Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars - by Samantha Vérant (Paperback)

About the Book

"In this delectable sequel to The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux, a chef on the rise fuels her passion for cooking while enduring the hardest challenge she's ever faced: She's lost her sense of taste. Everybody wants a piece of grand chef Sophie Valroux. With her once-destroyed reputation fully recovered, Sophie is making her mark in the culinary world as the head chef at the Chãateau de Champvert, the beautiful estate that she inherited from her grandmother. She and her fiancâe, Râemi, are closer than ever, and she's bonding with his daughter, Lola. She's even been invited to cook at an exclusive event her culinary idol is attending, and she knows this could be the thing to catapult her to greater heights and maybe even bring her one step closer to her dream of achieving the stars--Michelin stars. Everything should be perfect. But Sophie has a secret: She can't taste a single thing. After she suffers a fall, she realizes that she can no longer taste or smell any of the dishes she makes. Certain that her career will vanish if people find out, Sophie keeps it to herself, not even telling Râemi or canceling on the event. And so she fakes it all: the menus for every meal, the taste of fresh figs, the juicy cherries in the orchard. All she has to do is get through life--and the event--tasteless without missing a single step. Fake it 'til you make it...right?"--

Book Synopsis

In this delectable novel, a chef on the rise fuels her passion for cooking while enduring the hardest challenges she's ever faced after a debilitating injury.

Everybody wants a piece of grand chef Sophie Valroux. With her once-destroyed reputation fully recovered and then some, Sophie is making her mark in the culinary world. She's running the restaurants of Château de Champvert, the beautiful estate that she inherited from her grandmother. She and her fiancé, Rémi, are closer than ever, and she's even bonding with his daughter Lola. Everything should be perfect.

Yet, Sophie still feels something in her heart is missing.

When she's invited to cook at an exclusive event her culinary idol is attending, she thinks this could be the thing to catapult her to greater heights, maybe even bring her one step closer to her one and only dream of achieving the stars--Michelin stars.

But fate has other plans for Sophie. After she accepts to cook for the Parisian elite, her world crumbles. She suffers a fall and loses her senses of smell and taste. Certain that her career will vanish if people find out, she keeps this secret to herself, not even telling Rémi. She fakes it all: the menus for every meal, the taste of fresh figs, the juicy cherries in the orchard. All she has to do is get through life--and the event--tasteless without missing a single step. Fake it 'til you make it...right?

Review Quotes

"Once again, Vérant lavishes us with the continuation of the intriguing story of Chef Sophie. This book is a sheer delight--full of twists and turns, family and food, love and romance, and of course, plenty of la vie en France."--Janice MacLeod, New York Times best selling author of Paris Letters

"With a colorful medley of characters and ingredients, Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars is a culinary delight. One can't help but root for this ambitious young chef as she overcomes unimaginable obstacles to reach for her dreams. With heart and charm, author Samantha Vérant delivers once again!"--Nicole Meier, author of The Second Chance Supper Club

"Pitting old dreams against new experiences, this rich and vibrant novel, packed with lush descriptions of countryside life, mixed with Parisian glamour, and sprinkled with intrigue, will appeal to foodies, Francophiles, and fans of Mary Simses' The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Café."--Booklist

"Captivating characters, mouthwatering food and a hint of romance... this picturesque novel has it all."--Woman's World Magazine

"Chef Sophie is at it again with her passion for food that will make you wish you could hop the next flight for France and her desire to have it all. But in true Vérant fashion, Sophie must first run the gamut of what she thinks she wants and what she really wants. Vérant pulls off Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars with all the grace and style we have come to expect from this talented author."--Barbara Conrey, USA Today Bestselling Author of Nowhere Near Goodbye

"Vérant is a masterful storyteller with a special knack for weaving mouthwatering menus into her storyline--and bonus: she generously shares her recipes in the back of the book."--Lori Nelson Spielman, bestselling author of The Star-crossed Sisters of Tuscany

"Smart, delightful, and--dare I say?--downright delicious, Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars has all the right ingredients. Samantha Vérant has captured the very best of France, and women's fiction, in her compulsively readable novel. Highly recommended." --Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Don't Make Me Turn This Life Around

"Vérant cooks up another winner in the Valroux series (after The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux). ... Vérant's loving and luscious descriptions of delightful dishes will whet readers' appetites, and her heroine's spirit and pluck feel alive on the page. This can easily be read as a delightful standalone."--Publishers Weekly

"Vérant's follow-up to The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux is a story about food and following one's dreams in the face of insecurity and adversity. ... Readers will root for the feisty and determined but vulnerable chef to succeed in her pursuit of professional and personal success and happiness. For foodies who like strong heroines and romance."--Library Journal

"A 'deuxième plat' of Sophie? Délicieux!"--KJ Dell'Antonia, New York Times bestselling author of The Chicken Sisters

"Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars has all of my favorite things: French chateaus, mouth watering food descriptions, and romance. Merci beaucoup, Samantha Verant!"--Sam Tschida, author of Siri, Who Am I?

About the Author

Samantha Vérant is a travel addict, a self-professed oenophile, and a determined, if occasionally unconventional, at-home French chef. She lives in southwestern France, where she's married to a sexy French rocket scientist she met in 1989 (but ignored for twenty years), a stepmom to two incredible kids, and the adoptive mother to a ridiculously adorable French cat. When she's not trekking from Provence to the Pyrénées or embracing her inner Julia Child, Sam is making her best effort to relearn those dreaded conjugations.