The Lost Art of Mixing

So apparently this is the second book in a series, but don't let that deter you - I didn't read the first one and I didn't miss it.

Lillian is the owner/chef at a restaurant in a small town in the Pacific Northwest (it took me a while to figure out exactly where the story takes place, and to be honest I'm still not exactly sure). She has a way of drawing people to her - Al, her accountant, stuck in a loveless marriage; Chloe, her sous-chef, who thinks she'll never be good enough; Isabelle, quickly going into Alzheimer's but still with so much to share; and Finnegan, her dishwasher, taller than everyone but often overlooked; these are just a few of the diverse characters in Lillian's world.

This isn't an action story, and there's no mystery. It's just a lovely little story about a group of people who find each other. It's about how your family is not necessarily the one you were born into (or gave birth to), and how even the people who live with us the longest may not know us at all, and misread us all the time. It's about finding your home, wherever it may be. I thought it was wonderful.

The Lost Art of Mixing