A domestic diva goes from princess to pauper in King's mushy debut. Deidre McIntosh, the 40-year-old host of Seattle television show Live Simple
, has had a successful five-year run, but, as with all cookies, hers too must crumble. The show gets canceled, her gay best friend and roommate moves in with his boyfriend, and her investments tank, forcing her to sell her designer clothes and land a cheaper place to live. By chance, she meets the dapper and wealthy Kevin, who, after an exceedingly serendipitous second encounter, offers her the use of his vacation home in remote Jacob's Point. It takes her a little while to warm up to the backwoods, but Deidre finds a friend and retail outlet for her gourmet baked goods in Lindsey Miller, the owner of the local diner. After a few months at Jacob's Point, Deidre, armed with a proposal for a new TV show, returns to Seattle, but getting back on the air isn't as simple as she'd hoped. There's never a doubt that Deidre will find her professional and romantic happy ending, and readers' patience may be stretched while the earnest heroine orchestrates her comeback. But the plucky protagonist and sweeter-than-syrup ending will please those willing to wait for the inevitable. (Feb.)
