by Nina LaCour
First published 2022
Sara Foster runs away at sixteen, abandoning her capacity for trust. Years later in Los Angeles, she works as a bartender known for exceptional cocktails and the mystery surrounding her past. Across the city, Emilie Dubois drifts without direction, longing for the beauty and community her Creole grandparents created but unable to make commitments. She impulsively accepts a position arranging flowers at Yerba Buena, an upscale restaurant. When Sara and Emilie meet at the restaurant one morning, they connect instantly. Their relationship deepens as they find solace in each other. But Sara's past eventually surfaces, threatening to destroy everything she has built just as Emilie discovers her own sense of direction. The two women must decide whether their bond can overcome the trauma that shaped them. Set against the backdrop of Los Angeles restaurant culture, the novel explores how shared meals, carefully made drinks, and claimed spaces can facilitate healing.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, domestic-fiction, contemporary, adult-fiction, lesbian-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, contemplative, emotional, healing, intimate, lyrical
Tropes: found-family, friends-to-lovers, second-chance, slow-burn
Setting: Los Angeles, Yerba Buena
Period: 21st-century
304 pages · Paperback · Flatiron Books
Content warnings: abuse