A few months ago, I saw The French Cookery School by Carroline James popping up on several blogs, whether it was in a meme post or a full review. It made me curious nevertheless. However, it was still winter and very rainy, so I was not in the mood for it now. I saved the audiobook for warmer temperatures and I found now was the right time to listen to it.

About the book

The French Cookery School by Caroline James
Published by One More Chapter on April 25, 2024
Pages: 385
ISBN: 9780008669782
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, General fiction

The recipe for a perfect summer…

Step 1: Mix together a group of mature students

Step 2: Add in a handsome host

Step 3: Season with a celebrity chef

Step 4: Bring to the boil at a luxurious cookery school in France!

Waltho Williams has no idea what he’s letting himself in for when he opens the doors to his beautiful French home, La Maison du Paradis. But with dwindling funds, a cookery school seems like the perfect business plan…

Divorcée caterer Caroline needs to be able stand on her own two feet. While warm-hearted Fran hopes to help her beloved husband fulfil his lifelong dream. And for food journalist Sally it’s a PR opportunity – until a certain celebrity chef gets under her skin…

But will the eclectic group be a recipe for success, or will the mismatched relationships sink like a souffle?

Whip out an apron, grab a wooden spoon and take a culinary trip to La Maison du Paradis…

My review

Expectations

This type of book always gives me summer vibes. Its just a relaxing book, no thinking and huge focus required. They often fit heatwaves perfectly. Even though it was not extremely hot, I expecte to enjoy this book right now as the sun was out and summer holidays are in full swing. I expected some recipes and lots of food mentioned. Well, let’s see if my expectations are met.

Characters

We follow a bunch of characters who all have their own POV. Waltho is the owner of Maison du Paradis and runs the cookery school. Fran, Caroline and Sally are all attendees of the course. Because there are so many POVs, it’s hard to get to know the characters properly. That’s exactly what to expect from such laidback books, so no hard criticism here. However, I couldn’t relate to any of them since they all are in their 60s and I’m much younger. I found them fine, but Fran annoyed me a lot. She is too nosy and a bit to dominating and loud. Caroline was really closed off and sometimes I wondered why on earth she joined this cookery course. In the final chapters she transformed 180 degrees and honestly that was a bit unbelieveable because of the speed this transformation comes with.

Writing

The book is written just fine. Not much is happening, but James manages to indulge the reader. I wanted to continue listening to find out what everyone was hiding. The heavy POV switching works well as bits and pieces of the information is revealed. I therefore managed to finish this book in one day. I had to get used to the narrration though, I didn’t really like the narrator at first. Thankfully, I got used to it once the book progressed.

Plot

The plot of this novel is very basic. A group of elderly people attend a week’s cookery course in France and we follow them during this week. A lot happens, but nothing exciting really. It’s just a relaxing and comfort novel. However, some more serious themes are woven into it, such as grief, divorce, financial insecurity and chasing your dreams. Even though I was not fully intrigued, I couldn’t stop listening. I still wanted to know how the holiday would evolve.

Final thoughts

The French Cookery School by Caroline James is exactly the book you expect from this type of novels. It’s alaidback plot with a relaxing atmosphere and heavy on POV switching. Indeed, food is mentioned, so don’t read this on an empty stomach. It’s a fine book for a relaxing day at the pool as it delivers exactly what you could expect from a summery read.