After reading The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux I was excited to see the next book in the series. I have enjoyed reading this series about chefs, delicious recipes and the scrumptious descriptions of Paris. I've never read a plot like this one. I enjoy original plots; this one has a chef who after a terrible fall loses her sense of smell and taste, all you need of major importance to cooking and tasting. Enjoyable read and I'll be looking for more by this author.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own..

I enjoyed the beautiful Parisian descriptions, the food, and the drama was certainly entertaining.

This is the sequel to The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux but can be read as a stand-alone. I actually didn’t know there was a first novel when I started this one, but after the fact I see how it would be best to follow the storyline in order!

I was lucky to win an advance copy of this book and I loved it. I had read the first book and really enjoyed it and when I won a copy of the second book I was overjoyed. It certainly didn’t disappoint.

Reading about the Chateau and all the fabulous food preparations made me want to visit France once again and wishing I was able to be sitting at their dining room table.

The power of love and friendship makes everything possible.

Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars started out strong for me. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a little underwhelming for me. My first red flag was Remi being so controlling and trying to ban Sophie from going to Paris. He may have had her best interests at heart but he came off like a controlling jerk to me. Then the loss of her senses and hiding it from everyone....
I think my biggest problem with this book was that it just had too much going on. It felt like several books in one and I got a little confused as to what the main point of the book was. This one took me much longer than usual to finish because I just lost interest.
All of that being said, I enjoyed the foodie aspect. I enjoyed the recipes at the end. I enjoyed the friendships and being there for one another. I enjoyed how the friend group knew each others strengths and weaknesses and helped fill in each others weak points. I think this is part of why Sophie not coming clean bugged me so much, by this point she should know they will have her back.
Overall I think this one may have just been the wrong book for me, but I am sure others will love it more than I.

It took me a while to get into Sophie's story and understand who all the characters were, so you may want to read the first book, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘦 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘹 before starting this one. Reading the synopsis of the first book was enough to make it fine as a standalone.

The mouth-watering food descriptions of the meals and desserts Sophie and her team prepare sound so sumptuous. You get a sense of joy from eating freshly prepared locally produced food.

At times I felt the Chateau and the food overshadowed the storyline. Still, overall, I enjoyed the relationships Sophie formed with her boyfriend and Chateau family as she transitioned from her former life to living in France. The theme of stars that appear throughout the story and learning a little about the restaurant business and what earning a Michelin star can do for your restaurant's success was a definite plus.

I love the title of this book and how it fits in with her dreams and goals. I thought this was a realistic journey of wanting your goals and love/family and figuring out how you can have both (if a man can have both - why can't a woman!). I ended up being able to listen to a chunk of this book on audio and LOVED the narrator. She made the story even better.

Wow, Sophie's life seems enchanted! She has an amazing ancestral home (chateau) to live in and gets to live out her dream as chef. Being in charge of everything is overwhelming.. and she has this romantic relationship with her boyfriend, Remi. Things come up in running the chateau, and Sophie learns to fake it until she makes it...when she really needs to learn to depend on her friends for help.

Sophie is extended a fabulous invitation form Nicholas, a part of the royal family and it feels like an invitation she can't refuse. This is a chance for Sophie to earn a Michelin star cooking with people she admires. There also happens to be an arch enemy cooking for this fancy gala- the person who cost her the dream job in America and broke her spirit.

I did not realize that Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars is the sequel to The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux. I have not read the first book, but felt comfortable with the characters so this was still quite the good stand alone read. I guess my biggest regret is not knowing Sophie's grandmother who sounds amazing! Why didn't I get a grandma like that?

Overall, I felt this book was a terrific read. My only complaint- I was not fond of Remi- he seemed possessive and came off too pushy. Sophie is relatable in that delicious way we all have of trying to figure things out, learning as we go, and trusting ourselves to love.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Samantha Vérant and Berkley Publishing for this digital, advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinions are mine and my reviews are voluntary.

I've been looking forward to this book after reading the The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux which I loved, and I was so happy to be back in Sophie's world. The food described is so vivid I can almost taste it and I was rooting for Sophie the whole way. I could picture her life at Champvert so vividly it was as if I were there too. If you are a foodie and in need of an escape into a great book, definitely pick this one up!

Sophie Valroux’s Paris Stars (SVPS) is a follow up novel to The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux (TSFRoSV). While it certainly could be read as a stand-alone, I very much advise reading the series in order. There were frequent references to Sophie’s grandmother who had passed away prior to the start of SVPS, as well as frequent references to events that had taken place in the prior novel. I feel like I would have connected more to Sophie and understood the relationship dynamics much better had I read the books in order. That being said, it was still a great peek into the life of a chef cooking at the pinnacle of fine dining, as well as (probably idealized) French countryside living. I recommend this novel for foodies, Francophiles, and people who love reading about luxury settings.

There is one other thing that continues to irk me about the novel and I cannot resist stepping up on my soapbox. One of the characters re-homes a cat when she becomes pregnant upon the advice of her doctor. As a veterinarian I feel compelled to tell you that this is not necessary. If you’re pregnant and worried about Toxoplasmosis, please speak to your cat’s veterinarian before you re-home your cat.

One Sentence Summary: After taking over her family’s chateau and business after her grandmother’s passing, Sophie works hard to settle in, but still dreams of receiving Michelin stars even though it starts to interfere with her quiet French countryside life.

Warning: Spoilers for the first book, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux, lie directly ahead!

Overall
Sophie Valroux’s Paris Stars picks up shortly after the events of The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux. It continues to follow Sophie as she works hard to settle into her new life in the French countryside as the new owner of her family’s chateau and the hotel and restaurants that go with it. With her confidence in her cooking skills returned, she turns her eye to attaining her dream: becoming one of the few women in the world to receive Michelin stars, even if the man she’s considering marrying thinks she needs a new dream. I love how strong and resolute Sophie is, and that this is a series about her growing and coming into her own. Just like every other woman, she faces problems and setbacks and decisions that are never easy. I find it easy to relate to her and love how it’s more focused on her development as a person and on female friendships than it is on romance. There’s also a ton of food, which always makes me hungry when I read these books, and some really fun kitchen drama. Overall, a fun and delicious read about a woman’s journey.

Extended Thoughts
Just weeks after Sophie’s grandmother’s death, it’s time for her to open the chateau for the season. With her colleagues and friends surrounding and supporting her, she’s sure to make a splash, especially after being titled a Grand Chef and becoming a darling in the media. But trouble finds itself at the chateau’s doors in the form of a too handsome heir who rubs her the wrong way despite his dazzle, influence, and money, Nicolas de ls Barguelonne, and no one says no to a Barguelonne. Nicolas comes to issue an invitation to Sophie: cook at an exclusive event in Paris and have a chance at catching the attention she needs to held her acquire her desired Michelin stars where his stepmother, a starred chef Sophie esteems will also be cooking.

Even though her fiance, Remi, opposes the idea, Sophie can’t say no. Even when a devastating accident robs her of her abilities to taste and smell. With Seb, a member of her brigade, along with her, she arrives in Paris, to a scorching hot kitchen full of rival chefs, and a few friends. With her own and the chateau’s reputations on the line, Sophie will need to flawlessly dance her way through the kitchen, without the most important senses a chef needs.

Sophie Valroux’s Paris Stars was one of my (few) anticipated reads this year, and it did not disappoint! I believe this is the first time I’ve encountered a women’s fiction series that follows the same main character, which I think is amazing because finding oneself and one’s dreams is a never-ending journey. Just like the first book, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux, this one is gorgeous and delicious, packed full of food, great friends, strong female relationships, a dash of romance, and a lot of discovering oneself and what one wants out of life.

I don’t really know where to start; I loved this book so much. Even though my love of Sophie got off to a shaky start in the first book, she really grew on me and spoke to me. I love everything about her story, about having her hopes and dreams dashed and challenged and changed. This is what women’s fiction is supposed to be to me. It’s all about celebrating women and their journeys. It should be full of friendship and focused on women coming in to themselves independently of what others think and want for her. Sophie’s story is all about her, her growth as a person, and the changing nature of dreams. It’s also full of food since Sophie is a Grand Chef working in the restaurant her grandmother built and grew at their family’s chateau, hoping to earn her first Michelin star.

There’s something about Sophie that really speaks to me. While she sometimes comes off as a bit self-centered and too focused on her own dreams to take her friend’s thoughts and feelings into consideration, her history and her life goals soften her character quite a bit. As a woman in a competitive, male-dominated domain, she’s had to fight tooth and nail and couldn’t show the slightest bit of weakness. Champvert has changed her, softening her edges, but she’s determined to hold on to her dreams, the one thing that hasn’t experienced change. I really enjoyed her struggles with what her life used to be and what it is now.

Sophie Valroux’s Paris Stars is an easy read, perfectly flowing from one thing to the next, taking her through her first year as the owner of the chateau and everything it carries. But it’s also stuffed full of everything from relationships both romantic and platonic, dealing with grief, stepmotherhood, and, of course, culinary backstabbing and warfare. And, at some point in the story, Sophie has an accident that robs her of her abilities to taste and smell, a travesty for any chef, especially one who dreams of gaining Michelin stars. I really enjoyed the tension and all the secrets and, somehow, I really understood her desperate need to keep it to herself.

Most of all, I loved Sophie and the people around her. It’s her colleagues and friends who really make this into the kind of book I really love. They all had their own lives, their own things to deal with, just like Sophie, but their dedication to the chateau and her were beautiful, especially when she really needed it. Reading about her growth, about her coming out of her own head and heart to really notice these people was lovely. They’re all incredible. Jane is so meticulous and organized (and I seriously need one of her in my life) and Phillipa is so sweet and energetic and skilled. Remi is gorgeously handsome in every way, but perhaps a mite too overprotective, and sometimes I worried he was pulling Sophie back from her dreams and distrusting her instead of supporting her. And Lola, Remi’s little girl, is, as always, adorable. Without all these people around her, Sophie wouldn’t be who she is, wouldn’t be able to accomplish her dreams and come out with friends on the other side. I think I really enjoyed Sophie Valroux’s Paris Stars because of them.

This book squeezes a lot into it, but it all flowed well together. It’s really the story of a chef whose reputation was ruined in the kitchen coming back into her own and determining her own path and new dreams. Sophie fights hard for everything she wants, and I really liked how she shifted in this book so she really could have everything.

Sophie Valroux’s Paris Stars is a delightfully delicious novel full of food, friendship, and love. There’s a lot of heart in it and so many characters to fall in love with. And, of course, the chateau sounds even more gorgeous and homey.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Sophie Valeroux’s Paris Stars by Samantha is a recent release from Berkley that I really enjoyed.

While it is the second book in the series and I have not read the first book, I do believe it can stand on its own. However, I would like to read the first book at some point so I can better understand more of Sophie’s past and backstory.

After the passing of her grandmother, Chef Sophie is left keep the family legacy going at the restaurant and chateau her grandmother left behind. Sophie also dreams of a Michelin-starred chef someday, but is unsure if she will be able to do so if she stays at the chateau. So, when the opportunity to cook with a famous chef in Paris comes along, Sophie jumps at the opportunity, even though her fiancé Remi thinks it isn’t a good idea. Sophie also encounters some other unexpected challenges, but will she be able to get by with the help from some of her mentors and friends? Only time will tell.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I really loved Sophie and all that she was able to do and overcome. Her friends Jane and Phillippa were awesome and I thought she was very lucky to have them by her side.

I also love the cover of this book. It’s absolutely gorgeous and really captured my attention.

Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars
By Samantha Verant

This is my second book from author and self professed French chef Samantha Vérant and it was wonderful. I read the first book, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux over the Christmas holidays last year and I just could not wait to dive into this sequel and get more of that French setting, the food, and wine - just glorious. This was truly the best escape read.

In this installment, our beloved Sophie suffers a debilitating injury after a fall of not being able to taste or smell her food. For a woman whose career is about the taste and smell of food, and with everything on the line to reach the stars, the Michelin that is.

The food writing and the challenges for Sophie really immersed me into these pages, and it definitely took a lot for me not to book the next flight to Paris.

This second installment could be enjoyed as a stand alone, though to enjoy all the backstories of the characters, reading the first book certainly will be a helpful but not a must.

In Sophie Valroux’s Paris Stars by Samantha Verant, Chef Sophie is trying to rebuild her life after the death of her beloved grand-mère and a faux pas that nearly ruined her reputation in the culinary world. She has a loving fiancé and wonderful friends, but she feels like something is missing. Things are looking up as Sophie starts running the restaurants of Château de Champvert, but then an accident causes Sophie to lose her sense of smell and taste. Will this setback cost Sophie her dream of attaining the coveted Michelin stars?

I devoured this sweet, savory, hunger-inducing story! Seriously, do not read this book on an empty stomach! There were so many delicious foods, and I could practically smell and taste them thanks to the vivid descriptions! Unfortunately, poor Sophie had to cook for the Parisian elite after losing her sense of smell and taste. Can you imagine!? She was so strong and determined despite her struggles, and I couldn’t help rooting for her! Sophie gets all the stars from me!

Paris is my favorite city in the world, so ça va sans dire that I adored the setting! Since I don’t know when I’ll be able to travel to France again, I loved being transported there through this book! What more could you want than to be in Paris or in a château in the South of France with lots of scrumptious food!

I recommend this delightful book for fans of women’s fiction, especially if you’re a foodie or a lover of all things French! Although it’s a sequel, I haven’t read the first book, so it can definitely be read as a standalone!

*I received a gifted eARC from Berkley Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Sophie Valroux’s Paris Stars by Samantha Vérant is actually a second contemporary with a touch of romance novel featuring the main character, Sophie Valroux. The first book, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux, began the main character’s story and now it’s continued in this novel making it best to read both in order. However, I did not know there was another book when picking this one up and I still very much enjoyed the story so I will say with confidence this one can also be read as a standalone.

Sophie Valroux was raised in America and began her career as a chef there as well. Just as Sophie’s career as a chef took a turn for the worse and she loses her job she also found out that her French grandmother’s health had taken a turn for the worse. Sophie of course had gotten on a plane to Paris immediately.

Now Sophie is mourning the loss of her grandmother and trying her best to handle her new inheritance, her grandmother’s restaurants of Château de Champvert and her beautiful estate. Sophie is also balancing her relationship with Rémi when she gets an invite to join an exclusive culinary event which she believes will be a good step in her goal of attaining Michelin stars for her cooking. Just as Sophie is set to leave though she has a fall which seems to somehow take her sense of taste and smell.

Being a fan of travel I always enjoy picking up books from around the world so of course this one being set in Paris caught my eye. As I mentioned I had not read the first book and didn’t even realize it existed until after I’d read this one with the author doing a great job explaining events that happened so I never felt left out or wondering who Sophie was and how she got to where this story takes place. Having really enjoyed the characters and story in this one I’d definitely return if Sophie’s story continues or just read more from this author in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Oh my goodness, somehow my bagel bites I was having for lunch seemed very lackluster compared to the yummy food being served out of Chef Sophie Valroux’s kitchen in the book I was reading. The food was mouthwatering, which isn’t surprising as the author is a French chef herself.
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Sophie Valroux’s Paris Stars by Samantha Verant took me to a lovely Chateau in France and the wonderful characters that live and work there. I am not much of a cook (hence the bagel bites) but my son is a trained Chef and I do know the amount of work that requires and the value of those elusive Michelin stars. I certainly was cheering for Sophie to earn hers.
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Sophie has an accident that causes her to loose her sense of smell and taste, a major disaster for a chef. She is determined not to let anyone know and cooks from her memory and her heart, praying that will be enough as she faces professional and personal challenges.
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Besides making me very hungry, I enjoyed this book. While I think the story did stand alone just fine, itis the second in a series and I felt like I came in on the middle of a relationship and the back stories of the characters had already been established. For that reason, I do recommend reading the first book, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux, then read this one!
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Chef is cooking again in author Samantha Verant’s Sophie Valroux’s Paris Stars. In this sequel to Sophie Valroux’s Secret French Recipes, we readers get more of all the inhabitants of Chateau de Champvert and more. Ms. Verant deftly takes from Sophie’s past to her present and gives us a peak at her future.

As in book one, Sophie has great talent that is somewhat hidden by her lack of confidence and her bumpy-road past. Her grand-mere has just passed away and left everything to Sophie, but can Sophie run the kitchen and the business well enough to keep her family’s interests alive? The incredible characters who work at the Chateau and become her friends are amazingly supportive and believe that all will work out. It is only Sophie who is not confident about it. It is partially her past, partially the grief that still blankets her every day, and it is partially the elusive chase for Michelin stars.

I loved the female characters. The sisterhood and support adds so much to these stories. In this second book, I was less enamored with Remi, Sophie’s childhood friend who has become a boyfriend. He is still supportive, but in a more controlling way as he tries to be Sophie’s partner instead of her sidekick.

To some degree that is Sophie’s problem and life lesson. What is important to her? What will make her happy? Are those Michelin stars in her future? You’ll need to read the book to find out!

P.S. I am definitely going to try a couple of the recipes in the back of the book.

If there were recipes included, I might have had to “Spend my year as Sophie Valroux”. This was blog I loved that was done by a fan of Julia Childs. I know that Samantha Vérant, the author of “Sophie Valroux Paris Stars” must be able to cook, otherwise her very own protagonist wouldn’t be writing about food so deliriously delicious! Visit Paris is on my Bucket List, now eating at a Michelin Stars Restaurant has been added. I cherish books that make me feel this connected because of its intimacy. Samantha wraps us up in the story as if we are part of it. There is an elegance to reading it, just as there is an elegance to top star dining! There is commitment to it, just as there is commitment in dating a man with a child.
There is a delivery of beauty and lights and aromas you can only absorb by opening these pages. The same goes for friendship and love.
This is your ticket to Paris! This is your invitation to experience it until you can get there in real life. If you can’t get there in real life, Samantha Verant’s second installment in the Series will satisfy the aches you had about not going. Trust me!
Sit, read, sip your drinks and snack on your charcuterie and go spend some time with Sophie! You’ll be so glad you did!

Sophie Valroux having redeemed herself from her once-destroyed reputation is fully making a name for herself in the culinary world. She has inherited the estate and restaurants of Château de Champvert from her grandmother. a loving fiance and is a really making her mark. Yet she still finds herself searching for something that is missing and of course, is striving for the infamous Michelin Stars. After suffering a fall she looses her sense of smell and taste and is in risk of jeopardizing her career if anyone finds out. I really enjoyed the detailed (and might I say mouth-watering) culinary recipes and breathtaking landscapes of the French Countryside. I found myself rooting for Sophie to find her way and loved the supporting characters just as much. I didn't realize until after I had finished that this is a sequel so I would say it nearly is a standalone. However, had I read the first novel I believe there might have been more context to Sophie.

I love books set in France, and I enjoyed The Secret Recipes of Sophie Valroux last year, so I was very excited to read the next book, Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars. And although I did enjoy it, I didn't love it as much as the first book. I felt that the writing wasn't as strong as in the first book. The best things about Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars are the French setting, the Chateau's quirky inhabitants, and the mouthwatering food descriptions.

But I wasn't impressed with the main heroine, Sophie, in this book. She kept making all the wrong decisions when the right ones were staring her in the eye. And why did the swoony romantic hero from the first book, Remi, became a controlling and jealous boyfriend in this book? He annoyed me!

I would recommend Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars to francophiles and foodies. But be aware that this book is not a stand-alone. You have to read The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux first.

This is such a lovely book. I loved everything about it. You could say it was a wonderous surprise. As soon as I started reading, I was draw into the pages of this book with all of the characters. In fact, I read this book in a matter of several hours or half a day. Yes, not a full day but half a day. It is that good.

Sophie may be the star but everyone that she interacted with were just as much an important part of this story as well. Remi is the guy that everyone wants have in their life. The patience, love, and support he gave to Sophie was great.

The food that Sophie and everyone prepared had my mouth watering. Bonus as there are a handful of recipes at the back of the book. Sophie's Valroux's Paris Stars is not to be missed with a wonderful cast of characters that will warm your heart.