Fairly predictable rom com but it was still a good read that I enjoyed. I'm a sucker for rom coms involving food.

I am a big fan of Lizzy Dent books and was thrilled to be approved for this ARC! I think Dent’s writing has gotten better and better with every book I’ve read.

I loved this story and following along in Olive’s journey - there was definitely romance, but there was also more than that and a lot of character building throughout. The humor and wit kept me interested. I will definitely be recommending this to others!

Olive and her late father’s sous chef were challenged with finishing a book all while traveling through Italy. While Olive and Leo taste their way through Italy, developing recipes and stories, they both find that life brings unexpected twists and turns. The plan you start the journey with isn’t always the one you end up with!

I adored this book and the character development, especially Olive. She was so relatable and flawed in all the best ways. This is a feel-good, well-written work of fiction. I cannot wait to read more by Lizzy Dent.

My only negative is that the proposed cover art work does not match the story. I believe the cartoonish depiction of Olive and Leo under represent the loveliness of this story.

This book was a fun read! I enjoyed how it took place primarily in Italy and I could almost envision the scenery. It was a nice unique setting! Definitely made me want to visit Italy and eat so much food. I wish there would have been some recipes at the end.

I didn’t really like the somewhat estranged dad plot. I think the chemistry between the two characters Olive and Leo could have been better as well. I think going deeper into both plot lines would have really made this a 5 star read.

Overall I enjoyed the book and would definitely read the others from the author. The writing really transported me to a different country!

Thank you Lizzy Dent - I am ready to eat my way through Italy! 🇮🇹 Just One Taste is a romantic drama featuring Olive Stone, a food critic, and Leo, her recently deceased father’s sous chef, as they spend several weeks together in Italy sampling various foods in order to finish her father’s regional Italian cookbook. The novel begins as a sweet romance and love letter to Italy, then becomes more dramatic as Olive works through her grief and choices about her future with her father’s restaurant and a relationship with Leo. The descriptions of food are incredible! 🍝 And I loved Olive’s relationship with her 2 best friends. This is going to be a great summer read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam books for this E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Pub date: 7/15/2024

Just One Taste was my first Lizzy Dent read, and I am ABSOLUTELY adding her other books to by TBR list! I loved the chemistry between Olive and Leo - I'm a sucker for the "he is my enemy but hot damn" trope, and that is very much there in the beginning of this book. I also enjoyed how this was very much a romcom, but also focused heavily on Olive's journey of finding herself and making peace with her past. For me, the ending felt a little bit rushed and abrupt - also, I can appreciate it in fiction, but if Olive was my friend who was debating starting a relationship with someone who a) was trying to convince her to not sell a business, and/or b) wanted to become business partners of any kind, I would tell her to RUN!! Even if he's hot!! Regardless, I truly enjoyed reading Just One Taste, and look forward to reading more from Lizzy Dent!

This book was a veritable Italian feast! The food descriptions were plentiful and made me crave cacio e pepe and orange cake. I was fully immersed in the Italian coast (and countryside) during Olive and Leo's adventure and was on pins and needles hoping for them to finally get together. Olive's journey through her grief was compelling, and I was happy with the conclusion. This story was lighteron the romance, but given the subject matter that aspect made sense.

If I had custom ordered this book straight from the deepest book desires of my heart, it could not have been any better. Leo and Olive are one of my TOP favorite book couples ever.

So many good things: The food, the boy, the food...but it just didn't come together in a way that felt good. Which, too bad, because there are real Emily Henry vibes here.

I read The Summer Job and loved it, so when I saw Just One Taste—I was so excited to read. Lizzy Dent’s writing has only gotten better. The Italian scenery made me long for a place I’ve never been. This is my first 5 star book of the year. I loved reading it. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this wonderful book early!

I had a hard time reading this book due to formatting issues. I would definitely like to reread once it is edited and published to form a better review

Thank you to Net Galley & Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC of this book!

This story seemed more like a love story for Italy, rather than a love story happening in Italy. If you are someone who loves cooking & Italian culture this would be a great pick for you!

I loved the last third of the book, but it was a very slow start. I felt like there was an overload of background story building, which made the actual plot of the story feel rushed.

With this book coming out this summer I think it it would be a good beach read or a great pick for laying by the pool!

Food critic Olive Stone is forced to confront her past after her estranged chef father Nicolo dies, leaving her his failing restaurant, Nicky's, and instructions to travel to Italy with his protege Leo Ricci to complete his cookbook.

Once again Lizzy Dent crafts a warm and engaging story about grief, fractured relationships and allowing yourself to change direction if you've made life choices to punish someone.

There are so many heartfelt moments as Olive wrestles with her pain and grief for a father she felt loved his restaurant more than her. Her parents' divorce, which left her and her mother struggling financially due to her father's reckless decisions, made her deliberately choose to not go to culinary school and instead become a critic, and guard her heart.

I loved the chemistry between Olive and Leo. There's insta-lust but their story develops slowly as there's too much at stake professionally and professionally. Leo is just the perfect some of hero. He shares Olive's passion for food and matches her banter and knowledge in a way that made their chemistry palpable. Importantly, he is supportive of Olive, even though her decision to sell Nicky's affects his job, and gets her to open up in a way which is just swoony.

Coupled with vivid descriptions of Sicily, Tuscany and the Italian coast, plus all the wonderful meals Olive and Leo sample and banter over, I felt fully immersed in the story. I really wanted to pack my bags and go to all the places they went to! 'Just One Taste' is yet another winner from Lizzy Dent. I devoured it like one of the many meals consumed by Olive and Leo.

Thanks to Putnam/Penguin Group and NetGalley for the ARC.

4 forks out of 5. Do not read if hungry! The author has a magnificent way of making you feel like you are in Italy eating all the dishes. The scenery makes me long for a trip around Italy. Great romance story, but the base of the book is really about how to make amends and grieve an estranged parent. This, plus the romance, was kept at a lighter level though. I think the author could have gotten deeper with both. There was great chemistry in Olive and Leo even being closed/maybe ever so slightly cracked door. I would recommend this.

Thank you Putnam for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Just One Taste is advertised as a romance, but the romance in this felt more like a subplot, with the majority of the focus being on Olive figuring out her life and emotions after her father dies and she inherits his Italian restaurant. Leo and Olive are still very cute together, and I really enjoyed that there was no big third act breakup between them, it was just a very slow burn kind of romance. I wasn't expecting there to be a plot twist, but it definitely made it a more interesting read. Grab a snack, this book will make you hungry! Italy and the foods described were brought to life and I found myself desperately wanting some good Italian food while reading this! Thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc of this book!

"The restaurant is important, but like I said in Tuscany. I have a plan B. There is no plan B when it comes to you. There is only you."

Lizzy Dent's "Just One Taste" is as much an ode to delicious food and Italy as it is a love story between Leo and Olive. Anyone who has traveled abroad or wishes they could will revel in the descriptions of Italy, the restaurants, and the many dishes they share. Even though I would not consider myself a foodie, there is a really clear audience for this book and they will love the many pages dedicated to different dishes, ingredients, and the love of eating.

While a sweet love story does brew between Leo and Olive, it's not always smooth and the undertone is quite bitter. This is mostly due to Olive and her inability to separate Leo from her feelings about her dad, despite his kindness, patience, and repeated efforts to empathize with her. To be quite honest, Olive is insufferable at times and her negativity and behavior is a harsh contrast to the beautiful backdrop of Italy and what I would consider to be a dream trip that most people could only imagine embarking on. It is difficult to believe that Leo would be interested in her at all with the way she treats him and the many harsh and rude things she says (repeatedly telling him to eff off when he hasn't said anything that deserves it).

She must be quite beautiful to get away with acting the way she does, but we never really get details on what she looks like and the image I created evaporated when I hit the bombshell near the end of the book. The way she treated Leo and handled that situation was quite odd for a grown woman. I've known several people who have experienced a similar situation and their responses were very different, so I struggled with her over-the-top reaction and the way she treated everyone involved. Yet, Leo continues to be steadfast, dedicated, and saccharine sweet. I couldn't help but think he deserved better.

There are a couple of inconsistencies in the story that may want to be addressed before final publication. There's a disconnect between Leo as this Hot Chef who can cook literally anything and then the facts that trickle out throughout the book: how the restaurant would only book 4 people a night, that Nicky didn't allow for his input at all, and that he learned on the job (no culinary education) and went from dishwasher to master chef making parmesan cheese cages. You don't learn how to cook like that if you're not actually cooking new things or working in a restaurant that's turning tables. If he was just preparing the same things over and over, but for a restaurant that is empty and failing...it just doesn't make sense that he would become this master chef. Since I"m married to a classically trained chef - this just stood out to me.

In the end, I liked how things were resolved and the ending fits what I think most readers would hope for from these characters. Finally, we see some expression of sincere, positive emotions from Olive toward Leo and we all get a much deserved, and hard fought for, happy ending.

I always enjoy the humor and charm Lizzy Dent brings to her book. I am always invested in the characters in she writes. And adding in Italy and pasta to the mix was a delight! I loved how understanding and supportive Leo is overall, especially to whatever decision Olive makes regarding the restaurant her deceased father left her that Leo is the sous-chef at. Their connection felt genuine and real which is something I always appreciate and look for. I really enjoyed the twist at the end and finding out why Olive's father had started his cookbook in the first place. JUST ONE TASTE was a joy to read. You may start craving some pasta while you're reading!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

Ah! I loved this one. I want to run off to Italy and eat a lot of pasta. What a beautiful story of love and family. Leo and Olive were sexy and funny. This is a great read.

A cute romance between a food critic and a sous-chef.

After Olive’s estranged father passes away, she is shocked to find out he bequeathed his beloved restaurant to her. The one Leo is now running. Now, Olive and Leo must travel to Italy to complete the cookbook that Olive’s father didn’t get to finish.

While I would have loved for Olive and Leo to have more chemistry, I thought Leo was a sweetheart and, of course, it is always delightful to read about people having a great time eating their way across Italy. Overall, this has plenty of charm. 3.5 stars,

Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

What a wonderful read! I loved the Italy setting and the authors writing makes it feel like you are right there with the characters experiencing the sights and smells and vibes.

I also appreciated the nuance and careful handling of tough emotional situations which added complexity and depth to the characters and the plot. Well done!