The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Samantha Verant

Women's Fiction

348 pages

Published September 8, 2020 by Berkley

  

A disgraced chef rediscovers her passion for food and her roots in this stunning novel rich in culture and full of delectable recipes. French-born American chef Sophie Valroux had one dream: to be part of the 1% of female chefs running a Michelin-starred restaurant. From spending summers with her grandmother, who taught her the power of cooking and food, to attending the Culinary Institute of America, Sophie finds herself on the cusp of getting everything she's dreamed of.

Until her career goes up in flames.

Sabotaged by a fellow chef, Sophie is fired, leaving her reputation ruined and confidence shaken. To add fuel to the fire, Sophie learns that her grandmother has suffered a stroke and takes the red-eye to France. There, Sophie discovers the simple home she remembers from her childhood is now a luxurious château, complete with two restaurants and a vineyard. As Sophie tries to reestablish herself in the kitchen, she comes to understand the lengths people will go to for success and love, and how dreams can change.

My thoughts:
I was hooked from the first sentence and finished the book the same day I started it. I really liked it. The book starts out with Sophie on top of the world only to find it crashing down on her moments later. When she was betrayed by her coworker, I took it a little personally myself as well and was emotionally invested in her from then on. I loved following her journey that began with self doubt and celebrated each success with her as she redefined herself as a chef and person. The story bogged down a bit when she was wallowing in self pity and a few times I did feel impatient with her. But once you are past that, the story picks up and starts flowing again. The descriptions of the food are gorgeous and as someone who loves to cook, I really enjoyed the foodie parts of the book.

A big thank you to #SamanthaVerant, #Berkley, and #NetGalley for providing a free Advance Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.