The Sugar Queen: A Novel (Random House Reader's Circle)

The NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller

In this irresistible tale, Sarah Addison Allen, author of the bestselling debut, Garden Spells, tells the stoy of a young woman whose family secrets—and secret passions—are about to change her life forever.

Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter is her favorite season, she'll never be good enough, or beautiful enough, for her mother's love, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her closet. Josey has settled into an staid and solitary existence in her mother's house, but her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and romances she escapes to each night. Then she finds her secret closet harboring Della Lee Baker, a local waitress who is one part nemesis—and two parts fairy godmother. With Della Lee's tough love, Josey's narrow existence quickly expands. She bonds with Chloe Finley, a young woman who is hounded by books that inexplicably appear when she needs them, and who has a close connection to Adam, to the source of Josey's unrequited love. Soon Josey is living in a world where the color red has startling powers, and passion can make eggs fry in their cartons. And that's just for starters.

Brimming with warmth, wit, and a sprinkling of magic, here is a spellbinding tale of friendship, love—and the enchanting possibilities of every new day.

Praise for The Sugar Queen

"Like the most decadently addictive bonbons, once started, Allen's magically entrancing novel is impossible to put down."—Booklist (starred review)

"Bewitching . . . Such a pleasurable book."—Publishers Weekly

Sarah Addison lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where she is at work on her next novel.