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syringaflower's review
3.0
The book is somewhere between a 2,5 and a 3 for me, mainly because I went into the book with different expectations.
I had expected more of a cook-off kind of situation, where you had to fight your way into remaining in the school. But what I got was a teenage angst filled book about lunch breaks and after-school activities with next to nothing about competition.
What I did not like is that even though it started off nice, it went downhill quite fast due to Henry's insufferable behaviour during the course of the middle and the end of the book.
I wasn't particularly fond of the author trying to make you hate Clara for no reason from the getgo either. Things can be said about Bodie, but I do believe he was a better match, due to many things he had in common with Rosie, and the fact he acted far more mature throughout the novel.
Needless to say, but I'm not a fan of angsty and non-communicative characters.
Now for the nitpicking.
Throwing in popular (tumblr) buzzwords to 'be cool' to the younger audience was highly distracting and took me right out of the storytelling, simply because they had no place in the story itself.
Examples can be given, of course.
'patriarchy' which does not exist in the modern world countries.
'wage gap' which has been debunked many times, it's not even funny anymore.
'toxic masculinity' a nonsensical word that means nothing
and lastly the most cringey anti-romantic sentence of 'Can I kiss you'.
Way to kill the atmosphere. What ever happened to body and non-verbal communication?
I'm not a huge fan of activist / political agenda terms, behaviour and slang to be thrown in a story it has no place in. It's about a cooking school, for goodness sake.
I had expected more of a cook-off kind of situation, where you had to fight your way into remaining in the school. But what I got was a teenage angst filled book about lunch breaks and after-school activities with next to nothing about competition.
What I did not like is that even though it started off nice, it went downhill quite fast due to Henry's insufferable behaviour during the course of the middle and the end of the book.
I wasn't particularly fond of the author trying to make you hate Clara for no reason from the getgo either. Things can be said about Bodie, but I do believe he was a better match, due to many things he had in common with Rosie, and the fact he acted far more mature throughout the novel.
Needless to say, but I'm not a fan of angsty and non-communicative characters.
Now for the nitpicking.
Throwing in popular (tumblr) buzzwords to 'be cool' to the younger audience was highly distracting and took me right out of the storytelling, simply because they had no place in the story itself.
Examples can be given, of course.
'patriarchy' which does not exist in the modern world countries.
'wage gap' which has been debunked many times, it's not even funny anymore.
'toxic masculinity' a nonsensical word that means nothing
and lastly the most cringey anti-romantic sentence of 'Can I kiss you'.
Way to kill the atmosphere. What ever happened to body and non-verbal communication?
I'm not a huge fan of activist / political agenda terms, behaviour and slang to be thrown in a story it has no place in. It's about a cooking school, for goodness sake.
foraging_pages's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 Stars!
This sweet story perfectly captures the essence of teenage miscommunication while also allowing for the love of food, Paris, and each other to shine through.
The group of friends in this book were perhaps my favorite I’ve ever read. They were so thoughtful, helpful, and supportive of each other. It was adorable. Along with the main characters, they were not one-dimensional or glosses over. Their personalities shined.
This sweet story perfectly captures the essence of teenage miscommunication while also allowing for the love of food, Paris, and each other to shine through.
The group of friends in this book were perhaps my favorite I’ve ever read. They were so thoughtful, helpful, and supportive of each other. It was adorable. Along with the main characters, they were not one-dimensional or glosses over. Their personalities shined.
laura_cs's review against another edition
5.0
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ms. Strohm has done it again. Her fluffy romances always grab at heartstrings, with an underlying layer of the power of friendship.
This is the story of Rosie. Shy Rosie is the middle child (and only girl!) in her loud, rambunctious family. She takes great pride in her baking, and it is where she finds her strength and confidence. Rosie is going to Paris to study cooking--though she is a baker through and through--and learn more about herself and what she can do. She struggles, learns, grows, and struggles some more, leading her to doubt herself and question her place at the Ecole. Will she survive the semester--and be back in Paris after Christmas? Or will she be chopped from the program? At least, along the way, she starts to fall in love with that cute boy across the aisle from her plane seat...
That boy is Henry. Raised in his father's restaurant, Henry has been cooking his entire life. It is what he is good at, and what he knows he succeeds at. His father loves and encourages him, but as for his mom... well, she wishes his grades were a bit higher. Henry is going to Paris to study cooking and is fully ready to throw his heart and soul into cooking for the rest of his life. But, with pressure coming from his mom academically and internal pressure about impressing his dad, Henry's life quickly comes to a full, rolling boil. And, if he's not careful, he's going to lose his steam. It doesn't help that Rosie, the cute girl he bonded with on the plane ride over to France, has been spending a lot of time with the cooking world's bad boy, Bodie Tal.
This book is, again, fluffy but it also stresses the importance of talking things through with friends and loved ones, as well as knowing when to ask for help. As much as I love Rosie and Henry, I greatly enjoyed their friends Yumi, Priya, Hampus, and Marquis. Their interactions were great, and these are some of the best friends anyone could ever have. Rosie and Henry lucked out in both the romance and friendship department.
Also, sorry, you will never be able to look at potatoes the same way again. (They're highly romantic, you know?)
Ms. Strohm has done it again. Her fluffy romances always grab at heartstrings, with an underlying layer of the power of friendship.
This is the story of Rosie. Shy Rosie is the middle child (and only girl!) in her loud, rambunctious family. She takes great pride in her baking, and it is where she finds her strength and confidence. Rosie is going to Paris to study cooking--though she is a baker through and through--and learn more about herself and what she can do. She struggles, learns, grows, and struggles some more, leading her to doubt herself and question her place at the Ecole. Will she survive the semester--and be back in Paris after Christmas? Or will she be chopped from the program? At least, along the way, she starts to fall in love with that cute boy across the aisle from her plane seat...
That boy is Henry. Raised in his father's restaurant, Henry has been cooking his entire life. It is what he is good at, and what he knows he succeeds at. His father loves and encourages him, but as for his mom... well, she wishes his grades were a bit higher. Henry is going to Paris to study cooking and is fully ready to throw his heart and soul into cooking for the rest of his life. But, with pressure coming from his mom academically and internal pressure about impressing his dad, Henry's life quickly comes to a full, rolling boil. And, if he's not careful, he's going to lose his steam. It doesn't help that Rosie, the cute girl he bonded with on the plane ride over to France, has been spending a lot of time with the cooking world's bad boy, Bodie Tal.
This book is, again, fluffy but it also stresses the importance of talking things through with friends and loved ones, as well as knowing when to ask for help. As much as I love Rosie and Henry, I greatly enjoyed their friends Yumi, Priya, Hampus, and Marquis. Their interactions were great, and these are some of the best friends anyone could ever have. Rosie and Henry lucked out in both the romance and friendship department.
Also, sorry, you will never be able to look at potatoes the same way again. (They're highly romantic, you know?)
scarlett24's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
indigoivee's review against another edition
3.0
This is a delightful and delectable romantic comedy set in the heart of Paris. Strohm serves up a delicious concoction of culinary delights, humor, and heartwarming romance in this charming tale. The characters are lovable and relatable, and their culinary adventures in the prestigious cooking school add an extra layer of excitement to the story. While the plot may follow some familiar tropes, Strohm infuses it with enough wit and charm to keep readers thoroughly entertained. With its mouthwatering descriptions of food and sweet romance, "Love á La Mode" is the perfect treat for readers looking for a light-hearted and enjoyable read.
Favourite quote: “Henry was Paris, for her. And she wanted to discover all of him.”
Favourite quote: “Henry was Paris, for her. And she wanted to discover all of him.”
saragibson's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
castro_i27's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book because it was cute, and I overall loved the way the author described the food. When it was in the perspective of Rosie she described the food in such way that made you daydream and crave about the food. I was about confused during on part,
Spoiler
where Rosie and Henry have this some sort of fight. And I felt like Rosie kinda blamed Henry for him feeling some sort of form between insecure and jealousy, I just thought that she kind of expected him to always be after her? Maybe I missed something?Spoiler
Over all I thought it was a very cute, and romantic book.brandypainter's review against another edition
3.0
This reads like a Disney series pilot about a cooking school in France. And there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes you need a good Disney plot in your life. There isn't much that is deep here, but it is well told and fun. It does rely an awful lot on stereotypes for the minor characters. All of them are a bit larger than life in comparison to the two leads. (This is the element that really made the connection to Disney for me). It is fluffy, fun, and the two leads have excellent chemistry.
girlinthepages's review against another edition
3.0
One of my favorite things to do after a long day at work is to unwind with a cooking show. Can I cook or bake? Barely, if you count boiling pasta or making a salad. Yet anything food related on tv- Master Chef, Chopped, Holiday Baking Championship, Chef's Table, etc.- and I am here for it. Cooking shows are the number one thing taking up room on my DVR, so when I found out about Love á la Mode I was PUMPED. A YA series set in Paris with the backdrop of an intensive cooking school? 100% right up my alley. I was so excited for this title that I even added it to my Christmas list (and received it- hey thanks Mom!) which I usually only do for books I'm SURE I'm going to love and/or I've already read and are favorites.
Unfortunately, Love á la Mode did not prove to be the book I hoped it would be. While it had so many of the elements I loved, there was just not enough cooking. Set in a super exclusive cooking program in Paris, I was SO READY for the culinary lessons and cutthroat competition. However, there was much less time spent in the kitchen and much more time focused on the miscommunication teenage relationship drama.
The story is told in alternating POVs between Henry (who's always dreamed of opening a restaurant after growing up in his parent's family owned establishment) and Rosie (the midwestern girl from "America's Heartland" who just wants to be a pastry chef and examine crumb structures). While they have a bit of a "meet cute" on the airplane headed to France, I didn't really feel much chemistry between them, and honestly feel like I didn't really get to know them at all. I wanted to learn more about Rosie's family dynamic with all of her brothers, about Henry's family restaurant and his upbringing with a chef father- but sadly only a few bits and pieces are really revealed and instead we get to know the characters through their inevitable ~relationship drama~ and I was just not really feeling it. I felt like it was actually not a super healthy courtship and Henry treated Rosie like dirt a lot of the time (and even though as I reader I got Henry's perspective, I still didn't think the expectations and standards he imposed on her were fair and OK). In fact, there's a bit of a love triangle and I was whole-heartedly voting for the other guy who was honestly a much nicer, more personable, more MATURE person than Henry.
There were also a few problematic stereotypes in the story. There's a stereotypical beautiful, popular mean girl who never gets humanized and her character is never really fleshed out (and she's not necessary to the plot at all so really the narrative could have excluded perpetuating this harmful girl-on-girl hate). Henry's mother is also super one dimensional and is only focused on his grades and is an overbearing presence in his life, which I think is harmful because it's never really resolved in a real way (rather a band-aid is put on the situation) and given Henry's Asian heritage perpetuates a stereotype of an overbearing mother that was uncomfortable.
While I took issue with many of the elements of the plot, I did enjoy reading about the food elements when they appeared. I loved the first culinary class they have when they have to create a perfect "french omelette" (which I hear is usually the first thing you learn in culinary school) and it was fascinating to read each character's interpretation of what that meant. While there were far too few scenes in the culinary classroom for my taste, there were some wonderful food scenes when the characters went out and about around Paris, including a positively magical crepe experience and a boulangerie run by an adorable gentle giant chef with every type of bread and pastry imaginable (I almost felt myself gaining weight reading about all of the bread, croissants, tarts, etc. that the characters devoured from this single shop). There was also a great friend group that had characters that were really supportive of each other, and I adored Hampus (seriously best character of the book, how many teenage dudes would rock a Marié from Aristocats Halloween outfit)?
Overall: While Love á la Mode was a fun and quick read, it left me wanting more from the kitchen and fell into many tropes and stereotypes that didn't sit well with me.This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages
Unfortunately, Love á la Mode did not prove to be the book I hoped it would be. While it had so many of the elements I loved, there was just not enough cooking. Set in a super exclusive cooking program in Paris, I was SO READY for the culinary lessons and cutthroat competition. However, there was much less time spent in the kitchen and much more time focused on the miscommunication teenage relationship drama.
The story is told in alternating POVs between Henry (who's always dreamed of opening a restaurant after growing up in his parent's family owned establishment) and Rosie (the midwestern girl from "America's Heartland" who just wants to be a pastry chef and examine crumb structures). While they have a bit of a "meet cute" on the airplane headed to France, I didn't really feel much chemistry between them, and honestly feel like I didn't really get to know them at all. I wanted to learn more about Rosie's family dynamic with all of her brothers, about Henry's family restaurant and his upbringing with a chef father- but sadly only a few bits and pieces are really revealed and instead we get to know the characters through their inevitable ~relationship drama~ and I was just not really feeling it. I felt like it was actually not a super healthy courtship and Henry treated Rosie like dirt a lot of the time (and even though as I reader I got Henry's perspective, I still didn't think the expectations and standards he imposed on her were fair and OK). In fact, there's a bit of a love triangle and I was whole-heartedly voting for the other guy who was honestly a much nicer, more personable, more MATURE person than Henry.
There were also a few problematic stereotypes in the story. There's a stereotypical beautiful, popular mean girl who never gets humanized and her character is never really fleshed out (and she's not necessary to the plot at all so really the narrative could have excluded perpetuating this harmful girl-on-girl hate). Henry's mother is also super one dimensional and is only focused on his grades and is an overbearing presence in his life, which I think is harmful because it's never really resolved in a real way (rather a band-aid is put on the situation) and given Henry's Asian heritage perpetuates a stereotype of an overbearing mother that was uncomfortable.
While I took issue with many of the elements of the plot, I did enjoy reading about the food elements when they appeared. I loved the first culinary class they have when they have to create a perfect "french omelette" (which I hear is usually the first thing you learn in culinary school) and it was fascinating to read each character's interpretation of what that meant. While there were far too few scenes in the culinary classroom for my taste, there were some wonderful food scenes when the characters went out and about around Paris, including a positively magical crepe experience and a boulangerie run by an adorable gentle giant chef with every type of bread and pastry imaginable (I almost felt myself gaining weight reading about all of the bread, croissants, tarts, etc. that the characters devoured from this single shop). There was also a great friend group that had characters that were really supportive of each other, and I adored Hampus (seriously best character of the book, how many teenage dudes would rock a Marié from Aristocats Halloween outfit)?
Overall: While Love á la Mode was a fun and quick read, it left me wanting more from the kitchen and fell into many tropes and stereotypes that didn't sit well with me.This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages
kthornette's review
3.0
“Food is more important than love.”
“Food is love.”
After reading back-to-back murder mysteries, I needed something happy. And what’s happier than YA romance with food that takes place in Paris?
I have so much respect for the author narrating the book but the same rules apply: multiple POVs need multiple narrators.
I love reading the cooking and food descriptions. Absolutely beautiful. And the France adventure? I’m jealous. Henry and Rosie were cute but everything with them was very surface-level. I can get behind an insta-love attraction but they didn’t seem to build anything from that point. It didn’t help that I started liking Bodie more. Henry got really annoying once he started seeing Rosie (unknowingly and platonically) hanging out with Bodie. Like, dude, JUST TALK AND ASK HER IF YOU’RE SO WORRIED.
“Food is love.”
After reading back-to-back murder mysteries, I needed something happy. And what’s happier than YA romance with food that takes place in Paris?
I have so much respect for the author narrating the book but the same rules apply: multiple POVs need multiple narrators.
I love reading the cooking and food descriptions. Absolutely beautiful. And the France adventure? I’m jealous. Henry and Rosie were cute but everything with them was very surface-level. I can get behind an insta-love attraction but they didn’t seem to build anything from that point. It didn’t help that I started liking Bodie more. Henry got really annoying once he started seeing Rosie (unknowingly and platonically) hanging out with Bodie. Like, dude, JUST TALK AND ASK HER IF YOU’RE SO WORRIED.