Dying for Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson

Meet Goldy Bear, a caterer with more than just the dirty dishes to worry about! She's bright, opinionated and wildly inventive cook with a personal life that is a recipe for disaster. Threats from her abusive ex-husband and mounting bills force Goldy to take control of her life - so she accepts a job as a live-in-chef looking after the cream of Aspen Meadow's society. But as it starts to look as though things are on the up for Goldy, her boyfriend Philip is killed in a car crash.