I had seen Stephanie Shea’s books before. But an interview with her in The Sapphic Book Review made me very curious about her books. This was the first book I’ve read by her and, okay, I’m a fan. She writes beautifully 👏🏼. Laure Green’s podcast is very much recommended by the way. Laura interviews lesfic authors in her unique way. She asks original questions that really help you to get to know the authors and the stories behind their books a little better.

In Chef’s Kiss, Valentina Rosas’ dream comes true. She has been chosen to do a stage as a chef at restaurant Gia, run by renowned chef Jenn Coleman. Valentina would give anything to get a job offer in Gia after the stage and work with the famous Jenn. The crush for Jenn she soon feels after their first meeting, is therefore unwelcome.

Jenn’s life consists almost entirely of running her restaurants, in San Francisco and in New York. She also has an ex and a teenage son she co-parents with her ex-wife. When she meets the beautiful and energetic Valentina, her head slightly short circuits. Her orderly life, which is predictable and planned from front to back, is increasingly turned upside down.

Jenn tries to distance herself from Valentina, literally. Valentina accepts Jenns decision to turn her away, but she also feels she can’t just give up on Jenn. Meanwhile, Jenn also notices more and more that she wants more from life. She wants to live! A life with a leading role for Valentina 🥰.

This is the first book in the A Gia, San Francisco Romance series. I read the second part Missed Connection right after it. Because I wanted to stay in the world Stephanie Shea created for a while. This is truly a lesbian romance book. But there’s something about her writing that makes it just that little bit more poetic. I sometimes thought while reading: it reads like velvet😊. What also struck me is that the main characters are women of color. Very welcome in this genre ❤️.