Lizzy Dent has once again written a gorgeous summer romance but this time it was packed with beautiful food writing and heartfelt family. I loved the trip through Italy we get to take with the main character Olive as she follows in her father's footsteps. This book will have you craving wine and pasta like no other!

Olive Stone is a burned out food writer who's recently lost her estranged father. She has inherited his restaurant, with sous chef, Leo.

They're headed on a road trip to complete the cookbook her dad started. Three stops and along the way she learns more about her dad and about Leo. The characters are fun to learn, the settings and descriptions are luscious. A very foodie-forward book with a sweet romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

i was very exited to read a book centered around food and Italy. Olive Stone is a discerning food critic. When her dad unexpectedly passed away, she inherits his restaurant and is tasked with completing his cookbook along with his chef, Leo. To complete the book, Olive and Leo take a trip to Italy. There, they reconnect with people from her father’s past and she meets Leo’s family.

This was a quick read, but I struggled to connect and like Olive. She was unkind and intolerable at times. I think it distracted from the story and beautiful Italian setting. Leo was a great love interest though and redeemed the book.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Lizzy Dent’s books, and Just One Taste is no exception to that rule.

Just One Taste takes you on a sumptuous, heartfelt, and funny journey through three Italian regions as Olive Stone, a tired food critic, mourns the loss of her father by finishing his cookbook with her dad’s sous chef, Leo. They are not friends. Olive has inherited her father’s Italian restaurant in London, and she wants to sell. Leo, however, does not want that to happen. The pair spend time in Sicily, Tuscany, and Liguria, trying local dishes, perfecting recipes for the book, and the food isn’t the only thing simmering! I loved Dent’s lush descriptions of the Italian cities, and my mouth watered as the characters ate their way through the regions. (I really need that almond and blood orange cake, by the way).

Olive’s development is beautiful, and I adore Leo. Olive’s friends had me LAUGHING at their antics. I think what I love most about Dent’s books is that they are witty, the female characters are human and flawed, and I can imagine them as my friends. I loved this book and can’t wait to get a physical copy.

Just One Taste is set to be published on July 16. Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Penguin Group Putnam, via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I generally really love Lizzy Dent as an author, and The Summer Job and The Sweetest Revenge were both books I gave 4 stars to. So when I had the chance to request this book on NetGalley, I jumped. And when I got approved I squealed with delight. Especially after reading the summary -- a young woman who has recently inherited her father's Italian restaurant has to go on a trip to Italy with her deceased father's very hot sous chef to finish writing her father's Italian cook book -- yes please!

Unfortunately, this was a slog for me. I usually get through a Lizzy Dent book in a few days, but this took me 2 weeks to get through, and almost put me in a slump. Here's why:

1) This is no fault of the author's, but the formatting on the e-ARC was atrocious. There were odd line breaks, hyphens in the middle of words that were not associated with line breaks, dialogue that was sometimes in quotes with line breaks and sometimes not, and it made the reading experience very clunky. I'm assuming this will be fixed in the final edition, and if so, that might have changed my overall rating from 2.5 stars to 3.5 stars.
2) The characters. Olive Stone is just unlikeable and quite frankly, I also don't think she was really well developed. She's a food critic who has 2 best friends (one kind of hippy and the other very pragmatic), and a mother she loves to pieces (but later in the book seems like they haven't seen each other in a long time). But her personality is what felt underdeveloped to me - she is kind of stuffy and snotty in the beginning, but seems sharp and with a clear point of view. Then as things happen I suppose she softens a little but also seems like she's just confused all the time. Leo is supposed to be super hot, and a chef, and also he has a lot of soul and is sweet and loyal, but also he kind of has the personality of a paper bag. I think that Dent spent a lot of time on the food descriptions and not as much on the character descriptions. I still don't have a clear mental image of what either character looks like, and I think that hindered my ability to really immerse myself in the story.
3) The food porn. I dunno, maybe I have latent or undiagnosed disordered eating vestiges I'm grappling with, but the sheer amount of food and wine these two characters indulged in every day - I'm surprised they didn't gain 20 pounds in their 2 week tour of Italy. In some ways I appreciated the descriptions of trying new recipes while touring Italy, but in others it felt borderline gluttonous and off-putting.
4) The romance. I guess given that I couldn't really picture Olive and Leo, it was hard to understand their attraction and growing relationship. In some ways it was painfully slow while also being kind of insta-love. And again, because I had a hard time picturing them, the sex scene just seemed fine.

Again, maybe if the formatting had been better I could have gotten more into this, but overall this was just not a story I really enjoyed. That being said, I really like Lizzy Dent's other novels, and will continue to read what she writes. This just wasn't it for me.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC! "Just One Taste" by Lizzy Dent is a delightful, heartwarming romance that blends culinary adventures with personal growth. The story centers on chef Stella, who, after a career setback, finds herself running a food truck and reconnecting with her passion for cooking. Dent's writing is engaging and filled with vivid descriptions of mouth-watering dishes, which makes the culinary aspect of the story truly come alive. The characters are well-developed, especially Stella, whose journey of self-discovery is both relatable and inspiring. The romance is sweet and genuine, adding just the right amount of spice to the narrative. Overall, "Just One Taste" is a charming read that will appeal to fans of contemporary romance and food lovers alike.

Some plot issues that bothered me but a fun Italian summer romp . Made me hungry -

Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for the ARC

I went into this thinking it would be a rom com but it was definitely a contemporary romance, but it was good for what it was!
I liked both of the main characters, but I did feel like something was lacking in their relationship. I think there was just some chemistry that was missing. But I think that there is a strong potential for them to have that chemistry.
I also like the premise behind the story. Each character has a different idea of how the story and plot should pan out, and they each had their own reasons for it. The ending didn't surprise me, but I did enjoy the way that we got to that decision.
I would definitely recommend this book as an easy read to my friends, and I would love to read more of Lizzy Dent's books.

Olive Stone, a food critic is left her estranged father’s restaurant upon his passing. She travels to Italy to learn about the regions and finish his cookbook, while traveling with her father’s sous chef Leo. Leo and Olive do not get along, I enjoyed their banter and the slow burn of this book. I also liked the concept of this book, something fresh that I’d never read before.

This book was a delightful romcom with descriptions that transport you to Italy with delicious descriptions. I finished the book in one weekend, the author does a fantastic job of descriptive settings that make you want to eat (ha!) and book a trip stat!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Olive has recently lost her estranged father and now finds herself inheriting not only his beloved restaurant but also the responsibility of completing his cookbook alongside Leo, the restaurant's chef, who Olive feels took her place in her father's life. Olive and Leo embark on a journey to Italy, seeking recipes to complete the cookbook. At the same time, Olive grapples with the weighty decision of whether to sell the restaurant that meant so much to her father but also tore her family apart. Along the way, Olive and Leo's connection grows stronger while Olive works through her confusing grief and discovers that sometimes perspective can change everything.

First of all, don't read this book if you're hungry. Every dish they mentioned sounded incredible and made me want to book a flight to Italy as soon as possible.

I loved that the connection and attraction between Olive and Leo was so organic. In the beginning, you could sense how uncomfortable it was for the both of them to go on a trip while not really knowing each other. So, I love that the author embraced the awkwardness as they got to know each other. It can sometimes be unrealistic when characters have known each other for about a week and already profess their love for one another, so I liked that it wasn't an instalove story. Olive and Leo progressed through the stages of meeting someone, becoming acquaintances/friends, opening up more to each other, and then taking the relationship to the next step. A little spoiler, so be warned, they don't even say they love each other till the last chapter, and the book doesn't end with a marriage proposal, which is so refreshing!!!

Ooof, the grief in this book was heavy and I was not prepared, but I'm not mad. Olive was dealing with a lot of confusing feelings surrounding her father's death. There was definitely a delayed sense of loss for her, which was a heartwrenching moment in the book. I felt so deeply what Olive was feeling at that moment. It helped me to reflect on some of my relationships and remember not to take them for granted.

Overall, I do think this was a really good book and I'm rating it a 3.5 out of 5 (rounded up to 4)! Definitely made me feel a lot of feels and had a lovely ending! Would recommend this if you want a short summer read! I can't wait to read more by Lizzy Dent!

Just One Taste is a quick fun read. After Olive’s chef father dies she must go to Italy with his sous chef Leo to finish her father’s cookbook. It’s a journey about working through your grief, finding your purpose, and maybe finding love.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This story had me mentally living in Italy and I was HERE for that. I loved our FMC’s desire to keep her head on her shoulders with her life decisions while her romantic life loomed. She was in a messy spot throughout this book and it felt real! The conflict was a bit too contrived (I OFTEN don’t enjoy the fabricated conflict that tends to arise before the 3rd act) but the support from and relationships with her people that we got to explore through it added depth to our FMC’s story.

All in all, a sweet and good summer read!

I wanted to love this one more than I did. The premise is so fun. The settings were absolutely lovely. The food descriptions throughout had me drooling. But unfortunately there were too many moments when the dialogue took me out of the story. I’d be loving the banter, then it would get choppy/ confusing. I found myself needing to reread sections often just to figure out who was talking and how a subject change had come about. This may have been a formatting issue that will be resolved in the final copy (because the ARC copy formatting was the worst I’ve seen in a long time), but it seemed more than that to me. The ‘twist’ at the end felt really out of place and weird and then it was instantly like HEA, all is well and made the ending feel weird.

4 I’m hungry for Italian food stars

This author does an amazing job writing about the hospitality industry. This time she’s taking us to Italy to finish a cookbook. There are some wonderful descriptions of the geography, people, and food and left me ready to hit my local Italian restaurant.

Olive Stone’s parents ran an Italian restaurant until he became obsessed with it and prioritized it over his family. Olive’s mom left the marriage and the restaurant, taking Olive with her.

Fourteen years later, her father Nicky dies, surprisingly leaving the restaurant and a nearly finished cookbook to Olive. Nicky’s last wishes were for Olive and the hot chef, Leo Ricci, to head to the final regions of Italy for a month to finish the cookbook. It’s too bad that Olive can’t stand Leo.

As you might predict, the forced proximity brings the pair closer, and they have to fight their attraction. As Olive reconnects with old family friends in Italy, she feels closer to her Dad. She even starts to have second thoughts about selling the restaurant.

I would have liked more excerpts from the cookbook sprinkled in and more from Nicky’s point of view. This was an enjoyable trip to Italy though!

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance -not ROM COM

Food Critic Olive Stone and her Italian pseudo-celebrity chef father fell out fourteen years ago, after her parents divorced, so nobody is more surprised than she is, when he leaves her his beloved restaurant “Nicky’s” upon his death.

She expected it to be willed to his sous-chef and “surrogate” son, the impossibly good looking Leo Ricci, who would be the obvious heir apparent.

She also didn’t expect that her father’s dying wish would be for Olive and Leo to complete his regional cookbook-TOGETHER, during a four week tour.

Olive would pen the introductions to each of the remaining three regions-which had been Nicky’s contribution in the earlier chapters and Leo would continue to provide three recipes which would best represent the local flavor of each of those regions.

Sicily-Tuscany and Liguria.

The food is bountiful and the is liquor is always flowing as the pair taste their way through an Italy filled with old memories in a quest to choose an ingredient to feature in each of the remaining chapters. (There is a LOT of eating !)

Olive would be free to sell the restaurant once the cookbook was completed but as she confronts the past she begins to question her decision.

Perhaps Nicky’s trattoria (and its hot chef ) could be just the recipe she needs for her own life? Fortunately she has two supportive friends in Kate and Ginny to help her sort things out.

We were only privy to one introductory chapter from the cookbook penned by Nicky, and one penned by Olive.

I would’ve loved to get to know Nicky better perhaps by reading a few more paragraphs introducing a region or two from Nicky and all three of the introductions written by Olive. More focus here could have made this just as much of a love story from father to daughter and daughter to father as it was to Italy.

This aspect of the story was stronger for me than the romance.

I found myself a bit teary eyed by the BITTERSWEET ending.

3.75 ⭐️ rounded ⬆️

Expected Publication date: July 16, 2024

Thank You to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the gifted copy provided by NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Just One Taste is a book full of my favorite things- Italy, food, and romance. Follow Olive’s story as she copes with the death of her father and makes a huge decision about her shocking inheritance while falling for a guy she despises and navigating some newly uncovered family drama. A perfect beach read! Lizzie Dent’s writing is so descriptive and transported me right to all of the wonderful Italian cities where this story takes place. Can’t wait to read more of her work!

Grab your copy on July 16th! Special thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

Lizzy Dent's "Just One Taste" is a fast-paced, quick read that will leave you yearning to travel to Italy. It's not entirely lighthearted, but rather a balance of light and darker topics (involving death, grief, family, purpose, etc). Olive's dad has recently passed away. To her surprise, he left his fledgling restaurant to her as an inheritance. It's a surprise because she and her dad were estranged for several years because he always prioritized the restaurant over his family. Olive wants to sell the place as soon as possible. She is a successful food critic and doesn't want to take on running the business. Leo, the restaurant's sous chef and "son" to Olive's dad, wants Olive to keep it open, but modernize and update the dishes, decor, and vibe, because he thinks it will be a thriving, winning business. And thus, the enemies-to-lovers story is born!!! Olive's dad's dying wish was for his in-progress cookbook to be finished upon his death. Olive and Leo embark upon a journey to finish the cookbook as they learn about life, love, regrets, grief, and food along the way. This is the kind of book you can feel, smell, and taste in your bones. Dent's descriptions are expert! You can truly taste the food, visualize the scenery, feel the joy of eating and the happiness of discovery, browse the lush landscapes as if you were there, feel the fizzing drinks on your lips and tongue. The chemistry between Olive and Leo isn't exactly there at first, but as they spend more time with one another, and come to understand each other, a mutual attraction forms, especially on Olive's end. To me, it felt clear that Leo always liked/loved Olive, but the attraction on her end feels more lusty than long-term. Maybe that's why I didn't feel entirely invested in their pairing. I *liked* them together, but I didn't *love* them together. They have some good banter and feel like they could have been better friends than lovers. I will say that it feels like the prose is pretty repetitive. This book could have easily been shorter. It feels like certain conversations and specific instances happen multiple times. Be aware that the theme of grief is heavy in this book, and surprisingly so at times. I think the end "twist" felt a little out of place, but Dent recovered it well at the end. All in all, this is a good book, though I have enjoyed Dent's other works better.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lizzy Dent, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Lizzy Dent does it again! Just One Taste is funny, romantic and a bit heartbreaking. I loved touring through Italy with Olive and Luca. One tip thought, don't read it while you're hungry. The descriptions of food are mouthwatering!

A love letter to Italy, Italian food and complicated relationships.
Olive is semi-estranged from her father when he passes away and she’s left with his failing restaurant. She wants to sell, but first has to carry out his dying wish of finishing a cookbook.
Leo is the sous chef who has big ideas how to bring the restaurant back.
The two of them go to Italy to write the last 3 sections of the book.
The food & place descriptions are what make this shine, there’s slow burn too of course and forced proximity.
The twist at the end wasn’t predictable and the epilogue was perfect. I was in all my feels.

5 stars!

I for real need to stop reading books where the main character has lost a close family member bc they all have me in tears 😭😭😭

This book was such a fun adventure through Italy, I loved reading about all the food and the history behind the different regions of Italy Olive and Leo traveled. I LOVED reading Olive's journey with herself, her career, and her respective relationship to each of her parents. However, her relationship with Leo felt mostly physical and I struggled to see deep love or romance between them. This was a great summer read and perfect for those days when you're dreaming of being on vacation.

"The depth of the ache is physical. It hits me like a punch to the stomach and I cry out in agony at the pain of it. The pain is so hollow I find myself desperate for breathe. There is nothing there. No way to tell him I love him. No way to thank him. He's gone. My love has nowhere to go, and my regret can never be atoned for." 💔

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publishers who sent me this ARC to read & review! <3