The Romance Recipe
Contents (31)
- Chapter One
- Chapter Two
- Chapter Three
- Chapter Four
- Chapter Five
- Chapter Six
- Chapter Seven
- Chapter Eight
- Chapter Nine
- Chapter Ten
- Chapter Eleven
- Chapter Twelve
- Chapter Thirteen
- Chapter Fourteen
- Chapter Fifteen
- Chapter Sixteen
- Chapter Seventeen
- Chapter Eighteen
- Chapter Nineteen
- Chapter Twenty
- Chapter Twenty-One
- Chapter Twenty-Two
- Chapter Twenty-Three
- Chapter Twenty-Four
- Chapter Twenty-Five
- Epilogue
- Six Months Later
- Acknowledgments
- Chapter One
- Chapter One
- Wesley
Also available from Ruby Barrett
and Carina Press
Hot Copy
Praise for Ruby Barrett
“An intoxicating blend of wholesome sweetness and tear-off-your-clothes steam...Ruby Barrett’s writing leaves me breathless.”
—Rosie Danan, author of The Roommate, on Hot Copy
“A delightful office romance for the #MeToo era... This is a winner.”
—Publishers Weekly on Hot Copy
“Ruby Barrett’s Hot Copy is filled with everything you could want in a romance novel: main characters who are easy to root for, a charming cast with sequel potential, and plenty of sizzling love scenes. The genre needs more heroes like Wesley Chambers, a soft man who embodies non-toxic masculinity.”
—Meryl Wilsner, author of Something to Talk About
“Ruby Barrett’s Hot Copy is a sizzling debut—sweet, steamy and oh so satisfying, this book stole my heart on every blissful page. Wesley is the soft-hearted, glasses-fogging hero we all need, and Corrine is a powerhouse heroine who doesn’t shy away from the job she wants, or the man she deserves.”
—Katie Golding, author of Fearless
“Barrett’s work was a delight from start to finish. Her masterful storytelling and electric prose shined throughout.”
—Charish Reid, author of Hearts on Hold and The Write Escape, on Hot Copy
Content Warning
The Romance Recipe deals with homophobia (experienced off page and excluding the use of slurs) and parental emotional abuse. The death of a character’s parent (from cancer) is also referenced.
The Romance Recipe
Ruby Barrett
To Meryl and Rosie, for letting me tell you first.
To Michael, for your most unconditional love.
To my queer community, especially my Later Life Queers,
especially, especially Danielle.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Excerpt from Pack of Lies by Charlie Adhara
Excerpt from Hot Copy by Ruby Barrett
Chapter One
Amy
A restaurant has a certain indefinable quality on a good night. With every seat filled, it’s loud. The bartenders sling drinks with panache. The front of house staff moves around each other like dancers, while the bussers are more like ghosts, slipping in and out so fast you never notice there was a table waiting to be flipped. Expo quality controls every single morsel so that the plates are always Instagram-worthy, and nobody has to wait more than twenty minutes.
A good night smells like the signature cocktail and the house special, perfectly paired.
A good night smells like money.
Tonight is not a good night.
“I’m done, Amy.”
Chad throws his white chef’s coat onto the hostess stand, sending a cup of pens flying and toppling the tablet displaying the seating chart off its stand. Maggie yelps, righting the tools of her hostess trade.