“The Secret of Rainy Days is a coming-of-age novel that is both deeply moving and beautifully crafted. Witty and charming, The Secret of Rainy Days is a gem.“ –Patti Callahan New York Times bestselling author of Becoming of Mrs. Lewis and the upcoming Once Upon A Wardrobe

“The world that Leslie Hooton creates in The Secret of Rainy Days is both big-hearted and wise; it is a celebration of lasting love and friendship and an exploration of family ties and the many losses and secrets along the way. Hooten’s eye for memorable details and her sharp sense of humor is a delight.” ― Jill McCorkle, New York Times best-selling author of Hieroglyphics and Life after Life

“Equal parts funny and profound, The Secret of Rainy Days will have you laughing and crying both at once. Leslie Hooton’s extraordinary second novel firmly establishes her place as a major new voice in Southern literature.” –Amy Greene, nationally bestselling author of Bloodroot

“In distinctly Southern prose, Leslie Hooton captures the complexity of family dynamics and the difficulty of sudden loss in her sweeping sophomore novel. The Secret of Rainy Days explores what it truly means to come home again, especially when we think we have left forever―and how, sometimes, it’s the most difficult days and the lessons they bring that teach us who we truly are. Fans of coming-of-age stories will find themselves immersed in every page.” ―Kristy Woodson Harvey, NYT Bestselling author of Under the Southern Sky

“Like the best Southern novels, The Secret of Rainy Days reminds us when searching for your place in the world, you may find it where you least expect it. And that sometimes to move forward, you have to go back to where you came from.” ―Colleen Oakley, USA Today bestselling author

“Leslie Hooton, her writing vibrant and alive, so wonderfully harkens back to the grand tradition of southern storytellers. She writes with that potent mixture of humor and grace, and The Secret of Rainy Days has all the makings of a book club darling, a story that you can’t help but share with someone else. This is a book suffused with a lifetime supply of “lucky dust”, that intangible quality that makes you want to be close to it.” –Kevin Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Nothing to See Here and The Family Fang

“Like a good tasting menu, Leslie Hooton’s Before Anyone Else is full of delicious contrast and dazzling surprises. It is also wonderfully suspenseful as we watch the fragile and intrepid Bailey make her way in the complicated world of food design… A splendid debut.” – Margot Livesey, NYT Bestselling Author of Mercury

“With Before Anyone Else, Leslie Hooton announces herself as a natural-born storyteller, a writer who can evoke character and place with such finely-tuned details that you find yourself pulled completely into a world that she has created… it is a beautiful book.” – Kevin Wilson, Author of Nothing to See Here and The Family Fang

“In her debut novel, Before Anyone Else, Leslie Hooton brings southern charm and a sharp wit to the table along with a full menu and decorating tips. It’s part foodie romance, but mostly it’s about family and friendship and the love that holds people together.” – Jill McCorkle, NYT Bestselling Author of Life and the Upcoming Hier

“Romantic and deeply moving, Before Anyone Else is a curl-up-on-the-couch debut novel that keeps the fire burning and the pages turning. Love, loss, addiction, betrayal, ambition, the power of friendship and family loyalty permeate this beautiful novel.” – Lisa Barr, Award-Winning Author of A Fugitive Colors and The Unbreakables

“All’s fair in love and cooking in Leslie Hooton’s dazzling debut about an ambitious young restaurant designer trying to make her way in the New York culinary scene. Readers are sure to be drawn into Bailey’s life and cheer on as she discovers how to be the person she’s always wanted to be – while staying true to who she is.” – Colleen Oakley, Author of You Were There Too