After one of the hottest summers in Key West history, the heat shows no sign of ending even with Halloween approaching. Few can party like these Floridians, a questionable trait highlighted by the ten-day celebration of Fantasy Fest. A zombie bike ride, costume parade, tutu party, and pet masquerade contest are the tamest events involving participants donning little more than body paint.
Hayley Snow has finally begun to feel confident at her job as a writer and food critic for the Florida biweekly style magazine Key Zest, but she has yet to face the challenge of reporting a negative review for an established restaurant. Knowing how a poor review can financially devastate a restaurant, Hayley is guilt-ridden when she thinks of all of the hard labor and emotional investment a chef puts into his creations only to have it lambasted in print. However, three visits to Just Off Duval failed to show any improvement and leaves Hayley no choice but to write up a foreboding prediction of failure for the upscale new restaurant.
Hayley Snow has finally achieved her dream job of writing as a restaurant critic for the Key West magazine, Key Zest. However, the co-owner of the publication has good reason for personally detesting Hayley, so with her job on the line Hayley must continue to prove herself as an innovative food critic and journalist. A key step to this path is her attendance of the "Key West Loves Literature" seminar that will feature many prominent food writers and critic.
