The book started with a bang, like one of the TV series where Katie, the last on her luck cook, sees the advert that Chef Jean-Michel is searching for the grand chef for his new restaurant, and she applies for it.

Imagine the next scene to be a total Masterchef-y with elimination rounds, 3 extremely critical judges, and the same exact tension that is seen in the television — the whole premise of this setting was just so enthralling. I was sitting at the edge of the seat to know who would win.

In the midst of the competition, Katie sees Ben, her ex, as one of the competitor and the nerves increase.

The book just seemed to burst with excitement. I hate cooking but I love masterchef. And this book just brought out the exact flavor of the show, the excitement of the competition, the various rounds, where the last 3 have to cook a 3 course meal for the various food critics, and the announcement of the winner!!

This part of the story had the right pace, the sizzle of the skillet, the aroma of the dishes, the aesthetics of plating, and lastly the criticisms of the judges. The author Colleen Coleman, has described the atmosphere of a cooking competition brilliantly where the scenes just came alive for me.

But then the story loses its fizz, goes through its various twists and ends. Katie as the underdog was great, she was emotional, loving, and passionate. But she thinks a lot.. a lottt!!! Sometimes even in the middle of competition, so the book loses its pace and I just flew through the rest.

On the whole the first half was very exciting and the second half was enduring.

A quick fun read , enjoyed it . Katie had to close down her dream restaurant , and now she works in a retirement home and sleeps on her friend's sofa. When life offers a second opportunity Katie decides to try her luck. Jean Michael one of the best chefs is running a competition, the winner will get to be grand chef in his restaurant. There she meets Ben, her ex boyfriend. Katie and Ben split up years back , as Ben wanted to see the world , and Katie did not want to hold him back
Will Katie win the competition ?
Will Ben and Kate be back together ?
Read to find out

Recommended for readers who love culinary romances . I love books which involve cooking so this one was right up my lane..

Everyone needs a dream and Katie thought she'd found hers. Her perfect partner, plans to open her own restaurant ... and then it all went wrong. Finding herself working in a retirement home she is encouraged by one of the residents, her friend Martha, to enter a competition to become the Grand Chef to perhaps the world's most infamous Chef, Jean-Michel Marchand. In a Master-Chef-esque environment Katie is forced to compete against dozens of other hopefuls for the coveted position. Now true to type, nothing in the life is ever straightforward Katie finds that once again, getting your dream isn't all it's cracked up to be. What the reader finds is a romantic, funny, occasionally high pressure story which warm the cockles, stir the soul and seer the heart a point of near perfection. In other words, it's a pretty dang fun book.

What I love about picking up a book by Colleen Coleman is that I know I am guaranteed to find a character I can immediately get behind, one who isn't perfect, who had her fair share of trials and tribulations, but ultimately is a person you like. Very much in this case, and not just because of how down to earth Katie is. Her easy-going friendship with Alice and her kind way with Martha all add to the warmth you can feel radiating from her with each page turn (or kindle click). Colleen Coleman manages to blend and astute observation of human nature with a good dollop of humour and the result is always a joy. There is a moment of sadness in this book too, some poignant scenes which will make your heart break, but they only add to the story.

Now, I will admit, at one point I thought I knew where this book would lead. Oh, that'll teach me to make assumptions. While perhaps the inevitable did happen, it wasn't in exactly the way I expected and I really did enjoy the journey I was taken on in the meantime. And Ms Coleman really did seem to capture at least my expectation (or perhaps my stereotype) of the world of fine dining and world-class chefing. From the ultra competitive Harry who perhaps needs some anger management sessions with a good counsellor, to the high pressure environment in which Katie was finally set to work, it all felt authentic. Apart from the fact that some of the food sounded edible. I find that rarely happens for me in a very posh restaurant ;)

It was great to watch Katie trying to balance family, friendship and ambition and not always succeeding. Did she ultimately do right? Well of course she did, but perhaps she learned some important life lessons along the way. And to be fair, the book gives out some sage advice in its own way about following your dreams, taking risks and pursuing your ambition as life is always fleeting, but never do so at the expense of happiness or family. 

The ending to this book ... Well a fitting tribute paid and a perfectly positive way to end. A fun foray into the world of food with a side helping of comedy jus and a Michelin star romance. Fans of Colleen Coleman are in for a treat.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This story was a delicious read and was thoroughly satisfying (food puns intended of course). I loved the novel’s well balanced blend of action packed food and cooking scenes with the poignant vignettes of friend and family relationships. I appreciated that this was a second-chance story for a single woman in her early 30s, as well as the opportunity to travel amongst London’s culinary culture and Ireland’s idyllic countryside.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publisher, Bookouture, for this review copy given in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Kim from Bookouture for organising the Blog Tour.

Katie Kelly works in a retirement home peeling potatoes for the residents’ dinners. She sleeps on the sofa in her friend’s flat and feels that life couldn’t get any worse. Not so long ago, Katie was a chef in her own restaurant and had a gorgeous boyfriend, Ben, to boot. That was until he broke her heart when he took a job abroad and the restaurant went bust. She doesn’t like working in the retirement home but she does make friends with one of the elderly ladies who encourages Katie to go for the job of a lifetime – to work for one of the best chefs in the country! When Katie is shortlisted she finds herself up against some fantastic chefs, and one of them is her ex-boyfriend Ben. Only one of them can win her perfect job – who will it be?

I was excited to read this book. I’ve only read one other book by this author, I’m Still Standing and if I remember rightly in my review I said it was the best book I’d read that year! So, based on that, this book had some stiff competition! I think I can safely say that I needn’t have worried – this book was fantastic!

The book begins by meeting Katie Kelly. Katie is a chef, and a good one at that. She used to run her own restaurant with her boyfriend Ben, but when he left to pursue his cooking career abroad she struggled to run the restaurant on her own and she lost it. In fact, she lost everything – which is why she’s now peeling spuds at the old folk’s home! I love the way that even though she’s very low down in the pecking order here, she still tries to put her own spin onto some of the meals – little things like some extra herbs in the soup makes all the difference in Katie’s eyes. She has also made friends with one of the elderly ladies, Martha. She treats Martha with extra special culinary delights and Martha encourages Katie to apply for the job of Grand Chef working under a famous chef, Jean-Michel in a fancy London restaurant.

Now, Jean-Michel is a fabulous character. He has a Gordon Ramsay personality and thinks nothing of insulting his chefs and making them cry. He is obviously going to be a very difficult man to impress, but Katie holds her own, thinks fast on her feet and produces perfect plates of food! But does she win the title of Grand Chef? Well, you’ll just have to read it to find out!! Katie is a lovely person. You can see how much she loves her work and how much it means to her. You can also see how much her family and friends mean to her, but also how difficult it is to juggle everything and keep everyone happy.

The main focus of the book was the food! The food sounded absolutely divine and to be honest it was like being behind the scenes at MasterChef! Not being a chef myself, I suppose you fail to understand the passion that chefs put into their work, and Katie certainly put lots of passion into her dishes. Katie and Ben obviously had a past and there was a ‘will they, won’t they’ theme. What I really love about this book though was that it wasn’t all about the romance, but there was a lot about family, friends and love also!

All of the characters were likeable (yes, even Jean-Michel!) and they all had different journeys to fulfil! The story was absolutely wonderful and it had me hooked in a food filled hypnotic trance from page one until I’d finished it! It made me laugh and cry and it had everything that you could need from a book! After this, Colleen is definitely leapfrogging her way to the top of the list of my most favourite authors! Absolutely perfect!

This book is cute. That’s truly the best description I can give. If you are looking for something light with no surprises regarding the main plot, this will pass the time. Not a must read but it is entertaining. It’s the literary equivalent of a romantic comedy airing on TBS that you have on in the background while you clean your house. That’s not an insult because I love romantic comedies. But we can’t pretend like many reinvent the wheel and this book does not.

Really, really cute! Predicable in the very best way! The Wedding Planner meets Master Chef!

This was just fabulous , having worked in busy restaurant and hotel kitchens for many years i loved the descriptions of katies food ideas and menu's . When Katie enters a competition to be the grand chef to one of the hottest chefs in the country , little does she know she will be competing with Ben , the one who got away . As the competition heats up they start spending time together and they both still have feelings for each other . I really warmed to them both and there was some great supporting characters there too . a really heart warming read that shows you should never give up in your dreams . Brilliant

A fun and heart warming read. Sure rom coms like this are predictable but it’s charming and has likeable characters.

An easy summer read, 3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, Colleen Coleman and Bookature for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dear lord, I love good food and eating out, but after reading what it takes to be chef, no  way would I want to be one! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about all the behind the scenes stuff, and the competition was fun too. I don't think I'll be able to view Masterchef in the same light again.

Whatever your opinion on fine dining, the novel wasn't only about food. It was about heartache, and happiness, and making our lives work for us. Katie really grew as a person over the course of the story, especially once she began taking charge of her own destiny and becoming more accepting that bad things do happen. She learned that it's how she reacts and how she deals with it heartache and controversy is sometimes more important than the issues themselves.

Delightful read! Nothing too out of the ordinary, but a fun read!

NB: I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. A major thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher.

I have to say, I quite honestly really enjoyed reading this novel. I finished reading it in maybe 2 hours? I've always been a sucker for a cute romantic comedy, and cute this was. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Katie Kelly's culinary journey and it's interesting to see the kind of high-pressure environment that the high-class culinary world is portrayed as. I liked seeing Katie's growth throughout the novel, finally seeing her blossom into what she was meant to be. Not to mention, Martha and Katie's friendship with her is probably one of my favourite parts of the novel, which really touched my heart, especially towards the end.

Ben was a great character. He was cute and all, but I just felt that his and Katie's relationship, though cute at times, especially in the kitchen, was a bit *rushed*. Sure, they had history, but when I picked up this book, I was expecting some more chemistry, some more tension, some more.... Their relationship just felt too rushed and a bit easy - it could have been more elaborated upon. Sure, you could feel Katie's heartbreak, but I didn't feel that their relationship was a major part of the novel, which you would expect from a book like this. They could have removed Katie and Ben's relationship and it probably would still stand quite solidly. Having said that, I did enjoy the story and their relationship was quite cute, it just could have been elaborated upon.

Congratulations to the author on this novel, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I liked this one a lot! It was sort of Hell's Kitchen meets Top Chef meets Hallmark movie. What I really appreciated, however, was the second chance romance. It was not only technical re: cooking and didn't skimp on those sorts of details but it was really well written to give a full background of the characters. I really liked Katie. She was such a strong and multi-dimensional character. I think the ending was a bit abrupt in some ways but, overall, this was a great read. It was funny, romantic and had a depth you don't often find in romances.

One Way or Another comes out later this month on April 26, 2018 and you can purchase HERE. I definitely recommend this for fans of Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella or Jill Mansell. This one reminded me a bit of Recipe for Love by Katie Fforde so definitely check that one out, too, if you haven't previously read it.

There was such relief in coming clean, in being open with her, in not pretending that everything is perfect when it's not. I never realised how exhausting being defensive can be, being constantly on guard and fighting unfounded, imagined judgements that only ever existed in my own head. Constantly pre-empting criticism and formulating answers to protect myself when the trust was that those who cared about me just wanted me to be happy. Not perfect, not ultra-successful, not the best: just happy.

I really enjoyed this story. Maybe because I have a diploma in hotel management that the setting took my interest even more.
The book is fluently written and is filled with emotions. When there is joy, you want to jump up and down as well. When there is sadness, you reach out for the tissues. Although it is indeed a comedy, a lot of thoughts have a deeper meaning : don't hold on to the past, but look to the future, love your dreamjob, but don't let it get in the way with the contact with you family and most important don't stay glued in a place where you don't really want to be and sometimes you have to take a risk to get where you truely want to be.
Only one more thing to add : read the book and see for yourself.
Thank you, Netgalley and Bookouture.

This book was a nice surprise! I really really enjoyed it! The dishes they had to prepare sounded so delicious! It's no wonder I was hungry through most of the book. LOL I will definitely be looking for more books by Colleen Coleman since this was a fun read. It's a quick read and I was lucky enough to get it from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I will never understand why the titles to some books are so long. This is One Way or Another: A totally uplifting laugh out loud romantic comedy". Honestly besides the overly long title that is not needed and some slight development and pacing issues, I liked this book. I have never read Colleen Coleman before, but I will probably check out her other titles in the future. Sometimes you just want a cute and fluffy story that doesn't make you despair in humanity.

"One Way or Another" is about Katie Kelly. She banked everything she had on running her own restaurant and in the end, things went belly up. Now she is sleeping on her best friend's couch and serving up food at at retirement home. When a chance comes up for her to compete for a title of Grand Chef which means she would get to work alongside a world renowned chef (Jean Michael). Winning the competition could get Katie's life back on track, only if she doesn't get distracted by her long lost ex also competing.

Well this is the second food competition book I read this year. I liked this one much better than the last one I read. I think because even though there is a competition, and one of the competitors acts like a jerk, Coleman does a great job of making that stuff not the central focus of this book. The central focus really is Katie coming to terms with what she wants and realizing that she has no right in holding back her family from moving on with their own lives.

I did like Katie. I will always like the underdog. She realizes that she has no one to blame but herself for her restaurant's demise (she mentions not paying attention to the money going out, the bills needing to be paid, etc.). When she has the opportunity to compete for Grand Chef, she is initially hesitant, until she gets a talking to by one of the nursing home resident's who pushes her to compete. And I liked that Katie finally saw how selfish she was being with her father wanting to move on from the family home. Katie wants to keep her father back home in a time warp though her mother has been deceased for more than a decade at this point. I felt sympathy for Katie up to a point, but really wanted to tell her to get a grip on things.

The secondary characters were interesting (Katie's best friend perked my interest) and I liked the character of Martha (the nursing home resident who pushes Katie to compete). However, as I said above, some characters needed better development. For example, Katie's ex-boyfriend Ben could just have been called lovely stand-in. We don't get a real sense of him besides Katie constantly telling us how she feels/felt about him. When we see him in the present, I just didn't get it. Same issue with the character of Jean Michael. He read like a caricature of Gordon Ramsey. I don't know if I really buy the resolution with Jean Michael either, it just read like coincidence in order to get the story moving towards a HEA for Katie.

The writing was okay, it just got a bit repetitive here and there. I got Katie's past, I understood how hard she was working, I got she was in love with Ben and wished things had been different. I really wish we had more interaction with Katie and her best friend. They were hilarious together and I liked reading about her job. I loved all of the descriptions of the food that Katie was making. If you are going to have a book centered around food, I want to feel like the character knows what they are doing.

The flow was off though after the competition bits were over. I just felt a little like the book was killing time until the end.

The ending was a little too pat, but honestly I was happy to read the HEA.

Katie Kelly is a chef. More accurate she was a chef. She was forced to work in a retirement home when her restaurant folded. Living off her friend's sofa and making ends meet, when she comes across a competition to become the Grand Chef to a chef who had been her idol for years, she knows she has little to lose.

A cute, charming, heartwarming tale of love, passion and food. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the review copy of this book

An easy read. Interesting about the backside of being a chef. I liked it and blew through it on a snow day.

This is another book that I adored because it was lively and upbeat. I fell in love with Katie and Ben and wanted the very best for both of them. Unfortunately, because they are vying for a grand chef position at a new, posh restaurant, only one could ultimately be the victor. Reading about how Katie and Ben loved each other yet parted to pursue careers wove a thread through the competition and through the grueling tests of their abilities as chefs.
I thoroughly enjoyed One Way or Another and look forward to other books by Ms. Coleman.

Loved this story. Heart warming with love and friendship and overcoming obstacles in life. Thank you for allowing me to read this book. Felt the anticipation at each stage of the competition