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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
There are better books about a love of cooking, and better stories about love. This missed the mark for me--the main character was irritating, the food details a little too indulgent and the other characters not very well developed or interesting. It did make me want to watch the Great British Bake Off. Read With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo instead.
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexism, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Death
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use
Love the narrator, her dreams, the food, the setting- a fun escape
I really enjoyed this book, especially the descriptions of the food. It was a bit repetitive at times. I really did not like Margo, and even her dad was a bit of a jerk. This is the second book I've read where the teen is supposed to be forgiving and understanding when the dad cheated. What is up with the adults expecting the kid to be okay with the mistress and getting upset and annoyed that they don't accept their new stepmother that came to them through infidelity?
Seventeen-year-old aspiring chef Isabella Fields’ family life has fallen apart after the death of her Cuban abuela and the divorce of her parents. She moves in with her dad and his new wife in France, where Isabella feels like an outsider in her father’s new life, studiously avoiding the awkward, “Why did you cheat on Mom?” conversation. The upside of Isabella’s world being turned upside down? Her father’s house is located only 30 minutes away from the restaurant of world-famous Chef Pascal Grattard, who runs a prestigious and competitive international kitchen apprenticeship. The prize job at Chef Grattard’s renowned restaurant also represents a transformative opportunity for Isabella, who is desperate to get her life back in order. But how can Isabella expect to hold it together when she’s at the bottom of her class at the apprenticeship, her new stepmom is pregnant, she misses her abuela dearly, and a mysterious new guy and his albino dog fall into her life?
As a bit of a foodie, I really loved the vast and different cultures represented by all the cooking & baking in this book. (Be warned do NOT read on an empty stomach.) Isa's Lala stole my heart. Overall I liked this book about redefining your dreams, family, friendship, and fabulous food.
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
As a bit of a foodie, I really loved the vast and different cultures represented by all the cooking & baking in this book. (Be warned do NOT read on an empty stomach.) Isa's Lala stole my heart. Overall I liked this book about redefining your dreams, family, friendship, and fabulous food.
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A coming-of-age story about a girl dealing with a lot - grief, anger, loss of control, holding on to the few things she can control, trying to figure out what she wants in life. Oh and add to that the normal teenage stresses, like graduating high school and making friends, attraction to a person you feel like you shouldn’t want, and balancing work with fun. Isabelle’s journey isn’t always easy or linear, but she’s working on it, and by the end of this book, she’s learned a lot about herself and what kind of life she wants to have.
I don’t blame Isa for being angry. She’s angry at her dad for cheating on her mom, for blowing up their lives, for changing everything, for never apologizing or explaining, for disappointing her. She’s also angry at her Abuela for dying, for putting herself at risk to help others, for leaving her when she needed her most. On top of that anger is a thick layer of grief over all that Isa’s lost in the past year - Lala, her family, what she thought her life would be.
Personally, I think everyone is too hard on Isa. She is overcome with grief and traumatized, and everyone just expects her to be fine. Diego was so annoying when he first arrived, pushing at all her boundaries and not listening to her. I wanted to scream at both Diego and her dad after the Cherries Jubilee incident. Yes, Isa had a lot of lessons to learn and things to figure out about what truly makes her happy, but she was going to get there without someone calling her a cancer on everyone around her because she made a mistake. That was needlessly cruel and made me really angry.
The good part finally came when Isa started having her own revelations, both about what it’s actually like to work in a tough kitchen, and how a place like that fits (or doesn’t) into what she might want her life to look like. Yes, Diego was there to encourage her to rethink her life ambitions and to inspire some spontaneity, but I think she would have gotten there eventually on her own. I’m glad he apologized for being so mean to her after the Lucia incident, at least. Once they started opening up to one another and being honest, I loved how sweet and thoughtful Diego was. Setting up the trip to Barcelona with Isa was especially kind, and it encouraged her to stop focusing on the technical aspects of cooking and instead focus on what she loved about it: the memories of her grandma, being able to create delicious things for the people she loved, exploring new flavors and learning new things. It also gave her a peek at a successful female chef who creates delicious food in a non-stressful environment.
It did seem a little like everything fell naturally into place the second her little sister was born - Isa immediately felt connected to her, and her dad sort-of apologized (though she really deserves a longer conversation than whatever that was), and suddenly Margo wants to eat her food. (Which, btw, I also assumed Margo hated her. She didn’t even TRY to eat the food she made? Yet Chinese takeout was fine? I have a hard time believing it.) But it’s nice to see Isa happy and comfortable in the end, surrounded by friends and family, working on making a life that brings her fulfillment and joy.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book for review purposes.
3.5- I enjoyed this book more than I thought I was going to. The first 1/3 is the book- I hated every single one of the characters and definitely was irritated by the MC’s attitude. However, it got better and I found that I actually enjoyed the characters and their struggles. Overall this is a good #ownvoices book about the best laid plans and finding your true happiness.
[Note: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book contains references to suicide, drug addiction, and colorism.]
I can’t vouch for the accuracy of the professional kitchen details in this book, but author Mayra Cuevas did a great job of drawing me into this high-stakes world (and all the sumptuous food descriptions!). She showed the highs and the lows, the immense pressure and the many ways such a competitive industry can make and break a person. I particularly appreciated the inclusion of Chef Troissant and Clara as women in a male-dominated industry. They offered Isabella a closer look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of the professional culinary world. (I loved the scene with the wine!) I also really enjoyed Pippa and Lucia, the only two other girls in the course with Isabella, though I wish that we had spent more time building friendships with them.
Perhaps the thing I enjoyed the most about this book was Isabella’s relationship with her deceased paternal grandmother, Lala. I lost both my grandmothers last year, and I really appreciated the depiction of Isabella’s grief and love for her grandmother. I particularly enjoyed their scenes that centered on food and the warmth and comfort their time together provided.
While I felt the romance between Isabella and Diego was a bit uneven (Diego got under my skin in a not-great way in the first half), I really enjoyed how their relationship played out in the last third of the book. Isabella and Diego’s bonding over their family situations and questioning over what it was they wanted out of life and what would make them happy was a compelling part of their relationship. Watching them open up to each other was lovely, and I wish that had happened sooner in the story.
My greatest disappointment in this book was whenever Isabella dips into “not-like-other-girls” territory. In one particularly awful moment, Isabella compares herself to fresh whipped cream and the “pretty girls” as “predictable” and “Cool Whip, an artificial imitation” and “ordinary.” On the one hand, it is great foreshadowing for the backstabbing decision she makes later on during the course. And while she received pushback for that decision professionally, there was little pushback in the narrative regarding her dismissive thoughts regarding girls who don’t have the same kind of ambition she does. You can write ambitious, cut-throat girls who don’t “not-like-other-girls” the story.
I also have mixed feelings regarding the plots with Isabella’s family members. The brief inclusion of her (racist/colorist) French grandmother and her mother didn’t really seem to serve a greater purpose beyond providing Isabella with a bag of (previously disdained) makeup/skincare supplies when she needs them later on. Margo had very little screen time, and Isabella’s dad didn’t have enough to make me truly care about his relationship with his daughter or Lala.
Recommendation: Borrow it someday. If you’re a fan of cooking competitions, SALTY, BITTER, SWEET should make it onto your TBR list. While there are several genuinely great things about this book, some pet peeves interfered with my enjoyment of it. The book is still worth your time if you’re interested in ambitious girls wanting to get into the professional culinary world.
I can’t vouch for the accuracy of the professional kitchen details in this book, but author Mayra Cuevas did a great job of drawing me into this high-stakes world (and all the sumptuous food descriptions!). She showed the highs and the lows, the immense pressure and the many ways such a competitive industry can make and break a person. I particularly appreciated the inclusion of Chef Troissant and Clara as women in a male-dominated industry. They offered Isabella a closer look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of the professional culinary world. (I loved the scene with the wine!) I also really enjoyed Pippa and Lucia, the only two other girls in the course with Isabella, though I wish that we had spent more time building friendships with them.
Perhaps the thing I enjoyed the most about this book was Isabella’s relationship with her deceased paternal grandmother, Lala. I lost both my grandmothers last year, and I really appreciated the depiction of Isabella’s grief and love for her grandmother. I particularly enjoyed their scenes that centered on food and the warmth and comfort their time together provided.
While I felt the romance between Isabella and Diego was a bit uneven (Diego got under my skin in a not-great way in the first half), I really enjoyed how their relationship played out in the last third of the book. Isabella and Diego’s bonding over their family situations and questioning over what it was they wanted out of life and what would make them happy was a compelling part of their relationship. Watching them open up to each other was lovely, and I wish that had happened sooner in the story.
My greatest disappointment in this book was whenever Isabella dips into “not-like-other-girls” territory. In one particularly awful moment, Isabella compares herself to fresh whipped cream and the “pretty girls” as “predictable” and “Cool Whip, an artificial imitation” and “ordinary.” On the one hand, it is great foreshadowing for the backstabbing decision she makes later on during the course. And while she received pushback for that decision professionally, there was little pushback in the narrative regarding her dismissive thoughts regarding girls who don’t have the same kind of ambition she does. You can write ambitious, cut-throat girls who don’t “not-like-other-girls” the story.
I also have mixed feelings regarding the plots with Isabella’s family members. The brief inclusion of her (racist/colorist) French grandmother and her mother didn’t really seem to serve a greater purpose beyond providing Isabella with a bag of (previously disdained) makeup/skincare supplies when she needs them later on. Margo had very little screen time, and Isabella’s dad didn’t have enough to make me truly care about his relationship with his daughter or Lala.
Recommendation: Borrow it someday. If you’re a fan of cooking competitions, SALTY, BITTER, SWEET should make it onto your TBR list. While there are several genuinely great things about this book, some pet peeves interfered with my enjoyment of it. The book is still worth your time if you’re interested in ambitious girls wanting to get into the professional culinary world.
I really loved the story idea and was excited to read this book. Once the story got going, it was incredibly predictable. If you enjoy stories that feature cooking (with a bit of Hell's Kitchen on the side) this is the book for you.
Food, family, forgiveness, fun.
This was a sweet and salty story about family, with a splash of romance and a ton of food. Isa has moved to France to live with her father and her new stepmother. She is not terribly fond of her new stepmother especially because she caught her kissing her father before her parents were divorced. The situation is not helped by the fact that stepmom is now pregnant and refuses to eat the food that Isa makes. When Isa’s new step brother Diego shows up things get even more complicated. This was a fun feel good coming of age story that made me smile. Isa is a likable character with A lot of determination. When she earns the prestigious apprenticeship with an internationally acclaimed chef she is definitely tested. The chef was very demanding and somewhat hostile, to say the least. I definitely admired her tenacity. My only tiny Kniggle with this book was I wanted more romance and less food prep. But that could just be me, I’m more into the eating and less into the preparation. A slow burn romance that will make you happy and hungry.
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This was a sweet and salty story about family, with a splash of romance and a ton of food. Isa has moved to France to live with her father and her new stepmother. She is not terribly fond of her new stepmother especially because she caught her kissing her father before her parents were divorced. The situation is not helped by the fact that stepmom is now pregnant and refuses to eat the food that Isa makes. When Isa’s new step brother Diego shows up things get even more complicated. This was a fun feel good coming of age story that made me smile. Isa is a likable character with A lot of determination. When she earns the prestigious apprenticeship with an internationally acclaimed chef she is definitely tested. The chef was very demanding and somewhat hostile, to say the least. I definitely admired her tenacity. My only tiny Kniggle with this book was I wanted more romance and less food prep. But that could just be me, I’m more into the eating and less into the preparation. A slow burn romance that will make you happy and hungry.
This book in emojis