From the James Beard Award-winning author of Ruhlman’s Twenty comes a gritty story that gives a true look inside the belly of an upscale kitchen where love and danger boil behind closed doors.

“The hustle and passion that flow during service drop readers squarely in the middle of the action . . . The well-realized foodie elements are the highlight.”—Kirkus Reviews

When high school football star Theo Claverback breaks his leg just weeks after a devastating breakup, he’s forced to cancel his summer plans and put his college ones on hold. He soon finds himself in the most unlikely of places for a jock on crutches: the kitchen of a high-end French restaurant, where he’ll work as a prep cook while his heart and leg heal.

But it’s in the kitchen where Theo finds new purpose . . . and a new love. As he becomes a trusted employee to Chef, Theo begins to discover the true costs of running a restaurant—and what happens when you get into hot water with the wrong people.