Once I started this book, I could not put it down. The building tension without being overtly sexual, the will they or wont they, the lack of a third act break up - it was all chef's kiss. Claire and James are the perfect example of a perfect time, perfect place couple.

I highly recommend this book.

The review of this book will be on my Goodreads account.

DNF @ Chapter 4

Everything about this book is lovable except for the main character's tone. I was confused by her attitude which made me abandon this book. It made reading hard for me. :(

Thank you, NetGalley and author for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adored this book! The slow burn and the characters were written so well and I loved reading about them making food and just doing random stuff like reading or walking around lol. Also, the fact that it’s mainly set in Paris has the francophile and hopeless romantic in me internally screaming:’) This book had me giggling, smiling and squealing like a little kid and I had the best time<33 Claire and James are the epitome of the perfect book couple. They have a solid friendship as a foundation, understand eachother and they overall have such an incredbile dynamic. Is it weird that I’m jealous of the relationship between two fictional characters? (The correct answer is: probably) I also love the fact that Claire was hating on a book for having a third act breakup bc same. Anyway, other than the main characters I really loved Theo, Evie (I loved everyone in James’s family but especially Evie) and Melissa❤️

I loved the first 70% of this closed-door, slow-burn romance. It’s grumpy-sunshine and set in Paris, France. If you’re a foodie, you’d love this book for the way it talks about food. The last 30% and specifically the ending didn’t seem to match the rest of the book, but the author sent out a note saying there were 12k words added to a new ending, so maybe that helped improve it overall. I would give this book 3/3.5 stars with it how I read it (points off for the forced feeling ending and the many grammatical errors), so a pretty solid debut for this author!

I love Paris, I love food, I love books talking about chefs!

Claire was so relatable and I loved seeing how James getting thrown in the mix messing with her flow. I can't decide if I love the setting more or the relationship but this was fantastic.

This really just makes me want to drop everything, run away to Paris, and enroll in cooking school!!!!

Really enjoyed this book about Claire working in Paris as a chef knowing she is going to have to go back to the NAPA Valley vineyard her family owns. A new chef James is hired to help earn Teaks a Michelin Star. With all of Claire's problems, James falls for her. Read about their journey.. Does Teaks get a star ? Dp Claire and James end up together? A VERY GOOD READ.

Yes, Chef —- I’ll have seconds.


I’ve always been a huge fan of Gordon Ramsay and other attractive and serious chefs but this is my first time reading a romance about them.

It was delicious from first to fifth course.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

This was a romance novel that was really easy to read (the perfect beach read). I really enjoyed this tale of Claire and James, two chefs at a Parisian restaurant who of course clash before falling into a friendship (and maybe more, spoilers?). The female character was strong and introspective. I loved the tag at the beginning of each chapter that defined a cooking element/style, which was then used later in the chapter. Now, I would normally say that the ending felt a little rushed but -- the author emailed everyone who downloaded the ARC to say that she took feedback into consideration and added new chapters to the published version. Amazing!! I can't wait to read the updated novel to see what was added into the story.

Was a cute, fast read. The relationship between Claire and James goes from coworker to friendship to more. No spice, but the true connection of those two was spot on. Absolutely, enjoyed this book. Hope to read more by this author.

Thank you net galley and publisher for this ARC. This book initially sounded interesting to me, but unfortunately I couldn’t finish it. I read the updated kindle unlimited version and stopped reading about 55% through.

DNF @ 65% / Chapter 20

Unfortunately this book was not my cup of tea. I went in blind here and was a bit disappointed to find that it was single POV from the female main character. The slow burn do be slow burning though, which, normally I’d be okay with. Without a glimpse into what the male main character was thinking, you have no clue if her infatuation is one sided - you really need to understand context clues to pick up on it. The FMC has also continually referenced several things in her past that still have not been even slightly explained by 65% and I’m honestly just confused at this point as to why she won’t see her family (besides the fact that her mother is awful).

Life is too short to read books you don’t love.

I could not finish this one. I was able to snag the final version off Kindle Unlimited, so I had the version that included reviewer feedback. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get hooked because I didn’t find Claire to be a very lovable character, and there was no tension between her and James. Their relationship was Claire admiring the physical and James admonishing Claire. That’s not tension, it’s school yard romance and weird for two adult chefs.

The concept of this book had a lot of potential and I wish I had liked it more, but it just felt off to me.

It has been a while since I read a romance book that wasn’t classified as spicy- but this one was SO good! I can’t believe this was Waitlyn Andrew’s first book. I hope it’s her first of many because I will read every single one. Yes, Chef a true slow build romance and I savored every single page. I loved the characters just as much as I loved the restaurant aspect of this book. This story is perfect to become a movie and I hope it does! I am fascinated by the restaurant world and the romance was the perfect cherry on top! I absolutely loved this!

Oh man, I really don’t want to give a negative review of a debut novel, but…here I go. Yes, Chef had a lot of potential but just didn’t really get there. I see that the author has made some adjustments since receiving reader feedback, which I appreciate. However, completely inexcusable to use OCD as a term for a penchant for organization. Belittling a mental illness and co-opting the term when you can’t think of a better descriptor is the hardest no for me. Even if the author didn’t catch it, an editor should have before galleys went out for review. I was also disappointed that this was closed-door, which is a personal preference, but I feel like “Yes, Chef” has kind of become the new “daddy” (if you watch The Bear, then IYKYK) so I was just really surprised. It was like, sickly sweet. And a marriage after a month? I’m just very confused and conflicted and disappointed. Not what I thought and not what I hoped.

Okay such a sweet romance! Loved the Paris vibes, the chef vibes, and it was closed door (totally). This was a fantastic read!! If you love food network and romance books with lots of sweetness and no steam, this one is for you

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Yes, Chef was a classic, workplace rivals/enemies to lovers romance set in Paris, taking place between two talented chefs after a Michelin Star. Claire, a Napa native, decides to move to Paris after a terrible accident; James comes to Teaks restaurant in Paris to help the chefs earn their first Star.

This book fell flat for me, unfortunately. There was no angst that I usually enjoy in an enemies to lovers story, besides James being more critical of Claire than others in the kitchen. The moment they confessed their love for each other was just bland (no pun intended) and I felt like the book dragged. I also didn't appreciate how Claire kept saying that James "was OCD" or had "OCD tendencies" - that's just a slap in the face to those with OCD and OCD isn't just someone being extra clean or particular. I think this story would have been even better if it wad dual POV and we got to hear James' thoughts, I would have loved that!

However, I did like learning about both Claire and James' families and I loved the epilogue. I am glad that they all got their happy ending. The locations between Napa, New York and Paris was so fun. I've never been to Paris but the book made it sound incredible.

Thank you NetGalley, publisher & author for early access in exchange for my honest review!

Claire Richards moved to another continent after discovering her boyfriend cheated on her. She's heir to the Richards winery and will eventually have to go back, but for now she wants to find success her own way in Paris, a city known for its food. For four months she's been working under head chef Elliot making Teaks restaurant a success. But if they want that Michelin star, they need an extra edge. James Sullivan is son to a famous chef family and Chef Elliot hires him to take over Teaks. From the start, James barely acknowledges her unless he's critiquing her work... and he does that a lot. His intense stare with those denim blue eyes unnerves her he seems to be everywhere she loves in the city: the market, her favorite cafe, even her own balcony as he's become her next door neighbor. As time goes on they become friends, but Claire longs for more. If only she navy already been in this situation with her ex... dating her boss could get her fired before she ever sees that star.
This was definitely a slow burn romance. I loved reading about the kitchen, the chef team, and their journey to getting their star. The behind the scenes look at running a kitchen was fascinating from planning a menu, to looking for the best ingredients at the market, and the prep and cooking itself. The descriptions of the city were great and made me want to visit myself.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was such an escape! It was a slow-burn romance set in Paris, and the characters are chefs in a fancy restaurant. I loved the character and relationship development between the two main characters. The side characters were also nuanced enough for some possible spin-offs (and I do love a good spin-off romance series). It was more "cute" than "spicy" but the romantic tension was definitely still there. My mark of a five-star read is if I find myself wanting to read the book instead of doing the other things in my life that I SHOULD be doing, and this book definitely meets that! I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I read this book as an ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

Thank you to netgalley for this opportunity.
For the positives: I thought the food descriptions in this were very well done. Following the success of "The Bear", this did a really great job discussing menus, restaurant complexity, and weaving in those nuances with French culture and expat life. I genuinely enjoyed this portion.
I think, in terms of the relationship, this fell a bit flat. I struggled understanding and really connecting to the dynamics of James/Claire. James 180ed from distant, uninterested coworker to 'baby i love you' way too quickly for me to feel invested. Claire's feelings felt genuine; James felt really forced.
I also struggled a ton with how voicey Claire was. I had a really hard time connecting to her rambling thoughts: its great to be in the head of a jilted, anxious, struggling female lead, its another to feel really weighed down by the lead's interiority. Something was just really...off.
Not my fav, but my love of food brought me through

This book was adorable! I picked it up based solely on the title since I'm still emotionally recovering from Season 2 of The Bear, and it did not disappoint.

I really enjoyed the Paris setting and all the restaurant scenes. I would happily read a book just about the restaurant and their quest to earn a Michelin star! The side characters (especially Theo) were fun and helped round out those scenes.

The romance was cute but felt rushed. I did like their friendship a lot and appreciated the respect James showed for Claire and her boundaries.

Overall, this was a cute, closed-door romance that made a fun summer read. I will definitely read whatever Waitlyn Andrews writes next!