Meet Natalya Campos. She's always had things under control--a successful catering business, a serious relationship, good friends, and a loud but lovable family. She's kind, smart, and organized to the point of obsession. But then her live-in boyfriend announces he's leaving her, and Natalya finds herself having a meltdown in front of a bridal magazine rack at her local 24-hour supermarket.

Natalya decides to create a recipe for the perfect man--only to find she herself lacks a few ingredients. Determined to complete her list, she joins a gym, starts to read more than cookbooks, volunteers to clean up an oil spill, and even tries to rediscover her spirituality by going to church (Bible Cliff Notes in purse). Along the way, she meets a diverse cast of characters--from a wacky bookstore owner to a tree hugger named Tree--and gets into some sticky situations, like getting bailed out of jail by her dad. It gets kind of complicated, but for Natalya, life without a spreadsheet may just turn out to be the adventure of a lifetime...