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The Paris Cooking School
Life rarely serves up the perfect dish, but second chances are always on the menu
There’s nothing quite so beautiful as Paris in the spring; and when you add in the chance to learn the French way of food, in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, who can resist? Not Gabi Picabea or Kate Evans who have come from Australia to Sylvie Morel’s Paris Cooking School.
Both are at a crossroads, and learning to cook the French way in Paris, far away from all their troubles, seems like the perfect escape.
Still bruised from a shocking betrayal by her ex-husband, Kate is trying to find a new place for herself in life, and emotional peace, while French-Australian artist Gabi is struggling with a crippling creative block.
Meanwhile, Sylvie herself is facing challenges of her own – a mysterious harassment campaign against the School and a reassessment of her relationship with her commitment-shy lover Claude.
For each of the women, that extraordinary April in Paris will bring unexpected twists and transformations that will change the course of their lives.
A delectable novel about love, hope and the consolations of the perfect strawberry tart, The Paris Cooking School is a treat for the soul.
There’s nothing quite so beautiful as Paris in the spring; and when you add in the chance to learn the French way of food, in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, who can resist? Not Gabi Picabea or Kate Evans who have come from Australia to Sylvie Morel’s Paris Cooking School.
Both are at a crossroads, and learning to cook the French way in Paris, far away from all their troubles, seems like the perfect escape.
Still bruised from a shocking betrayal by her ex-husband, Kate is trying to find a new place for herself in life, and emotional peace, while French-Australian artist Gabi is struggling with a crippling creative block.
Meanwhile, Sylvie herself is facing challenges of her own – a mysterious harassment campaign against the School and a reassessment of her relationship with her commitment-shy lover Claude.
For each of the women, that extraordinary April in Paris will bring unexpected twists and transformations that will change the course of their lives.
A delectable novel about love, hope and the consolations of the perfect strawberry tart, The Paris Cooking School is a treat for the soul.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2023
61 people are currently reading
4522 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
January 21, 2024
I am on holidays and have fell into the trap of not reviewing straight away. This is not helpful given all the sun and sand and general lazing about, therefore my memory is worse than my usual bad.
I listened to the author on an online book club, she is a fascinating lady with an interesting story to tell. I need to have a look at her website as the plan by the publishser was not to add recipes to the book, so this I will do.
This is a gentle book of friendship between women, and these ladies who become friends each discover things about themselves and work out how to best move their lives forward. Gabi and Kate leave Australia to attend Sylvie’s cooking school in beautiful Paris.
The school is having troubling issues, as is Sylvie’s personal life. The school is immaculate, as is the way Sylvie conducts herself, but someone is out to tarnish her reputation. The man in her life is clearly no good, but this seems to shift into better territory and strengthen her resolve once new friendships are formed amongst the attendees, and a very genuine neighbour starts to become more involved.
The Paris the author describes is divine, the culture, the food, and the friendships. I have not travelled, and the depiction I felt was light and intriguing, and this is why I read. To be immersed in to places I cannot physically be in. I enjoyed the story which was quite light therefore I did not feel entirely drawn in a strong way.
I listened to the audio version via the Libby platform and my public library. Narrated well by Anthea Greco.
I listened to the author on an online book club, she is a fascinating lady with an interesting story to tell. I need to have a look at her website as the plan by the publishser was not to add recipes to the book, so this I will do.
This is a gentle book of friendship between women, and these ladies who become friends each discover things about themselves and work out how to best move their lives forward. Gabi and Kate leave Australia to attend Sylvie’s cooking school in beautiful Paris.
The school is having troubling issues, as is Sylvie’s personal life. The school is immaculate, as is the way Sylvie conducts herself, but someone is out to tarnish her reputation. The man in her life is clearly no good, but this seems to shift into better territory and strengthen her resolve once new friendships are formed amongst the attendees, and a very genuine neighbour starts to become more involved.
The Paris the author describes is divine, the culture, the food, and the friendships. I have not travelled, and the depiction I felt was light and intriguing, and this is why I read. To be immersed in to places I cannot physically be in. I enjoyed the story which was quite light therefore I did not feel entirely drawn in a strong way.
I listened to the audio version via the Libby platform and my public library. Narrated well by Anthea Greco.
September 26, 2023
The Paris Cooking School is the first novel by award-winning Australian author Sophie Masson writing as Sophie Beaumont. Perhaps their love of cooking is a secondary reason for Gabi Picabea and Kate Evans to commit to four weeks at Sylvie Morel’s Paris Cooking School, but the way she and her team teach is a wonderful distraction from an unfaithful husband and artist’s block.
Not that Sylvie’s life is running smoothly either: harassment in the form of negative online reviews, damaging social media gossip, complaints to the health department, and other incidents threaten her business, while her unsympathetic lover seems to have commitment issues. Luckily, she has a friendly, reliable neighbour who offers sound advice and support.
Interspersed with the preparation of luscious food, as everyone enjoys Paris in the spring, there are meet-cutes leading to sweet romances, a few dramatic exchanges, a bit of intrigue and the eventual resolution of each protagonist’s challenges.
Any predictability in the plot is more than compensated for by mouth-watering dishes the reader can almost taste, gorgeous descriptions of Paris, appealing characters, love and laughter: the only thing missing from this delicious read is the recipes!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Better Reading Preview and Ultimo Press.
Not that Sylvie’s life is running smoothly either: harassment in the form of negative online reviews, damaging social media gossip, complaints to the health department, and other incidents threaten her business, while her unsympathetic lover seems to have commitment issues. Luckily, she has a friendly, reliable neighbour who offers sound advice and support.
Interspersed with the preparation of luscious food, as everyone enjoys Paris in the spring, there are meet-cutes leading to sweet romances, a few dramatic exchanges, a bit of intrigue and the eventual resolution of each protagonist’s challenges.
Any predictability in the plot is more than compensated for by mouth-watering dishes the reader can almost taste, gorgeous descriptions of Paris, appealing characters, love and laughter: the only thing missing from this delicious read is the recipes!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Better Reading Preview and Ultimo Press.
February 2, 2025
Sophie Beaumont's novel is a celebration of Paris and of French cookery, and at the same time a compelling story of three women reclaiming their lives and agency. Her descriptions of food will make you want to rush off and try something new in your kitchen. Beautifully written and highly entertaining. This would make an excellent book club read.
November 25, 2024
The Paris Cooking School is a wonderful unexpected romantic story with wounded characters who meet at an exclusive cooking school in hopes of taking their minds off of their problems by learning to cook. Never expecting anything other than trying to make sense of their problems, what happens is a bit of romance, fun and also a mystery to try and solve. The theme of the story...love...which happens in so many different ways.
Sylvie is the owner of The Paris Cooking School. She has a partner and a son who assist. The school itself has been a favorite for years with people traveling from all over the world to be taught by Sylvie. But suddenly, Sylvie discovers she has a problem. Someone is trying to shut her down. They have left bad reviews and put in a complaint with the food police. How and why can this be? This school is her life!
Kate is just coming out of a terrible marriage, although she had no idea how terrible until she found out her husband/business partner had been cheating on her. Heartbroken, she comes to the school to take her mind off of her problems, try something different and hope perhaps some of that Paris magic would come her way, never imagining what would become a life changing experience.
Gabi is an artist who created what everybody (but herself) calls a masterpiece! But Gabi has a terrible secret. She has been unable to paint or create for quite a while, always giving one excuse or another. As she tries to digest the inevitable loss of her career, she comes to The Paris Cooking School in the hopes of finding some sort of creativeness in order to move through this artistic block. But what Gabi discovers about herself will change her perspective on everything.
These three women will have extraordinary experiences during this session of The Paris Cooking School. They will learn valuable lessons which will change them as they move on in their lives but most importantly will discover in themselves the strengths and friendships which they will take with them forever.
The Paris Cooking School is a lovely story with characters who are strong and resilient but will discover who they really are and what they really want out of life through a remarkable change of events.
Thank you #NetGalley #AlcovePress #SophieBeaumont #TheParisCookingSchool for the advanced copy.
Sylvie is the owner of The Paris Cooking School. She has a partner and a son who assist. The school itself has been a favorite for years with people traveling from all over the world to be taught by Sylvie. But suddenly, Sylvie discovers she has a problem. Someone is trying to shut her down. They have left bad reviews and put in a complaint with the food police. How and why can this be? This school is her life!
Kate is just coming out of a terrible marriage, although she had no idea how terrible until she found out her husband/business partner had been cheating on her. Heartbroken, she comes to the school to take her mind off of her problems, try something different and hope perhaps some of that Paris magic would come her way, never imagining what would become a life changing experience.
Gabi is an artist who created what everybody (but herself) calls a masterpiece! But Gabi has a terrible secret. She has been unable to paint or create for quite a while, always giving one excuse or another. As she tries to digest the inevitable loss of her career, she comes to The Paris Cooking School in the hopes of finding some sort of creativeness in order to move through this artistic block. But what Gabi discovers about herself will change her perspective on everything.
These three women will have extraordinary experiences during this session of The Paris Cooking School. They will learn valuable lessons which will change them as they move on in their lives but most importantly will discover in themselves the strengths and friendships which they will take with them forever.
The Paris Cooking School is a lovely story with characters who are strong and resilient but will discover who they really are and what they really want out of life through a remarkable change of events.
Thank you #NetGalley #AlcovePress #SophieBeaumont #TheParisCookingSchool for the advanced copy.
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March 2, 2024*https://www.instagram.com/mrsb_book_r...
🗼The talented author of The Paris Cooking School is fluent in both French and English. This strong knowledge for everything French language related shines through Sophie Beaumont’s novel, The Paris Cooking School. A story of adventure, travel, personal growth, romance and most importantly French cooking, this is a lively and engaging read.
🗼Springtime in Paris beckons for two Australian women and aspiring chefs, as they spend a month in France as part of Sylvie Morel’s renowned Paris Cooking School. Here these two Aussie’s learn a thing or two about the French way of cooking, life, love and personal development. Along the way they breathe in all the sights, sounds and smells of the city of lights. A metamorphosis process occurs in the city of love as all three women conquer their fears and failures in the hopes of achieving their dreams.
🗼If a book has Paris in the title, a picture of the Eiffel Tower and some food, it’s already won me over. As soon as I set eyes on this book, I knew I had to make time to read it. The promise of another page-based trip to Paris was exactly what I was looking for as I indulged in plenty of evening book-based expeditions to Paris thanks to this book after a long day at work. Comforting, soulful, reflective, whimsical and delicate, I really enjoyed The Paris Cooking School.
🗼Readers will no doubt enjoy the various individual character growth experiences laid out in this book. Although each woman has her own battle to fight, Beaumont ensures that these strands eventually intersect as the narrative takes its course. In terms of setting, this is fantastically presented on the page and I must say that I felt myself drifting back to Paris thanks to Beaumont’s imagery, which was such a nice feeling. I also salivated as Beaumont delivered description after description of some truly special French food dishes. What a scrumptious time I had with this book!
🌟🌟🌟🌟4 stars
🙏Thanks to @ultimopress for the #gifted copy.
🗼The talented author of The Paris Cooking School is fluent in both French and English. This strong knowledge for everything French language related shines through Sophie Beaumont’s novel, The Paris Cooking School. A story of adventure, travel, personal growth, romance and most importantly French cooking, this is a lively and engaging read.
🗼Springtime in Paris beckons for two Australian women and aspiring chefs, as they spend a month in France as part of Sylvie Morel’s renowned Paris Cooking School. Here these two Aussie’s learn a thing or two about the French way of cooking, life, love and personal development. Along the way they breathe in all the sights, sounds and smells of the city of lights. A metamorphosis process occurs in the city of love as all three women conquer their fears and failures in the hopes of achieving their dreams.
🗼If a book has Paris in the title, a picture of the Eiffel Tower and some food, it’s already won me over. As soon as I set eyes on this book, I knew I had to make time to read it. The promise of another page-based trip to Paris was exactly what I was looking for as I indulged in plenty of evening book-based expeditions to Paris thanks to this book after a long day at work. Comforting, soulful, reflective, whimsical and delicate, I really enjoyed The Paris Cooking School.
🗼Readers will no doubt enjoy the various individual character growth experiences laid out in this book. Although each woman has her own battle to fight, Beaumont ensures that these strands eventually intersect as the narrative takes its course. In terms of setting, this is fantastically presented on the page and I must say that I felt myself drifting back to Paris thanks to Beaumont’s imagery, which was such a nice feeling. I also salivated as Beaumont delivered description after description of some truly special French food dishes. What a scrumptious time I had with this book!
🌟🌟🌟🌟4 stars
🙏Thanks to @ultimopress for the #gifted copy.
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August 12, 2024Opinião no canal:
https://youtu.be/-zGC2Y_mzjw
https://youtu.be/-zGC2Y_mzjw
September 18, 2024
I really enjoyed this story about three women whose stories intertwine at a Paris cooking school. Told in alternating POVs we get to know Australians, Gabi and Katie looking for a fresh start and inspiration in the city of lights and the school's owner and instructor, Sylvie.
The women bond over a shared love of food and cooking and also find love in unexpected places. Full of amazing food descriptions and a love for all things French food, this was a feel good read that was also good on audio.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! Perfect for fans of Julia Childs.
The women bond over a shared love of food and cooking and also find love in unexpected places. Full of amazing food descriptions and a love for all things French food, this was a feel good read that was also good on audio.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! Perfect for fans of Julia Childs.
April 11, 2025
Місцями були дуже захопливі моменти з атмосфери Парижу, локації, ресторани, життя. Книга більше про вайб, ніж про сюжет.
March 8, 2024
Thanks Sophie for wanting me to get on a plane to Paris and or at the very least find a French restaurant and just eat everything on the menu! This is a very easy read, light, entertaining, nothing complex, just something to enjoy.
December 28, 2023
The book cover and title caught my eye. I imagine if i had looked at reviews and the avg rating I would have passed. I do love a good food and culture book and this one definitely had a bit of the sights, sounds, smells and things i love about European food books!! Nice to switch it up from my usual Italy read and focus on France!!
The book had quite a few characters - co workers, friends, couples, ex-es and quite a few storylines to keep track of here and there. This was also a mix of culture, cooking, touch of romance, heartwarming moments with friends and family and a little mystery. A simpler story would have been much more my style - but it still worked and i enjoyed it fine - 3 stars!!!
The book had quite a few characters - co workers, friends, couples, ex-es and quite a few storylines to keep track of here and there. This was also a mix of culture, cooking, touch of romance, heartwarming moments with friends and family and a little mystery. A simpler story would have been much more my style - but it still worked and i enjoyed it fine - 3 stars!!!
April 4, 2024
The Paris Cooking School is the first novel by award-winning Australian author Sophie Masson writing as Sophie Beaumont. The audio version is narrated by Anthea Greco. Perhaps their love of cooking is a secondary reason for Gabi Picabea and Kate Evans to commit to four weeks at Sylvie Morel’s Paris Cooking School, but the way she and her team teach is a wonderful distraction from an unfaithful husband and artist’s block.
Not that Sylvie’s life is running smoothly either: harassment in the form of negative online reviews, damaging social media gossip, complaints to the health department, and other incidents threaten her business, while her unsympathetic lover seems to have commitment issues. Luckily, she has a friendly, reliable neighbour who offers sound advice and support.
Interspersed with the preparation of luscious food, as everyone enjoys Paris in the spring, there are meet-cutes leading to sweet romances, a few dramatic exchanges, a bit of intrigue and the eventual resolution of each protagonist’s challenges.
Any predictability in the plot is more than compensated for by mouth-watering dishes the reader can almost taste, gorgeous descriptions of Paris, appealing characters, love and laughter: the only thing missing from this delicious read is the recipes!
Not that Sylvie’s life is running smoothly either: harassment in the form of negative online reviews, damaging social media gossip, complaints to the health department, and other incidents threaten her business, while her unsympathetic lover seems to have commitment issues. Luckily, she has a friendly, reliable neighbour who offers sound advice and support.
Interspersed with the preparation of luscious food, as everyone enjoys Paris in the spring, there are meet-cutes leading to sweet romances, a few dramatic exchanges, a bit of intrigue and the eventual resolution of each protagonist’s challenges.
Any predictability in the plot is more than compensated for by mouth-watering dishes the reader can almost taste, gorgeous descriptions of Paris, appealing characters, love and laughter: the only thing missing from this delicious read is the recipes!
November 13, 2023
Well after my last review you would be forgiven for thinking I’m not a fan of light, predictable reads. The Paris Cooking School by Sophie Beaumont definitely fits the bill of a sweet book but I have to say that this one won me over a bit more with its Paris setting and luscious descriptions of food and cooking.
In this book the main characters are Gabi Picabea and Kate Evans who have separately come from Australia to attend Sylvie Morel’s Paris Cooking School. Their aim? To learn all about the French way of cooking over the course of one spring month. Both women are escaping from their very different personal troubles. Sylvie, the cooking school owner, is also experiencing her own challenges and the story moves between each of the three women’s stories.
None of the storylines are ground-breaking but they all involved friendships and love and how people can transform their lives when they uncover their passions. The hero of the story was the setting and the food. It made me want to go to Paris again! I was especially thrilled when Sylvie visits Monet’s garden in Giverny which is a place I’ve managed to visit on two separate occasions and just loved with all my heart.
Read The Paris Cooking School if you want to feel transported to Paris with an uncomplicated storyline to guide the way.
Thank you to @ultimopress for my #gifted copy.
In this book the main characters are Gabi Picabea and Kate Evans who have separately come from Australia to attend Sylvie Morel’s Paris Cooking School. Their aim? To learn all about the French way of cooking over the course of one spring month. Both women are escaping from their very different personal troubles. Sylvie, the cooking school owner, is also experiencing her own challenges and the story moves between each of the three women’s stories.
None of the storylines are ground-breaking but they all involved friendships and love and how people can transform their lives when they uncover their passions. The hero of the story was the setting and the food. It made me want to go to Paris again! I was especially thrilled when Sylvie visits Monet’s garden in Giverny which is a place I’ve managed to visit on two separate occasions and just loved with all my heart.
Read The Paris Cooking School if you want to feel transported to Paris with an uncomplicated storyline to guide the way.
Thank you to @ultimopress for my #gifted copy.
January 30, 2025
It was a fun story. I liked the ending. I was a little disappointed a cooking school book didn’t have recipes or focus more on the food aspect of things, vs just love lives of the students in the school. But it was an easy read.
August 5, 2024
I swear this book was written just for me and given to me at a time when I needed dash of coming-of-age, some strong female characters, and a little bit of hope and romance (and a teaspoon of mystery!). Our three protagonists are each on a unique path to essentially figure out what is going on in their lives. As they cook together in the backdrop of Paris they’re forced to reckon with the lives they know, the things they left behind, and figure out what’s next.
This one is a cozy, warm hug for those who love cooking and the city of lights. It’s predictable in a comforting way, and it’ll leave you simultaneously hungry and satisfied.
This one is a cozy, warm hug for those who love cooking and the city of lights. It’s predictable in a comforting way, and it’ll leave you simultaneously hungry and satisfied.
August 6, 2024
Do not read while hungry! I made that mistake and Sophie Beaumont’s food descriptions caused a real issue - especially because I wouldn’t be able to make any of the food without attending a cooking school myself! Food aside, all of the descriptions in this book are beautiful - the characters, the scenery, the stories! The writing is very well done.
This is a story told from three perspectives, and while the branches do intersect at the titular cooking school, I did feel like there was very little crossover between the main characters and kept waiting for a deeper connection between the three. I also was more drawn to two of the stories and the third fell a bit flat for me - while Kate and Sylvie connect and grow through the cooking school, Gabi makes her own path in Paris and the school was more of an afterthought in her narrative. Though I thought Gabi’s story was disparate from the others when it comes to the school, the common theme of self-discovery runs strong in all three perspectives and I did enjoy following the path of each woman. Overall a good read, inspiring a desire to travel, a hankering for French cuisine, and self-reflection.
—-
Thank you to Alcove Press for the e-ARC through NetGalley! This review reflects my honest opinion of the novel.
This is a story told from three perspectives, and while the branches do intersect at the titular cooking school, I did feel like there was very little crossover between the main characters and kept waiting for a deeper connection between the three. I also was more drawn to two of the stories and the third fell a bit flat for me - while Kate and Sylvie connect and grow through the cooking school, Gabi makes her own path in Paris and the school was more of an afterthought in her narrative. Though I thought Gabi’s story was disparate from the others when it comes to the school, the common theme of self-discovery runs strong in all three perspectives and I did enjoy following the path of each woman. Overall a good read, inspiring a desire to travel, a hankering for French cuisine, and self-reflection.
—-
Thank you to Alcove Press for the e-ARC through NetGalley! This review reflects my honest opinion of the novel.
May 1, 2024
Unfortunately this was a 2-star read for me. While I loved the descriptions of the food and Paris, they were so extensive, the pace really dragged. The characters were quite predictable and lacked depth, which made it hard to want to keep reading. The coincidences were unbelievable and made the end of the book feel very trite. There were so many elements here I expected to love, but ultimately this just wasn't for me.
Thank you to Alcove Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.
Thank you to Alcove Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.
July 13, 2024
What a delightful confection of difficult endings, hopeful beginnings and everything found in between. The exquisite cover art seduced me into the book's pages and held me there, savoring the sweets and scrumptious foods of local Paris and regional France while enjoying a story of engaging characters and their challenges.
Broken Gabi and rudderless Kate have arrived at The Paris Cooking School owned and managed by Sylvie. All three women are at crossroads in their lives. Through their engagement in the school's cooking lessons, each of them attains formulative lessons in life.
The writing is rich and tender. The characters are well thought out, gaining the hearts of readers. The mise en scène is cinematic in scope as the characters traverse the various arrondisements throughout Paris and land beyond. The blending of various cultures, ages, and nationalities within the classroom was lovely and informative. The food descriptions are absolutely tantalizing.
If you are looking for a sweet straight-forward story, with delectable foods, which is set in the magnificent City of Light, then this may well be an excellent read for you.
I am grateful to Alcove Press for having provided a complimentary copy of this book. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.
Publisher: Alcove Press
Publication Date: August 6, 2024
Number of Pages: 288
ISBN: 979-8892420006
Broken Gabi and rudderless Kate have arrived at The Paris Cooking School owned and managed by Sylvie. All three women are at crossroads in their lives. Through their engagement in the school's cooking lessons, each of them attains formulative lessons in life.
The writing is rich and tender. The characters are well thought out, gaining the hearts of readers. The mise en scène is cinematic in scope as the characters traverse the various arrondisements throughout Paris and land beyond. The blending of various cultures, ages, and nationalities within the classroom was lovely and informative. The food descriptions are absolutely tantalizing.
If you are looking for a sweet straight-forward story, with delectable foods, which is set in the magnificent City of Light, then this may well be an excellent read for you.
I am grateful to Alcove Press for having provided a complimentary copy of this book. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.
Publisher: Alcove Press
Publication Date: August 6, 2024
Number of Pages: 288
ISBN: 979-8892420006
June 29, 2024
2,5 ★
Que leitura difícil 😬.
Pensei mesmo que este livro era para mim, mas não era. Sinto que foi um leitura confusa, com demasiados detalhes e tornou-se boring. Estaria a mentir se dissesse que não me forcei a acabar 🥲.
Acho que tinha tudo para dar certo: a capa fofinha, acontecer em Paris e falar sobre a comida parisiense. Mas foi too much, na minha opinião.
Penso que este livro poderia ser dividido em três partes e, se calhar, tornar-se-ia uma leitura melhor. Isto, porque os capítulos, muitas das vezes, são contados na perspetiva de 3 personagens diferentes. É muita informação e um livro não deveria ser assim, para mim 😊.
Que leitura difícil 😬.
Pensei mesmo que este livro era para mim, mas não era. Sinto que foi um leitura confusa, com demasiados detalhes e tornou-se boring. Estaria a mentir se dissesse que não me forcei a acabar 🥲.
Acho que tinha tudo para dar certo: a capa fofinha, acontecer em Paris e falar sobre a comida parisiense. Mas foi too much, na minha opinião.
Penso que este livro poderia ser dividido em três partes e, se calhar, tornar-se-ia uma leitura melhor. Isto, porque os capítulos, muitas das vezes, são contados na perspetiva de 3 personagens diferentes. É muita informação e um livro não deveria ser assim, para mim 😊.
December 23, 2023
2.5 stars. While the scene is set in Paris and it is a nice story, unfortunately this really fell short for me. The main plot twist in the story for me was predictable and I wished it was deeper involved in its conclusion. If you dream of an Emily in Paris type story certainly give this is a go, just didn’t do it for me.
November 1, 2023
3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Paris in the spring and all the wonderful food that is described in this book made me want to experience Paris even more than I did before.
We follow Sylvie Morel’s Paris cooking school and 2 of her students from Australia.
Kate who is getting over her divorce and the betrayal of her ex-husband and Gabbi an Australian artist who is struggling to break through her creative block.
Sylvie is also dealing with relationship problems and a harassment campaign aimed at her business that could destroy everything that she has worked so hard for.
Three women on a journey of self-discovery, healing and hope for a future filled with happiness and love.
The Paris Cooking School was a delightful read that will make you wish you were in Paris experiencing everything it has to offer.
A big thank you to @ultimopress for the #gifted copy. The Paris Cooking School is released today.
Paris in the spring and all the wonderful food that is described in this book made me want to experience Paris even more than I did before.
We follow Sylvie Morel’s Paris cooking school and 2 of her students from Australia.
Kate who is getting over her divorce and the betrayal of her ex-husband and Gabbi an Australian artist who is struggling to break through her creative block.
Sylvie is also dealing with relationship problems and a harassment campaign aimed at her business that could destroy everything that she has worked so hard for.
Three women on a journey of self-discovery, healing and hope for a future filled with happiness and love.
The Paris Cooking School was a delightful read that will make you wish you were in Paris experiencing everything it has to offer.
A big thank you to @ultimopress for the #gifted copy. The Paris Cooking School is released today.
January 9, 2024
A cute, lighthearted read about the French, food and falling in love.
January 18, 2024
I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoy reading books about cooking and some of the descriptions about food sounded wonderful. Some of the reactions of the characters did’ t sound very believable to me, and l felt that affected the whole tone of the book. The book is about a group of individuals who arrive in Paris to partake in a cooking course. There are friendships formed and as well as try new recipes the group are exposed to new ways of life.
January 21, 2024
This book was awesome. It had a bit of everything in it. This is the first time I have read this author. It was delightful and throughly enjoyable.
August 2, 2024
Uma capa tão fofinha... mas achei a história super aborrecida.
July 7, 2024
A cute and lighthearted read with a mixture of food, culture and life. Un bon séjour à Paris. Best enjoyed with a French pastry to hand.
April 18, 2025
Хороша книга на один раз
Правда я очікувала більше все таки про кухню і рецепти Франціі, а тут в основному життя героїнь)
Правда я очікувала більше все таки про кухню і рецепти Франціі, а тут в основному життя героїнь)
August 27, 2024
I love women’s fiction novels that involve food. Throw in Paris and I’m more than definitely interested. The Paris Cooking School features a rather low-key cooking school in Paris that draws students from all over the world for its four week course. This time around, two women from Australia enroll, both needing an escape from Australia, and learning to cook the French way is just what they need. I don’t read many books featuring Australian characters, so it sounded like a fun twist on something familiar. Unfortunately, the cooking part took a minimalist approach to the point where the actual cooking in the school was practically non-existent, and romance was clearly in the driver’s seat.
Sylvie runs the Paris Cooking School, an idea that sparked when she was wandering the famed gardens at Monet’s home with her then young son. Years later, the school is thriving and her son is off across the world on an adventure of his own, and baseless complaints are starting to besiege the school. Not to mention she’s decided to take a hard line with her lover who, for whatever reason, won’t disentangle himself from his ex-wife. Gabi is an artist from Australia, but, after the success of her first show, she’s found her muse missing. So she heads to Paris to attend the cooking school, hoping to find inspiration there, possibly in the form of a handsome man who sells cheese. Kate is recently divorced after her ex-husband’s shocking betrayal, so romance is the last thing on her mind and a few weeks cooking in Paris, a place she once visited with her ex on an extremely packed schedule, is just the thing she needs. Romance isn’t part of her plans, but an adorable dog might have other plans for her owner and Kate.
First of all, I liked Sylvie and her love interest Serge, as well as the dog Nina. They were absolutely lovely. Nina was adorable and so full of energy, but still such a good dog. Every time she was on page, I felt her enthusiasm for everything, and it was kind of infectious, though that might also be because literally nothing else excited me about this novel. Sylvie and Serge have a lovely friendship that predictably progresses to more, and I just really liked how mature it was, though Serge was also kind of passive, letting Sylvie do with him what she wanted. His character, though, was delightful, and I really loved him outside of his romance with Sylvie.
There’s a bit of mystery woven into the story with Sylvie having to deal with someone trying to besmirch the Paris Cooking School. Someone clearly is out to get her, and she has to figure out who and why. This ended up feeling a little crammed into the second half and largely forgotten in the first half. I’m also completely bewildered about why Sylvie trusted Kate so much after just a few classes to bring her in on the problems, all because Kate has some tech experience after creating an app with her ex-husband. I don’t think Kate added anything at all to this, and Sylvie was able to handle it quite admirably. I liked the way the mystery wrapped up; I just wish it had had more of a presence.
Most of The Paris Cooking School is given over to the romance each woman has. That meant the cooking was all but glossed over, with scenes skipping from Sylvie introducing different dishes to the characters sitting down and enjoying what everyone made. There’s cooking, but certainly none that I can remember actually happening in the school. Instead, Kate’s and Gabi’s love interests did a lot more cooking for the women than anything else. I love books about food because I usually learn something from them. All I really picked up from this one was that there are really a lot of different kinds of cheese, but more on that later. Instead, the focus was really on the three women falling in love. Sylvie’s was probably my favorite, but also kind of crammed into the second half so it never got any real space to realistically blossom and progress. There aren’t really any hints about it until, suddenly, they’re basically in bed. Kate’s was sweet and slow, because both she and Arnaud had been hurt in the past. I liked how it felt more like a friendship on both sides, but they were clearly always going to get together. Gabi’s was fast and flashed hot and cold. It was kind of a roller coaster. She and Max were fun together, but clearly aren’t masters of communication, though I think Gabi’s characterization contributed a lot to that, not that Max seemed much better, though.
Of the three women, Sylvie felt the most levelheaded. She’s older and more settled, and Paris is her home. Actually, aside from being frustrated with her lover and sad her son is so far away, she was kind of bland. I didn’t even get the sense that she was Parisian; she just felt like an ordinary woman, one without anything interesting about her. Kate felt very much like a tourist, taking every chance to explore the city. Reading from her perspective made me think I was reading a tourist’s guide to Paris. There was a lot of interesting information about places I didn’t know about, but it was definitely info dumping with big paragraphs that sounded like they’d been lifted from a guide. Other than her evident love and enjoyment of Paris, I didn’t really get a strong sense of who she was. She was there, she helped out, she liked Nina, otherwise her sudden closeness to Sylvie was kind of out of left field, like it was a plot point but the transition wasn’t complete, so it instead felt like I was jumping from plot point to plot point. Gabi is the artist looking for inspiration, and that comes across loud and clear. She’ll do anything to find her muse, and will run hot and cold on a whim. I felt her frustration and anger, as well as her joy when she was creating and discovering. She felt the most real to me, with good and bad points, but she was also just a little too much to the point where she completely overshadowed everyone else.
I was most disappointed, though, by the strawberry tart promised on the cover. I can only recall three mentions of it, and I was so hoping it was something the students were going to be making. But not only was there no real cooking done by the students, there were also very few mentions of the tart. It comes back at the end, supposedly as the symbol for something, but that isn’t followed throughout the story. Instead, this focused on the women’s romances, which completely had nothing to do with a strawberry tart. Amusingly, though, there’s a ton of cheese. This is so cheese-filled I started to wonder why cheese didn’t feature on the cover. I lost count of how many times cheese was mentioned. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with so much cheese before. This novel just managed to not feel cheesy. Definitely give certain parts of this book a try if you love cheese and want to read about several different kinds.
The Paris Cooking School could have offered so much. It had all the ingredients I love in this kind of book, but all of them let me down. I didn’t even really enjoy exploring Paris because it read more like a tourist’s guide than anything else. The other cooking students were mostly forgettable with no real personalities of their own, and there were three men I could not for the life of me keep straight. I liked that Kate hung out with them a lot, and some great character development for all of them could have happened here, but all it did was highlight how wonderful and friendly Kate is, so of course Sylvie should trust her and make her an offer Kate can’t refuse towards the end. I still don’t understand why Sylvie thinks Kate is so great. Sure, she loves Paris, but she also clearly has a loving family waiting for her in Australia, and, well, the ties Kate and Gabi have to Australia are never really addressed. This really just read as a series of plot points with three fairly generic women going through the motions and the men doomed to follow along after them. The transitions were only half baked and not something I could stomach. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me, but someone who loves reading about different places in Paris and romance might enjoy it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Sylvie runs the Paris Cooking School, an idea that sparked when she was wandering the famed gardens at Monet’s home with her then young son. Years later, the school is thriving and her son is off across the world on an adventure of his own, and baseless complaints are starting to besiege the school. Not to mention she’s decided to take a hard line with her lover who, for whatever reason, won’t disentangle himself from his ex-wife. Gabi is an artist from Australia, but, after the success of her first show, she’s found her muse missing. So she heads to Paris to attend the cooking school, hoping to find inspiration there, possibly in the form of a handsome man who sells cheese. Kate is recently divorced after her ex-husband’s shocking betrayal, so romance is the last thing on her mind and a few weeks cooking in Paris, a place she once visited with her ex on an extremely packed schedule, is just the thing she needs. Romance isn’t part of her plans, but an adorable dog might have other plans for her owner and Kate.
First of all, I liked Sylvie and her love interest Serge, as well as the dog Nina. They were absolutely lovely. Nina was adorable and so full of energy, but still such a good dog. Every time she was on page, I felt her enthusiasm for everything, and it was kind of infectious, though that might also be because literally nothing else excited me about this novel. Sylvie and Serge have a lovely friendship that predictably progresses to more, and I just really liked how mature it was, though Serge was also kind of passive, letting Sylvie do with him what she wanted. His character, though, was delightful, and I really loved him outside of his romance with Sylvie.
There’s a bit of mystery woven into the story with Sylvie having to deal with someone trying to besmirch the Paris Cooking School. Someone clearly is out to get her, and she has to figure out who and why. This ended up feeling a little crammed into the second half and largely forgotten in the first half. I’m also completely bewildered about why Sylvie trusted Kate so much after just a few classes to bring her in on the problems, all because Kate has some tech experience after creating an app with her ex-husband. I don’t think Kate added anything at all to this, and Sylvie was able to handle it quite admirably. I liked the way the mystery wrapped up; I just wish it had had more of a presence.
Most of The Paris Cooking School is given over to the romance each woman has. That meant the cooking was all but glossed over, with scenes skipping from Sylvie introducing different dishes to the characters sitting down and enjoying what everyone made. There’s cooking, but certainly none that I can remember actually happening in the school. Instead, Kate’s and Gabi’s love interests did a lot more cooking for the women than anything else. I love books about food because I usually learn something from them. All I really picked up from this one was that there are really a lot of different kinds of cheese, but more on that later. Instead, the focus was really on the three women falling in love. Sylvie’s was probably my favorite, but also kind of crammed into the second half so it never got any real space to realistically blossom and progress. There aren’t really any hints about it until, suddenly, they’re basically in bed. Kate’s was sweet and slow, because both she and Arnaud had been hurt in the past. I liked how it felt more like a friendship on both sides, but they were clearly always going to get together. Gabi’s was fast and flashed hot and cold. It was kind of a roller coaster. She and Max were fun together, but clearly aren’t masters of communication, though I think Gabi’s characterization contributed a lot to that, not that Max seemed much better, though.
Of the three women, Sylvie felt the most levelheaded. She’s older and more settled, and Paris is her home. Actually, aside from being frustrated with her lover and sad her son is so far away, she was kind of bland. I didn’t even get the sense that she was Parisian; she just felt like an ordinary woman, one without anything interesting about her. Kate felt very much like a tourist, taking every chance to explore the city. Reading from her perspective made me think I was reading a tourist’s guide to Paris. There was a lot of interesting information about places I didn’t know about, but it was definitely info dumping with big paragraphs that sounded like they’d been lifted from a guide. Other than her evident love and enjoyment of Paris, I didn’t really get a strong sense of who she was. She was there, she helped out, she liked Nina, otherwise her sudden closeness to Sylvie was kind of out of left field, like it was a plot point but the transition wasn’t complete, so it instead felt like I was jumping from plot point to plot point. Gabi is the artist looking for inspiration, and that comes across loud and clear. She’ll do anything to find her muse, and will run hot and cold on a whim. I felt her frustration and anger, as well as her joy when she was creating and discovering. She felt the most real to me, with good and bad points, but she was also just a little too much to the point where she completely overshadowed everyone else.
I was most disappointed, though, by the strawberry tart promised on the cover. I can only recall three mentions of it, and I was so hoping it was something the students were going to be making. But not only was there no real cooking done by the students, there were also very few mentions of the tart. It comes back at the end, supposedly as the symbol for something, but that isn’t followed throughout the story. Instead, this focused on the women’s romances, which completely had nothing to do with a strawberry tart. Amusingly, though, there’s a ton of cheese. This is so cheese-filled I started to wonder why cheese didn’t feature on the cover. I lost count of how many times cheese was mentioned. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with so much cheese before. This novel just managed to not feel cheesy. Definitely give certain parts of this book a try if you love cheese and want to read about several different kinds.
The Paris Cooking School could have offered so much. It had all the ingredients I love in this kind of book, but all of them let me down. I didn’t even really enjoy exploring Paris because it read more like a tourist’s guide than anything else. The other cooking students were mostly forgettable with no real personalities of their own, and there were three men I could not for the life of me keep straight. I liked that Kate hung out with them a lot, and some great character development for all of them could have happened here, but all it did was highlight how wonderful and friendly Kate is, so of course Sylvie should trust her and make her an offer Kate can’t refuse towards the end. I still don’t understand why Sylvie thinks Kate is so great. Sure, she loves Paris, but she also clearly has a loving family waiting for her in Australia, and, well, the ties Kate and Gabi have to Australia are never really addressed. This really just read as a series of plot points with three fairly generic women going through the motions and the men doomed to follow along after them. The transitions were only half baked and not something I could stomach. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me, but someone who loves reading about different places in Paris and romance might enjoy it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
September 6, 2024
A delightful concoction of romance, mystery, and culinary escapades. It served up a perfect blend of love and hope, with a side of delectable French cuisine and second helpings of second chances. The pinch of mysterious plotting against the school added a dash of intrigue, making this novel a wonderful feast for my soul and left me hungry for a croque monsieur.
TLDR: a very cosy read and no one can stop me from whipping up some puns
TLDR: a very cosy read and no one can stop me from whipping up some puns
October 8, 2023
Enjoyable in parts but very predictable and tended to drag at times with extensive scenic descriptions of Paris.
Also an appendix of recipes made by cooking school would have been interesting.
Also an appendix of recipes made by cooking school would have been interesting.
November 25, 2023
I was out shopping when I stumbled across this delicious looking novel. The cover, along with the title, caught my attention. I enjoy novels that are set in Paris and when they mention French cooking, too, that adds extra flavour to my interest! The French culture is a big part of my Canadian background and I always loved visiting Quebec City and Montreal on breaks when I was in university. Sadly, I have not been to Paris, except by way of novels, movies and television. But after reading Sophie Beaumont’s The Paris Cooking School, I feel I have absorbed some of her first hand experiences through her setting and characters. And revelled in the book’s literary feasts of food, art and love.
Along with the culinary treats, the landscape descriptions are exquisite. I particularly enjoyed Monet’s garden and truly felt transported to its illuminating inspiring beauty. Like Sylvie, I was enchanted by the brilliant explosion of colour—the meadow daisies, purple pansies, blue forget-me-nots and various tulip shades. Then there’s the ravishing spring blossoms on the cherry and crab apple trees, jasmine scents drifting on the winds, calming splendour of sparkling ponds, a serenade of butterflies floating by and so on. Of course, images of the famous little bridge “featured in so many photographs” and Monet’s charming old homestead. Suggestions of foods cooked for Monet are woven throughout the scene, bringing Sylvie’s own memories to the surface of her family in the kitchen.
Australian Gabi with French parents has come to Paris for relief from her personal and professional battles. She has been wounded and needs to break the dam that has held back the flow of her art for a time. Escaping to Paris for a cooking class at Sylvie’s school will give her another perspective on life, art and love. She will meet someone who will turn her heart and world around—even challenge her but the experience will bring her closer to what she seeks. It will be the catalyst of great change and flood her with fresh vision for her art. I particularly found Gabi’s journey memorable and delightful as I watched her grow and find her strength and purpose again. It was also lovely to see her connect with her parents’ roots. There are some beautiful descriptions of the area, too. Both internal and external landscapes prove uplifting and inspiring.
Kate has come from Australia as well to the cooking school, escaping a broken heart. She has experienced a romantic betrayal. Kate has lost some faith in security: in her marriage, work and her role. Will Paris help restore what has been lost and give her a fresh start?
One of the beauties of this novel is tied up in an appropriate phrase in the text: ‘It was the individual human stories that caught at (my) heart.’ This novel is brimming with individual stories (particularly of three women) and they certainly captured my attention. Along with the magical gorgeous setting. The quote used at the beginning of the novel by Victor Hugo is also appropriate: “Breathe in Paris, it preserves the soul.’ I loved this stunning story that oozes colour, depth and creative expression. And provides a satisfying ending. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Along with the culinary treats, the landscape descriptions are exquisite. I particularly enjoyed Monet’s garden and truly felt transported to its illuminating inspiring beauty. Like Sylvie, I was enchanted by the brilliant explosion of colour—the meadow daisies, purple pansies, blue forget-me-nots and various tulip shades. Then there’s the ravishing spring blossoms on the cherry and crab apple trees, jasmine scents drifting on the winds, calming splendour of sparkling ponds, a serenade of butterflies floating by and so on. Of course, images of the famous little bridge “featured in so many photographs” and Monet’s charming old homestead. Suggestions of foods cooked for Monet are woven throughout the scene, bringing Sylvie’s own memories to the surface of her family in the kitchen.
Australian Gabi with French parents has come to Paris for relief from her personal and professional battles. She has been wounded and needs to break the dam that has held back the flow of her art for a time. Escaping to Paris for a cooking class at Sylvie’s school will give her another perspective on life, art and love. She will meet someone who will turn her heart and world around—even challenge her but the experience will bring her closer to what she seeks. It will be the catalyst of great change and flood her with fresh vision for her art. I particularly found Gabi’s journey memorable and delightful as I watched her grow and find her strength and purpose again. It was also lovely to see her connect with her parents’ roots. There are some beautiful descriptions of the area, too. Both internal and external landscapes prove uplifting and inspiring.
Kate has come from Australia as well to the cooking school, escaping a broken heart. She has experienced a romantic betrayal. Kate has lost some faith in security: in her marriage, work and her role. Will Paris help restore what has been lost and give her a fresh start?
One of the beauties of this novel is tied up in an appropriate phrase in the text: ‘It was the individual human stories that caught at (my) heart.’ This novel is brimming with individual stories (particularly of three women) and they certainly captured my attention. Along with the magical gorgeous setting. The quote used at the beginning of the novel by Victor Hugo is also appropriate: “Breathe in Paris, it preserves the soul.’ I loved this stunning story that oozes colour, depth and creative expression. And provides a satisfying ending. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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