I wish I liked this more than I did. It was fine but didn't keep me gripped. Character development a bit lacking, action a bit predictable. Not a bad read, by any means, but not the book for me.

A cute workplace romance, culinary edition, so if you like cooking shows and rom coms, this is definitely the book for you. It has a slow build in the beginning but makes room to explain the background of the restaurant and culinary field. A bit of a slow burn, rivals to friends to lovers, without a third act breakup, which was all really nice to have in this novel. Near the last half of the book, the pace of the story quickens and feels rushed. What could have helped was having dual POVs.

I am not a foodie by any means, but for some reason I have a special interest in chef or restaurant based romances. I'll blame Emily In Paris and The Bear. That being said, this is far and wide my favorite book I've read in that section of romance. The progression of the relationship, especially for a slow burn, felt very natural and authentic. Understanding that Waitlyn seems to have written this book based on her own relationship, it makes sense that we got such an in-depth understanding of our characters. She absolutely knocked this one out of the park. I can't wait to see what she does next!

This book was really cute. I loved the inside look into busy kitchen paired with a swoony romance. This book went much deeper than just the romance so it was interesting from cover to cover, but was still a quick fun read. Highly reccommend!

ARC review

Book review for: Yes, Chef
Author: Waitlyn Andrews

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I am always down for a culinary romance, and Yes, Chef was that. Two chefs falling in love? Workplace tension? A supportive MMC? A strong FMC with lots of character development? All that in Paris, the city of love?! Yes please!

If you prefer a book that is not super explicit, then this book is for you.

The characters were different from other romance books I've read. The main characters were from wealthy backgrounds, think Old Money, who did not have any financial worries at all. It was appreciated seeing the character development that the main character does, especially that she goes from being a pick-me (thinking of other women as bxtchxs -even those she has never met- just because they are talking to the man she is attracted to) to becoming someone who can stick to her boundaries and learn when she is wrong.

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This book had a good story idea, but I don’t feel it was executed as well as it could have. It felt like there was so much that happened, and yet nothing happened at all. Any issue or conflict felt so low stakes that I didn’t care how it ended. It felt like a lot of description of what was happening and not enough about the characters feelings.

The romance itself felt incredible rushed. We went from from him “hating” her to dating and then married in three months? This would work if I felt like they liked each other more before that, but I didn’t.

Another issue I had was the run in with Henry. It was the only conflict that was built up in my head, and when they had their run in it was over in one sentence.

I liked the authors writing and ideas, so I feel like that time and after writing more books she will have some really great ones. I look forward to seeing what she writes in the future!

"Yes Chef" by Waitlyn Andrews is an absolute culinary delight! What truly sets it apart is the abundance of cooking references that make the entire journey incredibly immersive. Andrews' descriptions of food, techniques, and kitchen atmospheres are so vivid that you can almost smell the sizzling aromas and taste the exquisite dishes. I loved watching Claire and James relationship form over time. This book was a great happy read that made me feel like a warm cinnamon bun. Thank you to Waitlyn Andrew’s, the publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC!

3.5 stars
Here's the thing, I loved the first half of this book. It was super cute with a good setting. I liked the MCs and was enjoying the slow burn. But it lost me in the second half. I don't know why exactly but that last 40ish percent cringed me out badly. I suddenly didn't trust our male love interest. It felt like he went from being aloof to being in love in the blink of an eye. I really wish we had dual povs, I think that might have solved this problem. This was still good tho. It ranks low on the spice meter and as someone who doesn't read smut, I appreciate that a lot.

Yes, Chef is a good book for fans of both Paris and cooking shows like Top Chef, etc. It centered around two chefs in a kitchen in Paris and their goal of getting a Michelin star. I think the book was at its best when it described Paris and the local market, the tourist attractions, etc but then fell flat with the actual romance. I thought the book was pretty cozy though, it was low stakes and low in complications. But it is slow. The characters dont even acknowledge feelings until like 80% in and then it was full speed to the surprising ending of forever. I liked it alright but it felt like the pacing was a little off. I did appreciate no third act breakup, so there is that.

I really enjoyed the restaurant/food aspect of this book. It really helped the reader understand the environment without ever being too much. I also appreciated how the author allowed her characters to be wealthy, without being off-putting. I enjoyed the slow-burn between James and Claire, however once we reached the conflict "resolution" it wasn't really clear why he was aloof with her in the first place.

I DNF at 68 pages. This one is just not for me. The main character was constantly judging everyone else, and seemed like a rich spoiled brat. She has this ridiculous crush on someone she claims is always rude to her (but he seems mostly just indifferent). Enemies-to-lovers is fine but I don't understand how she can have "butterflies" for a person who she despises so much. I began to dread picking this back up so I had to stop reading.

I loved this book! 4\5 stars! I couldn’t put it down! Such a fun summer read! Great dialogue with a sweet romance story!

This was such a cute read and I loved the chef vibes. The tension between the two love interests was great and I liked how they ultimately ended up connecting. I couldn’t put the book down. I just kept wanting to see what would happen next. My biggest issue was the ending. Everything seemed to fall into place too easily. I liked how Claire had this one specific boundary but then in the end there was a quick solution to that boundary. The end felt a bit rushed. I definitely wanted more growth between the two main characters.

Okay honestly, this book should be called no, chef because it’s not good. The whole “tension” between these two is literally that one person is tall and one person is small. That is it. That’s the story. Add in Paris, some coffee and a knife and that’s the plot. I will not review this on Goodreads- you’re welcome. 🤣

For anyone with interest in cooking and the food industry this is a fun read. It was definitelya unique setting, which I appreciated. Super swoon worthy, binge read!

I loved this closed door romance set in the high stakes kitchen of one of the top restaurants in Paris. Great chemistry and fast pace made it difficult to put down. Highly recommend!

Yes, Chef starts off great. I love the back-dropnof Claire resetting her life by focusing on what brings her joy - cooking. When the characters meet I thought we were on our way to something good, but this one doesn't land as well as I was hoping. I was willing to go along with how she somehow doesn't know how to block her ex and her mom, and the meandering more like friends to lovers story of the book, but the way everything snowballed at the end into an impromptu wedding felt off. I was looking for more meaningful conflict, but it just was not there for me.

If you like a closed door, sweet romance with no third act break-up this is for you.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I always dig the hustle that goes into writing a first-time novel, so even though "Yes, Chef!" didn't totally hit home for me, I think Waitlyn Andrews has some real potential in the romance game. The whole Paris food scene backdrop had me excited – I was all set for that classic "enemies to lovers" vibe we're seeing in today's TV shows like "The Bear." But instead, the Claire and James relationship felt kinda straightforward, and I was left craving a deeper connection and understanding between them. Maybe a little tweaking on the pacing and structure could jazz it up a bit. Some parts felt like they could've been trimmed down.

Don't get me wrong, there were moments that nailed that 90's Rom-Com charm, but sometimes, things got a tad too dramatic for my taste.

The constant mentions of the character OCD made it feel more like a surface-level thing rather than a thoughtful, sensitive exploration of mental health, which is super important.

But you know what, every writer's gotta start somewhere, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Waitlyn Andrews grows and sharpens her writing game in the future. Keep at it!

SPOILERS! I was so hooked on this book!! I was blushing at every scene and completely inlove w the slow burn and grumpy/sunshine trope. With that being said... once James and Claire got together the book just fell apart completely. The writing became childish and cringy, and their love suddenly became so fake and forced.

It broke my heart once I finished because I was ready to give this a 5 stars because of how much I loved the banter and tension between the characters. I love the concept and the setting but truly after the 70% mark I didnt want to keep reading.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an advanced review copy of this book.

I absolutely adored this story and the characters. Claire for her independence (standing on her own two feet) working towards her dream and James being a patient dreamboat who would do anything for her. Two American chefs becoming friends while working towards a Michelin star together at a restaurant in Paris. They slowly get to know one another and the fall in love. There is no drama or dirty details, but it is a lovely story about friendship, respect and patience. I can’t wait for this author’s next book.