As you read about Al, the accountant, whose fascination with numbers leads him to an unhappy marriage. His journey takes you to the meeting of Lillian and how their friendship flourished from the start of her restaurant, through its growth and into its present day.

Then onto Chloe, Lillian's sous-chef and her journey through heartbreak and showing up at Isabella's house late one night after a break up with her boyfriend. Finally the eldest of the group, Isabella, while having Chloe live with her could not have come at a better time for her. Her memories are slowly fading away. Then in comes Finnegan, who could blend into surroundings, despite his height, whose the keeper of other people's stories.

And let's not forget about Lillian. Who by the age of twelve, her cooking had become her family. Teaching her more about life than her absent father or her mother ever could. At the age of sixteen, after her mother's passing, Lillian's cooking had given her homes. Until Pierre who gave Lillian her first job as a prep cook. From there her dream of cooking for herself had been born. The only thing Lillian didn't factor in was an unexpected surprise for her and Tom.

Erica Bauermeister is a new author for me. I found THE LOST ART OF MIXING very easy to follow, even though I had not read the previous novel that this is a continuation of. I loved reading how each of these characters started out and ultimately ended up at the restaurant.

Book Summary