A tale of competition at its most cut-throat, the story surveys the raw ambition of Laura Pickler, the wife of Bob Pickler, Iowa's long-reigning champion butter carver. For 15 years, Laura has relished her high-profile role as the beautiful, loyal helpmate to her affable, artistically gifted husband. But when Bob is pressured to retire and allow someone else a chance at glory, an indignant Laura decides to enter the competition herself. She is first in line on sign-up day, only to see her odds of victory fall below 100% with the arrival of an unlikely yet formidable contender: 10-year-old Destiny, the African-American foster child of local couple Julie and Ethan. And that's not all. Bob's would-be mistress, bad-girl stripper Brooke also declares her candidacy, as does his #1 fan, Carol-Ann. Facing three opponents, mocked by her stepdaughter Kaitlen and furious with her husband, Laura resolves to do whatever it takes to win. And if that means resorting to sabotage - and recruiting her dim-witted former boyfriend Boyd as a co-conspirator - then so be it