The Art of French Kissing by Brianna R. Shrum
Published by: Sky Pony Press
Pub Date: June 5, 2018
Pages: 256
Format: e-arc | Source: NetGalley
Genres: young adult, contemporary
Rating: 

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.

Being a huge fan of Great British Bake Off and cooking competitions in general, I of course loved the setting and the cooking school competitors! They were focused and it was obvious the author had done her homework when it came to cooking and cooking schools. I especially loved Riya and Reid! I wish I liked the main character Carter more- her inner monologue was really repetitive and I didn’t always understand how her emotions jumped around so quickly (and I say this as an extremely moody, anxious, emotional person). The way she reacted to stuff surprised me and threw me off a bit. But l did like the talks about consent and there was a lot of racial and LGBQ representation amongst the characters and on page. It was a cute read but had some bothersome elements that kept it from being a favorite.

Are you planning on reading The Art of French Kissing? Do you have readalikes to recommend?