Carol Ann moves to England to take over as the personal chef to the Royal Family. When she takes the position, her and her boyfriend decide to be "on a break." On her first day, she finds a dead body in the green house and she decides to get involved in solving the murder when one of her new employees is blamed. As far as cozy mysteries go, this one wasn't as "easy to read" and fluffy as some. It was a lot more in-depth than some that I have read. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it was a little more involved than your average cozy. I think the author could have done a better job with the British aspects of the story. I do also like that her job isn't immediately written as this amazing thing as in some cozy mysteries. She struggles with the challenges of the new job as well as being in a foreign place and meeting new people, as well as the extra things that come along with working for royals. I think that Carol Ann definitely grew in the story and I look forward to seeing what happens in the next installment.

Nell Hampton had me hooked from the beginning with Kale to the Queen. This novel follows Carrie Ann Cole and American chef who is summoned to England to serve as the chef in the palace. With the opportunity of a lifetime at Carrie Ann's feet she has no choice but to take a leap of faith and accept the job.

From her first day, Carrie Ann doesn't exactly impress the head woman Ms. Worth. The book quickly turns murderous when a body is discovered and Carrie Ann's job becomes even more challenging. Throw in a few good eye candy men and this book is a winner.

When I finished the book, I quickly looked for it's sequel, but at the time it didn't exist. If you're a fan of this book, you should check out Juli Hyzy's White House Chef Series! It's also fantastic, but there's nothing that can compare to British charm!

This is the first book in a new series and it started it off wonderfully! I enjoyed the short blurb and just knew that I had to read it. The well written storyline held my attention from the very start and never let go. The author created excellent characters with an engaging plot. The murder was a complete surprise to me, as was the killer. It finished with a bittersweet, recapped chain of events that hinted at a future series. Excellent, enjoyable read! (I love how they included recipes).

I got a copy of this book from netgalley.

I couldn't get into this book. I tried three different times thinking maybe I was just distracted the other two times but that was not the case. The many inaccurate English stereotypes were terrible and very distracting when you're trying to figure out what she really meant to say. The writing was very juvenile, it seemed like a child wrote this book. Needless to say I didn't even finish this book if a book hasn't hooked me by chapter 4 I just move on to the next book on my pile.

Death comes to the royal household in this thrilling combination of murder and cookery. Carrie Ann has followed her culinary dreams to London and the household of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Unfortunately, her work is soon interrupted by murder in the greenhouse. When Carrie Ann's new assistant is arrested, she'll have to follow her instincts to find out the real killer - and keep the royals safe.

I can relate to this protagonist you know why she has an actually job. No cookies, pie, b&b etc. Carrie Ann took control of her settings and surroundings. This was a solid and well thought out mystery.

This is the first book in a new series and I enjoyed it. Carrie Ann Cole is the new personal chef for the Duke and Duchess of Kensington and their two children. She leaves her boyfriend of six years back in Chicago for her dream job. He determines that they should use this time for a break from their relationship. The second there, she finds one of her assistants dead in the greenhouse and her other assistant is quickly arrested for the murder. Chef Cole doesn't really know her assistants that well, but she has a feeling that someone else is responsible. She begins to ask questions and develop a theory about the crime.

There were several things I really liked about this book. Most of the cozies I have read that are set in Britian are historical, so it was nice to have this one in present day. I also liked that the main character is not just an amateur sleuth, but has a job, a job that keeps her very busy. It was interesting to see how strict the household was run and all the security measures. It felt a bit Downton Abbeyish with the head of the staff being rather staid, but she did soften as the story went on. Carrie Ann is a very likeable character who makes friends easily. She is generous and others seem attracted to her. Even the crotchety Chef Butterbottom softens to her a bit. I like that there are a couple of male characters who could possibly be romantic interests in the future. The mystery was well paced with Carrie Ann getting into a couple of dicey situations. There were a couple of minor issues such as, some of the dialogue was a bit stilted at the beginning of the book, but it seemed to be fine as the story went on and I didn't need to know every single thing the family and children ate, although it would be nice to see some of the menus. Overall this was a well paced story with a mystery that was interesting. The culprit was not on my radar, but it certainly fit when the reasoning was given for his murder. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

Did not finish this story. I had a hard time getting into this story though I was looking for a London tale. Very fun premise but the lead was shrill and annoying. There was way too much emphasis on her being American a well. And I wonder if the author ever made a trip to the UK because her writing felt very unauthentic.

I really enjoyed this book. Carrie Ann Cole is the new family chef at Kensington Palace in London. She has trial by fire her first night off the plane when the Duke and duchess have a dinner party. Then one of her assistants is murdered and the other assistant is the top suspect.
Protocol is very important. So many of Carrie Ann's coworkers are up tight that she has a hard time finding a way to help solve the mystery and clear her assistant.
I like Carrie Ann's character. I would have given her a different name, but maybe it doesn't matter if she is going to be called chef most the time.
I look forward to another book to come in this new series.

I’ve been a long time fan of all the series Nancy J. Para writes so was intrigued when I heard she was releasing a brand new series under a new pen name, Nell Hampton. I was doubly intrigued when I found out that the premise for KALE TO THE QUEEN was based on an American moving to England to become the personal chef for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge! Ever since I visited Great Britain years ago, I’ve been fascinated with the Royal Family, especially now that the darling young prince and princess have made their appearance.

While the author doesn’t name names, she gives the story a realistic flavor of what it might be like living and working at Kensington Palace for such a famous family…so many rules and regulations to follow! While the protagonist, Carrie Ann Cole, is an American, many of the characters surrounding her at the palace are charming and exactly how you would envision them to be. Others display the stereotypical “British stiff upper lip” characterization when tragedy strikes. The interaction between Carrie and the British characters, especially working side-by-side in a stressful environment made even more so by murder, forces Carrie to grow as a person. I enjoyed how Nell Hampton weaves in Carrie’s self-doubts, especially when it comes to leaving her long-term boyfriend behind, to find her own path of self-discovery and strengths instead of relying on someone else. She proves to be a genuinely caring person, willing to help those in need around her. The plot is well written and will keep the reader guessing and turning pages, while the subplots add a complexity to the storyline.

The author also provides plenty of mouthwatering mentions of dishes prepared in Carrie’s kitchen and fortunately for the reader, shares some of the recipes at the back of the book. I made her Simple Scones with Vanilla and Lemon Zest because scones seem to be the quintessential British tea time treat. I loved the extra flavor the lemon zest brought to these scones while vanilla provided a subtle delicate scent. Served with your favorite jam and a dollop of piped whipped cream, these easy to make scones will make any breakfast or tea time a special occasion!

Kale to the Queen by Nell Hampton is the first book in the Kensington Palace Chef Mystery series. Carrie Ann moves from Chicago to London to start her new job as personal chef to the duke and duchess at Kensington Palace. Things are going well until one assistant turns up dead and the other winds up in jail. I started this book with mixed feelings, but by the end I was wishing book two was out. The characters are fun and have ample room for development. The setting is interesting, and the mystery kept my attention to the end. This is a nice start to a new series.

I'm afraid I got half way through this book and gave up, I couldn't finish reading it. I live in England and thought the book was too far fetched and the things she was writing about would never happen. She seemed to get too overly friendly with the Royals which in my eyes wouldn't happen, not to get that friendly. If I lived in America I think I would have enjoyed it a lot better as you can't relate to it as much as I do. It's a shame as I read an author who writes about a chef in the White House which I really enjoy reading and I thought this one would be similar but I can't carry on reading it. I'm afraid I wouldn't read any more in this series but thank you for letting me anyway.

Kale to the Queen is the first book in the Kensington Palace Chef Mystery series by Nell Hampton and it is absolutely delightful!

When I first saw this title offered on NetGalley, I thought it sounded interesting. Then, the other night I was going through my backlist of books for review, looking for one to start reading. I kept simply dismissing things thinking, "No, that doesn't sound good right now" and things of that nature. When I came across this one in my list, I thought, "Eh, this did sound interesting, let's give it a try." I'm really glad that I did! It was absolutely delightful and fun to read! In fact, I stayed up and read half of it that night!

The cast of characters in this series is rather fascinating. We have the combination of "proper protocol" followers and those who don't care about that rubbish (that's their attitude, not my feelings on protocol!). We have well-rounded, complex characters that you can tell we're just starting to get to know. We have some background on some of the characters, but you can tell we'll be learning more about them in future books.

The descriptions of the settings are adequate. I probably could have used just a little bit more detail, but I was still able to imagine most of the rooms/places where the scenes took place.

Our plot line moves along at a steady pace. I did figure out who the villain was before he/she was exposed, but it wasn't too long before the exposition, so I wasn't too disappointed.

I highly recommend this book to cozy mystery lovers, especially foodie cozy mystery lovers! It's terrific and I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out!!

Oh my gosh I loved this book! It is an amazing start to a new series, and I honestly couldn't put it down! The mystery was really well-written, with a variety of great suspects. I absolutely loved the setting, and how Carrie Ann has to adjust to England. Also - I had fun giggling every time I read "Butterbottom".

A charming and entertaining cozy mystery. One must park reality at the door and go with the flow and enjoy the tale. The royal family references add interest. The publisher provided a copy via NetGalley for my voluntary review. I look forward to reading the next one in this series.

Chef Carrie Ann Cole is the new personal chef to the Duchess and her family at the Kensington Palace. She left her boyfriend behind to follow her dream of being a personal chef. Following her dreams is causing her to make sacrifices she didn't know she was going to have to. To make matters worse she finds one of her assistants dead in the garden attached to her kitchen. Her life is in shambles personally and at work. When her other assistant is accused of the murder she is bound and determined to find the real killer. All she has to do is balance her sleuthing with work and personal relationships.

In an Oyster Shell - An entertaining cute cozy.

The Pearls - The concept was a star for me. An American chef working in the Kensington Palace was epic. The main character Chef Carrie is out of her element. She has to prove that she's not some over-privileged American as some of her British colleagues might think.I really enjoyed the mixing of cultures in this book. Throw in the mystery and you've got yourself a great story.

The characters were developed and well-defined. I would even say that they were distinguished characters. There were quite of few characters but it was easy to know who was who. I enjoyed Carrie as the main character. I enjoyed the camaraderie that developed between some of the characters. Especially because Carrie was considered an outsider but they other let her in to help. A good example of this would be with Carrie and her assistant accused of murder. She helps him and he lets her to some degree.

Being set at the palace was a fun setting. You got to see the inner workings of modern royalty. The Palace made for a great background to the story. Then there was London, which is always a great city to have a story in.

The Sand - It was a good story.

Fun! This was just plain fun. Sometimes cozies can be a bit much and honestly, setting one in Kensington Palace could be seen that way but Hampton has done a lovely job with her debut. Carrie Ann is nicely drawn and how cool is it that she gets the job cooking at Kensington! I really enjoyed all the details of how the Palace worked. The other characters were just as fun (how about that Ian!) Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC- this is a totally relaxing read that will actually keep you guessing. Perfect for a lazy afternoon!

Kale to the Queen is the debut to a new cozy mystery series that follows Chef Carrie Ann Cole along as she begins her new job as a chef as Kensington Palace. She starts off at the job well and has just begun to settle into her rather grueling new position when she stumbles across a dead body. The rest of the book is he attempting to clear the name of a coworker and stay clear of another chef who has quite the attitude.
Overall I enjoyed the read. It was light and fun and I liked the main and supporting characters and thought they were well done. Though the main character is a chef, so ample food descriptions are to be expected, there might have been just a few too many. The story had great pacing and the mystery was well done. I enjoyed that the book was set in London. Hopefully that is explored more in future books.

I give the book 3/5 stars and look forward to reading more books in the series.

Thank you to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me a copy of this book to read and review.