Copyright 
2016 by Barbara Oliverio. All rights
reserved.
Published by Scolapasta Press, Ltd.™
Denver, CO
719.339.6689
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from Scolapasta Press, Ltd.™ or Barbara Oliverio, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
All images, logos, quotes, and trademarks included in this book are subject to use according to trademark and copyright laws of the United States of America.
Smashwords Edition
Licensing Notes
This e-book is licensed for your personal use and enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, please visit Smashwords.com and purchase a copy for yourself. Thank you for respecting this author’s work.
Author Photo Copyright Cliff Lawson
1. Romance
2. Comic Fiction
3. Humor
Book Design and Cover Design 2015
E-Book by e-book-design.com.
Award Winning Barbara Oliverio:“Scintillating and refreshingly original....there is more to this romcom than meets the eye as Oliverio cannily entwines the joys of cooking and love with the sustenance found in the sanctuary of family.”
Bookviral.com
“...all the ingredients for the perfect romcom...fascinating characters who spring from the page with their energy... interesting settings that are clearly depicted for us... lots of fun, dollops of anguish, and a well thought out and executed plot.”
Readers Favorite
“...a wealth of fantastic and hilarious characters...”
Novelgrounds
“This was a good first book from the author, and to top it off we got some authentic recipes provided in the back.”
Mrs. B’s Books
“...just the thing to take my mind off the wet, windy, wintry weather raging outside my windows last weekend.”
BondiBookGirl
“Great debut. Barbara Oliverio thrills readers with a recipe of humor and a crisp storyline...I loved it, loved it.”
Chicklitpad.com
“Reading about the cruise made me want to take another one (it’s been 8 years). The fun, formals and frivolity of a cruise are well-portrayed in this charming book.”
Window on the World
“Overall, Barbara Oliverio has again delivered a fun, easy-going and thoroughly enjoyable romantic comedy; I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!”
“A Spoonful of Happy Endings”
For all the little girls who sit on their step reading about faraway places and dreaming about going there – I was you. See, you’ll get there.
And for Darby. You’ll be in my heart, always.
Other Books by Barbara Oliverio
My overwhelming thanks go, as always to my late parents who gave me my life, my Roman Catholic faith, and my blue-collar work ethic. Thank you to my big brother John who always has been and always will be my champion and who understands that to be an Oliverio means that the truth never gets in the way of a good story. Thank you to my extended family. Thank you to all the readers of my first two books who believe in my ability as a storyteller and want to read more PG-rated books featuring characters that can be witty and current without compromising their values.
Xie Xie (thank you) to the wonderful tour guides in Xi’an and Beijing who helped Darby and me navigate the beauty and wonder of those cities and to all of the strangers in Singapore and China who loaned bits and pieces of themselves to some of the scenes in this book. (Yes, we did sit family-style with an international mix of people to eat chili crab, but no, there was no flying sauce.) Most of the historical and geographical information in this book is accurate; my apologies for bending any minor facts to fit the story.
Thank you to the great crews at the coffee shops and sandwich shops in the Denver area who patiently refill my iced tea cups as I sit in the back booths madly typing away on those days that I need to leave my own home office when I am writing my books.
Thank you to the powerful team that turns my scribbles into real live books: Susan Hindman and Valentina Gyorgy for awesome editing and cover design, and the rock stars that are Polly Letofsky, Andrea Costantine and Gail Nelson. To be an independent publisher is to appreciate the intricate workings of the entire process and the necessity of a good team.
I couldn’t do what I do without occasionally bending the ear of some great people as I bounce title, plot and other ideas: Thank you Nancy, Krista , Maryanne, Christine, Margaret and other folks that I may have buttonholed all along the way. (Carolyn Clingman and your Book Club – you rock!)
Finally, the lion’s share of acknowledgement must go to my favorite traveling companion, the man who understands that binge watching the Hallmark Channel is research, the man who doesn’t bat an eye when I come home smelling like men’s cologne from the department store because I’m trying to define a character, the man who understands that I’m not talking to myself but that I’m testing dialogue out loud, the man who patiently packs and unpacks book materials into my car and assists at my table at my book events — my own leading man, Darby.