Eden lies to get her job as sous-chef happy that Alex doesn’t remember her from her short lived time at culinary school. Although he has some concerns about her, Alex quickly sees her talent and skill, and is drawn to her. His softer side comes out almost immediately and they start to grow closer. Hampered by a difficult co-worker and a slimy owner, the two work through their challenges to come together in a healthy way. Really enjoyed!

If you are a fan of workplace romance this book is definitely for you. This is a great book for readers to lose themselves in. I was absolutely hooked from the first page. Katrina’s writing flows extremely well.

This was a fun, slightly spicey (and not just in the kitchen) workplace romance. The characters were likeable, the first half of the was wonderful but after Eden and Alexander got together everything felt very surface level, the conflicts were realistic for the story BUT there was literally immediate resolution that didn't feel appropriate for what we knew about each of the characters. It was also hard to imagine where the book was taking place. Having grown up and lived in both areas mentioned, for decades I couldn't picture either town which felt a little odd. I kept trying to figure out which restaurant(s) could have served as inspiration because I want to go there and eat everything!

Alexander was an absolute cinnamon roll who absolutely met his match with Eden and it was so fun to follow along.



Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada | Random House Canada for the ARC in exchange for my review!

As an author, it is our job to show the readers rather than tell them. I'm not sure if this is Katrina Kwan's debut novel or not, but she told me everything rather than showing me through descriptive imagery and character-driven actions. The plot had potential, but the pacing felt very rushed and the dialogue was stilted. Ultimately, I DNF'd, but I'm sure this book will find its target audience.

Knives, Seasoning, and a Dash of Love had me at page one. The story, the chemistry between Alexander and Eden, the supporting cast, and the steamy love scenes made a book that I absolutely could not put down. I also loved the epilogues and the bonus chapter. So many times after I finish a book, I wonder what happens to the characters and unless it’s a series, I never find out, so I appreciated those chapters. I had such a good time with this story. Katrina Kwan is now on my must read list of authors. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Hear me out, if you mixed Ali Hazelwood with Ratatouille it would be this. Workplace romance and chefs!

Third person, dual POV.

Eden takes on the role of Alexander’s sous chef. She might’ve embellished her resume a bit (read: a lot), but she’s a quick study and great at the job. He’s an overbearing boss that prefers his staff to have a healthy sense of fear towards him.

She’s just hoping he doesn’t remember her from their time together in school. Meanwhile, a disgruntled coworker is sabotaging her.

The writing style reads a little choppy, but overall it was cute. I started to get a little board halfway through, but it wrapped up sweetly. The supporting cast was amazing. Since it’s French cuisine, I was picturing the Ratatouille kitchen, and I’m not even sorry.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

I absolutely LOVED this book! It was a quick, easy, and addicting romance read. I honestly could have finished it in just a couple of days if life didn’t get in the way. I highly recommend this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
🧁 culinary rom-com
🧁 boss/subordinate romance
🧁 coworkers to lovers
🧁 grump vs. sunshine
🧁 rich guy/poor girl
🧁 dual POV
🧁 short chapters
🧁 a liiiiiittle bit of spice 🌶️🌶️
🧁 HEA
🧁 a little bit of mystery ✨

This was a new-to-me author, and I really enjoyed her writing style. Part raunchy, part witty… It was exactly my humour and it made for a very enjoyable read.
The banter between the 2 main characters on this one was on pointttttt 🤣 I laughed out loud so many times! It was hilarious and catchy right from the very start!
I love cooking shows so much, but you don’t often see a culinary rom-com! I literally felt like I was on the set of The Bear 🤪 This was a very enjoyable read, and it made me hungry 🐷
I love a strong female character that isn’t afraid to speak her mind and put a guy in his place if need be. I really liked Eden and her “won’t take no *ish” attitude and the dialogue between her and the men 🤣 I loved the journey and growth for Eden throughout this book; she started out with barely anything and worked her way up to quite a nice life. I love an underdog story 🩷
I love a grump vs. sunshine trope sooooo much because the banter is always hilarious 🤪 I have a very dry, sarcastic sense of humour and the things the grump says always make me laugh-out-loud 🤣 There’s just something about a grumpy guy who is mean to everyone but HER 🩷🩷🩷
I looooooooove to see an overly protective male main character, and Alexander was this to a T! So hot 🥵🥵🥵🥵
We kind of get a dual point-of-view here because we do get to see both characters sides, but it is also kind of like a no-POV as well because we don’t actually see any of the characters inner thoughts.
This one was a little bit darker than the average rom-com, with the missing persons case, but as a mystery lover I absolutely love when genres overlap! I love rom-coms but it definitely made it so much harder to put it down when there is also a mystery that needs to be solved.
I love discovering new authors, and I am so happy to have found Katrina Kwan 🩷🩷 I cannot wait to read more of her books in the future!

3.5

This was probably the sweetest book I've read lately. Now when I say sweetest I meant it, I swear it gave me cavities.

Besides that I'll say it was a cute and entertaining read, it also was super light and easy because I read it in like 2 days. The plot was good, it was fun and most of it had a good paced, the last few chapters though felt a bit rushed and too many things kept happening. There were a lot of scenes that involved daily, normal and routine situations that I enjoyed reading, however I did find some of them unnecessary to the story, it drag certain things too much.

One thing I LOVED was the food talk! Both of them being chefs and working in a kitchen it was so nice to read all the scenes working and cooking, reading about recipes and food, and produce. I love it when their context (i.e. work place, school) is just as important as the romance; it makes the characters feel more real. And speaking of the characters, I really liked both MCs (this was double pov btw) She was cute and a ray of sunshine, he was grumpy yet so freaking soft for her. A perfect book boyfriend. I really liked that even when a mistake was made there was accountability and a healthy communication.

The conflicts were good, the drama too, the ending (in my opinion) felt a bit rushed, however I loved the epilogue! Overall I enjoyed it and it 100% increased my (already gigantic) love and attraction for chefs.

Tropes that can be found in this book:
Workplace romance
Grumpy x Sunshine
Chinese - American representation
A lot of yummy food!

Cute!! I didn't realize that this book was third person, which is not a favorite of mine, but I pushed through. I also personally didn't love the format/language used in the text conversations, which is a little nitpicky of me, and some parts kind of gave me whiplash trying to follow the character's personality changes, but other than that it was good.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an E-Arc of this book. The following is my honest opinion *

4⭐ out 5

The years of binge watching the cooking channel, food network, Iron Chef, and Hell's kitchen have paid off! In a time where the romance and spicy stories are sports, mafia, or fantasy centered (at least in my circle), this was such a refreshing story!! I absolutely loved it!

This felt like a K-drama. We are introduced to Eden who has a bubbly personality and is working through what life has thrown at her. Then we have Alexander who is cold and seemingly uncaring. Both have a story from their past that drives them forward and makes them better people.
And the spice!!!! I was not expecting it in the sense that I thought it was going to be a closed door spice. Loved it!

This was such a cute story and highly recommend it!

please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HEA: HEA
POV: dual 3rd person
spice: a few open-door spicy scenes
TWs: bullying (mild), depression/depressive episodes, drunk driving, guilt, manipulation, parental abandonment, racial micro aggressions, racism, sexism
Kinky Content: fingering, food play- whipped cream, grinding, manhandling, marking, oral, praise, shower sex
standalone: yes
final thoughts: first off- this cover is SO CUTE and the imagery of the knives facing different directions to show who the main focus for the 3rd person POV would be was so clever.
I loved the found family in this book so much!!! And the unravelling of both MC’s secrets had me on the edge of my seat waiting to learn more alongside the other characters. For such a cute romance and concept, there were some darker (triggering) elements at play regarding racism (outright and microaggressions) and the abandonment. Those left my heart feeling heavy, but the side characters made up for it and helped bring levity.
I will say I really really really don’t like when there are open door scenes with a MC and someone who is not the other MC in a book even if they aren’t officially together yet. I felt like it added nothing to the story except for giving me an ick I had to bring myself back from.

read this book if you love

🫡 big MMC
🧑‍🏫 boss/employee
🍿 celebrity chef
🧑‍🍳 chef
💬 epistolary
😳 forbidden lovers
🏝️ forced proximity
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 found family
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 great side characters
😡 grumpy/sunshine
🛁 he washes her
🤫 hidden secrets
🙏 praise
🤐 secret relationship
💓 slowburn
👕 wearing his clothes scene
💼 workplace romance

This was a cute and quick read. Grumpy and sunshine trope. I give it 3.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Canada for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Knives, Seasoning, and a Dash of Love was such a blast to read. Congrats to Katrina on the trad pub - it’s so well deserved. I think fans of The Bear would die for this book?? I’ve never seen the show, but I can tell (I think) the vibes would match. This book is the epitome of grumpy/sunshine. Alexander is a complete and utter jerk to literally everyone he meets, but then there’s Eden, and he immediately has a soft spot for her. SWOON! It’s so sweet to see him be himself with her and for her to open up and be vulnerable with him after all of her childhood trauma. For all she’s been through, I thought she was really stable and able to trust others. There were bits and pieces of distrust, but overall, she was an incredibly healthy individual. Did we accredit it to therapy? I can’t remember, but I don’t think so. That would have been *chef’s kiss*. Lol, get it? I LOVED that there was no third act breakup; they came together against external forces (Sebastian and her mom) and came out stronger than ever. This was such a great story - from plot and pacing to the hilarity of all the side characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this read!

Love. Love. Love. I thought this book was the perfect blend of cute romance and tackling a few more serious topics.

I didn't think the side characters overwhelmed the main characters or the plot, but they still stood on their own. I would have loved if the side characters all got a little bit more time on their own. I did find them blending in together a bit.

Both Shang and Eden had interesting backstories and personalities that made them individual enough but still cohesive as a duo. I spent most of this book incredibly worried that the outcome of Eden's story would be really upsetting, but I was glad to see it was handled in a gentle way and she had people beside her supporting her the entire time.

Shang's relationship with his parents was very sweet and I wish we could see a little bit more of it.

Overall, the romance was so sweet and genuine and I enjoyed that there wasn't too much toxicity or angst. Sometimes it's nice to have a simple, loving romance! Such a great story.

I really enjoyed this book. It has a great supporting cast, solid conflict, and solid individual storylines, as well as a spicy workplace romance. The romance between the celebrity chef Alexander and the novice sous chef Eden was sweet, spicy, and uncomfortable in a good way. It felt like reading a cozy Hallmark movie, which I loved.

I appreciated that the author didn't shy away from the topic of racism and portrayed it in a sensitive yet realistic manner. This was unexpected and added depth to the story.

Even though romance is not my go-to genre, I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

I to thank Netgalley, Katrina Kwan, and Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy and share my honest personal opinion.

I really wanted to like this book, and it definitely had some elements I really enjoyed: a searing examination of racism in the fine dining world, loving someone through mental illness, and a gruff hero hiding a marshmallow center. I also adored the side characters - Peter, Freddie, and Rina were all funny and brought depth and heart to the kitchen. However, I just couldn’t get past the fact that the power dynamics of Eden dating her boss, especially when she desperately needed the job and was relying on him to protect her secret, gave me major ick. I think a few years ago this wouldn’t have bothered me but in the current political climate, it does. The spice was hot and well done. I would read more by this author, but for me this book wasn’t a hit.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early read in exchange for an honest review*

I absolutely loved this book!! Straight from the get go I loved Eden and her whole personality, she was fleshed out wonderfully from the beginning. Alexander was also a great character from the get go, and I loved the fact this was the grumpy and happy trope, especially as both of the characters were written so perfectly that it felt like I knew them personally. The whole book I almost knew they would end up together but when it eventually happened, I was squealing and giggling as they were absolutely adorable! Also, the whole story being set in a restaurant and centred around food and cooking made it even more interesting and was something I haven’t read about before, which was a refreshing take on a romance book!

❝ Knives, Seasoning, and a Dash of Love by Katrina Kwan ❞- 2.75 ★

I had to think about this book for a while because for some reason I don’t really know how I feel about it.. What I do know is that it is a bit too fast-paced for me.

When I read the blurb it sounded like a fun and cute workplace romance about two chefs who were bound to fall for each other. It was giving forced proximity and grumpy x sunshine, which are some of my favorite tropes to read but it sadly didn’t hit me as I would have liked. A lot was happening between each chapter and it felt a bit rushed on some parts. I think that’s why the story didn’t really captured me.

Read if you like:
- insta-love
- fast-paced storyline
- chef/cooking plot
- workplace romance
- forced proximity
- grumpy x sunshine

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5/5)
🌶️🌶️🌶️ (2.5/5)

If you love the Food Network or the show “The Bear,” you might want to pick this one up. This was a cute, heartwarming, and fun read.

Eden Monroe will do anything to keep her new job as sous chef at the prestige restaurant, La Rouge. She’s desperate for the money even if it means dealing with her new boss who is a straight up d!ck. He also happens to be the infamous and talented chef, Alexander Chen.

It was definitely more of a grumpy vs sunshine, insta-love than it was enemies to lovers. But the workplace romance set in a restaurant kitchen was done really well. As someone whose first job was waitressing at a restaurant, I appreciated the kitchen talk and humor. And the stress of working in a kitchen added some nice sexual tension between Alexander and Eden.

Had to drop a star because I found myself skipping over paragraphs. After they got together (which was pretty early on in the book), the dialogue between them became too cringey and corny for me. 😬 It felt a little immature and took me out of the story. And the other half star is due to the pacing of this story. It seemed a little off: the timeline of things, how fast they got together, how quickly issues were resolved in the end. I would have liked to see more tension and build up and banter.

All in all, I did enjoy this one and I especially loved the setting. I will be on the look out for more Katrina Kwan in the future! Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for giving me the opportunity to read this. All thoughts are my own. 🫶🏻