Review: The Chef

The Chef by Xavier Neal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Although The Chef is the fourth book in Xavier Neal’s The Bro series, it can be read as a standalone novel. I will admit to feeling a bit unsure about this at first – I felt as though I was thrown into the middle of a story, finding myself surrounded by characters I did not understand – but as the story progressed things became much clearer. I’m sure people will appreciate this story a lot more if they have read the prior books in The Bro series, but it is certainly a book you can read without prior knowledge of the characters.

If I’m being completely honest, it took a while before I was sucked into The Chef. I’m not quite sure what it was – the lack of understanding, the fact it took me a while before I felt connected to the characters, or the short period of time it took before I came to really appreciate the story being told – but it did take me a few chapters. However, once I was sucked in I found myself addicted.

It’s one of those stories that repeatedly put a stupid little smile on my face. I really enjoyed watching the way the characters played off each other and the way the relationship developed. It was such a fun cast, with plenty of drama and intrigue to keep you turning the pages. I admit some of the drama felt a bit on the childish side to me, a bit over the top, and some of the intrigue was expected, but it all played into the story and made it enjoyable.

I’ll certainly be giving the prior books in this series a read now, as I’m curious about how the other couples came to be together.

View all my reviews