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.
With a chance to attend the best culinary school in the country on the line, 17-year-old Carter Lane needs to get her mind back to beating her competition Reid Yamada and NOT on kissing him.
"Fun, flirty, foodie, and filled with way more heat than your average kitchen,
The Art of French Kissing has all the ingredients for a perfect summer romance!" —Dahlia Adler, author of
Behind the Scenes"I ate up this hate-to-love-and-back-again romance! If you love
Top Chef but wish more of the show was focused on the romance and rivalries behind the scenes, you'll eagerly devour
The Art of French Kissing. Like the best sweet and savory pastries, Carter and Reid deliver both sugar and spice." —Amy Spalding, author of
The Summer of Jordi Perez (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles)"This meet-cute romance stands out thanks to the nuanced characters and subtle treatment of bigger issues such as race, gender, and money (Carter's family flirts with poverty). Carter's insecurities about her culinary skill will resonate with any girl who has aspirations in a field dominated by males, and a sensitive sex scene models for readers what a consensual relationship looks like. A full cast of diverse characters, including Indian-American competitors, Carter's lesbian best friend, and Reid himself, who identifies as queer, are portrayed three-dimensionally, but Shrum's (
How to Make Out, 2016, etc.) greatest accomplishment may be the intricate and mouthwatering descriptions of each dish. A thoughtful and delicious romance." —
Kirkus Reviews
