Lucy Gets Her Life Back

Lucy Carpenter is a single mother who has moved to Red Duck, Idaho, with her two teenage sons, a stack of recipes and a good deal of ambition. The town is tiny, but she wants a fresh start there, and she plans to build a cooking business that serves the celebrities who visit the nearby ski resort and the local bars.

She cannot do it alone. Her business needs someone to spread the word, and the person with the reach is Drew Tolman, a former professional baseball player who is now a local big shot. Lucy has heard the rumors about him, including scandal and a string of women. She decides he is the man she needs anyway.

The story is a contemporary romance with a light, food-focused tone. Lucy puts real effort into her kitchen work, and word of her cooking spreads quickly through the area. Soon plenty of people are calling her, but the caller who matters most is Drew, who has his own plans for her.

The pace is easy and playful, built around a slow-burning attraction between a woman rebuilding her life and a man with a reputation. Readers get a small-town setting, plenty of talk about desserts and a flirtation that runs alongside Lucy's business.