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\nPEOPLE has an exclusive first look at Aimie K. Runyan’s new novel Missed ConnectionsThe novel will be published in 2026 via Harper Muse, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus\u201dThe book really encapsulates three elements I love to explore in my writing: foodie goodness and the fascinating world of top-tier restaurants, the immersive settings of a travel book, and a deep-dive into the condition of the modern woman,\u201d the author tells PEOPLE of the book<\/p>\n
Aimie K. Runyan is cooking up a new novel.<\/p>\n
The author of novels like The Wandering Season<\/a> and A Bakery in Paris<\/a> will publish a new book, Missed Connections<\/a>, next year. PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at the novel, which will be released via Harper Muse, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus.<\/p>\n The novel follows Sabrina Sorenson, who is forced to begin again after getting let go from her job managing a Parisian restaurant. She heads back home to California, where her sister\u2019s engagement party provides the perfect opportunity for her family to pry into her love life.<\/p>\n After Sabrina\u2019s mother tries to set her up with a neighbor, she flees to the airport in hopes of continuing her work as a Michelin Guide Inspector. But Sabrina realizes that building her professional career has cost her meaningful relationships elsewhere.\n<\/p>\n The cover of ‘Missed Connections’ by Aimie K. Runyan.<\/p>\n Harper Muse<\/p>\n When an airport ticket agent presents Sabrina with an enticing prospect, she\u2019s suddenly forced to confront the last decade of her life.<\/p>\n \u201cSpanning 15 years and thousands of miles, Sabrina will have the rare opportunity to know for certain if all her choices had led her down the right path,\u201d the book\u2019s official synopsis reads.\n<\/p>\n Fans of popular TV shows set in the food industry are sure to find something to love in Missed Connections,<\/a> the author teases.\n<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n “I envisioned Missed Connections as the behind-the-scenes culinary world of The Bear<\/a> meeting the emotional introspective journey of The Midnight Library<\/a>, but it managed to take on an identity wholly its own,\u201d the author tells PEOPLE. \u201cSet in the lush-yet-cutthroat world of fine dining, Missed Connections asks the uncomfortable question \u2018has chasing my dreams all this time been worth it?\u2019\u201d\n<\/p>\n Aimie K. Runyan.<\/p>\n Aimie K. Runyan<\/p>\n \u201cOn the surface, Sabrina Sorensen has her life together and knows what she wants, but when self-doubt and imposter syndrome begin to threaten what she\u2019s built, she worries all her hard work will have been for nothing,\u201d the author continues.<\/p>\n Though the novel does pay tribute to some of Runyan\u2019s own loves \u2014 namely, delectable eateries \u2014 it also puts forth an important universal story too.\n<\/p>\n \u201dThe book really encapsulates three elements I love to explore in my writing: foodie goodness and the fascinating world of top-tier restaurants, the immersive settings of a travel book, and a deep-dive into the condition of the modern woman,\u201d Runyan says. \u201cIn Sabrina\u2019s case, she has been conditioned to doubt herself her whole life, and her journey is all about clearing that very high mental hurdle.”\n<\/p>\n The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!<\/a><\/p>\n