The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique by Samantha Verant


G👀dreads

A talented chef discovers how spices and scents can transport her--and, more importantly, how self-confidence can unlock the greatest magic of all: love--in this perfectly seasoned new novel by Samantha Vérant.
Kate Jenkins doesn't believe in fate. She believes in a clear vision, meticulous planning, and hard work in order to achieve her culinary dreams. On the cusp of opening her own Parisian restaurant, Bistro Exotique, she isn't even concerned when her standoffish--and annoyingly sexy--neighbor dismisses her as a crazy American tourist or when she meets the wildly eccentric Garrance, the self-proclaimed Spice Master of Paris, who ominously warns her of the previous owner's failures.

Confident and optimistic, Kate keeps calm and cooks on. Until a series of unfortunate events derail her plans and her entire staff quits.

Kate is about to throw in the kitchen towel on her lifelong dream when Garrance offers to use her mastery of scents and spices to help her, but it comes at a price: Kate must work with Garrance's son, Charles, a world-class chef and total jerk. After Kate hesitantly concedes to the deal, she slowly learns to open her heart and mind to new concepts, not quite sure if the magic she's experiencing comes from Garrance's spices, from within herself, or from the growing chemistry with Charles. One thing is certain, though: her kitchen is getting increasingly hot.

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Magical Realism, Chick Lit

Just a little pallet cleanser of a break. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

🎉 Overall Enjoyment? 🎉🎉🎉🎉

🎣 Did it grab and keep my attention? 🎣🎣🎣🎣

🗣️Would I recommend it to anyone? Maybe 🤷 It was cute and won't boggle your mind.

🕮 Would I want a sequel? No ➖ 

📚 Would I want to read more books by this author?  Yes ➕ The Lucky Widow is on my TBR list. It's a Psychological Thriller. It actually has higher ratings than this one on both GR and Hoopla. 

💣💥 📢 Triᵷᵷer Warnings? Google says no, but "Don't read on an empty stomach"!!

🌶 Spice? Yes

🌪 Plot Twist? No

👟 Pace? Good

💻 Tidbits ~ Paris and food, magic and whimsy, two meddling mothers and a aristocrat cat. What's not to like? Kate, the protagonist and Charles, her culinary sidekick. Kate is kind of ditzy and annoying with an eclair on the side. You want to like it but the shell is always just tasteless... but then the pastry filling and chocolate combo keeps you going back. Charles was, sticking with culinary terminology, flavorless. 
The restaurant is her dream. We know this because she told us too many times to count. He, being a billionaire Michelin chef taking a break and all, doesn't trust her because he thinks people only see dollar signs when looking at him AND his mother. He hates her one minute and is head over oysters in love with her the next. Hopelessly romantic with a killer body. Wait. Where did THAT come from?

But... the meddling mothers stole the show and upped the star rating from three to four for me. Garrance, his extravagant mother is the true spice master and fragrance expert. Cri-Cri, her free spirited mother is a sex therapist. Saying inappropriate things is her specialty. Honorable mention to her mother when telling her she booked her an appointment for a Brazilian Wax. I could just see her as she swirled her pointed finger towards Kate's nether region and told her why she thought she needed it. Definitely a LOL moment. Yes, I'm Team Meddling Mothers.

Favorite side dish character: Monsieur Legrand. Insisting on a reservation because the bistro before hers was his late wife's favorite place in all of Europe. Emotionally zapped me for a minute! You keep the melted chocolate. I'll keep the melted heart. 

🎧Nikki Massoud ~ good but a little strange side note. She speaks in perfect English except when she's saying French words (like foods or places), she says those in perfect French. 

🎧9.21 hours 🕮 352 pages




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