Little culinary triumphs

The Montmartre neighborhood of Paris defies easy explanation. Its physical layout replete with steep hills, twisty alleys, hidden corners is as complicated as its inhabitants: a multicultural melting pot of artists and bohemians, worker bees and restaurateurs, young professionals and set-in-their-ways retirees. Sandrine is a young government employee who dreams of opening her own restaurant. When her plan to open Le Comptoir Bio begins to take shape, she realizes how much of her dream relies on the hilarious and sometimes disastrous input of her friends, colleagues, and neighbors. Pujol's debut novel focuses on the ensemble orbiting around Sandrine, who both help and hinder her plans to open the restaurant. A whip-smart preteen, a bribery-minded waiter, and a quietly confident chef ultimately ensure that Sandrine's enduring dream becomes a reality. This farcical novel envelops readers in the sights, sounds, and smells of Montmartre and is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Mary Simses, Laura Madeleine, and Nina George. With lively characters and a dreamy setting, Little Culinary Triumphs will awaken the Francophile in all.--Stephanie Turza Copyright 2019 Booklist

Pujol's pleasant and fun debut features well-rounded characters and a delicious, Parisian appreciation of food. Sandrine Cordier has always loved to cook, and she possesses talent, but she felt obligated to follow her family's wishes to study law, marry, and have children. The law degree was left unfinished, and now she works at a government employment agency in Paris's Montmartre neighborhood and cooks for her husband, her two teenage children, friends, and neighbors. When the overeducated, highly opinionated, unemployed Antoine Lacuenta shows up to apply for benefits, Sandrine cooks up a plan to send him to a culinary school via a government program, and then employ him in the restaurant she has fantasized about owning since childhood. Antoine can assist with managing the new restaurant, and he also has helpful friends, including the dapper Toussaint N'Diaye, who joins the team as maitre d' when the business opens, and the gifted chef Vairam Navaratnarajah, who has always believed that "cooking was not simply a matter of human survival, but belonged to a truly spiritual realm." Sexy encounters, irreverent humor, and subtle twists keep up the pace of this quirky tale about a variety of French appetites. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.