ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ || JUST ONE TASTE [thank you to @putnambooks and @netgalley for my #gifted copy!]

Title: Just One Taste by Lizzy Dent
Genre: romance
Format: digital
Star Rating: ★★★★☆
Would Recommend: 👍🏻

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ:
After inheriting her estranged father's failing restaurant, Olive Stone must spend four weeks in Italy completing his cookbook with Leo Ricci, her father's surrogate son and her childhood rival. Despite her plans to sell the restaurant and Leo's determination to save it, their journey through Sicily, Tuscany, and Liguria brings them closer and forces Olive to confront her true feelings about the restaurant, Leo, and herself.

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
There’s just something about Lizzy Dent’s writing that always works for me. And when I saw the cover, I knew this would contain one of my all time favorite things - an MC who’s a chef! Between the deeper topics, banter, and overall snark - it just hits the perfect note. I loved watching Olive and Leo get to know (and appreciate) each other. And all of the food was a definite bonus! Do not read when hungry (or when feeling a particularly huge sense of wanderlust).

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Chef MMC
Enemies-to-Lovers
Forced Proximity
Love Through Food
Pasta
An FMC who doesn’t have it all put together

ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ:
GR: 3.84
# of Pages: 335
Pub Date: July 16, 2024

Olive Stone inherits her fathers run down Italian restaurant in London. She was estranged from her father for the last several years and has been making a living as an online food critic. The only condition is that she must finish a cookbook he had been writing. This entails her going with handsome sous chef Leo Ricci on a trip to Italy that her father had planned on taking. Olive isn’t thrilled that Leo needs to come but she is willing to return to Italy where she spent a lot of happy days with her parents. The book becomes a wonderful, food descriptive trip through parts of Italy. Her father was traditional when it comes to food and Leo wants to enhance it. Olive is also forced to reconcile some of the memories she has of her dad before her parents divorced and she left the restaurant. Will she sell the restaurant as she plans? Will she and Leo become more than co-writers?

I’ve read all four of Lizzy Dent’s novels and I always like them but never love them. This one is my favorite of her books. Italy and food are a good combination. If you’ve enjoyed her previous books you’ll like this one. And if you want to give the author a try this is a good one to start with.

****Publishing July 16, 2024*****

Olive hadn’t seen her dad in 10 years. When her dad dies suddenly, she is left with his restaurant. He was also in the middle of writing a cookbook, so Olive felt the need to finish it. He was supposed to take a trip to Sicily in order to put the finishing touches on it, so she would go in his place with Leo, the sexy sous chef. Olive has many regrets and although is thankful for the generous inheritance, she doesn’t feel like she deserves it. Olive is looking to sell the restaurant, but will Leo change her mind? This book will have you cheering on Olive as she figures out what to do next!

This book will transport you to London and Italy! A great escape for those who aren’t traveling anytime soon! Just a fun and entertaining read with characters that will have you cheering them on as they figure out what’s next after life-changing events! A great read for your beach or pool bag! Also, a great read for your next book club as it will spark great discussions.

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam (G.P. Putnam's Sons), I was provided an ARC of Just One Taste by Lizzy Dent via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I found this to be a good story. Olive was complicated but relatable. Leo was a nice sexy addition. The background between Olive and her father was somewhat vague, but I think that might have been intentional. Olive's friends were fun and a good balance for her. The setting was amazing and makes me want to go to Italy right now. The foods mentioned made me hungry. Overall a solid read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

I fully want to live inside this book. I have never wanted to go to Italy or eat pasta more than while I was reading, which is a true testament to Lizzy’s writing.

There are just so many things about this book that I love: Olive’s strong female friendships, her complicated relationship with her dad (been there), Leo’s genuine kindness and support of Olive, and that there is drama toward the end, but it does not revolve around the couple.

I’m really excited for this to be published and think readers will eat it up!

Thank you Putnam and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored Just One Taste! I thought Dent did an incredible job weaving in the Italian setting with the story. Dent's writing transported me back to my time in Italy. I liked how Dent used the setting to further Leo and Olive's relationship. The relationship progression between Leo and Olive was chef's kiss (ha!). The slow burn was done fabulously. I thought the tension and chemistry between Leo and Olive was done perfectly. Olive was a great FMC and Leo was a wonderful book boyfriend. Dent did a great job describing Olive's grief. I liked Olive's best friends and the various Italian side characters. I thought the plot of the story was interesting. The added depth with Nicky made the plot feel more elevated. I wish there was a bit more closure at the end with the dad storyline. For how fast that plot line came on, there could have been more details in further chapters. Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC.

I thought this book was cute. It was a typical Lizzy Dent romance book. I feel like this is a good one to read if you like to travel.

In 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦, food journalist and restaurant critic Olive Stone receives an unexpected inheritance from her estranged father—his Italian restaurant, Nicky’s, and the building it occupies. She has not spoken with him much since her parents’ divorce over a decade ago, but he has given her the business and property on one condition. She must go to Italy with his protege and finish researching and writing his cookbook. Olive intends to sell the place, but complications arise as she and chef Leo work on the project together, get to know each other, and deepen their bond.
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). From start to finish, I found myself smiling on every page, even at times with tears streaming down my face. It's amazing how well Lizzy Dent tackled the complexity of losing a parent that you had a complicated relationship with, while also making me fall in love and laugh *literally* out loud.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book— food journalist and restaurant critic Olive receives her estranged father’s Italian restaurant after his passing. She can have the business and property if she goes to Italy and finishes researching and writing his Italian cookbook with his protege, Leo.

If you love traveling and eating, this book is for you! The way Lizzy describes food— I was seriously dreaming about booking a trip asap. The book felt like an ode to Italy and its cuisine.

I will say the romance aspect felt like a sub-plot to the food research, eating and writing, which felt like a miss for me. I loved both Olive and Leo, but wish there was more angst, chemistry and heat shown between them.

I was gifted this ARC by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I’ll start with a trigger warning for the death of a parent. I’m sure it was hinted to in the description, but I judged a book by its cover and just dove in blind. I’d lost my own father a few years ago and like the MC, I was in a weird place with him relationship wise when it happened with a lot left unsaid I would never be able to talk through with him, so this hit home which was both a little too much but also therapeutic in a way to see someone experience something similar. I liked the story. I liked the Italy experience through dishes and yes, this book will make you super hungry. Where I was a bit bummed is that the author went out of her way to mock books and movies about restaurants and how they’re romanticized and then went and did the same thing. It’s one thing to describe a trope and then dismantle it, but it’s a bit weird to mock it and then do it yourself. This alluded to works like Eat, Pray, Love and Under the Tuscan Sun like it was going to parody them and then take a sharp detour but it landed in the same camp with a bit of No Reservations tied in. I enjoyed the read, but I don’t see myself reaching for it for a second read or anxiously awaiting another read from the author.

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!