A Table by the Window

Lodge (Plain Jayne) confects a yummy romance involving Juliette D’Alisa and her large Italian-French-American family of cooks and restaurateurs. Burned in a romance with her brother Nico’s sous-chef, and washed out as a professional chef, Juliette is a food writer and critic who turns to online dating as a recipe for love. A major subplot involves a family secret. In the table willed to her by her late French grandmother, Juliette finds a photo of a handsome man whose resemblance to her brother Nico is too strong to ignore. Juliette attempts to unravel the mystery of the photo while keeping up with her demanding family, her heart’s own demands, and the lure of her true calling. Lodge has put together a many-faceted plot, and not all the details are equally well researched. Yet she develops characters with heart, and her pacing sweeps the reader along. The novel is made for Food Network addicts—the recipes included are a true bonus, and they’re easy to execute. Agent: Sandra Bishop, MacGregor Literary Agency. (Mar. 18)