In Good Company Book Summary: A Scorching, Heartfelt Billionaire Romance
In Good Company centers on Lucy Rae Owens, a private chef, and Callahan Hastings, a billionaire and the older brother of her ex-boyfriend.
Their reunion at a Hamptons dinner party sets off a summer that mixes forced proximity with family duty.
TL;DR: A Private Chef Walks Into a Billionaire’s Kitchen
Lucy is a working private chef supporting her family. Cal is the rich older brother of the man who hurt her.
He hires her for the summer, and their professional arrangement quickly turns personal.
- Tropes: ex’s brother, boss/employee, age gap, forced proximity.
- Setting: the Hamptons, with contrast to Lucy’s Virginia family struggles.
- Central conflict: Lucy plans to leave at summer’s end to run her father’s store.
- Core themes: duty, grief, trust, and choosing love.
In Good Company Summary: A Summer of Heat, Heartbreak, and a Second Choice
Spoilers ahead.
Lucy works as a waitress at Pembroke Hills Country Club and takes side jobs as a private chef. While cooking a six-course meal for a rude client named Laurent Hughes, she sees Callahan Hastings, the older brother of her ex-boyfriend Oliver.
Cal defends her after Laurent berates her.
He later tracks her down and offers her a job as his exclusive private chef, promising to double any other offer.
Lucy initially rejects the job because working for her ex’s brother feels inappropriate. She eventually accepts when she realizes the money will provide security for her family.
As they work together, Cal discovers Lucy’s fear of filming cooking videos online and starts helping her record recipes. At a charity golf event and a pool party, their attraction boils over.
They share a first kiss in a pool house before being interrupted by Cal’s friend Margo.
Lucy and Cal begin a physical and emotional affair. Cal gives her expensive gifts, including a new bike and Chanel bags, and flies in a Michelin-starred chef from Italy for a private lesson. Lucy keeps insisting their relationship is casual and temporary because she must return to Virginia to run her father’s furniture store.
The break happens when Lucy gets a frantic call that her father has been found unresponsive. Cal offers to fly her home on his private jet and stay with her.
Lucy, feeling overwhelmed and guilty, pushes him away and tells him they are temporary. She leaves for Virginia alone. Back home, she realizes she is miserable and in love with Cal.
In the Hamptons, Oliver encourages Cal to go after Lucy and reveals he knew about her family tragedy. Cal flies to Virginia and meets Lucy’s parents before she returns from the store.
He presents a plan: the family friend Alec will take over the store, Lucy’s parents will have hired help, and Cal will buy a house in Virginia so Lucy can visit whenever she wants while living with him in New York.
Lucy admits her love for Cal.
They attend a black-tie gala at Pembroke Hills as an official couple, where he gives her a heart-shaped pink diamond necklace.
In the epilogue, they marry at a villa in Lake Como, Italy. Lucy is now a successful cookbook author, and Cal makes sure her late brothers are honored at the ceremony with empty seats and photos.
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Summary by Chapter (Spoilers)
This section groups the 54 chapters and epilogue into six narrative movements. It includes spoilers.
The Reunion and Job Offer (Chapters 1–10)
Lucy and Cal are reunited at a dinner party four years after her breakup with his brother. Lucy tries to keep professional distance, but Cal is immediately interested. He aggressively recruits her to be his private chef.
Despite her reservations about the connection, Cal’s persistence and the promise of high pay lead her to consider the role as a way to support her family.
Routine and Rising Tension (Chapters 11–18)
Lucy begins working at Cal’s estate, creating a domestic routine full of banter. Cal insists on her well-being and makes her eat the meals she prepares. Tension builds during a charity golf tournament, where Cal’s protectiveness and physical closeness start to break down Lucy’s defenses.
Crossing the Line (Chapters 19–30)
The attraction explodes at a pool party when Cal and Lucy share a heated encounter in a pool house.
Lucy feels guilt about the casual nature of the fling and Cal’s relation to her ex. Cal begins helping her overcome her fear of the camera by filming cooking lessons. This eventually leads to their first night together.
The Best Summer of Her Life (Chapters 31–43)
Cal spoils Lucy with luxury gifts and emotional gestures, including a private lesson with an Italian master chef.
Their bond deepens into love. Lucy still hides the full extent of her family’s financial and emotional burden. She continues to insist she must leave at the end of the summer.
The Crash and Separation (Chapters 44–48)
Cal confesses he is falling in love. Lucy’s family emergency forces her back to Virginia. She calls Cal a distraction and flies home alone. Both are devastated.
Resolution and Forever (Chapters 49–Epilogue)
After a period of heartbreak and a talk with his brother, Cal travels to Virginia. He works with Lucy’s parents to secure their future, allowing Lucy to choose her own path with him.
The story ends with their lavish wedding and Lucy’s success as a chef.
Characters in This Book
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Lucy Rae Owens | Protagonist; private chef supporting her family and returning to Virginia obligations. |
| Callahan “Cal” Hastings | CEO of Hastings Inc.; billionaire and older brother of Lucy’s ex. |
| Charlotte | Lucy’s best friend and coworker at Pembroke Hills. |
| Jude | Cal’s childhood best friend and catalyst for bringing Cal and Lucy together. |
| Oliver “Ollie” Hastings | Cal’s younger brother and Lucy’s ex who cheated on her. |
| Lucy’s Parents | Mother and father in Virginia struggling with grief and health issues. |
| Alec | Long-time family friend who eventually takes over the family business. |
| Margo & Beckham Sinclair | Members of Cal’s friend group; Margo advises Lucy. |
| Enzo Russo | Three-Michelin-star chef from Italy flown in to teach Lucy. |
| Dolores | Owner of Lucy’s favorite farm stand. |
| Mr. Fred | Lucy’s kind landlord in the Hamptons. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is In Good Company about?
In Good Company follows Lucy Rae Owens, a private chef hired by her ex-boyfriend’s billionaire brother Callahan Hastings for a summer in the Hamptons. Their professional arrangement turns into a romantic relationship complicated by family duty and past heartbreak.
How does In Good Company end?
The book ends with Lucy and Cal reuniting after he flies to Virginia and arranges support for her family. They attend a gala as a couple and later marry in Lake Como, with Lucy becoming a cookbook author.
Is In Good Company part of a series?
Yes, In Good Company is book one in the Pembroke Hills series by Kat Singleton. It connects to Black Ties and White Lies and later books featuring the same friend group.
Does In Good Company have a happy ending?
Yes, In Good Company has a happily ever after. Lucy and Cal marry, and Lucy finds success as a cookbook author while her family is supported.
What tropes are in In Good Company?
The book includes age gap, ex’s brother, forced proximity, boss/employee, and billionaire romance tropes.
Kat Singleton: A Voice in Billionaire Romance
Kat Singleton is a contemporary romance author known for steamy billionaire stories and interconnected series.
She writes the Black Tie Billionaires and Pembroke Hills series.
In Good Company is the first book in Pembroke Hills.
Explore more Kat Singleton book summaries on URSummary.
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