He was never just a phase.


Gia Perelli has built a life out of food—and made a name for herself doing it. From restaurant reviews to dreamy recipe reels, her perfectly plated world is thriving. But when the guest chef at the hottest new spot in town turns out to be Charlie Andersen—the boy who broke her heart at her brother’s funeral, then disappeared before the dirt had even settled—Gia’s carefully curated calm goes up in flames.

Charlie was never just a crush. He was her first love, her biggest heartbreak, and the reason her summer never really ended.

Now he’s back—older, hotter, and still holding the pieces of a past Gia’s never quite put down.

Between simmering grief, kitchen heat, and a side of unresolved feelings, Gia has to decide: can she serve up forgiveness for the boy who ghosted when she needed him most? Or is he just... so last summer?

This spicy second-chance romance is for the elder emos, the foodies, and the ones who never stopped wondering what if.