I was so looking forward to a brand new series set in one of my favorite London spots, Kensington Palace. However, from the very first page, I knew I was going to be extremely let down. This author's father might "love all things British", but she definitely needs to spend some time there---or hire a British editor---or both.

The many, many inaccurate English stereotypes were painful. "Cream tea" is not cream in the tea---they take milk. They wear "jeans and athletic shoes" just like we do---that's not a dead giveaway to being American. Everyone I've ever met from way up north to way down south dresses just like we Americans do. In fact, the complete idiocy of the main character is painful. ("How could you tell I was American---are my clothes that odd?" "No, it's your accent...") Um, duh? I've never had anyone in England ask me if I was American---they're smart enough to figure that out when I speak---but especially not in London. Does the author realize how many foreign-born people work and reside in London?

She would not have shown up to the palace completely clueless on royal protocol. There are lots of chefs in England that could have filled in at the last minute---she would have been briefed and given the "proper badge" before ever being ushered into the private apartments. Who doesn't know the toddler prince is older than his sister? The frustrating and unnecessary blithering goes on ad nauseam, to the expense of what could be a good story. A few minor missteps here and there would have given her some character---ignorances of basic terms and phrases seem overly contrived and completely unbelievable.

The writing is very, very juvenile. The constant descriptions of clothing is irritating and the repetitious writing style makes me feel like I'm reading my nine year old self's attempts at fiction. Way too much unnecessary back and forth dialogue.

In my opinion, the problems with this book are not necessarily the fault of the author. They're the fault of the editor who didn't push her to do her research and make the experiences as authentic as possible. I think this is especially important when one is writing about something she's not familiar with.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. ( )

This was extremely light reading, and I couldn't quite enter into the spirit of it...I found myself rolling my eyes a few times over the unlikeliness of some things, and I found the dialogue often uninspired. However, in the end, I decided it would do, as entertainment...after all, what else was I expecting when I checked out a book called "Kale to the Queen"?! ( )

This was a cute cozy with a very interesting setting. I did figure out who the murderer was halfway through the book, and I didn't feel like I got to know the characters well, but maybe in the next book they develop more.
Carrie Ann, a chef in Chicago, gets the chance of a lifetime to become personal chef to the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge (who are never identified by name.) First day on the job, one of her assistants is found dead in the greenhouse. Not a good start. ( )

3.5 stars. I like this series. It's fun and light with our gal Chef Carrie Ann Cole from Chicago getting a new gig at Kensington Palace. Of course she found a body and went to solve the mystery. ( )

This is the first book in a new series and I enjoyed it. Carrie Ann Cole is the new personal chef for the Duke and Duchess of Kensington and their two children. She leaves her boyfriend of six years back in Chicago for her dream job. He determines that they should use this time for a break from their relationship. The second there, she finds one of her assistants dead in the greenhouse and her other assistant is quickly arrested for the murder. Chef Cole doesn't really know her assistants that well, but she has a feeling that someone else is responsible. She begins to ask questions and develop a theory about the crime.

There were several things I really liked about this book. Most of the cozies I have read that are set in Britian are historical, so it was nice to have this one in present day. I also liked that the main character is not just an amateur sleuth, but has a job, a job that keeps her very busy. It was interesting to see how strict the household was run and all the security measures. It felt a bit Downton Abbeyish with the head of the staff being rather staid, but she did soften as the story went on. Carrie Ann is a very likeable character who makes friends easily. She is generous and others seem attracted to her. Even the crotchety Chef Butterbottom softens to her a bit. I like that there are a couple of male characters who could possibly be romantic interests in the future. The mystery was well paced with Carrie Ann getting into a couple of dicey situations. There were a couple of minor issues such as, some of the dialogue was a bit stilted at the beginning of the book, but it seemed to be fine as the story went on and I didn't need to know every single thing the family and children ate, although it would be nice to see some of the menus. Overall this was a well paced story with a mystery that was interesting. The culprit was not on my radar, but it certainly fit when the reasoning was given for his murder. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via netgalley. ( )