Sophie Valroux has worked at Cendrillon NYC for five years and is currently serving as chef de partie.  She dreams of one day being one of the few female chefs who run Michelin-starred restaurants.  Unfortunately, her dream takes a downturn when her chef ex-boyfriend, Eric, sabotages her food while a food critic is in the restaurant.  Not only is Sophie fired, but her reputation is ruined, as the news spreads throughout newspapers and the Internet.

Devasted and humiliated, Sophie goes through depression and loses interest in her love of cooking.  Sadly, she discovers that her beloved Grand-Mere’ Odette, who lives in France, has suffered a stroke.  Sophie flees New York and arrives in Champvert, in southwest France, where her grandmother lives.  The luxury Chateaux de Champvert, which her grandmother owns, is much larger than she remembers as a little girl.  The estate boasts two restaurants, a vineyard and winery, and a staff that is nearly all women.

While working at the chateaux, Sophie rediscovers her love of food and cooking.  She reconnects with a childhood friend, Remi Dupont, who becomes much more than a friend.  When her grandmother has a relapse, she tells Sophie that she wants her to run the chateaux and that it is her birthright.  Sophie must now decide if she will carry out her grandmother’s wishes or take a coveted job offered to her in New York City.

Samantha Verant’s debut novel is an ode to family, friendship, food, and second chances.  Because the author lives where her novel mostly takes place, she has drawn on her background to include lush descriptions of France and its culture and food.

The reader can see Sophie growing as the book progresses, from her downfall until she begins to love food, creativity, and cooking once again.  She becomes more and more confident in herself, both as a person and as a chef, and proves just how resilient she really is.  This plot resonates because, even today, it seems that women chefs have to work harder than men to make a name for themselves in the culinary world.

There are French words and phrases sprinkled throughout the novel.  As an added bonus, the author has included recipes in the back of the book for readers to try.  And there is a sequel in the works!  Sophie Valroux’s Paris Stars is slated to be published on October 19, 2021!

The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux is a delightful foray into culinary fiction.  Hand it to readers who enjoy romance, travel novels, and watching The Food Network.  I recommend it for public libraries, and I give it four out of five stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Books for allowing me to read and review this book.

This book is solidly in the women's fiction genre, and I am not complaining about that. What I mean is, it is a story about a woman struggling to find herself and her path through a bunch of difficult circumstances. Romance is entirely optional and secondary to that story. I absolutely love romance, don't get me wrong. But it was refreshing to read a story where that was secondary to the story of our central female character. 

I thought Sophie's character was really well-written. I found her kind of annoying at first, but I think that is on purpose. After a while though, I really grew to love her. She was so fiercely loyal to her grandmother, and she made such honest and real mistakes, it was hard not to see a bit of myself in her. And her growth throughout the book is incredible (while still believable). I always like the imperfect characters so much more in the end, and that was definitely the case here.

I loved the romance too. It was just what we needed to pull the story along, give Sophie a reason to stay despite some of the things that were hard. I really enjoyed it, and as I said above, I also loved that it wasn't the main driver of the plot.

And the setting, oh the setting. I mean, what's not to love about a chateau and the tiny town surrounding it in the French countryside? I felt like I was *there* and it was just the escape from pandemic/quarantine reality I needed. I'd like to go back right now, please and thank you. 

Overall, if you like books in breathtaking settings with likeable heroines, this book is for you!

I loved the main character’s voice— that alone was enough to carry me to the end, but add in the food descriptions and the travel and you end up with a novel that is chef’s-kiss-perfect for someone who needs a pick-me-up read.

I’m a sucker for beautiful covers and this makes me miss traveling so much! Throughout the book, all of Sophie’s adventures reminded me of the feeling of seeking adventure in new places and being inspired by what’s around you.

This book starts off with a few unfortunate events that lead Sophie to ultimately have an experience through France, realizing her true dream. How familiar does this sound? I feel like the more I talk to friends about their life experiences, it took one unfortunate event to find something they truly love. This story also depicts the picture of Sophie’s struggle of “making it” in a man’s world. As you follow her journey, you read about her experience as a female in the culinary world. Her family Chateaux and all the strong, dominant female personalities, if that doesn’t bring a proud smile to your face!

From all the salivating descriptions of French dishes to the beautiful scenes in France, I WANT TO GO BACK TO FRANCE! If you’re looking for a book to transport you to Europe, this was a light-hearted read with a good balance of family secrets, delicious dishes, and the journey of finding yourself. I think we could all use a little sprinkle of happiness in these “trapped” times.

Well, this is just a magical and amazing novel about the healing and transformational power of food & family. Top tier foodie fiction!

The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux
By Samantha Verant

Do you love French Cuisine? fine dining? Have you eaten at a Michelin rated restaurant?

When I first heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. I was so fascinated by the main character, Sophie Valroux a French born American who dreams of being a Michelin-Star rated female chef. Sophie's life is circling down the drain very quickly from losing her job and her confidence, then learning that her French grandmother suffered a stroke. With nothing left for her in NYC she sets off to France in hopes of a fresh start and reinvigorate her passion for food. 

This is a beautifully written novel about second chances, family, career and most of all about how food brings us together. I really enjoyed this amazing mouthwatering read.

This book was a delight!  Although I am not a any kind of a cook, the menus that were concocted by Sophie sounded delicious and the story was like a fairy tale.  The plot did progress exactly like one would expect, but yet seemed fresh and new.  Sophie was such a human character--the author described her grief and sadness perfectly, but on the other end her happiness could be felt by the reader.  And Grandmere Odette was the mentor that anyone would like..  While the food in the book was a feast for the palate, this book is a feast for the heart.

Sophie Valroux is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. She’s got the chops to work in a Michelin-starred restaurant.  When this story opens, the New York restaurant where, Cendrillon, is waiting to hear that they have been awarded a third Michelin star.

Tensions are running high in the kitchen. Eric, the chef de cuisine, and Sophie’s former lover, are not exactly having a lover’s spat, but Eric is hard on her, making her re-season the Executive Chef Dan O’Shea’s recipe for roasted potimarron, a chestnut-flavored squash, soup.

When the call comes, it isn’t the one they are expecting. Not only was Cendrillon not awarded a third start, but one was taken away.  Imagine the disappointment in that kitchen. 

Eric accuses Sophie of sabotaging the restaurant; O’Shea has no choice but to let her go. Sophie is crushed. It has been her dream to be part of the one percent of female chefs running a Michelin-starred restaurant. Word spreads through the city’s restaurants. Sophie has no chance of ever working in New York again…unless of course, she takes Eric up on going to work for him in the new restaurant he is planning to open.  Sophie would rather be homeless than that.

Sophie licks her wounds by returning to France where her grandmother lives. The grandmother she was exceptionally close to whom she has hardly talked to, much less visited in thirteen years.  Grand-mere has suffered a stroke.

Sophie learns that Grand-mere has been busy in Sophie’s absence---opening two restaurants in “the simple family home…is now luxurious chateau.”  Two highly regarded and highly successful restaurants.  Although Sophie’s confidence has been shaken to her core, she learns that while life isn’t fair, good can come of every betrayal and disappointment.

I fell in love with the opening paragraph…so beautifully written that I read it three times to savor the imagery. This novel is about family secret, learning to dream again and family is this people that can always be depended upon, even when there is disagreement. There is also a secondary plot line of romance. Between food (complete with recipes) and romance, this is the perfect escape novel and a way to see France without leaving your favorite chair.

I was disappointed that author Verant used so many French words that I could not put into context, but they added authenticity to the story that I would experience if I was in France.

The Secret French Recipes of Sophie receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

This was a nice light read. I enjoyed reading the character's growth as a person and I liked that the whole story was about the hospitality industry. I would definitely recommend this

This book was everything I wanted it to be and so much more! First and foremost, the love of food in this book was fantastic. The book was realistic and through every setback our Sophie went through, I was rooting for her. I loved the characters and setting and am having a difficult time saying anything I would do differently or improve upon.

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a sucker for any book involving Paris and The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux sounded like it would be right up my alley. Sophie Valroux is a French-born American chef who dreams of one day running a Michelin-starred restaurant. When she's sabotaged by a fellow chef and her career seemingly over, she also finds out that her grandmother, the woman who taught her how to cook, has suffered a stroke. She immediately flies out to Paris and discovers that her grandmother's old home has expanded to become a beautiful château, complete with two restaurants, that she's successfully founded and runs. It's quite a shock to Sophie, especially as her grandmother expects her to help cook in her absence, which is where the fun begins. The best thing about this book is the food. The author spares no detail when it comes to describing the elaborate meals Sophie creates. Her passion for food and how it brings people together was so beautifully expressed. That and Sophie's relationship with her grandmother were certainly the highlights for me. But it's not just about the cooking. This unexpected opportunity gives Sophie the chance to reconnect with her roots and old friends, make new friends, and find the confidence within herself to move forward. It does take a while for Sophie to start making those strides which did make the first half of the book feel slow but once she hits the ground running, so does the story. 

Do I recommend? | If you want to crave all the French food (and read a good book!), I would definitely recommend this.

🍷🍷🍷🍷.5 #Review of The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux by Samantha Verant

"This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all, have fun." - Julia Child

The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux is a charming contemporary romance that begins in New York City but takes readers to small town in France where one woman must learn to trust herself again. I'm not normally a fan of contemporary romance, but the synopsis of this book intrigued me since our long-awaited trip to Paris had to be canceled this year 😭 and because I have a passion for cooking myself. It also gave me a chance to brush up on my (very limited) French. 

The story follows Sophie, a French-born American chef with the dream of one day being the head chef of a Michelin-starred restaurant. Right away readers are embraced in the struggle of being a woman in a male-dominated field. Sophie has to work harder, longer, and better than her male co-workers. Just when she thinks that she is getting a little bit closer to achieving her goal, Sophie is sabotaged by a jealous ex-boyfriend, resulting in not only the loss of her job but her reputation as well. Depressed, disheartened, and ready to give up on her dreams she hides away from the world....until she receives a call that her grand-mère in France has suffered a stroke and needs her help. Sophie doesn't know what to expect when she arrives at her family's French château, but it isn't the grand establishment worthy to rival any NYC restaurant that she walks up to. Nor is the surly driver the same boy she remembered from her childhood. 

Author Samantha Verant weaves a rich tale of rediscovery, reconnecting, resilience, and a dash of romance in The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux that was an absolute delight to embark on. With a family saga, second chance romance, and delectable delicacies I loved every minute of the tale. Sophie was an authentic character that experiences many highs and lows throughout the story, I couldn't help rooting for her. The château staff was fun and supportive, adding levity to the plot, and her grand-mère a true gem. I could easily imagine the backdrop of Southwest France with it's lavender fields and local markets while reading. I enjoyed this book so much that I purchased a paperback copy for my shelves, and I can't wait to try some of the recipes found in it myself. 😊 A heart-warming tale with an enchanting setting that I recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. Sophie is forced to leave her dream behind and is torn about accepting center stage in a dream she feels she didn't earn. I did receive an ARC from Netgalley, but only had time to read it just now, and opted for the audiobook instead. The audiobook was fantastic! Imani Jade Powers had a great range of believable accents that made the story all that more engrossing. If food and love in the French countryside is right up your alley, this book is for you! (Also, DO NOT read this if you're hungry without the possibility of eating soon....). 
Recommended for those who enjoyed The Lost Vintage by Ann Mah, Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave or you want a warmer/fuzzier version of Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler

Eu gostaria de agradecer a Penguin Random House Internacional pelo envio do livro. (Thanks for the free book, @PRHGlobal/@prhinternational)


Sophie Valroux trabalha em um conceituado restaurante em Nova York, é noiva fake de seu melhor amigo (que é gay) e corre atrás de seu sonho que é ser uma chef com estrelas Michelin. Até que seu ex, Eric sabota seu trabalho e acaba com sua carreira e ela perde tudo. Os amigos de profissão lhe viram as costas e ao chegar em casa descobre que Walter se assumiu e agora não precisa mais do noivado fake. Tudo na vida dela desmorona. E quando liga para a avó, descobre que sua única família está num hospital. Sophie, então resolve pegar o primeiro avião e tomar conta da avó e do Chateau que ela comanda. Ao chegar na França, porém as coisas estão mais mudadas que Sophie imaginava.


Eu nunca tinha lido nada dessa autora e estou extremamente feliz em poder dizer que essa foi uma ótima experiência. Não só por mostrar que sonhos podem mudar e o que não podemos fazer é desistir.


Acontece tanta desgraça com a Sophie, ela é traída pelos amigos, seu trabalho é arruinado e apesar de ter momentos que eu pensei que ela fosse realmente desistir, ela não faz. Ela se levanta e luta pela avó, luta pelo legado da família e para reconstruir uma nova vida. Ela é talentosa, fiel e leal a seus princípios e isso foi o que mais gostei nela.


Há romance no livro, mas esse não é o foco. Rémi, é o melhor amigo de infância de Sophie e é apaixonado por ela desde os nove anos, mas quando a garota não voltou mais para a França, eles acabaram perdendo o contato e ele seguiu a vida. Todos seguiram a vida, apesar dos desencontros.


Enfim, essa história é deliciosa e eu queria muito que essa história sobre família, superação e se reencontrar viesse para o Brasil.

Sophie has it all—she's chef de partie at a restaurant about to receive it's third Michelin star and her career is right on track. Unfortunately, that third star doesn't come. And Sophie finds herself blamed. And fired. 

Left with nothing, the final blow comes when she discovers that her beloved grandmother is in the hospital recovering from heart surgery. So she packs up and returns to France, a trip so long overdue that nothing looks familiar anymore. 

Her grandmother's chateau is now a fancy resort with two restaurants. And her grandmother has her own award from Michelin. But she can't run it from a hospital bed. And so it's up to Sophie, who hasn't stepped foot in a kitchen successfully since losing her job, to take over. It's a job that comes with much weight, and Sophie isn't sure she can be up to the task. But being back in France serves as a reminder of all the things that set her on this path to begin with. And if anything can bring her back, it's her grandmother's faith in her abilities!

Verant makes her fiction debut with The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux. 

Sophie really does feel like she has the world at her fingertips at the beginning of the book. She's confident both as a person and especially as a chef. But when she's sabotaged, by a cheating ex and fellow chef, she loses even her faith in her own talents. (Except that the sabotaging chef in question wants her to come work for him!). 

She spends weeks holed up in her room and ignoring the kitchen. And her first attempts to dig herself out of the funk are disastrous. 

And then she learns that her grandmother is sick. 

Sophie's backstory is quite interesting. Her mother had mental health issues, which Sophie actually becomes convinced might plague her as well. And there's a secret hidden in this backstory as well—the reason her mother left France in the first place and prevented Sophie from returning for so long. 

This is a character-driven family drama perfect for any foodie Francophile!

Thanks for the free book, @PRHGlobal/@prhinternational
Okay, confession time – when I got the widget from the PHR International team, I thought I was getting a totally different book. The one I had in mind was actually “Mrs. Graham’s Cold War Cookbook” by Celia Rees, which I still want to read, by the way. Well, I was about 20-25% into the book when I realized what I was reading had nothing to do with spies or wars. However, by that time, I was already intrigued and enjoying a real culinary fiction book (which I don’t think Rees’ book actually is), that has a touch of romance tossed in as a garnish (yes, you may expect me to fold some foodie puns into this review. Sue me!). Mind you, there is a bit of spying that happens in this book, so that is some small compensation.

So, now it is up to me to review the book I read, and not the one that I thought I was going to get. My initial thought was that there’s quite a bland trope here – girl on the cusp of getting everything she ever wanted and then her whole world deflates like an over-cooked soufflé, and as she picks up the pieces of her career, she also finds a bit of love to spice things up in the form of a childhood sweetheart, Rémi. My regular readers know that I’m not into romance novels, but thankfully, this novel doesn’t have Sophie swooning over some guy, at the expense of her taking hold of her life. In fact, I appreciated how Vérant practically went out of her way to make sure that Sophie concentrated on herself and her career much more hungrily than she did over a bunch of muscles. I also liked how Sophie’s drooling came more often while confronted with fresh produce, than when staring at Rémi. Most importantly, I appreciated how Vérant made this into a self-empowering, coming of age story, which also celebrated the life of Sophie’s grandmother. 

All of these aspects earn this novel quite high marks from me, but I have to admit that there were a few things that weren’t all to my liking. For example, I believe Vérant made Sophie a bit too insecure throughout the novel. Yes, I understand that a blow to one’s career can do that to someone, and they often need to wallow for a while before they can begin the process of coming back into their own. However, Vérant allowed Sophie’s uncertainties to continue far too long for my taste. Plus, there were a bit too many ups and downs in Sophie’s progress towards becoming more self-assured. Of course, it can be argued against this that there’s always the worry behind any artist or professional (in any field), that one success after failures is just a fluke. The thing is, Vérant tells us that Sophie had been steadily rising the ranks of a two-starred Michelin restaurant for the past five years. You’d think that this experience would have helped her get back her mojo faster, and with fewer pitfalls. Also, I found the ending to be a bit too sweet and conveniently concluded, but readers will be thrilled to get some actual recipes from Vérant’s grandmother at the end, so that made up for this nicely.

I have to say that with all this, and considering it wasn’t the book I thought I was getting, I really did enjoy this novel very much. Vérant’s writing was really attractive, and as I said in the intro to this review, that easily kept me from having regrets for downloading this book. I can easily imagine that those readers who enjoy a really good contemporary women’s fiction novel that includes some romance along with an empowering, coming of age theme, will be giving this book a full five stars, for me, it was worthy of a very healthy four out of five. By the way, although the sophistication of the language here (including the additional bits in French) makes me classify this as adult fiction, I can see this appealing to young adult and new adult readers as well (and no, there are no steamy sex scenes, thank heavens – only a few passionate kisses).

An entertaining, foodie escape to France! When Sophie had nowhere else to trun, she went back home to France and her ailing grand-mere to find her love for cooking again. This novel combined two things I love--French culture and food--so it was the perfect read for me. I loved all the French words and phrases--I took two years of French in college and understood them (but don't worry, there's translations or context to know what is being said). This was definitely an enjoyable read.

Fabulous French cooking meets family mysteries! I enjoyed the food descriptions and details about the French cuisine.  The recipes made me hungry! I also thought the relationship between Sophie and her grandmother was wonderful!! I enjoyed the mystery about her mother's death.  I thought that some sections kind of dragged on a bit, maybe too much overthinking by Sophie. Also enjoyed the romance, would have like more of that with Remi!!
Food descriptions were very rich with adjectives and definitely made me imagine the food! I appreciate including recipes in the end. I liked the character growth shown in Sophie's cooking and her relationship with her grandmother.

Fun, light, delicious book that makes me want to go to France and eat great food - and bonus, there are a few recipes at the back of the book!

Sophie is a chef in NYC who's dream is to be the head chef of a Michelin starred restaurant. But when her ex-boyfriend sabotages her career, she loses her job and career. She gets a call about her grandmother in France; the woman has had a stroke and they don't know how long she will live. Sophie gets on a plane and heads to her grandmother's chateau, a place she hasn't visited since she was 13 years old.

During her stay in Champsvert, Sophie learns her family's history and secrets. She gets to know her grandmother and her recipes and her love of cooking and life is rekindled. There are friends and romance and discoveries.

So, why not 5 stars? I got so irritated with the flip-flopping of English and French. Some words were defined and some weren't, like not at all. People would be talking and then end a sentence with, 'mon cher' or something and I'm thinking, 'why not just have them say, 'my dear,' I mean the rest of the sentence is in English.' There was a lot of repetition of the same phrases, like having to do with 'finding her stars,' among others. A couple times would be fine, but it felt super repetitive to me. These may be petty, but they happened a lot, at least in the ARC. Hopefully the final copy will have fixed some of it. 

My thanks to Berkley/Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read and reviewed this book and will provide the details directly to the publisher during the next round of this review process.