Claire is living abroad and working in a Parisian restaurant as they try to obtain a Michelin star. She’s got quite the routine down until new chef James appears. Despite his apparent indifference to her, Claire finds herself having to remember that she’s sworn off workplace romances.

What I loved:
-the character of James. He is the cutest book boyfriend
-beautiful setting (France, the restaurant)
-how the relationships develop
-no third act breakup!

This was such a sweet read that I enjoyed immensely. Thank you to NetGalley and Waitlyn Andrews for the advanced reading copy!

Claire, an american living in Paris, is a bright chef working in a soon-to-be Michelin-starred restaurant where her boss, Chef Elliot, is renowned as one of the greatest chefs in the world. So, this might be the perfect recipe for disaster. In addition, the pressure increases when James Sullivan, the youngest decorated american chef, starts working at the restaurant to wreak havoc in the kitchen with his unpleasant attitude. The bright side is that he’s a dream come true for the eyes. On this context, Claire and James get to know each other during the long nights working at the restaurant and on the walk home because they’re neighbors by chance.

A book filled with a fast-paced workplace romance featuring the grumpy-sunshine trope, will captivate any audience seeking for these elements. While at times, the use of these tropes tends to exaggerate sometimes, it’s not overly annoying.

The narrative immerses into Claire’s point of view, which is good to enhance the romantic plot by allowing the reader to see James through the lens of love, otherwise he wouldn’t have been as charming.

Waitlyn Andrews, the author, adeptly conveys the sense of anxiety and insecurity that come after starting a new job, fresh out of university, when no one has experience and everyone believes they’re a failure. In that regard, the book is realistic, however, the relationship development between the characters isn’t as grounded.

The relationship between Claire and James develops quickly, and the story doesn’t give many details about James for the reader to actually get to know him. This character works well as Claire’s romantic interest, but falls short as a well-written character due to his lack of personality, which only consists on tropes. Nonetheless, this remains a cute romance book that will cheer the day of anyone who reads it.

I’m grateful with NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity of letting me read this before its publication.

3.3 stars. So close to 3.5 but if you read my review, you’ll see why!

No spoilers here!

Romance level:
First, I want to say that this book is a slow burn and it has a clean romance. By that I mean, you’re not reading explicit details about love, and I personally love that.

Cover:
What attracted me to this book was the cover. The varying shades of blue was exciting and I liked the title as well. I enjoy cooking, and I am no official chef, but I’m familiar with the phrase "Yes, chef" from the few cooking shows I’ve watched. What a unique title for a book. I must say five stars for the title.

General plot:
Ask for the plot of the book, we already know that there is a romance, and it is a slow burn. It takes place in a couple of states in the USA as well as Paris enjoyed the details, and how the author describe scenery, as I was able to very clearly imagine what each environment the characters were in, looked like.

What I didn’t like:
Brace yourself for the next part of my review, because I’m the grammar queen and equity police. I mean, I did major in linguistics and am a part of multiple minority groups, so it’s only right,

There were very few grammatical mistakes, and some syntax or order of the plot that led me to be confused for some moments, but nothing major.

Chapter 29: "He’s sitting with the other boyfriends, no the surprise to no one."

There were also some points where it was hard to follow along with the dialogue because the speakers weren’t noted for 3+ lines in a row.

Some sentences were a bit lengthy. Note the Americana boy quote mentioned below.

Epilogue: "Ruby has taken his mother-henning to a whole new level, and if I don’t spit this out in the next twenty seconds, he’ll have me in the car loaded up on the way to the doctor." I won’t spoil who Ruby is but how she was introduced did not include proper context clues. Actually the whole epilogue seemed to be written in an unclear way.

I think this is my biggest qualm about the book, and why I will be rating it 3.3 stars instead of four. The other thing that really bothered me was the author’s perspective of a classic American guy.

Chapter 1 reads "And if his résumé and background weren’t enough ammunition to be on the cover of every food magazine in circulation, he is, unbiasedly, a looker. Not my type per se, but I can’t deny that six-foot-three, clean-cut blond, swoopy hair with insanely blue eyes doesn’t amount to the classic Americana-boy-next-door dream." Pardon??

So he’s tall, naturally blonde, has blue eyes, and doesn’t seem to have any disabilities or other traits that would put him in any type of minority group. Sure, this love interest was based off of the authors IRL husband, but I don’t appreciate that she thinks or described this a classic American guy. There’s no such thing (or shouldn’t be) a such thing as a classic American guy, especially one defined by his very Eurocentric physical features. Native Americans and Hawaiian people are the only people I can think of who were in the US in the first place, but a lot of people around the world don’t really acknowledge this, It might be a reach, but it makes me think what kind of bubble the author and her family live in, as well as her allyship and knowledge of what it’s like to not be a white cisgender, heterosexual woman married to a white, cisgender, heterosexual man with possibly all white children who may or may not be in a minority group (differently abled, etc). Just a very long thought I hope everyone considers.

Also, the seasons changing kind of help me to guess how much time is passed by, but it would’ve been nicer if there were months included because it did not seem like a year to me…

More plot:
There was also one point in the story where a character’s sister went on a date with a coworker of the main character. We new we learned how the date went or what either person decided for the next steps after the date, so the fact that we were never told was a bit strange to me.

SO. MUCH. CURLY. HAIR. SLANDER.

I kind of disliked the inner curly hair hatred that the author kept bringing up. As a person with naturally curly hair, I love mine but did not always. She never really fell in love with her hair and that was a miss for me. The love interest hyped her up about once and though self-love comes first, this was nice.

Chapter 7: "She left my natural curls alone, to my surprise, but that meant I had to have a healthy dose of bobby pins to keep everything where it’s supposed to be." TO MY SURPRISE?! Maybe she thinks your natural hair is beautiful and doesn’t need to be straightened??

Chapter 7: "Where Melissa is petite and fair-skinned with straight blond hair, I have a tall, athletic build. Where her skin looks like porcelain, I have freckles; and where she doesn’t seem to have a hair out of place, my curly dark hair dominates my appearance by flying out in a million different directions." Flying out in a million directions? That’s beautiful, girl.

Chapter 22: "Even the poor attendant dealing with my hair is battling my perpetual baby bangs that curl on their own accord. I didn’t cut these bangs, mind you—they’re just always present and continually growing out." Why is this attendant unlucky for having to do your hair ma’am?

Chapter 22: "It doesn’t help that I’ve got glossy Hollywood hair floating down my back." I’m sorry— "Hollywood hair?" What is that even mean??

Chapter 28: “I don’t know what kind of shampoo you use, but it f—ing kills me,” he says, burying his nose into my wild hair." WILD HAIR?!

Chapter 30: "…spent hours wrangling my hair into an elegant half-up-do that left me looking like myself, but a more polished version." ‘Wrangling?’ ‘More polished version?’ It’s giving Eurocentric feature obsessive and shaming curly hair…this isn’t okay with me and I had to knock off a few more points for this theme.

What I did like:
On the bright side, and the plot did have some twist interns that I did not expect and that were not predictable. I do really appreciate that.

The leg squeezing meaning was cute and I enjoyed the dress shopping as well as the party.

And lastly, I enjoyed the food definitions at the beginning of each chapter. Sadly, the font for these were extremely small.

Ending:
The ending was rushed, but for a first time book, this was pretty good! I’d most definitely get the author to write authentic, more unique characters while also not trying to hit a "minority quota" even though everyone in this book most definitely seemed white or white European…

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

First of all, a big thank you to NetGalley & Waitlyn Andrews for granting me access to this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the premise of working in this Parisian restaurant in the hopes of obtaining a Michelin star. The shopping trips to the market, the relationships among the staff and the concept of the restaurant were all positive elements of the story. I recently started watching “The Bear” so this story was timely for me. It did get a bit monotonous after a while, I was waiting for whatever was going to happen to happen already, thus the 3 stars.

That brings me to Claire and James. You could say their story was a slow burn but I didn’t feel their feelings for each other to ring true. I felt like they were good friends, no spark at all. The most disturbing part for me was when he just started calling her baby well before they were “together”. It was refreshing to not have lots of naughty writing which is normally where “baby” leads. The side characters added to the book and had more personality than our main couple.

All in all, not terrible but not great. For 279 pages, there should have been a spark between them.

This was a fun slow burn/enemies to lover's romance that was good! I enjoyed the characters and the plot.

I was immediately drawn to this book based on the premise of a love story between two chefs. This is a very slow burn and then feels a bit rushed at the end. Slow burns are probably my least favorite romance tropes so this book wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy,

Took me a while to get into the book but once I grasped the story, this book was a great read. The female lead was strong willed and independent and did not allow the opinions of others to deter her from her dreams. The story was well written and the author did a great job building character arcs.

Such a cute book!!!! Waitlyn Andrews... I enjoy your way of writing so much! I could feel and understand Claire's insecurity, I could imagine Paris and it's markets, I could imagine Teaks and all the dishes being served there. Yes, I imagined them before looking for images because that's me :)
James is... dreamy. I even like his OCD. Iwould have loved to have one chapter with his POV, but the guy is good expressing his feelings when he has to, so maybe it wasn't that necessary.
Couple goals. You worte what I imagine as couple goals.... Thank you so much

While I think this was overall cute and fun, it was difficult to get past the woman-hating and general misunderstanding of what OCD entails. A brief mention is enough for me to not care about, but it was every few pages.

What a great story. If you have watched The Bear then you will know and appreciate this story. The whole idea is such fun and I can’t wait to read more by this author.

First off, I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC of this book.

Secondly, I want to keep this review honest and helpful, so I'll start off by stating that "Yes, Chef" by Waitlyn Andrews is a good romance book. I thought it was adorable and cute in all the right places. The plot is easy to follow, but still complex enough to keep you engaged. I really enjoyed the FMC (female main character) Claire, and felt like the author did a good job of explaining why Claire felt and did the things she did. I also immediately liked the MMC (male main character) James Sullivan, and must confess I am a sucker for a brooding guy who shows his soft side to those he really cares for. I also really enjoyed the cooking aspects and the small interactions the main characters had at the markets. I really disliked Claires family, except for her sister, which I think only emphasizes the authors talent because I was actually finding myself internally arguing with theses fictional characters, so I give a round of applause to the author for creating a family that was utterly annoying, but also realistic.

I will admit I wish there was changing points of view throughout the book because we only got to read from Claire's perspective. I would have loved to hear James' POV or Evie and Melissa's. I also wish there was more dialogue between characters because a lot of the story was Claire's thoughts or feelings which I enjoyed, but wanted a little more conversational scenes thrown in. Additionally, I would have loved to have more descriptions of the food they cooked and interactions happen in the kitchen/restaurant. I felt like they were really dedicated chefs, but a lot of the interactions in the kitchen were quick and seemed to only push the plot along.

Overall, I really liked this book. I'm usually more of a fantasy reader, but do like to read romance books from time to time. When I read romance books I want to end them on a happy note and this one had me smiling from the first page to the last. This book was enjoyable, funny, dramatic at parts, and lighthearted. I would definitely recommend this book to someone in the mood for a good love story and happiness. I know the rating system is based on whole numbers but I give this 3.8/5 stars.

I did not think I would love and enjoy this book as much as I did, and I love that this book exceeded my expectations. I thought this book was going to be a mediocre bore, it was not. I enjoy culinary fiction rom com books and my last favorite was "Food Whore."

The prior book and this book take you on such a ride. Claire Richards was a strong heroine, who went through a lot to pick up her life and try again.... in Paris. Oh, James Sullivan, I think every female reader was swooning over you! A complex book for a rom-com.

Highly recommended. I look forward to more books by this author, if it is as enjoyable as this one.

Thanks to NetGalley, Waitlyn Andrews and Waitlyn Andrews self-published for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. I loved the setting and the way James and Claire’s friendship developed. But once they actually got together, James read like a completely different character. And for how slowly the romance began, it was a little unbelievable how quickly they became extremely serious. I’d give this book 4 stars for the first half, but only 2-2.5 stars for the second half.

This book also needs another round of editing - there were so many misused words and typos that I actually had to re-read quite a few sentences to make sure I understood what was being said.

Claire Richards has traveled from California to Paris for the hopes of earning a Michelin Star. The hope of a Michelin Star isn’t the only reason Claire has made Paris her home. She’s trying to rebuild her life after a fateful night.

She’s enjoying working under Chef Elliot when she meets the new Head Chef James Sullivan. James Sullivan is a fellow American and essentially culinary royalty. Together they work towards the Michelin Star.

If you’re a fan of comfort reads, food network, romance novels, found family and slow burn romances, you’ll really enjoy Yes Chef.

I thoroughly enjoyed the author's voice and found the protagonist, Claire, to be quite entertaining. Her awkwardness and good humor, combined with her family background, created an intriguing character whom I enjoyed following. The narrative in the first person worked perfectly.

However, while I understand that the author's intention was to revive the 90s rom-com vibe – and I was excited about delving into a lighthearted novel – something about the romantic relationship felt off to me. The behaviors described as protective came across as excessive jealousy and attempts to control Claire's life. Starting from the chapter set in the nightclub, I couldn't shake off the feeling that she was becoming entangled in an unhealthy relationship.

Even before they begin dating, James gives her the cold treatment whenever he suspects she's seeing someone else. This aspect is what made me lose my enthusiasm for a conventional happy ending – or to put it differently, for me, the ideal resolution would be her realizing how problematic he truly was.

Apart from this aspect, I also relished the atmosphere of the restaurant's kitchen and the depiction of Paris. I would certainly be interested in reading Waitlyn Andrews' next book.

I absolutely loved this debut by author Waitlyn Andrews. When it popped up on goodreads I was really intrigued by the premise: Claire, an American chef, is working abroad in Paris when another American chef, James takes a job as the Head Chef at the same restaurant and she is not exactly happy to meet him here.

It was so interesting to read about these characters working in the chef profession and their lifestyles (love getting glimpses into lives of people in totally different professions to mine). I loved the setting being in Paris and these characters were amazing.

Both the fmc and mmc were both very likable and I loved reading about their journey. Claire has a history of a controlling relationship and a serious injury which left her in a bad place and it was so sweet the way she worked through those issues and the way she was supported by James along the way.

This book was just like a warm hug as I’ve seen it described and I ended up reading it in less than a day since I couldn’t put it down. It was a very well written debut I thought and I’m so keen to see what the author writes next. There were some really strong side characters and I was expecting the next book would be about Jame’s sister Evie, but from the preview at the end that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Anyone who is looking for a quick to read, comforting romance about two chefs and a workplace romance (I love this trope personally) - I recommend that you give this one a chance! This book is out now since the start of August and looks to be on Kindle Unlimited too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Waitlyn Andrews for this Kindle arc for review consideration and all opinions are my own.

I adored this book. It's a perfect, easy-going beach read that leaves you feeling stupidly giddy...and with a strong craving for croissants.

I give this book 4 stars: I didn't want to put it down and am sad it's over. The plot was a bit "hallmark-y" for my liking, but sometimes thats exactly what you want in a book at the time. What makes it stand out is the back of house perspective in a restaurant. I particularly enjoyed that each chapter began with a description of a cooking-related term, one that inevitably is woven into the storyline of the chapter.

An amazing debut novel by Waitlyn Andrews, and I will be eagerly awaiting whatever she writes next!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

NetGalley ARC Review 🫶🏼
Yes, Chef was a very enjoyable read for me! I liked the slow burn, and forced proximity. Seeing the friendship between Claire and James grow before we see the romance was really refreshing. It made me actually believe they fell in love. For me it was a great palette cleanser after some darker books.
The competitive banter was delish! I’d definitely recommend if you need a quick, feel good summer read.
Grab a bottle of wine, your favorite cheese, and enjoy.

*The overuse of ”OCD” was a bit off putting and I think the author could’ve avoided the term altogether without compromising the character’s personality/tendencies.

"Yes, Chef" by Waitlyn Andrews is like a flavorful dish with a dash of spice and a sprinkle of inspiration. This memoir takes you on a rollercoaster ride through the author's culinary journey, from humble beginnings to high-end kitchens.

Andrews serves up a delicious blend of humor and heart in this book. His storytelling is as sharp as a chef's knife, slicing through the chaos of the kitchen with wit and candor. You'll find yourself cheering for his successes and sympathizing with his setbacks.

While the book is a tasty treat, it occasionally simmers when you want it to sizzle. Some parts could use a bit more seasoning to truly tantalize the reader's taste buds. But overall, "Yes, Chef" is a delightful read that leaves you hungry for more.

I'd give it 3.8 stars – a satisfying dish with room for a little extra flavor.

Embark on a culinary adventure with "Yes, Chef" by Waitlyn Andrews. This novel takes readers behind the scenes of the demanding world of professional cooking. The protagonist's determination and growth, both in the kitchen and personally, are portrayed with authenticity. Andrews' vivid descriptions make the dishes come alive, and the relationships add depth to the story. For those who savor stories of passion and perseverance, "Yes, Chef" is a must-read that leaves a lasting impression.