Chef's Kiss
Fiction
Simon and Schuster
May 3, 2022
Advance reader copy
320
Free from publisher
Simone Larkspur is a perfectionist pastry expert with a dream job at The Discerning Chef, a venerable cookbook publisher in New York City. All she wants to do is create the perfect loaf of sourdough and develop recipes, but when The Discerning Chef decides to bring their brand into the 21st century by pivoting to video, Simone is thrust into the spotlight and finds herself failing at something for the first time in her life.
To make matters worse, Simone has to deal with Ray Lyton, the new test kitchen manager, whose obnoxious cheer and outgoing personality are like oil to Simone’s water. When Ray accidentally becomes a viral YouTube sensation with a series of homebrewing videos, their eccentric editor in chief forces Simone to work alongside the chipper upstart or else risk her beloved job. But the more they work together, the more Simone realizes her heart may be softening like butter for Ray.
Things get even more complicated when Ray comes out at work as nonbinary to mixed reactions—and Simone must choose between the career she fought so hard for and the person who just might take the cake (and her heart).
My review:
3.5 stars
How adorable is this cover? Sometimes the artist gets it just right, and this is one of those times. This book is indeed about cooking, with a side of romance. I loved that the romance was sweet, slow burn, and not the main focus of the book. The main focus was on Simone, who ends up having to delve into an aspect of her job she never signed up for, and how her kitchen manager helps her grow into and accept her new role. There are numerous references to food in this book, and it was inspiring to see the way food was used to show care for another person. I truly appreciated the discussion of gender, and the biases from the higher ups at the company made me so angry! It was interesting to watch Simone and Ray navigate these issues in different ways, while also growing as characters as the novel progressed. This is one of a handful of books with a nonbinary main character, and I am here for the representation. There was great dialog throughout, the characters definitely found a way into your heart, and did I mention the food?
This was a well written book discussing career, gender identity, prejudice, romance, and of course food. Will be a great lighthearted read for the summer, but still educating and impactful with some more serious undertones. I'm excited to read more from this author.
