Even if you're not a foodie and have never watched Top Chef, SADIE ON A PLATE by Amanda Elliot will still hit the spot. This book seriously made me want to be a better cook, or at least a better restaurant patron. Reading it was like having a behind-the-scenes all-access-pass to a reality television competition. The main character's growth and journey is a fantastic progression between unemployed hot mess to someone who has it all on a plate. I loved the characters, I loved the competition, but most of all, I loved Sadie!

Cooking competition romance time!  Sadie on a Plate is all about a young Seattle chef who, following a messy break-up, becomes a contestant on a nationally televised cooking program and tries to bring kosher cooking to the masses.

Sadie is in a career crisis. This top-flight chef has been fired from her spot in a Seattle restaurant by her ex, who has proceeded to ruin her reputation by speaking badly of her all over town.  But things start to look up when Sadie receives news that she’s about to become a contestant on Chef Supreme, a nationally broadcast cooking contest. Even better, she meets a cute guy named Luke on the plane to New York. She’s bummed that she won’t be able to talk to him during the show’s filming period due to her NDA; they share a meal and a kiss and part for the time being. Sadie is then horrified to learn that Luke is her competition on the first day of shooting.

As the weeks peel by and Luke and Sadie survive the repeated rigors of competing with one another, their attraction only grows stronger. But will they have to choose between being together and the accolade of being named Chef Supreme?

If you like Top Chef and really, really wanted a couple of the competitors to kiss each other one season, this book will be a gift.  But even if you’re not, Sadie on a Plate is a bright and breezy trip through the hells and joys of life on a cooking competition.

Hooray for representation. Sadie’s desire to make kosher cooking more prominent in the minds of the masses, guided by her internal voice (which takes the shape of her judgy and very dead Grandma Ruth) is a lot of fun to behold.  I loved her refusal to be beaten, even when things seemed their hardest.  And her romance with Luke is sweet as a slice of noodle kugel.  Also points for the book’s quite diverse cast and the way the book speaks about their varying cuisines and cooking styles. The food-talk here is uniformly fun and excellent and mouthwatering, and the representation of life behind the scenes at a reality show is pretty much spot on.

The book kind of straddles the Contemporary Romance/Woman's Fiction line, though; the middle stretch of Sadie on a Plate mainly focuses on the competition and how Sadie survives it, leaving little room for her under-the-covers connection to Luke, and this causes the romance to come off as somewhat under-baked., which might disappoint romance readers looking for more. Those mainly here for Sadie’s journey, however, will be delighted.  And her friendship with Nia is a lot of fun too.

Even though the romance is a little undercooked, Sadie on a Plate has a winning style and a great heroine who manages to make you root for her, flaws and all.

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I labeled this as a romcom but I might have to take that back because there is very little romance involved in this story. It's there but definitely not the focus.

The cooking competition tv show is majorly the focus as well as personal coming into your own style in cooking. I really liked how we got so much behind the scenes looks at the show and it really made you realize that not everything you see on reality TV is real. Most of it is scripted and planned.

I wanted more romance.
You could definitely tell this is a debut as there are parts that maybe should be left out and others that were not elaborated on enough. Also, I could tell the author was trying to make this a character driven book but it felt much more plot driven. Our characters were just kinda given a label and more or less shoved in our face to make them seem interesting but you could totally tell they were just there to mark off all the diverse boxes. Like, we hot one scene with Ernesto who even was he?

I'm looking forward to reading the next thing from this author and seeing how the writing grows.

I love the insight into the culinary world! Sadie is a wonderful protagonist and I loved reading about her journey. Perfect for fans of Top Chef or Great British Bake Off.

SADIE ON A PLATE is Amanda Elliot’s first adult romance. Sadie, an up-and-coming chef in Seattle loses her job and is trying to figure out what happens next when she’s accepted as a contestant on the cooking competition Chef Supreme.

During her flight to NYC, she feels insta-attraction with her seatmate Luke. Unfortunately, the NDA about the show means Saidie can’t explain why she won’t be able to contact him for 6 weeks. One delicious Korean meal and a smoldering kiss later, Sadie’s off to compete. Imagine her surprise when Luke turns out to be a judge for her season.

This is a sweet, contemporary, New Adult, romance - some heated kisses with lots of longing glances.

What I loved:

The representation of Jewish food - those descriptions of both traditional dishes and Sadie’s elevated takes had me salivating.

The voice of Sadie’s grandmother in her head - so funny!

Diverse cast - ethnically, sexuality, and gender and the cuisines they cooked

While Chef Supreme is fictional, it obviously owes a lot to Top Chef so I loved that women chefs from TC got shout outs

Sadie was so relatable in both her determination to meet her goals and her belief that things her manipulative jerk ex did were her fault.

Acknowledgment that professional cooking/restaurant industry is often sexist (See the real life scandal following Top Chef season 18).

For fans of cooking competitions and sweet romances. Also for fans of the author’s YA books written as Amanda Panitch, and authors Rachel Lynn Solomon and Helen Hoang.

This book just didn't work for me. Even though I went into the story expecting there to be some insta-love, I just didn't feel the chemistry between Sadie and her love interest. I also didn't like the fact that he probably knew who she was when he met her if he was going to be on the show, and that part felt very manipulative to me. The writing also had no personality and I found myself reading just to know what happened and not because it was well-written. This story would've been better as a show or movie.

SADIE ON A PLATE was absolute delight. The chemistry between Sadie and Luke was sizzling and sweet; I adored them. The pacing was so addictive and satisfying that I actually woke up at 7am so I could finish reading this morning (before I had coffee, even!)--hands down a must-read for anyone who loves Master Chef or The Great British Baking Show! And the descriptions of food??? Be warned: reading this book will definitely make you hungry! I cannot wait to read more by Amanda Elliot!

I DEVOURED this book! Sadie is a saucy and bright main character, and she was easy to fall in love with.

The reality cooking competition was a delightful setting, bringing together high stakes drama and the complexity of relationships. It was like the Great British Bake Off meets The Next Food Network Star with a romcom twist, or in other words, a collision of my favorite foodie shows.

I appreciated Amanda Elliot's research into the food world and the way she explained how flavors interact; Sadie shined as an expert in her Jewish cooking and I loved the heritage and stories behind her plates. The food descriptions were luscious and mouth-watering. (Downside: I wanted to eat everything the characters described.) The dialogue was natural. Her meet-cute with Luke was heart-melting.

Sadie on a Plate is... *chef's kiss* perfect in every way. This was one of my favorite romance reads of all time!

Sadie has been offered the opportunity of a lifetime: compete on the hit cooking show Chef Supreme. On the plane from Seattle to NYC, she connects with her seatmate. Unfortunately, he's not who she thinks he is.

When I heard this book was Top Chef meets Jewish cooking, I knew I had to have it. Add in some romance, some competition, and it sounded like my perfect read. Unfortunately, I had some issues with it but there's still a lot to love!

Likes:
- FOOD. Obviously. I want all of that delicious Jewish food right now
- The early chemistry between Sadie and Luke
- Forbidden romance
- The fun, diverse cast of competitors
- Late Grandma Ruth's judgmental voice of reason

Dislikes:
- Lack of Sadie and Luke time throughout the middle. Gimme more romance.
- Too much time spent on each challenge of the competition
- Glossed over seemingly important parts of the story
- Could have used even more of the side characters

Overall, this is a sweet, fun, Jewish read. Definitely pick it up if you like a food-filled, slow burn, closed-door romance. And obviously, if you like cooking competitions.

Thank you, Berkley and Netgalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really love Top Chef and cooking shows so I was already predisposed to like this book. I really enjoyed all the characters and the setting. I thought the exploration of Sadie cooking the food she really wanted to make was well handled and I really liked all the other contestants and characters. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to friends.

4.5 stars. A sweet, bright dose of serotonin for your reading soul. Sadie is a Seattle chef who's at loose ends after her boss (and former sort-of boyfriend) fires her and badmouths her around town. When she gets a call from Chef Supreme, a Master Chef-style reality cooking show, she jumps at the chance to compete and redeem herself. On the plane to New York, she meets Luke, charming and handsome fellow chef. They clearly have a connection, but Sadie tells him she won't be able to see or speak to him for the next six weeks. Little does she know, she's in for a big surprise on the first day of filming.

Elliot clearly has deep knowledge of reality cooking shows, and affinity for food and cooking in general. She does a good job of centering the competition without taking away from the relationships in the story. I felt like I was right there in the kitchen as Sadie and her fellow chefs dealt with dishes and drama. I only wish we could've had some of Sadie's classic, Jewish-inspired recipes in the back of the book. Maybe there will be a companion cookbook? I would definitely enjoy that.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Food and romance. Who could ask for anything else? This book was such an unexpected pleasure. I laughed outloud in several places, I drooled over the descriptions of enticing menus, and I swooned during romantic scenes. I did not want this book to end.

Sadie has just lost her job as a chef at a top Seatlle restaurant when she gets a phone call from the television show Chef Supreme (think Top Chef). Soon she's on her way to New York to compete on the show. On the plane she meets a very cute foodie....and I'll stop there. You will need to read the rest!

This is Amanda Elliot's first foray into adult romance. She writes as Amanda Panitch for kids and YA. Her next book looks like it's going to be another foodie romance. I can't wait!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own. This review can also be found on my Goodreads page.

4.5 Stars - Possibly my favorite romance this year! Sadie and Luke meet on a flight to New York where she’ll be vying for Chef Supreme on the hugely popular cooking show.

I really enjoyed this book’s portrayal of the competition and all that goes in to this type of reality television. Loved the other characters and Sadie’s relationships with them, but the food was the real star!

Sadie and Luke’s attraction was sweet and hot. Can’t wait to read more from this author.

Sadie and Luke are both chefs but Sadie is a contestant and Luke a judge on a popular chef competition. They first meet on a flight from Seattle to New York and are surprised, and concerned, when they meet again on set. Luke tries to protect Sadie by pretending not to know her but this angers and hurts Sadie who doesn’t understand what is going on. As the competition goes on Sadie and Luke can’t stay away from one another. Finally Luke resigns, Sadie gets into the final round and their future together is set.
This is a well crafted engaging tale with multidimensional characters, and not only the main characters. The contest feels like a character on it’s own and provides the drive and energy of the plot. I would recommend this book to my patrons.

Sadie on a Plate is a good read, one that I enjoyed more than I initially thought I would. The biggest draw is insight into the production of a reality TV cooking contest show from the perspective of a contestant. That combined with Sadie’s journey of self discovery and a forbidden romantic attraction/relationship make for a compelling story— a quick, satisfying read.

This one was really fun! I love reality TV food shows, so I loved that part of this book. I liked all the food descriptions and all of our chefs. Sadie and Luke, I was definitely rooting for them! They were a cute couple. I think this will be a big hit in the romance world in 2022!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

I enjoyed this charming book so much, I read it in one thoroughly delightful sitting. With its endearing heroine and witty, engaging tone, it reminded me of a Sophie Kinsella novel. I loved the luscious food descriptions, the effortlessly diverse cast of secondary characters, and the TV show setting. I really rooted for Sadie and Luke, who were so great together. Infact, if I could get more books about them I would be happy! Definitely recommended.

This was a great food-centered romantic comedy that was super enjoyable and feel-good. As a fan of reality cooking shows, I was so excited to read this one. Amanda Elliot was so good at writing the food scenes. Luke and Sadie were perfect, and I'm a real sucker for a pairing that's not allowed/frowned upon. SO GOOD

🍽Sadie on a plate by Amanda Elliot @amandapanitch , for release March 15, 2022

“A chef’s journey to success leads to discovering the perfect recipe for love in this delicious romantic comedy.”

This book was such a feel good romance!! I am a huge fan of cooking shows (even though I can’t cook to save my life). Sadie on a Plate was so fascinating to me to get an idea of what goes on behind the scenes. Here are just a few of the highlights for me:

🍽Amanda Elliot knows food!! Her descriptions of the food throughout actually had me salivating and seriously craving some fine dining 😆

🍽I just loved Luke and Sadie. The forbidden romance trope always gets me!

🍽The diverse cast of characters really made this world feel so real.

🍽I loved the writing so much! The voice is so well written and Sadie is such an endearing, lovable character.

Sadie on a Plate was such a delight from start to finish! Also the cover is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. The color 😍Massive thanks to Amanda and Berkley for access to this ARC 💖

I enjoy romances centered around food / cooking-competition reality tv and this was a nice addition to that topic. I thought the writing was solid and that Sadie and Luke had fun chemistry.