Amazing! ‘The French Chef’ was my first Kristy Cambron novel, and I was quickly drawn in by her strategic yet heartfelt writing style. She strikes just the right balance between riveting description and a breezy pace.

Although I read the physical copy, I think this story would shine as an audiobook (maybe that’s just my preferred medium for fast-paced, international historical fiction). The proper French/German pronunciations and accents would deepen the immersion in the culture and era.

I’ve been a bit burnt out on WWII fiction lately, but this book reignited my interest. The shifting timelines, points of view, and locations took some getting used to, but they offered welcome reprieves from the intensity of wartime while still adding intrigue. The female leads are especially engaging: Kat is tough, clever, and utterly capable without needing to diminish others to prove her authority, while Manon is resourceful, compassionate, and humble.

Adding Julia Child into the mix brought lightness and charm to the espionage-driven plot. I also appreciated the threads of romance we saw stitched throughout the story.

Special thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

An intriguing and unique look into WWII France and the post-war life, this story kept me guessing. There was a little bit of romance, plenty of suspense, and some heartbreak.

This story has many moving parts, including the dual-timeline, so it's a good idea to take some notes. I do enjoy this author's novels and recommend her.

Years ago, I read Kristy Cambron’s The Illusionist’s Apprentice, enjoyed it, and determined I’d look for some of her other books eventually. That didn’t happen—until this book came on my radar, anyway! It sounded fascinating, and I decided I wanted to read it—then realized about the time I got into it that I was feeling a little burned out on World War II books and ready for a change-up in genres. Oops! Thankfully, this book was so good that by the time I got halfway through the book, I completely forgot I was tired of WWII, and found myself fully immersed in the story.

This book has so many facets! I enjoyed studying it while I read, although before too long, that, too, went out the window as the story grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. There’s the spy element of the book—aside from a couple of nonfiction books, I’ve rarely read a story about the OSS in France during the war. That was fascinating, even if a bit violent at times. Then there’s the family element of the story—I adored the brother/sister camaraderie, even though that didn’t show up in the pages very often. The cooking side was just plain fun, and then, too, there’s a marriage of convenience, which was a fun trope to discover in here!

Of the two “times” in the book, I think the past was my favorite, but I found myself eager to get back to the other time to find out what happened next, regardless of which one I was reading. Kat was a dynamic, fascinating character, and I dearly loved Manon, too—timidity and all (even though she really was a very strong, brave woman!).

If you enjoy split-time historical romance with a dash of intrigue, I’d highly recommend you check out this book. Deeply nuanced, with strong characters and a sweeping plot, you’re in for a great ride and a sigh of, “Couldn’t we have just a bit more?” once you get to the end.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

🧑‍🍳 ❤️ 👩🏻‍🍳 One of the Best audiobooks for 2025 🧑‍🍳 ❤️ 👩🏻‍🍳

The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron and narrated by Saskia Maarleveld was Superb Historical Fiction. This was an audiobook/book that just stole my heart from the very beginning to the very end. i ended up listening to this audiobook all day until I had finished and I loved it. The French Kitchen is Inspired by the life of Julia Child who was famous for introducing French cuisine into American homes back in the 1950's. I have been fascinated with her since I watched her series on the Tele and had to purchase her books. . . .But, did not know anything about her life before she became famous, so this audiobook was a treat, and luxury treat.

We follow two women on alternating timelines as they navigate France, from 1943 to 1953 which was still hard times as the WW11 had just finished and everyone was trying to rebuild their lives and homes.

Rue, 1943. . . . . Deep in the heart of Nazi-controlled northern France, Manon Altier shifts between working for the enemy by day, as a French chef at the famous Château du Broutel, where names like Himmler, Rommel, and Goebbels frequent the guest list and running with underground networks against the Vichy regime at night. Working undercover to filter information to agents within the burgeoning OSS, Manon digs deep into the glitz and glamour of a Nazi stronghold that has her teetering on the edge of being discovered at any turn. But when an intriguing stranger appears at the chateau claiming to work with the French Resistance, Manon must lean on her instincts to judge whether to run and hide or stand firm--even as a terrifying discovery tests her resolve to continue the fight.

"What a dangerous life she lead and scary!"

Now, in Paris, 1952. . . . . An ex-pat wife living in Paris signs up for a cookery class taught by an American chef with an indomitable wit and decidedly French airs who is an instructor by name of "Julia Child". Amongst classes of the L'Ecole des Trois Gourmandes, with pots and pans and prim Paris wives learning to sauté in the French way, Kat Fontaine learns much more than she bargained for.

Now Still haunted by the years she spent serving in the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during WWII, Kat soon finds a simple cookery class unearths the tangle of gut-wrenching memories of war and questions about the high-ranking society husband whose past is as murky as her own. But when the puzzle pieces start to come together--and her carefully crafted Paris world begins to fall apart--Kat must confront her own secrets against the mounting suspicions of the husband she thought she knew . . . . . . .

"WoW. . . . What a life!"

🧑‍🍳 ❤️ 👩🏻‍🍳 I can not recommend this audiobook/book enough this just took my breath away. . .. Superb and the narrator Saskia Maarleveld was 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ just like this audiobook which was another 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 🧑‍🍳 ❤️ 👩🏻‍🍳

BIG thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio | Thomas Nelson Fiction for my Audiobook/book x

Kristy Cambron’s newest release, The French Kitchen, has consumed me over the past couple of weeks. Though I read this story much more slowly than I usually do, every time I got a chance to come back to the book it felt like an indulgent treat. There were so many twists and turns and some truly fantastic tension between characters. I’m talking slow burn at its finest. (Three words: marriage of convenience.)

The character that truly sold this book for me was the main character Kat, also known as Celene (her undercover name). Her flaws and weaknesses became her strengths and I appreciated her choices and grit. The scenes where Kat interacted with Julia Child, though not as prevalent as most of the book summaries would have you believe, are delightful and paint a thorough picture of the famous chef. So much so that when my husband and I visited the Smithsonian Museum of American History on our recent vacation, I spent a lot of extra time in the exhibit about food. Peeking into Madame Child’s replicated kitchen was like seeing a scene from this book come to life.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sending me a copy to review. I flitted between audio and ebook and both presentations were extremely well done (and it was nice to know how to pronounce all the French names!).

Ahhh I loved every moment that I spent reading this book! I found this book to be my perfect level of gothic and mystery woven into a romance. There is a health mystery, violin music, a mystic, a grumpy uncle, and a very old house, not to mention a dedicated governess and a nephew with grand plans that the uncle doesn't agree with. The writing was well done, and made me want to explore Shadowbrook House. Loved the book and will definetly be rereading in the future!

Content considerations: I normally shy away from books with mystics, as I don't want to delve too deep into evil spirits. However, I very much trust Shadow Mountain's content, so I kept reading the book. I was very pleased I did, and found that the mystic was mysterious and funny and had a knack for making interesting arguments with other members in the house. I never felt that her actions or words were too dark. Shout out to Shadow Mountain for having amazing books that we can rely on to have clean content!

Thank you to the author for the advance copy of this book. A review was not required.

Kristy is a vivid writer who paints a wonderful, insightful, & expressive novel which transports you directly into that quaint french kitchen. I'm inspired to quit my life in the US and become a fancy french pastry chef in Paris or something. :D

This story follows multiple characters through Nazi-occupied France during WWII and in their lives 9 years later. Manon, an amazing chef cooking from rations for the enemy. Celene, her helper. Gerard, a Vichy police officer. Many others. All these people have their stories, shared and hidden, that come to light in 1943 and in 1952. Stories of resiliency, tragedy, love, and heartbreak.

This was a quick read that kept me coming back as soon as I could whenever I put the book down. The love stories made my heart ache and the tragedy runs deep. Books like this confirm my love of historical fiction.

I take off .5 stars to all the date/location jumping that happens throughout the book. With all the code names, etc. I had a very hard time remembering with each chapter who was who and in which decade.

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson publishing, for the arc of this book in exchange for my opinion.

I love Kristy’s heartfelt historical fiction novels, and her latest does not disappoint! The French Kitchen is a unique story of an American OSS agent in a dual timeline - one during the fraught war years when you don’t know who to trust and one in post-war France where retribution is a real and present danger. I loved the twists and turns of the story. Just when I thought I knew what was happening, something would occur on the page that left me surprised. I loved learning more about northern France during the war. And I especially enjoyed how Kristy wove in Julia Child’s service during the war - it was a fun nod to her important work. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a romantic yet thrilling story set during WWII.

Katherine "Kat" Harris has been recruited to help build the resistance networks in France as an OSS Agent. She agrees only if she can search for her missing brother, Gavin, who joined the war effort and disappeared.
Chef Manon Altier works at Chateau du Broutel which is under Nazi occupation. She creates meals by day and works hard to keep her secret life in the shadows. When the newest operative and sous chef does not show up at the Chateau the worst is feared. When Kat "falls out of the sky" Manon teaches her how to aid her in the kitchen.
Gerard Fontaine is Captain of the Vichy at the Chateau during the occupation. Kat has come back to France in the early 1950's because she still believes her brother is somewhere to be found. She marries Gerard and tries to settle into life in France. Her husband is a man of mystery. There is danger and intrigue even with the war behind them.
Julia Child, a former OSS Agent lives in France with her husband. Her love of French cuisine has inspired her to start a class, The School of Three Hearty Eaters, in her home. Kat joins in. She is increasingly concerned about Gerard. Is he something, someone other than what she believes him to be?
I received an advanced reader's copy of this new Kristy Cambron book from Thomas Nelson Publishers from via NetGalley. This is my own opinion of the novel.
I will be honest. The dual timeline left me a bit confused at the beginning as it shifted back and forth between 1943 and 1951/1952. The OSS members have code names that I would get mixed up about. Overall, it's a magnetic and moving story. I loved that Julia Child was included. To me that paid honor to her actual service during World War II. Kat is a strong female character, very brave. There is an undercurrent of betrayal going on and I think Cambron alluded to, yet sent a fog over, that character giving suspense to the story. This is a strong 4 rating from me.

WOW! I am a huge Cambron fan already, but this book really outdid her normal stories. Sometimes I feel WWII stories can get a bit repetitive, the storylines so similar it is hard to make them out from one another. Not this one! A unique perspective on under cover operations with unlikely female heroes that made it hard to put my book down and go to bed. A must read!

I loved the espionage and the dual timeline in this book ! This was a really good book and highly recommended. I love it when authors weave history into their storylines. I love history so it’s interesting to me .
This is a clean book , and Kristy is a good author
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the arc

The French Kitchen
By Kristy Cambron

I have read a lot of Kristy’s books in the past. They were all so fantastic and I jumped at the chance to read her latest book.
To start with the description of The French Kitchen really grabbed my attention.

That being said I have tried on several different occasions to read this book and just couldn’t finish. It It was so hard to follow and jumped around so much. I never seemed to get to any meat in the story or anything that grabbed my attention mainly because I was so confused with the time jumps.

I really gave it a go several times and hate giving such a bad review to such a beloved author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I grabbed this ARC last month due to my love of WWII era fiction + a longtime fascination with the OSS. Due to being a bit under the weather while reading this, I occasionally lost track with the dual storyline, but overall enjoyed the story. Julia Child plays a minor role in the book. My favorite quote from the book: "Courage was not for the faint of heart, but reserved for those who would willingly risk no less than everything they held dear."

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC read!

3.5 stars

I've enjoyed many of Cambron's books, so I was interested in reading this one, especially with the foodie angle. Somehow I never knew that Julia Child worked as a spy during the war. I really enjoyed the two timelines in this book to see how things were for the characters during and after the war and how it all tied together. This story has a different angle on the war than most books that I have read in this genre. There is more focus on after the war, the rebuilding and such. Characters are well-crafted, relatable, and realistic. The friendship between Kat and Manon was a highlight of the story. Cambron's details are spot-on and place the reader in Paris.

Okay, the beginning of this book was very slow for me but it picked up before chapter 6 or so.

But when it picks up, it picks up for me, “I said stop,” she shouted again, this time with a steely resolve that echoed off the ceiling. “Thank goodness Mrs. Fontaine loaned me her husband’s service weapon, or you may have continued your lies. But all I needed was to listen at the door, to the guest who’d arranged to introduce us on my first visit to Paris with his daughter. To the man who made his children’s lives a misery. And to the military colonel who deserves every bit of damnation our country can heap upon his name. And I swear if you move one more inch toward that newspaper . . . I will use this. And then the Courts of Justice will no longer need my sworn statement along with theirs because you will be the one in a grave.”


Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book.

Thank you, Kristy Cambron, for doing a beautiful job 👏

I love Kristy Cambron's books! I love how she weaves stories from two or three time periods and becoming invested in all of them to seeing how they all connect together! Amazing!

This book pulled me in and had me wondering how all of these characters were going to connect. Especially with the beginning scene and the way the author set up the story!

I loved how it all pulled together! Paris in 1952 and Rue, France in 1943! The talk of the spy network and the culinary aspects were very intriguing! I felt like I was there enjoying all of the flavors, and then my heart would be racing the next moment as I was hoping the spies would be safe and accomplish their missions successfully!

The twists and reveals were amazing! I started to make guesses the further into the book I got and some of them I figured out and others I was surprised by! I love when that happens while I'm reading and invested in a book!

I read and listened to the audiobook of this one! I really enjoyed the narrator. This was the first book I've listened to that she narrated and enjoyed how she brought the French aspects to life!

I thought after reading the synopsis that Julia Child would feature more in the story than she did and that she was going to be one of the main characters. Turns out she was a secondary character in the story but I loved the moments she was on page. I had read another book that was about her and her time during WWII that releases in a month. It was fun knowing more about her life and service while hearing some of it in this one. She's an incredible woman!

There is a sweet love story that is a slow-burn one but will have you loving how it all comes about!

Content: Clean. Some moments of mild peril. Sweet love story with a fade to black scene, it was kept very clean.

I received a copy of the digital book and the audiobook from the publisher/producer, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading & Listening!!!

This is a wonderful dual timeline story that takes place in 1943 towards the end of WWII, and in the early 1950s in France. It is a beautiful story full of espionage, bravery, love, and French cooking!

I learned from the book that I would make a terrible spy - it took me way too long in the book to be able to keep up with the characters and their different names and timelines! But with each chapter, the story unfolds - Just when I would think I had things figured out, a new plot twist would change my theories! I loved the little surprises along the way.

I also loved the parts with Julia Child. It was so interesting to learn about her wartime service!

If you enjoy WWII fiction, then check this one out!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction, NetGalley, and Kristy Cambron for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

From the heights of culinary cuisine in 1950s Paris society to the underbelly of a WWII spy network embedded deep within Nazi-controlled Vichy France–and the spy backstory of the world’s most famous would-be French chef, Julia Child–The French Kitchen turns up the heat on the pasts of women whose worlds collide, and forces each to question what she thought she’d planned for a perfect future.

This is a bit slow in spots. But the ending is so very good! I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the hunt for Kat’s brother. Add in the cameo appearances from Julia Child and you have a pretty good read!

I also enjoyed the “sort of” love story between Kat and her “sort of” husband. Yes! You need to read this to find out.

This story is a good mysterious tale with some twists and turns you will not see coming!

This is narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. Excellent job with all the French pronunciations!

Need a WWII spy novel…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest review.

Dual timelines...

Set in post war, 1952 and in the world of Julia Child, Kat is in rebuilding mode.
But the construct is a dual timeline of Manon in 1943.
An interesting concept executed very well.
Recommend.