This was a fun read. Lots and lots and lots of beautiful descriptions of food, most of which made me very hungry. I did think that some of the food description was a little much - I get it, it's Europe, the food is amazing - but it was all very much in service to the overall plot. So, if being a food voyeur isn't your thing, this might not be for you. But if you do enjoy that, and also a slow-ish pace, and character introspection, this might be the romantic (NOT romance!) read for you. At the end of the day, there wasn't a lot here that was new or surprising, but the story was fun. My main quibble is that the author never developed anything of the B/C plot, other than to use it as a plot device to force the main character to confront her issues - I would have liked a little something more there, relating to the friend. But, overall, a good time! Rounded up from 3.5 stars.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked that this plot wasn't so focused on a driven woman who didn't realize what she wanted out of life til the end of the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon / Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this debut novel is great. I love the play on 'Eat, Pray, Love' and the rediscovering of self that the FMC went on. Overall, it was a good story. I didn't feel connected to the characters, however. Maybe if there was more development of the FMC's relationship prior to its unfortunate ending I would have felt more connected.
The food descriptions were a bit excessive and could have been dialed back. Unless, you are a foodie you may be a little lost with some descriptions.
Again, overall, this a good debut novel.

Cassie got my attention from the beginning. While she doesn't show much emotion with the grief of losing her boyfriend, her "try something new" attitude had me picking up this book often.
I wouldn't classify this book as a romance, but more of a contemporary fiction.

Pros:
Easy read
Light hearted
Great MCs
Fun food facts

Cons:
Detailed food talk (I had to look up most of the dishes)
Meh ending...
Not enough romance between Cassie and foodie friend, Eamon

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.
#eatpostlike #netgalley

What a beautiful story. I think I was expecting more surface level food influencer and what I got was a deeply moving story about real life for so many. I loved the premise of the story and while I wished to get more of the character James , I loved how Cassie was able to know him from a different side. This has a theme of lose of a loved one, but speaks to the resilience and remberance of those hear and lost.

What a novel idea! The storyline was thrilling and captivating. I devoured the book quickly and was left wanting more because of its flawless pacing. The characters weren't too corny and were likeable. I would love to be friends with Cassie in real life because she was such a wonderful character!

Cassie and her boyfriend James have been together 2 years; she is a lawyer and he is an accountant. She loves him and thinks she will marry him, he gives her grief because she really works too much. Then he does in a car accident. She finds some disguises and journals and realizes he was a successful New York culinary food blogger on instagram. She then takes ivermectin his account and starts writing reviews. He was invited to a 4 week travel trip in Europe and she goes on the trip and meets some new friends.

I feel a bit like I got catfished with this book. I was expecting a journey through grief book and instead it became a travel and food book. I like eating as much as the next guy; but lengthy descriptions of luxury food just aren’t that interesting to me. If you really like travel and food books you may like this.

Also; then it bothered me that James best friend is horrible to her for “stealing” his identity and his “life’s work.” What? This is an anonymous instagram account. He never got any credit to begin with and apparently he liked it that way. He’s dead, he can’t maintain the following anyway! This seemed like a wonderful way to keep him alive, to continue his legacy. David acted like she did something horrible- what? Like she stole his money or house? It was so self righteous and bizarre that she felt guilty about it. She leaves in the middle of the trip, only to return.

Cassie should have been heartbroken, I didn’t feel like the narrative even really touched on her grief at all? And when she ended up with Ben at the end, an acquaintance from the trip, I totally thought he was gay for some reason so that caught me off guard. It seemed out of left field.

Also she was supposed to be a “food critic” but really she was a food blogger, she literally never said one critical thing about any part of any meal she had.

This one was just not for me. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC. Book to be released June 3, 2025.

Eat Post Like is the kind of novel that sweeps you up, heart and soul, with every page. The way food becomes Cassie’s gateway to self-discovery is nothing short of transformative. This book is as much about finding yourself as it is about savoring life; its joys, losses, and new beginnings. It's a heartwarming tribute to resilience and reminds you that sometimes, losing one dream leads to discovering another you didn’t even know you needed. A true gem for anyone looking to be uplifted, inspired, and maybe a little bit hungry haha.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

This was such a sweet read (no food pun intended)! I really enjoyed the lighthearted feel of this book and the overall premise. Cassie was a loveable FMC, and her emotional journey was a very relatable and compelling one. It was lovely to see her heal and grow throughout this book and fall in love with life all over again. I quickly realized, though, that I could NOT read this book while hungry because those food descriptions were just divine and drool-worthy (so kudos to the author for the incredible descriptions and menu items!).

Thank you to NetGalley and Emily Arden Wells for the chance to read this book. It was such a fun read and I am excited for the world to get to discover it soon, too!

Wow I loved it SO MUCH. I felt so seen as a working mom, a corporate business employee, a foodie, a food IG/TT/Youtuber on the side, and person in her 40s re-prioritizing life. I cried so much with Cassie's regrets, wishing she had re-prioritized soon, wishing she had been able to live this life with James, and the way she finally chose herself. I was actually surprised by the ending, but really appreciated that she chose herself not a relationship at this time until she could figure out her own path. It's not always about the romantic HEA!

We made some big life changes as a family to prioritize each other so it just hit home in so many ways, thank you for putting this out into the world!!

This book had a bit of a slow start, but once I got into it, I really enjoyed it. The trip through Europe made me feel like I was really there and tasting the food along with her!

2.5 stars. For me, it was a bit repetitive. She’s go to a new city, explore, eat at the restaurant, give a review, and repeat for a handful of cities. It was like the movie “Eat, Pray, Love” but with food. I would’ve also liked for there to be more of a buildup between Cassie and James instead of us showing up in the middle of a party. Each dish was very descriptive. Almost too much. I skimmed over a good few of them because I didn’t understand what was being said.

In the beginning it talks about how she loves thrifting, but it’s not mentioned anywhere else. I wish that would’ve been expanded a bit more.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy to read and give my honest review.

This is great if you are a foodie like me. Definitely grab a snack while you're reading this one and don't read while you're hungry! This book does deal with some heavier topics, though it does it in a surface level way. I guess I can appreciate that it was lighter, but I also wish it handled the grief aspect with more depth and emotions.

Eat Post Like is a cute, but adventure filled book. I loved following Cassie on her travels and reading about food from all over. I probably got some FOMO too! It was interesting to watch Cassie navigate her grief journey and love that she chose to try something new and exciting. It did take me a little bit to get into the story, but once I did, I loved it.

Cassie is working hard with the goal of making partner at her law firm by 35. Her boyfriend is very supportive of her goals, even when she often gets called into work mid meal or mid date. One day, she gets a call that James was involved in a car accident and died suddenly and unexpectedly. Months later, while cleaning out his apartment, she finds out that he has secret identities and is the person behind NYC's most popular foodie critic on Instagram, under the handle @NewYorkSecretDiner. When she logs into his account, she sees and accepts a once in a lifetime invitation meant for James and goes on a journey of a lifetime.

I have mixed feelings about this book and would give it 3.5 stars. The plot was interesting but it was really hard for me to relate to Cassie and I'm also not a total foodie so that could've impacted my review. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE food and trying everything, but fancy restaurants will never be my jam and social media and influencers are just a huge turn off. I will say that Emily did an AMAZING job describing all the scenery, especially hotels, restaurants, and the food. I love that these restaurants are real places and not fictional. This book made me want to book a trip to Europe ASAP and made me so hungry! The meal at Noma in Copenhagen sounded absolutely delightful, I would love a behind the scenes peak into that test kitchen. This book led to some awesome discussions about social media, food, travel, and food critics between my friends and I, so I enjoyed that aspect of things.

Overall, it was a fun book to read. If you enjoy Europe, food, and travel, then read it! The story line is okay, but it will take you on a fun journey!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

I really enjoyed the plot/story but the romance was boring. 3.5 stars. I'm not sure if I didn't understand the dryness of the book or if maybe it was too short to build up more emotion. It was interesting despite the dry romance and lack of emotion. I would have loved to see more within the pages of her inner turmoil and emotions and just have more feeling since it has a heavier plot. I also found the David subplot unbelievable and maybe immature? It just didn't make sense fully. I won't say more to avoid spoilers but the potential was there and while I enjoyed the book I wished for more.

This was a good read! I really enjoyed the different characters and the story was well written. I would definitely recommend!

Wow! I went into this book pretty blind and really enjoyed it. What a unique concept! This book definitely gives Emily in Paris vibes and I’m a huge fan of that show! Lots of yummy food descriptions and beautiful settings. The ending was not exactly what I would have chosen but it worked for the story.
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I was so excited for this book. The whole concept of taking over a secret food critic instagram account and having a HUGE adventure across Europe, what isn't to love?

The book deals with some heavy hitting topics, more surface level than deep, but I felt like the characters could have had some more depth to them given what they are going through.

There is a ton of talk and descriptions about food, so have snacks handy or be prepared to be thinking about all the food!!

The whole concept of taking over the account was unique and I really was drawn to it. However, I feel like Cassie (and David) both deserved more character growth, versus being wrapped in a pretty bow.

I would definitely read another novel by Emily again, she has a unique take on things and her writing is simple/easy to read/follow.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Publishing for my DRC.