I loved listening to this audiobook! It was a slow burn romance and was very sweet. The mystery element was also a nice addition to the book. The Bible verses at the beginning of each chapter was also my favorite part. It was a slow book, but it was very detailed so you got immersed into the story. I highly recommend this book if you love a Christian romance with a bit of mystery!

Thank you for NetGalley and Tessa Afshar for allowing me to read this book!

The Queen’s Cook is the first in a series of three books, and I cannot wait to read the other two. Esther is one of my favorite biblical characters and Afshar makes the story come to life in a captivating way. Her characters are so well written and developed that you feel them come alive on the page.
I had the privilege of listening to the audiobook and was spellbound by the narrators.
This is an absolute must read book!
Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for my advanced audiobook

I absolutely loved the story of Roxannah and Adin and everything about the story and the food was beautifully written. I especially enjoyed the narration of this story. Thank you NetGalley for this !!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, the narrator and the author for this advanced copy of the audio version of The Queen’s Cook by Tessa Afshar.

This audiobook delighted me! It brought the amazing book of Esther to life by adding layers of complexity among the people of that time. The author cleverly used the kitchen help as well as a physician to give depth to the challenges of the time and the historical significance of decisions and hierarchy. As a bonus, the meals thoughtfully prepped added a culinary delight!

The narrator did an amazing job and was easy to follow and listen to!

Definitely recommend!

Review Queen’s Cook
I enjoyed listening to the audio version of The Queen’s Cook. The narrators did a good job. I was disappointed that there were no Author’s notes describing what was imagination and what came from historical research. I have read Tessa Afshar before and she is so creative and does a good job of blending Bible characters with what could have been the background. It was very interesting to hear what was included in the recipes Roxannah created. It was easy to imagine a young Persian girl having jealous workers who dismissed her because of her youth. I appreciated the Jewish physician Adin, who became close to Queen Esther. I also appreciated that the element of romance was a soft thread running thru the story, and not the major theme.
The story of brave Queen Esther has always been a favorite Bible story for me. The element of forgiveness was well done. The inclusion of faith was well done. I will read Tessa Afshar again.

New to the Biblical fiction genre, this was a well-written glimpse behind-the-veil, if you will, into the historical context of Esther's world. Many details were biblically accurate with an imagining of some details that we aren't told.

The voices of the different characters are fantastic!

The main female character, interestingly, was not a believer. She was a good, responsible girl in a bad situation ~ her home life. My favorite thing about her was the tenderness in which she looked out for others, especially her mother. Her talent finds her within the palace kitchens as the only female among hostile men. :)

My favorite aspect of the book were the words of an older, practically forgotten Esther, speaking of what once was and what is to come.

I know that's probably confusing. It confused me too in the first chapter until I figured out the flow of the book. Loved loved Esther's insight.

No profanity or spice. Trigger wise there is talk of Jewish annulation, fighting, death, plots to take the lives of others, etc.

Love the writing style of the author. THE AUDIO IS FABULOUS!

✨📚☕💙☕📚✨

This is a dual timeline novel covering the Biblical account of Esther and the later years of her tenure as Queen from the point of view of a Jewish physician Adin, and a Persian noblewoman, Roxannah. We’re all familiar with how Esther saved her people from Haman’s planned genocide, but this book builds on what might have happened afterwards.

Esther had no children and had to struggle to retain her position as Queen against other rivals and favourites in the waning years of her reign.
Since Roxannah is a cook (as the name suggests) there are a lot of details about food and cookery, but these weren’t overdone. Some of it was actually very interesting: never knew they had pistachio nuts and yoghurt in Ancient Persia. At least, I think they had them. This novel also gave some hints the type of status women could achieve in some ancient cultures. Not as downtrodden as we think.

The audiobook had two narrators for the main characters. I actually prefer it when this is done and it worked very well here.
Thanks to RB Media for approving me for this title. This did not influence my opinions which are freely expressed and entirely my own.

Another Tessa Afshar book getting a five star? OBVIOUSLY. Tessa is truly gifted at providing biblical fiction that just hits every time, and The Queen's Cook was no exception.

Roxannah is a woman who is very loyal & deeply loves her family. She struggles with a fatherly relationship and things kind of hit the fan with that due to some events that lead her to being even more determined to step in and care for her Mother & family. With the help of a doctor she befriends, Aidin (who is a fantastic character on his own), she lands herself in the kitchen of the Queen and works hard to rise the ranks in there, struggling to build confidence and respect but ultimately does both. You can't help but root for her.

As she's taking on this role, Roxannah becomes aware more of the court politics and her & Aidin find out there's a plot to take out the King's most powerful wife- who happens to be Esthers enemy. It gets really tense here and things definitely pick up but I LOVED what Tessa Afshar did surrounding this entire part of the story.

As a person who loves to cook & is fascinated by all things food related (I wanted to go to culinary school at one time or have a restaurant, fun fact) this story satisfied that foodie part of me. You could almost smell and see what Roxannah was up to as Afshar described this ancient Persian food & meals so wonderfully.

I loved how woven throughout this story we get glimpses of Esther that are so powerful in seeing how God moves using whomever He wills, even when it makes no sense-and oftentimes in ways we can't fathom. This carried over, of course, to Roxannah who grew so much throughout this story and herself had been used in ways she couldn't imagine.

I listened to this one on audio (thanks to netgalley/the publisher for this blessing!) and it was a fantastic way to consume the story. Yes, I am going to buy a physical copy for myself because I loved it that much and cannot wait to underline parts of this story (unsurprising, happens every time with Tessa!). There were even multiple narrators which made it even more immersive so if you're a fan of that you will enjoy the experience even more.

As always, Tessa Afshar transports you to a location that is rich in history and detail, creating characters with depth and a journey that leads them closer to God and His will for them. Being biblical fiction, I find that when it's well done, as Tessa's ALWAYS are, I find myself craving scripture and diving back in on my own at whatever inspired her story and ultimately that also draws me deeper to the Lord, too. What a gift that is. I will forever recommend Tessa Afshar's works.

What an excellent book! I enjoyed reading about Queen Esther, but this book focuses on her cook, Roxannah and her background. Roxannah learns to survive in her father's household by avoiding conflict with her father, who has fallen in the social ranks due to his fondness for drinking. She learns to be useful and is the household worker and cook. They meet a young Jewish physician. This is a story of personal growth and faith development. I liked how the queen encouraged her cook to learn new strategies to lead her cooking staff instead of her former way of dealing with trouble. This book left me further impressed with the author's insights and writings.
I appreciate being able to read this advanced reader copy, compliment of the publishers. The thoughts expressed are my own.

This is a five star listen for sure!

I enjoyed the dual POV storyline between the FMC and MMC being narrated by a female & male respectively. I felt the voices of these actors mirrored the personalities of the characters they were portraying and helped me into the story well.

This book was at once a historical fiction, tangent to the time period of Esther’s reign as queen in Persia, as well as a gentle, sweet romance. Roxanna, the daughter of an abusive and alcoholic Persian Lord, finds herself in a desperate situation in need of employment and ends up working in the Queen‘s kitchens. Adin, a Jewish physician and widower, meets Roxanna after one of her father‘s falls. together they become embroiled in dangerous Court politics , particularly a plot to harm the princess and king Xerxes.

Both Roxanna and Adin face the darkness of their past with grace and hope for the future. Roxanna finds her voice where she had once run to hide from the cruel man who towered over her life. Aiden’s heart softens to allow love once again.

I found myself legitimately gushing over Aiden and Roxanna’s stolen glances and admiration for each other. There were too many instances of characters, making the choice of courage rather than fear, and I loved the way all of those choices wolf together to create the storyline of this book.

My gratitude to NetGalley for providing access to the audiobook version of this story.

Super interesting and unique premise of a couple of characters in Queen Esther's court during and mostly after her time recorded in the Book of Esther.

I had gone into it thinking it would just be sort of simultaneous to the story of Esther, but instead the book more fleshed out Esther as a queen and told more of a fictional story of afterwards. I really enjoyed it - it was unique, felt like it gave me more of a rounded concept of Esther, even though she was more peripheral than anything, and had some really great concepts of forgiveness, bravery, and trust.

I thought the characters of Aiden and Roxanna were fleshed out well, and were written in a way that felt relatable and endearing. It wasn't a simple concept of everything easily working out for Roxanna, but showed great character growth in her learning how to deal with her fears and confidence.

I also loved that it continued the story past the book of Esther. It gave me more of a feel for what could have happened and the landscape the Jews were in after the fact, as well as Esther and Xerxes.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are mine.

There were parts of this I liked and other parts I didn't. The audiobook narrators do a good job but I didn't feel as connected to the characters as I would hope.
I did like learning of the food preparation and various dishes that would have been consumed during the time of Esther. I also really appreciate the immense amount of research done by the author to give the biblical events more depth and context.
This is not a story could read compulsively but one listened to little bits at a time.

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to read several books that centered around biblical stories but included just enough fiction so that the stories and characters were reimagined in a whole new way. That was what Tessa Afshar has done in The Queen’s Cook (Queen Esther’s Court #1). She has taken the familiar bible story of Queen Esther and Haman to another dimension. It was both captivating and fascinating. The characters were well developed and I enjoyed the elements of the mystery that were woven into the story. It was extremely well written. The Queen’s Cook took place in the ancient Persian Empire. I listened to the audiobook that was well narrated by Rachel Botchan and Jonathan Todd Ross. The story drew me in immediately. I was hooked from the very beginning.

Roxannah was the daughter of a once privileged Lord. Her father had fallen on hard times though. He often indulged in drinking now and more often took his frustrations out on her gentle mother. Roxannah had given up all hope of a good marriage prospect for herself. With her father’s downfall, Roxannah had no dowry to offer anyone suitable. Roxannah had accepted her fate. Then one night, her father came home hurt and was in need of a doctor. She was sent to get the Jewish doctor and bring him back to treat her father. When Roxannah located Adin, the very handsome physician, she was unnerved by the feelings she felt in his presence. Soon after meeting Adin, Roxannah learned about an edict that the king had passed pertaining to the Jewish people in Persia. She went to warn Adin about it and her father’s part in it. Roxannah’s father was determined to kill Adin and take all he had to pay off his debts. Things went terribly wrong that night and Adin was left with no choice but to kill Roxannah’s father. The guilt he felt for that act tortured Adin even though he was given no choice in what he was forced to do. After that, Roxannah found herself needing a job to support herself and her mother. She also had to pay back her father’s debts. Adin was able to help Roxannah get a position as an assistant’s assistant to the cook for Queen Esther. He was well acquainted with Queen Esther and he himself was the physician at the palace.

Roxannah was excited and nervous about her new position. She knew that she had a lot to prove to the kitchen staff before they would accept her and recognize her talents. Roxannah was met with skepticism, negative reactions and ridicule. She and Adin often found themselves in the same room. A friendship slowly developed between them. Over time, Roxannah and Adin discovered a sinister plot that was aimed at the King’s first and most powerful wife, Queen Amestris. Adin and Roxannah worked together to uncover who was behind it. The romance that gradually grew between Roxannah and Adin was beautiful. Over time, Roxannah forged a bond and a strong relationship with Queen Esther as well and Roxannah’s culinary skills were given the chance to shine.

I really enjoyed listening to The Queen’s Cook by Tessa Afshar. Each chapter began with a biblical verse that pertained to the part of the story in that chapter. The characters were all very well developed and defined. I really enjoyed all the detailed descriptions of the food Roxannah and the kitchen staff prepared for the Queen. The Queen’s Cook examined adversity, trust, relationships, friendships, family, differences in religious beliefs and rituals, prejudice, acceptance, tolerance, respect, romance and greed. I am looking forward to the next book in this series and I highly recommend this one.

Thank you to RB Media for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Queen’s Cook by Tessa Afshar through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the audio version of this book. The story telling was riveting and brought the time period to life. The excerpts from Esther were a nice touch and I found myself looking forward to those chapters. I would highly recommend this book.

3.5 Stars. “The Queen’s Cook” was my first book by Tessa Afshar, but I will definitely look for others by her!

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia | Recorded Books for my advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

I loved this book about a young woman with few options who gets a chance to do what she loves while supporting her family. This is biblical fiction, set in the Persian court during the reign of Xerxes. A man who feels responsible for what has happened to her family helps her get a job in Queen Esther's kitchen. He is Jewish. She is not.

The author does a brilliant job in researching the time period, giving an authentic feel to the setting. The court intrigue is very well done as are the conversations about God and faith.

I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone with enjoys biblical fiction with a side of romance.

I listened to the audiobook which was excellently narrated by Rachel Botchan and Jonathan Todd Ross.

"The Queen's Cook" was my first foray into the work of Tessa Afshar, but it certainly won't be my last!

From the warmth of a quaint kitchen to the wonder of an ornate palace, Afshar's vivid descriptions make the time of Queen Esther come to life, whisking readers on an immersive tour of the Persian Empire. Tactile details and hypnotic prose create a sensory experience, engaging the imagination to the fullest, while multifaceted characters with nuanced emotions, captivate the heart.

Fragrant with the truth of Scripture and rich with the complexities of ancient history, this riveting tale drew me in from the first few pages and keep me utterly riveted until The End.

If you're in the mood for a page-turning Biblical fiction novel, allow me to introduce you to "The Queen's Cook!"

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own honest opinion.

The Queen's Cook immerses readers in the vibrant and perilous world of ancient Persia, where palace intrigue, political maneuvering, and personal loyalties collide. The novel follows Roxannah, a young woman from a struggling Persian family, who finds herself working in Queen Esther's kitchens. What begins as a chance to escape poverty soon evolves into a thrilling, high-stakes journey as Roxannah teams up with Adin, a Jewish royal physician, to uncover a dangerous conspiracy that could cost the life of the Princess Amestris.

The book’s historical setting is one of its greatest strengths. The opulent palace of Susa comes alive, and the complex dynamics within the royal court are depicted with great detail and authenticity. The looming threat to the Jewish community, set against the backdrop of Esther’s reign, adds an urgent and gripping layer to the story. Queen Esther is portrayed with wisdom and grace, and her leadership provides a strong counterpoint to the treachery unfolding within her court.

Roxannah is a compelling protagonist—resourceful, brave, and determined to do whatever it takes to protect her loved ones. Her partnership with Adin is equally engaging, though at times their budding romance feels a bit underdeveloped compared to the more thrilling aspects of the plot. The chemistry between them is palpable, but the romantic tension sometimes takes a backseat to the unfolding mystery. That said, the relationship still provides a nice emotional anchor for the story.

The pacing of the novel is well-balanced, with the first half offering a slower buildup of tension as Roxannah navigates the complex politics of the palace. Once the conspiracy plot is revealed, the story picks up speed, and the stakes become even higher. The suspense is expertly maintained throughout, with twists and turns that keep the reader on edge until the very end.

While the plot is strong, there are moments where the development of secondary characters could be improved, particularly some of the other cooks and court figures who play a role in the intrigue. These characters often feel like mere plot devices rather than fully realized individuals. However, this is a minor issue in what is otherwise a tightly woven and engaging story.

Overall, The Queen's Cook is a captivating historical fiction novel that expertly blends romance, suspense, and a richly detailed setting. With a strong central narrative and well-crafted tension, it is an enjoyable read for anyone who loves stories of palace intrigue, forbidden alliances, and the courage to stand against tyranny. While not flawless, it is a thoroughly engaging story that will keep readers hooked until the final page.

Loved this book! Such a fun way to bring in a biblical story. The characters were great and I enjoyed the palace intrigue plot more than the romance. Sometimes the scriptures included feels like they're taken out of context. And I didn't always like how certain characters were always dainty.

this book was so cozy. did heavy things happen? yes. this book was comforting to me like downton abbey was! you to know each character and their inner thoughts as well as see how they all work together to accomplish something within this kingdom.

roxannah had every right to have grown up to be mean and secluded, but we wanted to provide for her family now that her father was gone. she had to struggle with the feeling of being relieved that he was no longer hurting her family, but she also lost a father.

adin is brought into roxannah’s life at the perfect time. he was the reason for her dad’s death, but only for protection of others. he teaches roxannah about God and his faith, as well as, protects her along the way of her new life in the castle.

reading about roxannah’s life before and after working with the queen was such a treat! you couldn’t help to root for her in both her personally and professional life. This was a biblical fiction that was heartwarming and well written. My only grip is i feel like some of it was a little long winded, but I would definitely recommend this to a friend!

i received this as a complimentary, advanced audio copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. thank you to both the Bethany House and NetGalley for this opportunity!