✨In a world of spies and saboteurs, you never knew whose actions you could trust . . . unless it was a man who was falling in love with a woman when he thought no one else was looking.✨

Do you love stories with espionage, betrayal, redemption, and love? This book has all of that, plus amazing characters! There were so many twist and turns, I may have actually gasped a time or two.

I loved Kat. She is determined and intelligent. My favorite thing about her was how she stayed true to herself whether at home in Boston, at training, or at the chateau. She was determined to find her brother even while completing her work. Her time as an OSS agent was so interesting. I really enjoyed her interactions with Gerard. I felt her confusion when trying to decide if she could trust him or not. Gerard is intelligent and absolutely captivated by Kat. I LOVED getting his back story and seeing his part at the chateau. I enjoyed Kat and Gerard’s search for her brother in the 50s and I loved when they finally opened the lines of communication and fully trusted one another. Their’s was a hard won love!

Manon is patient, brave, and determined. I loved seeing how she and the small resistance group at the chateau worked. How fun to have French chef as a main character and to get a glimpse of her dishes. Her romance with ‘Dominique’ was so sweet.

I enjoyed all the French cuisine and the author’s delightful portrayal of Julia Child. Her role in Kat and Gerard’s search was interesting too.

A few more quotes:
“But I know the contradiction I saw in you. And I have yet to find my own eyes have failed me when it really matters. So, you are an enigma, Gérard Fontaine. And it is more than Paris society who is attempting to unravel your past. Consider this fair warning that I intend to do the same, no matter what it costs me.”

“I want to know why you think he could still be alive.” “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” “Try me.” “Because, Kat, you haven’t given up on Gavin yet. And if you haven’t . . . then I can’t either. If you have one shred of hope left, it can be my hope too.”

“Then, please. Stay?” “I asked you that once before. At the cottage in Le Crotoy that first night. And you never left. For three days I woke and you were still there.” “I’m the one asking now. And I swear you’ll never wake up alone again. Not if you don’t want to.”

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review, rating and opinions are my own.

The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron is a beautiful showcase of Cambron’s writing talents. Her attention to detail…historic, location, characters, even recipes, is what truly grabs the reader’s attention and keeps them captive for the duration of the story. I thought the intelligence aspect of the story was brilliant and well written. I love how Gavin recruited his sister because he knew her so well and then to see how well Kat did was exciting. There is heartache to be sure, but there is also growth, maturation, development, and bravery. The representation of what others have done in real life is inspirational and I love that their story lives on. I did enjoy the love stories along the way and how they just naturally grew and deepened. The inclusion of Julia Childs and her backstory were enlightening and blended right into this story.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley, and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Loved the dual timeline. A beautifully told story with characters you will fall in love with! Highly recommend picking this one up. Beautiful.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher!

The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron is a historical fiction that has wartime espionage, romance and French cuisine in a multiple storyline. I found the beginning of the book a little hard to follow and I kept flipping back and forth to figure it out and keep everything straight. As I got further into the story things seemed to fall into place.

Kat one of the main characters is recruited by the OSS as an agent. Hoping to find her missing brother, she agrees to go to France as a spy. Manson the other main character is working for the resistance. They end up working together in a French kitchen serving high ranking Germans and gathering information. Will they be exposed or succeed in their mission? The suspense was created by the constant danger of being found out. The ending was a surprise.

The French Kitchen delivers a suspenseful story with many twists and turns. Overall I would recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for an advanced copy of this novel.

The beginning of this book was hard to follow for me, because of the dual timelines and trying to figure out who everyone was, along with the spy names and their real names. It took me awhile to get into the book because of that, but once I figured out what was going on, it sucked me in and I loved it. Loved the snippet of Julia Child and had no idea what she had done during the war. The ending was shocking and I felt like it came out of left field just a bit. The two romances were sweet and I loved them! Such a great read, once you get into it.

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

** “It’s how we know we’re still alive, when love hasn’t gone completely from our hearts.” **

In “The French Kitchen,” Kristy Cambron dives into an historical group of people and their wartime efforts — the Office of Strategic Services during World War II — as well as pulling in a recognizable chef.

When Kat Harris’ brother goes missing during the war, she decides to join forces with the OSS to not only help her country, but see if she can locate him. Going deep undercover in a chateau, right in the belly of one of the German enemy’s hideaways, she must quickly learn culinary skills as part of her cover.

Can she determine whom she can trust? And will she ever find her brother Gavin?

Several years later, while still searching for Gavin, she is reacquainted with several of those she knew during the war. How will their stories intertwine now that it is 1952? And who is this intriguing woman named Julia Child who is teaching a cooking school for Kat and her friends?

Cambron tells the story over several different timeframes during the 1940s and early ’50s for the same characters. Because most of the characters have multiple identities, it can be hard at times to follow who’s who and what they are doing when, but overall this is a fantastic, suspenseful story filled with drama and romance. She provides intriguing characters, some of whom the reader is never quite sure whether to trust or not.

She also fills “The French Kitchen” with several great themes, like leaning on someone else is OK at times; sometimes it’s OK to look back, but sometimes we also need to just look forward; courage is not for the faint of heart; trying to determine whom you can truly trust (“Only a rat would play both sides while he waits to see which sewer he’d like most to swim in”); the weight of decisions can either sink or save the heart; and love conquers all.

Fans of historic fiction as well as World War II stories will love this novel. Fans of authors like Rachel McMillan, J’nell Ciesielski and Katherine Reay, as well as series like Julia Kelly’s “Evelyne Redfern” series, will love “The French Kitchen,” which is due out Aug. 5.

Five stars out of five.

Thomas Nelson provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

I went back and forth on how to go about writing this review as this book didn't end up being anything like what I was hoping for. I was a huge fan of Kristy Cambron's Lost Castle trilogy, and ever since I've been picking up her books looking for a new story to love as much as those ones, only to usually end up disappointed. While there were certain components I enjoyed about this one, it wasn't the story I was truly wanting, and it ended up feeling a little lackluster in my eyes.

I will say I definitely seem to be in the minority as it seems most readers so far have loved this one, but I struggled to get invested in the story until about two thirds of the way through.

What I Liked:


I adored the bits and pieces including Julia Childs. I've always been kind of fascinated by her and her story, and I especially loved getting to hear more tidbits about her work with the OSS, and how she adapted to life after the war.

I surprisingly enjoyed the romances. Even though I didn't truly care for either main character, I thought both romances were sweetly developed, and went a bit of an unusual route which was a nice change for the story.

The focus on French cuisine, and the descriptions of the women learning to make new recipes was a fun touch, and that was one element I was hoping for when I picked this book up, so was pleased that it was included.

Lastly, I enjoyed the last third or so of the story (other than the weird plot twist near the end), as it was a lot more enjoyable to read about, and the character's voices finally sounded different enough that I could figure out who was who.



What I Didn't Like:



I don't want this review to be as long as the book itself, so I'm going to try my best and summarize these points quickly as there were quite a few of them.

The timeline and pacing were extremely hard to follow, and it put me off on wanting to pick this one up. The story dragged in so many places, and many bits of it were honestly kind of boring.

The plot twist at the end was completely out of the blue, and didn't seem developed enough to be believable.

The main characters were both slightly unlikeable, and their voices sounded so similar that I had a hard time keeping up with who was telling the story in various chapters.

The shifts between time periods were not written well, and it made the entire story seem kind of disjointed.

The ending was too rushed, and just when I felt I'd actually started enjoying the story, it was suddenly over and I was left with more questions that answers.

And lastly, this is marketed as Christian fiction, but it's another title where the faith element is non existent. Considering the horrific circumstances the characters are finding themselves in, I thought it would have been a heartwarming touch to see them leaning into their faith despite not knowing what was to come. It just felt like a bit of a missed opportunity.



Overall, this was another World War Two historical fiction title that was a bit of a miss for me, and I've getting a little warn out on this genre. It used to be a favorite, but I just haven't read many great titles within this genre as of late. That being said, a lot of other reviewers have loved this one, so if dual timeline novels set during this time period are your preference, then definitely still give this one a try.



Final Rating: 3/5.



Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read and review this one!



I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Multiple storylines in one novel?
Characters who make you think and lovable ones too?
Beautiful writing that evokes complicated feelings?
All of this and more in The French Kitchen!

Book review of The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron. Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction for my gifted book and NetGalley for my gifted eARC.

Kristy Cambron’s The French Kitchen is a gorgeously layered historical novel that blends wartime espionage, slow-burning romance, and the rich sensory world of French cuisine. Told across two timelines—1943 Nazi-occupied France and 1952 postwar Paris—the story traces the lives of two women: Kat Fontaine, an American OSS operative haunted by her brother’s disappearance, and Manon Altier, a French chef walking the razor’s edge between service to the Reich and resistance against it. Through secret missions, coded menus, and quiet rebellions in bustling kitchens, the novel explores how food, memory, and survival are intimately linked. And while it has moments of confusion due to its ambitious timeline structure, it ultimately delivers a gripping, emotional ride with heart, courage, and unexpected tenderness.

Kat’s arc is central and compelling. We first meet her as a sharp-edged Boston socialite with more grief than direction. Her younger brother Gavin joins the Allied war effort and vanishes shortly after, pulling Kat into the OSS on the promise that she might find him. Armed with her linguistic skills and rare ability to read lips, she parachutes into France under the name Célène, landing in the gilded yet dangerous Chateau du Broutel. There, she’s thrust into Manon Altier’s world—a kitchen that caters to Nazi elite during the day and serves as a hub for resistance activity at night. The castle is crawling with suspicion, and it’s impossible to tell friend from foe. Every character is watching, listening, weighing risk—and Cambron captures that paranoia beautifully.

Manon is a revelation. I found myself drawn to her character as much as, if not more than, Kat’s. She’s elegant, calculating, emotionally bruised but unbreakable. Her calm precision in the kitchen masks the defiance burning underneath. Her relationship with Kat develops naturally, with trust earned over time and through necessity. What begins as mentor-apprentice becomes something deeper—two women bonded by trauma, secrets, and an unspoken understanding of what must be sacrificed to win a war.

Then there’s Gerard Fontaine—Kat’s husband in 1952, a man she marries not for love but for leverage. He once served under the Vichy regime, and though he now works to root out lingering Nazi collaborators, Kat doesn’t fully trust him. Their marriage is layered with unspoken grievances and past pain. Every time she questions his loyalties, every small gesture of affection between them, adds tension. It’s not a sweeping romance—it’s more delicate, tentative, and ultimately redemptive. I especially loved that Cambron allowed both characters to be flawed and vulnerable in equal measure. They are not here to save each other, but to grow side by side.

The pacing in the first third of the novel was a challenge. Multiple timelines (Boston 1943, Rue 1943, Paris 1952), scattered POVs, and overlapping code names slowed my immersion. I had to pause more than once to get my bearings. That said, once the timelines began to converge, the structure paid off. Secrets that seemed like side notes suddenly mattered. Minor characters re-emerged with huge implications. And by the time the final act rolled in, I could not put the book down. A late-game twist caught me completely off guard, and I loved that. Predictable books are comforting, sure, but this one kept me guessing in the best ways.

Cambron’s prose is elegant and restrained. She knows when to pull back and let the story breathe. The descriptions of food—sauces being reduced, crusts being tested, the clatter of copper pots—ground the narrative in the physical, even when emotions run high. Julia Child’s inclusion as Kat’s postwar culinary teacher is subtle and smart. She doesn’t dominate the book (as some might expect) but instead acts as a touchstone for rebirth, legacy, and identity. The scenes in her Paris kitchen are some of the most peaceful and emotionally resonant in the novel. As Kat puts it, “She taught me to taste again. But she never said what it would cost.” That line haunted me long after I closed the book.

The novel touches lightly on themes of faith, which some readers might expect to play a larger role given Cambron’s previous works. But what’s here is subtle—more about personal reckoning, conscience, and grace than overt spirituality. That felt authentic, especially in a story so steeped in moral ambiguity. People do what they must to survive, to protect, to resist. And sometimes, the cost of those choices only becomes clear years later.

The French Kitchen is about more than spies and secrets. It’s about memory, love, loyalty, and the everyday acts of courage that often go unseen. It’s about how women held the line—sometimes with a weapon, sometimes with a ladle. It’s about how we carry loss with us, and how, sometimes, returning to the past is the only way forward.

This isn’t just a book I read—it’s a story I felt. I’d recommend it to fans of Kristin Harmel, Kate Quinn, and anyone who loves WWII fiction that doesn’t shy away from emotional complexity. Despite a few pacing hiccups, it’s a beautifully written and deeply satisfying novel that I won’t forget.

Another great Kristy Cambron read. This dual time story mixes the OSS (precursor to the CIA) & French cuisine. Katy is asked to join the OSS in 1943 and ends up behind enemy lines in France, cooking French cuisine at a chateau occupied by Germans. In 1953, she returned to France in search of someone she believed died 10 years before. The story alternates between the 2 times as in both, she struggles with who to trust and trying to figure out who the enemy is. Beautifully crafted story, bringing in Julia Child, who lived in France in the 50s. The story incorporates some interesting but not necessarily well-known tidbits about Julia Child during the war. Definitely worth the read.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

i was instantly googling more about Julia Child when i started reading this book. who knew? what a woman even more so with what ive read on now.
this is such a compelling moving back told in dual timelines. it has lots of gripping moments, tender moments and sad moments. there is also mystery and intrigue to boot. and of course with some backdrops of a really horrific time for so many. oh and did i mention the food???
we are taken in one time to the 1940's where Kat has all the fears of war coming to her door. her brother is gone. he went to war and is now missing.she needs to do something to help, be part of it, feeling she is doing something. so when she meets Manon the head chef of a place where dark secrets are carried out alongside the Nazis, she think she might have found where she is meant to be. Manon and Kat are facing risks. but they must if they are to keep the allies with the info they need. they work alongside each other at a time when you couldn't even trust the end of your own nose. but their work is vital. so choices of trust and bravery are limited.
years later we are in the 1950's and the war is over. but there isn't a whole lot of let up from the thing Kat has to face, especially to with unanswered questions around just what happened in her war years. and this is where to working together of the two timelines is so clever and key if were are to unravel the story in the right way. and Kristy makes it work ever so well.
a thoroughly immersive book which i enjoyed reading. i felt a great need to keep going to i too could unravel this story line and just what was happening between and to our characters.

Wow! This book was wonderful. When I reached the 50% mark, I could hardly put it down.

It spans two time periods, 1943 and 1952, so the middle of the war in France and then during reconstruction. This follows two siblings, both who were pulled into OSS and then disappeared, or thought to be missing. We also have a French captain, is he an enemy or a friend? And cooking, kitchens and Julia Child.

The story started slow for me, I kept getting lost in the time changes, but by the middle it was smooth.

The characters were well developed, the tension real, some interesting twists at the end, that maybe could have been clarified a bit better. But on the whole, a truly enjoyable read!

❤️Review: The French Kitchen

💞Rate: 5 Stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

☕Praise: Kristy Cambron has always been my go-to author and she always will be! I have always been deeply enthralled with her World War II romance novels and this next edition I will truly cherish for the rest of my life! Manon and Kat are in dual timelines and I was not only intrigued I was wholly invested! We have a time during World War II and post World War 2! Something I've never seen an author do! Both timelines are connected but in between mysteries and certain elements played a part! Espionage, romance, and faith oh my! 1 minute I didn't know who to trust! The next minute I realized why characters had to do what they did in certain situations! Really my favorite scene is when Kat was recruited! Such a simple scene, with a few words, with heavy meaning! She truly loves her country! Manon, my hidden warrior Queen, had me the moment her bravery rise to the occasion each time! I won't give too much away but this is the most epic historical book I have read this year! Elements of faith and mystery are woven into this book tapestry! A book tapestry I will read over and over!

🍹Extra: I cannot wait for more books by Kristy! ☺️

I enjoyed The French Kitchen, but I wanted it to be better.

What I Liked:
*The characters. Most everyone was developed, interesting, and fun to read about. I especially liked Kat and Manon, which was good as they were the main points of view.
*The romances. These were sweet with the appropriate amount of thrill since the characters are falling in love during a war.
*The espionage. No clue how accurate things were, but they worked for the story, and I loved the kitchen spies!
*The ending. I don’t care if anyone thinks it was cheesy, it was the happy ending I wanted.
*Julia Child. Her presence didn’t overwhelm the story, and I enjoyed learning more about her work in the OSS and post-war.

What I Didn’t Like:
*The various timelines. Dual timelines are fine, but this was more? Maybe? I’m unclear. Honestly, I had to keep flipping back to figure out when we were, and that slowed things down.
*The big twist. It came out of nowhere. There were no clues leading up to the reveal of the big bad.
*The pacing. It felt like this story lasted forever. I’d read and read and read and still only have gotten through a few chapters. I’m not sure if this was due to the multiple timelines or what, but I didn’t whiz through this one like I have with Cameron’s other books.

Also to note, this isn’t really a Christian fiction. It was still a clean romance, but it didn’t really have many if any faith aspects to the story. Just a note to readers.

All in all, The French Kitchen was an interesting read but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected.

ARC Honest Review.
I haven't been much of a reader of Historic Fiction, but this book totally changed my mind. It had me immediately taken back in time and I felt like I had a front row seat to what was going on during WWII and spies! I also loved that I was able to learn about the role women played during the war as well. I also loved how history, romance, and suspense is present but the author also throws in beautiful French cooking. This is my first read of this author, but for sure won't be my last!!

I DNF this book, I just couldn’t get into the story. The story didn’t keep my attention! Too slow moving for me. Therefore, I will let other reviewers who enjoy this book promote it, so I will not be posting on social media or reviews on retail sites. That way, this book gets much deserved attention from those reviewers who loved it!

Another excellent WWII book by Kristi Cambron. This one was especially interesting because the dual timelines weren't that far apart and followed people involved in both timelines. The way this one wrapped up was so intriguing.

The writing and storytelling were compelling and kept me up late at night reading it. I loved being able to read about Julia Child as well in the later timeline! It's fun when books contain real life, well known individuals. The foods made in France from the 1940's to 1950's are iconic and the look from the kitchens and what was served during WWII shortages was intriguing.

This book has espionage, murder, family, friendship, betrayal and love all wrapped up in one book. The story of the missing brother and a sister going into the service of the OSS for the US military during the war and looking for him after was really a good story. There were so many twists and turns to keep me as a reader guessing.

I really enjoyed this story from beginning to end. The cover art is excellent and the writing is superb!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

📘 The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron

✨ Summary
A haunting, dual-timeline historical novel set in 1943 Nazi-occupied France and 1952 postwar Paris. Two women—Manon, a Resistance spy masquerading as a chef for Nazi elites, and Kat, a former OSS agent unraveling dangerous secrets in a Julia Child-led cooking class—are connected by secrets, loss, and an unrelenting search for truth. War, betrayal, espionage, and the fight to reclaim identity simmer beneath this beautifully layered story.

🖋️ Writing Style Vibe
Lyrical and cinematic, with immersive historical detail. The prose weaves suspense and emotion effortlessly through richly described settings, especially the culinary and wartime elements. Fans of dual timelines will appreciate the unfolding tension and reflective tone.

📚 Plot Snapshot
Manon Altier walks a knife’s edge in WWII France, cooking for the enemy by day and aiding the Resistance by night. In postwar Paris, Kat Fontaine joins Julia Child’s cooking class—only to find herself pulled into a mystery surrounding her missing brother and her husband’s shadowy past.

💭 My Thoughts
This novel gripped me with its layered mystery and poignant emotional depth. The dual timeline was masterfully done, raising questions early and answering them slowly, building suspense. I was especially intrigued by Kat’s unraveling trust, the thread of resilience in both heroines, and the subtle nods to real-life figures like Julia Child. While some pacing moments and character evasions left me briefly confused, it all served the story’s secrecy well. This reminded me why I read Cambron—and that I need to catch up on more of her books!

💕 The Swoon Scale
💍 Swoon-Worthy Sparks: 4/5
💬 Dialogue & Banter: 4/5
🦋 Emotional Depth: 4/5
📖 Re-readability: 4/5

⭐ Final Rating: ★★★★☆
📚 Shelf Status: Keep-worthy, especially if you enjoy historical fiction with espionage, layered female leads, and evocative writing.

🔍 Content Guide:
🌶️ Spice: None
💬 Language: Clean
💞 Romance: One kiss and implied intimacy within marriage
⚠️ Advisories: Descriptions of war violence, trauma, grief, PTSD
👤 Themes: Identity, trust, sisterhood, resilience, secrecy, betrayal

📖 For Fans Of:
Kristin Hannah, Kate Quinn, Pam Jenoff, WWII espionage stories, atmospheric dual timelines, and stories of courage found in unexpected places—with a touch of culinary history and faith under pressure.

This book was addictive - I had to keep reading to find out what happened, I really did not want to put it down. This historical story has so many elements - spies, love, intrigue, deception and the ultimate question of who to trust. I loved the surprise twist at the end!
This book contained multiple puzzle pieces of timelines, characters and plots and it took a little bit initially to work it out but once I had, it was a beautiful duet between the two main timelines, 1943 and 1952. I love reading books set in WWII - I always learn something more of the history and stories of the time. The French Kitchen was no exception as I not only learnt about the times but also the lingering effects of the war afterwards and the distrust that seasoned the French. I loved the inclusion of Julia Child and it was fascinating to hear about her war service ... and the food mentioned just made me want to be there to smell it and partake!
I really enjoyed reading this book and would encourage anyone wanting to read a clean, historical WWII novel to give it a go.  I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Fiction and Netgalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a wonderful read!
WWII in France is a dangerous place for the resistance. Agents can’t expect to live long.
Yet each one knows the importance of their part in fighting Nazism.
Normal people doing normal work are everywhere. No one knows who the trust. There are spies and sympathizers in the most vulnerable places.
Prepare for some suspense and traitors. This read will keep you turning the pages!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. My opinions are my own.