A Serving of Scandal

British celebrity chef Leith (The Choral Society) charms with this story of the friendship between single caterer Kate McKinnon and married British Foreign Secretary Oliver Stapler. Oliver’s appreciation for and knowledge of food is a perfect match for Kate’s skill in crafting meals, increasing their mutual regard. When a scandal-hungry tabloid accuses them of having an affair, their lives are thrown into turmoil. Oliver’s career and marriage disintegrate, and he must reconsider the assumptions he’s made about his life and ambitions. Kate’s catering business collapses as she loses government contracts and is hounded by merciless reporters, and she realizes that her innocent feelings for Oliver have blossomed into desire. For all its tangled relationships, this tale is really a three-way romance among food, those who prepare it, and those who eat it; descriptions of “scratch” meals are as appealing as those of the gourmet dinners Kate creates, and when she describes cooking as “an act of love,” the true heart of the story is revealed. Agent: Jane Turnbull, Turnbull Agency. (Aug.)