In this delectable novel—complete with recipes—Jennifer Ross frosts a sweet story of a young woman fulfilling her dreams, one delicious cupcake at a time.   In Ansley Waller’s world of Southern belles and gentlemen, getting a diamond ring isn’t just important—it’s the ultimate goal. So when her fiancé, Parish, unceremoniously kicks her to the curb and cancels their upcoming wedding, Ansley is so ashamed that she decides to leave Dallas and make a fresh start. In a surprise move, she heads to New York City to live with her recently widowed grandmother, Vivian, whom she’s never met. In turn, Vivian gives Ansley a no-nonsense ultimatum: Rather than wallow in misery, either get a job or go home.  The Waller women have a tradition of baking their way out of sorrow. So Ansley mixes batch after batch of creative cupcakes—Black Bottom Heartache, Moving Blues Banana Caramel, Tres Leches Made Small. Before long, she’s opening up her own cupcake shop and even trying her hand at dating. But the ways of Manhattan’s eligible bachelors are altogether different from their Southern counterparts, and Ansley’s nearly fail-safe tactics fall flat. And worse, someone’s got a half-baked scheme to sabotage Ansley’s new life. It’ll take a cup of courage and a dash of Southern charm, plus a few secret ingredients, if Ansley hopes to pull off her recipe for success. Ansley thought her fiancé, Parish, loved her unconditionally until he dumps her. In order to escape the subsequent gossip and pity, she heads to New York City to visit her maternal grandmother, Vivian, whom she has never met. While Vivian is delighted to have the chance to reconnect with her family, she currently has problems of her own: her recently deceased husband’s creative tax shelters have brought down the wrath of the IRS, specifically agent 1432. As a way of coping, Ansley begins baking cupcakes, and as she mixes up batches of home-baked goodness, she realizes she may have stumbled on the answer to her and her grandmother’s problems. Striking the perfect balance between tart wit and sweet romance, Ross spoons up a thoughtful blend of chick lit and women’s fiction, complete with a tempting assortment of cupcake recipes, the icing on this irresistible culinary literary creation. For a list of culinary romance novels, see the Read-alikes column, Seasoned with Love on p.28. --John Charles "Striking the perfect balance between tart wit and sweet romance, Ross spoons up a thoughtful blend of chick lit and women’s fiction, complete with a tempting assortment of cupcake recipes, the icing on this irresistible culinary literary creation."— Booklist Jennifer Ross is a former Wall Street Journal and Dallas Morning News reporter, and the co-founder of the movie production company Brick House. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, children, and her two Papillions, Navette and Ruby. Chapter One You never know what party will be the one. The one that people talk about for days, weeks or even years to come. The one that other parties are judged against. The one that people say, "Wait, were you there? Tell me what happened!"  Ansley wouldn't have thought this lowly kegger at Baylor University would signal a pivotal point, a sea change in her life as well as fodder for cocktail parties for months to come. She didn't know, but she should've seen it coming. Parish, her fiancé, picked her up at her sorority house and drove her to the party, which was only a mile away, in his new silver BMW 700 Series. It was a graduation gift. They both were graduating from the university in a few days. Driving to the party, Parish was quiet, but Ansley had more than enough to say. They had been engaged for two months and the wedding was a year away, but Ansley had already decided to have a Vera Wang dress custom-made, hire Bronwen Weber to design the wedding cake because she made beautiful and tender yellow cakes. Yellow cakes were the hardest to keep moist, Ansley knew. She was a baking expert. She had been whipping batter since she could pull a step stool up to the counter. Ansley bet Bronwen folded whipped cream into her batter, added a couple tablespoons of potato starch and a combination of oil and butter to keep the cake from getting dry. Well, that's what she would do. She was toying with where to have the reception. They could do something traditional and moneyed like the Fairmont or the Adolphus, or they might opt for something totally radical and have it at the zoo or their favorite dive bar, with the corrugated steel fencing around the patio.  "Maybe the botanical garden," Ansley said. "Or we could hit up one of our parents' rich friends and do it on their grounds. My momma is close with the Hunts."  "We're not deciding this right now, are we?" Parish asked.  "No, but soon," Ansley said as she changed the CD from some rap that Parish claimed he liked to Gil Gilberto. She had a thing for Brazilian music. It made her feel a little wild.  Parish gripped the steering whe