Yes, Chef by Waitlyn Andrews is an enjoyable and informative read about the trials and tribulations of a chef who is finally getting her foot in the door of the competitive restaurant business. The book follows Waitlyn's journey from a small-town cook to a successful chef and restaurateur, as she navigates career choices, office politics, and different cooking methods.

The book is written in a very lively and entertaining style, and Waitlyn’s personality is evident throughout. She is passionate about cooking, and her enthusiasm to explore various cuisines and techniques is contagious. Waitlyn shares her culinary successes, as well as her failures, and her openness in telling her story allows the reader to connect with her quickly. This connection makes the book more enjoyable and memorable.

Waitlyn also offers helpful cooking techniques and tips throughout the book. She offers a variety of methods to ensure a perfectly cooked steak, for example, and explains the importance of checking the internal temperature of the meat. Waitlyn also covers matters of etiquette, such as hosting a formal banquet at a restaurant, which is beneficial for someone learning the ropes of the restaurant industry.

The book also provides insight into the politics of the restaurant business. Waitlyn is candid in her descriptions of her boss and her interactions with him, including how he pushed her to take risks. Waitlyn also talks about her team's disagreements over menu items and debates over the limited staff at times. This is a valuable lesson for readers who may not yet understand the complexities of running a restaurant.

The only downside to the book is that it moves at a leisurely pace and some readers might find it a bit slow. Despite this, it is a great read overall and I highly recommend it. Waitlyn’s passion for cooking shines throughout the book and she provides valuable insight into the restaurant business for aspiring chefs.

In this food-focused romcom, Andrews made it easy for me to become part of the team as they focused on their goal of obtaining a Michelin star. I was instantly wrapped up in the intricate relationships that exist within the restaurant and privy to the reality of working behind the scenes in the service industry. I discovered the stress of shopping daily for the menu of the day and the camaraderie that blossomed between the staff and the suppliers. I learned new terms and my inner foodie was excited. I liked the experience of juggling living abroad, with parental expectations, working towards a career goal and indulging in romance. The chapter titles were a nice touch and kept me focused with each chapter.

This book was everything you could want in a dreamy food network x Emily in Paris fictional collaboration. My first book by Waitlyn Andrews and i already can’t wait to devour even more !

I enjoyed this rom com involving two chefs that are rivals to more. I was a fun read and I look forward to more books by this author.

Slow burn, enemies to friends to lovers, workplace romcom, but a fun read! I especially loved all of the detailed descriptions of food & recipes. It's lighthearted, no spice and takes place in Paris if that's your jam..

American chefs in Paris chasing after a Michelin star suppress their feelings for each other for 6ish months before kissing.

The tension is real. The food descriptions and food market are fabulous.

Past trauma prevents immediate hookup & a friendship forms between the head chef and the sous chef.

I loved the family elements, Christmas scenes & vineyard scenes.

I inhaled "Yes, Chef." Once I started this book, I didn't want to put it down. The very slow burn of the developing relationship of Claire and James was intoxicating. While at times, especially towards the end, it seemed a little unrealistic and wrapped up a little too nicely, I loved this book. I felt like I was in a little Parisian cocoon. My reaction to this book is very similar to the feelings I have while reading an Emily Henry book (just with out the steamy sex scenes). If you are looking for a book that has hot sex, this is not the book for you. But if you want to revel in moments, touches, glances, and lot of food and cooking references, this is the book for you.

Claire has just escaped from a controlling and coercive relationship, an almost fatal car accident and a mother who just doesn’t understand. She picks herself up, sets some challenges and moves half way across the world to escape her past and prove herself to the world.
They say music is the food of love, well in this case reading and food are the food of love, my love language is food and so I really appreciate how Claire loves to see people appreciate her food as the restaurant tries for a Michelin star. I love the concept of the restaurant and having worked in some think the concept of no division between front of house and back of house could work. Although a romance, there are some hard hitting moments as Claire comes to reconcile her past and meets a man who not only can but will help her through them. The detail to the food and the comfort and companionship found in reading is expressed beautifully.
A book with food, romance and a very full ending is as satisfying as a gourmet meal.
I totally recommend reading this

LOVED this one wow. Two words to describe this one “feel good”. It gave me the same feels as Nora goes off script which I always recommend to people as a fab pick me up. This one is about Claire and James and takes place mostly in Paris with sprinkles of napa and New York. Claire and James work together at a restaurant in Paris that is trying to obtain a Michelin star. As someone who’s dad is an executive chef this one definitely peaked my interest. This is a grumpy x sunshine and he falls first. While it is a little long I definitely think it was needed to showcase everything and we do get an epilogue too. Highly recommend this one!

3.75/5 stars
The story has two different paces for the two halves of the book. Starting with the tension between the characters from Claire's POV, and the following friendship between herself and Elliott, the relationship develops so well. The pace just speeds up so fast once their feelings for each other are acknowledged and their relationship just zooms at speed 2x through each milestone.
The references to book tropes such as hating the third act break up and then no third act breakup in the actual book made me so happy!
An enjoyable, fun and quick read!

What a fun read! I enjoyed this and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys rom-coms and/or foodies.

My honest opinion - this book deserves every bit of five stars.

I was drawn to this book because the main characters are living in Paris - love this - and are working chefs in an up and coming restaurant.

The book has so many of my favorite tropes: opposites attract, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and retribution, but there are twists to each, giving them a fresh take.

A nice touch was that each chapter started with a food description that is featured within the story. I adored the main character, Claire, her back story and the dynamic between her and her boss, James.

What I really appreciated is the two main characters - they were so endearing they really pulled me into the book.

I recommend this book absolutely and I am blown away it is a debut.

Please note, I did receive this ARC for free; I am writing an honest review voluntarily.

I had an amazing time with this book. Maybe because I'm a foodie that also happens to love cooking, I couldn't have asked for a better setting.

Claire is a girl trying to make her own way in the world and so she decides to move to Paris to work at a restaurant called Teaks to help it gain a Michelin star. She's in line to inherit a whole winery in the States, but wants to really experiment being a part of something that she goes after on her own. Soon after she gets there, Teaks welcomes a new head chef: James Sullivan. He's charming and everything, but due to a messy past Claire is wary of work place romances. There's also the matter that he just seems to have a special dose of indifference he only reserves for her.

Their romance was really cute, will give you all the feels! It had been a loooong time since a romance book made me this warm and happy. I particularly liked the fact that they had meaningful conversations on page, and the amount of respect James showed her. It was a slow burn, ennemies to friends to lovers, and truly a great ride. What could have made it better? Making it a double POV! I was dying for a look into James' mind!

The main reason why this book worked for me is because there was actually stuff going on in the character's lives apart from the romance. The chase for a Michelin star, the restaurant and wine scene along with family dynamics made for a well rounded story. More kitchen technique and food descriptions would have been amazing to me, but maybe some readers would have gotten bored.

Claire was a fun main lead, she really does carve a path for herself while learning along the way that she doesn't have to do everything on her own. She was realistic, flawed and yet determined and I found myself rooting for her.

James is quite literally the golden retriever guy we always talk about but don't often see executed well in most rom coms. He's cute and thoughtful and was able to balance the authoritative traits of a head chef with a flexible and approachable demeanor both with his workmates and Claire.

Overall a great book, but without any spoilers, I do feel certain moments could have been less cliché. I also felt like the near end dragged on a bit for me and some things James did kinda annoyed me and felt out of character. However Claire didn't seem to mind and I wasn't the main lead so..I guess its ok?

Would definitely recommend this to a friend and may read again in a year or so.

Content: Closed door romance, a bit of swearing.


3.75 stars

I really, really wanted to like this book more than I did. I loved all the tropes— foodie romance, forced proximity, forbidden romance—and all set in Paris?! But unfortunately the actual romance felt flat for me. The author’s writing style was very much “tell” instead of “show”, so we got very little dialogue and interaction between the FMC and MMC. Again, I enjoyed the plot line but I couldn’t buy into them actually falling in love. The final nail in the coffin was the last 30% of the book which took a sharp left turn (just not my taste) and ultimately felt incredibly rushed. This book had so much potential, I truly wished it was a better experience for me.

Yes, Chef by Waitlyn Andrews is a sweet book about a chef named Claire who leaves the US to work as a Sous Chef in Paris, escaping from heartbreak and pressure from her family. She loves her job at her new restaurant, but she’s thrown for a loop when James arrives to be the new head chef as the restaurant attempts to achieve earning a Michelin star. James is cold and Claire doesn’t understand why she seems to be the only person he doesn’t like. While they but heads, Claire must learn to heal herself and learn to trust the process - both in work and in love.

I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. I felt the beginning of the book what’s the strongest while Claire and James butt heads and learned to trust each other; however, I felt the relationship and the end of the book was a bit rushed. However, that doesn’t take away from the sweetness of the story.

Thank you to the publishers and to Net Galley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Claire is a chef from wine making royalty back in the US. She is working in France at a restaurant when along comes head chef James who ignores her and smiles and chats to everyone else.
A cute rom com that shows a passion for food and France. I really loved this one! It’s low in the drama stakes but still a sweet relationship develops over the book. Claire is a lovable and relatable fmc who is strong and kind. James is a dreamy MMC who is respectful and shows some grumpy traits. Lots of swooning slow burn moments.
Tropes
Grumpy x sunshine (where he is grumpy to her and any males who come around but nice to everyone else)
Slow burn
Rivals to friends to lovers
Closed door

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

"Yes, Chef" is the debut novel penned from author Waitlyn Andrews.

The book was enjoyable and the descriptions of Parisian culture were delightful, however at times it leaned more towards women's fiction than romance. The journey the main female lead went on to feel self-empowered, confident, and capable was inspiring, albeit the pacing of the book was a bit slow. Her not-like-other-girls attitude and self-doubt was a bit off putting and felt immature at times, to an extent that didn't feel necessary for her character arc.

The relationship between her and the main male lead was sweet, but the transition from coworkers with a disdain for one another to his affection for her somehow felt sudden despite the slow build up. The resolution of conflict with her past trauma and familial expectations also felt rushed and I was disappointed in the lack of apology she received before moving on to the epilogue.

All in all, this was a good read and I will be picking up future books from this author.

Thanks to the author and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Claire Richards is a sous chef living her best life in Paris after leaving her home in California, USA, and her cheating ex-boyfriend. She is healing in her own way from that and her somewhat toxic family, though she knows moving back to take over the family business is inevitable. Everything is going wonderfully until a new head chef is hired. James Sullivan is somewhat of an enigma to Claire, seeming to befriend everyone else but only speak to her with criticism. They are forced to get to know each other better between working together, gathering ingredients at the market each day, and being neighbors. Claire would be a fool not to notice his piercing blue eyes, luscious hair, and toned muscles. But thinking about those things is pointless when he despises her...or does he?

I absolutely adored this book and ate it right up. Claire is such a relatable character, and James is so sweet and patient with her that it made me want to cry. His feelings for her were so subtle in the best way, but she had no idea, the lovable idiot. The transition from their friendship to romantic relationship was so smooth and believable as well. I was so happy there were no frustrating miscommunications or misunderstandings! Outside of the two main characters, I loved the playfulness and mischievousness of their co-worker Gabe. He was so funny! The food explanations at the beginning of each chapter were such a delight, and the author gets brownie points from me for mentioning Zac Efron.

While I loved this book, there were a few pain points for me. Firstly. I am not a big fan of first-person writing, so at first, it felt more like I was reading a journal than a book, but I did get over it after a few chapters. Secondly, the "dadgum"s were supremely annoying. I don't think that's the proper way to spell it, but even so, there had to be a better word to use. Thankfully, it was only used a handful of times but was irritating enough for me to note it. Lastly, once they realized their feelings for each other and decided to date, everything else happened way too fast. I won't mention the details to avoid spoilers, but those things may have been better with chapters where things jumped to the future, like the epilogue.

With all of that being said, this was a super cute romance that was mostly realistic and didn't make me cry. Romance readers will love it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.

🪴 Claire is trying to escape her family’s wine business and the drama surrounding it. She moves to Paris to earn a Michelin Star and solidify her dream of being a chef before taking over the family business. When a fellow American Chef known for his Star joins her restaurant, she knows the team will earn a star - if only she can learn to get in his good graces.

❤️ I adored these characters. Claire’s confidence in herself, and James' desire to understand and support her was the perfect balance.

❤️ Solid backstories, a little bit of bookish joy, slow burn, immersive Paris setting, industry insights, and more.

📖 This book had minimal drama but was a joy to read as they all strive to work as a team and join together towards a common goal. The writing was very well done.

If you are a foodie, fan of slow-burn romance, love the culture of Paris, or are looking for a palate-cleansing book, this one is definitely for you.

The spice in this story was closed door.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this title prior to publication day, it was a joy to read and review!

Update: The author has changed the ending of the book since my reading of the eARC copy.

The descriptions of Paris and cooking were very well done in this book and really set the scene. I enjoyed the slow burn of Clair and James' relationship, up until the end. Unfortunately the end of the book was very rushed and unearned. Rushing to elope to get around a core value of Claire's didn't make sense to me at all. While I liked Claire as a character, and appreciated that she was tough and driven in chasing her dreams, I didn't like that in her toughness she came across as disliking most of the other women. She was quick to judge other women and name call. It felt unnecessary for the kind of character that was being built and portrayed otherwise. With a different or slower ending, I think this book hits so many of the right spots for foodie romance lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the eARC of this book.