The Secret Ingredient

September 21, 2020
Fisher (Love on the Hudson) cooks up a steamy, straightforward enemies-to-lovers romance between a pair of female chefs. Single mother Adah Campbell leaves her hardscrabble life in Chicago and finds her big break in Maine as the head chef of Bella Vista. But when Adah decides to check out other local eateries, she can’t help feeling jealous and pressured upon visiting Beth Summers’s award-winning restaurant, the Yellow House—and even more so after meeting the stunningly beautiful owner. But what starts as professional rivalry between Adah and Beth quickly turns to romance; Adah opens up about her repressed childhood and oppressive family life while Beth comes to terms with falling in love for the first time. Through struggles with their respective restaurants and conflicts among their co-workers and friends, Adah and Beth work to figure out their relationship as both competitors and lovers. Though the romance is a bit shallow, Fisher offers a good balance of vividly described, mouthwatering meals and relationship development. This no-nonsense love story will especially appeal to foodie romance fans. Agent: Claire Draper, the Bent Agency.

October 1, 2020
Moving from Chicago to Maine will not only provide Adah Campbell with the chance to finally become an executive chef; it will also grant her the opportunity to raise her young son in a terrific new place. Of course, upon arriving in North Port, one of the first things Adah does is check out the local culinary competition, which includes the Yellow House and its rising star chef Beth Summers. Adah is initially charmed by Beth and her farm-to-table culinary approach, but when Beth snaps up a pastry chef that Adah hoped to hire, the culinary gloves are off. But is Beth's acquisition of a potential employee what has Adah steamed, or is it very cute Beth herself that has Adah all hot and bothered? Fans of sweet and sexy contemporary romances will find many tempting options on the menu in Fisher's beguiling novel, including a perfectly rendered cast of characters, plenty of mouthwatering moments in the kitchen, and a completely charming small-town setting.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)