Samantha Verant delivers a dark fast paced mystery set in Malibu, California. Flying all the way from Paris, Julia starts a new chapter of her career as the Drake family's personal chef. She quickly gets off on the wrong foot with Erica Drake, the glamorous actress. Julia must navigate the complicated family dynamics of the Drake family to survive as their chef.

We are reading from two perspectives of Julia and Erica which adds color and context to the story. I really enjoyed the immersive setting as the Drake family mansion is on the California coast. The incorporate of the acting and film industry into the storyline was also interesting to read about. This is a great read for those who enjoy The Housemaid.

Some of the plot twists were predictable, but overall it was great mystery.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Private Chef is a gripping and twist-filled thriller that delivers intrigue, deception, and revenge in spades. Set against the glamorous yet unsettling backdrop of Malibu, the novel follows Julia Fouquet, a private chef whose dream job quickly turns into a nightmare. Hired by the wealthy Drake family, Julia is thrust into a world where secrets simmer and tensions boil over.

Erica Drake, Julia’s mercurial employer, is a fascinating character, veering between charm and chaos with a glass of rosé never far from hand. As Julia navigates the Drakes’ sprawling beachside home, she uncovers a web of hidden truths that could threaten not just her job, but the carefully constructed life she’s worked so hard to maintain. Julia’s secret adds a layer of tension, making her position all the more precarious.

Told through dual perspectives, the narrative masterfully keeps readers on edge, building suspense as each revelation unfurls. The characters are richly developed, with their flaws and vulnerabilities making them feel all too real. The plot twists are expertly timed, ensuring a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat reading experience.

While I managed to anticipate a few of the reveals, the story never lost its hold on me. The final chapters delivered a satisfying and unexpected conclusion, tying up the loose ends in a way that felt both clever and earned.

For fans of twisty domestic thrillers, The Private Chef is an absolute must-read. It’s a deliciously tense tale that will keep you guessing until the final page. Highly recommended for anyone who loves thrillers served with a side of glamour and a generous helping of suspense.

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They say, ‘there are two sides to every pancake’ and Samantha Verant makes a whole batch of them in THE PRIVATE CHEF. I just kept thinking I’d read one more chapter but had to keep going to wait for the flip.

When Julia Fouquet arrives in Malibu to work at Hummingbird House for the Drake family, she can’t believe how lucky she is. But when she meets Erica, the lady of the house, her feelings of luck begin to change to feelings of dread. Erica, a.k.a. Lushica, begins each day with a glass of wine or two and is currently up for an Academy award for best actress in a film directed by her husband, David. But Julia has reasons for being there and Erica has her own agenda as to why she even hired Julia. Throw in Erica‘s son Tyler and David’s daughter Madison and the sprawling house is bursting at the seams.

What is Erica trying to do as she seems to push David on Julia? Shouldn’t Julia be angry at David for cashing in on her parents’ deaths with the movie Swerved? Is she here for revenge? As Erica prepares for her big night, Julia stays behind the scenes as much as possible but begins to work with Madison and Tyler to find out what is really going on in the home. And the consequences could be deadly to any of them. Throw in a surfer dude with an axe to grind and you have the makings of a spicey dish.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing was clear and concise which led to a very enjoyable read. I believe that I have enjoyed a Samantha Verant novel previously so this was not a big surprise. She will be a name I keep at the top of my author list going forward.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

When Julia lands the perfect job in Malibu she thinks all her dreams has come true but she is working with the family from hell. A brilliant past paced thrilling read

Loved this amazing book! Thrilling and absolutely addictive, a brilliantly written book that I could not put down. I raced through the pages while also not wanting it to end as I was enjoying it so much. Loved this one!

I’m really disappointed by this book and I wasn’t able to finish it, it just sounded too far fetched for me and it was a very slow burn.

Description sounded good but the book didnt live up to my expectations. An OK read but not what I was expecting.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first book I have read by this author. It has quite an interesting plot full of twists and turns, but I found this book a little slow and far-fetched. Sorry, not for me.

I read this in a few hours because I could not put it down! What a wild ride. There were so many unpredictable twists. This author hasn’t disappointed me yet and she’s definitely added to my auto read list after this one!

While not one of my favorites, it was still a decent read. I found that some of the twists were predictable but others took me by surprise. This is definitely a book you can read in one day for sure

This was a fascinating story. Very devious and compelling. Some well described characters and a great conclusion.

When Julia Fouquet gets a job as a private chef for charismatic Erica Drake and her family, it feels like Christmas has come. But all is not as it seems.

Wealthy as Erica is, she is erratic and too often unpleasant, in between moments of fawning graciousness. It is all very confusing, and Julia is unsure as to what it means.

What she is fairly certain of though, is that it will not throw her off her original objectives in taking the job - tips are something that neither Erica nor her family have any idea about...

An entertaining psychological thriller, this book will keep readers attention occupied throughout. It gets 3. 5 stars.

I enjoyed this book but I felt like it read like a YA book, as the characters and a lot of the events were just over the top. The story centers on Julia, who moves from France to Malibu, CA to be a private chef for a Hollywood power couple. Once she arrives, things immediately aren't as she expected and she gets pulled deeply into family dynamics. The chapters alternate from Julia's POV as well as that of Erica. Julia's employer.

The pacing of the book was really quick, with lots of twists (some predictable and some not). I felt like the characters changed their opinions frequently and both over- and under-reacted to various triggers, hence my "over the top" comment above. The characters weren't super believable and I had to suspend my disbelief at some of the things that occurred, but I did greatly enjoy the pacing of the book and the fact that it was fraught with tension throughout. I liked the ending, though there were a couple conclusions that I came to where I wasn't sure if the characters had gotten there or not. I did like all the recipes and references to delicious food!

Overall, interesting read but not a super realistic one. This would be a fantastic beach read. I give it 3.5 stars, rounded up. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My first book by this author, and geez....I wish I had discovered her sooner. I could not put this book down, and literally finished in 1 day. It was an amazing wild Rollercoaster ride!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of ths book.

I loved the book. Kept me wanting to read more. Lots of twists and turns, some predictable but some not. But predictability did not spoil the enjoyment of the read.

This sort of book is right up my street and loved every single page of this book and honestly i didnt want it to end.

The Lucky Widow was my first Samantha Verant book - and I love this just as much! Fast paced, engaging, and fun!

This was a fantastic thriller. Twists, suspense, tension. The mystery was riveting. I loved the two point of views; they helped ramp up the tension and suspense. Right away I was hooked with how odd this situation was and things only increased which had me on the edge of my seat.

Wow! What a book. I loved the unique plot and the characters. At first glance it seems very clear what’s going on. As the story goes on, you start wondering who’s lying and who’s hiding what? I really enjoyed getting Erica and Julia’s points of view. I loved Erica’s character. The deviousness in this book kept me hooked. My only complaint was that some parts felt dragged out. If some of the middle was sped up and the ending was cut down it would have been perfect. The very end made the book. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Julia thinks she’s found her dream job working as a private chef for two of Hollywood’s biggest stars. It’s a chance to return to the land of her birth and work toward opening her own restaurant. But there’s something weird about her new bosses. Their strange behavior sets her on edge immediately. But Julia also has secrets, and she’ll do anything to keep them safe.

The book is told from alternating POVs: Julia’s and Erica’s, the actress Julia works for. Very occasionally David, Erica’s husband, and Julia’s other boss, narrates a chapter.

This book definitely ranks high when it comes to tension and suspense right from the beginning- which really had me hooked, trying to put pieces together. The story starts ramping up pretty quickly, so there’s not really any lag time waiting to dig into the story, which is great.

But my only complaint is that the twists are fairly obvious as the story develops. There are some pretty major hints dropped throughout the book. I mean, there’s some storylines that kind of try to muddy the water a little bit, but the author doesn’t really go anywhere with them and sticks with the more obvious twists we’ve seen before.

I mean, I still read until the end to see exactly what happened, but it did, in fact turn out the way I thought it would.

So, it’s not that I didn’t like the book, it’s that it doesn’t exactly deliver on its promise to blow your mind with a shocking twist.