#TBRTrending: The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique by Samantha Verant

It’s a new year and there are lots of books to talk about. For January 2023, all of my #TBRTrending picks are going to be underrated releases from 2022 if you’re looking to read some titles from last year.

First up is one I actually didn’t have on my radar until the publisher reached out to me and that’s The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique by Samantha Verant. As someone who had never heard about this book, I was cautiously optimistic about it.

While the book has been tagged as a romance, it does feature a romance but it’s a lot more about the main character’s journey and her picking things up as they fall apart. Even so, this is one I haven’t heard anyone talk about and I’m not exactly sure why.

However, if you’re looking for something new for your 2023 TBR, then The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique is a solid pick.

The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique is 2023’s first #TBRTrending.

Of course, you’ll want to know what The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique is about and that’s a loaded question. The book starts off with Kate, working on opening her own restaurant in Paris, and as talented as Kate is as a chef, she has terrible luck. No matter what she does, horrible things keep happening and honestly, it gets a little bit sad.

Despite all of the challenges, Kate always picks herself back up and it’s partially because of Garrance. Garrance is a “spice master” and her spices tend to make anyone who eats them transported to a different time and place. No matter what you’re eating with those spices, you’ll end up feeling happy and almost languished in the feeling which she denies but it’s such a vivid part of the story.

Moving onto some things I enjoyed about the book, there was a lot. Firstly, I loved all of the cooking and food descriptions. All of the things Kate cooked sounded absolutely delicious and made me wish she could cook for me. Then there was an unlikely romance between Kate and Charles which is some grumpy-sunshine goodness. Last but certainly not least, I feel like Samantha Verant didn’t glamorize Paris as some beautiful and life-changing place.

Instead, she portrayed Paris as it really is and that’s incredibly refreshing. While I’ve never been to Paris, her descriptions were enough to take me there. Honestly, I don’t understand why more people haven’t been reading this one as it really has everything you’d want from a contemporary story.

Tragically, The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique has less than 150 ratings on Goodreads and that’s just sad. If you needed a push to pick this one up, this is your push or if this book sounds interesting to you, you should pick it up. I highly recommend the audiobook as the narrator does a fabulous job, too.

Will you be picking up The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique by Samantha Verant in 2023? Let us know in the comments.