A review by melindagallagher
Salty, Bitter, Sweet by Mayra Cuevas

4.0

A fun, cultural read with mouthwatering food as a side dish. Isabella is not sure who she is or where she belongs outside of the kitchen. Born and raised in Chicago, living with her grandmother in Kansas in the summer, She spends this summer in Lyon France with her Cuban American father and his new French wife. After the death of her beloved Abuelo, Isabella enters a cooking contest to win an apprenticeship in the world's best kitchen. However, she finds that not everything is about food in a Michelin-starred kitchen. Her new family and friends complicate her life but when an ex-swimmer turned bad-boy shows up on their doorstep. I enjoyed the references to Top Chef and other cooking competitions, as well as Anthony Bourdain and the pressure that a chef feels when they are at the top of the ladder.