danny_kearl's review
3.0
What a brilliant debut book from Katrina Kwan. This grumpy /sunshine rom-com is hot, hot, hot! With so many layers to the story to keep you hooked the whole time. Alexander and Eden HEA is a captivating read. Loved it!
isabellm's review
4.0
This was a really fun, enjoyable read. Really liked the setting of fast paced kitchen and the world of haute cuisine. Eden and Shang/Alexander had really good chemistry from the start and I liked the build up of the attraction and tension between them and how that relationship developed. They each had a personal journey to go through which was interesting, with both struggling with different losses of something precious to them, and how to regain it. I liked how once they worked out the kinks of how best to communicate with one another, they supported each other throughout their respective breakdowns and there was no inevitable third act break-up. A colourful cast of supporting characters as well brought this kitchen to life, a really enjoyable debut and I look forward to more from this author. 3.75 ⭐️ rounded up.
kaybohls's review
5.0
Knives, Seasoning, and A Dash of Love is a full-course meal.
Kwan delivers a debut romance that's the whole package that checks every box and then some. Between lovable characters with chemistry up to HERE, a broody leading man who's only soft for *her*, squirm-worthy tension, multi-chili spice, and a deeply satisfying conclusion that gave the warmest of fuzzies and a heady book hangover, this book literally has it all. I even shed a tear or two (or twelve, who am I kidding?)
The author drops you in the middle of a busy shift at La Rouge. Kwan's unique voice makes the reader feel like a fly on the wall in the best way. It only took I knew from the first page that Alexander Chen was going to own my heart (he may remind readers of a certain lightsaber-wielding dark lord). He's brash and a bit cantankerous, with little patience (none, in fact) for mistakes. Alexander runs a tight ship, has his kitchen staff shaking in their boots, and has chased off a sous chef or two. It's hardly his fault they couldn't handle the heat in his kitchen. He's THE Alexander Chen; he's allowed to have impossibly high standards, or else he'd never have those Michelin stars under his belt.
But something's off. Alexander's passion and creativity have dwindled to nothing--his love for cooking has gone out the window, squashed under the thumb of his master, and past mistakes he's tried SO HARD to forget.
Enter Eden Monroe (who I decided after one chapter that I'd take a bullet for). She's Alexander's new sous chef. She NEEDS this job, she deserves this job, and she won't let an infuriatingly good-looking asshole drive her away.
The pair are instantly drawn to each other (maybe because they've met before?? WHO KNOWS.), and Alexander quickly learns that Eden isn't scared of him like the rest of his kitchen is. In fact, they might even like her better ... La Rouge might even BE better with her by his side. He's almost instantly more inspired the minute they finally cook together. We get to watch the layers come away as Alexander's curiosity about her grows, and Eden opens her heart to let someone finally care for her in a way she's never experienced.
You'll be shouting, "NOW KISS" from the minute Eden and Alexander are alone in a walk-in cooler. You'll scream with frustration as Kwan hits you with a series of exquisite near-misses and cry with them, for them, when we get to witness pivotal moments in their lives.
Kwan's writing is vivid and, at times, poetic. This is one hell of a debut, and I'll be crushing "ADD TO CART" for all of her future titles. She has one heck of a career to look forward to, and our shelves will be blessed by the stories she's bound to create if Knives, Seasoning, and A Dash of Love is only the starting point.
Thank you again to the author for letting me read an ARC. I am now counting down the days until its release.
Kwan delivers a debut romance that's the whole package that checks every box and then some. Between lovable characters with chemistry up to HERE, a broody leading man who's only soft for *her*, squirm-worthy tension, multi-chili spice, and a deeply satisfying conclusion that gave the warmest of fuzzies and a heady book hangover, this book literally has it all. I even shed a tear or two (or twelve, who am I kidding?)
The author drops you in the middle of a busy shift at La Rouge. Kwan's unique voice makes the reader feel like a fly on the wall in the best way. It only took I knew from the first page that Alexander Chen was going to own my heart (he may remind readers of a certain lightsaber-wielding dark lord). He's brash and a bit cantankerous, with little patience (none, in fact) for mistakes. Alexander runs a tight ship, has his kitchen staff shaking in their boots, and has chased off a sous chef or two. It's hardly his fault they couldn't handle the heat in his kitchen. He's THE Alexander Chen; he's allowed to have impossibly high standards, or else he'd never have those Michelin stars under his belt.
But something's off. Alexander's passion and creativity have dwindled to nothing--his love for cooking has gone out the window, squashed under the thumb of his master, and past mistakes he's tried SO HARD to forget.
Enter Eden Monroe (who I decided after one chapter that I'd take a bullet for). She's Alexander's new sous chef. She NEEDS this job, she deserves this job, and she won't let an infuriatingly good-looking asshole drive her away.
The pair are instantly drawn to each other (maybe because they've met before?? WHO KNOWS.), and Alexander quickly learns that Eden isn't scared of him like the rest of his kitchen is. In fact, they might even like her better ... La Rouge might even BE better with her by his side. He's almost instantly more inspired the minute they finally cook together. We get to watch the layers come away as Alexander's curiosity about her grows, and Eden opens her heart to let someone finally care for her in a way she's never experienced.
You'll be shouting, "NOW KISS" from the minute Eden and Alexander are alone in a walk-in cooler. You'll scream with frustration as Kwan hits you with a series of exquisite near-misses and cry with them, for them, when we get to witness pivotal moments in their lives.
Kwan's writing is vivid and, at times, poetic. This is one hell of a debut, and I'll be crushing "ADD TO CART" for all of her future titles. She has one heck of a career to look forward to, and our shelves will be blessed by the stories she's bound to create if Knives, Seasoning, and A Dash of Love is only the starting point.
Thank you again to the author for letting me read an ARC. I am now counting down the days until its release.
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