It took me a little bit to get into this book but the food descriptions had me coming back for more. Cassie is an overworked lawyer in a relationship with James, a sweet accountant who loves food. When James tragically dies in a car accident (wear your seatbelt everyone), Cassie discovers that James was living a double life, but not in the way anyone expected. Through an unexpected series of events Cassie finds herself on a romp across Europe reviewing fine dining establishments with a cast of characters that teach her all about food - and about herself.

Emily Arden Wells shines in her descriptions of food and how she takes us with Cassie on her beautiful journey back to herself. I thought this book was fun, frothy, thoughtful, and a great summer read. But it in your beach bag and enjoy it on the beach, but fair warning, it will have you reevaluating every meal you have and looking for flavor new profiles for at least a week.

I initially had trouble getting into the book because Cassie isn’t particularly likable: a workaholic lawyer in training who doesn’t give her hot accountant boyfriend enough of her time and attention. They seem to have very separate lives. When James unexpectedly passes away, Cassie discovers he’s been moonlighting as the voice behind an award-winning, anonymous restaurant critic with a huge following. Her regret leads her to follow in his footsteps and begin reviewing eateries riding on his coattails. An invitation to Europe because the sabbatical she needs from her dead-end job. While she does some participating as @NewYorkSecretDiner, she also finds her own voice as @EatPostLike.

I didn’t love the several chapters of telling instead of showing to get us to the plot, or her dishonesty, including wage theft by spending time at work on her new hobby. I don’t want to police anyone’s grief, Cassie’s reaction to a monumental loss is barely-there, and her attraction to Eaton (who says things like “you clean up well” and disses Manhattan as a slum compared to Paris) feels unjustified. I hesitate to say it’s too soon, but because the character doesn’t even think about it, I’m left with a lot of questions. I also wanted more character growth.

A meticulous planner, Cassie doesn’t read the itinerary for the upcoming trip, with necessitates a fun shopping spree, but she doesn’t correct her error by reviewing the itinerary. And caught unprepared with a night out at le Jules Verne, a restaurant atop the Eiffel Tower with two Michelin stars, she doesn’t do her research for the next assigned stop, either. When she finally decided to do her homework, we learn what she’s learning (that the chef wants to build a relationship between the place and the food with his cooking). There was a missed opportunity to create a chef, a vision, and seasonal menu items–or wonder about what might be served, since the chef plans based on the freshest market purchases that day. She doesn’t speak French and doesn’t try to learn a single phrase. Cassie, a bit of a neophyte, barely uses Instagram, so there is a steep learning curve, and her newfound friend Ben introduces meta discussion around the pressure to feed the algorithm and appease followers with content. A question from February 2025, when I read this book and wrote the review: is TikTok going to be around in June when this book comes out?

Her best friend Ruby comes across as either supportive or an enabler of bad ideas. James’s best friend, who might have been in on the secret food reviewing, might be on to Cassie’s takeover of the account,

The food writing is top notch, and Wells clearly knows trends, the restaurant reviewing scene, and good eats. In fact, the writing made me so hungry, I needed a snack, and I’m 100% sure my leftover homemade sushi, which was assembled from rice that was somehow both crunchy and mushy, didn’t hold a candle to the red sea bream described.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #EatPostLike via #NetGalley, courtesy of #Harper.

Cassie is a driven Type A lawyer, trying to stay afloat with the insane work schedule of her current law firm in hopes of attaining partner status one day. James is her long-term boyfriend and they regularly enjoy as much time together as they can, particularly enjoying "foodie" adventures around NYC.

Cassie's carefully constructed life collapses when James dies unexpectedly in a tragic accident.

Overhwhelmed with grief, Cassie tries to come to terms with this unfathomable loss. However, when she discovers a secret life that James was leading as an acclaimed food critic on Instagram, Cassie decides in a fit of inspiration? insanity? to claim James' opportunity to travel to Europe as a restaurant critic for an acclaimed food awards circuit.

As she travels throughout Italy, France, and Spain, Cassie discovers the exquisite pleasures of world-class cuisine, the thrill of new friendships, and the chance to reclaim joy which just might lead to profound changes to her own life.

Arden Wells has a background with food and wine which is evident in the veritable love letter to fine dining that permeates the novel. Cassie, as a character was a little "wooden." I would have loved to see more character development with her and more background in her relationship with James to fully comprehend the significance of her loss.

Ending resolutions of the novel were a little too rushed and some key points were left unresolved to my disappointment. (I'm being purposefully vague to avoid spoilers).

This novel is a fun journey that I would have loved to be taken a few steps further to truly achieve the emotional resonance it was aiming towards.

Eat Post Like is a heartfelt and uplifting debut that blends self-discovery, resilience, and the universal comfort of food into a beautifully written journey.

Cassie Brooks has spent years chasing success at a top New York law firm, content with the demanding hours and the steady presence of her boyfriend, James. But when James tragically passes away, her world is shattered. In the midst of her grief, she stumbles upon his biggest secret—he was the anonymous force behind the city's hottest foodie account. What’s more, he had plans to include Cassie in his culinary adventures.

What starts as a simple attempt to honor James’s memory soon turns into an unexpected adventure. Cassie finds herself stepping out of her rigid, career-driven life and into a world of flavors, travel, and personal reinvention. From indulging in exquisite pasta in Italy to exploring Parisian cafés, she slowly rediscovers joy—but with a new secret identity and a growing following, she faces the challenge of balancing her past, present, and future.

This novel is equal parts poignant and inspiring, with mouthwatering descriptions of food and a touching exploration of love, loss, and second chances. Cassie’s journey of healing and self-discovery made for an engaging and rewarding read. If you love stories about finding purpose after heartbreak—with a side of delicious cuisine—Eat Post Like is a must-read and I cant wait to buy the book!

Cassie has just lost her long term boyfriend when she discovers he has a whole life as a food influencer. She does end up mimicking and eventually taking over the roll for herself.

Here's the thing, I adored the book. It was emotional in all of the right spots. I loved the way the food and the tour of the world was laid out. It felt like I was there getting to experience it myself.

I wish the side characters were fleshed out a little bit more. But overall, I loved the book.

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the ARC.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I just finished reading Eat Post Like by Emily Arden Wells, and I’m still buzzing from the experience. The novel follows Cassie Brooks—a lawyer whose world is turned upside down after her boyfriend’s sudden death. What really grabbed me was how Cassie’s journey into her boyfriend’s secret food blogging life became a pathway to healing and self-discovery.

Wells’ writing is immersive; her vivid descriptions of New York and Paris almost make you taste the city’s flavors. Although I felt some of the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more, the emotional depth and raw honesty in Cassie’s journey more than made up for it. If you’re into stories where food meets healing and adventure, this one’s a must-read.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced reader copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Eat Post Like is (obviously) a take on Eat Pray Love, but severely lacks the heart it should draw from the inspiring source. The concept is cheesy without much room for redemption, and the romance is sweet albeit boring.

Thanks so much to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the eArc!

3.5 stars

I really did like this one - though a few things took me out of it. As someone who does social media for a living, I found it hard to read about the mistakes Cassie made with her account(s) throughout the book. It was a little frustrating and I wanted to shake her and say “get it together!” because so many of her problems were caused by her own carelessness. Additionally, I found it kind of hard to believe that team who hired Cassie wouldn’t have done a bit more research on who she was leading up to the trip. It seemed a little improbable to me!

Now for what was super appealing - the descriptive and vivid imagery of food, fashion, and travel. I think the writing style is approachable, fresh, and fun, and it felt like talking to a close friend or hanging out to catch up with a coworker. I felt Cassie’s frustration with her job, her pain in her loss, and her anxiety while traveling and exploring places/her new career for the first time. I rooted for her to find her way through to the other side of it all and found the ending to be a fun way to close it out.

I’d definitely read more by Emily Arden Wells! She has a voice made for the contemporary romcom or travel fiction novel. I look forward to seeing what she does next.

3.5 stars ⭐️ I personally did not love the writing style but I did like the plot! The writing style made it hard for me to get into.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

an original take on a trope that I love. Great cover, great pacing.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy!

The novel follows Cassie who has everything planned out. But tragedy strikes and she's a little lost. But when she uncovers a secret she goes on a little adventure filled with food, loss and finding oneself.
The food and travel parts of this book were brilliant. I liked Cassie as the mc because her emotional journey is not perfect but that's what makes it beautiful.


Thanks to netgalley and publisher for the arc.

*I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. Not exactly what I was expecting

Eat Post Like by Emily Arden Wells is a delightful and visually stunning book that perfectly blends the art of cooking with the creativity of food photography and social media. As a food enthusiast and aspiring food blogger, I found this book to be an invaluable resource for honing my culinary skills and enhancing my online presence. Emily's passion for food and photography shines through every page. The book is filled with mouthwatering recipes that are both accessible and inspiring. Each recipe is accompanied by beautifully styled photographs that make you want to jump into the kitchen and start cooking immediately. What sets this book apart is its focus on creating visually appealing content for social media. Emily provides practical tips and techniques for capturing the perfect shot, from lighting and composition to editing and posting. Her advice is easy to follow and incredibly helpful for anyone looking to elevate their food photography game. Overall, Eat Post Like is not just a cookbook but a comprehensive guide to making your culinary creations shine on social media. Whether you're a seasoned foodie or just starting out, this book will inspire you to create, cook, and share with confidence. Highly recommended for food lovers, bloggers, and anyone with a passion for beautiful, delicious content.

Thank you Net galley for the advanced copy. I enjoyed the book but I did not love . It fell a little short for me and didn’t capture me. I felt the story had potential but just couldn’t love the characters .

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

In this book we find Cassie, a burnt-out lawyer who is trying to climb her way to the top. Tragically her boyfriend passes away, and Cassie discovers a secret social media account he’s been hiding from her. James (the boyfriend) is one of New York’s best food critics. To connect with her boyfriend and work through her grief, Cassie decides to take over the account and pretend to be a food influencer.

Coming into this book, I really wanted to love it because I felt like the premise was so fresh and not something we see all the time. There was just something about the writing style that didn’t jive with me. I like to think of myself as a bit of a foodie, but even for me all the food descriptions were a little much. I did however like that this book followed Cassie’s journey through self-discovery and grief. I wish it just pushed a little more though. It felt like the character development was always almost there, but not quite there. That being said, this was not bad for a debut novel.

I loved this one. It's escapist and fun, and full of food and wine with a finding yourself amidst vacation vibe that worked for me. Cassie is attempting to make partner at her law firm while in a long term relationship with James, an accountant. When he is suddenly killed, she finds out that James was actually a food critic and she steps into his identity, scoring a trip to Europe. On this trip she finds herself, and maybe even love. I just found this book to be a fun romp with a dose of examining grief and finding oneself. Grief in romance novels works for me in the best way and this was no different.

I also would not necessarily classify this as a romance, because it's not your typical HEA story. I just really enjoyed this and it was so needed in January of 2025... as an American.

The cover of this book reminded me of Emily in Paris. I really liked the idea of this book but it was heavily focused on food. But I did find Cassies emotional journey very relatable. It was definitely a struggle from me to finish this book. I’m not sure if I’d read it again. I guess it’s true when they say not to judge a book by its cover.. oops!

Thank you NetGalley, Emily and Avon and Harper Voyager for the E-ARC!

Publication Date: June 3rd 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

#NetGalley #EatPostLike

Unfortunately, despite the great title, this was not a good read for me. The idea was great, and I was looking forward to reading about two people falling in love over food, with someone waiting in the wings to ruin the love match. What I got were pages and pages of food descriptions with the odd interjection of actual story to pull it forward, and even then, those didn't dig deep. I wanted to feel the love and the sadness, the charm, the slow burn, the character development, the mental stress of loving again. It was a struggle to keep reading to a disappointing end.

Not super stoked about this one. Was hoping this was going to be a more literary fiction route but we threw took a turn and started to talk about food more then anything. Wish we could have heard more about her journey then anything

This review is based on an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review.

This review may contain spoilers

I found the premise of this debut novel intriguing, while I did struggle with some of the excessive food descriptions, I still enjoyed the story. The details were so vivid that I could almost taste what was being described, and while I did appreciate that sensory experience, there were moments when the food details seemed to take precedence over the plot.

Cassie's boyfriend tragically passes away and this changes the trajectory of her life. In an attempt to cope, she takes over her late boyfriend's anonymous Instagram account and pretends to be a food influencer. Her journey of self-discovery, the adventures she embarks on, and the relationships she forms kept me engrossed in this book. The side characters brought some levity and I loved having them add depth to the narrative.

I was left somewhat unsatisfied with the resolution of certain storylines with supporting characters and I thought the ending was certainly a surprise! Overall, I found this book easy to read and I would still recommend it for those looking for a low romance/spice heartfelt story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. #EatPostLike #NetGalley