Comfort Food

Did you ever wonder about the lives of the people behind your favorite cooking shows? Does it look perfect on TV? But is it really? Or is it all just an illusion? Take a peek into the life of a cooking show host in Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs.

Augusta "Gus" Simpson is feeling a bit introspective about her life. She is going to turn 50, is going to renew her contract for another season of her cooking show and she is a bit worried about her grown daughters. She's used to being the organizer, the caretaker, but something has been missing lately. She keeps thinking about the old days when her husband was still alive, and those years she struggled after he died. But she really has a nice life - so she shouldn't complain.

But then the other shoe drops. Her network has decided her show might not be renewed, her staffers start leaving and she finds out that the network is not one big happy family. She is asked to revamp her show to get better ratings. They think her show needs some va-voom. And then they bring in a former Miss Spain - Carmen Vega- to liven things up. Gus needs to play nice to survive. But will the new "family" format work? Can cooking together save Gus' relationships with her daughters? Will Carmen keep stealing the best lines and the best ingredients? Will someone end up with a knife in their back?

Stay tuned for all that and more. A real fun beach read. Enjoy.