"I want our summers to always be like this—a kitchen wrecked with love, a table overflowing with baked goods warning the already warm air. After all the pots are stacked, the goodies cooled, and all the counters wiped clean—let us never be rescued from this mess."
— Aimee Nezhukumatahil, Baked Goods
THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO A GIRL'S HEART: flowers and baked goods.
Of course, this is according to Lucy Choi—aspiring baker, romance connoisseur, and sophomore cheerleader at Hawkins High. Lucy knows the way to a girl's heart and given her expertise, many others have sought her out. She's received Tommy Hogan for Carol Perkins, Adonis White for Berkley Thomas, and even a two-for-one: Steve Harrington and Jonathan Byers for Nancy Wheeler!
The love is endless, which means the baking of cookies, brownies, cakes, and pies are endless, too! Cherry, blueberry, strawberry mixes with her liquid smooth hair, and she smiles with small pieces of orange and kiwi in between her crooked teeth. The sweet of mango makes her fingers sticky as she braids her sister's hair before school.
Lucy Choi is all sweet.
But then, her mom dies. "Heart attack," the doctor told her. "It got too stressed." Stressed with what? Work? Money? Love? What is the stress that caused Lucy's mother to drop to the floor that one horrid night and never wake up again?
The questions mix with the bills, and the Choi family is drowning.
Lucy is not good at swimming.
But, she is good at baking. And SOLACE BAKERY is hiring. So, Lucy buckles up, forges her birthdate just a teensy bit, and works with what she's got, which is not much as SOLACE BAKERY is not the most popular bakery in Hawkins, which is just simply outrageous in her opinion. Nevertheless, the job covers a half of the bills, and it keeps the Choi family afloat in the mess of grief her family and Hawkins seem to be in after the disappearance of Barbara Holland.
Then, one fateful Thursday, a boy comes into the bakery, bell jingling at his arrival. He's pale, awkward, and quite odd, but asks for a cherry pie. Luckily for them both, Lucy had just got one out of the oven. After payment and boxing the delicacy up, he went on his way. But, then he came back the following Thursday and the one after that and the one after that. Marisol Solace, her boss, says he has a crush. Lucy Choi disagrees. Love cannot cloud her at this moment. But, then, the boy—who Lucy learned is named Vincent (just Vincent)—comes by the bakery one day with flowers and baked goods. Just for her!
Who is she to turn him away?
LUCY CHOI — MIDORI FRANCIS
"I don't know much about D&D, but I do know a thing or two about Eggos."
LYRA CHOI — JULIA REHWALD
"I've always been smart. You've just been too busy noticing my faults."
VINCENT "THIRTEEN" — MARK MCKENNA
"Mike says I'm weird, which I guess he's right about. If you knew what I could do, you'd probably think the same."
MARISOL SOLACE — MJ RODRIGUEZ
"This is Hawkins, Indiana, sweets. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly the type of person they'd put on a billboard around here."
INCLUDING...
BILLY CHOI-RIPLEY — PAUL RUDD
LEANNE CHOI — CONSTANCE WU
ADONIS WHITE — JONATHAN DAVISS
BERKLEY THOMAS — ELIZA SCANLEN
WARNINGS:
this book will include mentions and vivid descriptions of grief and death. furthermore, foul language and violence will be in this story. if you are not comfortable with these topics, i suggest you find a different story to read.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
i rewatched dash and lily two weeks ago while making flan and this idea came to life. this is a very impulsive moment of mine, publishing this when i already have three books i should be focusing. but, i'm gonna do it anyways.
pls enjoy !! 💛💛