The French Kitchen: USA TODAY Bestselling Historical Romance Set in WWII France, Post-War Paris, and the World of Julia Child

Mysterious, romantic, & magnificently written! With her characteristic beautiful prose, Kristy Cambron brings France to life in this suspenseful, intriguing, dual time line WWII historical romance. The French Kitchen is a book that needs to be read twice; once for the immersive experience, & again to appreciate all the subtle clues & nuances. Set in 1943 & 1952, this stunning adventure follows the missions of Kat Fontaine as she enters war time service to find her missing brother, & Manon Altier, a French chef who works for the Resistance right under the nose of the German occupiers.

More comfortable in her deceased father’s automotive garage than her mother’s society parties, Kat Fontaine gives up everything to serve in WWII & find show more her missing brother. When approached to work in the OSS, Kat accepts & soon finds herself in a tangle of lies, subterfuge, & danger. When she returns to Paris after the war, she enters a marriage of convenience with a wealthy Parisian to finally learn the truth about her brother. Mixing with Paris high society & taking cooking lessons from the famous Julia Child, Kat risks everything including her heart to unearth the past.

Mason Altier’s a brilliant chef who lost everything in the war. Putting aside her fears, she risks her life to work for the Resistance. The stakes are high & every day she walks a dangerous tightrope serving delicious meals to the German elite, evading the Vichy regime, & trying to discern the traitors within.

This story captivated me from the beginning. I loved both time lines & how they intersected throughout. The mysteries completely pulled me in & discovering the truth about Kat’s brother is at the heart. The pulse pounding suspense had me on edge with cat & mouse games, double agents, & hidden identities.

I loved Kat’s & Gerard’s romance! Marriage of convenience is such a favorite trope. I enjoyed the undercurrent of attraction between them as secrets need to be unraveled. The romantic tension is palpable as Kat must decide whether to trust Gerard. Julia Child makes a fantastic cameo & I enjoyed seeing a new side to her.

The audiobook is fantastic! The narrator did a beautiful job bringing this story to life. I loved how she voiced both male & female characters. Her French accent is wonderful.

Highly recommend this amazing story! I received advanced copies from the publisher with no expectation of a positive review. All opinions are completely my own & provided voluntarily. show less

Years ago, I read Kristy Cambron’s The Illusionist’s Apprentice, enjoyed it, and determined I’d look for some of her other books eventually. That didn’t happen—until this book came on my radar, anyway! It sounded fascinating, and I decided I wanted to read it—then realized about the time I got into it that I was feeling a little burned out on World War II books and ready for a change-up in genres. Oops! Thankfully, this book was so good that by the time I got halfway through the book, I completely forgot I was tired of WWII, and found myself fully immersed in the story.

This book has so many facets! I enjoyed studying it while I read, although before too long, that, too, went out the window as the story grabbed me and show more wouldn’t let go. There’s the spy element of the book—aside from a couple of nonfiction books, I’ve rarely read a story about the OSS in France during the war. That was fascinating, even if a bit violent at times. Then there’s the family element of the story—I adored the brother/sister camaraderie, even though that didn’t show up in the pages very often. The cooking side was just plain fun, and then, too, there’s a marriage of convenience, which was a fun trope to discover in here!

Of the two “times” in the book, I think the past was my favorite, but I found myself eager to get back to the other time to find out what happened next, regardless of which one I was reading. Kat was a dynamic, fascinating character, and I dearly loved Manon, too—timidity and all (even though she really was a very strong, brave woman!).

If you enjoy split-time historical romance with a dash of intrigue, I’d highly recommend you check out this book. Deeply nuanced, with strong characters and a sweeping plot, you’re in for a great ride and a sigh of, “Couldn’t we have just a bit more?” once you get to the end.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it. show less

"To look back is not to lament all we've lost, but to see how past experiences have shaped us into who we are."

Kristy Cambron is a master at weaving emotionally gripping and unforgettable historical fiction. I enjoyed her previous books set during WWII and this newest offering did not disappoint. The plot in 1943 Northern France worked almost like a flashback to fill in the backstory of the plot in 1952 Paris. Kat and Manon's third person voices in 1943 were brave, fearless, resourceful, and loyal as they worked in occupied France's chateau kitchen while working with the Resistance, OSS, and SOE. The cloud of danger and urgency was palpable in the midst of secrecy, espionage, subversion, double agents and heart-breaking betrayals. show more Gerard and Kat's third person voices carried the 1952 segment of the story and it was fascinating to see how much they had matured yet still hurt from their losses during the war. Gerard was a stalwart and compassionate hero, fully committed to the cause he had pledged himself. Kat learned to temper her impulsiveness and fiery stubbornness of youth but wasn't afraid to challenge others' decisions to make her own way. Both Gerard and Kat were afraid to love but learned to conquer their fears.
The suspense and intrigue were delightful, as were the two romances that bloomed even in the middle of war. The subplot of searching for Kat's brother who was declared missing during the war brought plot twists upon plot twists, which all came together at the end. I also enjoyed meeting fictionalized Julia Child here.
I have to admit that I didn't fully follow the plot until about a third way into the book - I got a bit confused between the 1943 and 1952 plots and had trouble connecting the dots between the two timelines. I don't know French so maybe that contributed. I was also confused about some of the characters singled out at the end of the story and how they were tied to what happened at the end of 1943 storyline. Regardless the writing was melodic, the setting unrivaled, characters unforgettable, and life lessons learned timeless.

If you enjoy historical fiction, you will love this book. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Thomas Nelson via NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own. show less

“To look back is not to lament all we have lost, but to see how past experiences have shaped us into who we are. “
Another remarkable, well researched story about the multiple groups working together in France during WWII and the far reaching consequences in the years following. Told in the years 1943 and 1952, Kat, Gerard, Gavin and Manon, lived a secretive, covert existence in a dangerous time under the noses of the German occupiers in France. The interesting thing was the addition of Julia Child into the story that drew on her actual role during WWII and the time that she was compiling her famous cookbook.
It was a fascinating, complicated plot that kept me turning pages. I was eager to learn more of this time in history and how show more the Resistance operated. “War was not for lovers, nor courage for fools.”
If you are looking for a fresh look at WWII history, try this book. You will not be disappointed.
* A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.* show less

First sentence: What would a French glamour girl wear to stash weapons in the dead of winter besides a haute couture gown? Kat Harris wished she knew.

The description of French Kitchen sounds great, interesting, intriguing. However, for me at least, the book failed to match the description.

The French Kitchen has dual timelines.

There is a timeline set in France during World War II where the heroine, Kat Harris, is masquerading as Celine a woman part of the Resistance. The real Celine never arrived at her assignment. Kat Harris took her place and assumed her name. She's going undercover as a pastry chef, I think??? Regardless, she's going undercover in a French kitchen. France is occupied. The book opens with a cliff hanger, though since show more you have no investment in the characters much of the intensity and suspense is wasted.

The second timeline is France in the 1950s. Kat Harris has received a telegram that may or may not be concerning her dead or not dead brother who was also a spy working with the Resistance. For whatever reason she feels the best way to find her possibly-not-dead brother is to find a man she may or may not be able to trust, Gerard, and marry him. For whatever reason he says yes. (At this point, readers are most likely as clueless as I was as to why he would say yes and why she would propose and what the point is).

The chapters alternate between the past and present. In the 'present' story line Kat is once again become interested in cooking and meets Julia Child. This is what the description emphasizes. This is what the author's note emphasizes. This supposedly is the whole reason the book exists--to create fictional characters to interact with a fictional Julia Child. She's also searching for her possibly-not-dead brother.

There are characters--friends, enemies, frenemies--in both timelines. But the way this story unfolds...at least to me...is not as effective as it could be if the author had chosen a timeline and kept things chronological. I am not opposed to dual timelines IF the story flows well and most importantly if it makes sense with little to no confusion.

The description seems like it was written by someone who only heard a summary of the book and didn't actually read it. show less

Terrific read with intrigue, spies, romance, with real people and events involved in the plot. Any reader who likes a good mystery may enjoy this one.

Unraveling the past in order to move forward in the present, the main character 'Kat' answers a cryptic telegram taking her back to France years after the war ends. The author skillfully leads the reader back and forth between two timelines--1943 and 1952--as pieces of the past come together to solve the puzzle of what happened to Kat's brother during the war.

Loved how the author mixed real people into the plot, especially Julia Child and the art of French cooking, and her role in the OSS during WWII. Her research on women in the OSS shines through in her characters and made the story show more feel plausible. The tension rises towards the end as the final piece falls into place and all is revealed.
Satisfying read overall. Not much spiritual content, but a good, clean read. Recommend!

(An ebook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.) show less

EVOCATIVE, INFORMATIVE, & ESPIONAGE!

Award-winning author Kristy Cambron has truly brought her A-game with this evocative dual-time novel, "The French Kitchen." I highly recommend reading it!

The story revolves around Kat Fontaine, a woman who risks everything to uncover the truth about her brother, Gavin, and whether he is dead or alive. Struggling to come to terms with his disappearance, Kat engages in espionage during the 1940s. To hide in plain sight, she works as a chef, gathering and sharing information with the OSS (Office of Strategic Services).

Nearly ten years later, Kat is in a marriage of convenience and finds herself invited to attend cooking classes. To her surprise, these classes are taught by none other than Julia Child, show more who has her own history with the OSS. Julia quickly picks up on Kat's advanced culinary skills, especially her impressive vegetable chopping techniques, and suspects that Kat is not who she claims to be.

In a private conversation, Julia and Kat bond over the challenges of living on the edge, prompting each to question their original plans for a perfect future. As Kat navigates her cloak-and-dagger activities, one wonders: Did she find any clues about her brother?

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley provided me with a copy of this novel. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own and free from outside influence. show less