Bad Idea, Right?

A heartfelt contemporary romance, for fans of the Netflix hit show Nobody Wants This and Hannah Bonam-Young, in which a struggling chef, after receiving an unexpected diagnosis, finds solace in the most unlikely of sources-her childhood nemesis. All Julieta Galindo wants is to take her place at the family restaurant, but a series of kitchen disasters have her mom and aunt convinced she's not ready. So when her aunt offers Julieta the chance to prove herself, she says yes, no questions asked. Catering an event for the local synagogue should be a breeze . . . Joshua Adler never imagined he'd be moving in with his parents, but after falling for his ex-best friend's investment scam, he has no other choice. Only after weeks of moping, his family's given him an ultimatum: help his brother, the local rabbi, with the upcoming Mimouna celebration or find a new place to live. As teenagers, Josh and Julieta were each other's biggest competition; working together now is unimaginable. When Julieta receives a devastating diagnosis, however, Josh provides support, comfort, and even affection. But with their futures in flux, how can they explore these new feelings-let alone a new relationship?

Jessica Lepe is a former social worker turned website designer who spends her days writing, listening to murder podcasts, and wrangling knives out of her toddler's hands (sometimes all at the same time). She discovered her love for reading after sneaking romance novels in her bible at her all-girls Catholic high school and in between the spines of her siddur at synagogue each Saturday and she hasn't stopped reading romance since. A proud and passionate advocate for mental health, Jessica writes romances with complex and flawed characters with multicultural and religious backgrounds that reflect the people she loves most in this world.