WOW. Kristy Cambron brings another wonderful story of intrigue, history and wonderful characters to life in this book. It follows Kat as she gets into WWII and spying. She weaves this story if Kat with real life spy and chef Julia Childs story it is very interesting. If you like historical fiction that keeps you wanting more this is for you.nI really enjoyed this book. I received an arc copy to read and give my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest opinion. I've read every one of Kristy Cambrons books and she just keeps getting better. A wonderful split time story of intrigue, spies, romance, and a surprise I didn't expect. Julia Childs' part in the story just make it even better. Kristy puts such detail in her stories and I respect the amount of research that has to be involved. The ending was very satisfying. I don't know how she does it but I already can't wait for her next won! Highly recommend!

I LOVED this book! At first I got frustrated because it keeps switching to different years/periods of time & different people, but I think that was partly due to it being an ebook format. It would definitely be easier to read as a hard copy.

However, the author did such a fabulous job tying everything together, I ended up really enjoying the book & look forward to reading other books by this author!

I love to cook & watch cooking shows, so that aspect initially drew me to this book, which I have to say it wasn't as much about that, but it definitely was fun having Julia Child be a character in the book.

Great characters, great plot, surprising twists & more. You won't be disappointed!

(I received this as an ARC read. All opinions are my own.)

I always enjoy a historical fiction book and a duel timeline I learned things I didn’t while reading this story. I enjoyed the development of the characters also.
Thanks for the advanced copy NetGalley and the publisher.

The French Kitchen is a well written historical novel set during WWII. A dual timeline plot that is effortlessly woven. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my advance digital copy. This is my unbiased review.

Terrific read with intrigue, spies, romance, with real people and events involved in the plot. Any reader who likes a good mystery may enjoy this one.

Unraveling the past in order to move forward in the present, the main character 'Kat' answers a cryptic telegram taking her back to France years after the war ends. The author skillfully leads the reader back and forth between two timelines--1943 and 1952--as pieces of the past come together to solve the puzzle of what happened to Kat's brother during the war.

Loved how the author mixed real people into the plot, especially Julia Child and the art of French cooking, and her role in the OSS during WWII. Her research on women in the OSS shines through in her characters and made the story feel plausible. The tension rises towards the end as the final piece falls into place and all is revealed.
Satisfying read overall. Not much spiritual content, but a good, clean read. Recommend!

I loved this book! At the beginning it was a bit confusing, but the timelines got clearer as the book continued. Well-written with interesting characters, this story kept my attention. There were unexpected twists, heart-wrenching details, and heroic moments. A clean and good WW2 novel. I also LOVED the kitchen/chef aspect of it. A chef myself, I enjoyed the kitchen atmosphere and the parts that Julia Child played. I recommend this book. 4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley & the published for an arc of this book. This is my honest opinion.

WWII novel about allied spies working in a hotel kitchen, and the turmoil they face in the aftermath of the war. Part of the story features Julia Childs as friends of one of the characters. Honestly, I found this a bit of a slog. The story was interesting, but a little confusing with the switching time lines and alias of the different characters.

This was a dual timeline book--but the timelines were fairly close. Only about 10-15 years apart. They follow the life of an American female who joins the spy ring agency during WW2 purely to find where her brother disappeared to. We see her in the 1950s in a "relationship" with a mysterious Captain from her times working in the war. A french captain who was a Vichy police supporter. But she has some kind of connection with him.

More gets revealed in the blasts from the past of her time during the war.

We also see the life of Manon--a french chef during WW2 working in a house occupied by Nazi elite officers. She tries to also participate covertly to help the French underground.

All the lives of these people get woven together throughout the book--but the overall plot is our American trying to find out the fate of her brother.

Although this is listed as a Christian fiction, don't expect it to have any inspirational insights or scripture. Just a clean read for WW2. Yep, another one of those.

4 Stars

*thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a copy of the novel. All opinions are 100% my own.

Can Kristy Cambron get any better? Yes, yes, she can!

At first, I wasn’t sure of The French Kitchen. It seemed to go in every direction except our main character, Kathryn (Kat) Harris, who was solid. I liked that she didn’t go with the crowd; she marched to her rhythm. Her character is multi-layered, and I connected to her in a way I don’t always with female characters.

The French Kitchen opens up with Kat undercover in the field with Xandre, who we’ll meet up with later in a surprising turn of events. The changing timelines at first were annoying, but as I continued, they didn’t bother me as much, and I found it necessary to the plotline to keep everything moving succinctly. I loved getting to know Manon, Gerard, Julia, and Dominique. As Kat’s search for her missing brother continued, the layers kept coming, and I never really knew what to expect, but the mystery and the intrigue of this time was attention-grabbing for me

My gratitude to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson. All opinions expressed are honest and mine.

This book was amazing! I love cooking and historical books and this was the perfect combination of both. The writing was wonderful. I highly recommend!

I enjoyed reading this story, though it took a bit to really get a hang of the characters and the jumping of the storyline. This type of timeline is one that makes ebook a less than ideal format for reading since you can't just flip back in the pages to remind yourself of times and places. I found that made this a bit more difficult to get into the story and characters.

Overall, it was a good story and I didn't mind reading it. I didn't find it memorable, though I enjoyed it. I am a bit underwhelmed since Julia Child is one of my favorite people from history and cooking and this is just, well, didn't really live up to what I expected. Not a bad read, just not my favorite.

The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron is a fascinating dual timeline story that takes place during the Nazi occupation in France 1943 and early 1950s in Paris after World War II.
I love historical fiction and this book delivers!!! I loved how the author weaves actual events into her amazing story. Julia Child, the famous French Chef, played an integral role as a spy in the French Resistance. Another main character, Manon, is a French Chef during the day, serving the Nazi’s and at night she is part of OSS, Office of Strategic Services, an underground network providing important information to the Americans. Another main character is Kat who joined the French Resistance to find her brother, Gavin, who also joined and went missing. Kat's knowledge of languages and her ability to read lips made her an invaluable asset to the OSS and she also posed as Célène, a kitchen maid at the Château du Broutel. She was very valuable as an undercover spy.
There are many well-developed characters, secrets and shocking circumstances in this story. I loved it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson publishing for an advanced readers copy.

WWII, dual time lovers and those of you in love with France, you’re going to love this book.

I loved the setting of resistance work being done out of a kitchen in a castle full of Nazis. Bring in the OSS, Julia Child and numerous other characters, some intrigue, some villains and you have the potential for a great book.

What carries the story is the excellent writing, the setting, the relationships between the characters, and the aftermath in 1951. It gives a real feel for the effect of a war, way beyond the time it officially ended.

Initially I struggled to place the different characters in the different timelines. Unusual words such as “men in litzen” are found in several locations. Some conversations were puzzling to me and not as fully explained as maybe a reader would like.

Julia Child is portrayed just the way I remember her from her cooking shows, larger than life. Very well done! My favorite quote came from Julia, “To look back is not to lament all we’ve lost, but to see how past experiences have shaped us into who we are.”

I appreciate the sensitivity towards the culture of the country. There are several examples, one of them is Kat shouting Julia’s name across the market, something that’s not done in Europe and is specifically mentioned as very American. It’s a pleasure to see an American author, writing a story taking place on a different continent, be aware of the differences.

Excellent research as always. I’d highly recommend getting a copy and losing yourself in the pages of this book for hours. You’ll have withdrawal symptoms once you’re done!

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing me with a free complimentary copy. A review was not required. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The French Kitchen was a great World War II novel. Lately, I feel like I've read quite a few historical fiction novels that would technically be considered dual timeline in that the story is told by characters in two distinct timelines. More traditionally, these timelines have quite a bit of distance between them (as in decades or more), but the ones I've read recently have been interesting in that the dual timelines are quite close together. The French Kitchen is told by the same characters in both the World War II timeline but also just a few years post-war in the 1950's. Cambron provides mystery, intrigue, war, spies, cooking (and even a celebrity chef in Julia Child), and a plethora of memorable characters. The French Kitchen is a five star pick for historical fiction fans, especially for those who enjoy learning about the more subtle forms of resistance.


I received a complimentary copy of The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Things are cooking in Kristy Cambron's The French Kitchen. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and sprinkling in iconic characters including Julia Child, the author serves up a sizzling story!

On the menu is Kat's narrative weaved between dual timelines. Like a fine wine, Kat's story in 1952 serves up a seasoned veteran having survived secret missions. The supporting characters are appropriately named as they provide Kat, security, shelter and as a sense of belonging. While Kat's brother has been declared dead, she remains determined to bring his legacy home.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #TheFrenchKitchen in exchange for an honest review. The captivating story kept me in suspense until the final chapter. That being said, readers need to pay careful attention to dates listed at the beginning of each chapter. The book darts between the decades so make sure you're surefooted to avoid a misstep.

Kristy Cambron is one of my favorite authors, and she did not disappoint with this new historical novel. I took off one star because it was a bit confusing at times, jumping between multiple time periods, and there were so many characters to keep up with. I took a few notes to help me with the timeline and characters. Overall, it was a beautiful story with a nonpredictable resolution. I would definitely recommend it.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own*
The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron is such a beautifully written book. I don’t know how Kristy does it, but her writing is so eloquent throughout. This book follows Kat as she receives a telegram bringing her back to France after WWII in search of her brother. She runs into the captain who she thought was her enemy and strikes a deal to stay in France and continue her search. Like other novels, the timeline jumps between present day and the past to pull the entire story together. Also, appearances by Julia Child - so good!!
I very much enjoy Kristy’s writing style and how vivid a picture she paints. This story was a perfect blend of historical fiction with a hint of romance. The timeline jumping does take some getting used to. I wish I had read this as a physical book to be able to go back and forth between the timeline jumping easier. It took me a bit to fully understand what happened at the end, but goodness what a surprise.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC.

4⭐️ always recommend!

Julia Child and Kat Fontaine both volunteered for the osso (Office of Strategic Service), which is how their paths crossed. Readers get a peek into the early life of Julia Child. It's interesting to learn about what the Office of Strategic Services did to support the war effort. Kat Fontaine uses her cooking skills well in that effort.

Not having read the synopsis before reading the first page, I immediately began to assume that Julia Child would have a larger part in the novel. It wasn't until I was approximately 35% (or so) into the story that Julia does make an appearance, and then pops up again towards the very end.

I found this book fascinating as well as thrilling once I adjusted to thinking about Julia Child's part in it. The story flips between 1943 and 1951. Kat joins the OSS with her brother, and he goes missing. Kat is determined to find him. She will do whatever it takes to get him back. Even if it involves working undercover in occupied France. She ends up posing as Celene, a kitchen maid at the Château du Broutel.

Most of the events take place after World War II. Disguised as waiters and cooks, spies have a hidden job that goes beyond what you can see. It was intriguing.

I really enjoyed this story and got hooked on it quickly. I never suspected that kitchens could help in the war efforts the way they did. I really liked the peeks into Julia Child's early cooking and help in the OSSO. The sweet romance was a delightful surprise.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher, Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

If you love stories about France (especially Paris), French cooking (especially Julia Child), World War II (especially in France), strong women (especially spies), and love (especially complicated situations), you will love this book! Following a large cast of characters through World War II and again 8 years later, Cambron weaves together an amazing and convoluted story of determination, love, betrayal, questionable loyalties, lost loved ones, and much more. You may not want to read the cooking scenes when you’re hungry :-) There are also gut-wrenching events that are not fun to read about, but part of the reality of war. Overall, this is an amazing book.

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