An Indie Next Pick and a Most Anticipated Book from: People Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Southern Living, UK Vogue, and Chicago Review of Books.

"If you love The Bear but find it too stressful . . . It is so funny, you'll love it!" —Emma Straub, The Today Show

"Yes, it’s a mash-up of locked-room mystery and The Bear, but it’s also a beautifully crafted novel in stories that reveals characters’ essential loneliness right beside their cravings for true connection." —Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times

"Slyly humorous . . . Kauffman’s work [is] visionary and gently comedic, a peering into a rising world whose life force seems both utterly manifested and coyly shrouded." —Ron Slate, On the Seawall

"Rebecca Kauffman does an incredible job in bringing this restaurant and all its employees to life on the page, and the result is a madcap mystery that makes The Bear seem calm and collected. This utterly delightful novel is a full feast for readers. " —Michael Welch, Chicago Review of Books

"Entertaining . . . [T]he story develops into a profound meditation on what it means to be connected, which Kauffman elucidates with a light touch when a bar guest reflects on the nature of storytelling . . . It’s a pitch-perfect mash-up of Clue and The Bear." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Readers who enjoy character-driven stories and TV's The Bear will find much to appreciate." —Booklist

"Rebecca Kauffman cooks up both a delicious mystery and a quietly perceptive ensemble character study . . . Throughout, Kauffman illustrates the ways in which the restaurant's workers make vast assumptions about one another—notions that almost always wind up being misguided, narrow-minded, or just plain false. In this way, Kauffman also implicitly encourages readers to examine any preconceptions they might have about people who work in service industries, reminding us with care and compassion that no one's backstory is as simple as it seems . . . The Reservation creates what's effectively an ensemble character study, of all the lives and stories that converge at Aunt Orsa's on potentially the biggest night ever." —Norah Piehl, BookBrowse

"The characters are engaging, sympathetic, and portrayed without judgment. The staff members are so much more than the work they do, and the care and curiosity that Kauffman brings to all of them is effective and purposeful. The gustatory details, too, are rich and delightful as the story unfolds. Observant, wry and witty, The Reservation is a joy—just don’t read it while you’re hungry." —Freya Sachs, BookPage

"The Bear fans will say, 'Yes Chef!'" —Lizz Schumer, People

"Virginia author Rebecca Kauffman keeps lots of plates spinning as various members of the staff—from lead line cook and busser to bartender and pastry chef—weigh in on the mysterious goings-on."—Suzanne Van Atten, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"The novel is engaging not so much because of what happens but rather in the portrayal of the characters and how they view each other . . . The Reservation has spot-on observations about human nature." —Mary Ann Zehr, The Harrisonburg Citizen

"Although the book is mostly light work and mirthful throughout (if not genuinely funny), Kauffman is at her best when touching on the difficulties of daily life. The hierarchies of a restaurant are aptly captured and moments arise that are genuinely affecting." —David Ellis, The Standard

"Both peppery and poignant." —Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor

"Kauffman explores her characters' interactions and backgrounds with aplomb . . . The Reservation is a big-hearted novel perfect for J. Ryan Stradal's fans." —Shelf Awareness

"A restaurant-based mystery reveals more than just the culprit in this sprightly drama . . . [A] tender tale that seeks the 'immeasurable satisfaction' of an ordinary job well-done. In what is largely a light and funny novel, Kauffman nevertheless touches some of the deeper mysteries of the human condition: desire, longing, and an inchoate sense that there is something larger than our circumstances which binds us all together. A book that proves light touches can leave lasting impressions." —Kirkus Reviews