I would give this book 3.5 stars!
I enjoyed myself reading this book, but it was kind of predictable.
Full review is on my blog!

This is one of those perfect love/hate relationships that is believable and fun to read. Carter and Reid are at each other throats from the beginning and the way the relationship works out is swoon worthy. The competition isn't all it seems and the ending is perfect. I could not ask for a better contemporary food loving romance.
The only thing that would make this book better is a recipe guide so I can cook the food because it all sounds fantastic and I am hungry after reading this!
Last thing I want to throw in this; thank you for all of the nerdy references they were perfect and my fangirl heart enjoyed it immensely!

This was SUCH a fun read! A frothy enemies-to-lovers romance set amidst a competition for a culinary school scholarship, a diverse cast of relatable and flawed characters, tons of witty banter, and perfectly geeky references to Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Avatar: The Last Airbender... an absolute delight! I loved this and heartily recommend it. The logic of the reality TV-esque scholarship competition may require some suspension of disbelief, but once you accept the premise, you're in for an awesome ride. And you're likely to come away craving nabe and macarons. Swoony-worthy and utterly delicious!

I absolutely loved the premise of this book. I love cooking competition shows, and I've read just about every book I can get my hands on involving cooking competitions in all forms. When I read the description, I hoped I could get a copy, and I opened it with so much anticipation. My first hint that perhaps the characterization might not live up to the premise came pretty quickly (when Carter and her best friend Em are talking, and Carter can't even spare a second to listen to her friend's concerns). But I was sure it would pick up and the competition would make up for it. Sadly, for me, it didn't. In fact, it only got worse.
What began as Reid throwing Carter a curveball in the initial challenge (which was, yes, not nice of him) quickly snowballed into Carter portraying immaturity and complete disregard for those around her. Reid had made things harder for her; she sabotaged Reid and his entire team -- and she destroyed his hard work in the process. The retaliation was exponentially worse than Reid's initial action, and for me, it was all the worse because of the competition format. Why on earth would anyone want to win like that? It's something a toddler would do, not something I'd expect from a high school junior/senior. From there, she continued to behave selfishly and childishly by refusing to apologize (for her truly horrible action) and then over-reacting to everything Reid did. Her inner dialogue of whining and blaming those around her for her own misery didn't help, and the constant self-justification put it over the top for me.
So Carter was a bust, and it's hard to really sink into a story when the main character is someone you can't stand. Reid, I liked, though I have to wonder about his perception if he found Carter at all interesting. I think the contrast between his approach to the rivalry (by tricking her in ways that she *could* have recovered from if she was on her toes) and hers (where she took him out to the point he couldn't possibly come back) actually made Carter appear even more childish and immature, so I'm not sure where the author was going with that.
Carter didn't seem to grow or learn much at all. *shrug* It just didn't work for me, but for those who also love cooking competitions and stories about them, the culinary atmosphere might pull you in and give you a satisfying ride.

As a fan of all things food and romantic comedy, this book was a breath of fresh air. I usually steer more towards the dystopia side of YA but I am happy that I took a brief break to read this. I loved the Masterchef-esque competition with a side of young love. Anyone who loved Julie/Julia will adore this.

Chopped meets Kids Baking Show. The perfect blend between food and competition.

*Note: I highly recommend not reading this book on an empty stomach because it will make you hungry.

I absolutely love the concept of this book and haven't read another one like it. It perfectly exemplifies the hate to love trope. The banter between Carter and Reid was everything!

I loved the diversity in this book! There are two Indian characters which have substantial roles in the book, which I was very happy about. The topic of bigotry is addressed through one of the characters but I wouldn't say its a major plot point. There was also at least three characters apart of the LGBTQ community.

While there were a lot of positive aspects to the book, there were some things that I felt like could have been fixed or expanded on. This was a book all about a cooking competition and at times, it felt like the author sped through or skipped over those scenes, especially in the later half of the book. The finals, in my opinion, should have been a bit more dramatic than they were. As far as our main character Carter goes, I got really frustrated with her. Reid kept apologizing and owning up to what he did to her, but Carter could never apologize back. She kept saying everything was Reid's fault (even though it wasn't). We also didn't know why she needed to win this competition so badly until towards the end. Even then, it was implied and not explicitly stated. There wasn't a huge drive for me to root for her to win. I feel like having more information about her family life could have helped this a lot.

Overall, I really loved this book and it was a fun, quick read. It also reminded me of Anna and the French Kiss a bit.

The Art of French Kissing was a really cute book. I swear it was like the author dug around in my head looking for things I like and then wrote a book about it. For the most part I really liked the main character, Carter. She comes from a poor family, likes to cook, and best of all is a total nerd. I loved all the references to to movies and shows, especially the Harry Potter references.

We are thrown right into the story and it remains fairly fast paced throughout the book. It also had an array of characters. There was a queer character, lesbians, and also not every single character was white.

I do wish we had been able to get to know some of the other characters better. The book was also very short, I wish it had been longer so we could have gotten to know some of the characters better and because I didn’t want it to end ahaha. I also found that even though the book is all about the cooking competition it didn’t go into to many details for the actual cooking events.

Overall this book was really cute and fluffy and I would probably read it again in the future.

Well written, engaging characters. Felt an awful lot like an extended edition of Chopped for teens. I can see enjoying the Chef school setting, but as an adult I felt like the premise was ridiculous.

Carter and Reid have come from different states and socio-economic levels with their eyes the same prize, to win a full-ride scholarship to cooking school. When Reid steals Carter’s cheese, the battle is on. Carter is determined to beat Reid, no matter the cost. However, they soon become frenemies, and eventually are teamed together during some of the cooking challenges. But can each trust the other? This is a cute story and I’m appreciative to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I spend way too much time watching Chopped and reading YA fiction. They're two of my favorite things. So when I read the description for The Art of French Kissing, I really hoped I was in for something wonderful.

And I was. This book married two things I love that I never knew I needed combined until I read it.

Sometimes I found the female main character, Carter, frustrating. But she was frustrating in such a realistic, insecure teenager way. She reminded me a lot of me at that age, and adult me is often frustrated by teenage-me's actions, so it was completely relatable.

I only wish some of the characters had been developed more. We get such a small glimpse into Will, Riya, and — honestly — Reid (his life outside the competition, at least) that it just left me wanting more.

A brilliant, funny recipe filled with friendship, first love, and fighting for your dreams.

First thing's first.

I thought this was based in France? Or at least some sort of French culinary school? Where was the French cooking? But I suppose I shouldn't complain as cooking has already been slashed through.

Oh, man. So let's see. I actually liked this book. It was like watching Masterchef but with all the behind the scenes and high school kids. I loved all the stuff related to cooking. And I loved all the references. I mean, Carter and Reid meet by introducing their Hogwarts houses! I MEAN. GOALS.

But then, our protagonist stuck out like a sore thumb and didn't let me enjoy the cooking and Reid. Carter in the entirety of this book is either being an absolute brat or raging. Oh, my God. The raging. I mean, I get why she's stressed - the whole scholarship and all - but girl. Calm down. I never understood her mood swings and her motivations. She took out her anger and stress by lashing out at her friends and was just a jerk most of the time. I don't get why Reid is into her. I just don't.

That's the only reason this isn't a 3 star read. But it reads quickly and I would recommend if you like a quick (and love/hate) high school summer romance amidst a (SUPER AWESOME) cooking competition then go for it.

Well the book started off promising and then faltered for me pretty early on. And even when the book tries to right-side itself it goes back down again due to the actions of the main character (Carter). I did read the book synopsis so the author/publisher is up front about the fact that Carter is going to get revenge on a boy that screwed her over in a culinary competition she is competing in. The issue is for me, what the boy did was minor, he apologized repeatedly, and the actions that Carter took could have gotten him sent home so I was not on her side. But the words he used when talking to her were sexist so they pretty much cancelled each other out. There was also very little discussion of food to be had. I didn't get a sense the author was a cook. I wanted more descriptions of what the food they were making was and the ingredients there were using.

"The Art of French Kissing" has 17 year old Carter going to Savannah, Georgia to compete in a culinary competition. Carter wants the win so bad she can taste it (pun intended). However, the first day of the competition, a rival, Reid Yamada lies about cheese she needs for a grilled cheese sandwich and she vows to get revenge on him. The revenge consists of Carter tripping the guy in a kitchen and I was not down for that. All I could think of was how he could have been hurt and injured someone else.

So most of this book is Carter hating Reid and doing things to get back at him and bah. It was not that interesting to me. Besides the big issue I really had is that they both like each other and you are supposed to be rooting for two people who acted like a couple of assholes towards each other when they first met and afterwards.

The competition is mentioned, but the author doesn't even bother describing the secondary characters beyond a few. And for me, I was more interested in two secondary characters (Will and Riya) than I was in Carter and Reid. I wish we had gotten a chance to know more than just four characters. We also have a bigoted ass in the competition which I think we are supposed to be happy gets taken down a peg by Carter, but she actually shoves this guy at one point and I just rolled my eyes. She goes around shoving and grabbing to the point I wanted to say "just because you are a teen girl does not mean you don't respect others spaces."

The writing is just okay. I wanted more description of the food, the recipes, I wanted to see why Carter was supposedly so good at cooking cause I didn't get that at all. I said in one of my updates, that a good idea would have been to end each chapter with a recipe of the food that Carter was cooking in the competition or something she mentions so that way there is a nice linkage there.

I also had a huge issue with most of the story reading about Carter's feelings of doubt, insecurity, and immaturity. I just was over it by the end of this book. You find out she's lashing out at Reid because even though he never said anything, she feels inadequate and like she shouldn't be at the competition. This comes out of nowhere by the way. I think it was just a justification for once again why Carter is an ass to Reid. It also doesn't work for me that it would be Reid making her feel this way since bigoted ass character flat out tells her repeatedly she's not good enough to be there, so her ire should really be focused on him.

The flow was not great. I thought things got better once Carter and Reid came to their "truce" and actually seemed to be working together and were not being jerks. Of course that all comes to an end due to Carter being an ass again. I was so happy to be done with this book.

This takes place in Savannah, but besides the author talking about how hot and humid it is, she didn't work a lot of the city in this book which is disappointing. Savannah is a great place to eat some Low Country food. I would have thought a culinary competition taking place in the south would have at least thrown a soul food or country challenge at the teens. Also speaking of the competition, it was not interesting at all. Probably because we only follow four (well five if you count bigot and okay six because the author does mention another female competitor by name) and you don't get a chance to really hear how others cook. I love Top Chef and other food shows like that so I was thinking this book would be up my alley. Instead I was just bored and really annoyed you had people hiding food and sabotaging recipes and the "judges" not saying anything about it.

The ending was okay, I just was glad to be done with this book when I finished.

I didn't know going into this book that I would adore it as much as I did! This story is about following your dreams no matter what comes up to make you feel less-than, even romance. I need this beauty in hardcover please! The cover is gorgeous and I can't wait to re-read this as soon as it comes out!

Carter Lane is seventeen and has been anxious ever since she sent in her application for a cooking competition where the prize is a full ride scholarship to Savannah's Culinary Institute. As soon as her acceptance letter arrives she is in an anxiety riddled frenzy. When she gets there it is like a dream until she meets Reid Yamada, her new number one nemesis. They both take turns sabotaging each other until the consequences are too much to bear.

Thank you to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for this arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

For me, The Art of French Kissing was a dessert read. It was sweet, but not enough substance to keep me full for long.

Shrum starts off with a bit of a unique premise; this isn't the typical summer romance where two teens meet on a beach. Instead, Carter Lane (our leading lady) meets Reid Yamada when she's selected as a competitor for a scholarship to one of the best collegiate culinary programs in the country.

I love baking, and I like cooking, so this already made me interested in the book. Finally, there was going to be something different than a beach party or 4th of July fireworks-inspired kiss. Unfortunately, that's where the uniqueness ended.

Carter and Reid fall into the pattern that I'm sure many YA Lit readers have seen before...

Girl meets Boy at cooking competition.
Boy cooks dirty.
Girl kisses Boy's face off?

You know, just the usual.

Carter and Reid start off on the wrong foot when he exacts a small act of sabotage during the first cooking challenge. However, this one small act is enough to bring out Carter's inner Hulk. I found it a little hard to really LIKE Carter.

Even after Reid apologizes, she sticks with her vindictive attitude, escalating to the point where even she feels ashamed of herself. For a character who was really in need of that scholarship money, she showed a gross lack of empathy for Reid and the way her actions could threaten his place in the competition.

Carter's also pretty insecure. Considering she's only 17, I wasn't expecting her to be the most self-assured woman in the world, but I was hoping for a bit more security in her own skills. Her need for validation got a bit annoying after awhile, especially considering it made her reactions a bit selfish. She DOES grow up a bit by the end, but we mostly get to see that she's learned a few lessons, not enough time to actually see how those lessons really change her behavior and choices.

Reid, on the other hand, I liked a lot more. Even though he also participated in their dirty rivalry, I think he toed the line instead of throwing himself across it. He's also got a bit of that cute nerd archetype going on- he's totally devoted to his craft, not to mention he's a big fan of Miyazaki and Star Wars.

Overall, The Art of French Kissing is totally fine for those moments where you just want some predictable banter and romance. The story doesn't really dig super deep, so it's an easy vacation or beach read to get a quick smile on your face.

This book hit on all of the things I love, relationships, romance, and cooking competitions! Really loved the back and forth between the main character and her love interest, although, her attitude and reluctance to give in eventually made me annoyed at her. However, some of the sweet interactions (like cooking together) did give me butterflies. Overall, very enjoyable read! I could see my teen patrons identifying with this book and liking it!

I found the story to be too basic and not enough much of anything for me to connect with beside the book cover. The main character Carter was so annoying and selfish from beginning to the end that she didn’t change. None of the other characters were flush out enough either for me to latch onto for sake of the story. I think one my biggest struggles with this story is the timeline it just bounced too fast for me believe anything progressed.

I loved how nerdy this was... but Carter's inner monologue got old really fast.

Feisty protagonist, fierce cookery contest, queer Japanese rival . . . what's not to love? This was a great YA read, a real page-turner full of mouth-watering kitchen scenes!

This is a real case of "don't judge a book by its cover." Ordinarily, I would look right past this cover but I happened to click on it and I liked the sound of the summary. I'm a sucker for a YA contest-based story, and food is always a bonus, so I loved the notion of a teen cooking contest. The book had great diversity and though there were times I rolled my eyes (the unexplained start of Carter and Reid's rivalry; Carter's moments of pushing it too far), it was a thoroughly readable YA book with an interesting plot!

It was very fun to follow Carter and her friends on their journey to win a scholarship to an elite culinary school. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a fun read. I am naturally competitive and I wanted to see who would win the competition. The challenges were creative, although I would never try any of them myself. Reid, Carter's rival, and Carter sabotaging each other may not sound like a start to a sweet romance, but it really is. However, the main character was unreasonably stubborn and angry at times, which was frustrating.

Final star rating: 4 stars