How many of us, I wonder, fantasize about starting our lives all over again. That is just what the heroine in this story, Jessica Stone, does after a painful, broken engagement. Having lived in London, I found this most enjoyable. From the first page, I was gobbling up every bit of this delightful and engaging memoir. It is both a culinary adventure, as well as a travel log, her delightful, and often humorous tales about moving to a foreign city, learning to date, and just in general adapting to daily life was both enjoyable and fascinating. There’s a great deal of humor in this memoir as well, making it a must read.

I read this free ARC from NetGalley primarily because I am also from England and not so lucky in the love department. While this book was not quite what I was expecting, I found it a quick read. Part travel memoir, part personal memoir, part cookbook. I appreciated Jessica Stone's honesty and vulnerability in her relationships, and her bravery for traveling solo. An enjoyable read.

I’m not posting this review since the book came out years ago. I have never been one to reach for a self help book and reading this further proves why I don’t. This was like reading someone’s diary but I was never sure why I was because it was not that interesting. The entire book seemed dated since it took place in the early 2000s before dating apps and modern dating practices. I also never understood how the author could live such an affluent lifestyle on a freelance writers budget or how she managed to obtain a visa to live in London.

Great book. Loved finding new recipes. Some comments should have been left out related to culture and body size.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book. This book is for anyone who is wishing they could travel to London. I felt like I was right there enjoying the sights and food.

A debut novel on dating, heartbreaks, moving to London and more, author Jessica Stone encapsulates the dilemma of an independent woman in search of love in this humorous yet touching and contemporary tale of laughter and disappointments. The book can take you down the memory lane or enchant you with the description of food scene in the UK. I enjoyed this book and terribly miss London!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I wanted to like this book more. I'd thought I would devour it and be left with that perfect high after a good binge. While I can't say this wasn't the case, it took me a while to read this book, like each topic was a standalone and I could flit in and out, which doesn't really imply binge to me. I enjoyed it, but also felt it could be more...? Is it about dating as an expat in London? About an American indulging in British cuisine in London? (It's not this one, btw). Is it about overall an American expat in London? It's a mix of all this and also none of it exactly at the same time. Which is confusing, but the book does make for a nice reading as one can dip in and out of the topics and not get lost - makes it perfect for a vacation, I suppose?

Great alternative take on one of the most famous cities of the world!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

I did not finish this book, I just could not get into it and ran out of time! Thank you for the opportunity!

If you're missing travel, Craving London will make you feel like you're having a British adventure - although be prepared with snacks, as this book will make you hungry!

This is a super fun read. I really enjoyed this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I was a bit surprised by this book. I requested it while on a food memoir kick, but i am not sure if it quite fits that genre. I think that the author in some ways remembers points of her life through different foods, but it didn't feel to me to be a food memoir. All that said, i still enjoyed it. It was interesting to read about someone who took the step of movong to England and how finding love can differ in another country, even when much of the language is the same.

In this book, Jessica Stone indulges in one culinary adventure after another while undergoing the trials and tribulations of trying to date in a different country. This was definitely a different read! She talks about sex and food - and London, what a city!

This was a fun memoir and super interesting at times. There were parts where it felt too "woah is me" for me to enjoy was was being said. 3.5 stars but rounding up to a 4 star.

Thank you to Ripe Press for providing me with a copy of Jessica Stone’s memoir Craving London: Confessions of an Incurable Romantic with an Insatiable Appetite, in exchange for an honest review.

After a break-up in her twenties, New Yorker Jessica Stone took a leap of faith and without having an apartment (flat) or job, she moved to London. Failure was not an option as Stone literally pounded the pavement looking for openings at copy writing agencies and trying to navigate life in her new city. Soon, Stone finds herself settled into London life and although the dating scene is tricky, she finds love in London cuisine and other joys of city life.

One of the primary reasons that I wanted to review Craving London is because I am missing my favorite city. My husband is English and we usually visit England ( often including London) at least once a year. This year, the pandemic caused us to cancel our vacation. I was looking to Stone’s memoir to provide a bit of armchair travel to a city that we mutually adore, she did not disappoint.

In fact, one of her favorite places, is also mine: Borough Market. Borough Market is a culinary delight that I did not discover until a more recent trip to London. It’s a massive covered market with vendors selling food from around the world. It’s an overwhelming sensory experience. Stone is a huge food fanatic and budding chef. While in London, she took a patisserie course at the prestigious Cordon Bleu and she sought out both unique ingredients and food experiences in the city. Her memoir will make you hungry! It also made me keenly aware at how many amazing food experiences I have yet to try in London and despite having taken food tours of the city, nothing I experienced was repeated with Stones. I made a list of her recommendations!

Her memoir includes several recipes. I always think this is a nice touch when I see it in a book that is not specifically a cookbook, but I must admit that I never actually try the recipes. It did work with the themes in Craving London.

Stone’s primary struggle that is woven throughout her memoir is dating. She is a passionate woman who is living a very full and exciting life, including joining running and rowing clubs, yet her romantic life always seems to fizzle. She meets men who are not the right fit or as equally committed. Sometimes it seems to be due to cultural differences, but also it just seems to be that she is meeting jerks. I think it is common for people to worry about the aspects of their lives that seem incomplete, especially if it happens to be a romantic relationship, but from my perspective, Stone had quite a fabulous and enviable life. She had a solid ( mostly) career, plenty of friends, was engaged in many activities, well-traveled and she was living in one of the best cities in the world.

Craving London ended with Stone realizing this and she is quite an inspiration for all people to get out and enjoy life, whether or not romantic love comes your way. I’m writing this review on Valentine’s Day 2021 and although I am happily married, I can get behind this theme of living your best life, whatever that looks like for you. Thinking back to when I was single, I also lived my life like Stone, enjoying things that made me happy and never letting a lack of a partner prevent me for dining in a restaurant or trying something new. It’s human to struggle over feelings of disappointment or lack, but it is also important to hear that being single isn’t all doom and gloom. Stone didn’t learn this lesson over night either.

Craving London is the ideal memoir for both Valentine’s Day and these months that we’ve spent lock-inside due to the pandemic. I relished both Stone’s personal journey and her thoughts on life in London.

This book is like sitting down and having a fantastic cup of coffee with a friend you haven't seen in a while. You just pick up where you left off with all the candor of being long time friends. Part travel memoir, part dating story, part cookbook: it's everything I want in a book. The chapters are easy to digest. The story holds your attention. The recipes are well written and easy to follow. 10/10. Will definitely read again.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an E-ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

Reading Craving London: Confessions of an Incurable Romantic with an Insatiable Appetite is like sneaking a peak at the diary of a good friend to see how the people and events shaped the person they are today. This book is part comedy with hilarious anecdotes from the dating scene and part travel guide with bucket list recommendations on what/where to eat to live in London. I found these recommendations refreshing since we have all been trapped at home during COVID and need to be able to live vicariously. I admit that I am not a great baker or cook (my husband says the best thing I make for dinner is reservations) so I cannot appreciate all the techniques she described, but I can appreciate the hunt for food and the beauty in the plating and how good it feels to have these decadent meals delivered to me on a plate at my favorite restaurant. I also am not afraid to eat alone and take in my surroundings. Throughout the book, I was intrigued by the author’s zest for life and her courage in creating the life she wanted versus playing it safe. I’m not sure I could have been that brave even in my 20’s when I thought I was invincible. The descriptions about the night life and drinking reminded me of scenes from Sex and the City, if only Carrie had been a lot less promiscious. It is actually quite refreshing to see someone stop and pause rather than reacting, but then sex was never her drug of choice. I loved the nicknames she gave to each guy. I wonder if they read this book now and recognize themselves and cringe? Overall, this was an easy read with lots of natural breaks and recipes you can go back and try if you like or skip over if you are lazy like me. I have to admit I may beg hubby to try the grilled cheese receipt as it sounds divine! I’m not pressing my luck with anything more challenging. I would be interested in hearing the author talk or checking out her blog. Kudos again for starting over, traveling, running marathons, eating, fasting, exploring, and living life on your own terms. Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

With (mostly) simple recipes scattered throughout, Ms. Stone has written a immensely enjoyable tale of an American in London seeking good food and the perfect soulmate. The food is easily found...the soulmate? Not so much. No names are given, rather, each possible candidate for romance is remembered with titles such as The Secret Agent, The Accountant or The Boyfriend. The writer's own shortcomings are examined as she reflects upon each relationship failure, and explores ways to resolve them.
A perfect book for anyone who enjoys reading about travel, food and love.

Remember the pre-COVID days, when you could travel around the world and explore distant cities?? My family and I took an awesome trip to London in the summer of 2019. While there we at a lot of great food, so this book, Craving London, appealed to me immediately.

This is a memoir by an American woman, Jessica Stone, who quit her job in the USA and moved to London to find a new job and try out living abroad. She had broken up with "The Boyfriend" and was also looking to find true love. This memoir is part food writing, part travelogue and part a look into her experiences dating in London. Stone doesn't call any of the men in the book by their name but rather by monikers like "The Barrister" or "Secret Agent". While in London she worked part time as a copy editor for advertising firms and also attended Le Cordon Bleu. She wrote a blog at the time about her experiences, which became the basis for this book. The tone of the book was lightly humorous and it was nice to read about her quest to make a place for herself in London. I was hoping that it would be a bit more about food than it was but I still enjoyed the book and it did bring back lots of good memories of London. There were recipes at the end of some of the chapters that coincided with what Stone wrote about in that chapter.

I do enjoy a good memoir that mixes travel and food! I found this to be an easy book to read. I enjoyed it and would recommend it.