Sophie Valroux has been working her tail off to try to achieve a dream that seems very far off. After she is blamed for a mishap in a restaurant, her future is more unsure and a fateful call sends her to France to rethink if she still wants to really strive for that Michelin-star dream.

I adore books where a main character must return to a place from their past in order to move forward. Sophie returns to France and learns the truth about her mother and her grandmother and is able to heal from a lot of trauma and maybe even rekindle a little romance!

This was one of those feel good books that just makes you happy when you are reading it. Sophie is a great character that has ups and downs, but nothing overtly dramatic. And of course, the romance is predictable, but aren't they all and we, the readers, are still satisfied with the ending that we know is coming.

From what I can tell, this is Samantha Verant's debut fiction novel and I am crossing my fingers that she has more stories to tell!

Sophie Valroux knows exactly what she wants - to be a head chef in a fine dining restaurant where she can create truly amazing meals. She has been working her way up in a Michelin starred kitchen and is anticipating a promotion but instead finds herself suddenly out of a job and blacklisted from all other high dining establishments.

While Sophie has no idea what to do next she discovers her Grandmother is sick and travels to France to help her. Sophie is reluctantly thrust back into a kitchen at her Grandmother’s Chateau and soon finds herself not only facing her fear of failure in a kitchen but realizing how many things she’d been missing in her life being so focused on her cooking career.

I loved Sophie’s journey and how this book addressed her past, her struggles and how she ultimately finds a way to happiness past her heartache. She has a tremendous amount of character growth and is very is relatable. I will say that the romance was sweet but I didn’t connect with it as much as I did with Sophie’s friendships and the relationship with her Grandmother. There were a few moments where I felt certain issues were glossed over and I was a little surprised by Sophie’s reactions but overall this was a good read and I really enjoyed it.

Five shining stars!

What a delightful book, full of passion, joy, beauty, and love! When I first saw this book, the cover caught my eye, but as soon as the description mentioned French cuisine and female chef, I was caught.

There are many industries where it is still very challenging to be a woman, including the culinary world. It's sad that in 2020, women (and people of color) have to work 10x's as hard for every bit of respect they get, and misogyny is still alive and well in many areas. But total love and passion for the art are what allows some of the few to survive what is often a harsh environment. This book follows Sophie's journey through the highs and lows (rock bottom) of being a female chef and rediscovering her true love of cooking, not for the external "Michelin Stars", but because of how she can show love to people through her cooking. I also loved that her grand-mère's Chateaux was run mostly by women! The contrast between her grand-mère's restaurants and the NYC restaurants was very clear and indicated that there is definitely more than one way to provide excellent food and service than the world of the Michelin stars.

This book made me laugh, cry, salivate, and cheer. I could absolutely smell and picture the scenery and the scents. It was filled with sensory images that transported me to France. This book is now on my list of favorites and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys food and romance and strong female characters.

FTC Disclosure: Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I love a good foodie book. I love a book about a woman who is struggling to achieve her goals in life and has to reevaluate her plans. I love a good recipe or two. This book had all three of these things and it didn’t disappoint. It was a touching story of a young women who tries to figure out her next steps in life by getting in touch with her past and her original love of cooking.

The writing was smooth and easy to devour. I loved the story and the fact that Sophie had to fight with herself in order to move forward. The family dynamic was equally as beautiful if not traditional.

While charmed from page one, with an opening quote by Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa fame, unfortunately that delectable amuse bouche ended up being the best part of what I consumed in this literary meal. I've always been a big fan of foodie fiction, narrative cookbooks, and culinary memoirs with rich, evocative details that establish a definitive sense of place, complex characters, and mouthwatering descriptions of food. The Secret French Recipes delivered morsels. With opening scenes that resembled something more akin to a restaurant procedural, thinly drawn characters trying too hard to be cool, witty, and French, and cliched chapter titles, I was left hungering for more. I found myself unable to truly connect with Sophie or her plight, or find authenticity in the dialogue. I pushed away the plate with this one, unable to finish.

What a joy this book was. Enjoyed the characters relationships growth and development. Descriptions of locals really make me want to travel and explore, and food descriptions are mouth watering.

DNF p. 31

I love stories about chefs and food but I’m just not connecting with the writing. The villain was so over the top in the first chapter and Sophie’s reactions (and inability to see it coming) didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. Then she gets home and finds out her gay best friend, whom she’s been pretending to be engaged to, has finally come out to his mom and can be with the love of his life…and she’s sorry for herself? I just don’t have the capacity for that kind of character arc right now. If you enjoy books about chefs and restaurants, it might be worth a go.

CW: references to past infidelity and sexual harassment, heroine is posing as her closeted gay best friend’s fiance

I have to admit, I didn't love this book -- which is why I'm not posting to GoodReads. I ended up setting it aside after several chapters. While the sections taking part in France were escapist and goodhearted, the beginning of the book was harsh and at times violent. I had a hard time connecting with the book emotionally. Hopefully others will be won over by the food theme and the French setting.

This book desperately made me want to take a trip to France (or at least to a delicious French restaurant). Sophie is an up-and-coming chef with eyes on becoming one of the few women at the helm of a Michelin star restaurant. Unfortunately, her dreams come crumbling down with some assistance from a conniving ex/coworker. While Sophie's still reeling, she gets new that her grandmother has had a stroke and might not have much time left. She jumps on a plane to France, returning to the chateau where she spent her formative summers learning to cook. However, it's quite a bit different than when she last saw it and Sophie struggles to find her place.

I thought the book was overall very sweet and a lovely read. Some portions were Sophie was dealing with her emotional trauma in ways that were... less than healthy were hard to read. I do wish that some of the discussion around mental health had gone into more depth given how important it was to the story. I found the themes of change and figuring out what your dreams actually are quite compelling. The constant descriptions of food were mouthwatering and the French setting enthralling. It definitely was an engrossing read that transported me to a delectable European destination.

This fun and predictable story is about Sophie, who gets fired from her cooking job because one of her co-workers sabotages her. She ends up going to stay at her grandmother's place in France, which turns out to be a chateau, with luxury accommodations and an amazing restaurant. Sophie finally finds out the truth about her mother and her childhood friend, Remi as well as regaining her confidence as a chef. This would make a great beach read or fun book to do as a book/cooking club.

Sophie is a New York chef who wants to become the head of a Michelin starred restaurant. And then she has nothing - her job is gone, her reputation as a chef is shot. Her motivation is gone. She is not even sure she wants to cook again. Then her grandmother in southwest France requests that she come. Grandmother needs some help with her chateau and kitchen. Sophie, as a child, spent summers with her grandmother, and credits her grandmother with her interest in food. Will she be able to re-kindle her interest in food? Grandmother doesn't give her much choice and Sophie is forced to start cooking and running the restaurant kitchen.

The setting in France is beautiful - beautiful, well-appointed lodging in a chateau, a fabulous restaurant in the chateau, lavender fields, sunflower fields, and local food markets. Sophie soon comes to realize that as the future of the chateau goes, so goes the future of the local village

Thank you for approving my request for this title. Here is the link below for the link to my blog’s review of the title: https://wordsofmysteryblog.wordpress.com/2020/08/19/midweek-mini-reviews-31/

3.5 stars

This novel was a slow starter for me, but was a welcome feel good story which ultimately sorted all its problems out. For any foodie fans, the meal descriptions and Sophie's joy in creating amazing cuisine really makes this book stand out.

Sophie Valroux was born in France, but her young single mother took her and moved to the U.S. Sophie's mom had severe depression issues and Sophie endured some tough times growing up. She dreamed of being a chef, like her beloved French grandmother, and made it through culinary school to the difficult world of Michelin starred restaurants in New York. There, too, despite her hard work, she got some tough breaks and ultimately had her career destroyed by some misogynistic male chefs.

Even understanding all of Sophie's trials, I grew weary of her whinging, hiding out, avoiding reality, and sniveling. It took 17 chapters before she finally was able to kick herself into gear and try to restore her perspective and resume her life. After finding out that her grandmother was ill, Sophie returned to France to see her.

She is stunned to see that her family home has been incredibly restored into a luxury property with a world renowned kitchen. Her grandmother assumes Sophie will just take over. This sets all of Sophie's anxieties afire again, just when she is moving past the New York fiasco. To add to the uneasiness, her once close friend Remi now only snarls at her, and one of her co-workers at the chateau is clearly lobbying for Sophie to fail.

Sophie has to decide, under extreme pressure, what it is that she wants. Does she want to return to NY to the pressure cooker world of fancy restaurants to salvage her reputation? Does she want to placate her grandmother and stay in France? Or does she want to strive for ordinary happiness in a place that she has loved since childhood?

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A sweet and delicious romance full of great food and a lovely setting. This was a Hallmark movie on the page with a bit of history and depth to make the experience richer. The details of the food and menus added an extra level of pleasure to this delightful confection of a book.

I was so excited to find out that Samantha Vérant was coming out with a first-to-me fiction book. I loved her memoirs, Seven Letters From Paris and How to Make a French Family, and knew that a novel by her about cooking and France would be great.

Sophie is a chef in NYC until her life falls apart: she loses her job at a Michelin-starred restaurant and just weeks later her grandmother in France has a stroke. She jumps on the next flight out to be by her side and ends up taking over the château her grandmother owns while she is in the hospital. While trying to keep the château running smoothly, Sophie also struggles with old and new relationships in France, the direction she wants her life and career to take, and trying to repair her reputation in the restaurant world back in the U.S. in the hopes of resuming her life there.

The main distraction for me while reading this book were Sophie’s actions and emotions. I liked her as a character and share a love of cooking with her, but I often didn’t understand why she was feeling and acting the way she was during any given crisis. Usually her behavior was explained towards the end of Sophie working through it herself, but it would have been helpful to me as a reader to see Sophie working through her emotions earlier on to better understand her. Otherwise, I think this is an enjoyable, light “chick lit” read. If you’re looking for a quick escape with a happy ending then this book is for you.

The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux comes out on September 8th, 2020.

I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a good well rounded contemporary. I also wanted to eat the whole time with the rich descriptions of the food and the attention to detail with the cooking. Sophie works in a high paced restaurant trying to get it's third Michelin star. In a male dominated career, Sophie has worked obsessively to reach the high rankings and because of a power struggle, her career goes up in flames. Distraught, Sophie wallows in her defeat until she is called back to France. This is where the story really shines. In France, Sophie's grandmother has built an empire that Sophie has dreamed of but will she be able to stand on her own after her defeat? The character development here is drawn out against a backdrop of croissants, old loves and wine. All the characters here are quaint and bring a family element to the story that is needed. There are some sad moments but ultimately it highlights the journey of a woman succeeded in making her own place against the patriarchy of the cooking world.

When Sophie Valroux's dreams of becoming one of the rare women to lead a Michelin-starred kitchen goes up in flames, thanks to a manipulative, scheming former lover in the same kitchen, and she finds out her beloved grandmother in a small town in France had a stroke, she books a one-way ticket back to the chateau her family has owned for generations. After a 13 year absence, she finds everything completely changed and that her grandmother didn't tell her anything. But it might be the one chance for her to reclaim her life, legacy, and career.

This is the kind of women's fiction novel I've been looking for! It isn't quite the one of my dreams, but it's the closest I've gotten to what I consider my perfect women's fiction novel. Most usually have women in some kind of female-oriented career, like a sleepy cafe or teacher. A high powered woman doesn't exactly jive well with the genre at the moment. It also tends to go heavy on the romance to the point where they're blurred right into romance. To me, women's fiction is about a woman finding herself and building her life into what she wants it to be, romance optional. The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux absolutely delivered on what I've been craving.

The Plot: Perfect Women's Fiction

Sophie Valroux seems to have it made. She's an amazing chef in a New York City restaurant on the verge of receiving it's third Michelin star. If it does, she'll be one of the few women leading a Michelin-starred restaurant. Everything looks rosy for her. But it all came crashing down on her when sabotaging colleagues manipulate her and their boss, leaving her without a job, and blacklisted. At least she can count on her fiance, except he just came out to his wealthy, conservative mother and is now wildly happy with his true love. Fortunately, they still love Sophie, but Sophie turns into a bit of a brat. For weeks, she's lost in the haze of failure, unable to lift herself out despite the many and varied attempts of her best friends, who are extraordinarily wonderful and fully supportive of her.

It was difficult to read the many chapters of Sophie sinking down into a dark place, but it also felt entirely real. Having lost her dream, she no longer knows what to do with herself. Because of the way she was manipulated, she no longer even trusts her culinary abilities. Even when her grandmother, who runs a hotel and two restaurants at the family's chateau, needs her to take over the kitchen, Sophie crashes and burns, to the delight of Jane, who has become the face of the chateau over the years. Fortunately, Jane's twin Phillipa turns out to be an amazing friend and the complete opposite of her snobby sister. But Remi, Sophie's childhood friend she unwittingly left behind, doesn't make things any easier than her. At least, not until they have a heart-to-heart and romance blooms. Still, Sophie is wary. Life with her late mother wasn't easy and left a dark shadow over her, and she never knew her father. Grand-mere Odette, though, is a force to be reckoned with even in her weakened state. She knows her granddaughter and would do literally anything to make her dreams come true. It hurt to see Sophie be continually manipulated, but it also helped her emerge from her fog of failure, to show her exactly what she capable of, and to make her see the truth of herself. I adored reading as she brought herself back to life and was finally able to discover the dream she was always meant to have.

The ending broke my heart, but also managed to piece it back together. Sophie lost a lot, but also gained a lot. It left the characters on a perfect note. It was a bit different from the endings found in typical women's fiction novels, but I loved it. It was exactly the kind of ending I had been looking for, and it couldn't have been found in a better book. Overall, this book delivered in terms of what women's fiction should be: about a woman rediscovering herself, not falling in with the love interest at every turn. Sophie was a strong woman who just needed to find her strength again, as well as her feet. The ending leaves the characters on a positive, hopeful note, ending exactly the way a chapter in a real person's real life would.

The Characters: Near Flawless

Each of the main characters was fully formed with individual personalities and depth. They interacted almost flawlessly, though sometimes it felt a little too easy, like there should have been tension at some points, but it wasn't there or wasn't as strong as it should have been.

I was a little bothered by Sophie in the beginning, but, as she grew as a person, she grew on me. It was hard to like her at first, but her mistakes, her jumps to conclusions, her unspoken battles with Jane, and the love she clearly has for the grandmother she hadn't seen in 13 years because of her late mother's meddling all helped her to endear herself to me. She wasn't perfect, and knew it.

Jane was the most confusing to me. She clearly hated Sophie and saw her as an interloper. She has a history with the chateau that Sophie doesn't, so her animosity is fully expected. She's torn between her loyalties to Odette and her hatred of Sophie, so their interactions sometimes knocked me because it wasn't as I expected. I felt it could have been more acrimonious and was resolved a little too easily. Her sister, though, was an absolute gem. Everything Jane was not, she was fun, bubbly, and loyal, and just what Sophie needed in her life to find the bright flavors of life all over again.

My favorite part of this book was that the romance wasn't over done, that it had it's place and knew it. It wasn't overpowering; it was even a non-issue for at least half of the book. The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux clearly focused on Sophie getting her life back on track, while also giving her more of an incentive to stay. It was perfectly done, understated and exactly what Sophie needed.

The Setting: A Gorgeous French Chateau

Right now, I want to go to a French chateau. In particular, I want to go to this chateau, Sophie's family home. It's located in a quiet little French village, but still close enough to town for a day visit. But I loved the focus on the chateau and the tiny town it supports. Clearly, it's a place everyone relies on in some way, which only adds pressure to Sophie.

It was quaint and delightful. The grounds were extensive with gardens, greenhouses, and vineyards. The inside of the chateau felt charming, but wasn't overly described so I only got the sense it was refined and tasteful, which was mostly due to Jane's doing. It felt quite upscale and fancy, but had so much history and nostalgia attached to it that it did somehow feel like home.

Overall: The Perfect Recipe

The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux was exactly what I had been looking for. It delivered on almost all counts. A focus on the woman in question rediscovering herself and working hard to get her life on track. Friendships that come easily and with difficulty. A romance that was light, yet serious, and hit all the right notes without being overpowering. It was the perfect recipe for my idea of the perfect women's fiction novel. I just wish Sophie had been more likable from the start, but she did grow on me. I was dissatisfied with her and Jane's relationship, but, when I take myself out of the book, I feel I can understand it better. Overall, it was a fun read with a lot of depth and soul searching.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for a free e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed reading The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux. The descriptions of the dishes that Sophie cooks are so mouth-watering that I could almost taste them. Sophie's grandmother and her friends are well-written and the scenery in the chateau and the French countryside is breathtakingly wrought. The only downside of the novel is Sophie herself. She works at Cendrillon, a two star restaurant run by the supremely talented Chef O'Shea. Cendrillon is on the verge of earning its third Michelin star, and Sophie is the "chef de partie" She makes the restaurant's signature soups. Sophie is coming close to realize her dream of opening her own restaurant . She's learned so much from Chef O'Shea - she's got the cooking down, but not the relationships. She gave in to temptation and became involved with Eric, O'Shea's second in command, who also wants to open his own restaurant. Eric will go to extremes to get Sophie to work for him. When she refuses one-time too many, he sabotages her career in the worst way. After losing her job and her career, Sophie buries herself in her room, concerning her fake fiance Walter and his partner Robert. After weeks of wallowing, Sophie finally gets up the courage to call her grandmother in France and is horrified to learn that she had a stroke. Sophie rushes to her and learns that Grandmere has made many changes to the chateau where Sophie spent idyllic summers learning to cook at her grandmother's side. Sophie learns that her Grandmere has plans for Sophie to take over the chateau and its two gourmet restaurants. Sophie has many decisions to make about her future. Unfortunately she spends most of the book wallowing in self pity and moaning about not being able to cook any more. Her family and friends spend a lot of time bolstering her ego and giving her lots of support. If Sophie had put as much into moving on with her life instead of feeling sorry for herself the book would have been much more interesting. Still it was a good story, it was fun to read the French phrases and I learned a great deal about how a restaurant is run. Samantha Verant includes several of Sophie's recipes at the end of the book. I appreciate the opportunity to read the ARC.

Ambitious Sophie, living in NYC is sabotaged by a friend and her career as a chef is almost destroyed before it really starts. She is extremely depressed and reaches out to her French grand-mere and discovers she is in the hospital. Sophie races to help her and her grand-mere's chateau / inn / restaurant and learns and grows up. People who like "Food" and French culture will appreciate this tale and the secondary characters are likable. However, I found Sophie, even with some childhood and current hardships, whiny and hard to sympathize with.

What a good read this was! This is a story about an French-born American (New Yorker) name Sophie who was unfairly fired from her chef job who then moves to France to visit her ill highly esteemed French grandmother and discovers her true purpose in life. Sophie has big dreams to be a top chef at an elite restaurant till her dreams all crashed down. Sophie goes thru a deep depression and is informed that her grandmother is sick back in France. She visits France to be near her only living relative. She meets and reunites with several characters and takes charge of her grandmother’s chateau and kitchen. Because of this experience, she is able to discover new friendships, romantic love, and overall healthy relationships. Sophie was an interesting character and I felt so bad for her. I’m glad things worked out for her in the end. She deserved a happy ending. She was strong. I enjoyed her grandma, Remi, Phillipia, Clothilde, etc. They were such great characters. Because if this book, I’ve learned a little French lol. I also like the author’s writing style. She really delved in deep into this story, the comedy was gold and the food descriptions made me hungry. You will cry, laugh and smile. I recommend this book.


"I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."