Table of Contents
Stacey Ballis knows her readers like books smart and funnyand she always delivers.
Laurie Gwen Shapiro, author ofThe Matzo Ball Heiress
PRAISE FOR
Good Enough to Eat
Good Enough to Eat is like a perfect dish of macaroni and cheeserich, warm, nuanced, and delicious. And like any great comfort food, Stacey Balliss new book is absolutely satisfying.
Jen Lancaster, New York Times bestselling author of Such a Pretty Fat
Witty and tender, brash and seriously clever, Stacey Balliss characters are our friends, our neighbors or, in some cases, that sardonic colleague the next cubicle over... Her storytelling will have you alternately turning pages and calling your friends urging them to come along for the ride. And in Stacey Balliss talented hands, oh what a wonderful ride it is.
Elizabeth Flock, New York Times bestselling author of Me & Emma
A toothsome meal of moments, gorgeously written, in warmth and with keen observation, Good Enough to Eat is about so much more than the magic of food; its about the magic of life. Pardon the clich, but youll devour it and wish there was more to savor.
Stephanie Klein, author of Straight Up and Dirty and Moose: A Memoir
The Spinster Sisters
Readers will be rooting for Balliss smart, snappy heroines.
Booklist
Stacey Ballis provides a wonderful, deep family drama.
The Best Reviews
A laugh-out-loud hoot of a book. Jodi and Jill are amazing characters. They are challenged by balancing their business lives with style, charm, and grace. A must-read.
A Romance Review
Ballis addresses the dilemmas of empowered, independent women who are proud of their single status, but also looking hopefully toward settling down with someone special with grace and eloquence.
Fresh Fiction
With good-natured insight, this is an honest look at family, personal, and business relationships and how women deal with their need for independence and companionship. Strong, caring main characters are compassionate and well developed, giving each a convincing voice... For a terrific treat, pick up a copy of The Spinster Sisters.
Romance Reviews Today
Room for Improvement
Self-proclaimed home improvement junkie and author Ballis has written a laugh-out-loud novel that will appeal to HGTV devotees as well as those who like their chick lit on the sexy side.
Booklist (starred review)
This book is frequently laugh-out-loud funny.
Romantic Times
Sleeping Over
Ballis presents a refreshingly realistic approach to relationships and the things that test (and often break) them. Balliss sophomore effort will please readers who want something more than fairy-tale romance.
Booklist
Sleeping Over is a snappy tale of love lost, gained, revamped, rehashed, and true friendship through thick and thin... a remarkable chick lit novel... Dont let this entertaining tale pass you by.
Romance Reviews Today
Fans of relationship dramas will appreciate this fine, character-driven tale.
The Best Reviews
Sleeping Over will have you laughing, crying, and planning your next girls night out. This is the first novel I have read by Stacey Ballis, but I guarantee it wont be the last!
Romance Reader at Heart
This engaging story delivers everything you ask from a great read: it makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it makes you feel. Sleeping Over gets my highest recommendation.
Romance Divas
Inappropriate Men
Balliss debut is a witty tale of a thirtysomething who unexpectedly has to start the search for love all over again.
Booklist
Cheekily comic... Sidney Stein is a heroine to cheer lustily for, because that is how she lives her life: in grand style, and refusing to settle.
BookPage
Without a doubt, Inappropriate Men is one of the best books of 2004. Stacey Ballis has a way with words. Effortlessly, she makes them exciting and pulls the reader into the life of one of the most engaging characters ever created, Sidney Stein.
A Romance Review
For an insiders look at dating and relationships, with all the laughs and wit you could want, Inappropriate Men by Stacey Ballis is a wonderful choice for your reading pleasure.
Romance Reviews Today
Berkley Books by Stacey Ballis
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
THE SPINSTER SISTERS
GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT
For Jen,
whose friendship makes everything
more delicious!
For Bill,
who makes me believe every day
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As always, my loving family: Mom, Dad, Deb, and Jonnie. None of this would be nearly as much fun without you around me.
My wonderful agent and partner, Scott Mendel, for being not only such a terrific navigator on this journey but excellent company as well.
My amazing friends (you know who you are and how much I love and treasure you), who are the best support system any girl could ask for and who are all blissfully good eaters... with extra props for the Uzes gang!
Carey Peters, for your friendship and guidance, and for giving so freely of your wisdom during the writing of this book. You not only helped Melanie change her life; you helped me change mine.
Everyone at Penguin/Berkley, especially Leslie Gelbman, Wendy McCurdy, and Melissa Broder.
My friend and trainer, Gabe, for helping keep me healthy, however hard I may fight against it. (I still hate the f***ing squats. Im not saying; Im just saying.)
My fantastic gaggle of girlsmost especially Rachel, Sue, Denise, Tracey, Gina, Caprice, Laura, Liz, Stephanie, Serena, Ellen, Tracy, Margie, and Peggyyou guys keep me sane! (Or insane, as the case may be...)
My NYC BFF, Penny, who showed up right when I needed her, for showing me that less is indeed more, that bringing beauty into your life every day is neither extraneous nor impossible, and that one is never finished finding old dear friends. (And that I can survive quite happily with half the number of occasional tables as previously assumed.)
For Bill, an unexpected gift from the universe. I am so very, very lucky to know you and have you in my life.
Last but definitely not least, the extraordinary Jen Lancaster, who is a daily blessing and an endless source of inspiration. Thank you for all the laughter and adventures and support. Wednesday nights will always belong to you. Team Stennifer rules!
PROLOGUE
The firm close of the door, despite not having been remotely slammed, nevertheless reverberates through the profound emptiness of my house. The sheer force of it pushes me down into a chair at the kitchen table, coffee and shards of pottery at the floor by my feet, the now-cold liquid soaking into my slippers. I wait for the front door to open again. I wait for the alarm clock to go off, waking me from this unreal dream. It is only when the sparkles appear before my eyes that I realize Im listening so hard for one of these sounds that I have forgotten to breathe. Something vibrates near my arm, and I glance down at my BlackBerry, which is reminding me that I have a phone meeting scheduled with my nutritional counselor.