I received a copy of THE ART OF FRENCH KISSING on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and author.

Five stars and here's why:

Brianna R. Shrum had me by the cover. I LOVE MACAROONS! But seriously, she wrote a hella-hot, cooking story with just the right amount of steam and sass and diversity to keep me turning the pages for more. I never ate so much in one sitting until I started reading this book!

When Reid and Carter spend the summer competing for a cooking scholarship, sparks fly, inhibitions crumble, and what’s left is me with a major book hangover. Simply devoured this story in one day. If you love sexy guys, savvy girls, and a sassy romance, then this book is for you! Highly recommend!

2,5 stars

I went into this book with the hopes that it would be a cute and light love story revolving around food, and it kind of was, but I didn't think it was that cute and, at times, the characters really annoyed me.
Carter, the protagonist, went on a cooking competition in order to win a scholarship in a prestigious cooking school, but as soon as she got there. she met Reid Yamada.

Reid is as cliché as they come. He's the cocky, jock-type guy who starts out as a douchebag but, as we get to know him, he turns out to have a heart of gold (shocker!). And, to make things even worst, he kept calling Reid the lamest nicknames after speaking to her for .2 seconds. No one in real life calls a girl "princess" after just meeting her!!!!

Another thing that annoyed me right from the start was all the name-dropping. I don't know if it was an attempt to make the characters seem cool and relatable or something, but it felt very unrealistic. People don't need to be always making Doctor Who and Star Wars references!

The only refreshing thing about him was that he had anxiety (not that I'm saying, in any way, that it's good to have anxiety), and that was something I can relate with (but I'll talk about that later on in this review).

As you can guess by now, I didn't love Reid, but I think I disliked Carter even more. She was always the one who took the disagreements between them to the next level, and she was sometimes unnecessarily mean Reid when he never treated her badly. She loved blaming other people for everything, and she was always irrationally mad at someone.

Now for the parts I did like! I really liked the romance going on between the secondary characters, and I'd love to hear more about their story. The cooking part was also fun, and also one of the strongest points of this book. I'd never read a book about a cooking competition before, but I think that part of the book was well written, and it kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to know who the winner would be.

Also, one thing that I really appreciated was the fact that this was a diverse book in several different ways, but one where the diversity wasn't the focal point of the whole story, if you know what I mean. Besides that, I also loved the conversations that the characters had about gender and consent. They are very important things to talk about with teenagers, and I think the author approached those themes correctly.

And that's it! Overall, I think it was an okay book and I probably won't read it again, but it might be interesting if you like cooking shows and/or are interested in reading more diverse books (as you should!).

I really really loved this book! It was so much fun reading and I enjoyed myself a lot. The story itself is a bit predictable, but that didn't bother me. I loved Carter and Reid and they were so much fun. And I had a lot of hunger reading this book ;)
It was a cute and quick YA, and I loved it!

I really liked this author writing style. It grabbed my attention and held it through the whole book. I like that there was an openness with all relationship styles. I would most def read more from this author.

Cute YA romcom with a food network-like competition twist. MC was a bit annoying though, due to self doubt she kept lashing out at her romantic interest, even close to the end when she should have evolved a bit more by that point. 3.5 stars

I received a free copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Carter dreams of being a chef and applies to a competition for a scholarship in Savannah where she meets a group of talented young cooks and the cocky Reid Yamada. The problem is, Reid's good looks and wise cracks make Carter want to punch him. Or kiss him. During the first competition, Reid hides an essential ingredient from her, starting a game of sabotage and revenge. Just as things are going too far, the nature of the competition changes and Carter and Reid are forced to work together as partners.    

The conflict and romance are tightly woven together and while they come to an obvious conclusion, it is still a fun ride. The dialogue is realistic and will appeal to teens. While the pop culture references could be dated in a few years, they will still appeal to fans of this type of book. 

Carter is a flawed heroine and sometimes does or says things that are monumentally stupid that would not fly in real life. But the heightened nature of this genre allows for some dramatics. Overall, I enjoyed this YA romance as a nerd and a foodie.

That was a cute book that actually made cooking seem fun (see, mom, that was the way to go) and made me crave macarons BUT our main girl Carter was such an annoying character. She'd get mad over..well..pretty much anything and she just acted like a brat I just couldn't like.

I liked Riya and most of the other characters even though the book was a bit short to really get to know them. And of course my adorable baby Reid. A cute Japanese dude cooking for you? Yes please!

Overall I enjoyed it even though I'm not much of a cooking person and I wanted to smack Carter half the time. If you're looking for an quick, fluffy, fun read give this book a chance. And make sure you have snacks.

Um, food? Hell yes, sign me up for that.
First of all, that cover is so cute and lovely. It seems to hold a super cute story inside and guess what? It does!
We get thrown right into the story, with Carter getting her acceptance letter. Without further ado, she flies into another state. There, drama starts as soon as she arrives on campus and drops her suitcase on a woman's foot. Carter is such a fun character, she makes mistakes and is sassy but she is incredibly passionate about what she loves. Following her character, the book is written incredibly funny, with hilarious but also very real situations. And all the food? I had just eaten but all the descriptions made my mouth water. I want Reid's macarons and Carter's chicken. I want Baked Alaska. I want all of the delicious food described in this book. The story itself was also very interesting to read about. I love reading about competitions and this was no exception. I love all the friendships that are built during the story.

But not only the story was great. So were the characters.
Reid seems to be so nice but then, because of what he does to Carter, the reader automatically turns against him. The two of them manipulate each other all the time, but then they get paired off and have to work together and Reid finally shows his real character. And oh, he is such a cutie. And also he defines as queer.
Then there is Riya, Carter's Indian roommate and new friend. Because Carter is not really much of a social person, she kind of clings to Riya at first. But Riya is also the nicest and sweetest person. She is understanding and loveable and an incredibly cook, especially when it comes to dessert. Plus she doesn't take shit from racists.
Aside from Carter, those two are the most important characters.
Unfortunately, the reader doesn't get to know the other characters as well. Carter's parents exist for only two sentences, her sister texts her every 50 pages or something like that. And there are so many other contestants, where we only scratch the surface.

But I guess the book was just too short to get to know other, less important characters better. Because it really was short. I wish it was longer because it was so much fun to read.

Apart from the length of the book, or lack thereof, I enjoyed the book a lot. It was a light, very cute and summer-y contemporary about teenagers who all share the same passion and dream. Plus, there is a Japanese queer boy, an Indian girl and three lesbians.

I loved the idea behind this book. Cooking schools and competitions are two things I rarely read about. I'm a total reality TV junky, and I love to cook! The idea of a group of teens fighting for the same scholarship was super exciting, I understood why each person would be working hard to win.

However, there just wasn't enough tension, or interesting cooking for me. The story really glossed over the food aspect (aside from too many melting butter visuals) and focused on the emotional side of Lane's experience. While the emotional aspects of the contest are important, stress, disappointment, competitiveness, home sickness, sabotage are all petty weighty issues, but if that was going to be the full focus of the story it needed more depth. We only see the situation from one character, Lane. and she comes off as cold, standoffish and not very nice for most of the story. Lane also seemed the least committed of the people there. She could have been cooking nonstop, or at least spending less time thinking about attacking or hooking up with Reid. There was so little development of Andrew, who I guess is supposed to be the main villain of the story, or of Will and Riya. Those two are pretty much defined by their relationship to each other and not much else. I didn't hate the book, I just found it very middle of the road. Also enemies turned lovers is not easy to pull off, it often it comes off feeling like an unhealthy relationship.

Want a fluffy contemporary romance that's as gorgeous as its cover? MAY I PRESENT THIS BOOK.

Why I loved it:
- The dialogue / Sass, sarcasm, wit, banter....gimme all. It's amazing.
- The diversity / Reid is Japanese and queer, Emily and Addie are lesbian, and Riya and Will are Indian.
- The story / SO FREAKING CUTE. It's endlessly entertaining, fast-paced, and adorable.
- The characters / They're all so human and relatable and so lovable. And Will and Riya I SHIP, just FYI. Also, Reid and Carter get brilliant development. Yaaaass
- FOOD / FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD AND YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH A STORY ABOUT COOKING. I absolutely adore all the mouthwatering descriptions of food and yes I'm flipping hungry BUT FOOD IS AMAZING.
- Female friendships / So much girl power and girls supporting girls. Carter is close with Emily, Riya, and her sister, and it's perfect.
- THE COVER. Oh my word I hate macaroons but I love looking at them. Every time I see that cover I melt and go all gooey inside. #aestheticfeels
- The romance / Yes, it is insta-attraction, but hey it's still cute. I also love that they argue and fight so much, which sounds weird, but it's just because it's refreshing to see how realistically their relationship is portrayed. It's so honest, raw and human; they do argue a lot, but it's all totally in character and they're both flawed people. It's realistic! (And still smoking hot #thosemakeoutscenesthough )

This book was good YA fluff. I originally was interested in this on Netgalley because it was set around a cooking competition and it seemed like it would something a little different because really, there is only some much dystopian YA you can read at a time!
In terms of plot line, there really isn't anything new or surprising here but I definitely liked the characters overall. Carter was actually my least favorite character because her emotions and reactions were a little over the top for me. I did really like Riya and Will and appreciated the diversity represented in the different characters. Yay for diverse representation and also talking about consent! Big props to the author for including the piece about consent.
One aspect of this that I really enjoyed was the descriptions of the food and the talk about food. That to me was probably a highlight of what is otherwise straight YA fluff. I felt like the author actually did a wonderful job highlighting the food and making the read take the cooking competition seriously. I definitely felt like I was in the kitchen with the contestants and found my mouthwatering at the descriptions of some of the dishes. It was also awesome to see kick ass female characters succeeding in this space.

Overall, I liked this book but probably wouldn't read it again. It is great if you are looking for an easy, simple, quick beach read.

Hell's Kitchen meets

Carter Lane has wanted to be a cook "forever", when she is accepted into the Savannah Institute for Culinary Arts and a competition for a full ride scholarship, she knows this is her chance. After the first competition a rivalry is develops between her and Reid Yamada. Does she hate him? Does she like him? Their chemistry heats up the pages as much as the delicious food they are cooking. Does she have what is takes to win?

I really loved this book. I like the chemistry between Reid and Carter, the camaraderie between Carter and her roommate, and all the small references to different subjects throughout the book. I also love how the cover blended in with the book. The only thing that bothered me was how Carter some times acted, but she is young, abrasive, and emotional and I could definitely relate to most of her behavior.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary Netgalley copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Maybe 2.5 stars

I really liked the food competition/cooking aspect. It's a hobby not covered as much and it was super entertaining. There was also some pacing issues (awkward time jumps, etc) throughout the book. It didn't really help the story build or connect with the characters. Speaking of characters, I wasn't really a fan of Carter. I didn't like how she reacted to most things and I think she came off selfish a lot of the time. I did like Reid but I don't feel like I got a lot of him besides some surface level mentions. The other characters were good tertiary characters but they didn't really add anything to the story.

I liked this book, it was a super adorable, quick read! Just what I needed.

This book is so refreshing, you cannot help but love the drama.
Carter gets in invite to vie for a scholarship in one of the places she longs to earn her mark as a Chef. Whilst there, her first run in with Reid, sparks a rivalry and it's all about who's going to come up top.
While, their back and forth made for more details to the story, I would say that I found it a bit too dramatic. What I loved was the author's use of gender neutral names: Carter and Reid, who would have thought?
Remember me starting off by saying that this book is refreshing, well, after a night conversation with Reid, Carter storms back to her room and tells her room mater, Riya It's just...he's been a total asshole to me. Riya, smirks and she asks Do I need to kill a boy?
I can relate to that and wouldn't mind having Riya for a room mate. The girl's a great listener, has lots of confidence, makes friends easily and she can cook...who wouldn't live for that?
The other thing that I loved in this book was a conversation between Reid and Carter. I love when two glorious things happen in any book I am reading:
1. If I come across the mention of Kenya or Nairobi.
2. If the characters mention an author or book that I absolutely love.
Well, Reid and Carter talk about N.K. Jemisin and at the mention of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms I nearly fell off my bed.
This is the part where I also graciously add that I got to read this as a digital copy, thanks to Netgalley, and there tiny request was that I share my honest- real-down to earth- views about it. Now, I'd better get back to work. It's almost lunch time and I do wish I'd get some of the duck they made in this book for lunch!

Loved the setting and the cooking school competitors. I especially loved Riya and Reid of course! I wish I liked Carter (the MC) more- her inner monologue was really repetitive and I didn't always understand how her emotions jumped around so quickly (and i say this as an extremely moody, anxious, emotional person). The way she reacted to stuff surprised me and threw me off a bit. But l did like the talks about consent and there was a lot of racial and LGBQ representation amongst the characters. A cute read but with some things that bothered me that kept it from being a favorite.

YA contemporary AND a cooking theme? Yes please! The Art Of French Kissing was definitely a perfect match for that particular moment. Sure, it’s a bit cheesy and there are quite a few cliches involved. Sure, there is a lot of romance involved that you can see coming from a mile away. BUT. Somehow, I didn’t care about that at all. The Art Of French Kissing is easy to read, cute and there is a LOT of food talk involved, Basically, this book makes me crave all kinds of delicious food! Including those fabulous macarons on the cover… The writing is very engaging and sets the right atmosphere for this cooking competition. The plot is simple, but very effective and fans of cooking shows or food in general will be in for a treat. As for the characters… The whole hate/revenge theme is actually quite entertaining and it was interesting to see the characters evolve over time. The ending was a bit too neat for me, but then again I also admit it does fit the story.

If you like fun, light, cute, slightly cheesy and entertaining YA contemporaries with a healthy dose of romance, you will be in for a treat with this one. The Art Of French Kissing incorporates the whole cooking competition theme very well and all that food talk is probably one of the reasons I loved this book the way I did. The bantering and revenge element between the main characters worked better for me than I thought it would, and definitely added it’s own spice to the plot. The Art Of French Kissing doesn’t lack sugar either, as it has a healthy dose of (cheesy) romance especially in the second part. But at that point I was having so much fun following the competition, that the story was mostly forgiven for it. All in all this story was just what I was looking for!

*i was sent this ebook from netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
The Art of French Kissing was a 3.75 read for me. I loved the characters ( for the most part) and was really impressed with the diversity that Brianna put into the book. The setting of The art of French Kissing was extremely unique to me since I don’t normally see many books focused on cooking. I really enjoy watching cooking shows and hoped that this would be a five star read for me. Unfortunately, the relationship between Reid and Carter really took away from the story for me. I hated how mad she got over the tiniest things that he did and that she couldn’t let anything go. Their entire relationship rubbed me wrong and I believe that without it being included the book would have been so much better. Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading The Art of French Kissing and will definitely be reading more books by Brianna Shrum in the future.

What a fun idea for a book. I loved the setting in Savannah at a summer cooking completion for scholarship funding to be able to attend the cooking school after high school graduation. The stakes felt real and relatable. I enjoyed the characters, their different backgrounds, and their different culinary strengths. The drama at the end felt like a bit much, but overall this was a fun read that also made me ready to jump into the kitchen to cook.

This is an adorable story. Food and romance is the best combination in the story. I love the banter between Reid and Carter.