Stevie‘s review of The Spice Master At Bistro Exotique by Samantha Vérant
Contemporary Women’s Fiction published by Berkley 06 Dec 22
I’ve probably mentioned before that I have a fondness for stories in which a plucky heroine risks all to follow her dream and set up in business doing something she loves, and Jenny Colgan is one of my go-to authors for such plots. I’m similarly fond of any story that features recipes of one sort or another, so this novel about a budding restaurateur, complete with a selection of ‘her’ signature dishes, looked to be just my thing. Kate Jenkins has lived in Paris since she was a teenager, and her free-spirited mother moved there with her from the US. She loves the city, particularly its food, and now she’s about to open her own restaurant specialising in her own twists on popular cuisine.
While preparing for her grand opening, a series of mishaps bring Kate into conflict with two men living in her building. She has sympathy for one, and he is nothing but helpful, while the other seems to be going out of his way to antagonise her. It doesn’t help that the annoying man is sexy, while the helpful one is just nice. In the middle of all this, Kate, and then her mother, is befriended by an older, wealthy, eccentric woman, who is a great expert on spices and offers to give Kate the perfect compliments to her dishes. Kate is at first suspicious, especially when her new friend seems to be making veiled references to the fate of a previous proprietor of Kate’s restaurant. However, a disastrous opening for the bistro leaves Kate willing to try anything to turn her luck around, even working with the annoying sexy guy, who turns out to be the woman’s son, Charles.
The combination of chefs works well in spite of the conflict between them. Charles is far more pragmatic than Kate, who wants to try out her ideas for new dishes, even when the ingredients are not practical or not in season, while Kate helps him to deal with some of the issues in his personal life. Unfortunately, none of this was enough to make me actually like either of them. Charles plays some very petty practical jokes, while Kate at times comes over as a bit of a spoiled brat. On the other hand, I’d have quite liked to have seen more of the relationship that developed between Kate’s mother and Kate’s other neighbour, if only because that seemed more balanced in spite of the apparent age gap between them.
Not an author I’m likely to revisit, sadly.
Grade: D
Summary:
Kate Jenkins doesn’t believe in fate. She believes in a clear vision, meticulous planning, and hard work in order to achieve her culinary dreams. On the cusp of opening her own Parisian restaurant, Bistro Exotique, she isn’t even concerned when her standoffish—and annoyingly sexy—neighbor dismisses her as a crazy American tourist or when she meets the wildly eccentric Garrance, the self-proclaimed Spice Master of Paris, who ominously warns her of the previous owner’s failures.
Confident and optimistic, Kate keeps calm and cooks on. Until a series of unfortunate events derail her plans and her entire staff quits.
Kate is about to throw in the kitchen towel on her lifelong dream when Garrance offers to use her mastery of scents and spices to help her, but it comes at a price: Kate must work with Garrance’s son, Charles, a world-class chef and total jerk. After Kate hesitantly concedes to the deal, she slowly learns to open her heart and mind to new concepts, not quite sure if the magic she’s experiencing comes from Garrance’s spices, from within herself, or from the growing chemistry with Charles. One thing is certain, though: her kitchen is getting increasingly hot.
Read an excerpt.
