Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 15, 2022
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Sadie is a rising star in the trendy Seattle restaurant scene. Her dream is to create unique, modern, and mouthwatering takes on traditional Jewish recipes. But after a public breakup with her boss, a famous chef, she is sure her career is over—until she lands a coveted spot on the next season of her favorite TV show, Chef Supreme.
On the plane to New York, Sadie has sizzling chemistry with her seatmate, Luke, but tells him that she won't be able to contact him for the next six weeks. They prolong their time together with a spontaneous, magical dinner before parting ways. Or so she thinks. When she turns up to set the next day, she makes a shocking discovery about who Luke is…
If Sadie wants to save her career by winning Chef Supreme, she’s going to have to ignore the simmering heat between Luke and her. But how long can she do that before the pot boils over?
Forbidden romance in the food world takes second place to delicious dishes in Sadie on a Plate. Amanda Elliot takes readers on a journey through food in this delightful story as our titular heroine comes into her own by putting her heart and soul on a plate.
Sadie’s career has nearly tanked thanks to her jerk of an ex-boss when she lands a spot on the famous TV show, Chef Supreme. Sadie dreams of having her own restaurant where she can show that Jewish food is more than latkes and lox. Her creative, modern spins inspired primarily by Ashkenazi Jewish food were fantastic to read about. The care and attention Elliot gave to showing more Jewish cooking than is usually depicted in the media (and how and why Sadie’s creations differed from kosher cooking) made my heart sing. Elliot’s descriptions made even a die-hard vegetarian like myself salivate over Sadie’s plates (yes, even the chicken feet). The Chef Supreme competition is sure to delight any foodie and I absolutely loved getting to know Sadie’s fellow competitors (especially Kaitlyn, Kel, and Nia).
Sadie’s biggest obstacle is herself; she battles against negative self-talk but comes into her own over the course of the story. Sadie is messy, in a relatable way, and her imperfections make her as appealing as her stellar talent in the kitchen. She’s quirky, honest, and real; I enjoyed watching her find her confidence personally and professionally. She makes mistakes a lot, but she never gives up even when she wants to, which I respected.
A meet-cute on a plane with a fellow chef turns out to be not-so-cute when Sadie finds out her sexy seatmate is the newest Chef Supreme judge. Luke is an endearing hero, one I wish we could have seen more of (though his absence makes sense in the context of the story). To call this a romance is a bit of a stretch, though Luke and Sadie do get a happily ever after. The romance is in the background as Sadie and Luke can’t really interact too much else they’d ruin the integrity of the competition (and likely their careers). I would have loved to have gotten Luke’s point of view. He’s weighed down by the demands and expectations of his famous chef father who wants Luke to follow in his footsteps, cooking fancy French food with prices that make it largely inaccessible to the public. Luke would much rather be cooking his spin on the Korean food his halmoni made. The way Luke (and really, almost all the chefs except for Vanilla Joe) talk about their food light up the book. When someone is passionate about a subject it comes through and draws you in.
Since Sadie on a Plate is told in the first person and is really about Sadie’s journey, Luke and the love story take a back seat which may or may not bother you depending on reader preference. Even if I wish I could have gotten Luke’s point of view, I still really enjoyed Sadie on a Plate overall. Elliot made the competition as thrilling – perhaps even more so – than any you would see on Food Network. I loved Sadie and her fellow competitors, the romance with Luke made me smile, and the dishes that were served up could have leapt right off the page.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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