The Art of French Kissing, by: Brianna R. Shrum (ARC Review)

​       ​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.

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My Rating: ★★★☆☆

       Another eARC, coming right up! I’m so glad that NetGalley has been giving me the opportunity to read the books on their site in exchange for honest reviews.
       The Art of French Kissing is a great summer read if you love all things romance and food. (I love food…) While I didn’t find myself invested in the romance part of the novel, I did find some redeemable qualities. The Chopped style food competition is something I’ve never seen in a YA novel, and that storyline turned out great. I hope this book leads to more books that incorporate more “reality television” type storylines into their concepts.
       I found the idea of a real competition for a college scholarship was great. People think about applications and scholarships as competitive, but not in the actual sense of the word. Since I am entering the stage of my life where I will be applying for colleges and scholarships alike, I enjoyed seeing the author put a unique spin on a widely known concept. It grounded the part of the story that felt like reality TV and kept the plot from seeming too absurd. 
       What I didn’t like about this book was the romance arc. I think throughout this novel, I have figured out that the “enemies-to-lovers” trope isn’t for me. At the beginning of the book, Reid is an absolute jerk to Carter, but throughout the book, they are forced to work together and end up falling for each other. I’m not sure if it’s my “strong and independent woman” personality bursting through, or my ability to hold grudges, but I can’t be happy for a girl falling for a boy that has been awful to her. Carter is a competent young chef, and shouldn’t let a boy like that into her life at all. I understand that as readers, we saw Reid’s more redeeming qualities come forward and that in the beginning, competition can get the best of some people, but that doesn’t give either character the right to be awful to one another, and then turn around and fall in love. Some people enjoy this trope, but it’s just not for me. I don’t think I’ll ever pick up another book that uses this idea.
       So, if you like food competitions and the “enemies-to-lovers” trope, you will probably enjoy this book. It’s a great light summer read but wasn’t for me.

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       Are you planning on reading this book? Let me know in the comments!

Your strong, independent woman,
Ashton

PS - I’ve been contemplating buying physical copies of the eARCs that I read. What do you guys think, or what have you done about this situation in the past?

Beauty fades, but cooking is eternal.

— Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel