Before Anyone Else

Before Anyone Else follows Bailey, who, despite being an interior designer for upscale restaurants, struggles to design her own life. Journey with her across New York's glamorous culinary landscape as she experiences a shocking betrayal that changes her life forever.

As a designer of upscale restaurants, 30-year-old Bailey Ann Edgeworth can enter an empty space and instantly envision its transformation into a beautiful and memorable venue. However, she discovers that transforming her life is a different challenge entirely. Unlike a neat blueprint, life can be messy. Bailey's brother, Henry, and his best friend Griffin are stars in the restaurant world, known as the 'Colour Wheel Boys' for their renowned Buckhead restaurants Vert, Blanc, and Noir. Determined to chart her own path, Bailey strives not to be forever identified as Hank's daughter, Henry's sister, or "whatever" she is to Griffin. Her ambitions lead her to New York, where her vision gains her accolades and fame.

After feeling rejected by Griffin, Bailey impulsively marries an enigmatic English chef. Together, their charisma and ambition catapult them to the culinary world's pinnacle. Just when Bailey seems on the verge of having it all, a shocking betrayal throws her world into chaos. She faces a dramatic downfall, marked by secretive drug use, shady associates, and a career in turmoil. What are the secret ingredients needed to transform food, a dilapidated building, and one's own life into something extraordinary?

Before Anyone Else delves into the complex relationship between love and ambition, exploring how our earliest relationships and experiences shape us into who we ultimately become.

'A beautiful book.' - Kevin Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Nothing to See Here and The Family Fang

'Romantic and deeply moving, Before Anyone Else by Leslie Hooton, is a curl-up-on-the-couch debut novel that keeps the fire burning and the pages turning.' - Lisa Barr, award-winning author of Fugitive Colors