The Sweet Chef and the Corporate Queen

by Susanne Ash

She’s all business. He’s all charm. Too bad they can’t stay away from each other.

Juliette “Jules” Sinclair doesn’t do small towns, spontaneity, or second chances at love. As the CEO of a high-powered company, she thrives on structure, strategy, and perfectly executed plans. But when a corporate retreat at Mountain Laurel Lodge is upended by a last-minute childcare crisis, she’s suddenly scrambling for a solution.

Enter Declan Callahan—the lodge’s easygoing, ridiculously charming head chef, who somehow ends up watching her daughter, baking cookies, and slipping past Jules’ carefully constructed defenses with every warm smile. She tells herself it’s temporary. A short stay. A convenient fix. Nothing more.

But Declan isn’t just a small-town chef. He’s steady, patient, and ten years younger, with a way of looking at her that makes her forget every rule she’s ever made for herself. Worst of all? Her daughter adores him.

When an outdoor challenge gone wrong leaves Jules stranded with Declan in a secluded mountain hideaway, one stormy night and a stolen kiss change everything. For the first time in years, she wonders what it would be like to let go—to stop leading and start feeling.

But Jules built her entire life on control. And Declan? He doesn’t fit into any of her plans. She has a business to run, a daughter to protect, and a heart that wasn’t supposed to want things like forever.

So why does walking away suddenly feel like the biggest mistake she’s ever made?

A heartwarming, small-town romance featuring a grumpy corporate queen, a cinnamon roll chef, a swoon-worthy age gap, and forced proximity in the mountains—perfect for fans of slow-burn tension, single mom romances, and heroes who know that the best recipes are the ones made with love.

99 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 22, 2025

About the author

Susanne Ash writes sweet contemporary romance. When she's not busy putting pen to paper, she loves to cook, knit, and head out exploring with her husband and daughter. She lives close to the beach in beautiful South Carolina. You'll find that her setting is often a fictionalized version of her surroundings and the places she's visiting with her family.

Reviews

[Sandra Hartzel]

I had a free copy of this book, but this is my voluntary and honest opinion. Jules Sinclair is a single mom who started her own company to support her daughter. Her company goes on a corporate retreat at Elk Ridge. When her nanny has to leave due to a family emergency, Chef Declan Callahan invites her daughter to help him in the kitchen and they hit it off. Declan is attracted to Jules, but she has been hurt in the past and doesn’t want to take a chance on their different lives. A touching story about trust, love, and taking a chance.

[Ashleigh]

Finally a Age Gap Rom-Com done right !!!

I loved the bond that formed behind the daughter and the chef 🧑‍🍳 This was quick a quick read but still had so much going for it. I absolutely loved it 🥰

[Ash]

Liked Mia and Declan.
Their bond was really sweet.

[Ty]

3.5 stars