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Where There's a Whisk
Life is what you bake it.
Peyton Sinclaire wants nothing more than to escape her life as a diner waitress in her small, North Florida town and attend culinary school. Top Teen Chef, Food TV's new show that pairs reality TV drama with a fast-paced culinary competition, is her ticket out of her boring future. It's aonce-in-a-lifetime chance to make her dreams come true and Peyton is determined to prove to herself, and the world, that where you're born does not determine where you can go. However, once on the show, Peyton quickly discovers that there is more to the competition than just a well-seasoned dish.
As things start to heatup on and off the set, Peyton will have to prove to the judges that she deserves to win whiletrying to untangle what is real and what is scripted drama, and decide what she is willing to risk to win before her dreams end up on the chopping block.
Peyton Sinclaire wants nothing more than to escape her life as a diner waitress in her small, North Florida town and attend culinary school. Top Teen Chef, Food TV's new show that pairs reality TV drama with a fast-paced culinary competition, is her ticket out of her boring future. It's aonce-in-a-lifetime chance to make her dreams come true and Peyton is determined to prove to herself, and the world, that where you're born does not determine where you can go. However, once on the show, Peyton quickly discovers that there is more to the competition than just a well-seasoned dish.
As things start to heatup on and off the set, Peyton will have to prove to the judges that she deserves to win whiletrying to untangle what is real and what is scripted drama, and decide what she is willing to risk to win before her dreams end up on the chopping block.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published October 12, 2021
9 people are currently reading
2,572 people want to read
About the author
Sarah J. Schmitt
2books161followersSarah J. Schmitt is a K-8 school librarian and Youth Service Professional for Teens at a public library who, in addition to planning a variety of events, enjoys opening up the world of books to reluctant readers. She runs a teen writing program that combines Skype visits from well-known authors and screenwriters and critique group style feedback.
Prior to immersing herself in the world of the written word, Sarah earned her Masters of Science in Higher Education Administration and Student Affairs from Indiana University where she worked with first year college students as they acclimated to college life. Sarah lives outside of Indianapolis with her husband, two kidlets and a cat who might actually be a secret agent. She is an active member of SCBWI, ALA and the Indiana Library Federation and is a regular participant at the Midwest Writer’s Workshop. Her debut novel, IT'S A WONDERFUL DEATH, comes out Fall, 2014 from Strange Chemistry.
Prior to immersing herself in the world of the written word, Sarah earned her Masters of Science in Higher Education Administration and Student Affairs from Indiana University where she worked with first year college students as they acclimated to college life. Sarah lives outside of Indianapolis with her husband, two kidlets and a cat who might actually be a secret agent. She is an active member of SCBWI, ALA and the Indiana Library Federation and is a regular participant at the Midwest Writer’s Workshop. Her debut novel, IT'S A WONDERFUL DEATH, comes out Fall, 2014 from Strange Chemistry.
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May 9, 2021
Thank you Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
You can also check out my review on my
I was honestly expecting this to be a 1 star read for me, but I was pleasantly surprised. Although this book definitely could have been better, it was an easy and mostly enjoyable read.
Question 1: How did you find the plot?
A) Love (1 star)
B) Like (0.75 stars)
C) Okay (0.50 stars)
D) Dislike (0.25 stars)
E) Hate (0 stars)
Explain your answer:
The plot follows Peyton Sinclaire, a girl from a small town in Florida who is given a chance to participate in a culinary show Top Teen Chef. If she wins she can get a full scholarship to one of the best culinary schools in the country. Throughout the competitions, Peyton gets to develop friendships with the other contestants, while making some enemies too. And sometimes reality in the show isn’t true reality�
I’ve always loved watching baking shows, so naturally, I was intrigued by the plot. The plot stays very true to what you might see in your average baking show but I feel like it was lacking in some places. Many things are mentioned- but never developed. It’s almost as if Schmitt threw a ball of information at you, but she aimed wrong and it flew past your head. You saw it, but you didn’t have enough time to really study it.
---------------------------
Question 2: How did you find the characters?
A) Love (1 star)
B) Like (0.75 stars)
C) Okay (0.50 stars)
D) Dislike (0.25 stars)
E) Hate (0 stars)
Explain your answer:
The characters were all dull and I didn’t see much of a personality in any of them. This is another case of characters-could-go-die-in-a-hole-and-i-wouldn’t-care.Though why characters from a baking show would randomly die? Idk
Peyton is the main character of this story. Her father is in jail and her family is barely scraping by. She has to work a part-time job to support her family and when she gets an opportunity to be on Top Teen Chef, takes it. Although I didn’t find her character interesting, I could relate to her so much that I’m choosing choice B rather than C. I could relate to how long pauses before announcing the winner are painful, and the constant did-i-do-it-right thoughts when presenting something.
Though there were the other contestants in the show, I found them to be easily forgettable.I’m having trouble recalling their names even now. It was hard to keep track of who was who and who came from where. (at least for me)
The love interest(s) was/were all boring and I'd rather have Peyton not with anyone. The romance felt unecessary and I think the book would have been just fine without.
---------------------------
Question 3: How did you find the setting/worldbuilding?
A) Love (1 star)
B) Like (0.75 stars)
C) Okay (0.50 stars)
D) Dislike (0.25 stars)
E) Hate (0 stars)
Explain your answer:
Even though I have nonexistent baking and cooking skills (*looks away and pretends I can’t bake brownies without the mix*), I would love to stand in those beautiful looking kitchens they have on baking shows. Many of the rounds took place in significant places in New York City, and I loved that because I could be like “Oh I’ve been there before!� When not sightseeing the city, they were in their penthouse (Ohhhhh how I would love that) or cooking away in the kitchens. Though I think the setting could have been described in greater detail, I found this aspect of the book okay.
As for the actual contest, I was a bit disappointed. In my opinion, it was hard to remember all of the rounds and what each task was. Even now I can’t recall the exact number of rounds there were.
---------------------------
Question 4: How did you find the writing/POV/pacing?
A) Love (1 star)
B) Like (0.75 stars)
C) Okay (0.50 stars)
D) Dislike (0.25 stars)
E) Hate (0 stars)
Explain your answer:
The writing was very average, and nothing too special. I didn’t have any large problems with it and I didn’t hate it. There was a lot of humor and jokes throughout the book and while some of them made me silently cringe inside, I was chuckling during the particularly funny ones.
The story is told from the first-person POV of Peyton and while I’m not the biggest fan of first-person, I think it was the right choice for this book. *round of applause* Getting Peyton's thoughts directly helped me see how Peyton decided what dish(es) she would do for each round.
The pacing was the biggest problem and what largely impacted my decision to lower the rating. The book was very fast-paced, I’ll have to admit that. But it was way too fast-paced. Over the first half of the book, the cooking is described in greater detail and the competitions stretch over more pages. But as you hit over the halfway mark, it’s more like “Peyton cooked. Her food was done. She presented it to the judges� instead of “Peyton boiled [something] and chopped [something]. She put [something] in the oven and set the timer for [number] minutes. [more cooking details] She set the plate and presented it to the judges.� (terrible way to explain but hopefully you understand) I thought it did well to emphasize how time flew by and hours could pass without you noticing, but it was done too well and left out many of the details.
---------------------------
Question 5: How did you find the conflict/resolution?
A) Love (1 star)
B) Like (0.75 stars)
C) Okay (0.50 stars)
D) Dislike (0.25 stars)
E) Hate (0 stars)
Explain your answer:
I predicted it, but I enjoyed the small twists throughout the book. The ending wrapped everything up nicely but I wish the sort-of-epilogue chapter was longer.
---------------------------
Total: (2.50/5)
Deductions & Bonuses:
N/A
Final Total: (2.50/5) (rounded up)
Other notes:
N/A
You can also check out my review on my
I was honestly expecting this to be a 1 star read for me, but I was pleasantly surprised. Although this book definitely could have been better, it was an easy and mostly enjoyable read.
Question 1: How did you find the plot?
A) Love (1 star)
B) Like (0.75 stars)
C) Okay (0.50 stars)
D) Dislike (0.25 stars)
E) Hate (0 stars)
Explain your answer:
The plot follows Peyton Sinclaire, a girl from a small town in Florida who is given a chance to participate in a culinary show Top Teen Chef. If she wins she can get a full scholarship to one of the best culinary schools in the country. Throughout the competitions, Peyton gets to develop friendships with the other contestants, while making some enemies too. And sometimes reality in the show isn’t true reality�
I’ve always loved watching baking shows, so naturally, I was intrigued by the plot. The plot stays very true to what you might see in your average baking show but I feel like it was lacking in some places. Many things are mentioned- but never developed. It’s almost as if Schmitt threw a ball of information at you, but she aimed wrong and it flew past your head. You saw it, but you didn’t have enough time to really study it.
---------------------------
Question 2: How did you find the characters?
A) Love (1 star)
B) Like (0.75 stars)
C) Okay (0.50 stars)
D) Dislike (0.25 stars)
E) Hate (0 stars)
Explain your answer:
The characters were all dull and I didn’t see much of a personality in any of them. This is another case of characters-could-go-die-in-a-hole-and-i-wouldn’t-care.
Peyton is the main character of this story. Her father is in jail and her family is barely scraping by. She has to work a part-time job to support her family and when she gets an opportunity to be on Top Teen Chef, takes it. Although I didn’t find her character interesting, I could relate to her so much that I’m choosing choice B rather than C. I could relate to how long pauses before announcing the winner are painful, and the constant did-i-do-it-right thoughts when presenting something.
Though there were the other contestants in the show, I found them to be easily forgettable.
The love interest(s) was/were all boring and I'd rather have Peyton not with anyone. The romance felt unecessary and I think the book would have been just fine without.
---------------------------
Question 3: How did you find the setting/worldbuilding?
A) Love (1 star)
B) Like (0.75 stars)
C) Okay (0.50 stars)
D) Dislike (0.25 stars)
E) Hate (0 stars)
Explain your answer:
Even though I have nonexistent baking and cooking skills (*looks away and pretends I can’t bake brownies without the mix*), I would love to stand in those beautiful looking kitchens they have on baking shows. Many of the rounds took place in significant places in New York City, and I loved that because I could be like “Oh I’ve been there before!� When not sightseeing the city, they were in their penthouse (Ohhhhh how I would love that) or cooking away in the kitchens. Though I think the setting could have been described in greater detail, I found this aspect of the book okay.
As for the actual contest, I was a bit disappointed. In my opinion, it was hard to remember all of the rounds and what each task was. Even now I can’t recall the exact number of rounds there were.
---------------------------
Question 4: How did you find the writing/POV/pacing?
A) Love (1 star)
B) Like (0.75 stars)
C) Okay (0.50 stars)
D) Dislike (0.25 stars)
E) Hate (0 stars)
Explain your answer:
The writing was very average, and nothing too special. I didn’t have any large problems with it and I didn’t hate it. There was a lot of humor and jokes throughout the book and while some of them made me silently cringe inside, I was chuckling during the particularly funny ones.
The story is told from the first-person POV of Peyton and while I’m not the biggest fan of first-person, I think it was the right choice for this book. *round of applause* Getting Peyton's thoughts directly helped me see how Peyton decided what dish(es) she would do for each round.
The pacing was the biggest problem and what largely impacted my decision to lower the rating. The book was very fast-paced, I’ll have to admit that. But it was way too fast-paced. Over the first half of the book, the cooking is described in greater detail and the competitions stretch over more pages. But as you hit over the halfway mark, it’s more like “Peyton cooked. Her food was done. She presented it to the judges� instead of “Peyton boiled [something] and chopped [something]. She put [something] in the oven and set the timer for [number] minutes. [more cooking details] She set the plate and presented it to the judges.� (terrible way to explain but hopefully you understand) I thought it did well to emphasize how time flew by and hours could pass without you noticing, but it was done too well and left out many of the details.
---------------------------
Question 5: How did you find the conflict/resolution?
A) Love (1 star)
B) Like (0.75 stars)
C) Okay (0.50 stars)
D) Dislike (0.25 stars)
E) Hate (0 stars)
Explain your answer:
I predicted it, but I enjoyed the small twists throughout the book. The ending wrapped everything up nicely but I wish the sort-of-epilogue chapter was longer.
---------------------------
Total: (2.50/5)
Deductions & Bonuses:
N/A
Final Total: (2.50/5) (rounded up)
Other notes:
N/A
June 18, 2021
Blog review:
I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is more 3.5 than 4.
I really enjoyed this!
When I first saw this, I was like cooking show? teen contestants? poor girl trying her best for a scholarship? SIGN ME UP.
While this did deliver on most of those fronts, I still think this could have done better. A lot of more small plot lines could have been tied up, and so many other things which I thought would happen didn't happen, and the romance was just....nothing of note.
Let's start with the romance. This could have down without it. Honestly this book would have succeeded without the romance. I would have been happy if she had come out of this competition with just very good friendships. But we have a love triangle. Which is not actually a love triangle. But then it is a love triangle at times. And then there a too-short romance tying everything up.
I would have loved if the book had gone on with the relationships on screen thing, and then had good friendships underneath.
The next thing that bothered me was the lack of detail and general rushed-ness in the latter part of the book. The first half of the book had loads of detail and play by play of the competitions, but after that, the competitions turned out to be pretty underwhelming because it didn't even seem like they had happened.
Like the whole thing happened within three weeks, but if you'd ask me how much time it seemed had passed, I would say a week. Max, a week and a half. They were supposed to be shooting every day, so ideally that would be around 18 days of shooting, but I remember at least 3 landmark challenges, and maybe 5-6 eliminations/normal rounds. And the way they were being eliminated seemed like they were losing people every other day, which if you have only 8 people to start with, takes a max of 16 days. And there were double eliminations, two of them, so that brings the number down to 12 days or whereabouts.
There was also the lack of feeling I had when we lost other participants. Like the first guy we lost within two days of the start, but since I don't even know the guy well enough to care, I just didn't care. Inaaya, who was my favourite side character, was lost too soon, and we didn't even get a play by play of her elimination, it all happened off screen.
Another thing that didn't feel right was the simplicity. I know that sounds weird, because I'm always the one advocating for lesser side plots to give the main plot/romance time to grow, but here there were so many possibilities, and none of them were followed through, so I would gear up for a plot twist or predict some nefarious plot going on behind the screens, and then nothing would happen and I would be left feeling unfulfilled.
For example, the Adam side plot was so easily solved. Doesn't everyone know that reality tv shows are always scripted!? There's no way people are actually as dramatic as they are portrayed in reality tv. And so this kind of realisation coming as a surprise to all these people was so strange because shouldn't they have already known!?!
Another example is the way Paulie wasn't influenced. We find every one else, was, but he wasn't, so I wanted to know why that happened. I also wanted to know why Angelica hated Peyton so much, because a side plot involving Angelica acting the bitchy judge who hates the poor girl but is actually only acting would have made so much more sense than whatever explanation was given at the end of the book, i.e. no explanation.
Another side plot that I feel would have made sense would have been someone sabotaging the competition to make sure Peyton failed, which would explain so many of her losses. Yet another one would be someone rigging the competition in favour of her, which would explain why she wasn;t eliminated so many times when she should have been.
I really wish Dani's side plot had been explored more. Like, I really wish it wouldn't have been the token bully who had a reason. I would also have wanted to know more about Lola, because she, like Adam, was there just for being more or less a plot. Yes, she had more screen time, but I would have liked to know her motives as well.
I wish the ending had shown us where everyone had ended up, not just Paulie, Peyton, and Malik. Speaking of Malik, I wish we had gotten to know him more as well. In the beginning it seemed like he would get screen time, then most of the book he was off screen or had a very small role, and then at the end he became important again.
I also wanted to know more about Hakulani, as in how he ended up, did he succeed, what happened to him!? What happened to Lola?! Or even Dani!?! Why was the epilogue so short and uninformative!?
Also, what was with the confessionals?! Because by my count, only two were shot, and I don't think that would have been enough. Why weren't the others, if there were any, mentioned?!
I would also have liked to know what happened with their show. Did all the shots make it into the final thing!? Does everyone know about the kiss!? What happened with the confessionals?! What did everyone else say!? did they watch the show!?
Anyway, I think I've covered all my grievances, so I'm stopping here. On the whole, a very good book, full of laugh out loud moments and interesting cooking show tid-bits. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoy cooking/baking shows, do not mind slight love triangles and insta-love, enjoy the fake relationship trope, and would not mind somewhat lacking endings.
I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is more 3.5 than 4.
I really enjoyed this!
When I first saw this, I was like cooking show? teen contestants? poor girl trying her best for a scholarship? SIGN ME UP.
While this did deliver on most of those fronts, I still think this could have done better. A lot of more small plot lines could have been tied up, and so many other things which I thought would happen didn't happen, and the romance was just....nothing of note.
Let's start with the romance. This could have down without it. Honestly this book would have succeeded without the romance. I would have been happy if she had come out of this competition with just very good friendships. But we have a love triangle. Which is not actually a love triangle. But then it is a love triangle at times. And then there a too-short romance tying everything up.
I would have loved if the book had gone on with the relationships on screen thing, and then had good friendships underneath.
The next thing that bothered me was the lack of detail and general rushed-ness in the latter part of the book. The first half of the book had loads of detail and play by play of the competitions, but after that, the competitions turned out to be pretty underwhelming because it didn't even seem like they had happened.
Like the whole thing happened within three weeks, but if you'd ask me how much time it seemed had passed, I would say a week. Max, a week and a half. They were supposed to be shooting every day, so ideally that would be around 18 days of shooting, but I remember at least 3 landmark challenges, and maybe 5-6 eliminations/normal rounds. And the way they were being eliminated seemed like they were losing people every other day, which if you have only 8 people to start with, takes a max of 16 days. And there were double eliminations, two of them, so that brings the number down to 12 days or whereabouts.
There was also the lack of feeling I had when we lost other participants. Like the first guy we lost within two days of the start, but since I don't even know the guy well enough to care, I just didn't care. Inaaya, who was my favourite side character, was lost too soon, and we didn't even get a play by play of her elimination, it all happened off screen.
Another thing that didn't feel right was the simplicity. I know that sounds weird, because I'm always the one advocating for lesser side plots to give the main plot/romance time to grow, but here there were so many possibilities, and none of them were followed through, so I would gear up for a plot twist or predict some nefarious plot going on behind the screens, and then nothing would happen and I would be left feeling unfulfilled.
For example, the Adam side plot was so easily solved. Doesn't everyone know that reality tv shows are always scripted!? There's no way people are actually as dramatic as they are portrayed in reality tv. And so this kind of realisation coming as a surprise to all these people was so strange because shouldn't they have already known!?!
Another example is the way Paulie wasn't influenced. We find every one else, was, but he wasn't, so I wanted to know why that happened. I also wanted to know why Angelica hated Peyton so much, because a side plot involving Angelica acting the bitchy judge who hates the poor girl but is actually only acting would have made so much more sense than whatever explanation was given at the end of the book, i.e. no explanation.
Another side plot that I feel would have made sense would have been someone sabotaging the competition to make sure Peyton failed, which would explain so many of her losses. Yet another one would be someone rigging the competition in favour of her, which would explain why she wasn;t eliminated so many times when she should have been.
I really wish Dani's side plot had been explored more. Like, I really wish it wouldn't have been the token bully who had a reason. I would also have wanted to know more about Lola, because she, like Adam, was there just for being more or less a plot. Yes, she had more screen time, but I would have liked to know her motives as well.
I wish the ending had shown us where everyone had ended up, not just Paulie, Peyton, and Malik. Speaking of Malik, I wish we had gotten to know him more as well. In the beginning it seemed like he would get screen time, then most of the book he was off screen or had a very small role, and then at the end he became important again.
I also wanted to know more about Hakulani, as in how he ended up, did he succeed, what happened to him!? What happened to Lola?! Or even Dani!?! Why was the epilogue so short and uninformative!?
Also, what was with the confessionals?! Because by my count, only two were shot, and I don't think that would have been enough. Why weren't the others, if there were any, mentioned?!
I would also have liked to know what happened with their show. Did all the shots make it into the final thing!? Does everyone know about the kiss!? What happened with the confessionals?! What did everyone else say!? did they watch the show!?
Anyway, I think I've covered all my grievances, so I'm stopping here. On the whole, a very good book, full of laugh out loud moments and interesting cooking show tid-bits. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoy cooking/baking shows, do not mind slight love triangles and insta-love, enjoy the fake relationship trope, and would not mind somewhat lacking endings.
July 3, 2021
This is Not the Jess Show meets your favorite cooking competition in Where There’s a Whisk!
This novel is a behind the scenes look at what could be going on during a reality tv cooking competition. We follow Peyton, a baker from a small town life, trying to beat other teen contestants to win a scholarship to a culinary school and change her future. While she starts with this goal in mind, her new friends and self realizations end up changing her outlook and even her overall idea of how to achieve her goals.
I loved the other 7 contestants and how they all formed such interesting bonds- even if some of it was fake for the reality tv. These teens dealt well with navigating their own hearts and the influence of the producers. I enjoyed the cooking challenges and I think the way the entire story wrapped up was so well done.
I think some parts felt a little underdeveloped, like Peyton’s backstory, especially since she’s the main character. I know she didn’t want to be defined by it but it still seemed like she was a very basic profile to start out with. I don’t remember any mention of her friends or really anything but a basic description of her parents, her aunt’s trailer, and the diner,
I found a couple misspellings, but this is an arc so I am not judging that at all!
I was provided this arc by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
This novel is a behind the scenes look at what could be going on during a reality tv cooking competition. We follow Peyton, a baker from a small town life, trying to beat other teen contestants to win a scholarship to a culinary school and change her future. While she starts with this goal in mind, her new friends and self realizations end up changing her outlook and even her overall idea of how to achieve her goals.
I loved the other 7 contestants and how they all formed such interesting bonds- even if some of it was fake for the reality tv. These teens dealt well with navigating their own hearts and the influence of the producers. I enjoyed the cooking challenges and I think the way the entire story wrapped up was so well done.
I think some parts felt a little underdeveloped, like Peyton’s backstory, especially since she’s the main character. I know she didn’t want to be defined by it but it still seemed like she was a very basic profile to start out with. I don’t remember any mention of her friends or really anything but a basic description of her parents, her aunt’s trailer, and the diner,
I found a couple misspellings, but this is an arc so I am not judging that at all!
I was provided this arc by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Read
January 4, 2022DNFed not 10% of the way through because every single contestant in this show is the most stereotypical you could possibly make them. let me introduce you! we have:
- peyton, our main character from the panhandle of florida who learned to bake from her grandma
- malik, the token black character who loves to barbecue
- lola, the token latinx character who refers to her grandma as her “abuela� in front of a group of obviously non-spanish-speaking strangers she’s just met
- adam, a blonde boy from california who has tattoos, loves to surf, and is a vegan
- hakulani, another surfer but from hawaii who, i kid you not, introduces himself by saying “aloha�
- paulie, an italian from new jersey who says he will destroy all the contestants if they have to make pasta and actually admits he is a walking stereotype
- dani, from manhattan, a super rich snob
look i don’t care if these first impressions are later questioned throughout the course of this book and we find out the rich girl has a soft side or that the vegan has daddy issues or whatever, i cannot make it past the first few chapters knowing this is the way the author chose to introduce her characters
- peyton, our main character from the panhandle of florida who learned to bake from her grandma
- malik, the token black character who loves to barbecue
- lola, the token latinx character who refers to her grandma as her “abuela� in front of a group of obviously non-spanish-speaking strangers she’s just met
- adam, a blonde boy from california who has tattoos, loves to surf, and is a vegan
- hakulani, another surfer but from hawaii who, i kid you not, introduces himself by saying “aloha�
- paulie, an italian from new jersey who says he will destroy all the contestants if they have to make pasta and actually admits he is a walking stereotype
- dani, from manhattan, a super rich snob
look i don’t care if these first impressions are later questioned throughout the course of this book and we find out the rich girl has a soft side or that the vegan has daddy issues or whatever, i cannot make it past the first few chapters knowing this is the way the author chose to introduce her characters
Shelved as 'dnf'
August 28, 2021DNF @50% The writing style is is just not working out for me and it’s miserable to read. The interactions between the contestants and Peyton’s thought was very awkward to read. There’s also a developing love triangle that felt very strange?
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the earc in exchange for honest opinions.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the earc in exchange for honest opinions.
Want to read
September 21, 2021I seriously don't think I will ever get tired of books based off cooking shows
Probably because I will never get tired of cooking shows
RIGHT NOW I'M WATCHING BAKE SQUAD. IT IS WHOLESOME QUALITY ENTERTAINMENT.
Which I am sure this book will also be.
Probably because I will never get tired of cooking shows
RIGHT NOW I'M WATCHING BAKE SQUAD. IT IS WHOLESOME QUALITY ENTERTAINMENT.
Which I am sure this book will also be.
April 26, 2021
Actual Rating 3.5
Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Peyton is a small-town girl who got selected for a Teen cooking competition, winner will get a scholarship for a culinary school. It is the only way to change her life, back at home it isn't great. This story is a bookish form of reality cooking shows, with a lot of politics, alliances and fun.
I really enjoy cooking shows so I naturally enjoyed this book way more than I thought. I like the way all of the characters were different but kind of realistic. This book was a perfect summer read with fast pace, some cheesiness and an unrealistic story.
Peyton is so good for a human being so I couldn't relate to her. All of the characters were full of some kind of drama that made it so fun to read it.
This book wasn't perfect but I liked it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Peyton is a small-town girl who got selected for a Teen cooking competition, winner will get a scholarship for a culinary school. It is the only way to change her life, back at home it isn't great. This story is a bookish form of reality cooking shows, with a lot of politics, alliances and fun.
I really enjoy cooking shows so I naturally enjoyed this book way more than I thought. I like the way all of the characters were different but kind of realistic. This book was a perfect summer read with fast pace, some cheesiness and an unrealistic story.
Peyton is so good for a human being so I couldn't relate to her. All of the characters were full of some kind of drama that made it so fun to read it.
This book wasn't perfect but I liked it.
October 10, 2021
Where There’s A Whisk by Sarah J. Schmitt is a story about a cooking competition that definitely brings the heat. I enjoyed the tension that follows as the main character must choose between following the storyline the producers have written for her or staying true to herself and risking elimination. The main character is also passionate about cooking, and each of the challenges in the competition are vividly described. This is a great read for those looking for something fast-paced read with plenty of drama.
When small-town chef Peyton gets the opportunity to compete in a reality TV cooking competition, she jumps at the chance to pursue her dream and earn a scholarship to go to culinary school. When she gets to the set, however, she realizes that reality TV isn’t as real as it may seem as the producers of the show have carefully laid out a rags-to-riches storyline for her to follow, planning to exploit her hardships for views. If Peyton doesn’t comply, she will be sent home, in turn giving up her dream. As the competition becomes even more intense, Peyton must decide how far she is willing to go to win.
❀ DYNAMIC MAIN CHARACTER
Peyton is a dynamic character, and I enjoyed reading about her passion for cooking. She has a hard life with her father in prison and her mother unable to work, but I admired how she stands up for herself and is unwilling to be turned into a sob story for TV. Peyton also has such a strong determination to prove herself, and she really develops throughout the competition, becoming more confident in her cooking. The other competitors are also well-developed, and I enjoyed reading about the relationships they form throughout the competition.
❀ VIVID DESCRIPTIONS
As a big fan of books about food and competition, I was looking forward to seeing what kinds of challenges this one would include. It lived up to my expectations, and I was impressed by the level of detail that went into each challenge. I especially enjoyed the landmark challenges, where the characters explore New York for inspiration. The vivid descriptions of each aspect of the show make the competition feel more realistic, and reading this book felt just like watching an episode of MasterChef.
❀ ENGAGING STORY
Where There’s a Whisk by Sarah J. Schmitt is an engaging and high-stakes story that is sure to make readers� mouths water. I loved reading about the behind-the-scenes elements of the cooking competition, and it is easy to feel the main character’s passion. The challenges are also described in detail, making the competition jump off the page. Fans of shows like MasterChef will not want to miss this one.
May 23, 2021
I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
There isn't a half-star button so we're rounding up.
2 Stars for a relaxing and fun book.
+1.5 Star for Dani, Malik, and the last part of the book
No-Spoiler Review
This is the first book I've finished reading on Netgalley and I was worried it'd go like a lot of my friends' choices and that I'd pick a book I ended up really hating. I in fact picked the opposite and read a really solid and cheerful book that I enjoyed a lot.
The entire book is very much what it says on the tin. It's all about the main character Peyton competing on a reality tv show called Top Teen Chef in order to get a scholarship to culinary school. Peyton needs this scholarship because she comes from a very low socio-economic background, which pretty early on turns out to be the reason she was invited on the show.
Since it's a reality show, there's lots of importance placed on storylines and such by the producers. This gives a very short-lived conflict where Peyton doesn't want to be shoehorned into a rags-to-riches story, normally the way the conflicts disappear would annoy me but the book is less than 300 pages and I'm not here for wide sweeping themes. I'm here to read cool descriptions of what Peyton is cooking and hope that the characters end up three dimensional.
The character that ended up defying my expectations was, in fact, Dani. It might be because I've recently read The Selection but I wasn't sure if Dani was going to be more than just Mean Girl Number 1. Since this is an actual review I won't spoiler but I had given up hope and then BAM: Dani is 3 dimensional.
The most interesting part of this book is when you realise that throughout all of the competition, watching through Peyton's eyes you've quite literally been duped the same way the audience will be when they watch the show. You believe the plotlines because Peyton believes the plotlines, and that makes the writing uniquely compelling.
Before I end my review I want to give a quick shoutout to one of the characters that although they weren't a big focus (due to the short length of the book), were still major and pretty fun. I cheered for Malik throughout the book, he was genuine and sweet and a character I just really liked.
The last part of the book where you see Peyton's final creation and you see Dani again for real bumped this up to 3 stars. I don't want to spoil the joy of reading this scene for the first time so I'll leave it at the fact that it made me actually proud of the character for the first time in the book.
The only way this book could've gone up to 5 stars would be if it was longer or if we got to see more POVs than just Peyton. It was quite short so I couldn't really get a feel on Peyton's personality beyond "doesn't want to be poor" and "sweetheart", so I wasn't entirely invested but I did want to see what Peyton cooked next which was quite fun.
A quick disclaimer for people that aren't from America: In America for some reason they call your main meal an entree even though an entree is what they would call an "appetiser" for almost all the rest of the world.
There isn't a half-star button so we're rounding up.
2 Stars for a relaxing and fun book.
+1.5 Star for Dani, Malik, and the last part of the book
No-Spoiler Review
This is the first book I've finished reading on Netgalley and I was worried it'd go like a lot of my friends' choices and that I'd pick a book I ended up really hating. I in fact picked the opposite and read a really solid and cheerful book that I enjoyed a lot.
The entire book is very much what it says on the tin. It's all about the main character Peyton competing on a reality tv show called Top Teen Chef in order to get a scholarship to culinary school. Peyton needs this scholarship because she comes from a very low socio-economic background, which pretty early on turns out to be the reason she was invited on the show.
Since it's a reality show, there's lots of importance placed on storylines and such by the producers. This gives a very short-lived conflict where Peyton doesn't want to be shoehorned into a rags-to-riches story, normally the way the conflicts disappear would annoy me but the book is less than 300 pages and I'm not here for wide sweeping themes. I'm here to read cool descriptions of what Peyton is cooking and hope that the characters end up three dimensional.
The character that ended up defying my expectations was, in fact, Dani. It might be because I've recently read The Selection but I wasn't sure if Dani was going to be more than just Mean Girl Number 1. Since this is an actual review I won't spoiler but I had given up hope and then BAM: Dani is 3 dimensional.
The most interesting part of this book is when you realise that throughout all of the competition, watching through Peyton's eyes you've quite literally been duped the same way the audience will be when they watch the show. You believe the plotlines because Peyton believes the plotlines, and that makes the writing uniquely compelling.
Before I end my review I want to give a quick shoutout to one of the characters that although they weren't a big focus (due to the short length of the book), were still major and pretty fun. I cheered for Malik throughout the book, he was genuine and sweet and a character I just really liked.
The last part of the book where you see Peyton's final creation and you see Dani again for real bumped this up to 3 stars. I don't want to spoil the joy of reading this scene for the first time so I'll leave it at the fact that it made me actually proud of the character for the first time in the book.
The only way this book could've gone up to 5 stars would be if it was longer or if we got to see more POVs than just Peyton. It was quite short so I couldn't really get a feel on Peyton's personality beyond "doesn't want to be poor" and "sweetheart", so I wasn't entirely invested but I did want to see what Peyton cooked next which was quite fun.
A quick disclaimer for people that aren't from America: In America for some reason they call your main meal an entree even though an entree is what they would call an "appetiser" for almost all the rest of the world.
April 28, 2021
I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Believe me, the entire buddy read thread was just me complaining about everything. Yet somehow, I cane out of this book with a positive memory.
My favorite thing about this was definitely the cooking show aspects. I love watching cooking shows in my free time, so this was right down my alley. I liked the challenges that were used, and how they explored New York City. I did feel like all of the advantages/sabotages were incredibly unrealistic, which disappointed me.
I also hated the way some of the characters acted. We're never given an explanation or apology from a character who made some vile comments about and to our main character. What's even worse is that the bully was an adult, and was insulting a teenager.
The romance in this was completely unnecessary as it developed in the last 15% and was between Peyton and an underdeveloped character. If there had been more setup for it, I mightve enjoyed it, but that wasn't the case.
Despite this entire review being me complaining, I did enjoy this book! I binged it in a day, and didn't want to put it down. Its an enjoyable book, just one with a lot of problems.
Thanks to Sarah J. Schmitt and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
My favorite thing about this was definitely the cooking show aspects. I love watching cooking shows in my free time, so this was right down my alley. I liked the challenges that were used, and how they explored New York City. I did feel like all of the advantages/sabotages were incredibly unrealistic, which disappointed me.
I also hated the way some of the characters acted. We're never given an explanation or apology from a character who made some vile comments about and to our main character. What's even worse is that the bully was an adult, and was insulting a teenager.
The romance in this was completely unnecessary as it developed in the last 15% and was between Peyton and an underdeveloped character. If there had been more setup for it, I mightve enjoyed it, but that wasn't the case.
Despite this entire review being me complaining, I did enjoy this book! I binged it in a day, and didn't want to put it down. Its an enjoyable book, just one with a lot of problems.
Thanks to Sarah J. Schmitt and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
June 30, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review, All views are my own.
When I saw this book, I instantly thought of some of my favourite cooking/baking shows: The Great British Bake Off, Masterchef and somehow my favourite musical: Waitress.
I had such high hopes for this book. I was expecting the characters to be really well developed, for there to be some full-on rivalry, for there to be more suspense, but there was none of those. It felt really bland. In addition to that, the style in which the filming scenes were wrote seemed forced. I've never seen hosts talk in the way the host in this book, Jessica, does. Even in children's versions of the cooking and baking competition TV shows I've never seen hosts sound so forced and tense. It ruined the atmosphere reading Jessica in this way.
I didn't like this book at all. It was just sub-par. There was quite a bit of info-dumping which made the story seem messy. I really want to find something that I really liked about this book but I don't think I can.
When I saw this book, I instantly thought of some of my favourite cooking/baking shows: The Great British Bake Off, Masterchef and somehow my favourite musical: Waitress.
I had such high hopes for this book. I was expecting the characters to be really well developed, for there to be some full-on rivalry, for there to be more suspense, but there was none of those. It felt really bland. In addition to that, the style in which the filming scenes were wrote seemed forced. I've never seen hosts talk in the way the host in this book, Jessica, does. Even in children's versions of the cooking and baking competition TV shows I've never seen hosts sound so forced and tense. It ruined the atmosphere reading Jessica in this way.
I didn't like this book at all. It was just sub-par. There was quite a bit of info-dumping which made the story seem messy. I really want to find something that I really liked about this book but I don't think I can.
October 11, 2021
This was the opportunity of a lifetime! Peyton was plucked from her small-town existence and given the chance to compete for her future. As one of the people battling for the title of Top Teen Chef, Peyton had to show her acumen in the kitchen, but she must also decide how much of herself she was willing to compromise to win the grand prize.
I must preface this review by sharing my love for cooking competition shows. I am NOT a huge reality show fan, but competitions always win my attention and being a foodie myself, food competitions tend to be tops for me. That said, the competitive aspect of this book was probably my favorite part. I loved all the challenges and reading about what they did and what they made. I also had a great time cheering for my favorites and experiencing those highs and lows with them. The addition of the landmark challenges which took us to different famed NYC locations made it even more fun for me as a native New Yorker.
Schmidt also portrayed the uglier side of reality TV. The “packaging� and scripted side of reality shows was quickly acknowledged. It’s always interesting to see that aspect of it. You would like to think it doesn’t exist to that great extent on a competition show which should be based on talent, but we all know the possibility exists. I liked that Peyton wouldn’t allow the producers to exploit her past, even if it could give her an edge. It was easy to see how important and vital this competition was for her. Her father in prison and her mother unable to keep a job, she was living in her aunt’s trailer while waitressing at a local diner. Just scraping by, Peyton didn’t have many opportunities like this, and that made me want to root for her.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was throughly entertaining, and the combination of low-drama, romance, friendship, and cooking was a successful one for me. The feel-good ending was the icing on this light and fluffy cake which left me feeling all the sunshine and rainbow things I adore.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
| | | | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
I must preface this review by sharing my love for cooking competition shows. I am NOT a huge reality show fan, but competitions always win my attention and being a foodie myself, food competitions tend to be tops for me. That said, the competitive aspect of this book was probably my favorite part. I loved all the challenges and reading about what they did and what they made. I also had a great time cheering for my favorites and experiencing those highs and lows with them. The addition of the landmark challenges which took us to different famed NYC locations made it even more fun for me as a native New Yorker.
Schmidt also portrayed the uglier side of reality TV. The “packaging� and scripted side of reality shows was quickly acknowledged. It’s always interesting to see that aspect of it. You would like to think it doesn’t exist to that great extent on a competition show which should be based on talent, but we all know the possibility exists. I liked that Peyton wouldn’t allow the producers to exploit her past, even if it could give her an edge. It was easy to see how important and vital this competition was for her. Her father in prison and her mother unable to keep a job, she was living in her aunt’s trailer while waitressing at a local diner. Just scraping by, Peyton didn’t have many opportunities like this, and that made me want to root for her.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was throughly entertaining, and the combination of low-drama, romance, friendship, and cooking was a successful one for me. The feel-good ending was the icing on this light and fluffy cake which left me feeling all the sunshine and rainbow things I adore.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
| | | | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
September 21, 2021
I thought this book was really cute! We follow our main character Peyton as she takes part in a cooking competition: Top Teen Chef. There are eight contestants to start, four boys and four girls. I will say this part was a little confusing to me, I couldn't quite keep up with who was who with so much information coming at me. Once I was able to keep everyone straight I liked them!
I enjoy watching the British Baking Show, but that is the only food competition I've ever really watched and they are usually so friendly. This book gave me the happy feelings that watching that show does. I didn't feel stressed or tense ever which is all I want from a book these days. I feel like we could have gotten a little more development in Peyton's character, but that's probably my only complaint.
Thank you to Sarah J. Schmitt, Running Press Kids, and NetGalley for the ARC which did not influence my review.
I enjoy watching the British Baking Show, but that is the only food competition I've ever really watched and they are usually so friendly. This book gave me the happy feelings that watching that show does. I didn't feel stressed or tense ever which is all I want from a book these days. I feel like we could have gotten a little more development in Peyton's character, but that's probably my only complaint.
Thank you to Sarah J. Schmitt, Running Press Kids, and NetGalley for the ARC which did not influence my review.
April 27, 2024
I haven't truly gushed about a book yet this year, but you are about to be treated to a true chaotic-praise review.
This book hit me in all the right ways. My husband and I recently sat down to begin watching Masterchef again after a nearly three year hiatus. We binged every available episode during COVID and were really excited for new seasons, but the seasons that immediately followed COVID felt weird and disjointed. I don't blame the studio - I'm sure filming a food show in those conditions was really hard. That said, we haven't watched the show in a long while and I was excited to get back into it.
Keeping with the theme of "Every vibe in my life must match at all times", I decided it was time to finally pick up this little-known book that I grabbed in my local used book store over a year prior. The first night, I read about 50 pages before knocking out with my lights on. The next day, I read the remaining 340. The thing is, I've read whole books in a day before, and it hasn't always been a pleasant experience. At times, pushing through to the end has felt like a chore - "Just let it be over already!" This one, though, was a completely different reading experience. I used this as a reward system for completing chores (Do a task, read a few chapters) and it legitimately felt like I would stand up, do stuff, and then sit down to watch the next "episode" in the series. The book was that immersive.
Drilling down into the technical stuff: I'm going to start with the characters. Something I've been struggling with in my recent reads is flat characterization and very little development. This book blew those two things out of the water. Peyton, our main character, charmed me pretty much right away. She's witty and fun in a way that can sometimes be disingenuous for young characters, but it comes across as effortless and real in Peyton's case. The other characters also have a life of their own, and it genuinely feels like 8 (plus the show crew) unique characters, not 8 characters speaking with one mouth.
The development of the plot, show, and character relationships felt smooth and enjoyable. Honestly, if I had to offer a critique for this book, is that I would have loved even more! That's surprising for me to say about a nearly 400-page book, but honestly, I would have loved for some of the scenes to be more fleshed out. Lots of the competition scenes focus on Peyton's dish and not so much everyone else. I know this was done for the sake of time, but I would have loved to see some of the cooking growth of the other characters, too.
The strongest point for me was the actual show development. The imagination behind the challenges that the contestants participate in was a real stroke of genius. I had so much fun reading chapter after chapter of unique and exciting activities that the contestants got to do. The challenges felt immersive, realistic, and straight off of a show like Masterchef. Each new chapter had me excited to see what the new ask of the kids would be.
Dear author, if you are reading this, please consider continuing this series. I would read many, many "seasons" worth of content.
This book hit me in all the right ways. My husband and I recently sat down to begin watching Masterchef again after a nearly three year hiatus. We binged every available episode during COVID and were really excited for new seasons, but the seasons that immediately followed COVID felt weird and disjointed. I don't blame the studio - I'm sure filming a food show in those conditions was really hard. That said, we haven't watched the show in a long while and I was excited to get back into it.
Keeping with the theme of "Every vibe in my life must match at all times", I decided it was time to finally pick up this little-known book that I grabbed in my local used book store over a year prior. The first night, I read about 50 pages before knocking out with my lights on. The next day, I read the remaining 340. The thing is, I've read whole books in a day before, and it hasn't always been a pleasant experience. At times, pushing through to the end has felt like a chore - "Just let it be over already!" This one, though, was a completely different reading experience. I used this as a reward system for completing chores (Do a task, read a few chapters) and it legitimately felt like I would stand up, do stuff, and then sit down to watch the next "episode" in the series. The book was that immersive.
Drilling down into the technical stuff: I'm going to start with the characters. Something I've been struggling with in my recent reads is flat characterization and very little development. This book blew those two things out of the water. Peyton, our main character, charmed me pretty much right away. She's witty and fun in a way that can sometimes be disingenuous for young characters, but it comes across as effortless and real in Peyton's case. The other characters also have a life of their own, and it genuinely feels like 8 (plus the show crew) unique characters, not 8 characters speaking with one mouth.
The development of the plot, show, and character relationships felt smooth and enjoyable. Honestly, if I had to offer a critique for this book, is that I would have loved even more! That's surprising for me to say about a nearly 400-page book, but honestly, I would have loved for some of the scenes to be more fleshed out. Lots of the competition scenes focus on Peyton's dish and not so much everyone else. I know this was done for the sake of time, but I would have loved to see some of the cooking growth of the other characters, too.
The strongest point for me was the actual show development. The imagination behind the challenges that the contestants participate in was a real stroke of genius. I had so much fun reading chapter after chapter of unique and exciting activities that the contestants got to do. The challenges felt immersive, realistic, and straight off of a show like Masterchef. Each new chapter had me excited to see what the new ask of the kids would be.
Dear author, if you are reading this, please consider continuing this series. I would read many, many "seasons" worth of content.
April 20, 2021
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read an e-ARC of this book in exhange for a review!
This was such a sweet and fun story!
One of my favourite things about it is the way it handled the topic of reality tv. It showed that things aren't always the way they seem, and that there's always things happening behind the scenes as well. We might not think of it when watching reality tv - but how "real" is it really? It's an interesting topic!
It starts off a bit info-dumpy when introducing all of the characters, but I think it works. After the first meeting, everything is more fast-paced. Almost too fast at some points. I wish I could have seen more of some challenges, and I almost missed some of the eliminations because they happened too quickly...
I wasn't a huge fan of the romance to be honest. It just didn't work for me. I didn't dislike it, I just didn't find it interesting. Additionally, I didn't exactly love the characters either. Same here, I had nothing against them - I just didn't fall head over heels for them. They didn't stand out enough for me to do so. I didn't even connect much with the main character... And the insta-friendship felt a bit odd too. I understand that you grow close in a situation like that, but wouldn't you feel a bit more awkward in the beginning?
There were some grammatical issues here and there, but nothing that can't be fixed. It's only an ARC, after all.
Now, there was some cultural representation in this book. I cannot speak about it - about whether it's handled well or not - because I'm neither part of those cultures nor have enough knowledge to do so. Instead, I will leave the reviewing of that to people in (or is it of? My English fails me tonight...) those cultures - they will doubtlessly have more valuable opinions than me.
And finally, the best part of it all - THE COOKING!!! Reading this book made me hungry. Like, really hungry. I had dinner in the middle of reading it, but after finishing it now I'm honestly craving some dessert.
Overall a sweet book, which was just what I needed today. If you like cooking shows, drama, and sweet friendship, you might like this book!
This was such a sweet and fun story!
One of my favourite things about it is the way it handled the topic of reality tv. It showed that things aren't always the way they seem, and that there's always things happening behind the scenes as well. We might not think of it when watching reality tv - but how "real" is it really? It's an interesting topic!
It starts off a bit info-dumpy when introducing all of the characters, but I think it works. After the first meeting, everything is more fast-paced. Almost too fast at some points. I wish I could have seen more of some challenges, and I almost missed some of the eliminations because they happened too quickly...
I wasn't a huge fan of the romance to be honest. It just didn't work for me. I didn't dislike it, I just didn't find it interesting. Additionally, I didn't exactly love the characters either. Same here, I had nothing against them - I just didn't fall head over heels for them. They didn't stand out enough for me to do so. I didn't even connect much with the main character... And the insta-friendship felt a bit odd too. I understand that you grow close in a situation like that, but wouldn't you feel a bit more awkward in the beginning?
There were some grammatical issues here and there, but nothing that can't be fixed. It's only an ARC, after all.
Now, there was some cultural representation in this book. I cannot speak about it - about whether it's handled well or not - because I'm neither part of those cultures nor have enough knowledge to do so. Instead, I will leave the reviewing of that to people in (or is it of? My English fails me tonight...) those cultures - they will doubtlessly have more valuable opinions than me.
And finally, the best part of it all - THE COOKING!!! Reading this book made me hungry. Like, really hungry. I had dinner in the middle of reading it, but after finishing it now I'm honestly craving some dessert.
Overall a sweet book, which was just what I needed today. If you like cooking shows, drama, and sweet friendship, you might like this book!
November 12, 2021
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
Things I was a fan of:
😍Peyton was such a fun and interesting character. Yes, she was very insecure, but I love that she slowly got stronger and more confident. That she stepped up. That she never gave up no matter what was thrown at her. I loved that she spoke up in later parts. I loved seeing her explore New York and discover that there is a better future for her in store. That she is getting chances and that she has to take them. That she can be more then what people assume about her, that she is trailer trash.
😍All contestants except for Dani (duh) and I am still unsure about Adam. But I did like the rest of the crew and see what they made and what made them tick. They are a fun cast and I found myself rooting for them~
😍The food/the cooking. The food made sounded just so good that I wanted to step in. OK, it would mean asking very specific questions on what is in the food (allergies yay�), but I would love to dig into several of the things that were made or that the teens tried while in New York. I loved that these kids knew so many things just out of memory. I mean, I know quite a few recipes, but I just wouldn’t be able to make things like they did. I would definitely need cook books or notes or other things to help me.
😍The reality show. While I also have some negative points for that, I did enjoy quite a lot of elements. The challenges, the Landmark challenges, some of the extra stuff that made things a tad more difficult (had such a big laugh at the tiny kitchen).
😍New York! A city I would so love to visit one day� but probably never will given how the world is burning. But I had fun wandering the city with the teens, see them do all sorts of fun things and visit all sorts of landmarks and events. Definitely loved the zoo and the cute lemur!
😍Romance. Yes, I am not a fan of the love triangle. But there were elements there that I liked, especially those developments much later in the book. I won’t tell much more than that, but yes, I was squeeing in delight at the things that happened. FINALLY!
😍Loved getting background information on various characters. Always love it when characters get developed more and not just the MC.
😍The ending was just so sweet and fun!
😍The tradition the group started after the first elimination!
😍The rooftop moments.
Things I wasn’t such a fan of:
😑Angelica. This judge was just horrendous and I really wonder why she hated Peyton so much, I mean she reacted fine to most of the other contestants it seems, but she was constantly bitching about Peyton. And she didn’t even try the food, or only mouse bites which is just not enough if you are doing a good honest judging.
😑Love Triangle. Yes, I would call it that. People who have read my reviews and know me for a bit longer know I am never a fan of those things.
😑Dani. OK, that changed a bit at the end, but for most I just wanted to throw a few pies at her face for each comment she made. Little prissy princess. Bah.
😑I wasn’t a fan of how manipulative things were in the competition. I get that this is a reality show and we all know how messed up those can be, but I had hoped that with a teen reality cooking show things would be a bit kinder and friendlier, but this was just horrendous at times. They went very far at times and I just found a lot of things unfair.
Also, while I did love seeing Peyton lose at times, get close to elimination, because it just made it a bit more real, it never felt like a threat. I mean, she is the MC. I mean, I knew from the start that they wouldn’t eliminate her from the show, not until the finals at least. So yeah, I like that the author tried adding some tension, it just never felt like tension. Hope that makes sense.
Despite those points, as you can see I did have plenty to love and I am really happy I requested this book. It took me a bit long to start reading it, but I am happy I finally took that leap and started reading it. It was fun. There is romance. Food. I just cannot resist a book about reality shows. I would recommend it.
Review first posted at
Things I was a fan of:
😍Peyton was such a fun and interesting character. Yes, she was very insecure, but I love that she slowly got stronger and more confident. That she stepped up. That she never gave up no matter what was thrown at her. I loved that she spoke up in later parts. I loved seeing her explore New York and discover that there is a better future for her in store. That she is getting chances and that she has to take them. That she can be more then what people assume about her, that she is trailer trash.
😍All contestants except for Dani (duh) and I am still unsure about Adam. But I did like the rest of the crew and see what they made and what made them tick. They are a fun cast and I found myself rooting for them~
😍The food/the cooking. The food made sounded just so good that I wanted to step in. OK, it would mean asking very specific questions on what is in the food (allergies yay�), but I would love to dig into several of the things that were made or that the teens tried while in New York. I loved that these kids knew so many things just out of memory. I mean, I know quite a few recipes, but I just wouldn’t be able to make things like they did. I would definitely need cook books or notes or other things to help me.
😍The reality show. While I also have some negative points for that, I did enjoy quite a lot of elements. The challenges, the Landmark challenges, some of the extra stuff that made things a tad more difficult (had such a big laugh at the tiny kitchen).
😍New York! A city I would so love to visit one day� but probably never will given how the world is burning. But I had fun wandering the city with the teens, see them do all sorts of fun things and visit all sorts of landmarks and events. Definitely loved the zoo and the cute lemur!
😍Romance. Yes, I am not a fan of the love triangle. But there were elements there that I liked, especially those developments much later in the book. I won’t tell much more than that, but yes, I was squeeing in delight at the things that happened. FINALLY!
😍Loved getting background information on various characters. Always love it when characters get developed more and not just the MC.
😍The ending was just so sweet and fun!
😍The tradition the group started after the first elimination!
😍The rooftop moments.
Things I wasn’t such a fan of:
😑Angelica. This judge was just horrendous and I really wonder why she hated Peyton so much, I mean she reacted fine to most of the other contestants it seems, but she was constantly bitching about Peyton. And she didn’t even try the food, or only mouse bites which is just not enough if you are doing a good honest judging.
😑Love Triangle. Yes, I would call it that. People who have read my reviews and know me for a bit longer know I am never a fan of those things.
😑Dani. OK, that changed a bit at the end, but for most I just wanted to throw a few pies at her face for each comment she made. Little prissy princess. Bah.
😑I wasn’t a fan of how manipulative things were in the competition. I get that this is a reality show and we all know how messed up those can be, but I had hoped that with a teen reality cooking show things would be a bit kinder and friendlier, but this was just horrendous at times. They went very far at times and I just found a lot of things unfair.
Also, while I did love seeing Peyton lose at times, get close to elimination, because it just made it a bit more real, it never felt like a threat. I mean, she is the MC. I mean, I knew from the start that they wouldn’t eliminate her from the show, not until the finals at least. So yeah, I like that the author tried adding some tension, it just never felt like tension. Hope that makes sense.
Despite those points, as you can see I did have plenty to love and I am really happy I requested this book. It took me a bit long to start reading it, but I am happy I finally took that leap and started reading it. It was fun. There is romance. Food. I just cannot resist a book about reality shows. I would recommend it.
Review first posted at
April 23, 2021
Find a place where your passion is valued.It will be worth it
The first part of the book was a solid 4 stars,it was cute and it flowed well but at the end I decided to lower the rating at 3.
I liked that it shed light to reality shows.We all know of course that they're fake and that the contestants are playing a role but I hadn't really considered it that much before reading the book.
Probably my main problem was the pacing.I thought it was too fast.Obviously it wouldn't be practical for it to have a slower pace as the book would be 700+ pages since we're talking about a Master Chef Teen edition but maybe the eliminations could have lasted longer instead of being mentioned in a single line followed by "We hugged them and they left".
I also would prefer that we could get to see more of Peyton and Malik's friendship,maybe Peyton and Dani growing a bond together,heck even she and Hakulani could remain friends after the end of the show.Didn't care about the love story.
Going back to my first point,I found the ending moving fast.
Overall,it was okay.
The first part of the book was a solid 4 stars,it was cute and it flowed well but at the end I decided to lower the rating at 3.
I liked that it shed light to reality shows.We all know of course that they're fake and that the contestants are playing a role but I hadn't really considered it that much before reading the book.
Probably my main problem was the pacing.I thought it was too fast.Obviously it wouldn't be practical for it to have a slower pace as the book would be 700+ pages since we're talking about a Master Chef Teen edition but maybe the eliminations could have lasted longer instead of being mentioned in a single line followed by "We hugged them and they left".
I also would prefer that we could get to see more of Peyton and Malik's friendship,maybe Peyton and Dani growing a bond together,heck even she and Hakulani could remain friends after the end of the show.Didn't care about the love story.
Going back to my first point,I found the ending moving fast.
Overall,it was okay.
September 2, 2021
I was so excited when I read the synopsis of this one! I love reality TV, especially cooking and baking competitions. They’re such comfort shows for me. When I saw that this was about a televised teen cooking contest, I knew I had to read it.
Unfortunately, Where There’s a Whisk didn’t live up to the excitement I had for it. I think the whole story just felt a little surface level to me. This mostly stemmed from it coming off younger than what the target audience seemed to be. This story follows high school seniors competing for a scholarship to a culinary institute but it read more like they were middle schoolers.
I enjoyed the large cast of characters, but that being said, I didn’t really feel connected to any of them. They each had interesting backstories but none of them were really fleshed out. There was a lot of telling rather than showing and this made the characters come off as pretty one-dimensional.
I wasn’t pulled in by the drama or romance either which was unfortunate. The romantic plot line felt like it came out of nowhere and I honestly would have been happier if it were left out so there could be a greater focus on the competition and the friendships.
I did really enjoy the parts where the group was able to explore New York City. I grew up near the city and it definitely captured the essence and liveliness of New York really well.
This had its fun and cute parts but I really think the lack of depth hurt the book overall.
Unfortunately, Where There’s a Whisk didn’t live up to the excitement I had for it. I think the whole story just felt a little surface level to me. This mostly stemmed from it coming off younger than what the target audience seemed to be. This story follows high school seniors competing for a scholarship to a culinary institute but it read more like they were middle schoolers.
I enjoyed the large cast of characters, but that being said, I didn’t really feel connected to any of them. They each had interesting backstories but none of them were really fleshed out. There was a lot of telling rather than showing and this made the characters come off as pretty one-dimensional.
I wasn’t pulled in by the drama or romance either which was unfortunate. The romantic plot line felt like it came out of nowhere and I honestly would have been happier if it were left out so there could be a greater focus on the competition and the friendships.
I did really enjoy the parts where the group was able to explore New York City. I grew up near the city and it definitely captured the essence and liveliness of New York really well.
This had its fun and cute parts but I really think the lack of depth hurt the book overall.
April 5, 2022
2.5 stars
Picked up on a whim from the local library as a quick palette cleanser.
Where this book shines is does a good job of getting the atmosphere of a cooking competition across (at least, as one watches it on TV, I wouldn't know about being part of one) and it was easy for me to play the whole book out like a movie/tv show in my head. Towards the end of the book, once we hit the semi-finals, it kinda dropped the ball on descriptions of the food and the cooking. The whole hours long competition for the day took like one or two pages max. On the one hand, it was nice to speed things up. On the other, the cooking is the main appeal to the book.
The characters are so-so, with the majority of them getting hardly any development before being eliminated. Our MC herself, Peyton, is a little bland for my taste, but I didn't strongly dislike any of them so that was a win.
The forced TV drama got pretty old, but I guess they needed something else in the book besides JUST cooking. I would have preferred a different sort of avenue to satisfy that requirement, but oh well.
Recommended for the cooking show enthusiast in us all - 2 stars because I don't ever see myself coming back to it.
Picked up on a whim from the local library as a quick palette cleanser.
Where this book shines is does a good job of getting the atmosphere of a cooking competition across (at least, as one watches it on TV, I wouldn't know about being part of one) and it was easy for me to play the whole book out like a movie/tv show in my head. Towards the end of the book, once we hit the semi-finals, it kinda dropped the ball on descriptions of the food and the cooking. The whole hours long competition for the day took like one or two pages max. On the one hand, it was nice to speed things up. On the other, the cooking is the main appeal to the book.
The characters are so-so, with the majority of them getting hardly any development before being eliminated. Our MC herself, Peyton, is a little bland for my taste, but I didn't strongly dislike any of them so that was a win.
The forced TV drama got pretty old, but I guess they needed something else in the book besides JUST cooking. I would have preferred a different sort of avenue to satisfy that requirement, but oh well.
Recommended for the cooking show enthusiast in us all - 2 stars because I don't ever see myself coming back to it.
May 13, 2024
5/13/24
This book was so much fun! After finishing one reality TV book (Attached at the Hip), I knew I needed another. And I was correct!
I somehow finished this book in 2 days, which is unheard of for me. And it’s 400 pages! Who am I!
As a person who loves competition food shows, this book was everythinggg. I was watching 24 in 24 last night and it just made me want to keep reading.
However, this book will also make you hungry.
This book has a relatively large main cast: 8 contestants, 3 judges, 1 host, 1 producer, and more. Yet I never got any of them mixed up (except the two food truck guys, but they barely count haha). All of the contestants have such memorable attributes and personalities (partially due to their “role� in the show, but I digress). And they all have such diverse backgrounds!
This book also mentions Hamilton/Waitress/Broadway multiple times. It’s great.
Anyway, all this to say, Paulie is an icon. We have to stan.
Huge thank you to Netgalley and Running Press Kids for an ARC of this!
This book was so much fun! After finishing one reality TV book (Attached at the Hip), I knew I needed another. And I was correct!
I somehow finished this book in 2 days, which is unheard of for me. And it’s 400 pages! Who am I!
As a person who loves competition food shows, this book was everythinggg. I was watching 24 in 24 last night and it just made me want to keep reading.
However, this book will also make you hungry.
This book has a relatively large main cast: 8 contestants, 3 judges, 1 host, 1 producer, and more. Yet I never got any of them mixed up (except the two food truck guys, but they barely count haha). All of the contestants have such memorable attributes and personalities (partially due to their “role� in the show, but I digress). And they all have such diverse backgrounds!
This book also mentions Hamilton/Waitress/Broadway multiple times. It’s great.
Anyway, all this to say, Paulie is an icon. We have to stan.
Huge thank you to Netgalley and Running Press Kids for an ARC of this!
April 25, 2021
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review
This was fun! There were a lot of things I had issues with. For the most part, I found this to be super unrealistic. I watch a lot of reality tv. Specifically competition like reality tv. That includes shows like Hell's Kitchen, Masterchef, and you guessed it, Masterchef Junior.
The tasks and the disadvantages were way too hard for this to come off as accurate. Not even adults have had to deal with things as difficult as all the teens here did. Not even that, but Peyton was kind of picked on from the very beginning, both by cast and crew. I know there's a lot of scripting that goes into shows like these, but now way would one single person be singled out and given disadvantage over disadvantage the way Peyton was.
Despite my many complaints, and trust me I had many, I actually really enjoyed this? I don't know, it was fun and silly and cute, and I never once wanted to stop reading it, so at least there's that lol. I really liked how the last chapter wrapped things up, and I'm glad Peyton got the ending she deserved with the people she grew to really care for
This was fun! There were a lot of things I had issues with. For the most part, I found this to be super unrealistic. I watch a lot of reality tv. Specifically competition like reality tv. That includes shows like Hell's Kitchen, Masterchef, and you guessed it, Masterchef Junior.
The tasks and the disadvantages were way too hard for this to come off as accurate. Not even adults have had to deal with things as difficult as all the teens here did. Not even that, but Peyton was kind of picked on from the very beginning, both by cast and crew. I know there's a lot of scripting that goes into shows like these, but now way would one single person be singled out and given disadvantage over disadvantage the way Peyton was.
Despite my many complaints, and trust me I had many, I actually really enjoyed this? I don't know, it was fun and silly and cute, and I never once wanted to stop reading it, so at least there's that lol. I really liked how the last chapter wrapped things up, and I'm glad Peyton got the ending she deserved with the people she grew to really care for
June 8, 2021
Hello there, and welcome back to That Introvert Reader! Today, I have a spoiler free review of Where There's a Whisk by Sarah J. Schmitt, which was really good, better than I thought. (is that mean?? i'm sorry??!?!!!!) (lilah and elissar are sitting here face-palming at me, i know)
November 15, 2021
DNF @50% The writing style is is just not working out for me and it’s miserable to read. The interactions between the contestants and Peyton’s thought was very awkward to read. There’s also a developing love triangle that felt very strange to me?
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the earc in exchange for honest opinions.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the earc in exchange for honest opinions.
April 18, 2021
I wasn’t expecting to love this book as much as I did. It was SO cute & I couldn’t put it down. I found myself rooting for all of the characters and loving the dynamics between them all, trying to figure out what was real and what was reality television acting, right along with our main character. I absolutely loved the ending and the way New York staples were woven in. I definitely recommend if you’re looking for a cute YA, that will keep your attention and get you invested in the story and the characters right from the start.
May 14, 2021
my thoughts right after finishing were that i loved this, it was cute, light and i enjoyed every second of reading
RTC
RTC
December 14, 2021
This is such a wholesome YA book! I really enjoyed it, except that it made Peyton look like a huge loser during the whole thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2021
I would like to thank Netgalley for the ARC.
The beginning was a bit meh for me and I was confused because of the number of characters introduced, but in the end, it's not that catastrophic as I thought it would be.
Yes, there are many cliché scenes that make you roll your eyes, but it's a cute read and it's YA, so it's not that sophisticated and so I'm trying not to be too hard on this book.
The writing is not that special, but it's very easy to read and you can definitely fly through the book in a day or two without a problem.
The theme of the cooking show was really fun and I think the author did a great job of portraying the atmosphere during these competitions, but sadly, I have read a book with a similar theme recently, and the book was amazing, so it's really hard not to compare the two.
Overall, I liked this book and I would recommend it to someone who just wants a quick sweet contemporary read.
The beginning was a bit meh for me and I was confused because of the number of characters introduced, but in the end, it's not that catastrophic as I thought it would be.
Yes, there are many cliché scenes that make you roll your eyes, but it's a cute read and it's YA, so it's not that sophisticated and so I'm trying not to be too hard on this book.
The writing is not that special, but it's very easy to read and you can definitely fly through the book in a day or two without a problem.
The theme of the cooking show was really fun and I think the author did a great job of portraying the atmosphere during these competitions, but sadly, I have read a book with a similar theme recently, and the book was amazing, so it's really hard not to compare the two.
Overall, I liked this book and I would recommend it to someone who just wants a quick sweet contemporary read.
August 27, 2021
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Teen baker, Peyton Sinclaire, wants out from her run down life in Florida. Her father arrest for fraud, her mother unable to work, she's living with her aunt on a trailer park, pulling double shifts at the local diner while also going to school. When the opportunity to take part in a new TV show, Top Teen Chef, comes around, she jumps at the chance, and luckily, is picked to be one of the eight competitors. But when she arrives in New York, it's clear that the producer wants to use her past for ratings, and want her to start a romance with a fellow competitor too - if she doesn't, she's off the show. As it seems that one of the judges, and another competitor, is out to get her, Peyton must do whatever it takes, even colluding with a rival, to stay in the show, and hopefully win the scholarship she so desperately needs.
This was a book I wasn't too sure what to expect, but I couldn't put it down once I'd started it. I'll admit, I love watching shows like The Great British Bake Off, and reading books that follow that kinds of plot line has always been one I've enjoyed. I really liked Peyton, and her goals. Life had dealt her a bad hand, and she was doing just about everything to change her future, and being on this show - and potentially winning - would be the making of her. She really didn't like the idea of pretending to be something different for the ratings, but when it was clear she had to, and so did the person she joined forces with, she went along with it, while also picking up hints and tips that made her a better cook. Some of the recipes that people were making I would hate, but some sounded lush, and I was dead hungry at some parts of the book. There was a bit of a love triangle, which I wasn't overly keen on, but I liked the camaraderie between the contestants, and the ending of the book, plus epilogue, was perfect for Peyton's story.
Teen baker, Peyton Sinclaire, wants out from her run down life in Florida. Her father arrest for fraud, her mother unable to work, she's living with her aunt on a trailer park, pulling double shifts at the local diner while also going to school. When the opportunity to take part in a new TV show, Top Teen Chef, comes around, she jumps at the chance, and luckily, is picked to be one of the eight competitors. But when she arrives in New York, it's clear that the producer wants to use her past for ratings, and want her to start a romance with a fellow competitor too - if she doesn't, she's off the show. As it seems that one of the judges, and another competitor, is out to get her, Peyton must do whatever it takes, even colluding with a rival, to stay in the show, and hopefully win the scholarship she so desperately needs.
This was a book I wasn't too sure what to expect, but I couldn't put it down once I'd started it. I'll admit, I love watching shows like The Great British Bake Off, and reading books that follow that kinds of plot line has always been one I've enjoyed. I really liked Peyton, and her goals. Life had dealt her a bad hand, and she was doing just about everything to change her future, and being on this show - and potentially winning - would be the making of her. She really didn't like the idea of pretending to be something different for the ratings, but when it was clear she had to, and so did the person she joined forces with, she went along with it, while also picking up hints and tips that made her a better cook. Some of the recipes that people were making I would hate, but some sounded lush, and I was dead hungry at some parts of the book. There was a bit of a love triangle, which I wasn't overly keen on, but I liked the camaraderie between the contestants, and the ending of the book, plus epilogue, was perfect for Peyton's story.
August 12, 2021
3.5*
RTC
RTC
May 18, 2022
Really good, but the ending was a little rushed
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