Knives, Seasoning, and a Dash of Love | ARC Book Review

Pub Aug. 27th, 2024: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

In this spicy workplace romance, a hotheaded celebrity chef finds himself drawn to his inexperienced new hire. But when her bubbly attitude collides with his sharp edges, can they handle the heat, or will their love be a recipe for disaster?

Alexander Chen is one of the most talented chefs to ever grace the culinary world of French haute cuisine. He rules his kitchen with an iron fist and fiery temper, so it’s no secret that if you can’t handle the heat, he’ll gladly toss you out with the trash. As one of the first Chinese-American chefs to claw his way to the top, he has a lot to prove and a massive chip on his shoulder.

But he wasn’t always like this. Eden Monroe, his newly hired sous chef—who may or may not have (definitely) embellished a lot on her resumé to land herself the job—knew him back when he still went by his real name, Shang. He used to be sweet and helpful and definitely not the second coming of the devil himself.

Eden won’t say anything, though, no matter how hot her curiosity burns. Especially if it could cost her this job, which she needs if she has any hope of hiring a private detective to find something she lost long ago.

All she has to do is fly under the radar. It’s just a shame that she and her new boss butt heads more often than they fulfill orders. But what happens when things finally boil over, and they discover the feelings between them are spicier than they ever imagined?

My Thoughts:

Spoiler Free

Honestly, maybe it’s because I’ve been reading so many smut-filled fantasy books lately that I’d forgotten what other books are like, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

The character descriptions at the beginning were amazing, and the way the author incorporated the kitchen was truly chef’s kiss. I would give you the direct quote, but since the book is still undergoing some final editing, I’ll refrain from adding any.

If you like the classic ‘Cinderella plot’ then you definitely need to add this book to your tbr. Alexander would 100% buy Eden a brand new pair of glass slippers.

It’s also very insta lovey:

Alexander on the outside: 👹You all suck at your jobs 👹

Alexander on the inside: 😇 Eden is so pretty 😇

While I dislike insta-love and don’t typically go for Cinderella plots, I quite liked this book. It has a really good balance of all the tropes—just enough helpless FMC but still competent, and just enough asshole MMC but still likable. There are some cringe moments typical of romcoms, but not enough to make me close the book in secondhand embarrassment. Overall, this is a pretty balanced and enjoyable romance.

However, the story really falls off towards the middle. I was thoroughly enjoying the book, but around chapters 12 or 13, I found myself thinking, Nooo, what’s happening?

It felt like a complete shift in character behavior. The story did pick back up for me, but it suffered from some pacing issues. That’s why this is a solid 3 star book for me—still enjoyable but definitely not the best thing I’ve ever read. While the issues were resolved rather quickly, the book still felt long.

Also, others have mentioned in their reviews that the dialogue can be a bit cringey, and I’ll agree. But honestly, if romcoms are your jam, you probably won’t mind the occasional cringe. It’s not that bad and definitely has its cute moments.

That said, I would still highly recommend this book if you’re into cooking. I had a lot of fun discovering new foods I had never heard of before. I do wish they had included pictures of the dishes they were making or something similar.

Spice Level:

I’ve been rotting my brain lately, so I’m probably not the best person to ask. But the spice is there, though it does suffer from some cringe. However, it doesn’t take over the book, so it won’t give you brain rot.

How Accurate is the Kitchen Lore?

I’ve worked in many restaurants during college, and I’d say they don’t take enough smoke breaks, but they do act overly friendly and like to drink so that’s accurate.

Also, I’ve never worked in the back of house nor in a Michelin star restaurant so I really can’t speak too much on the accuracy.

⬇️Spoilers Be Here⬇️

The things I didn’t particularly like:

One thing that didn’t sit well with me was when Alexander figured out Eden lied, and instead of explaining herself, she put all her money in front of him. Then, she proceeded to give him a rundown of her entire life story from when she was five. It felt extremely out of character for Eden, who doesn’t trust banks, to suddenly be like, look, here’s all my money.
- idk it felt like a classic back story for a fanfiction character
- wait…was this a Reylo fanfiction ahahahah
I’m sorry…someone’s review said why didn’t she just take an ancestry test instead of blowing all her money on a PI hahaha
Also other things but I forgot

~Thank you, NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review~

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