Zoe de Fleur is a chef…uh I mean, home cook, in a time when women could not be chefs no matter how brilliant their cooking expertise. At the recommendation of a grumpy old chef, Zoe loses her job and the only home she’s known for many years. Zoe speaks English, but cannot read or write it, and is therefore tricked by the young boy she’s befriended into uprooting herself and heading for Denver to a chef’s position that doesn’t exist. Here’s where the fun begins.
This mail-order bride romance becomes a love-triangle as two brothers begin pursuing the same woman! The story has some quirky and fascinating characters. Since I love cooking, I could relate well to this character. She is sweet and gullible and quickly endeared herself to me.
I loved how this story brought out the importance of marrying the right person. It’s better that feelings are hurt, and hearts are broken before the knot is tied and before ending up in a mix-matched marriage.
Although, the brothers names are Isaak and Jakob, I loved the parallel to the Biblical story of Jacob and Esau. I'll let you determine which brother is which.
The overall theme is humility, a lesson one of the characters desperately needs to learn. It reminds us that there is a substantial difference in being responsible, loyal, and trust-worthy verses believing that the world would fall apart if we weren’t in charge and in control. Sometimes, we just have to let go and let others make mistakes. Neither nations nor the small town of Helena, Montana would fall apart if time is taken to enjoy life every now and again.
The only negative I saw was all the Ze’s in Zoe’s dialogue. I realize the authors were trying to emphasize her French accent, but after a while it became overwhelming.
There are references to brothel’s and prostitution as this is part of the overall plot of the series itself.
Although, The Kitchen Marriage works as a stand-alone, I did feel like I was piecing a piece of the puzzle by not having read book one of the Montana Brides series. This book did make frequent references to events from book one and it ends with a bit of a cliff-hanger and surprise twist leading into book 3 of the series.
I enjoyed this book very much and recommend The Kitchen Marriage for those who love mail-order bride romances and love-triangles.

A deeply satisfying story. Its great to return to Helena and these characters. It was nice to get to know Jacob and Isaac Gunderson better, and a pleasure to meet Zoe and Nico. This reminded me somewhat of the old Hardy movies. (I think I heard Maurice Chevalier's voice as Zoe's Papa.)
Zoe has both tenderness & tender strength, and is a smart French chef. Her adopted little brother Nico's deception brings her to Jacob as a mail order bride, and they all get to know each other during the time allotted in their contract. She is very shy, which is misinterpreted as a sign of weakness by some. The closeness of the town residents combined with an undercurrent of secrets and danger make it hard to put down, and it's one that I hated to see end. Thankfully there's more to be told so another book will be coming!

Quote from the book:
God created loneliness in Adam's breast by making him name the animals - each of them with a mate - before bringing Eve to him.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I recognize that an author's heart really goes into their work but I also know I won't love everything I read. I feel that the story itself was well written but the content just didn't hold my interest. I believe that it's a great read for fans of the mail-order bride books and for those looking for less complex story-lines. I've read several mail-order bride stories in the past but I'll admit I generally either really enjoy them or struggle to get through. I really thought this was one that I would enjoy but unfortunately I struggled through. Please don't take my review as a reason to throw the story out though. I am well aware that it was my personal taste that prevented me from getting invested in it, but that doesn't mean that others won't love it.

I really enjoyed this book even though it was somewhat predictable. The characters were likeable and easy to relate to. The setting and the time period added a wonderful depth to the story. Zoe's culinary creations will have you drooling while reading!

This is the second book in the Montana Brides series. Zoe de Fleur, a French cook travels west under a contract to be a mail order bride. The book was slow, with lots of characters to keep up with. Zoe's French accent with all the"z's" is irritating. I usually love reading about mail order brides but this one fell flat.

Zoe loses her private chef job in New York City because of a jealous rival, and her employer knows there’s no basis to his claim. Her friend, Nico, reads her an advertisement for a chef in Denver. They head west, and she discovers Nico lied. The ad was placed by a mail order bride agency.
Zoe is a French immigrant who speaks English well, but always uses ze, zis, and zat. She also doesn’t read English, hence she falls for Nico’s lie. She wants to marry and have a family, so she goes to meet the agency’s prospective husband.
So intent on her dream, she’s enthralled by Jakob Gunderson, who’s trying to impress her. A lot of the characters were living a lie. I had a hard time being enthralled by any of them, and sped-read. I received a complimentary copy for my honest opinion, and I must say I have no inclination to read the first book in this Montana Brides series.

I really enjoyed this mail order bride story. It was full of trickery, deceit, mystery and food. The story kept me entertained and surprised. Loved the plot and characters.

I should have listened to the other reviewers’ negative points

The excerpt for The Kitchen Marriage was interesting, so I gambled and grabbed an ARC. But everything the other reviewers have noted is correct. The book is slow, the “French” accent more than annoying and unnecessary, and there is a plethora of characters and names that became a convoluted confusion. There’s a lot of potential here, but it just misses the mark for me. The characters don’t act Christian, the quite unlikeable brother and mail-order bride spend too much time thinking about each other and almost courting, when she’s contracted to court his brother. This book is relentlessly a romance with very little else. I guess I’m more into romances that have something actually going on, such as a good mystery. The majority of the book is inner dialogue about how the characters thinking about the others.

In addition, I found the anachronisms a total deal-breaker, as that’s pet peeve of mine. If you’re going to write a historical novel, please research that era and make your facts and environment match. The story is set in 1887 in Helena, Montana, right after the peak of the gold money influx. (Helena was settled in 1864 as a gold rush camp.) At times it feels as if The Kitchen Marriage set further back in time, although I do realize horse and buggies were still used, but the whole preponderance of brothels and that being a major theme, plus some of the other elements felt as if the authors were aiming for an old-West sort of vibe and it’s in the description that Zoe goes to the frontier.

At other times, the vernacular and circumstances were too modern. I was dealing with it until the whole conversation about a magazine recommending “old poop” and the whole poop discussion that followed. Poop is a modern word that would have come into use later than the book was set and its use in a conversation would have been low-class and vulgar until very recent times. There were other anachronisms, such as what you could go grab at the local grocery in a town of the size and time of 1800s Helena, Montana. And the same goes for the frequent use of “red light district.” That term came into use later than the book was set. I’d cite more, but my Kindle lost all my highlights and it’s not worth going back to try to find everything anachronistic.

My take: A very slow read with multiple unlikable characters, an annoying dialect, and multiple anachronisms. After the “poop” incident, I ended up skimming to the end, just pausing to read scenes here and there. Overall, not a book I’d recommend, although I might try another book by these authors, with the caveat that I would drop it if there was another awkward dialect. (It works so much better when an author simply tells us someone said something in a dialect, preferably from a witness’s thoughts about it, and then uses normal speech, which we can infer is said with an accent.)

I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher through NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

The Kitchen Marriage was a good read. The beginning of the story dragged a bit for me. It took a couple of chapters in for the story to come together. It was slightly distracting that the heroine's accent was written into the book, for the simple fact that it came across as somewhat silly and it shouldn't have. Overall this is a good story if you can stick with it for the first few chapters.

With The Kitchen Marriage, the writing team of Gina Welborn and Becca Whitham have taken some much loved romance tropes and turned out a story with its own unique spin on a mail order bride plot with somewhat of a love triangle.

Now, I make no secret of my love for mail order bride stories or my delight when I read one that is a bit different. And part of what makes this particular one different is one of the main reasons that I enjoyed it as much as I did. Beyond the twin brothers introduced earlier in the series, the happy-go-lucky Jakob Gunderson who writes away for a bride on a whim and the more serious and reliable but "benevolently arrogant" Isaak, and the scamp of an adopted brother, it is Zoe de Fleur herself that makes this story. Not the usual down on her luck or haunted by her past mail order bride with no other options and a past that just might catch up with her, Zoe is self reliant and able to support herself but chooses to take a chance on marriage when it is presented to her.

The Kitchen Marriage is an interesting and enjoyable take on a mail order bride story and as a story of sibling rivalry. It continues to address the faith of the characters as well as exploring the familial relationships, both given and chosen, and slightly furthering the plot thread of rescuing women and children from prostitution.

While the tension and drama add excitement, it is the development of the relationship between Isaak and Zoe that takes center stage. A slightly unlikely pair, but the changes that Isaak undergoes are fun to read. If you enjoy mail order bride storylines in a sweet, inspirational romance, then definitely give this book, and this series, a try.

This review refers to an e-galley read through NetGalley, courtesy of Kensington Books. All opinions expressed are my own.

Zoe is working for a very nice lady in New York but not really getting anywhere being a female cook. She has lost her father who was a chef and does not know which way to go in a male dominated field. In that time it is ok for the woman to cook in the kitchen but not as a job being in charge. She decides to strike out on her on with her young friend Nico . They consider each other as family , She is not fluent in English she is French , so her young companion tricks her into to going out west. She is surprised to learn she is now a mail order bride. She meets her suitor and thinks he is a nice guy. Jacob has a twin Isaac who is not keen on her . Isaac thinks she is after the family money. After getting to know her and her proving she is a honest woman just looking for a family he falls for her. Isaac and Jacob both have a lot to prove and it takes them a while to get it together. One will win the girl while the other will go on to succeed in other areas. I enjoyed reading this book. Love the setting and reading about the era. I was given the book as an ARC for my honest review

Zoe is fooled into leaving New York to go to Montana, thinking she is going to run a restaurant there, but instead is a mail-order bride.

This was a sweet story and I found it to be very enjoyable. The ending left things open for a sequel.

The Kitchen Marriage is a fantastic historical romance. I enjoyed the plot, characters and the setting. Great writing team and I look forward to reading more of their books.

Zoe has been forced out of her job as household cook for a society matron in New York. She thinks she is answering an ad for a cook in Denver, but is actually answering a mail-order bride ad. Nico, a street urchin, has tricked her into going to Denver to answer this ad and sneaks along with her. He has adopted her as his sister. The ad is for a bride for a man living in Helena, Montana. When they arrive in Helena, Nico doesn't like the man who meets her at the train station. Jakob Gunderson is half of a set of twins, the flighty half. His brother, Izaak, is one to set a plan and follow it without much thought to fun.

Zoe is there for the purpose of falling in love with Jakob, but it doesn't work that way. And when it comes down to choose, nothing goes the way it's supposed to.

Zoe does get to showcase her talents in the kitchen when Izaak's and Jakob's parents come home from a long trip. My only criticism is that the recipes are not included in the galley I read.

Gina Wellborn and Becca Whitham have written a book with all the great elements: mystery, romance, overcoming obstacles, good guys, bad guys, and indomitable spirit.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a praline to finish off a five star dinner.

My thanks goes to Kensington/Zebra Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

Zoe de Fleur is a young French immigrant trained as a full chef, just without the title. She moves west thinking she is applying for a position as prestigious cook, but finds herself in a matchmaking scheme. Rather than walk out, Zoe entertains thoughts of marriage to Jakob Gunderson. Isaak Gunderson loves to disapprove of his brother, and Jakob's choice to write away for a mail-order bride is just another way that Jakob has failed. Unfortunately for the 3 of them, Isaak soon discovers that he has feelings for Zoe.

I"ve read a lot of Christian romance novels, and I can usually tell who will get together on the first page. For once, that wasn't true; I still knew pretty early on that Zoe and Isaak were destined for each other. But knowing doesn't diminish my enjoyment. The enjoyment is in the journey.