The story of Claire and James, both Americans living and working in Paris. He is head chef and she does not like him to start with, but as they spend more time together feelings change. A great read, looking forward to more books from this author.

Yes, Chef by Waitlyn Andrews gets…
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars!

what a debut! i absolutely adored this story and the characters. the MMC has to be one of the most lovable male book characters i’ve read in a minute and Claire really is THAT girl. this book had a ton of tropes that i love and avoided the ones i hate most, which i count as a major win!

synopsis:
in an attempt to escape aspects of her past that are holding her down, Claire moves to Paris alone to work in a restaurant that is on the path to getting its first Michelin star. in comes a new head chef named James and suddenly everything that Claire thought she knew about her path is turned on its head. he is good looking but harsh in his feedback to Claire, a stark difference from how he speaks to everyone else in the kitchen. when James and Claire are forced to spend more time together because of work, she hopes the cold shoulder subsides and they can at least, with time and effort, stand to be near each other.

you may like this book if you enjoy the following tropes (maybe some slight hints as to how the book goes, but not explicit spoilers):
- slow burn
- he falls first
- “enemies” to lovers
- closed door
- HEA

thank you to NetGalley and Waitlyn Andrews for granting me access to this book 🥹 i really hope she writes more because i WILL be tuned in :)

I loved this story so much I was surprised by this book. This is the first book I have read by Waitlyn Andrews, and I wasn't sure what to expect. I loved Claire and James. I wasn't sure how to feel about James but I ended up loving him, their story is just so amazing and cute. I loved how he supported her throughout the book once they got to know one another. This is a super cute, fun and exciting story!! I would love to read another book from this author. Thank you NetGalley for sharing this ARC with me!!

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I wasn't sure what to expect. I loved Claire's journey of self discovery and independence. I wasn't sure what to think of James at first, but I loved his growth in the story. I loved how supportive and respectful James was once he and Claire opened up to one another. I am not always a fan of closed door romances, but I loved this one. It was cute, fun, and empowering all at the same time.

I loved this book! Every recipe, every character(except Henry & Rachel). Every chapter took you to the local markets to shop for Teaks. Theo was my favorite vendor. A true romcom that made me feel really warm inside and hungry. Congratulations Waitlyn on a beautifully written book that transported me to France. I see croissants in myfuture! Thank you for the ARC #netgalley

I went into this book knowing the title, genre, and nothing else. I loved the Paris food scene vibe and want nothing more than to sip an espresso at a little cafe and then go shopping at the market. I hope Theo is based on a real person somewhere!

The beginning of this book had me excited with all of the restaurant scenes, hints at enemies to lovers, getting into the trauma Claire was put through by her ex, and her sister’s impending wedding. I found the pacing to be a little bit slow and ending with not as much confrontation as it seemed like there should have been for what Claire went through. There were definitely some satisfying moments though and looking back it really was more realistic than the big scenes some characters make in other books. Claire definitely is not the type to ruin her sister’s wedding over her loser ex boyfriend.

Overall this was a cute story and I did enjoy it! Although I cannot believe that in that entire book there was no reference to Monsters, Inc.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

Thank you to NetGalley and Waitlyn Andrews for the ARC!

Yes, Chef is a debut romance about a chef who wants to leave her life behind and work at a restaurant trying to obtain a Michelin star. Except for texts from her ex-boyfriend and her mother (encouraging her to get back with the ex-boyfriend), all is going well for Claire in the City of Love/Paris.

All of the food described sounded delicious; I wish there had been a certain mousse recipe included in the book. (Maybe it was omitted from the advance read version. Sounds perfect.) I thought that the cooking definition at the start of each chapter was a nice touch.

This is Waitlyn Andrews debut novel, I really like reading books by debut authors and thought that she did a great job.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the advance read copy of Yes, Chef in exchange for an honest review. Normally I'd also thank the publisher, so thank you for approving my review request.

Thank you #NetGalley and #WaitlynAndrew’s for the ARC of Yes, Chef. I’m giving the book a 4.5, so I rounded it up to 5.

Things I loved -
Slow burn romance
How attentive James was to Claire’s needs
The Sullivan family, wasn’t expecting the togetherness
Theo and Martin Jr.
The description of the place where she dreamed of building a house
The love they had for each other
That they loved books
The sisters on both sides
The grandmother who loves her
This book reminded me of a Hallmark movie, and I love Hallmark movies
It’s a romcom!!
The food descriptions at the beginning of each chapter, loved, loved, loved that part

Things I didn’t care for-
The word “dadgum”, seriously though the main character is from California, I have never heard anyone use that word, there was swearing in the book so use the swear word or something else. Such a weird word.

I enjoyed how each chapter started with a description of either a food or method of cooking. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the restaurant was really a character in the book as each member of the staff was determined to earn a star. One has to applaud Claire' s determination to make a name for herself rather than capitalizing on the Richards name and to overcome such a tragic accident. She took herself seriously but also knew how capable she was as a chef and her creative perception. It was clear that her and James would end up together as they truly watched out for each other and were stronger as a result of it. The three squeezes was very cute. However, her hesitation and rationale as to why she couldn't commit in a physical sense struck me as very immature. That is the one item I would flag as not really corresponding with the strength of her character as it felt like a step back. I was happy the way the book ended and the family they created together. The two stars made the journey worth it.

This story was so cute. I loved how it was from the female POV. I really liked the details of their trips to the market and the nightly meals at the restaurant. I definitely want to read more from this author.

This was a really cute story! I really liked this! It was different and I liked the setting of the story! I liked the food world and culinary aspects! Super fun read. Not usually something I would find myself reading but it was good! I enjoyed it!!

The Bear x Emily in Paris. I’m glad the author took recommendations into consideration; the book is much better with the updates. (The original ending and the use of OCD as a quirk were just not it.) Quick read, descriptive setting, cute.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I appreciated the care that went into this book. You could tell the author has a real appreciation for food and the techniques in cooking! I just love reading about food.

*Spoilers ahead!*

The romantic relationship and the pacing of the book is where it gets a little complicated for me. The first 75% of the book I was very into; the enemies to lovers trope is always a favorite! However, I wasn’t sure why they were even enemies in the first place? Their relationship went from 0-100 incredibly fast, and it was a bit hard to believe, I suppose. Their dynamic was great and the “will-they-won’t they” was really sustaining the book until the last 4th.

I thought the writing was great overall, I just had a few issues with the plot near the end. I look forward to reading more of Waitlyn Andrews’ work in the future!

3,5* rounded to 4*

Claire is a chef working at Teaks, a restaurant in Paris on the run for a Michelin star.
Away from home and her family, with a failed relationship and toxic vibes from her mom, she's avoiding men spending all her energies concentrating on her work to get the best from it before eventually going home and take on the family business.
All is going well until the kitchen gets under chef James Sullivan, an handsome and brilliant chef who already gained a Michelin star in the states.

What I really liked about this book is that it shows its card little by little, we get to know Claire, we already know something nasty happenend in her past, that she has trouble with her mother, but all gets revealed with time.
Her relationship with James is not all flower and roses, there's some sparks there, but it stays professional, they gain mutual respect little by little, it feels real, it doesn't feel rushed, untill 80% of the book, then it all speeds up and even if i may get that the book has to end I wished for something different.
It was real, it was fun, it was charming and also a little sad at times but magic too.
The last 20% of the book is why I rated it 3,5 instead of a full 4* but as it is a debut author I really look forward to read something more by her in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Waitlyn Andrews for providing this book as an arc in exchange of an honest review.

💘🥐 «It's maddening. It's empowering. It's respectful. It's just what I need.»⁣
⁣
I had so much fun reading this book!!! It's extremely cute and a clean romance that just found a way to my heart. Claire and James have so much chemistry that every interaction had me almost screaming at the book.⁣
⁣
Here we have the story of two chefs who are currently trying to get a Michelin Star for the restaurant where they're working in Paris. The thing is: they don't have the best relationship at the start, but since they're forced to work together to accomplish said star they start to develop something like a friendship where both of them are actually swooning over each other.⁣
⁣
A great backstory for both of them and a wholesome love story in the culinary world. ⁣
This is the author's first book and I'm SO HERE FOR IT!!! ♥⁣
⁣
______________________________________⁣
No les puedo explicar lo que me divertí leyendo este libro. Es extremadamente adorable! Un romance sanito que encontró el camino a mi corazón rapidísimo. Claire y James tienen TANTA química, que más de una vez casi que le grito al libro un YA BESENSEEE. ⁣
⁣
En este tenemos la historian de dos chefs que están tratando de conseguir una estrella michelín para el restaurant en el que están trabajando en París. El tema es que no arrancan de la mejor manera, pero ya que tienen que laburar codo a codo para lograr la estrella comienzan a entablar una amistad donde -en realidad- los dos están que se mueren de amor por el otro. Pero NO es un friends to lovers, ok?.⁣
⁣
Ambos protagonistas tienen una historia buenísima detrás, y termina siendo una comedia romántica en el mundo culinario muy tierna y sana. Además, es el primer libro de la autora y omg re estoy para todo lo que haga.

The book was amazing. Gorgeous backdrop (I could imagine running alongside Claire on her adventures through the city!) and gorgeous characters, both inside and out. I felt like I was transported to a season of Emily in Paris with a permanent table at Chez Levaux! I need some of that truffle oil, chocolate mousse and everything else that Chef Claire made stat! 

The sizzle between Claire and James was hot. Omg James’ exposed forearms while cutting? Please excuse the drool over my meal. This book was a great read full of sizzle, sassiness and so much fun. I also liked the cooking terms and descriptions at the beginning of each chapter!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the copy. To say I enjoyed it is a must. This book got me out of my reading slump a while ago. The tension throughtout the book got me hooked until the end and made me want to visit Paris! This was my first book by this author and I recommend it. In my opinion, it could have been a bit shorter the amount of time spent in Paris and they going every morning to that market (sorry!). Otherwise it was a great and cute read.

I absolutely adored this book!! Claire and James have easily become one of my favorite book couples.

I think my favorite part about this whole book is that even though it is “enemies” to lovers, neither of them are ever actually mean to one another but yet, there is still the perfect amount of tension. I made the mistake of reading a chapter during a break at work and then spent the rest of the day trying to stop reading it at my desk - I could not put it down.

The most impressive part of this story to me is that the main characters never did anything that made me think, “why would you do that???” The characters felt like real people making real decisions.

The author mentioned that she wanted this to be a romcom in a book and I 100% think she succeeded! This was genuinely my perfect idea of a contemporary romance and I cannot wait to see what this author comes up with next!

This book includes:
-“enemies” to lovers
-slow burn
-he falls first
-no third act breakup
-no spice (it is fade to black)
-HEA

My one and only complaint with this book is that I feel like the ending was a bit rushed - especially with everything going on with Claire’s family at the time.

Textbook romcom. It felt like the author studied the dynamics and details of famous romance books, and then proceeded to write a replica.
There were many cliches throughout, like:
The MMC treating FMC coldly through the first half, even though he is, supposedly, in love with her.
The cheating ex who made the FMC lose her confidence
Hot and cold treatment
The bit*hy family
.
Another problem was the writing style, it was super descriptive. We could spend two or three full pages describing the scenery. The dialogues mostly felt robotic and bland, it felt as of they were practicing lines for a movie scene.
.
I wouldn't say it was a horrible book, but it definitely wasn't a book you would fall in love with.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Was this the most amazing thing I have ever read? No not really. Did it pass the time and was fairly enjoyable? Sure! Average plot with average characters. The romance was okay. I don’t think I will remember this book in a couple of days.