If books were fine dining, this would be at least five course meal (I had to do it, I hate myself. Forgive me.) This was such an interesting reading experience, equal parts pleasure and misery. Pleasure in the way Lottie Hazell described food in Piglet's voice. Piglet's obsession with food told us so much about her: she used it to care, to comfort, to distract, to entertain, to impress. Piglet's obsession with making a croquembouche (publishers: why wasn't this the book cover????I do love the cheeseburger though) for her wedding became the only thread holding her together as the plot progressed and she eventually unraveled. Some readers may be upset that we never find out exactly what her fiancé did to betray her before the wedding but I didn't find that information necessary when I felt so engrossed in her story and the suspense of whether she would finish the croquembouche on time! For such a short book, it packs a lot about class into the story in a way that I found very effective. This book made me sad and hungry. A feat! Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the audio arc.

Absolutely do not read this book when you are hungry! I don't even like much of the food described by Ms. Hazell, but she makes it all sound so good, I wanted to run out and find a five star restaurant and order everything--kind of like Piglet. I think I got the idea of this book, but I think that I didn't need to be reminded of it every page of the book. I think every reader got the disrespect that was given to the main character as the name Piglet was written over and over again instead of using she/her her nickname was used. It was interesting how right after the wedding her married name was used (Mrs.) but after she left the wedding she went back to Piglet. I don't believe the author ever told the reader her real name. This was a kind of a sad read--especially when she was trying to fit into her wedding dress, but in the end, I truly think that there was hope for the character to have a better life.

a book told almost entirely through descriptions of food or about characters’ relationships with food, this book did a fantastic job of taking a relatively overdone plot—a destructive secret revealed right before a wedding—but GOD, the way food was described in this book was stellar. the eponymous main character is doing whatever she can to fulfill the void with food and if you have had any sort of disordered eating or binge issues in the past, it may be a rough read but so filling.

I found this book disturbing and demeaning. The main character is always referred to as Piglet or even Pig, by her boar of a father. I didn’t even find out her real name until the very end.
I didn’t find her nickname endearing or even charming. What’s more, she didn’t even stand up for herself. She goes along with the wedding plans even though her fiancé betrayed her.
She immersed herself in food and suffers humiliation at the wedding where the dress is concerned,
I found nothing redeeming about this book except to poke and prod at the main character who even without the repulsive nickname has no character whatsoever.

Piglet's life is just as messy as the burger on the cover of the novel; it's an eat with your hands, sauces running down the side of your palms type of life she is leading. A primary frustration is we as the reader never uncover exactly what betrayal Piglet is reeling from. Despite that, I devoured this book in one sitting (pun intended).

~ARC provided by NetGalley~

"Piglet" by Lottie Hazell is an intoxicating first novel. It follows the days leading up to a wedding that probably shouldn't happen through the point of view of an unwell woman, named Piglet. There were so many things I loved about this character, not because she is a truly great person, but because she was just deliciously flawed and gross while keeping up appearances as the perfect bride. There is an interesting chapter structure where at the end of each chapter there are 2-3 sentences that capture the hidden or unsaid internal motivator of the main character. However, a major piece of information is withheld from the reader from the get-go, which makes this impossible to put down. I was completely hooked and read this book in just a couple days, and I have not been able to stop thinking about it. If you like unwell female protagonists and decorative food writing, this is going to be the book for you.

It was the title/cover combo that drew me to this book on sight, knowing it would be about a truth rarely discussed: overeating. This is viewed as so shameful in our world that the reality of it is rarely discussed so candidly as it is here.

Every word is so evidently intentional; it’s delicious. We easily get to know Piglet and her world. The story is odd, devastating, beautiful. This is a hard read, because it is such a well-written piece about the personal tragedies that burden people. And like reality, I never knew what was going to happen next. From start to finish it was unexpected, and so satisfying.

“Piglet” is delicious. It's a foodie's paradise, where the artistry of cuisine intersects with the complexities of human emotions and relationships.

This novel is almost exclusively told using food as symbolism, and it’s worthy of a Michelin Star. I loved Hazel's use of descriptive overeating as a metaphor for Piglet's attempt to fit into the mold of societal expectations.

Piglet is a feast that speaks to the universal longing for authenticity and fulfillment.

Also, there is a section in here about the making of a croquembouche, and the precision in which it’s done was literal poetry. I am still thinking about it.

“Piglet” by Lottie Hazel hit exactly how I was hoping based on the synopsis … 👀🍔🧁

🔮 Mood reader index: this is a character driven book that slowly builds to a climax — we know going in that Piglet’s fiancé reveals a devastating betrayal two weeks before their wedding

“An elegant, razor-sharp debut about women's ambitions and appetites—and the truth about having it all.” Let me tell you, Henry Holt hooked me with just that one sentence. 🎣

Our titular main character is engaged to a wealthy man and working as a cookbook editor at a London publishing house. Her approaching wedding brings so many issues to the surface — her working class family vs her affluent fiancé’s upbringing, for one, and her binge eating disorder, for another. I was equally hooked on the gorgeous writing and Piglet’s journey as well as the luscious descriptions of food. This was one of those books that had me constantly picking up my Kindle, and I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.

I was much more intrigued by the premise of this book than I was the actual book itself. I love food and that this was love letter to food, but I struggled to connect to the main characters and didn’t really care for the plot. This one is a DNF for now but maybe I’ll give it a try at a later date.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

TW: Eating Disorder

Piglet is quite pleased with her life so far as an up-and-coming editor for a London publishing house with good friends and a handsome fiancé. But she finds her life threatening to fall apart when her fiancé admits something only two weeks before their wedding date. It throws her off balance and causes her to return to old habits as she finds herself forced with a choice with no good options. Will Piglet be able to determine what she truly wants from what she believes she wants, and will she be able to decide in time?

This character-driven work of literary fiction was a solid read. I think what I enjoyed most were the relationships between the characters and how realistic/relatable they felt. This was especially true with Piglet and her family. The author did an excellent job painting those relationships in a way that were so stained with the past that it tainted the present, no matter what the characters said or did. I also loved the portrayal of her friendship with Margot and how it evolved during the book – her inner thoughts relating to that aspect were well depicted.

Despite these wonderful relationships, I had a bit of a hard time connecting with Piglet as a character. It was difficult to empathize with many of her decisions, though I believe that was likely since she was hyper-focused on “bettering” herself. I think part of my difficulty in making a connection is that the story is largely presented through dialogue and food descriptions. Do be warned, don’t read this book while you’re hungry. The author goes in depth for so many recipes and treats that sound delicious that I had a difficult time reading this if it’d been too long since I’d eaten last.

If you’re interested in a character study with themes of redefining yourself and discovering what you truly want, then this is worth checking out. My thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Overall I enjoyed this book. The fast pacing of the book worked with the subject matter; otherwise I think it would have dragged. I'm interested to read more by this author.

This one was quite a roller coaster for me. There were aspects that were exciting and captivating but then the plot dove a couple times as well. This is a solid debut from the author and I would read more from her. There were questions in the plot that remained unanswered and that was disappointing but I was still enthralled in the story. Also, the cover is great and definitely perfect for the story.

This book was that perfect literary fiction blend: abstract and poignant but still really intimate and grounded. The story explored so many topics, all done really well; public image vs self esteem/happiness, class, misogyny, family tension, food and self-image. The writing was really accessible and captivating and I loved the way the story was an in-depth look at Piglet’s unraveling and she struggled to cope with a betrayal.

I honestly think I just read this book at the wrong time, and it just activated too much anxiety in me to enjoy. I'm getting married in a few months so the idea that our protagonist, Piglet, learns of some misdeed committed by her fiancé as the chapters are told in a countdown format to the wedding, it was just too much for me! I also read this during a power outage and it was just too uncomfortable and stressy for that moment. I also felt the food descriptions to be over the top and unenjoyable, but I know a lot of people enjoyed those, so I think this book was just not for me!

this book bit off more than it could chew. (pun not intended.) there were things about it i found very promising — the first couple of chapters were well-written and interesting, with vibrant characters — but as the story picked up it felt confused and overwhelming, with too many things attempted, and ultimately i don't think it brought anything new to the table of the very crowded eating disorder subgenre.

i also think its point was clouded by the big secret at the core being revealed to everyone except us. it keeps us at a distance, and reinforces some of the otherwise dispelled points about reputation across gender and class.

When an Insta-worthy life is rocked by a major secret from her fiancé, Piglet (a nickname that has followed her from childhood) decides to stay quiet and move forward with her wedding plans. She’s achieved the life she’s wanted to live and now wishes to see it through. But this decision comes at a cost and she processes the magnitude of the secret…

This story is very food-forward. Between Piglet’s editing, binging, planning, entertaining, food is at the center of her life. At times, I was overwhelmed with Piglet’s judgmental attitude. But I think this is a very real take on women charting the course of their own life…on their terms.

All in all, I found this to be an engaging and unexpected read.

Special thanks to Henry Holt and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.

Piglet is a cookbook editor who enjoys her job, lives in a nice house with her fiancé, Kit, and has carefully crafted the life she now has. Two weeks before their wedding, Kit confesses to betraying Piglet.

As their wedding date looms, approaching quickly, Piglet must decide how she wants to move forward, with or without Kit. As she contemplates this, she finds herself ravenous, acting out of character, and at odds with her best friend, Margot, who is entering motherhood. What will Piglet do?

I was a little torn about Piglet — Though I felt for the big decisions she faced, I never felt attached to Piglet or liked most of the other characters. Hazell nails the food descriptions. I went from thinking “ooh” to “ughh” (having secondary stomach aches) multiple times while reading this. The tension building throughout this story was so well-done and I appreciate a book that keeps me thinking until or after the last page.

This book was so interesting and so real that I felt like I was friends with Piglet, while also being in her head. The food descriptions were incredible and made me hungry and slightly sick all at the same time. I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it to anyone.

I loved this so much! Ultimately it's about the hunger of the main character for a life she deserves. The story was woven together with food throughout the book, whether it was a freezer meal she puts together for her pregnant best friend, the cake she's making for her own wedding, or any number of other meals and treats that slot into our lives as we go. The way this was written scratched an itch I didn't know I had. I was glued to it in the last half, too, needing to find out what happened. A favorite of the year so far.

Thank you Henry Holt & Company and Netgalley for the eARC!