Chef" Joy Ballard longs for a simpler life. But when a good-looking outsider arrives and spices things up, life becomes deliciously complicated. Host of a regionally syndicated cooking show, Joy Ballard has a little secret: she can't cook. But when her show is picked up by a major network and given a prime time slot, her world heats up faster than a lowcountry boil. Enter Luke Redmond: handsome, creative, and jobless after having to declare bankruptcy of his Manhatten restaurant. When her producers ask him to co-host the show, Joy sees Luke as her way out. But Luke sees much more than just a co-host in Joy. Their relationship begins to simmer on and off set. Until Joy's secret is revealed and her reputation is ruined on national television by her rival, Wenda Devine. But could Devine's cruelty be a divine gift? Losing Luke--and her sister--forces Joy to consider where her worth really comes from. Could God be cooking up an even bigger adventure from the mess? And will Joy hang on long enough to find out?Editorial ReviewsFrom Publishers WeeklyRomance novelist Hauck (Love Starts with Elle) whips up a delectable and light tale of finding love amid everything edible, a story that goes down easy. Joy Ballard, a cooking show host who can't cook, inherited her television show from her father. Joy's executive producer sells Dining with Joy to success-hungry Allison Wild of Wild Woman Productions, who brings on hunky chef Luke Davis, owner of a failed Manhattan restaurant. When Joy and Luke mix it up on television, sparks fly and ratings soar. The only thing holding back Joy's career is the truth about her lack of cooking talent and her guilty conscience. Toss in some cooking rivals, old family wounds, and struggles with Christian faith, and readers will find themselves hankering for another serving of low country living from Joy's pantry. (Nov.) (c) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.From BooklistWhen her dad dies, Joy Ballard takes over his popular cooking show. She is pretty, personable, and great on camera, but she can't cook. Joy has fooled everyone by turning her show into a humor fest, a sort of America's Funniest Home Videos: Stupid Cooking Tricks. But now she has a new producer, one who expects her to actually cook. Worse yet, this aggressive, ambitious woman is determined to take Joy's show to one of the largest cable networks. Luke Davis is an extraordinarily talented chef, but he's lost his fancy Manhattan restaurant and moved to a small town in South Carolina. He's desperate to get back to the culinary art's upper echelon, and he just may be the answer to Joy's dilemma, not to mention her love interest. With its sparkling dialogue, witty premise, and convincing characters, and the popularity of television cooking shows, this subtly inspirational tale is sure to entertain readers. Libraries that don't have Hauck's other books ( Lost in Nashvegas, 2006; Diva Nashvegas, 2007; Sweet Caroline, 2008) will want to add those, too. --Shelley Mosley