num_pages: 466
description: 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 messher shirts are stained her fingernails stubby her language colorful. But despite her flaws Annekes life is close to perfect. She has a beautiful historic house to restore and a loving fianc who cooks like a dream. Until Annekes 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 frustrationand what little savings she hasinto finishing the renovation. But at the first step into the houses 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 houses original owners. Slowly with the help of some delicious food and Emmas life lessons Anneke begins to realize that just like a flawless recipe shes been waiting for the right ingredients to cook up a perfect life all alongWith the perfect blend of humor and heart Balliss writing is powerfully honest and genuinely hilarious.Jen LancasterINCLUDES RECIPES
language: English
title: Recipe for Disaster
publisher: Berkley