What if “The Bear” was a Rom-Com? | Yes, Chef Review

Funny, spicy, and emotional, Grace Reilly cooks up a delicious Rom-Com with Yes, Chef.

Read this if: 

- You watched Food Network growing up

-You find Carmy in The Bear attractive

- You love banter where barbs get thrown between the FMC and MMC

- You don't mind a MMC with a slightly rough exterior (honestly if you've worked in kitchens or food service before Jack's personality is very on-brand)

If you can’t take the heat…get out of the kitchen. After a public meltdown in one of Manhattan’s most elite restaurants, Chef Jack Hartman must return to his small Florida hometown. The only upside? He’ll be far away from Poppy Winfield – his former boss’s blonde, beautiful, utterly infuriating daughter – and the shrimp she threw at his head.

Poppy is also desperate for an escape – from her disapproving family and from her infamy as an influencer without a serious bone in her body. With their reputations in ruins, Jack’s only ticket back to New York is turning the unloved restaurant of his childhood into the newest dining hotspot on the East Coast. And unfortunately for him, Poppy’s is using her well-honed social media skills to sell out his grand opening.

As sparks fly and tensions reach boiling point, will Poppy and Jack be a recipe for disaster? Or could they be a perfect pairing …?

What happens when one character is in The Bear while another is living out her rom-com storyline? You get Yes, Chef by Grace Reilly. 

Yes, Chef is absolutely one of my favorite romance releases of 2026. Grace Reilly created a dynamic between the characters of Poppy and Jack that was relatably humorous to follow along with. I love when a romance book has a dual pov and TRUST Jack’s POV delivers. At some point I was like please let this man catch a break!! Poppy never felt one-dimensional. Everyone around her wants to see her as this ditzy influencer heiress, but she's determined to prove them wrong. She's trying so hard to be taken seriously, and that really made me root for her.

Honestly, that part of her story hit close to home for me. I work in marketing, and I've definitely had people brush it off because they don't think it's a "real" job or they don't understand how important marketing is to helping a business succeed. Like Poppy, I've had those awkward conversations where I try to explain what I do, only for someone to reduce it to "just social media." It was nice seeing a character deal with those same frustrations, and it was a good reminder that having people in your corner who believe in you makes all the difference. However no positive propaganda about Florida would ever make me want to move there. 

We see both Jack and Poppy go on this self re-discovery journey at the same time. He may have thought his walls were up when it came to Poppy, but let's be real, they were made from wet cardboard as soon as that shrimp hit him in the face. I love that we got to see their relationship bloom over cooking lessons and food. Food is romantic. Cooking for someone is romantic. Cooking with someone can be romantic too...as long as you actually have enough kitchen space. Otherwise, please stay out of my way.

Fair warning: there is a third-act “breakup”. But honestly? It's wrapped up in about a chapter and a half, and I actually think the story needed it. It wasn't there just for drama, it helped both of them grow, and it felt earned.

I had such a good time with this book. It's funny, sweet, and full of great banter, but it also has a lot to say about grief, how our childhoods stick with us whether we want them to or not, and how important it is to find your people. Found family, good food, great chemistry, and two characters you can't help but root for. I couldn't have asked for much more.