Holy guacamole if this wasn't the best contemporary romance I've read this year. Coming off watching Bear this summer, jumping into Knives, Seasoning, and a Dash of Love was the perfect combo of all the things I needed in my life.

This was a spicy workplace romance that for lack of better words ATE UP. The tension was so perfectly written and the spice was top tier. I literally couldn't put this book down. It has me saying Yes Chef every time someone brings it up. I loved the chemistry and how well Katrina writes this tension, conflict, and fantastic plot! If you don't have this on your Want to Read, this is your sign to add it! You won't regret it!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

It gets hot in this kitchen! Eden and Shang narrate this second chance (in more ways that one) sunshine/grump workplace romance. Eden, who left culinary school, gets hired for Shang's restaurant to make money to look for her birth family. Shang's stressed because this is his big chance, Sparks fly fast for these two but Kwan does well at keeping this about more than the spice. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Trope-y to be sure but also fun.

Okay - what a cute one! Knives, Seasoning, and a Dash of Love should definitely be added to your (never ending, I'm sure) TBR. Eden and Alexander and the perfect Grumpy Sunshine. They have great chemistry and shake things up in the kitchen. I enjoyed that their journey as they realized they were "missing a secret ingredient all along: a little dash of love."

What I loved:
🙂‍↕️I adored the ambiance of the book. Having worked in a restaurant myself, I appreciated the accurate portrayal of the kitchen environment — the jokes between characters, the kitchen stress, everything felt spot-on. It felt like we were part of the kitchen « family, » and the friend group provided real comfort. I absolutely loved their personalities! It made me miss my old job 🥲

The two main characters had unresolved issues that added depth to the main storyline. I enjoyed seeing them grow and open up, revealing their vulnerable sides. The exploration of burnout about a passion you once had and how it’s okay to not be okay really resonated with me, and I loved how it was approached.🫶🏼

The romance was charming, and the spice didn’t overshadow the plot. It was well-balanced and didn’t become overwhelming. The FMC and MMC were adorable together, she transformed his life, and his love for her was heartwarming. I already miss them🩵

🥹This was a fun rom-com that left me feeling cozy. With some really cute moments, it was an easy and enjoyable read overall!

What I didn’t love :
I’m struggling to pinpoint anything significant that I didn’t like. There’s nothing major that stands out to be honest!🧐

Do I recommend?
Yes I do! If you love a sweet romcom, workplace romance, grumpy x sunshine— seeing characters grow and learn, this is for you! I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did!

3.5 stars rounded up. Ill-tempered celebrity chef Alexander Chen is in dire need of a sous chef after his last one walked out on him. Desperate for a job, the talented but unfortunately underqualified Eden Monroe fudges her resume and lands the position. Mr. Grumpy and Ms. Sunshine butt heads as they run the kitchen of La Rouge, a Michelin 3-star restaurant.

For a novel with great East Asian representation, delicious descriptions of food and plenty of spice, I really wanted to like this more than I did. I found the author’s writing style refreshing and the book had many great elements, but I felt like it was trying to do too many things at once. The camaraderie and chemistry amongst the restaurant team is absolutely delightful, but when it came to the love line, the chemistry between the leads felt a bit forced in the beginning. Like I don’t know where it all began and he’s suddenly really into her. For the FMC, I kind of get it, since she remembers MMC from the olden days fondly. But he FORGOT her? Really??? I wanted to know what caused the MMC to change from cinnamon roll to fire-breathing dragon, but I don’t think I really got a clear answer to that. The third act couples drama was also quite…abrupt.

Without spoiling more of the plot, I can only say that I think were too many issues and emotional struggles the author wanted to cover. Even though I can tell that the author has experience with these topics and knows what’s she’s writing about, there’s too little focus. We end up not covering much ground and everything feels just a tad superficial. I also didn’t like how the emotional backstories were presented like “flashback segments” - the style seems a bit disjointed to me. That said, I did like how everything came together in the end. The ending was gratifying to me and overall, I still found this to be an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story follows the lives of two chefs that are sent on a crash course into each others lives. In this dual-pov tale, we get to watch these two complex characters find each other in a time of need.
Alexander is the head chef at a popular restaurant and has no interest in making friends. His brutal work ethic causes an efficiently run kitchen while simultaneously leeching away his passion for the culinary arts.
Eden is hastily hired as the sous chef in the restaurant’s time of need, even though her references don’t fit the bill. She knocks the socks off of her grumpy boss on the first day and becomes the sous chef he has always needed.
Although, there is so much more going on behind the scenes for both these characters since their past is always sitting in the forefront of their mind. They need to be able to face their past if they want to be free from the demons haunting them.
It was wonderful to read two people come together when they needed someone the most. To watch their walls fall down and love enter into each of their hearts. This book was such a comforting read and I loved every second!

DNF at 198 pages.
I don't think this book is for me, I try hard to keep reading but after they get together I lose all the interest in it.
I was not too fond of some parts of it. it wasn't interesting and I didn't care about the protagonist.
overall the writing style was good, an ok book.
I am not forcing myself to read more.
Thank you Read Now in Netgalley for the opportunity to read another book.
overall the writing style was good,

I throughly enjoyed this book! I was pulled in from the start. Both Shang and Eden’s characters were intriguing. I enjoyed their back and forth in the beginning and the clear sexual tension between the two of them. Shang was quicker to admit to his attractions but Eden wasn’t far behind. This book was steamy af! Don’t let that illustrated cover fool you at all. But I also liked how complex the characters were. I loved the friends and being in the kitchen with all of them. Though I didn’t understand Eden’s obsession with finding people who clearly abandoned her, I know it was the closure she needed. I liked how Shang finally broke free and realized it was better to walk away than deal with his horrible boss. All and all, I really had a fun time reading this book. It had a little if everything—steam, humor, tear-jerking moments, fun, and so much sweetness. I can’t wait to read more books by this author in the future!

“He realises now that he was missing a secret ingredient all along: a little dash of love”

If you’re a fan of work place romance with grumpy-meets-sunshine thrown in, then this book is for you!

It’s sweet & ridiculously romantic with some steamy scenes for good measure. Kwan’s dialogue is sassy, fun and at times a little cringey but it’s a rom-com, so who cares?

I felt as though the storyline rushed a little in parts, not allowing the characters to really get to know each other before they become “best friends”. The intertwined story of Eden & her parents is quickly forgotten after the first few chapters.

Overall, an enjoyable read that I would recommend to others.

I look forward to reading more of Kwan’s books in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an opportunity to read KNIVES, SEASONING, AND A DASH OF LOVE for honest review.

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

Looking for foodie romance anyone? This was a grumpy x sunshine, workplace, enemies to lovers romance with good banter and dialoge. I liked the Chinese representation and how Chang fought the become a Michelin Chef. I think Eden and Chang's relationship progressed naturally and realistically. I also really liked that the book was set in a restaurant, a fun setting I haven't read to much of before. A quick and enjoyable read

I love restaurant settings, so for La Rouge to be the backdrop for KNIVES, SEASONING, AND A DASH OF LOVE's romance was the ... chef's kiss.

I really enjoyed Eden and Shang's story of coming together, overcoming various obstacles, and staying together.

Unfortunately, the plot fell flat for me for most of the book.

Call me old fashioned, but I enjoy the long game, the, well, longing game. So when the love interests get together too early in the book, as was the case here, the plot for a romance flips to more of women's fiction. I believe it was around the 30 to 40 percent mark they get together ... everything else became boring. At least to me.

Each character had baggage and that helped push the plot along somewhat. Eden and Shang helped each other to become better, but... something was missing once they were "together."

I am all on board with open bedrooms, but this was perhaps too focused on the very descriptive sizzle and not enough anticipation.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an e-copy of KNIVES, SEASONING, AND A DASH OF LOVE to review.

I rate KNIVES, SEASONING, AND A DASH OF LOVE three out of five stars.

Knives, Seasoning, and a Dash of Love didn't ever really get its footing with me. The novel is set in a Michelin star restaurant, where the chef Alexander Chen has just hired a new sous chef (Eden). It is hard to get to the things that bothered me without spoilers. I will say that this restaurant sure does give everyone time off to hang out together (like normal evening hours). There are quirks that I think in this time of so many restaurant tv shows, that most people would find a little far fetched (besides the chef and sous chef having multiple days off together). But it is a ROM COM so who cares. The whole thing felt a bit too much, like there wasn't time for the characters to get to know each other, because all the plot threads. I will absolutely read another one of Kwan's books - her dialogue is sassy and fun. Oh and her spicy scenes are just right. But this book was not a hit with me. I read an ARC

This book was a litteral chef's kiss, pun intended.
If you're a fan of grumpy male characters with a dash of sweetness this book is for you!

It has the perfect blend of spice and plot, the characters grows and you'll be swept into this story.

Right from the start I was rooting for Alexander and Eden, this book made me laugh and squeal. It was cleverly written and as a debut novel, such a hit. I'll be keeping my eyes open for Katarina because her writing really is special.

This was really fun and spicy and fulfilling to read, while also extremely Reylo-coded. If you know, you know! Also: this book WILL make you hungry. Is it lunch time yet?

Alexander is the famous French chef.
He has a lot to prove as a chinese-american chef and is known as cranky and grumpy. He falls for his inexperienced sous chef....

Love how fun this book is. Love Eden and Alexander. Love the cooking details. Also enjoy the rest of the main characters. There are some sensitive topics but they were all dealt with beautifully.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Fun contemporary romance with likeable characters and solid plot lines that backed up the character development/actions

I really wanted to like this book but I'm not sure if it was the digital formatting or if it was just the structure of the book that I couldn't really get into. It was hard to root for them or care about them. The summary made me want to care about them but the story was lacking something.

This book was honestly a little all over the place. For starters, I absolutely love the idea of a culinary romance. While I believe that the concept was great, it wasn't executed to reach its full potential. The pacing felt off, and there would be strange long halts of the main plot in order to give attention to a side plot. The romance felt very insta-lovey, so when the main couple got together, it didn't feel satisfying. Also, lots of mentioning on how tiny the FMC is. However, I do have to give the book credit for how it handled the various family-oriented discussions, specifically as it applies to their backstories. Those were the moments that truly made me feel something. Overall, it's Reylo fanfiction. If that is your thing, this may be worth checking out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this advanced copy. You can pick up Knives, Seasoning, and a Dash of Love on August 27, 2024.

I downloaded this book when I was in the mood for a chef romance -- and I have no doubt this book delivers on sizzling tension, wicked banter, and mouth-watering food descriptions. Unfortunately, I couldn't get invested in the story when I picked it up, which is likely more due to my fluctuating mood than the book itself. I might pick it up again in the future, but based on the first few pages, it doesn't seem to be for me (at least right now).

Honestly, maybe it’s because I’ve been reading so many smut-filled fantasy books lately that I’d forgotten what other books are like, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

The character descriptions at the beginning were amazing, and the way the author incorporated the kitchen was truly chef’s kiss. I would give you the direct quote, but since the book is still undergoing some final editing, I’ll refrain from adding any.

If you like the classic ‘Cinderella plot’ then you definitely need to add this book to your tbr. Alexander would 100% buy Eden a brand new pair of glass slippers.

It’s also very insta lovey:

Alexander on the outside: 👹You all suck at your jobs 👹

Alexander on the inside: 😇 Eden is so pretty 😇

While I dislike insta-love and don’t typically go for Cinderella plots, I quite liked this book. It has a really good balance of all the tropes—just enough helpless FMC but still competent, and just enough asshole MMC but still likable. There are some cringe moments typical of romcoms, but not enough to make me close the book in secondhand embarrassment. Overall, this is a pretty balanced and enjoyable romance.

However, the story really falls off towards the middle. I was thoroughly enjoying the book, but around chapters 12 or 13, I found myself thinking, Nooo, what’s happening?

It felt like a complete shift in character behavior. The story did pick back up for me, but it suffered from some pacing issues. That’s why this is a solid 3 star book for me—still enjoyable but definitely not the best thing I’ve ever read. While the issues were resolved rather quickly, the book still felt long.

Also, others have mentioned in their reviews that the dialogue can be a bit cringey, and I’ll agree. But honestly, if romcoms are your jam, you probably won’t mind the occasional cringe. It’s not that bad and definitely has its cute moments.

That said, I would still highly recommend this book if you’re into cooking. I had a lot of fun discovering new foods I had never heard of before. I do wish they had included pictures of the dishes they were making or something similar.