[Content warnings: pregnancy of side character, gentrification, mention of animal death, mention of cancer, alcohol abuse, mention of miscarriage]

I was pretty conflicted about “Just One Taste.” On one hand, I love that the insta-attraction actually grew to real chemistry as the story progressed; on the other, I cannot get over the lying and other shady actions from one of the main characters.

Hayley Cavello (28) just moved to Toronto for a new job as a second assistant to a CFO only to find that the company went out of business over the weekend. When she tweaked her resume to get a job as a line cook at Greta’s Diner, she didn’t expect to fall for the manager Lauren Hames (34), who seems to be straight. She didn’t know she would end up homeless, sleeping at the diner, and get taken in by said manager, either.

“Just One Taste” is really dramatic with a lot of coincidences. These usually bother me in realistic contemporary romance but I didn’t have issues with them here. I really liked reading about Hayley’s cheery personality and Lauren’s top-notch baking skills. I didn’t like the fact that Hayley lying in her resume was not addressed at all during her interactions with Lauren and am really bothered by the 90% conflict, which was just a very insensitive and downright awful event. But I did enjoy the book being set in Toronto and that Birch addressed issues of homelessness and gentrification.

There were a few minor storylines that were left unfinished, such as Aaron’s intention of hiring the inspector (which I assume is him wanting to sell the place because of gentrification), the woodworking journey of Pete, the former line cook at Greta’s, etc. Without tying enough loose ends, it felt a bit random to have introduced some of the things that happened in the book. Also, I think there were one or two small conflicting scenes that made me wonder if I or the characters had trouble remembering things.

Overall, “Just One Taste” was a cute and enjoyable romance before the 90% mark. It definitely challenged my moral standards and I am sorry to say that I didn’t find the situation forgivable when I reached the final page.

This is a sweet clean, FF romance.  It is well written with a sweet HEA. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

Just One Taste follows two women, Hayley and Lauren. After moving out of her small town, Hayley is sadly being fired before even starting her first day. Out of options and without a job, her situation in the city will get worse and worse until she's lucky enough to get a job as a cook in Lauren's diner. Lauren is the manager there and when she finds the new girl homeless and asleep at work, she offers her a place to stay with her. 

Overall, this was an easy and sweet story I enjoyed. I liked seeing Lauren being attracted to Hayley and figuring out her feelings after being married to a man. Hayley, on the other hand, I didn't always like. Especially at the beginning and end (<spoiler>when she stole money from the business. That whole situation pissed me off and I was angry at Hayley because of it. I found her immature and not very smart for not thinking of the possible consequences of her actions.</spoiler>). Now if you're looking for a steamy f/f romance, this might not be your first choice as it only had "one taste" just like the title says.

<i>(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

I guess I misunderstood the synopsis, because this just wasn’t the book for me. I can totally see how others would enjou

This was a solid romance story! I can't really say anything bad about or thing that I didn't like. And at the same time I sometimes didn't 'feel' it. Or maybe I just didn't get that warm with the characters. But I would totally recommend it if you want a nice, quick read that is set in a restaurant most of the time.and without unnecessary struggle.

3 stars
This was  pleasant read.  The main characters were pleasant enough...but...Haley was a wild child...at 28?  Lauren was a bit of an old maid at 35. But as the story progressed Haley became more of an adult and Lauren loosened up.
The diner they both worked in was colorful with crazy names for entrees..such as 3 dots and a dash, for eggs and bacon.
The romance was sweet but not hot. No explanation why Lauren changed from men to women. Only that her 10 year...10 year...marriage was not fulfilling.
Probably the most entertaining character was Hannah, Haleys very pregnant sister.  She wasn't in the story much but when she was the dialogue blossomed. 
The angst was startling and out of character for one of the characters...don't want to give anything away.  And the resolution was sort of bland.  Where was the lesson  learned?
I probably would have rated it a 3.5 stars if the ending hadn't been so bland.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hayley lives in a small town but she has big city dreams and she finally finds herself moving to Toronto!  Unfortunately, Toronto isn't all its cracked up to be Hayley loses her job and her apartment in one day but things begin to look up when she finds a job at a small diner named Greta's. Now Hayley just needs to find somewhere to live and how to cook. She meets blue haired Lauren at Greta's although Hayley isn't sure how she feels about Lauren just yet. Then Lauren finds out how tough things are for Hayley because she found her sleeping at the diner one night. After this discovery nothing will ever be the same for these women. 
A cute little romance read that will make you fall in love all over again.

If I could give half points, this would be a 3.5. It is above average, but not quite as high as some other lesfic novels I've read. The characters are well developed and the relationship between the two main characters is a nice slow burn, which I enjoy very much.

There were a few things that left things a little flat for me. The ending seemed very abrupt, like there should have been an additional chapter or an epilogue somewhere. There were extraneous tangents in the story, like the building owner getting an inspection of the building. The idea was put out there that he may be selling the diner that Lauren worked at and the apartment she lived in, but nothing ever came of it. So there were pages of information that went nowhere. This happened in a couple of places and it left me wondering what those were put into the story to accomplish.

Overall it was an enjoyable story that could use a little polishing here and there to make it more well rounded, in my opinion.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

What a tasty read!  The setting in a diner with all the talk about cooking and baking just ticked every box!  I felt connected to all the characters and was able to create a strong image in my mind of each one.
 My only criticism is that I felt the last 1/4 of the book was rushed, and lots that I would have loved to read about in detail was just glanced over. 
 However a highly enjoyable book!
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

3.5*

Just one taste is a slow burn romance. Although it's not an original story line it would be a perfect read for a rainy afternoon. The story is witty, funny, includes the all important family support and building friendships. And trying to find yourself. 
Hayley is out going, loves life, lives to take chances and love's retro 80's gaming systems and just wanted a break from her home town Casper falls to discover herself and build her own life. Lauren is more of a serous character.  She works hard, looks after her father and thinks this is what she wants from her life... until Hayley appears. 

Just One Taste is a easy and sweet story. 

I was given an ARC copy for a honest review.

Haley decides to leave her small town and head to the city. She loses her job and is about to be homeless when she gets a job at the dinner and finds true love. It was a little too out there for me. Stealing from a business would have you in jail no matter what the manger said to the owner. And of course everything works out in the end.

Just One Taste provides plenty of change, movement and growth for our characters allowing this to be a well rounded read all together. I felt a little disconnected with the main characters, almost like they were on the other side of a glass wall. I knew what their personalities were described as by dialogue but I felt like it didn't match up to their actions in the book

Both of the main characters were given a rough luck through the book and there was no spark ignited by either through the first half so it reads a little slow. Author Birch is great at translating their initial sense of hopelessness, maybe a little too good as I started feeling it as a reader making it that much harder to want to turn the page to see their luck change (which it does!). 

The romance is sweet, takes it's time and is super realistic. If it could award half points it would rank at a 3.5 for me. 



Net Galley has provided this book to me in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute romance. The setting was perfect and gave off such a cozy vibe. It really captured Toronto in a way that made me feel like I was there. Even though they were a little flat (can’t blame them, it’s romance), the characters were also lovely. They were just flawed enough that I wanted to keep reading while also having a lot of sympathy for them. Overall, this read was really comforting and would make a great Hallmark movie (if they ever stop being so homophobic).

It was pretty interesting story, kind of cute and one that makes you feel better. No matter what life puts on your path, there is always path that will get you through anything.
Life definitively was not full of opportunities for either of MC's, however both took chances and they made it.
It is uplifting to  be reminder that there are crappy people in everyone's life, however sometimes, you get the one time opportunity and you need to take it no matter what..

this was just okay for me.
I found some issues with the writing - specifically the perspectives. we were originally switching between Hayley and Lauren's perspectives in each chapter, sometimes in the middle of a chapter, but this was with a clear distinction. as the book went on sometimes it would randomly switch perspectives in the middle of a chapter and it was really confusing.
the pace is off as well - really slow in the first third and then super fast at the end. also some comments I think could be harmful to ace & bi people.

Just One Taste is another okay read. It didn't blow my mind, but I didn't hate it either.

Hayley is a small town girl, who wishes for more. She loses her job and apartment within a single day, which I would definitely classify as a bad day. Hayley starts working at a diner, and with no place to live, the manager Lauren takes her in. Hayley and Lauren are complete opposites, Lauren is organized and goal oriented, whereas Hayley is definitely more of a wild card. The thing they have in common is they both did not have an easy past, both women are dealing with hardships and it brings them together.

I didn't know this was going to be a love story between two women, but I can see why they work together. Together is works, but individually their characters are mediocre at best. Lauren is boring and Hayley is just childish. I just didn't click with either one of them, which made for an exhausting read at times.

Overall this was a cute slow story. I think foodies would definitely like this one.

I received a free advanced copy from the author/ publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

All Hayley Cavello wanted was to get out of  Casper Falls and find her life in the city, where she just knew she’d find the right job and get her own place to live. After applying for many jobs she finally got lucky. Not having a lot of money ( most had been spent keeping her ex happy) she had to share an apartment with two other people. But everything fell apart on her first day of work or not work seeing as the company that hired her went out of business, meaning she had no job and since she couldn’t pay her share of the rent, no place to live. 
    Lauren Hames worked at the diner for 14 yrs and had seen her fair share of staff come and go but when her friend and co-worker decided to go back to school it left her  short one line cook. The only dream she had was entering a cooking contest, winning and hopefully starting her own bakery. But it cost a thousand dollars to just get in the door so it seems unlikely Lauren would ever have the chance. Now the hunt was on to find another cook,  so when Hayley dropped off her resume Lauren quickly hired her. 
    Hayley ended up living in a dive called ‘Palace Arms’. The only redeeming thing about it was the fact that it was close to work. But Hayley’s luck at finding a place didn’t work out because she’d been robbed and her rent money was gone. Faced with living on the street Hayley does the only thing she can think of, after the diner was closed for the night she’d sneak in, using one of the booths as her bed. When Lauren finds her one morning she offers Hayley her spare room until she’s one her feet. 
    Now working together and living together should be easy but seeing how messy Hayley is compared to Laurens neatness neither could see how long they’d last. Not to mention the attraction both felt for each other but wasn’t Lauren straight? 
    Simply put Ms Birch gave us a very nice read. One I’d call a gentle romance. 
ARC via NetGalley/Bold Stroke Books

Hummm....what to say. A few words to describe this read: funny, searching, family, friendship, growth, and a contemporary slow burn romance. Hayley Cavello, small town life is not where she wants to be. She believes a city would better meet her personality. She is also getting away from a downer break-up. Lauren Hames, diner manager, divorced, and content with her self-contained life. Both women have warm hearts and present themselves as good friends.

How much Haley did not want to live or return to her small home town was a little monotonous.  But I like the fact she was attempting to do something about it even though it was in her own way which some would say is unconventional, e.g. , blue hair. Lauren on the other hand was comfortable with the way her life was unfolding and did not see a need for change or so she thought. The family and friends support was wonderful and should not be taken for granted. Enjoyable as well as entertaining read.

WARNING: This review contains spoilers.

“Just One Taste” is a romance novel centered around Hayley, who just lost her job and apartment, and Lauren, the manager of the diner that Hayley ends up working at. Despite not knowing how to cook, Hayley is desperate for money and still takes the job, and as they work together and spend time together outside of work, romance ensues between the two of them.

I really liked the romance between these two characters, and while there are some serious situations in this book, I still thought that it was a very cute story.

Rating: 4/5

One of the things I look for in fiction is some character growth. And yes, there was some for both characters though perhaps it could have been a little deeper. The story is basically solid with believable circumstances and connections between the characters. Both Lauren and Hayley, move into changes with each other and separately. Those changes are different for each of them, partially due to the age difference between them,  but you finish the novel with the sense that they are both going somewhere, together. 

All in all, it's an enjoyable read.

The author certainly knows Toronto where the majority of the novel takes place!

posted on Amazon 9/15