The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique by Samantha Verant

The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique by Samantha Verant – 352 pages

ARC from Berkley and Netgalley for an honest review

Book Blurb:

The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique by Samantha Verant: 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.

My Review: 4 stars

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The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique by Samantha Verant was the perfect book to dig into during the holiday hustle and bustle. It took me to Paris, was easy to read, featured delicious food and a dose of magic – what could be better?

Sometimes, all a reader needs is an escape, and this fit the bill for me. I love Paris and the author excelled at bringing it to life. The sounds and settings were described with precision and the smells were intoxicating. I’m a foodie and loved that food played its own role in the book.  

Garrance, a magical and whimsical character, was like a fairy godmother to Kate, but came with some rules. Of course, those rules led to the heat factor in this romcom as the enemies to lovers trope set in. I liked the slow burn of Charles and Kate’s romance and would love a follow up book to know how they work out.

Overall, this was fun, light and made me want to cook, especially because many recipes were included.