Things are cooking in Kristy Cambron's The French Kitchen. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and sprinkling in iconic characters including Julia Child, the author serves up a sizzling story!

On the menu is Kat's narrative weaved between dual timelines. Like a fine wine, Kat's story in 1952 serves up a seasoned veteran having survived secret missions. The supporting characters are appropriately named as they provide Kat, security, shelter and as a sense of belonging. While Kat's brother has been declared dead, she remains determined to bring his legacy home.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #TheFrenchKitchen in exchange for an honest review. The captivating story kept me in suspense until the final chapter. That being said, readers need to pay careful attention to dates listed at the beginning of each chapter. The book darts between the decades so make sure you're surefooted to avoid a misstep.

Kristy Cambron is one of my favorite authors, and she did not disappoint with this new historical novel. I took off one star because it was a bit confusing at times, jumping between multiple time periods, and there were so many characters to keep up with. I took a few notes to help me with the timeline and characters. Overall, it was a beautiful story with a nonpredictable resolution. I would definitely recommend it.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own*
The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron is such a beautifully written book. I don’t know how Kristy does it, but her writing is so eloquent throughout. This book follows Kat as she receives a telegram bringing her back to France after WWII in search of her brother. She runs into the captain who she thought was her enemy and strikes a deal to stay in France and continue her search. Like other novels, the timeline jumps between present day and the past to pull the entire story together. Also, appearances by Julia Child - so good!!
I very much enjoy Kristy’s writing style and how vivid a picture she paints. This story was a perfect blend of historical fiction with a hint of romance. The timeline jumping does take some getting used to. I wish I had read this as a physical book to be able to go back and forth between the timeline jumping easier. It took me a bit to fully understand what happened at the end, but goodness what a surprise.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC.

4⭐️ always recommend!

Julia Child and Kat Fontaine both volunteered for the osso (Office of Strategic Service), which is how their paths crossed. Readers get a peek into the early life of Julia Child. It's interesting to learn about what the Office of Strategic Services did to support the war effort. Kat Fontaine uses her cooking skills well in that effort.

Not having read the synopsis before reading the first page, I immediately began to assume that Julia Child would have a larger part in the novel. It wasn't until I was approximately 35% (or so) into the story that Julia does make an appearance, and then pops up again towards the very end.

I found this book fascinating as well as thrilling once I adjusted to thinking about Julia Child's part in it. The story flips between 1943 and 1951. Kat joins the OSS with her brother, and he goes missing. Kat is determined to find him. She will do whatever it takes to get him back. Even if it involves working undercover in occupied France. She ends up posing as Celene, a kitchen maid at the Château du Broutel.

Most of the events take place after World War II. Disguised as waiters and cooks, spies have a hidden job that goes beyond what you can see. It was intriguing.

I really enjoyed this story and got hooked on it quickly. I never suspected that kitchens could help in the war efforts the way they did. I really liked the peeks into Julia Child's early cooking and help in the OSSO. The sweet romance was a delightful surprise.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher, Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

If you love stories about France (especially Paris), French cooking (especially Julia Child), World War II (especially in France), strong women (especially spies), and love (especially complicated situations), you will love this book! Following a large cast of characters through World War II and again 8 years later, Cambron weaves together an amazing and convoluted story of determination, love, betrayal, questionable loyalties, lost loved ones, and much more. You may not want to read the cooking scenes when you’re hungry :-) There are also gut-wrenching events that are not fun to read about, but part of the reality of war. Overall, this is an amazing book.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." #TheFrenchKitchen #NetGalley

I enjoyed this dual time novel that focus on the aftermath of World War II. With the focus on French Kitchens and how a French chef helped with the war. It neat seeing how writers keep findind all of these untold stories from World War II that lead to new World War II novels that don't feel like repeats.

This fascinating story takes place in France in 1943, when the Nazi’s were in control. The timeline then jumps up to the early 1950s in Paris after World War II. Kristy Cambron does an extensive amount of research, so there is often an element of actual history in her books that is woven into the fictitious story that is very appealing. What a surprise to learn that Julia Child, the famous French Chef played an integral role as a spy in the French Resistance.
Manon is a French Chef during the day, serving the Nazi’s and at night she is part of an underground network providing important information to the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Kat Harris Fontaine, an American from Boston, joined the French Resistance to find her brother, Gavin, who also joined and then went missing. Kat, and Manon prepare elaborate meals by day and join forces at night where some frightening discoveries come to light. It is a dangerous time to take such risks. Because of a birth defect which left Kat deaf in one ear, she is adept at reading lips, which has proved to be invaluable for an undercover spy.
There are many moving parts to this story with strong, well-developed characters and of course a multitude of secrets and shocking circumstances come to light. I could have not guessed the conclusion of this fast-paced story, therefore when I did get to the end, it was an unexpected surprise.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

“In occupied France you lived by your wits or died the moment you abandoned them.”

Cambron has done a fantastic job of pulling back the curtain so readers could glimpse what it was like for people navigating their new reality during and after WW2. I was eagerly reading to pick up clues, trying to place people and events to piece together Cambron’s elaborately plotted story.

The heartbeat of Cambron’s story is Julia Child and her love of French cuisine.

My takeaways:
- Sometimes our vision for the perfect future is upended; it’s up to us to reshape it.
- Gut instinct saves us more than we realize

If you enjoyed The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana R. Chambers, you’ll like this one.

I was gifted this copy by Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

To start with, I think the cover of this book is stunning! This story is mainly set during WWII and the lives of undercover spies. There are multiple time lines to follow in typical Cambron style. At first I wasn't sure I would ever be able to keep the many characters and timelines separate but a few chapters in and I realized how the author was tying things together so it made a lot more sense. I enjoyed all of the perspectives shown during heavy war time and also after the war which I thought was a unique perspective. What did these people who were so pivotal to the war effort do once it was over? Did they have regrets? Were they still trying to right wrongs? Could they trust anyone?
So many things are touched upon between these pages that it makes for quite a captivating story. It was really interesting to read about the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) and what they did to help the war effort. It truly is astounding. There is a romance that you really don't expect and it added a sweetness to the plot. Julia Child makes an appearance which made for a fun plot twist. While a little slow to start, this book had my full attention and was difficult to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I highly recommend if you enjoy historical fiction. This is one of Cambron's best!

Five Stars.





"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

•𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰•

{𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒉 𝑲𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒏}

🥖 Release Date: August 5, 2025 🥖
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Without fail, I always find myself deeply immersed in Kristy Cambron’s stories! Her multiple timelines and wide array of characters make for riveting tales that take place during the World Wars. This particular book follows the timeline of a Bostonian woman, recruited to serve as an OSS agent in France during WWII. The story flips between 1943, following the events of the war, and 1951, the aftermath of the war and seeking explanations for unanswered questions. Cambron kept me guessing until the final pages wrapped up the conclusion of this beautiful book!

Kathryn “Kat” Harris found herself recruited and working for the OSS (American Office of Strategic Services) after her brother, Gavin, joined up and then went missing. Having grown up separated after their parents’ divorce, Kat deeply valued her relationship her with her younger brother and was willing to do whatever it took to get him back, even if it meant working uncover in occupied France. Her knowledge of languages and her ability to read lips made Kat an invaluable asset to the OSS and she found herself posing as Célène, a kitchen maid at the Château du Broutel.

Chef Manon Altier, head chef at the Château du Broutel, lived a life of fear that at any time the Reich would discover her secrets and she would be taken by the Gestapo. When her new kitchen maid fails to show up, Manon begins to fear the worst, but then Célène falls from the heavens (literally) to take up the position. Together, they work undercover against the Vichy regime to filter information to OSS agents. Living in a time when neighbor reported neighbor, life was dangerous for anyone, but especially for those working against the Reich.

The romance in this book was written very tastefully and I enjoyed it immensely! We got to watch true love develop through hardships, distrust, and the uncertainties of war.

“𝙸𝚝’𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚎’𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎, 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚜.”
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I received a complimentary arc of this book from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction. All opinions listed are purely my own.

THE FRENCH KITCHEN by KRISTY CAMBRON is a beautifully written WW11 novel that takes place first in France during the war years, where Kat Harris works as an SOE agent. She is looking for her beloved brother Gavin, who is also an agent and is reported missing. She joins Manon, the main chef at the Chateau de Broutel, where she learns to cook, as they produce elaborate meals for the enemy’s top brass. I like the way Manon’s and Kat’s relationship grows as they join forces against the enemy. However there is a traitor in the chateau……
It is interestng to see how Captain Gerard Fontaine of the Vichy Police watches over Kat ……
The story carries on in Paris at the beginning of 1952 with Kat and Gerard’s marriage of convenience……..
There is a great deal of intrigue and there is an interesting introduction of the famous Julia Child, who was actually in the OSS during the war…..
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling things for you.
I highy recommend this exciting and inspirational read.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley fromThomas Nelson. The opinions in this review are competely my own.

#TheFrenchKitchen #NetGalley

A WWII French Resistance novel set in 1943 and 1951. This book had me turning pages to find out what happens next. I loved that it was all about French cooking and Julia Child.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron. Five Stars! Ms. Cambron has done it again!

"Overstuffed" is the best word to describe this novel. There is at least one good book in here, maybe two or three, but the plot is so complicated and the characters so numerous, the story really does not work as well as it could.
The story is told using three story lines, and frankly, between the different timelines and the use of code names, I was at least 1/3 of the way through before I was clear about who was who and how they related to each other. I have little patience for books that confuse me that much in the beginning, and were it not for this being a reviewer's copy, I would have given up.
Once I had the characters and the timeline clear in my head (or clear-ish) the story was actually pretty compelling. There were a couple of plot elements that really strained credulity for me, but the read was mostly enjoyable.
The insertion of Julia and Paul Child into the narrative did not work for me. It felt shoehorned into the narrative, perhaps an attempt to give the story a hook? It is always nice to encounter Julia Child, but this felt contrived to me.
In summary, this was not a bad book, but it had the potential to be so much better.

This book starts out with a cast of characters and a time travelling storyline. I enjoyed the book and by the time I got to the end, I couldn't put it down. I did find the time travel meant that I really had to concentrate or I found myself going back to read things twice.

I liked the plot of the story and the characters involved. I especially liked the characterisation of Julia Child. It added a point of interest to the story which was unique to it. All in all worth reading.

I receive complimentary books for various sources, including Netgalley, Authors, and other such sources. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received compensation.

The French Kitchen was a wonderful addition to the ranks of Kristy Cambron's books. Kristy excels at time-jumping back and forth and weaving a compelling story on two fronts, and this story did not disapoint!

There were so many little things for my brain to rabbit-hole down. I started suspecting characters, figuring out identities, and then when it all came together, some pieces the way I imagined, I was still shocked and bobbing up and down in excitement and relief.

Kat was a fascinating character to see develop, a fierce tomboy so unlike me that she drew me in even more. Manon was also such a fun character, the little tidbits about French cuisine sprinkled liberally though the story. I was so tense the whole book, waiting to see how everything would work out, but it did! I love a good ending, and this one was good enough that I was quite disappointed to see I had reached the last page.

Overall, five stars!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Kristy Cambron has done it yet again! The dual timeline as always was immaculate within this story - Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an ARC!