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!

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.

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.

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!

#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.

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.

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."

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.

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

The French Kitchen was a great World War II novel. Lately, I feel like I've read quite a few historical fiction novels that would technically be considered dual timeline in that the story is told by characters in two distinct timelines. More traditionally, these timelines have quite a bit of distance between them (as in decades or more), but the ones I've read recently have been interesting in that the dual timelines are quite close together. The French Kitchen is told by the same characters in both the World War II timeline but also just a few years post-war in the 1950's. Cambron provides mystery, intrigue, war, spies, cooking (and even a celebrity chef in Julia Child), and a plethora of memorable characters. The French Kitchen is a five star pick for historical fiction fans, especially for those who enjoy learning about the more subtle forms of resistance.


I received a complimentary copy of The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron is a fascinating dual timeline story that takes place during the Nazi occupation in France 1943 and early 1950s in Paris after World War II.
I love historical fiction and this book delivers!!! I loved how the author weaves actual events into her amazing story. Julia Child, the famous French Chef, played an integral role as a spy in the French Resistance. Another main character, Manon, is a French Chef during the day, serving the Nazi’s and at night she is part of OSS, Office of Strategic Services, an underground network providing important information to the Americans. Another main character is Kat who joined the French Resistance to find her brother, Gavin, who also joined and went missing. Kat's knowledge of languages and her ability to read lips made her an invaluable asset to the OSS and she also posed as Célène, a kitchen maid at the Château du Broutel. She was very valuable as an undercover spy.
There are many well-developed characters, secrets and shocking circumstances in this story. I loved it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson publishing for an advanced readers copy.

This book was amazing! I love cooking and historical books and this was the perfect combination of both. The writing was wonderful. I highly recommend!

Can Kristy Cambron get any better? Yes, yes, she can!

At first, I wasn’t sure of The French Kitchen. It seemed to go in every direction except our main character, Kathryn (Kat) Harris, who was solid. I liked that she didn’t go with the crowd; she marched to her rhythm. Her character is multi-layered, and I connected to her in a way I don’t always with female characters.

The French Kitchen opens up with Kat undercover in the field with Xandre, who we’ll meet up with later in a surprising turn of events. The changing timelines at first were annoying, but as I continued, they didn’t bother me as much, and I found it necessary to the plotline to keep everything moving succinctly. I loved getting to know Manon, Gerard, Julia, and Dominique. As Kat’s search for her missing brother continued, the layers kept coming, and I never really knew what to expect, but the mystery and the intrigue of this time was attention-grabbing for me

My gratitude to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson. All opinions expressed are honest and mine.

Terrific read with intrigue, spies, romance, with real people and events involved in the plot. Any reader who likes a good mystery may enjoy this one.

Unraveling the past in order to move forward in the present, the main character 'Kat' answers a cryptic telegram taking her back to France years after the war ends. The author skillfully leads the reader back and forth between two timelines--1943 and 1952--as pieces of the past come together to solve the puzzle of what happened to Kat's brother during the war.

Loved how the author mixed real people into the plot, especially Julia Child and the art of French cooking, and her role in the OSS during WWII. Her research on women in the OSS shines through in her characters and made the story feel plausible. The tension rises towards the end as the final piece falls into place and all is revealed.
Satisfying read overall. Not much spiritual content, but a good, clean read. Recommend!

I LOVED this book! At first I got frustrated because it keeps switching to different years/periods of time & different people, but I think that was partly due to it being an ebook format. It would definitely be easier to read as a hard copy.

However, the author did such a fabulous job tying everything together, I ended up really enjoying the book & look forward to reading other books by this author!

I love to cook & watch cooking shows, so that aspect initially drew me to this book, which I have to say it wasn't as much about that, but it definitely was fun having Julia Child be a character in the book.

Great characters, great plot, surprising twists & more. You won't be disappointed!

(I received this as an ARC read. All opinions are my own.)

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest opinion. I've read every one of Kristy Cambrons books and she just keeps getting better. A wonderful split time story of intrigue, spies, romance, and a surprise I didn't expect. Julia Childs' part in the story just make it even better. Kristy puts such detail in her stories and I respect the amount of research that has to be involved. The ending was very satisfying. I don't know how she does it but I already can't wait for her next won! Highly recommend!

WOW. Kristy Cambron brings another wonderful story of intrigue, history and wonderful characters to life in this book. It follows Kat as she gets into WWII and spying. She weaves this story if Kat with real life spy and chef Julia Childs story it is very interesting. If you like historical fiction that keeps you wanting more this is for you.nI really enjoyed this book. I received an arc copy to read and give my honest review.

Kristy Cambron writes the most beautiful, complex stories. She is masterful at writing seamless multiple timelines and her knowledge of the events, places and times is always flawlessly researched. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book and as expected I was immediately captivated by the characters, the intrigue, and the romance. I really liked the way real life people and events were beautifully woven in to the plot. Julia Child is such a quirky, interesting and enjoyable personality who paired so well with The French Kitchen's multifaceted main character Kat. The fascinating story moves back and forth between 1943 and the early 1950's mostly set in France during and post WWII. I am usually drawn to a favorite character in a story but that was impossible here because of the wonderfully complex cast of characters. The cover of the book is gorgeous and matches the story within. No doubt my favorite book this year and I'm willing to bet it still will be come August when it finally releases. Put this one on your must read list.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read for my honest review.

I love time travel, historical fiction, World War II settings, and Julia Childs. This book has the unique distinction of combining all four! This story is mainly set during the World War II time period and revolves around the lives of spies working for the French resistance. There are multiple storylines and a dual timeline which all tie together nicely for a satisfying conclusion.

Cambron has created a lovely story of love, betrayal, loss, and loyalty that will leave you guessing until the very end! Highly recommend!

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

The French Kitchen is a beautifully written novel that blends historical fiction, mystery, and romance with the rich, sensory world of French cuisine. Kristy Cambron masterfully weaves a dual-timeline narrative, taking readers on an emotional journey through resilience, love, and the power of family. At its heart is Kat, a determined woman on a relentless quest to find her brother, a goal that anchors the entire story and keeps us deeply invested in her struggles and triumphs.

Initially, I found the constant movement between timelines and the pacing a bit challenging, and I considered giving the book a 4-star rating. But Kristy Cambron’s writing is just too good—I couldn't justify anything less than a 5. Midway through, I finally understood why she structured the story this way, and it made me appreciate it even more. The alternating timelines weren’t just a stylistic choice; they added layers of suspense and meaning that made the final revelations all the more satisfying.

Kat is an unforgettable protagonist. Her resilience is inspiring, especially in how she adapts to her hearing impairment by learning to read lips—an incredible display of ingenuity and strength. Following her journey was exhilarating as she navigated challenges most of us would never want to face.

The romance subplot was another highlight. It was touching, heartwarming, and intriguing, with just the right balance of suspense and mystery. And every scene felt intentional—no wasted moments, no filler.

I have to admit, I’ve only eaten French food once, and I wasn’t impressed. But after reading about the delicious and exquisite dishes in this book, I need to give it another try—soon!

I was also fascinated by Julia Child, who plays a role in the story. This was my first time reading about her, and I found myself researching her life, her masterpieces, her show, and even her service in the war.

This is my first time reading a Kristy Cambron novel, and it’s a masterclass in excellent writing. As a writer, I have so much to learn. Her style reminds me of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina—rich in subtext and nuanced storytelling that makes every scene feel layered with meaning. The way she wove historical details into the narrative without overwhelming the reader was masterful. I also appreciated how she used sensory details, especially in the descriptions of food, to immerse us in the setting.

Kat’s emotional journey was deeply compelling, and I admired how her resilience never wavered, even when she faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The romance was beautifully interwoven into the story—subtle yet powerful, never overshadowing the main plot but complementing it perfectly.

This book has left a lasting impression on me, both as a reader and as a writer. It’s the kind of story that lingers in your mind long after you turn the last page. I’ll definitely be checking out more of Kristy Cambron’s work!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Such an outstanding historical read that absolutely keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. I loved the characters and the twist and turns in the books that kept me guessing until the end.
I highly recommend this book!