Book tour stop! Today I’m delighted to be the host for The Kitchen, a women’s fiction written by Laura Carter.
First thing first, let me thank Rachel and the publisher, Canelo, for providing me with an e-copy of this book. Much obliged *hat tip*
MEET THE BOOK
Can they stand the heat…?
Maggie’s in the running to be the next head chef at Michelin-starred Manhattan restaurant, Jean-Sébastien’s. Unfortunately, she’s competing against notoriously arrogant Ethan to prove she’s the best chef for the job.
Food critic Emily can make or break a chef’s career. When she visits the restaurant to see what interim head chef, Maggie, has to offer, Emily is having a particularly bad day…
Single mum Nayomi needs a job and Jean-Sébastien’s needs a kitchen porter – perfect! She just has to keep her head down and money coming in. But she’s desperate to speak up and help struggling chef Maggie – Nayomi’s own skills might be just the recipe to save Maggie’s career and impress Emily.
A delicious story of unexpected friendship and risking it all, for fans of Zara Stoneley and Lauren Weisberger.
300 pages
Women’s fiction
Publication date: 11/11/21
Purchase links
READ MY REVIEW
Cover: I like the broken plate concept—three pieces, three women—and I’m hesitant about the color palette. The blue of the background seems a tad too pale, at least on my Kindle.
Life is made of hard facts, and the inability to cook is one of mine. I can open jars and peel carrots like a pro, but anything more complicated gives me a migraine. Reading about other people cooking, however, brings me incommensurable joy: I mean, recipes and dishes I have no idea what they look like? Bring ‘em.
All this to say, I jumped at the chance to read The Kitchen when it first popped into my inbox. 300 pages later, I’m as satisfied as a food critic after a top-notch meal.
Emily, one of the three MCs, is a food critic too. Her life is in shambles, and she has more than one bone to pick with Maggie, the sous chef at Jean-Sébastien’s. In the middle, sort of, stands Nayomi, a single mother who’s just taken up the position of kitchen porter. These three women hold up the plot of The Kitchen and do so remarkably.
First of all, they’re well-shaped and believable characters. Carter does a marvelous job here, handling them in an expert way—I recognized the subtle nudges, the showing-and-not-telling parts that are meant to display personality traits and character growth. It’s notable in Emily’s chapters, the less agreeable of the trio.
The multiple POVs choice pays off, even more so because it’s third limited and doesn’t feature secondary characters. Those are present to enrich the plot, adding layers and making it complex, but they’re not given a chapter; they stay in the background even when they have an exuberant temper – Ethan, I’m looking at you.
I was afraid the romance part would distract from the main story, but Carter knows her craft: the romance is kept as a subplot, and that’s another green tick for The Kitchen. Well done.
Style-wise, the book flows without a hitch, thanks to Carter’s writing skills – I need to compliment her on the pacing because it’s impeccable. A precise editing completes the story, turning it into a little masterpiece.
5 stars.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Laura Carter writes women’s fiction with a romantic slant. Exploring everyday relationships and getting under the skin of her characters is her passion. She takes inspiration from everything she overhears in cafes, so be wary of that strange woman ‘listening’ to music next time you’re chatting over coffee. Laura lives with her family in Jersey, Channel Islands.
Rep’d by Tanera Simons of Darley Anderson Literary, TV & Film Agency.
Learn more about Laura and her books here: http://www.lauracarterauthor.com.
Social Media Links –
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/lauracarterauthor ), Twitter (@LCarterAuthor) and Instagram (@lauracarterauthor).
Bookshelves & Teacups 