Chef's Kiss (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781982189082)

"Like a dish of comfort food you'll want to devour." --The Washington Post
"It's hard to say which aspect of TJ Alexander's novel is sweeter: the slow-burn romance or the drool-worthy desserts." --Time

A high-strung pastry chef's professional goals are interrupted by an unexpected career transition and the introduction of her wildly attractive nonbinary kitchen manager in this deliciously fresh and witty queer rom-com.

Simone Larkspur is a perfectionist pastry expert with a dream job at The Discerning Chef, a venerable cookbook publisher in New York City. All she wants to do is create the perfect loaf of sourdough and develop recipes, but when The Discerning Chef decides to bring their brand into the 21st century by pivoting to video, Simone is thrust into the spotlight and finds herself failing at something for the first time in her life.

To make matters worse, Simone has to deal with Ray Lyton, the new test kitchen manager, whose obnoxious cheer and outgoing personality are like oil to Simone's water. When Ray accidentally becomes a viral YouTube sensation with a series of homebrewing videos, their eccentric editor in chief forces Simone to work alongside the chipper upstart or else risk her beloved job. But the more they work together, the more Simone realizes her heart may be softening like butter for Ray.

Things get even more complicated when Ray comes out at work as nonbinary to mixed reactions--and Simone must choose between the career she fought so hard for and the person who just might take the cake (and her heart).

Author: Tj Alexander
ISBN-10: 1982189088
ISBN-13: 9781982189082
Publisher: Atria Books
Language: English
Published: 05/03/2022
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.30w x 0.90d

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 01/01/2022 pg. 55
Publishers Weekly 02/28/2022
Kirkus Reviews 05/01/2022
Booklist 05/15/2022 pg. 24