The entire time, I envisioned Demi Lovato as Molly. Anyone else?

Food Person is the book equivalent of a popcorn movie. It's a fun ride, with lots of heart, and while it's not overly intellectual or complex, there is some beautiful food writing and the characters are complicated and well developed. I liked that this wasn't a standard issue rom com-- that the relationships with Molly and Isabella's mom are just as important (or even more so) than the romantic relationship that develops. I also liked that each character is messy and imperfect and that the author didn't feel a need to soften their edges just for the sake of making them "likable". I did find Isabella's reticence to ghostwrite to be a bit annoying and unrealistic, like it only existed because we needed internal conflict and an obstacle for her to overcome. But overall, I enjoyed the book.

I am someone who daydreams of what I'm going to make for dinner while I eat my lunch. I am someone who checks out 6 cookbooks at once from my local library so I can find the best of the best. I am someone who will ask if we can both order things that the other wants to try so that we can split them and try multiple things from the menu. I am someone who taught myself to cook complex meals because I couldn't go another day eating the tuna casserole my grandma made for the 3rd time that week. Basically, this book was a match made in heaven for me.

Food Person follows Isabella, a recently fired food writer who finds herself being asked to ghostwrite a cookbook for Molly Babcock, a mildly disgraced Hollywood starlet trying to resurrect her acting career. Isabella is a true food person, and Molly...doesn't eat. I'm sure you can imagine all the shenanigans that ensues between the two as their visions for the cookbook clash.

Roberts experience as a food writer absolutely shines here. Any scene involving food had my mouth watering. I felt nostalgic about meals I've never had. I daydreamed of cooking in a beautiful kitchen in New York.

I'm seeing a lot of people say that every character was too unlikeable, but all I saw was a cast of characters that felt complicated and real. There were parts that were silly and made me laugh, and also themes I don't see explored very often. Touching moments involving complicated family relationships, dealing with grief, and growing apart from friends that you built your life around. Yeah, sometimes Isabella sucked. Sometimes I suck too. We're all out here doing our best.

I can't agree that this should be reworked as a cute romcom, because what I loved the most about this is that it isn't ABOUT the relationship (although it's very cute). It's about a girl who goes out and discovers how she wants to live her life, really questions who she is and wants to be, and just happens to fall in love along the way. And isn't that the way it should be done?

Look out for Food Person when it comes out on May 20th, 2025.

Big thank you to Knopf and Netgalley for giving me access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Food Person” is a fast and furious debut novel by celebrity chef Adam D. Roberts. His cookbooks and blogs have already established his expertise on the art of fine cuisine and the New York restaurant scene. His fiction brings it all to life with a natural storytelling gift. Despite some cliched characters, contrived conflicts, slapstick disasters, and barely believable resolutions, “Food Person” is a fun read.

At first, nothing about the heroine appealed to me. Isabella Pasternak doesn’t care that she is out of shape and overweight. She is a collector of cookbooks. Her favorite pastime is cooking and eating. Timid, meek, and frumpy, Isabella ends every sentence with a question mark or an “I’m sorry.”

How did she get a job interviewing people for a trendy food magazine?

When summoned from her usual quiet work to fill in on a livestream cooking demo, Isabella fails miserably and gets fired. Her boss insults her as a zero-personality “sad girl in dirty overalls.”

Isabella’s gay roommate/BFF doesn’t get to do the trope of reinventing her with new clothes and salon visits (though we do get the inevitable scene where frumpy heroine sets foot in a store where a gay clothier does the fashion do-over). The gay-best-friend does get to be the catalyst for Isabella's next gig: ghostwriting a cookbook for Molly Babcock, known more for her terrible life choices than her former role in a TV series.

How is Isabella supposed to create a cookbook with this dysfunctional starlet who doesn’t even eat for fear of gaining an ounce of body fat? The answer might be buried in Molly’s tragic history with her dear, departed mother. Isabella makes an incredible find, but for every good thing that happens in this story, something terrible will undermine everything.

While the slapstick and comedy of errors entertain us, deeper themes about friendship, family, and forgiveness make this more than a rom-com for chefs.

Molly, the “hot mess” of booze, bad boyfriends, and unreliability, provides plenty of drama and conflict. To forge a friendship with her and build trust is a herculean task. With every inch forward, this relationship quickly takes several steps back. “Friendship” was never part of the job description anyway. Despite the demeaning words Molly inflicts on poor, already demoralized Isabella, the spirit of forgiveness and second chances prevails.

Molly calls Isabella a person nobody cares about. A person with zero talent. A nobody. You being you isn’t enough, Molly tells her. We all have to make some kind of effort to be more attractive.

How does Isabella attract the interest of a really hot guy? It's not clearly explained. Gabe, the the apparently rare chef who isn’t gay, sees in Isabella something even we the readers can barely see.

Gabe is ethical. He has humility. When Isabella veers perilously into the realm of petty and vengeful, Gabe steers her toward the right path.

This is not a cautionary tale, but I kept wishing it would go there. Namely:

FIRE BLANKETS

A ten-dollar fire blanket should be the number-one accessory in every kitchen, especially that of a professional chef. Nowhere in this novel do we hear of this amazing and user-friendly alternative to the outmoded fire extinguisher. Granted, we need cooking mishaps and fire to make the story entertaining, but the final episode with fire was a bit much for me. Bring on the fire blanket! Don’t let an entire abode go down in flame!

Great storytellers however do not act like mothers. They let their characters do unfathomably stupid things.

Speaking of mothers…. Mrs. Pasternak is the trope of the Jewish mom, complaining, criticizing, tossing out Yiddish phrases. Roberts redeems her, however, and reminds us how the untimely loss of a loved one can affect our emotional well being. While Isabella is quietly mourning the untimely demise of her kind and gentle father, her grieving mother copes in unorthodox ways, scavenging, hoarding, and salvaging things other people throw away–including expired food–and cooking for food pantries.

Roberts pushes the idea that expired food is rancid, rotten, and dangerous. BUT. Most of the time, it’s hard to tell if something is expired except by locating the date on the can, jar, box or bag. Also, many items remain edible past the “best by” date. I have found eggs in my fridge that were months past the expiration date. No odor! Just, the yolks look wrinkled, and it’s time to donate these to the compost heap. The scene where Isabella takes out her frustrations on expired eggs just made me wince and cringe, but others will probably laugh.

I can believe an elderly woman not detecting the faintly “off” odor or texture of an expired tin of tomato paste, but it’s hard to believe that she cooks awful entrees (truly revolting recipes of her own invention) with expired food and donates the stuff to local shelters. Since when do they accept cooked food from someone’s home? No matter. For the sake of a good story, I’ll go along with it. Isabella’s mother is a menace, a cause of food poisoning among the needy. Moving On:

Isabella’s self esteem has been eroded in large part by her mother. She finally confronts her with a long overdue message about boundaries--“The preeminent concept in all therapy podcasts and self-help books, the million-dollar word Isabella had never applied to herself.”

I learned a new word:
“You’ve been negging me my whole life ,” Isabella tells her mom. “Being negative toward me.”

The mother/daughter scene came just in time. I had been finding less and less to like about Isabella with every scene. Of course we will get to see our heroine transform into someone stronger and better; it just takes one disaster after another. And another. And another.

Here is the best thing about the novel, for me: Isabella does not remove her mother as toxic. She forgives. She keeps

The final scene may come across as a fairy tale, but I love redemption and happy endings. I especially love the way Isabella forgives her mother instead of removing her from her life as TOXIC, which is a trend these days. Thank you, thank you, Adam D. Roberts, for promoting the idea that people are flawed but we can forgive them and love them AND keep them in our lives.

I found myself skimming a lot of the exquisitely detailed cooking scenes, but this one hit home:

“Coq au vin sounds simple: render the bacon, brown the chicken in the bacon fat, saute the mirepoix (carrots, onions, celery), add the flour, stew with red wine. She didn’t crank the burners up too high during the browning. She caramelized the chicken a few pieces at a time, careful not to crowd the pan, careful not to flip them until the skin detached naturally.”

No exotic ingredients. That’s my kind of cooking.

If you prefer simple food, family dinners, church potlucks, and literary fiction, you might prefer something more along the lines of “Babette’s Feast.” If you’d pay a thousand dollars a plate and wait a year for a place at the table of some prestigious chef, this is your kind of novel.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor/Knopf for an Advance Review Copy of this novel.

#FoodPerson #NetGalley

You won’t want to read this one on an empty stomach, that’s for sure! Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy.

Isabella loves food. She loves cooking it, talking about it, eating it, even writing about it. Cookbooks are her favorite thing to read, and she dreams of writing her own someday.

When she gets fired from her job at an online food magazine after a livestream demonstration goes horribly off track (she’s not good in front of a camera), she doesn’t know what her next step should be. But when she is offered the chance to ghostwrite a cookbook for Molly Babcock, a television actress with a robust online presence, she eventually realizes this could help raise her profile.

Of course, it’s not long before Isabella realizes that Molly barely eats anything, let alone cooks. She seems completely disinterested in any of Isabella’s attempts to set a vision for the cookbook, but she is very vocal about what she doesn’t want. Isabella’s publishers want her just to write a cookbook in Molly’s voice, but how can she do that if she doesn’t know what Molly’s voice is?

She begins to see glimpses of Molly’s personality when she’s not “on,” trying to recapture her once-promising career. But will that be enough? Can Isabella loosen up and be open to embracing Molly’s vision, whatever it is?

It really felt as if this book would be right up my alley given how much I love food/cooking-related books. And while the food descriptions and industry gossip was on point, the plot itself wasn’t as strong as I had hoped, and neither main character was particularly likable. But it still was fun.

The book will publish 5/20/2025.

A charming novel about picking yourself up and learning what is important.

Isabella has been fired from her job as a food writer. Her roommate wants her to ghostwrite a cookbook with a celebrity. Isabella agrees to take on the job of working with the spoiled, selfish star Molly. Together, Isabella and Molly fight about everything and Isabella is ready to quit when an accident changes everything.

Isabella and Molly end up learning to trust each other and find matters most. Good pacing and realistic characters make this a fun read

This book was difficult for me to get into but ultimately I really enjoyed it. Roberts food writing is superb, I wanted to eat every dish! I also appreciated that it felt original in that I couldn’t predict where it was going or where it was going to land. I don’t know if writing from a female POV was the optimal choice for this author, I would be interested to hear his take on how Isabella came to be. I would happily read more from this author, and I look forward to seeing what he does next!

Isabella Pasternak loves food above all else. Working as a food journalist, she dreams of becoming a cookbook author. After Isabella is fired from her job writing for a digital food magazine, she is unexpectedly offered the opportunity to ghostwrite a cookbook for Molly Bobcock. Molly is a former television star, who is now mostly known for her scandalous personal life.

Isabella reluctantly accepts the job and soon finds Molly is very difficult to work with, not least of all because she seems to hate food. But along the way, Isabella begins to suspect there is more to Molly than she lets on — and that there may be a cookbook in the stories that Molly has hidden from the world. But will Isabella be able to coax a cookbook out of Molly? Or will the whole endeavor blow up in their faces?

This was a highly enjoyable and engaging story. It offers interesting insights into both the worlds of food and fame. It also a thought-provoking examination of ambition.

Highly recommended!

I am a huge foodie so I was so excited to read this! I loved the description of food, making me so hungry reading this! But I wasn’t really expecting the romance side of this book. This wasn’t really interesting in any way and the characters were so unlikable. I love the cover though!

I usually end my reviews by thanking Netgalley, but this novel was such a delightful surprise that I’m starting with a big thank you. Food Person is simply the loveliest, freshest novel I’ve read in a long time. It’s the story of Isabella and Molly, very different women who are brought together to create a cookbook. Isabella is supposed to be a “ghostwriter “ for the supremely arrogant actress Molly on her comeback after years as of being a “has been.”

They are absolute opposites, but somehow Roberts brings them together as they labor to create a viable cookbook. Both women have very different and difficult relationships with parents, Isabella with her mother and Molly with her father. It is an old collection of Molly’s mother’s recipes that acts as a catalyst for the cookbook and the relationship of the women.

BTW, I usually dislike books about food and cooking, I am an eater not a preparer. This book made me a convert. Bravo Adam Robert’s for creating a delicious summer SOUFFLÉ, which shouldn’t be missed.

BIG THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THIS ARC.

I had a feeling I would love this book from the plot description alone—and I was right! An utterly charming comedy of manners about ambition, friendship, and (of course) cooking, FOOD PERSON follows Isabella Pasternak and Molly Babcock, who couldn't be more different. Isabella is a bona fide "food person," who gets unceremoniously fired from her job as a writer for a digital food magazine after a disastrous live-streamed recipe demonstration. Molly is a once-beloved TV actress whose thriving career is now tarnished by scandal...and she couldn't care less about food. Isabella and Molly's worlds collide when Isabella is offered the opportunity to help Molly ghost-write a cookbook. While the two get off to a rocky start, they soon begin to realize that there's more to each other that meets the eye—and that they might have found true friendship in the most unexpected place of all. Can Isabella get Molly out of the gossip magazines and into the kitchen? Or will this cookbook collaboration end up in flames?

I could not put this book down! I tried to savor it, like one of the delicious dishes discussed in the story, but I ended up devouring it in just a couple of sittings. Adam Roberts's writing style is so witty and engaging, and he does a fantastic job of developing each character, making you want to root for them even in their most frustrating moments. The side characters were a blast to read about, from Isabella's ambitious roommate and best friend Owen and her well-meaning yet sometimes misguided mother Jeannie, to the swoon-worthy Gabe and Molly's seemingly acerbic sister Fiona. However, the true heart of the story is definitely Isabella and Molly's dynamic, and their respective journeys. Both of them are vastly different as characters—Isabella prefers to stay behind the camera, while Molly's grown up in front of it; Isabella loves to cook, while Molly can barely chop up kale correctly. Yet somehow, they bring out the best in each other.

I also loved how Roberts explores the uncertainty both women feel in regards to figuring out their careers and what kind of people they want to be, and takes readers into the world of food writing and celebrity culture (and where the two might intersect). He perfectly balances the humorous, lighthearted tone of the story with some deeper topics, and the result is a truly heartwarming concoction! Whether you are a diehard foodie or not a "food person" at all, there's no doubt you'll find something to enjoy in FOOD PERSON. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC.

If you're as obsessed as I am with novels about food then this is definitely one to dip your toes into. At the center is Isabella Pasternack: food-obsessed, cookbook-devoted, and recently fired from her job at a digital food magazine after a live-streamed soufflé goes spectacularly wrong. Down on her luck but never short on culinary passion, she accepts a gig ghostwriting a cookbook for Molly Babcock, a scandal-ridden Hollywood starlet with little interest in food and even less in structure. What follows is a deliciously chaotic journey through late-night texts, restaurant kitchens, misadventures in cookbook writing, and the slow, surprising evolution of friendship between two unlikely women. Isabella’s obsessive love of food—her deep reverence for Chez Panisse, her apartment stacked with cookbooks like sacred texts—collides with Molly’s unpredictable and often infuriating indifference. But where the story truly shines is in its quiet moments: an unexpected confession, a perfectly prepared dish, or a disastrous meeting that somehow brings them closer. Roberts, known for his sharp wit and culinary insight, laces this novel with insider knowledge from the food world—the ghostwriters behind glossy cookbooks, the hustle of underpaid sous-chefs, the whispered names of the “it” restaurants. His prose is peppered with humor and flavor, crafting scenes that feel as vivid as a well-seasoned stew.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: May 20, 2025

Listen, I despised almost all the characters in this but also kinda loved the book? I don’t generally like such wildly unlikeable characters, and there were so many times I just wanted to shake the book to slap these insanely selfish idiots…but I couldn’t put it down. Loved all the foodie references and the glimmer of redemption!

I was put off by some of the plot points and characters early in the book, but ended up enjoying this debut. While this is definitely a story of flawed characters, I found myself rooting for them more and more as the book went on (especially Isabella) and wanting to find out where they ended up. Great food descriptions and overall an entertaining read

While it was interesting to learn about the world of cookbooks and the creation process, the actual story here was a miss for me. I picked this book up because I was intrigued by the idea of Isabella’ navigating a tenuous relationship with her mother and her strange working relationship with celebrity Molly Babcock and instead of a female centered story, I was surprised at the amount she is saved by the men in her life. Her father is the reason she fell in love with cookbooks. Her roommate is the main reason she has a place to live and helps her get the job that drives this book. There’s a romance subplot that seems to merely exist as Isabella’s moral guide — and also gives her a place to live. Ultimately the plot is predictable, and the books ends with everyone nicely in their happy place. Thank you to NetGalley for a free ebook in exchange for this honest review.

After being fired from her food writing job, the timid Isabella is forced to accept a job ghost writing a cookbook for a D-list celebrity who has absolutely no experience in the kitchen. I read this ARC because the cover is straight up adorable, as was the premise. But the story lacked direction and nearly all the characters (except Gabe) were insufferable. Besides the delicious food descriptions, this was a total drag.

2 stars ⭐️⭐️

I wanted to like this book so bad but the writing just screamed juvenile and was not very attention grabbing from the beginning. Gave a lot of detail about random things

This book had a lot of potential and I like pretty much any book with humor in it. That being said, Isabelle is a frustrating character who longs to be something that she really isn't trying to be if that makes sense. Her mom was so over the top it was sad, she could have been a sharper character. Molly was hot and cold with no real explanation as to why she was that way.

I received an ARC from the publishers through NetGalley to review. They say "write what you know" and it's obvious Adam Roberts knows food and the delicate art of ghostwriting a cookbook. This book was very funny. It reminded me of The Devil Wears Prada of the food world. In the story, we follow Isabella as she navigates moving up in her career path of food writing. Isabella's story is supported by some zany characters including her zany mom, nepo-baby roommate Owen, former-starlet Molly Babcock, evil boss Dana, and includes a romantic interlude with a sous chef. I would classify this book as New Adult as there are some adult themes especially regarding relationships. This is not just a comedy book however. Food Person has heart. Isabella does her best to navigate some mental health issues while trying to find where she fits in the culinary writing world. Four stars.

Loved the food world references! Food Person is the story of a food writer, Isabella, who has aspirations to write her own cookbooks. After getting fired from her food column role, Isabella reluctantly takes a job as a ghostwriter for a cookbook by former teen tv star Molly Babcock, The book tells the journey of Isabella and Molly’s rocky working relationship and friendship, as well as diving into their family backgrounds and relationships with food. I really enjoyed the NYC setting and restaurant and cookbook references. And Isabella’s romantic interest, Gabe, was delightful. The main characters though were both unlikeable and hard to root for, although I still found myself doing so!
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy!

For food lovers! The Food Person plot can be a little silly and over the top but the writing is clever and funny and the food focus is delicious.