The premise of this book was very different from anything I've read, and i found that to be refreshing. One of my favorite things to do is to go out to eat. I love a good restaurant, so I felt this book was screaming my name. I enjoyed the dynamics and dialogue between the characters. I had no idea who to trust. I love varying POVs in the books I consume, so i enjoyed the 3 various POVs used to tell this story. The way this story was written helped me get into the thoughts of each of the main characters. This story was fast paced, thrilling, and exciting. There were good twists weaved throughout that made this an enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this book sounded interesting, but it wasn't my favorite. It was an ok read. It started out slow. It did pick up, but by that time I had lost interest.

The Chef's book was extraordinary. I felt like I was watching a movie with so much suspense, drama and so many unexpected things to happen next. By far one mind-blowing book. So much Worth reading it.

First read by this author!

Was a great read and great writing!!! It first started slow bu it did get better!!! Would read more by this author

Wow! What an exciting and suspenseful story! The Chef was a book I read very quickly partly because it was a great fast paced story and partly because I couldn’t put it down! I have no experience in how a restaurant works behind the scenes but these scenes felt very realistic and interesting to me. I’m very eager to read more books by Robin Mahle!
Many thanks to Net Galley, Joffe Books, and Robin Mahle for allowing me to read this advance edition in exchange for an honest review.

I truly tried my best to get into the plot of this book. I opened it as soon as I got it approved and only got 13 pages in, which is very abnormal for me and thrillers (especially 300 page ones!). I tried again about 3 weeks later, and this time I got about 100 pages. The plot sounded so intriguing--I love food and restaurants and I love thrillers (kind of the vibes of Hell's Kitchen the show lol). But I really can't.

The positives: the food sounded really good! I find the restaurant industry (especially the kitchen) fascinating and I enjoyed that aspect of it. I definitely felt some of the creepy/thriller-y vibes from Marco and wanted to know what happened next

I have 2 main issues with The Chef: the characters, the plot. Character-wise, I feel like I know almost nothing about the 3 POVs I've gotten so far, and I am not invested in a single one of them. Dante and Kira are the married owners of the restaurant and their whole jealousy thing really annoyed me (Kira is jealous of Dante and a female employee, Dante is jealous of Kira and Marco). Like be grown adults and communicate about all of this. Plus the employee aspect? I hate when there are power imbalances. Marco seemed extremely creepy in the way he used Naomi (a female employee) and the way he stalked Kira and Dante.

The plot: it was a bit hard to get into. It starts off very slow-paced, and then about 90 pages in, something big happens (or so we think). I had a really hard time trying to care about what happened because it was already established that the guy who died was kind of a jerk (it's a book, I can be judgmental). I didn't feel any of the thrill or curiosity about what was going on because I didn't care. Otherwise the only weird/thrilling part was that their meat shipment was weird and that Marco was just using Naomi for sex, neither of which were significant.

I think if I got to maybe 200 pages the plot would have greatly picked up like other reviewers have said. I just struggled a lot to get to page 100 and have so many other books that I know I will like better sitting on my shelf to read. I wish I was able to finish this one for the plot as the premise was very intriguing (I just want to know what's up with Marco and what the main conflict even is).

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for this ARC!

I received this book as ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I found this book rather interesting from the very beginning, and I did enjoy that each chapter was perceived from a different characters perspective, without overlap.

I enjoyed each character development and the story was rather gripping.

I found the story to be a bit of a slow burn at first, but halfway through the book, it suddenly sped up, which I didn't expect, and then I felt I was a little overwhelmed with the increased pace.

However, with the twists and turns that came, it managed to keep me on my toes.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
THE CHEF by Robin Mahle is a good thriller set up in a restaurant setting. The restaurant's daily life made me think of Gordon Ramsey's show. It was nicely set up and so realistic! It was so enjoyable!
But then all the madness started and I was constantly on the edge! It was so intense!
This book is about obsession and how far things can go if you have one!

Kira and Dante have their restaurant, it's their dream and they are ready for everything to succeed. When restaurant critic comes around everyone is on the edge but positive reviews are like dreams come true! They are positive that things from there will go just up... They could not be more wrong!

Thank you Joffe Books and NetGalley for this fantastic thriller!

So, if you’re from L.A., just back slowly away from the book. It take’s place in a world where you take the I-10 places (not just the 10), where you can buy restaurant space for not much money that includes an employee parking lot, and where everyone in L.A. seems to drive non-Tesla luxury sports cars (if, however, the author had mentioned being surrounded by Teslas, I wouldn’t have blinked).

In short, if you’re a native Los Angeleno, you will be yanked from the story time and again. (The author did do some research as we have both the DTLA Farmer’s Market and the old zoo road.)

Now, if you take the L.A. out of this, you have an entertaining though unbelievable tale of one seriously twisted chef! I will say that the behind the scenes of the restaurant industry felt so realistic. I really appreciated this part of the book. There’s an afterword where the author credits her son for a lot of this knowledge and I’d say that it really added a layer of verisimilitude to the book.

The plot is…definitely fantastical. I mean, there’s a lot of crazy here. But it’s also much-your-popcorn fun. I didn’t really love Dante, but I did enjoy Kira and was rooting for her.

A fun take on a truly Hellish Kitchen. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

• ARC via publisher

This thriller hits the ground running, with the owner of a new restaurant stabbed in the arm by her head chef during a busy dinner service. The replacement that Kira and her husband find seems perfect, jumping right in and working well with the rest of their kitchen staff. At first. Before long, things start to go wrong. The plot never slows down, the setting is different and intruguing...but I never found myself rooting for the couple or worrying about what would happen to them. I went in expecting to really enjoy this one, but it fell flat for me.

This was not my cup of tea. I was intrigued by the blurb but couldn't get into the story. The pacing was terrible and the writing was confusing.

A story had good twists and turns, keeps me turning the pages to the end.
It was full of action and adventure to read, and good characters in the plot,
A winner for the author and I recommend this book.
From Net Galley and Joffe for my voluntary review

This book reminded me of Vanderpump Rules with murder mixed in. Drama and lies? This book has that!

I appreciate the concept and originality but think it's a three-star book. Here are my impressions:

* The twists and turns got ridiculous at a certain point.
* The pacing felt off. Some chapters felt drawn out and then it did too much in the end.
* Although I liked the author's writing style, the action scenes were harder to follow. It could have been clearer about who was doing what,

Thanks for the advance review copy.

I'm sorry to say that I just couldn't get into this story and gave up at about 30%. Nothing caught my attention - characters, storyline, writing style. I'd liked the description, it sounded promising. Sadly not. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

I couldn’t put this down it was just so good! I loved all the layers to this story as everything built up and then all crumbled.

The cover was killer!! The book was fast paced and I absolutely loved it!! I cannot wait to read more my this author

What a ride! This had me holding my breath multiple times throughout the book. Marco is true villian, no redeemable qualities. I liked the multiple POV and seeing how both Dante and Kira reacted to the weird things occurring differently.

Kira and Dante leave New York and move to LA in hopes of opening a Michelin Star restaurant. They are off to a rocky start, as they are heavily in debt. Dante is flirting with the sous chef, the head chef “accidentally” stabs Kira, the head chef is caught doing drugs and gets fired.

Then they hire a new head chef – Marco – and things are starting to turn around. Or has the trouble just begun?

Told in alternating narratives of Kira and Dante, it’s a slow burn that picks up and doesn’t let you go until the very last page! So good – absolutely loved it!

RECOMMEND

Robin Mahle's "The Chef" serves up a tantalizing blend of suspense and tension that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end! 🍽️ From the moment our protagonist hires Chef Marco, the narrative takes a thrilling turn as the dream of opening a restaurant becomes a living nightmare. 💔 With dwindling finances, a suspicious head chef, and marital tensions bubbling to the surface, the stakes couldn't be higher.

Mahle expertly crafts a story filled with twists and turns, leaving readers guessing until the shocking final reveal. With each page turn, the tension builds to a crescendo, culminating in a climax that will leave jaws dropping. 😱

If you're craving a gripping thriller with a side of culinary intrigue, "The Chef" is sure to satisfy your appetite. Mahle's masterful storytelling and unexpected twists make this a must-read for fans of suspenseful fiction. 📚✨

This book has many suspensful and intense moments that push it towards an exhilarating climax, recommended.