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Monsters need to eat, too

Cover of Brave Chef Brianna
A review of Brave Chef Brianna by Jillian Crab

A famous chef and restaurateur in failing health decides to pit his children against one another in order for one of them to achieve the rights to his successful empire.  All of the children (12 boys!) and one daughter, Brianna Jakobsson, must start a new restaurant.  The child with the most successful restaurant wins the inheritance.  Each restaurant must be in a different town and all of the children must open their restaurant without any assistance from their father.  Brianna is at a major disadvantage because she is the youngest in the family and has only recently graduated from culinary school.  She's never managed a restaurant before, let alone opened a brand-new restaurant in a new city.  She's only left home once other than to attend culinary school.  This is going to be tough!

The restaurant and inheritance competition takes a turn when Brianna opens her new restaurant in Monster Town.  Monsters and humans do not eat the same foods.  There are city codes and ordinances prohibiting monsters from eating flour, sugar and cooked meat, so Brianna has to relearn how to make favorite dishes the monster way.  There's also a history of poor monster-human relations that makes a restaurant run by a human problematic. 

The good news is that Brianna's food is so delicious that diners see visions of white doves fluttering toward the heavens with each bite.  Brianna's heart is pure and her cooking genuine, but her confidence is low and easily shaken.  You can't help but root for the plucky Brianna and wish her the best getting her restaurant up and running.  I loved watching her develop monster friendships and alliances while fighting for her family legacy.  Brave Chef Brianna, indeed!  

Jan 12, 2018