuje się, że utrata wagi to dopiero początek długiej podróży, która całkowicie odmieni jej życie.Literacki i kulinarny strzał w dziesiątkę! Ballis pisze trochę w stylu Emily Giffin, a jej przepisy spodobają się wielbicielom pysznego jedzenia.BooklistStacey Ballis dla kariery pisarki porzuciła prestiżową posadę w chicagowskim Teatrze Goodmana. Autorka sześciu powieści, zagorzała miłośniczka majsterkowania i dobrej kuchni – zachęcamy do wypróbowania dołączonych do książki przepisów!