While the story begins rather campy and fun, I was unable to move past the rather obnoxious side of Charlie's personality to fully enjoy the story.

I found the cover to be entirely eye-grabbing and was the reason I requested it in the first place. That and I am a sucker for a good kitchen-restaurant read.

But this is more than a restaurant story. It's a star crossed lovers romance that spans over several decades, interwoven with mouthwatering recipes, letters and other varies pieces from Charlie's life. The recipes alone are enough to push you through.

I appreciated the authenticity of industry/hospitality life. And I appreciated the tongue and cheek attitude the novel carried all the way through. The prose at times was exquisite and in general felt full of heart.

I received an ARC of this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of the Belle Hotel. A place that housed 3 generations of family and the restaurant of which has earned itself a Michelin star. It’s the story of the rise and fall of Charlie as a man and as a chef, leading to his long search for redemption. There are moments of hilarity, head shaking, hope, intrigue and sadness. There are a few surprises as well when it comes to love and family but overall, it was a nice read. Melvin has even thrown in some yummy looking recipes for good measure.

I enjoyed it and I loved the characters.

I received a copy of "The Belle Hotel" from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I had a hard time trying to get past the obnoxious personality of the main character Charlie. But after reading some of the reviews here, I might give it another go and hope the story is as good as the reviews stated.

I am going to start off with a warning: don't let the campiness of the beginning of the book distract you from a really good story. Sure, Charlie is a very impractical person who doesn't quite place the proper emphasis on the proper priorities. That is what gets him in the mess to begin with. That can probably be blamed on his entire childhood and his family. Afterall, when your grandfather begins the family business based on a foundation of stolen silver from his previous employer and the unlikely friendship of THE Laurence Olivier, you know it won't be following the normal course of business. But the story includes some humorous stories of hotel life and the wonderful plot of a boy raised in the hospitality world to be its future king. After the beginning, the campiness mellows out a bit, but remains in the background to add a bit of surprise to the whole story. Now, to find someone to try the recipes for me!