T. J. Alexander Knihy

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • A USA TODAY BESTSELLER • From the acclaimed author of Chef's Kiss, this groundbreaking trans Regency romance is both witty and iconoclastic. The eccentric Lord Christopher Eden, a man of unusual habits, prefers the company of his childhood cook and aged butler over the societal expectations of the ton. His solitary life is disrupted when he learns from his lawyers that he must marry by the end of the Season to inherit his family’s fortune and estate. With no attraction to women, Christopher feels ill-equipped to make a wife happy. To improve his chances, he must move to London and hire more suitable staff. Enter James Harding, his new, distractingly handsome valet, who is rigidly traditional. Their friendship begins amidst the chaos of the London Season but is threatened by Christopher’s impending nuptials and the secrets they both harbor. This novel combines dry wit, slow-burn romance, and a nuanced exploration of trans identity, promising to transform the historical romance genre.

A high-strung pastry chef's professional goals are interrupted by an unexpected career transition and the introduction of her wildly attractive nonbinary kitchen manager in this deliciously fresh and witty queer rom-com. Simone Larkspur is a perfectionist pastry expert with a dream job at The Discerning Chef, a venerable cookbook publisher in New York City. All she wants to do is create the perfect loaf of sourdough and develop recipes, but when The Discerning Chef decides to bring their brand into the 21st century by pivoting to video, Simone is thrust into the spotlight and finds herself failing at something for the first time in her life. To make matters worse, Simone has to deal with Ray Lyton, the new test kitchen manager, whose obnoxious cheer and outgoing personality are like oil to Simone's water. When Ray accidentally becomes a viral YouTube sensation with a series of homebrewing videos, their eccentric editor in chief forces Simone to work alongside the chipper upstart or else risk her beloved job. But the more they work together, the more Simone realizes her heart may be softening like butter for Ray. Things get even more complicated when Ray comes out at work as nonbinary to mixed reactions--and Simone must choose between the career she fought so hard for and the person who just might take the cake (and her heart).