what_amanda_read's review
emotional
lighthearted
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
5.0
teresat's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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
3.5
whatmkisreading's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
sandlynn's review
4.0
The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux by Samantha Verant, published in 2020, reads a bit like a modern day fairytale, including a French castle.
Sophie Valroux de la Tour de Champvert was born in France to a family with a noble heritage. However, while still a baby, her teenaged mother, who suffered from bouts of depression and was in constant rebellion from her parents, spirited her off to the United States — specifically New York. Sophie’s mother had dreams of becoming an actress but she struggled with both her aspirations, as well as her depression, taking drugs to medicate, and forcing her young daughter into a care taking role. Sophie’s one delight was getting to spend the summers in Champvert, France, at the chateau of her grandparents. During those times, she would learn to cook luscious meals at the elbow of her grandmother, Odette, and run around the chateau’s hills and vineyards with a local boy, named Remi. All of this ended at the age of 13, when Sophie’s mother, spiraling further into her sickness, refused to allow Sophie to return to France. To soften the blow, Sophie turned to the kitchen, trying to recreate her grandmother’s recipes, invent her own, and keep herself and her mother fed. When Sophie turned 18, her mother committed suicide. Her grandmother — who had also lost her husband some years earlier — arrived in New York to help her granddaughter with her mother’s affairs, begging her to come back to France with her. But Sophie also had dreams and she wanted to be one of the first women chefs in the United States to have her own Michelin starred restaurant. As a consequence she was determined to go to culinary school in the States.
Years later, Sophie is working at a Michelin starred restaurant in New York as one of the line cooks. She’s a fabulous talent. So much so, that one of her colleagues, whom she used to date, begs her to come with him as he opens his own restaurant. She refuses, not wanting to work for anyone else — and him, especially. As a result, he and another of the line cooks sabotages Sophie’s work, causing the head chef to fire her and ruin her reputation. Like her mother, Sophie spirals into depression, believing her career to be over. But, not too long after that, she receives word from France that her grandmother has suffered a stroke. So, Sophie packs up and heads to Champvert, thinking she will stay just long enough to ensure her grandmother is okay. But Sophie’s grandmother has other ideas. While Sophie had been pursuing her culinary talents in New York, Odette had been doing the same in France. Sophie arrives at the chateau to find that it and the property around it have grown into a world class hotel/inn, with two restaurants, a vineyard, and a recognized Grand Chef by the name of Odette de la Tour de Champvert. And now, Odette wants Sophie — at the depth of her despair over her career — to take over. The question is, can she? Will the other people who help to run her grandmother’s successful business accept her? She has few friends at this new version of the chateau — not even Remi, who is now a handsome man that resents the fact that Sophie abandoned her family and, particularly him many years ago.
As I mentioned earlier, this story read to me like a fairytale. The first part chronicles Sophie’s experiences with her mother as well as her fall in disgrace from her position in one of the best kitchens in New York, due to a manipulative colleague. At that point, I really felt Sophie’s despair, and was caught up in her dilemma to prove her innocence. But in the back of my mind, I was thinking of her grandmother — who seemed a bit of a fairy godmother — and the time Sophie spent in France. When Sophie is called to return, things are still shaky for her and she has lost a great deal of her confidence, which — I have to admit — began to grate on me. After all, she was supposed to have graduated at the top of her class at the CIA. With the support of some of the staff at her grandmother’s chateau, Sophie begins to slowly get her feet under her, but a return to New York and to her career there is always in the back of her mind. At this point — despite how Sophie sometimes annoyed me — I thought the book was sailing to an A grade. But, the second half took it down a notch for me.
As Sophie takes more of the reins of her grandmother’s mini-empire and stays longer in France, all the obstacles that seemed to stand in her way begin to easily disappear. One conversation with Remi turns their previously hostile relationship on a dime. The intervention of her grandmother’s sous chef, who wants to work with Sophie, helps to restore her reputation in New York, and a particularly unfriendly employee at the chateau grudgingly becomes an ally. All the bad guys get their comeuppance and all the good guys are rewarded — to a point. There are still sad, poignant developments, but nothing that could not be anticipated. It was also odd that Sophie so readily accepted Remi’s family situation, which I won’t spoil. Everything just kind of fell into place. As much as I love an HEA, it just seemed a little too perfect. I would give this a B+/A- for that. Still, I am interested in possibly reading the sequel, following the same cast of characters, that’s to be released later this year.
Sophie Valroux de la Tour de Champvert was born in France to a family with a noble heritage. However, while still a baby, her teenaged mother, who suffered from bouts of depression and was in constant rebellion from her parents, spirited her off to the United States — specifically New York. Sophie’s mother had dreams of becoming an actress but she struggled with both her aspirations, as well as her depression, taking drugs to medicate, and forcing her young daughter into a care taking role. Sophie’s one delight was getting to spend the summers in Champvert, France, at the chateau of her grandparents. During those times, she would learn to cook luscious meals at the elbow of her grandmother, Odette, and run around the chateau’s hills and vineyards with a local boy, named Remi. All of this ended at the age of 13, when Sophie’s mother, spiraling further into her sickness, refused to allow Sophie to return to France. To soften the blow, Sophie turned to the kitchen, trying to recreate her grandmother’s recipes, invent her own, and keep herself and her mother fed. When Sophie turned 18, her mother committed suicide. Her grandmother — who had also lost her husband some years earlier — arrived in New York to help her granddaughter with her mother’s affairs, begging her to come back to France with her. But Sophie also had dreams and she wanted to be one of the first women chefs in the United States to have her own Michelin starred restaurant. As a consequence she was determined to go to culinary school in the States.
Years later, Sophie is working at a Michelin starred restaurant in New York as one of the line cooks. She’s a fabulous talent. So much so, that one of her colleagues, whom she used to date, begs her to come with him as he opens his own restaurant. She refuses, not wanting to work for anyone else — and him, especially. As a result, he and another of the line cooks sabotages Sophie’s work, causing the head chef to fire her and ruin her reputation. Like her mother, Sophie spirals into depression, believing her career to be over. But, not too long after that, she receives word from France that her grandmother has suffered a stroke. So, Sophie packs up and heads to Champvert, thinking she will stay just long enough to ensure her grandmother is okay. But Sophie’s grandmother has other ideas. While Sophie had been pursuing her culinary talents in New York, Odette had been doing the same in France. Sophie arrives at the chateau to find that it and the property around it have grown into a world class hotel/inn, with two restaurants, a vineyard, and a recognized Grand Chef by the name of Odette de la Tour de Champvert. And now, Odette wants Sophie — at the depth of her despair over her career — to take over. The question is, can she? Will the other people who help to run her grandmother’s successful business accept her? She has few friends at this new version of the chateau — not even Remi, who is now a handsome man that resents the fact that Sophie abandoned her family and, particularly him many years ago.
As I mentioned earlier, this story read to me like a fairytale. The first part chronicles Sophie’s experiences with her mother as well as her fall in disgrace from her position in one of the best kitchens in New York, due to a manipulative colleague. At that point, I really felt Sophie’s despair, and was caught up in her dilemma to prove her innocence. But in the back of my mind, I was thinking of her grandmother — who seemed a bit of a fairy godmother — and the time Sophie spent in France. When Sophie is called to return, things are still shaky for her and she has lost a great deal of her confidence, which — I have to admit — began to grate on me. After all, she was supposed to have graduated at the top of her class at the CIA. With the support of some of the staff at her grandmother’s chateau, Sophie begins to slowly get her feet under her, but a return to New York and to her career there is always in the back of her mind. At this point — despite how Sophie sometimes annoyed me — I thought the book was sailing to an A grade. But, the second half took it down a notch for me.
As Sophie takes more of the reins of her grandmother’s mini-empire and stays longer in France, all the obstacles that seemed to stand in her way begin to easily disappear. One conversation with Remi turns their previously hostile relationship on a dime. The intervention of her grandmother’s sous chef, who wants to work with Sophie, helps to restore her reputation in New York, and a particularly unfriendly employee at the chateau grudgingly becomes an ally. All the bad guys get their comeuppance and all the good guys are rewarded — to a point. There are still sad, poignant developments, but nothing that could not be anticipated. It was also odd that Sophie so readily accepted Remi’s family situation, which I won’t spoil. Everything just kind of fell into place. As much as I love an HEA, it just seemed a little too perfect. I would give this a B+/A- for that. Still, I am interested in possibly reading the sequel, following the same cast of characters, that’s to be released later this year.
kaleidoscope04's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
applejacksbooks's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
iowabibliobibuli's review against another edition
5.0
O. My. Gosh. I needed this book.
It's light but serious. An easy read that sucks you in.
It's light but serious. An easy read that sucks you in.
annyslibrary's review against another edition
1.0
Sigh. I'm so disappointed to be returning this book. The cover and description really pulled me in, but I just couldn't get past chapter 5. It takes a lot for me rate something one star, but this was just a major miss for me.
hylasorenson's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
My first finished book of the year.
I really enjoyed this. I have no complaints!
I really enjoyed this. I have no complaints!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Terminal illness, and Mental illness
Minor: Abortion