Torn between two worlds, can their love survive the season? Chef’s Kiss at the Chalet is a deliciously cosy, festive, small-town romance, for fans of Chalet Girl, Laurie Gilmore and Hannah Grace.
Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Chef’s Kiss at the Chalet, which releases on January 13th 2026.
When Eleanor Evans lands a spot at London’s most prestigious culinary school, her dreams finally feel within reach. Desperate to scrape together the cash for her tuition, she accepts a last-minute agency position as a chalet girl, which whisks her away to Maplewood Creek, a quaint, snow-kissed town nestled in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Hired by the affluent Hawthorne family, Elle finds herself in a world of wealth, luxury and big egos, far removed from her humdrum everyday life. As she navigates the challenges of her new job, mastering gourmet dishes and catering to the whims of her discerning employers, she realizes there’s something she hadn’t accounted for: Charles Hawthorne, the family’s charming and undeniably sexy eldest son.
Charles soon becomes an unexpected distraction for Elle – she can’t deny the sizzling chemistry between them. But, with Elle’s career aspirations hanging in the balance and Charles’s carefree lifestyle and family expectations putting a strain on their blossoming relationship, can this unlikely duo survive the season?
EXCERPT
Back at the chalet, I stocked the kitchen with the new provisions, then spent a few minutes planning my dinner menu. Though I had been able to score some veal shanks from the local butcher, I thought twice about serving my osso buco after mentioning it to Charles last night. It felt somehow like a confession. As if putting that meal out would alert the whole family to my sordid little secret. A completely irrational thought, I knew. Still, it gave me the ick.
Instead, I’d do a different version of it, with braised short ribs over polenta and an olive and herb gremolata. I’d pair that with a simple warm salad of local winter vegetables to start, then finish off the meal with my Earl Grey tiramisu. Which meant I had to get my short ribs braising now.
I set to work, giving the short ribs a quick, hard sear, then adding them to a Dutch oven with a dry red wine and vegetables, while I ducked back out to my cottage to take a shower and change for dinner service. It was the first chance I’d had to investigate my new digs for the next three months. Assuming Charles didn’t have me dismissed by his mother before then. Imagine his mortification at his blizzard bar-hookup sticking around like a bad rash for the whole ski season. How uncouth of me.
I might’ve saved him the trouble, only I needed this job more than I valued my pride. So, I decided the plan was to lay low. Make myself invisible, as he’d once said. Blend into the background and let him forget we’d ever met.
A wreath of holly with a red bow adorned the front door as I let myself inside the cottage and pushed my bags clear of the front door. I was impressed with the attention to detail for something that wasn’t part of the main house. It was a one-story, ranch-style building, with a small front porch that was artfully decorated. The entryway held a small half-moon table, with a tiny bowl on top for keys or change. A free-standing coat tree was just beside the door. Tossing my coat on it, I stepped out of my boots and wandered farther inside.
It was an open-concept space with every modern amenity I could have possibly needed. A pine garland decorated the mantel over the fireplace, where a stack of firewood was provided. There were cozy knit blankets artfully draped over the sofa and fuzzy pillows I couldn’t wait to fall into. The kitchen was stark white and not too big. It was the perfect size for this space, and just for me. Custom windows framed the view of the snowcapped Rockies on one side and the main house on the other. The colors in the bedroom were a cozy and inviting shade of blue, and I felt instantly at peace in the space, despite the pressure and tension waiting for me in pretty much every other area of The Viceroy.
After I was cleaned up and dressed, I took a minute to call Megan.
“You made it!” she exclaimed when she answered. “I was worried the fire department would be digging you out of the snow on the side of the highway.”
“For a minute there, I was too.”
“So, how is it? Gorgeous, I bet. I suppose you’ve met the family by now. How are they?”
Oh, yeah. We’d met.
“So far, so good,” I told her brightly.
Because Megan had done me a huge favor getting this job. I wasn’t about to complain and throw it back in her face. It was my own dumb fault for not getting the full picture, or even a surname, before I spent the night with the handsome stranger from the bar. I wouldn’t be making that mistake again.
“Oh, I’m so glad. I know I warned you that Mrs. Hawthorne can be a little intimidating, but you’re more than up to the task.”
“No sweat,” I said. “Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you again. I’ll make you and Hannah proud.”
“You always do, Elle.”
That little reassurance from home put an immediate smile on my face. It was the extra boost I needed to remember that this wasn’t the end of the world. Most of the time there would be no need for me to interact heavily with the family. I could stick to the kitchen and let the waitstaff run the plates. And when I did need something, there was Ali and Mrs. Hawthorne. A whole hierarchy before I’d have any good reason to run into Charles again.
Excerpted from CHEF’S KISS AT THE CHALET by Sookie Snow, published by Pan Books, an imprint of Pan Macmillan. Copyright © 2025 by Sookie Snow.
