Missed Connections

A Novel

By: Aimie K. Runyan

Narrated by: Caroline Hewitt

What if you had the chance to revisit every choice that mattered?

Sabrina Sorensen is thirty-seven, single, and just lost a fabulous job as manager of a posh Parisian restaurant. She heads home to California for her younger sister’s engagement party, and it's an open door for her mother and siblings to chide Sabrina for her inability to commit to any of her previous jobs and relationships. What they don't know is that Sabrina, for fifteen long years, has been building her résumé in hopes of becoming an inspector for the famed Michelin guides—a path that has required keeping her ambitions hidden, even from her family. And, with the job loss, all she’s worked for is in jeopardy. After her mother's final clumsy attempt to fix her up with the charming "boy next door," Sabrina leaves the party and retreats to the Burbank Airport.

The problem? She has nowhere to go.

She arrives at the airport, resolved to put the family conflict behind her and focus on her work, but now her mother's critical voice fills her with doubts. Has she been wasting her life? Faced with the enormity of her next decision, Sabrina breaks down at the ticket counter. The ticket agent pulls her aside and offers her the life-altering opportunity to revisit some of her key life choices, both personal and professional. Sabrina suddenly is given the rare chance to answer the burning question: Has she been foolish to sacrifice so much for her dream of becoming a Michelin inspector? And will a spark with an aspiring Danish chef change her priorities altogether?

Recipes and discussion questions can be found in the audiobook companion PDF download.

Critic reviews

'Fans of THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY will devour this delicious story of a woman who gets a magical opportunity to re-do pivotal life choices. With the fascinating backdrop of culinary culture from New Orleans to Copenhagen to Paris, this whimsical tale is full of hard-won insights about work, love, passion, and family. I was utterly entranced by the mystical airport from which our heroine boards flights to key moments of her past--gaining wisdom, standing up for herself, and, ultimately, creating a fulfilling pathway ahead. You'll be wishing for your own enchanted airplane flight . . . Enjoy the ride!'

'Well-rounded characters, a touch of magic, and a delicious peek into the inner workings of restaurants enhance Runyan's latest (after THE WANDERING SEASON, 2025) and should make for good book group discussions.'