Some of this was a bit much as far as the writing goes, but some cringe and clunky at times writing aside and considering it's a debut, I enjoyed it.

Cassie, a lawyer climbing her way to the top loses her boyfriend tragically in the very early pages of this book and discovers he has been hiding a secret life from her months after his passing. He's one of New York's best food critics. She ends up taking a sabbatical from work and steps in as James on a opportunity out of the country.

This book did a great job at covering themes of loss, love, and self reflection. The story is sweet and relatable but the pacing wasn't it for me.

I wish I was able to see the two of them connect more in the beginning because I think it would have made their relationship feel more impactful, more significant. Overall a sweet, fun, quick read.

I have to say, I’m not a foodie, so some of the food descriptions were a bit much for me. But beyond that, the storyline was incredible—unlike anything I’ve read before, which made it a real treat. The author did a beautiful job with character development and conveying emotions. The ending left me wanting more; maybe we’ll get to explore the Orient in a sequel?
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Eat Post Like is the debut novel by Emily Arden Wells. The story follows Cassie, a dedicated lawyer whose relentless work ethic has left her with little time for her boyfriend, James. She believes she can always prioritize her relationship later, especially as she strives for the next promotion. Tragedy strikes when James dies in a car accident, prompting Cassie to reevaluate how she’s spending her life. Her journey of self-discovery intensifies when she uncovers James's secret as an anonymous food reviewer.

The novel resonated with me, encouraging reflection on my own passions. With themes of love, loss, and finding oneself through grief, it offers a poignant yet enjoyable read. The vivid descriptions transport readers to places they might not otherwise visit, showcasing the author’s architectural background. While some passages felt a bit dense, they didn’t detract from the overall experience. I rated the plot and pacing a 3.5 out of 5, noting that the main conflict emerged too late in the story, leaving the conclusion feeling rushed. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys general fiction with light romance, as well as foodies and travel enthusiasts.

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

I don’t even know how to feel about this. The plot was good, but the characters felt like they were supposed to have a big background and they just didn’t. They had no depth. Writing style wasn’t my thing

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC. I am very grateful!

DNF - but made it to 65% so I'm counting it towards being read!

I really wanted to WANT to finish this story but unfortunately I could not connect to it the way that I hoped. The synopsis seemed promising and while I did remain curious of how the storyline would continue to play out, I ultimately could not make it passed the dialogue.
For me there was simply too much of it and it often fell flat because it didn't read as authentic. I didn't feel like what the characters were saying were believable nor did I connect with any of them. Especially Cassie's friend, Ruby.
I wish we got a bit more of Cassie and James relationship at the beginning, just to sort of build more of a tether and have more of his presence as we continue on with her journey of taking over his account, making her own, and then rewriting that journey to be her own. I may update this review as I think more about it and I do hope to read this entirely in the future to see if anything has changed!

Eat Post Like is a very sweet story dealing with love, loss, food, and self discovery. Cassie was a great character and is someone I'd love to be friends with in real life!

Such a great and quick read. Love the cover and the title of the book. Relatable contemporary should be the genre for this book.

Cassie thinks she has it all. A great job and an adoring boyfriend. What more could a girl need? When James dies suddenly Cassie finds out that he’s been running a secret food critic instagram account with over 1 million followers. Hurt and shocked by the revelation Cassie starts to question what she once knew. Taking a sabbatical from her job she decides to step in for James on a critic opportunity overseas.

This is a beautiful story about grief and loss, and finding yourself after losing someone important. Cassie gets the opportunity to reevaluate her life after the loss of her boyfriend and finds that maybe her life isn’t what she wants after all. Cassie is a well written deep character. Thanks netgalley and the publishers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emily, when can we meet for coffee to talk about how cute this story is?! Because I have not read a more adorable book in a long time. I absolutely loved every page. It was just darling. I so fell in love with the main character. I can not wait for your next novel!

A sweet read about self-discovery with fabulous scene setting and descriptions of delicious meals. This certainly made me wish I was a food critic being flown to fabulous hotels and restaurants!

When Cassie’s boyfriend, James, dies in an accident, her life turns upside down. She is already burning out at work and now grieving. To make matters worse, she discovers her boyfriend ran a very popular and anonymous Instagram account that helped make or break restaurants. Cassie’s curiosity gets the best of her and she accepts an invitation to Europe on James’s behalf…

This was cute - I do not think it is a romance though there are elements of a romance. It is really more of a story about Cassie figuring out what makes her happy. It is clear the author knows a lot about food and wine and that was fun to read about (though it also made me envious of a fictional character’s life :)).

Thank you very much to Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

This book was so cute and it made me grin throughout the story.
Cassie is such a delightful character and I really enjoyed in getting to know her..I loved what she did and Ben is right about one thing.
Those of who can't or don't get to go to these exotic places we get to go through people like Cassie and Ben.
What a delightful adventure this was! I was drawn into the story from the beginning. I had to see how Cassie was gonna pull this off. I wasn't disappointed.
I learned much from her about what makes these kinds of people who want to entertain people lime us.
Truly a delightful and fun read.
5 stars from me and for taking me on a wonderful adventure
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine