How to Eat a Cupcake

Donohue’s sweet debut is a clever exploration of how a West Coast mean girl grows up and gives in to friendship, love, and dozens of delicious cupcakes. Julia St. Clair, a spoiled and pampered Pacific Heights princess, returns home to marry and comes face-to-face with childhood playmate Annie Quintana, daughter of the St. Clair family’s Ecuadoran cook and now a rising pastry chef. In high school, Julia cruelly betrayed Annie just before Annie’s mother died under mysterious circumstances. After Annie caters a charity event at the mansion where she grew up, the two 28-year-olds reconnect, and Annie accepts Julia’s offer to go into business with a cupcake shop. Julia’s handsome ex-beau Jake muscles his way between the old friends as they tentatively try to forgive, forget, and get rich—if a sinister stalker doesn’t destroy their successful cupcakery first. While the revenge-fueled thriller plays out, Julia finally reveals a dark secret to Annie and begins to embrace the love of her long-suffering fiancé, while Annie finds a crazy love of her own with a pompous produce farmer. Donohue’s culinary romantic thriller will keep readers hungry for more. Agent: Elisabeth Weed, Weed Literary. (Mar.)