Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! Given the blurb, I thought this would be a super cute and fun book, along with missing my vacation in Italy. I saw this book and just had to read it. The book felt authentic, like I was back in Italy, along with the characters. The struggles each went through made them feel real; however, the book did feel like it was longer than it needed to be/felt a little slow, especially with the MMC and FMC relationship. It's a cute beach read for someone nostalgic about Italy or wants to go, but it wasn't my favorite.


Tropes:
Forced proximity
Just one bed
Enemies to lovers

This is the first Lizzy Dent book I've read, I loved the cover, and when I read the plot I found it really captivating. I didn't find the story very flowing, the dialogues seemed a bit forced, but the setting is really interesting, spending a summer in Italy, tasting good food, who wouldn't want to experience a story like that?
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC!

I mean…Italy, food, Lizzy Dent, what more could I want?
The tropes are:
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity (one bed)
Italy, i repeat, ITALY!
As soon as I read the plot of this story, and read that the setting is in Italy, I couldn't wait to read it. I loved these vibes,
The story also has a really captivating flirty vibe, as if we were perpetually tipsy. It's not the first book I've read by Lizzy Dent, I read her first story, and I have to admit that I'm starting to appreciate these stories that have a vibe inherent to cooking, and to chefs.
The story is definitely a light beach read, to be read for a few hours of lightheartedness.
If you dream of spending a summer traveling around Italy, eating good food and drinking good books, grab this book.
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the chance to read and review this ebook arc!

"Just One Taste" takes us on a food journey of Italy. I loved the descriptions of the food, as well as the setting. Italy is fully realized in both the larger than life characters and the beautiful descriptions of rural life and city scape. Oranges, pasta, beans, spices, olives all come to life on the page.

With this as the backdrop, Dent explores topics of grief, belonging, self-discovery, child of divorce, and relationships. Yes, this is a romance, but as with many romance novels, it tackles a lot of big topics within that span. There are certainly sparks, and we watch Olive and Leo's relationship develop and grow.

I docked one star because the ending feels rushed. There is something of a twist near the end, and after that it seemed we sped to wrapping things up neatly. So one star for pacing, but that won't stop me from recommending. Highly enjoyed!

4.5 stars

Books with lots of food descriptions tend to be really hit or miss for me but this book did it so well! All of the food sounded so delicious and really added to both the setting and the emotional journey the characters were on.
I was expecting a romcom about two people in Italy trying to finish a cookbook but this book had so much more depth. It’s about grief and loss and learning to forgive. It’s about the main character reconnecting with her past and learning how to move on. The romance was also really fun and believable and I thought the characters had great chemistry.
The one thing I didn’t really get was why they hated each other so much right off the bat. In their first meeting it seemed like they had some kind of past with how much they disliked each other but apparently they only knew of each other? That part felt kind of forced to me but their banter and tension (almost) made up for it

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC!

This is the first book that I’ve read by Lizzy Dent and it’s safe to say that I really enjoyed it! It did take me until about the 40% mark to really get into it, but after that I couldn’t stop reading. The scenery described throughout was honestly one of my favorite parts of the book! It was just so perfect and had me ready to book a trip to Italy for the Summer. Leo was just the sweetest thing and I loved seeing him get Olive to open up to him. I definitely think the two of them make so much sense together and see them lasting forever and ever! 🫶🏻

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

A lovely combination of travel, food, romance, and family. This book transported me to the small villages of Italy. It felt like you were tasting and exploring right alongside the characters. I couldn’t help but root for Olive and Leo. While there were moments that felt a little bit slow pacing wise, it ended up being a delightful read. I definitely wasn’t expecting the twist at the end.

This book gave me all the feels. The idea of an estranged daughter finishing the project her father started touched my heart and there wasn't a thing about this book that I didn't like. The twist to the story was 100% unexpected, and the way that Olive came to terms with it may have been fast, but it was also well thought out. In a weird twist of fate, I actually lost my own father when I was about 2/3 of the way through the book, so this was book also helped me along the way as well.

3.5 ⭐️

I'll start by saying, I did really enjoy the story. And loved how it wrapped up and ended. Plus it's got some great tropes!

Forced proximity
Enemies-to-lovers
One bed
Italian vibes
Foooood

The beginning was a bit slow and stiff in my opinion. I was having trouble getting into it, but was intrigued enough to keep reading. Once she realized she had feelings for Leo, I felt like it was a whole new book with new characters. It felt like it really started to flow better. The dialog opened up, and the communication between them obviously changed.

The setting sounded so magical. It made me long to travel and try new foods! (I'm the type to order the same thing everytime lol) It's got all the Italian vibes one could want. I liked how, whenever they were speaking Italian, it was clear what they were saying. You don't need to look it up or translate.

The characters.
Olive was a little hard to connect with. Her reluctance to talk about the restaurant with Leo in the beginning, when it clearly effected him as well, bugged me. I do understand it was hard for her. The author did a good job of navigating the grief of losing a parent. I think she definitely had a lot of character growth as they traveled around Italy. It was good to see her reconnect with her dad, even though he was gone, through his friends and passion for food while she finished the book.

Leo! Oooh Leo. What a sweet, caring, thoughtful, respectful man. He truly wants her to make the best decision for herself and he would be OK with it. He showed that he was there for her in all the right ways without being overbearing. He listened to her when she needed to do things on her own and he was there for her when she was ready. He was so patient with her through everything. Even when it was clearly a big, important, life changing decision for him.

All in all, it was a good book! And I would recommend it ❤️

July 16th, 2024!

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the chance to read and review this ebook arc!

This book has so many great tropes, and I love the travel from London to Italy. As someone who likes to cook and travel and read romance this book really checked a lot of boxes.
The situation of losing faith in a family member because they put work first is very real, and holding on to that hurt is also very relatable. So, when Olive’s dad passes and leaves her Nicky’s I totally understood why she didn’t want the restaurant. Nicky’s was not even successful, and yet it tore her family apart. There was too much bad history, and she had no idea how to run a restaurant.
The other thing her dad left her was his request for her to finish his cookbook with Leo’s help. That would mean spending a lot of one-on-one time with a man she didn’t even know. All these things felt too much for her to take on.
The trip to Italy for me was the best part. She learned some life-changing things about her dad, and she also learned she may like Leo wasn’t so bad after all. Their travel through Italy eating and drinking and getting close was fun and all the food sounded amazing. The storyline was fun and flirty and I was proud of Olive for taking steps to go with her feelings.
If you enjoy a love when you least expect it story mixed with travel and food and acceptance you will love this quick read that will having you booking a trip to Tuscany ASAP!

I was grateful to read an ARC of Lizzy Dent's latest book. I recommend it and enjoyed the character development and was rooting for them!

A super cute romantic comedy filled with wine, pasta, and friendships. Deals with grief and death of a loved one. Enemies to lovers to friend trope. This book is perfect for lovers of Italian food and steamy romances.

3.5/5 ⭐️
Synopsis: Just One Taste by Lizzy Dent is an adventurous tale spanning from New York City to all over the Italian countryside in a beautiful summer setting. The novel follows FMC Olive, who is working on finishing her late father’s cookbook, while also deciding whether or not to follow through with his restaurant business. In order to finish the cookbook, she must backpack through Italy with Leo, her father’s cook. What begins as a wholesome trip to help Olive connect with her late father blooms a romance as well.

Review: Just One Taste was such a cute & fun story, I really enjoyed it. It’s a unique romance, where a couple comes together for their love of cooking and their familial backgrounds. The book has a heavy focus on family love, and overall was a very wholesome read. I went into the story thinking it would be like your typical romance, but honestly it felt like a fun, scenic adventure with a side of romance, and I honestly enjoyed that aspect. I loved the plot of Leo & Olive traveling through Italy to find the perfect ingredients, it felt like I was there with them, and the descriptions were great. I immediately wanted to tour the Italian countryside after reading. I rated it at 3.5 because the romance was lacking a bit for me, it seemed more like a literary fiction with a subplot of romance, not a full on romance. The chemistry between the characters wasn’t as notable in my eyes. Nonetheless, the characters were all lovable and the story was light-hearted, fun, surprising and overall a very enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a light, quick & fun read! It’s definitely going to be a great summer time book!

*I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows Olive, whose dad recently passed away and has left his Italian restaurant, Nicky’s, to her. she is also met with the challenge of finishing his cookbook he had been working on before he passed. But she doesn’t have to do it alone. Her father’s trusted (and cute) sous chef, Leo, joins her on a journey to Italy to help finish the cookbook and tries to convince her to keep the restaurant instead of selling. As they spend more time together, it is obvious they have an undeniable connection.
Overall, I thought this was a really cute read. I’m a huge foodie myself so I loved reading about two people who were super passionate about food. I love how descriptive they were with the food. I also enjoyed the look into Olive’s past relationship with her father. I feel that a lot of people can relate to her feelings towards him. I think the book was cute, funny and it really made me feel at times that I was experiencing Italy with them.
I did end it giving this book a 3/5 stars. It’s a cute summery romance, but for me personally nothing stuck out to me that made me connect to the book on a deeper level and I wasn’t fully invested in the characters relationship at some points.
Overall, it was a good read and perfect for a quick summery romance read!
Thank you to the publishers for my ARC copy of this book!

Okay, this was the cutest slow burn culinary romance! The way Lizzy described Italy and the food really enhanced the journey and the chemistry and romance between Olive and Leo was believable and absolutely there.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this eARC!

🇮🇹 summer in italy
👨‍🍳 workplace
💗 enemies to lovers
🔥 slow burn
🛏️ just one bed

As with many books about grieving characters, I had a bit of a hard time understanding and appreciating the actions of our two main characters at the beginning of this story. Olive has just lost her father, Nicky, who she has been estranged from for half her life. Leo has just lost his mentor and father figure, who has left his restaurant to his estranged daughter Olive instead of his sous chef Leo.
Forced to travel through Italy together to finish the last three sections of Nicky's cookbook, the two of them find common ground and experience a budding attraction to each other. Dent writes them emerging from their grief through incredible food and cathartic memories. These two grow softer and braver together and I have to admit, I was crying by the end!

If you’ve ever daydreamed of traveling through Italy with a beautiful man while eating your weight in delicious fresh food, this book is for you.

Olive, a food critic, sets off on a trip through Italy to complete her dead father’s cookbook manuscript. Her travel companion is Leo, her father’s sous chef and honorary son.

Their relationship is strained at first, since Olive hadn’t spoken to her father in a decade and felt as though Leo has replaced her in her father’s life. She is also conflicted because she inherited her father’s restaurant, which she plans to sell. Throughout their travels they connect with family members and friends, getting to know Olive’s father’s history better and each other.

Since they are working on a cookbook together, food is at the center of the story. I spent a lot of the book making mental notes about new foods to try and places I want to visit on my next trip to Italy.

This book is a very sweet story of coming to terms with the loss of a parent while still getting to know them and falling in love while processing grief.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing an advance copy to review.

A delicious book!!!! Just reading this made me hungry ...lol. A wonderful story full of love, laughter and grief as our main female character travels through the Italian countryside on a quest to finish a cookbook started by her father and remember the man behind it. Accompanied by his Sous-chef and after a rocky start the sparks start to fly!!!!

NetGalley Arc: Just One Taste was a great emotional read it focused on the main characters trip through Italy to finish her father’s cook book. I thought Lizzy Dent did a great job of balancing feel-good moments and exploring Olive’s grief for her father.

Fun, easy read. Great for foodies who also love a good rom com. Feel like I traveled Italy alongside Olive and Leo!