It was interesting to read a book written by someone from my generation and to hear her stories of food service, and then of her experiences reviewing restaurants. But I felt some of it was repetitive and some of the time I wasn't quite sure what her message was. Perhaps she wasn't either.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. Always interesting to read about food in the Midwest!

I follow Wini Moranville's sub stack and was so excited to be able to read her new book. Definitely a must read for anyone that lives or lived in the Des Moines area, although it's not required to enjoy. Her writing is similar to Ruth Reichl's.

I've always loved food. In my high school years, my brother would spend his money on rock albums and I would spend my money on restaurants and desserts. Yum. I still love trying new restaurants and when we travel I'm looking for quirky places with great ratings.

Decades ago, I loved reading restaurant reviews and was anxious to try new restaurants. And I like memoirs as well. So I really thought that Love is my Favorite Flavor would be a great choice for me.

At the beginning of Chapter 14 ... "In 1988, we moved to Oxford, England, where I worked at the headquarters of Oxford University Press. The following year, Dave and I headed to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Dave completed graduate school." I was overjoyed with anticipation that I would hear about a restaurant from Michigan (my home state) and likely a restaurant I've visited. Nope. That was it.

I was enjoying hearing about her life, growing up waitressing and then finding roles as a restaurant reviewer. I loved hearing about some of her Iowa reviews. But then she goes to France and she raves and raves about France and how much the proprietors go above and beyond to make their patrons feel special and connected with the food experience. (And I'm thinking ... hmm ... who is your audience for this book?)

And then the author/Wini Moranville went on to talk about some of her international wine assignments said that she was bored with some of the details with the creation of wine and having to tromp through the soil and slush in the vineyards (getting her shoes wet). So I think, ok ... its a memoir. But then a couple chapters later, she is going on and on about the Iowa soil and growing up "almost" on a farm. (So she didn't like hearing about soil when she is being "wined and dined", but she doesn't mind writing about soil to her audience. hmmm.)

And then she would meet people and they thought with their personal connection they could talk "restaurants" with her; but she was completely unimpressed with hearing about other folks restaurant experiences.

This book left a bad taste in my mouth. I probably would have given the book 5 stars if I had stopped reading 1/2 way, but by the end of the book I decided that I wasn't loving it.

Thank you to NetGalley and University and Iowa Press for the opportunity to read and review the advance read copy of Love is My Favorite Flavor: A Midwestern Dining Critic Tells All in exchange for an honest review. This is my honest review. I don't feel 3 stars to be a very stellar review. If the publisher or author requests me to delete this review, I will.

Publication date is July 17, 2024. Not terribly long, around 193 pages. This seems to be the third in a series of "FoodStory" publications by editor Nina Mukerjee Furstenau.