So Irresistible

Plumley pairs up a corporate raider and a pizza chef in this middling prequel to Together for Christmas. Gabriella Grimani is out to save her family’s struggling restaurant, Campania; Shane Maresca is on a stealthy mission to buy it. After the two meet at a local bar and share a steamy evening, Shane applies for a job at Campania to do a little reconnaissance. He doesn’t expect to fall in love with the plucky chef, who’s got something to prove to her staff, to her family, and most of all to herself. As minor crises—including a broken oven and a destroyed tomato shipment—start to look like sabotage, Shane wonders whether there’s another “fixer” trying to get the Grimanis to sell. But Shane has a bigger fear: that once Gabriella discovers his agenda, she’ll ditch him. Plumley’s lovably flawed protagonists are charmers, and their story will win hearts despite a somewhat predictable ending. Agent: Karen Solem, Spencerhill Associates. (Dec.)