From New York Times bestselling author of Shoe Addicts Anonymous and Always Something There to Remind Me Beth Harbison comes When In Doubt, Add Butter , a scrumptious new novel about food and love, and the longings of the heart… As far as Gemma is concerned, her days of dating are over. In fact, it's her job to cater other peoples' dates, and that's just fine by her. At thirty-seven, she has her own business, working as a private chef, and her life feels full and secure. She's got six steady clients that keep her hands full. There's Lex, the fussy but fabulous department store owner who loves Oysters Rockefeller and retro party food; Willa, who needs to lose weight under doctor's orders but still believes butter makes everything better; a colorful family who may or may not be part of the Russian mob; an überwealthy Georgetown family; the picture-perfect Van Houghtens, whose matriarch is "allergic to everything"; and finally, a man she calls "Mr. Tuesday," whom she has never met but to whom she feels a magnetic attraction, in part, due to his taste for full-on comfort food. For Gemma, cooking is predictable. Recipes are certain. Use good ingredients, follow the directions, and you are assured success. Life, on the other hand, is full of variables. So when Gemma's takes an unexpected turn on a road she always thought was straight and narrow, she must face her past and move on in ways she never would have imagined. Because sometimes in life, all you need is a little hope, a lot of courage, and---oh yes---butter. “Harbison dazzles in her latest, a perfect blend of chick lit and women's fiction…Absolutely first-rate.” ― Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A lovable heroine and an engaging cast of eccentrics makes for a cheerful summer read.” ― Kirkus Reviews “Harbison's airy prose, likable heroine, colorful characters, and engaging story are sure to appeal to fans of Jennifer Weiner, Jane Green, and Emily Giffin. Think of "When in Doubt, Add Butter" as a soufflé. It's a tasty dish of light, escapist reading.” ― The Examiner.com “Harbison's cast of characters is delightful.” ― She Knows Book Lounge “Delicious, just like dessert.” ― People Magazine on When in Doubt, Add Butter Beth Harbison is the New York Times bestselling author of Secrets of a Shoe Addict , Shoe Addicts Anonymous , Hope in a Jar and Thin, Rich, Pretty . She is also a serious product junkie, with enough lip glosses, shampoos, conditioners, and foundations to lube every car on the streets of suburban D.C., where she lives with her husband, two children and dogs. When in Doubt, Add Butter By Beth Harbison St. Martin's Griffin Copyright © 2013 Beth Harbison All right reserved. ISBN: 9780312599089 WHEN IN DOUBT, ADD BUTTER (Chapter 1) When I was twelve, a fortune-teller at the Herbert Hoover Junior High School carnival said to me: “Gemma Craig, you listen to me. Do not get married. Ever. If you do, you’ll end up cooking for a man who’d rather eat at McDonald’s; doing laundry for a man who sweats like a rabid pig, then criticizes you for not turning his T-shirts right side out; and cleaning the bathroom floor after a man whose aim is so bad, he can’t hit a hole the size of a watermelon—” This man sounded disgusting. “—make your own money and be independent. Having kids is fine, but get married and you will be miserable for the rest of your life. I promise you, the rest of your life .” This chilling prediction stayed with me long after I realized that the fortune-teller was, in fact, Mrs. Rooks, the PTA president and neighbor who always gave out full-sized 3 Musketeers bars on Halloween, and that her husband had left her that very morning for a cliché: a young, vapid, blond bombshell. Mrs. Rooks had four kids, and at the time, I thought of her as really old, and I didn’t quite get why she cared so much if she was married anymore or not. She was thirty-seven. I was thirty-seven last year. But for the most part, I have followed that sage wisdom she imparted, whether it came from a place of deep inspiration or, maybe, from a place of bitter day drunkenness. It had an impact on me either way. Dating was fine. I love men. I love sex. I love having someone to banter with, flirt with, play romantic tag with, and finally yield to. Many, many times I have thought, in the beginning of a relationship, that maybe this guy could be different and the relationship might last against the odds my young brain had laid out. But inevitably things soured for me, usually in the form of boredom, and always within two months. Seriously. This was consistent enough for my friends to refer to it as two months too long. The good thing about a breakup at two months is that there usually isn’t a lot of acrimony or anguish involved. The bad thing is that it gets tiresome after a while. Honestly, I’m a normal woman, I’d love to be in love. I’d love to have a family to take care of and to surround me as I navigate the years. But