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Conner Montgomery is a thirty-five-year-old painfully shy executive chef at The Imperial Arms Hotel, who has spent most of her life hiding in her kitchen, but dreams of getting out from under the thumb of Wilhelmina Tate, her boss and benefactor. Her chance soon arrives when she’s given the esteemed assignment of preparing the menu for the social event of the year – an extravagant gala for the very wealthy and sophisticated hotel empire heir Philip Garrity. Philip wants to break away from the family business and be a restaurateur and thinks Conner’s unique cuisine can help him do that. The only problem is – he thinks Conner Montgomery is a reclusive, old man.

Afraid if she were to tell Philip the truth it would ruin her chances of getting hired, Conner tells Philip her name is Helen and she’s the sous chef – if he needs to ask Conner anything, it can go through her. The lie rapidly ensnares Conner and she enlists the help of her kitchen family to assist in the deception. She’s finally going to go after what she’s always wanted – even if she’s got to pretend to be man to do it.

Ruby Lee Lester, daughter of country star, Arnie Lester, is a hard-edged, thirty-five-year-old self proclaimed heathen and one-hit-wonder country singer who spends most of her time holed up in her downtown Nashville honkytonk bar Eden, aka The Garden.

Safely secluded in her home away from home, Ruby tries her hardest to forget how her ex-manager/boyfriend stole all her money and conned her into signing over her song rights. She sets her mind to doing bad things, mostly sleeping around, smoking too much, and drinking to excess. And she vows never to cut her hair, make music, or be “managed” again. For ten years the lifestyle works – until a family tragedy suddenly puts Ruby in charge of her twelve-year-old nephew, Ben, and…his Hebrew school education.