*I thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review*

First I'll talk about the things I liked. I really enjoyed that our main character was a chef. The descriptions of the cooking and baking were so fun to read about. I also liked the setting. I've been to Paris myself and I could visualize the places they went to. Our main character is a reader which is an added bonus in my opinion (the love interest is a reader too!!).

There were a lot of characters with different personalities. In some ways, you could say that they were a bit too stereotypical and build on tropes. However, there were a lot of characters I liked. Theo, the cheese vendor, was a side character I appreciated. He's just a wholesome grandpa character.

However, the story as a whole was predictable, especially if you've read a few romances before. It's nothing new but if the elements I mentioned above speak to you, go ahead and read it. I was looking for a cute romance and this one did the job. Picture a kind of Hallmark movie in your head and you'll be fine.

It did annoy me a little bit that our main character is smitten with the love interest from the beginning but I just accepted it. Also note that this is a clean romance, there's kissing and a mention of sex but you won't find explicit smut in this novel which was honestly in my case refreshing.

There's one thing I want to comment on and that's the mention of OCD. I'm a clean person myself and sometimes a perfectionist but this doesn't mean I have OCD. In the novel were some remarks in the way of "Oh he's a little bit OCD" or something like that. Unless I've missed it, in that case I apologize, but I don't think the love interest had an official diagnosis of OCD. I personally felt uncomfortable with those comments. If anyone who has OCD has read this book and my review, what did you think?

Overall, a cute romcom, loved the food descriptions but predictable.

I really enjoyed Yes, Chef. The initial story line developing the relationship between Claire and James while on the mission to earn a Michelin star was so creative and unique. I really liked the definitions at the start of each chapter that was such a fun touch. The comparisons or callouts within the story to other romantic fiction was really cute. Things like "Every book I read always has the main character smelling like they rubbed themselves against a pine tree or icy rock..." or "Nothing startling or whimsical, like the deep blue seas every author compares blue eyes to."
This was a slow burn romance but I think the story suffered a little at the end. There was a lack of development in the actual relationship once it started. Then the whirlwind speed in which everything resolved was at a detriment to the story and characters. It didn't feel natural.

With that being said, this was still a great book. I continue to read from this author and I hope we see more books going forward.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! The characters and setting are perfection! It's an enemies to loves workplace romance between two chefs in Paris! It's the perfect poolside book!
This book is definitely for anyone who loved The Hating Game!

Incredibly cheesy and kinda cringe but it's perfect if you're looking for a light, sweet, and short read. Especially for the summer. 2.5 stars ⭐

While in Paris, chef Claire attempts to avoid family and romantic issues until James Sullivan, a world-renowned chef, is hired by the restaurant owner to run the kitchen and earn a Michelin star. She's confused by James' brusque attitude towards her, and wonders what she's done to earn his ire. When they are forced to spend more time together, Claire finds herself slowly falling for him...but does he feel the same way?

This book was SO CUTE. I think it has one of my favorite book boyfriends because I am in love with James Sullivan. I loved Claire as well, she was complex, likable, and funny. Andrews did an amazing job of showing the Paris setting--truly was like another character.

This is the slowest of burns, so if you like that, you'll love this (but note it is closed door--you've been warned!). If you like rom-coms with no third act breakups (spoiler?), you'll love this book.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! This book was everything I needed to read in a summer book and more! It fulfilled my wanderlust and I found myself giggling at the book multiple times. I thought that these characters were well developed, had a fun plot and there was plenty of great dialogue along the way.

Yes, Chef by Waitlyn Andrews is an adorable workplace romance set in the high pressure world of a professional kitchen. Claire may be heiress to a vast vineyard and winery in California but what she really loves is being in the kitchen, and where better to do that than in Paris, where she is working at one of the best up and coming restaurants and hoping to help them win their first Michelin star. For four months she has been living the dream, but she is about to come down to earth with a bang when the owner hires a new head chef, James, a fellow American who is already a culinary star , and who seems to get along with everyone , except Claire. Of course sparks begin to fly, and as the somewhat frost relationship begins to thaw, Claire starts to see another side to the handsome Chef and begins to reconsider her ban on workplace relationships . Could James finally be the one to help heal the damage caused by her cheating ex and her overbearing mother?
There were a few things that really helped this charming romance novel stand out in a crowded genre. First and foremost for me was the setting, I may be a sucker for books set in restaurants/kitchens/bakeries etc but that does lead me to say that this aspect of the book feels completely spot on, I almost felt the heat and pressure of the kitchen and could definitely imagine the sights and smells of the the market place where Claire spent so much of her time, both alone and with James, and all the descriptions of beautiful food had me salivating. Aside from Claire and James, both of whom I loved, I also really enjoyed the secondary characters, particularly James' sister Evie, and Claire's mother who was deliciously villainous.
This was a sweet and fun read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, as will any reader who likes a slow burn with plenty of chemistry but not too much spice.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Edit: Changing my original rating to 3.5 Stars after author changed manuscript before the release.

Thank you to NetGalley and Waitlyn Andrews for the ARC of this book.

If you are looking for a lighthearted romcom then "Yes, Chef" is definitely worth a try.

It is a slowburn romance that focuses on James and Claire, two lovely characters who fall in love in Paris. James was a real sweetheart throughout the book and I really enjoyed his grumpy turned sunshine transformation. Claire went through some really difficult situations before coming to Paris, which made her leave her home in the first place. I enjoyed Claire a lot, however her hatred towards many other women was not necessary in my opinion. Multiple times she thought of her Barista as "a Bitch" or James sister' (when Claire did not know she was his sister yet) as a "Bimbo".

The slowburn in this book started of really beautiful and didnt seem dragged out like in many other slowburn books but towards the end of the book it all felt very rushed. Only a few weeks after Claire told James she wants to wait until marriage they elope which for me personally took away the meaning of the principle Claire set. What I personally really enjoyed was the neighbors trope. It was very well done and especially at the beginning, where it wasnt clear why James was behaving towards Claire like this it was interesting to see their interactions on their balconys.

My favorite parts of the book were definitely those that happened in the kitchen of the Teaks. I fell in love with the athmosphere and all the mentions of different foods and how they are done. The layout of the book with each chapter representing a different term from the cooking field was really beautiful to see and I liked the original tone it added to the book.

I absolutely “shipped” James and Claire! The characters were brilliant! Waitlyn Andrews are you sure this is your debut? Because I ate this up like you’re a veteran romance author! I loved your through attention to detail. It was on point! James is everything I want in a protective hunk of a man! The Paris food world setting was well researched! Forced proximity tropes, non cheating tropes, and work place tropes are some of my faves! I can’t wait to get my hands on your next book! I will definitely be following you and waiting for it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Waitlyn Andrews for an ARC of Yes Chef and allowing me to give my honest and in biased review!

Let me start off by saying I love a slow burn romance! And this was the slowest burn but in a good way!

Yes, Chef is about Claire and James and their journey from enemies to friends to lovers. It’s set in Paris and gave me Emily In Paris vibes which I loved! I really enjoyed all the restaurant vibes, food terminology, and market shopping trips with Theo. I loved that sweet cheese vendor! If you need a feel good romcom with grumpyxsunshine vibes this is definitely one you should pick up.

The ending was a little rushed and it’s a closed door romance. I wanted a James POV so badly! I feel like this is a SOLID debut novel. With no third act breakup, praise hallelujah!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the ARC for an honest review!

I’m shocked I haven’t heard more about this book! It was adorable and the writing brought me to Paris😍

Claire is experiencing anxiety and trauma from an event in her past as well as a bad break up. She decides to start fresh by putting her culinary skills to work in Paris at a restaurant that’s aiming for a Michelin star. While there, she meets the well-known chef, James Sullivan.

Picture this book as if it were the award-winning TV show 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘳 in an enemies to lovers romance book. Also, don’t let the cover and the Gordon Ramsey vibes (to quote a friend lol) steer you wrong-this is a beautiful and sweet love story. I also ate up (get it?) the beginning of each chapter because it opens with a cooking technique definition or a special dish description.

Read this if if you like love stories that include:
👩‍🍳 Grumpy vs Sunshine
👩‍🍳Forced proximity (he’s her boss & neighbor)
👩‍🍳Slow burn
👩‍🍳Enemies turned friends turned lovers
👩‍🍳She gets sick and he takes care of her
👩‍🍳Anxiety rep
👩‍🍳Paris
👩‍🍳Closed-door romance
👩‍🍳Very brief and limited use of the miscommunication trope

Yes, Chef is out today, go get your copy😍

3.75 stars! This book is a fun mix of cutesy romance, restaurant setting, and Paris. As a foodie, I loved this aspect of the book. And as far as romance goes, who doesn’t love a cute-make-you-smile-feel-good story?! There is no spice in this, which I think some people will enjoy and others will miss. It just depends what kind of reader you are. I am both types & it was a nice change of pace. There were also a few chapters of the book spread across the Holiday season & there was something extra warm & fuzzy about that.

All in all, I think this was a good debut novel and I’d absolutely read more by this author in the future. Thank you NetGalley & Waitlyn for the advanced copy!

📚 YES CHEF by WAITLYN ANDREWS 📚

Publish date: August 3, 2023

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4)
Spice: 🌶 (1)
Format read: 📱(ebook - ARC)
Days read: 🗓🗓 (2)
Distracted radishes: 😴😴 (2)

TW: car wreck, emotional abuse, difficulty family dynamics

Yes, Chef is a sweet story about love and culinary excellence. Claire, a chef whose family is determined to get her back with her ex, and James, an award-winning cinnamon roll of a chef, cook amazing dishes together and struggle to dynamic the romantic tension building between them.

The banter between these two is nearly as mouth-watering as the descriptions of the food they prepare together. I needed a fun, lighthearted story about food apparently because I gobbled this up. Set in Paris, the romantic vibes were off the chart. I could've read 200+ more pages about the romantic Paris adventures they go on together.

I was so ready for the spice to kick it up a notch the whole time, but I respect that the author chose to keep it PG. I also wanted more from James' perspective the entire time. We saw his character development through Claire's eyes but I wanted to hear him fall in love via his own inner monologue.

Waitlyn Andrews, what a debut! I sincerely hope that books featuring chefs, food, etc are your specialty because I could read that micro-genre to no end, turns out!! Italy next, please??

Happy Pub Day to Yes, Chef by Waitlyn Andrews.

To escape her past, Claire moves to Paris in hopes of helping the restaurant she now works at receive its first Michelin star.  James is somewhat of a well-known chef with experience in getting that coveted star, so it is no surprise when he is brought in to help as well.  Though for some unknown reason, he isn’t a big fan of Claire or her love of improvising the night’s recipes.  Or at least that’s what Claire thinks.  But it’s okay, as she has sworn off workplace romances, so the fact that the handsome new head chef is not a fan of hers, is all for the better.  Either way, these two will have to find a way to work together if they have any chance of getting that star.  But maybe even more is in store for these two??

I love to cook and bake so of course I loved the insider’s look at the inner workings of a kitchen and hearing about all the recipes they were coming up with.  I loved the concept of a new menu every night so there were always new things to try and explore and create.  And I loved the market shopping trips and Theo the cheese vendor and how he always enabled Claire’s improvising.  And James was sweet and didn’t push and only wanted what was best for Claire.

While I felt the ending was pretty rushed, this slow burn romance with NO THIRD ACT BREAK-UP was ‘chef’s kiss’.  Excited to see what comes next from this debut author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Waitlyn Andrews for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy.

If this book had hands, I'd squeeze them three times! IYKYK!

I absolutely loved this book! It sucked me in from Chapter 1. I carried my kindle with me everywhere while reading this so if I had 2 minutes of downtime, I could read some more. It's so sweet and made me so giddy with the anticipation and excitement of Claire & James relationship and hoping they would get the Michelin star. It's a completely different story, but it had me thinking of the movie "Simply Irresistible" with Sarah Michelle Gellar (back in like 1999) and longing for a rom com like this again!

The story is about Claire, who moves to Paris to escape her past and get a clean start away from her ex and her overbearing family. She's a chef who loves to add her own spice to her recipes and is hoping that her hard work and focus will win her a Michelin star while she is abroad. She has all intentions of staying focused on the restaurant, Teaks, and is 100% not looking for love.

James comes from a wealthy family of famous chefs. He already has a Michelin star under his belt and moves to Paris to help Teaks try to win one as well. James had no idea he would be working alongside the woman of his dreams. He's kind of a stickler for not getting involved with anyone at work, so he does his best to not let Claire realize his feelings and gives the wrong impression to Claire at first. He seems to be critiquing her work more than the other chefs at the restaurant.

Seeing them slowly start to trust each other and become friends was a joy. I loved the small gestures that James would do for Claire. I think he was such a sweet guy. I loved how Claire became independent and confident in herself and how she stuck to her values the entire time. This was such a sweet and satisfying romance!

It was a comfort read and also made me so HUNGRY with all the food descriptions, the insane amounts of cheese - anyone who knows me, knows my love for cheese, and this book had my mouth watering! I loved the top of each chapter that explained different types of foods or cooking techniques - this was a fun addition and I loved how it led into what the chapter would revolve around.

I also loved the dynamics in the restaurant. I enjoyed the setting of the restaurant itself with the guests being able to look on at the Chefs as they cooked. I loved the romantic setting in Paris, and their walks to the market every morning, the daily routines, and the romanticizing of mundane things.

This was an easy-going, delicious book and I highly recommend it if you are looking for a palate cleanser that will just make you feel completely full in your heart.

This was a quick, adorable read!

I needed a palate cleanser from some of the thicker books I've been reading lately and this was perfect. I will say I was expecting more of the "enemies to lovers" trope and feel this hit more of a "slow burn" category.

Definitely excited to see what else Waitlyn Andrews publishes in the future as I enjoyed the writing style.

Yes, Chef is the book I needed!! I would have binged the entire thing if I had the time.
Claire Richards is spending her time doing what she loves as a chef in Paris, before inevitably returning to take over the reins in the family business. She’s thriving and healing from her past.
Then Chef James Sullivan comes in as her new boss who pretty much ignores her unless it’s criticism of her work. But Claire can’t help her growing attraction to him, despite how bad of an idea getting involved would be.
The slow burn romance was done better than I’ve seen before. The way that Claire evolves through the story is delightful. The care that James takes with her feelings as she heals from the past is the sweetest thing. You’re rooting for them from the very beginning.
I loved the setting of Paris and how Andrews was able to make you imagine you were there too!
I couldn’t believe that Yes, Chef is Waitlyn Andrews’ first book! It’s incredibly well written and such a clean rom com that was done with the utmost taste!!
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my review

Yes, Chef: A Delectable Debut Romance Novel! 🇫🇷🍽️ 📚

This romantic novel managed to capture my heart in a way that few others have. Claire, a talented and bookish young woman, stole my heart from the very beginning. From savoring espressos and croissants to owning an apartment with a charming balcony, she lives a life that many would envy. What I admired most about her was the unwavering commitment to her principles and the determination to forge her own path, despite familial expectations. She teaches us the importance of following our passions and dreams unapologetically. Her journey to self-discovery and empowerment is a poignant reminder that we all have the strength to break free from unhealthy relationships and embrace a life that aligns with our true selves.

Whereas, the male lead was an absolute delight and the epitome of a book boyfriend. His love for reading, particularly thrillers, instantly struck a chord with my book-loving heart. His patience and unwavering support for the main character emphasized the beautiful notion that "someone being patient with you is one of the softest forms of love." His genuine care and understanding melted my heart, making their romance all the more captivating and relatable.

The slow-burn romance between the two main characters was exquisitely written, allowing readers to savor every moment of their blossoming connection. It was refreshing to witness a relationship built on trust, respect, and genuine understanding. The absence of miscommunication and cheating tropes was a breath of fresh air, showcasing a healthy and realistic depiction of love.

if you enjoy stories about pursuing dreams in a dreamy setting like Paris, with a relatable and likable female lead who inspires you, and a patient and book-loving male character, this book is definitely worth a read.

Wanted to love this one, but ended up only liking it. The plot moved incredibly slow, then incredibly fast. Really cute concept, but could have been better executed.

Set in Paris, in a nice restaurant, Claire's life is looking pretty good. That is until an attractive American invades her space and starts critiquing her work.

I enjoyed the setting and how each chapter started with food descriptions, it kept me very tied to the setting of the book. As this is a slow burn lovers dream, it was hard for me to stay fully invested in the romance. Despite the slow burn, I really appreciated how the author developed the characters and who well rounded their growth was.