ARC Review: The Art of French Kissing by Brianna R. Shrum
10:00
Series: None
Author: Brianna R. Shrum
Published June 5th 2018 by Sky Pony
Goodreads Synopsis
Seventeen-year-old Carter Lane has wanted to be a chef since she was old enough to ignore her mom's warnings to stay away from the hot stove. And now she has the chance of a lifetime: a prestigious scholarship competition in Savannah, where students compete all summer in Chopped style challenges for a full-ride to one of the best culinary schools in the country. The only impossible challenge ingredient in her basket: Reid Yamada.
After Reid, her cute but unbearably cocky opponent, goes out of his way to screw her over on day one, Carter vows revenge, and soon they're involved in a full-fledged culinary war. Just as the tension between them reaches its boiling point, Carter and Reid are forced to work together if they want to win, and Carter begins to wonder if Reid's constant presence in her brain is about more than rivalry. And if maybe her desire to smack his mouth doesn't necessarily cancel out her desire to kiss it.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
All Carter Lane has wanted was to be accepted to a summer school at a culinary college in Savannah, with the hope of winning, and being awarded a scholarship for college. She thought being accepted was the difficult part, but in reality, it was simple. Arriving in Savannah, she accidentally makes an enemy of another student, Reid Yamada, and it soon turns into a full blown battle to the end. It doesn't help, either, that Reid is cute, and her feelings for him might not be all negative. will Carter be able to survive in the competition, or will she be chopped from the running?
This was such a cute and enjoyable read. Really quick, and kept me hooked from the get go. I loved Carter, and how invested she was in cooking. When she was younger, she used to cook all the time with her grandpa, and after his death, she sort of took over the responsibility of cooking at home, partially because her parents were rubbish cooks, and also because money was tight, and it was a way for her to help out while her parents were working. She knows that the only hope she has of going to a culinary college like the one in Savannah is to win the competition and gain a scholarship, so she puts everything into it. Meeting Reid, the chemistry was clear straight away, but they start as enemies, with him hiding ingredients from her, and she causing him to drop food, and so on. It nearly results in them being kicked out of the competition, but at night, when they can't sleep, they meet up in the common room, and a friendship soon forms, which later becomes a true relationship. I also loved the interactions between them, and between the other competitions. Some were rude, and annoying, but others, like Riya and Will, were funny, and loyal, and really helped to make the book as good as it was. A great YA Contemporary story, perfect to read on a Sunday morning.
Dates Read:
Rating
4 Stars
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