Best Served Hot

Elise Cartier has avoided Chicago for her entire adult life. The city holds her domineering older brother, a stepmother whose personality could single-handedly hold back global warming, and a baby sister she’s afraid will steal her heart if Elise gives her half a chance.

But her father loved the windy city. He built his empire there, and he made her promise to use her skills to build a better tomorrow for Chicago. One those skills is fundraising to stop hunger.

When her team floats Chicago as the best venue for this year’s annual fundraising gala, Elise can’t say no to fulfilling the mission of her charity and her promise to her father in one swing.

And if the gala location increases her odds of again seeing Chicago’s rising darling? Who could fault her for such a trivial additional motive?

The gala goes off without a hitch, but afterward, mementoes of a long-ago trauma begin cropping up around her. What starts as a weekend-long work trip quickly turns into a game of cat-and-mouse.

Anticipated Spring 2026