Just One Taste by Lizzy Dent

 

3.5*

I’d give this 4*, but it didn’t capture my attention at first and I didn’t agree with Olive’s decision to sell her late father Nicky’s London restaurant or the abrupt way she shared it with Leo, the sous chef who was like a son to Nicky. As I read further, Olive’s thoughts about the restaurant, which she inherited when he died suddenly, began to shift, and I started warming up to the story. Amidst the stunning regions of Italy that Olive and Leo visited as inspiration to finish her father’s cookbook (Catania, Tuscany, and Liguria), the feelings between them began to grow. It was refreshing to read a love story between two kind and caring people that didn’t come with a heaping pile of angst or a mess due to miscommunication. Leo definitely had ideas about how to fix the dated restaurant and tired menu, and when Olive was receptive to hearing them, he shared, but he never put any pressure on her to decide to keep the restaurant if it wasn’t what was best for her. As his aunt said, he takes care of the people he loves and, unlike her father who put the restaurant before his family, Olive began to trust that Leo wouldn’t repeat her father’s mistakes.

 

In summary, this slow burn romance is a foodie’s dream and a love letter to the sights, tastes and smells of Italy. It might not be a book that keeps you up all night reading, but like a leisurely meal under the Tuscan sun, it’ll leave you feeling satiated and satisfied that all is right in Olive and Leo’s world. Recommended.

 

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

 

 

 

The Secrets of the Little Greek Taverna by Erin Palmisano

4*

If you like Chocolát and Like Water for Chocolate, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this debut novel with a vein of magical realism running through it. A few generations back, a group of women in the village of Potamia on the small Greek island of Naxos drank from an elusive spring and magical things began to happen. This is the story of their female descendants.

Although she doesn’t believe in fate, American Marjory (Jory) finds herself in Potamia after a brochure with a beautiful wooden yacht calls to her. There she meets Cressida, a young widow who owns the guesthouse and taverna (that never opened following her husband’s tragic death) who has a gift for imbuing her baked goods with whatever emotion she’s feeling at the time, her older neighbor Mago who sews stunning garments and other pieces based on the color waves that speak to her and guide her hand, the surly, but beautiful Nefeli who has a sixth sense that allows her to anticipate future events (although she’s incapable of seeing the truth in her own marriage), and a bevy of friendly and quirky villagers who add color and a certain mystique. In this story, this group of women, with help from Jory who travels when inspiration strikes and creates a sense of home wherever she lands, form an unexpected friendship and work together to finally open the taverna and guesthouse. And then there’s the mysterious Shane, the handsome, charming American Jory meets and instantly feels a “sizzle” with.

Over the course of one summer, Cressida moves beyond her profound grief, Mago faces her fears and embraces her future, Nefeli reaches her breaking point, and Jory learns the true meaning of home and wrestles with her instinct to leave. Although the closed door romance between Jory and Shane is the primary one, the focus is on the unlikely female friendships and the over-riding sense of “home.” Personally, I would have preferred multiple narrators (Cressida, Jory, and Mago) rather than third person since, many times, the narrative became bogged down with descriptions, but this was a minor flaw in an otherwise delightful, delicious tale.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
 

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl

 

5*

The Paris Novel is a beautiful little gem of a book by Ruth Reichl, best known for her time as Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet Magazine and author of a series of engaging memoirs. It was the mention in one of her books of a little black dress she tried on while in Paris that inspired this book. I can’t help but think that much of what Reichl has written mirrors her own experiences, and the story is infused with her love for and knowledge of food. In fact, in the author notes, Reichl reveals that many of the famous people in her book she met in real life. It combines historical fiction (early 1980s), a bit of romance, a reluctant search for a missing father, and a mystery involving Victorine, the model for Edouard Manet’s Olympia, who eventually became a painter in her own right and then faded into obscurity thanks to jealous men.

After a horrendous childhood being raised by a cold, neglectful, narcissistic mother who looked the other way when she was being molested by one of her boyfriends, Stella has led a colorless, boring, but safe existence in NYC. After her mother dies and leaves her a small inheritance with the condition that she go to Paris, her boss forces her to take an extended vacation. Shortly after arriving, she wanders into a shop where the proprietress says she’s been waiting for her, the woman meant for a little black dress designed by Yves Saint Laurent. The dress begins a personal transformation and leads Stella to Jules, a grandfatherly figure who introduces her to the gastronomic delights of Paris and the dawning comprehension that she has a talent for cooking and a passion for food and wine that brings much-needed color to her life.

Her transformation is further aided by the comforting chaos of the Shakespeare and Co. bookstore where Stella finds a home away from home and a colorful cast of characters led by the grouchy but kind real-life George Whitman, who welcomed what he called his Tumbleweeds to use the store as a temporary home on three conditions: help in the store as needed, read a book a day, and write a one-page autobiography before you leave. One of the recurring responsibilities for Stella is to watch his 7-year-old (fictional) daughter Lucie, who is a great help in solving the mystery of Victorine. I couldn’t help but pause my reading many times to look up the people, places, paintings, and events that populate the book. Rather than pulling me away from the narrative, the light research enhanced it.

The entire book is a feast for the senses: the aromas of fine food, the scent of the flowers, the beauty of the landscape and architecture, and the fine art in the museums. Even the revolting description of eating the ortolans is something I won’t soon forget. Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Random House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Dine with Me by Layla Reyne

5*

Beautiful gay romance between a cancer-stricken top chef who would rather die than lose his tastebuds and a young doctor who answers the ad to accompany him on a 2-week foodie extravaganza. Just when he thinks his life is over following a throat cancer diagnosis, Miller meets Clancy, a young doctor about to join his father’s plastic surgery practice in LA. The tasting trip is his parents’ congratulatory gift to him, but the true gift is the love that blooms in the face of impending tragedy. Will Clancy, whose passion is actually oncology, be able to convince Miller that it’s worth taking the chance to live and that his value as a compassionate friend and family member is just as important as his ability to create art through his cooking?

This book is a gift to foodies with its lavish descriptions of the meals they enjoy on their journey and proof that love, in all its glorious variety, can blossom when you least expect it. Strong cast of supporting characters including Sloan, Miller’s best friend and ex-wife, his other best friend and renowned chef, Greg, and Clancy’s parents. Sexy scenes, but not overly graphic, this is a highly recommended purchase for public and college libraries.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Carina Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Rosie's Travelling Tea Shop by Rebecca Raisin

2*

Sous chef and perfectionist Rosie’s world is rocked when her cheating husband announces (on her birthday) that their marriage is over. He accuses her of lacking spontaneity, so her drunken reaction is to blow her life savings on a vintage pink van (RV/food truck). Eager to leave the pressure and gossip behind, she joins the Van Lifers forum, meets Oliver who suggests she follow the festival circuit, and hits the road. As she travels the UK, dispensing her tea blends and comfort food, she finds friendship with Aria (a fellow wounded soul), a potential love interest in Max, and a colorful cast of characters who sell everything from dreamcatchers to porcelain teapots. The journey is more than miles, though – it’s also about self-discovery and self-esteem building, forgiving herself, and letting go of her OCD tendencies so she can experience the joy she’s been missing. The question is whether she’ll be able to maintain this nomadic lifestyle or if she’ll go back to her well-laid plan for marriage, home, and kids.

This story starts strong with all of the familiar chick lit elements of broken marriages and cheating, life overhaul, and new romance but devolves into amateurish writing. Unfortunately, Rosie’s naivete concerning her online relationship with Oliver, combined with her willingness to believe the nasty and unsubstantiated rumors about Max, lead to a pseudo-love triangle that fails to engage the reader. Rosie treats Max shabbily, even within the bounds of platonic friendship, so the ending seems rushed and rather improbable. The entire premise of being able to set up shop and sell food at major festivals without proper permits and expensive reservations is implausible as well. Fans of Jenny Colgan and Phillipa Ashley might enjoy the book, but it suffers in comparison. 2.5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from HQ Digital through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.