The Kitchen
by Laura CarterSetting: New York
Genres: Fiction, Food
Published on November 11, 2021
Pages: 300
Format: eARC Source: Book Tour
Can they stand the heat...?
Maggie’s in the running to be the next head chef at Michelin-starred Manhattan restaurant, Jean-Sébastien’s. Unfortunately, she’s competing against notoriously arrogant Ethan to prove she’s the best chef for the job.
Food critic Emily can make or break a chef’s career. When she visits the restaurant to see what interim head chef, Maggie, has to offer, Emily is having a particularly bad day…
Single mum Nayomi needs a job and Jean-Sébastien’s needs a kitchen porter – perfect! She just has to keep her head down and money coming in. But she’s desperate to speak up and help struggling chef Maggie – Nayomi's own skills might be just the recipe to save Maggie’s career and impress Emily.
A delicious story of unexpected friendship and risking it all, for fans of Zara Stoneley and Lauren Weisberger.
I loved this book! This story gathered me in from the beginning. Maggie is the protege of a chef at a three star Michelin restaurant. When he dies unexpectedly she thinks she will take over running the restaurant. She is allowed to do that – but only until she can be replaced with a culinary school classmate who plans on overhauling everything she loves.
Nayomi is a young Sri Lankan immigrant widow who needs a second job to support her family. She never thought that she would be anything but a wife and mother. Moving out of that sphere is scary and exciting for her. Being asked her opinions and having her recipes valued in a fancy restaurant kitchen is amazing.
Emily is the deceased chef’s estranged daughter and Maggie’s former best friend. She is self-destructing. She lashes out at Maggie through her high profile column even though she knows that Maggie doesn’t really deserve it.
This book is about the relationships of women. It is also about making food that showcases your love and creativity. It is about living your life in a way that brings out the best in you.
The descriptions of the food are lush and inviting. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Maggie and Nayomi grow. There are romantic relationships in the book but I wasn’t particularly a fan of them. I especially thought that Maggie’s romantic story arc was unnecessary and a bit cringeworthy. I don’t enjoy reading about relationships based on the “I hate him so much and he’s a horrible person but he’s so sexy” dynamic.
Other than that quibble, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book for a glance at life around a high end restaurant.
Laura Carter is the international bestselling author of the Vengeful Love series. Her books are available in English and Italian. Laura writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction from her country home in Jersey (UKCI), where she lives with her husband and (gorgeous) dog. She loves all things romance, including paper hearts, flowers, chocolates and champagne (not necessarily in that order). If she isn’t writing or hanging around on social media, you can probably find her watching a romcom with a tub of Ben and Jerry’s.
Learn more about Laura and her books here: www.lauracarterauthor.com.
Connect with Laura through Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/lauracartera…), Twitter (@LCarterAuthor) and Instagram (@lauracarterauthor).
Learn more about Laura and her books here: www.lauracarterauthor.com.
Thanks for sharing. Sounds like I might enjoy this novel.