4.5 stars! Lizzy Dent is an autobuy author for me, so when I was able to read this as a digital arc, I was so excited! I rated this as 4.5 stars rounded down because I could not rally behind the FMC, Olive. I wanted to like her, but I just couldn’t. She had one redeeming turn near the end of the book, but she rubbed me the wrong way, and seemed like too little too late. After the twist, I understood a little bit more about why she acted the way that she did throughout the book, but it wasn’t enough to justify her actions prior to her dad’s death. Having lost my own dad, it hit close to home and not in the best way.

The MMC, Leo, was what really made me love the story. He is a great character and was honest and true to his passion as a chef and his love for food throughout everything. He was open and understanding, and even supportive of Olive when he didn’t have to be. The food also was a really fun part of this book! It felt like going to Italy and enjoying the best of the best foods all around the country! It also made me wish the cookbook was real so I could try some of the recipes they added!

Overall I really enjoyed the story, I just wish there would have been more redemption for Olive or some better kind of closure for her with her dad. I honestly wish that her dad hadn’t died, that she was going on this trip for him for some other reason, and that they were able to come together again and not have regrets.

I would definitely recommend this book to the right people, but I would also definitely include some disclaimers about Olive.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Netgalley and GP's Putnam for the ARC.

Sadly I had to DNF at 20%. I was really excited about this book and at first this book really had my attention and then it just fell flat and I couldn't keep going. Though, I believe that this could definitely read nicely for some readers, it just didn't hit for me.

Some things I disliked:
- The pacing. It felt like Dent took a bunch of scenes she liked and threw them all together, and it felt repetitive. I understand Olive's trauma and her complicated relationship with her father, but it made her seem selfish and childish. It felt like Dent forgot to give Olive good traits.
- At nearly a quarter through the book, I feel like we should know more about the characters, or know more about their personalities, and we didn't. We knew some of Olive and Leo's complicated history with Olive's father but none of that felt like it was articulated onto the page. It felt like all I saw as Olive being mad at her dad and fighting with Leo again and again. Then I realized, I know even less about Leo.
- I was so excited for a more enemies to lovers, but at about 18%, Olive suddenly has feelings for him. Usually I'm okay with insta-love, but in cases like this I felt like we needed to see more genuine interactions with them, and I wanted Dent to show me WHY Olive was getting feelings for Leo. Instead I got annoyed because it felt like they had almost no chemistry between them and I wasn't feeling what Olive was feeling.

Things I liked:
- I really loved the backstory with Olive and her estrangement from her father. I really enjoyed seeing both her grief and her complicated feelings on the page. I wish she did more with this, but what she did felt repetitive and surface-level.

I really enjoyed this book! Olive and Leo were dynamic characters, and I enjoyed reading about them and their interactions. I almost wish that there were some more flashbacks with Olive and her dad, because I didn't feel like I fully understood her anger towards him or how their relationship functioned (I know they occasionally talked, but sometimes it seemed like they didn't talk at all, and honestly the dad often seemed more like a character created purely to move the plot along). Reading about Italy was amazing, and the descriptions of food made me so hungry. I would recommend this book to many patrons, I think it hits a lot of different notes for readers. It's romantic, yes, but it's also about grief and travel and family. Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC!

This is one of those romcoms that I want immediately made into a movie. A beautiful love story and a thoughtful approach to family complexity. A romance with pasta on the cover was sure to be a winner with me, but I thought Dent nailed this one.

Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for the eARC.

I am a sucker for a book about hospitality due to being in the industry for 15 years. I thought this story was adorable. I absolutely did not see the twist coming or expected a twist at all! I loved both of the main characters and loved them together!

Thanks to Penguin and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

Olive and Leo are such a delight to follow in this great book about two people traveling, eating, and grieving their way through Italy. Olive wants to sell her recently deceased father's restaurant where Leo is the sous chef with a lot of ideas, but first they need to finish a cookbook. The premise is a bit ridiculous, but Olive and Leo are not. They are funny and adorable, and honestly, who wouldn't fall in love on this trip? I loved Dent's dialogue and her descriptions of Italy's scenery and food. And I appreciated how Olive and Leo fought for themselves as well as for their future with the restaurant. There was good give and take and I felt like the happy ending was earned.

So much fun!

When Emily Henry says she loves a book, you know it's going to be good! The perfect romantic adventure set in Italy.

Delicious romance /contemporary fiction. I especially liked the ending being a little bittersweet and not your typical "happily ever after" notion. The vibes were perfect.

Set in Italy, a fun beach read with some meat on its bones. Lizzy Dent has written a fun book. Dent is one of my go to authors for fun lighter reads.

Possible triggers: Parental death, sudden death, family secrets

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Very enjoyable read about Olive as she faces her father's death, her inheritance, and the project he left behind that she must complete with his sous chef. I loved following her on her journey, metaphorically and through Italy, to finish her dad's cook book. Learning about her childhood memories through food and locations was fun and an interesting way to see her work through her grief. She didn't have an easy relationship with her dad and this was a great method for giving the reader insight into that as well. I liked Leo as the male lead and the parts he played as Olive had so much to work though. I really enjoyed this story and wanted to taste all the flavors that were discussed, that always adds so much to a story!!

Thank you Putnam Books and Netgalley for my e-arc! Just One Taste is out now!

3.5 Stars (Rounded Up)


In Just One Taste, food journalist and restaurant critic Olive Stone unexpectedly inherits her estranged father's Italian restaurant, Nicky’s, along with the building it’s in. Though they haven’t been in touch much since her parents’ divorce years ago, he’s left her the business on one condition: she must travel to Italy with his protege and complete his cookbook. Olive plans to sell the restaurant, but as she and chef Leo work together on the project, they start to connect on a deeper level.

The premise is intriguing, and Lizzy Dent does a great job depicting beautiful settings and mouthwatering food. However, I struggled to connect with the characters and didn’t find myself invested in Olive and Leo’s romance. Their chemistry was apparent, but their interactions lacked the tension and heat I was hoping for. While the book was a decent read, others might have a different, more enjoyable experience. Thanks to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book: Just One Taste
Author: Lizzy Dent
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Food & Wine
Places Featured: Sicily, Liguria, Tuscany, Italy
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: Who doesn’t love a good trip through Italy focused on food with a little romance on the side? That’s exactly what this book is–it’s about Olive Stone, a New York food critic, whose estranged father has just died and left her the family’s (failing) Italian restaurant with one request: finish writing his cookbook with the help of his sous chef, the attractive (but opinionated) Leo…and the two of them must go on a trip to Italy to do so.

It was a fun trip through Italy (I especially loved the section set in Sicily as I used to live there and some of the descriptions took me right back), with some enticing descriptions of food and drink from around the country (and some fun facts about the cuisine of the different regions), and characters that are flawed and real.

I wasn’t quite as invested in the characters as I was in Lizzy Dent’s other book (I really enjoyed “The Sweetest Revenge”) as they lacked some chemistry, but if you’re a fan of Italy–or Italian food–I definitely recommend this one!

Reviews posted on Instagram (@travelbooksandmovies) and some posted on blog (www.travelbooksandmovies.com)

Just One Taste
By: Lizzy Dent
Review Score: 4 Stars

Boogie’s Bulletpoints
•I felt alllll of the feels as Olive dealt with the loss of her Dad.

•Olive and Leo’s enemies to lovers journey was so well done.

•Their trip to Italy made me want to book a plane ticket ASAP.

•Dent dropped one of the best plot twists that I did NOT see coming.

———————————————————————————

Just One Taste was provided by NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful book!

In “Just One Taste” we meet Olive, a girl who just lost her Dad, and is planning to sell the family restaurant that he left to her. But before that, she and Leo, the chef her Dad mentored, have to go to Italy to finish the cookbook he started before he passed.

Obviously, there are so many layers to this. Love, loss, family, duty, and grief. You really feel every emotion that Olive and Leo have (especially as Leo doesn’t want her to sell the restaurant).

I loved the evolution of Olive and Leo’s relationship! It was just so well done, and really covered how complex a relationship can be, even when there is chemistry.

On top of all that, Dent pulled out one of the best plot twists ever, and I did not see it coming. So well done there.

I really enjoyed this book! If you are in the mood to visit Italy in your mind, check this one out.

This book was enjoyable especially in the descriptions of the food. I found Olive’s girlfriends and confidents to be clever and fun. I really liked Leo but did not care for Olive at all. She always seems to have to be the boss and have the last word. But an enjoyable story.

Listen, I wanted to love this. I love the idea of this so much. But the characters just didn't have that zest I expected them to, and the chemistry was just blah.

Will make you want pasta. The author did a good job setting the scene in Italy and making you hungry. Unfortunately the rest was a bit of a slog for me. It was a solid 3 stars but unfortunately didnt make a lasting impression.

My favorite Lizzy Dent yet! Just One Taste had me turning the pages, as I dreamed of traveling in Italy! I couldn’t get enough of the setting in Italy filled with restaurant and food descriptions.

Olive loses her dad, a famous chef, and he leaves her his restaurant. Leo, her dad’s sous chef goes to Italy with Olive to help complete her dad’s cookbook manuscript.

Love! Food! Italy! There is no better summer reading combination. If any of those interest you, be sure to pick up Just One Taste by Lizzy Dent.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnum’s Sons for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Food, travel, a slow burn romance. I loved the scenes of Italy and was hungry while reading all the descriptions of food, cooking, and restaurant life. I wasn't that invested in Olive or Leo and the slow burn romance isn't my favorite. I am sure others will enjoy it, but it wasn't for me.


Thank you Netgalley & PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advanced reader copy.

Absolutely delicious!! Marvelous characters and a fast-paced storyline tempt you to finish it in one sitting. Even though I've never been to Italy, I feel as if I have had a personal tour. Lizzy Dent does and excellent job of bringing all of your senses alive, from the scenery to the food itself.

What is a food critic supposed to do with a restaurant? And especially one that has steadily gone downhill for years. Harsh food critic Olive Stone is about to find out. After receiving notice that her father has died, she learns that she not only inherited the restaurant that was the demise of her parents' marriage and the cause of her 10-year estrangement with him, but has also been left to finish the cookbook that was his life's dream. There is yet another catch - she is to complete this book alongside his sous chef that he loved like a son. Armed with an itinerary and a pre-booked trip to Italy that includes Leo, Olive resigns herself to finish this as soon as possible and sell the restaurant before she gets in any deeper. She arrives in Italy to find that her suitcase has been lost and the only thing she has with her is the tote bag with her father's ashes that she is supposed to scatter. The tension between Olive and Leo mounts as he tries to make suggestions and she halts him at every turn. Eventually, they call a truce and attempt to work together to finish the task. As time passes, they each learn more about the other and a tentative relationship starts to bud. Can Leo convince her to reconsider selling the restaurant and listen to his ideas for changes? Each stop on their tour includes stays with old friends and a revelation that Olive did not see coming. Is this something she can overcome or will she bow out altogether?

I gave this book 5 stars because there was not a higher rating! I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be looking for more from Lizzy Dent!!

This is for everyone who dreams about vacations roaming the Italian countryside, want to eat allll the pasta, and fantasize about a slow burn turn hot and heavy romance with a hot guy!

When our FMC’s estranged father dies and leaves Nicky’s, his pride and joy restaurant that kept him from being a better father, to her with a final request she finish writing the cookbook he had been working on – which she must do by traveling to the final three destinations of Sicily, Catania and Liguria with Leo, the restaurants sous chef – she has to deal with not only the grieving process, but whether to sell/not sell the restaurant and some unexpected feelings she finds herself catching for Leo.

I absolutely adored this and it was the perfect summer romance while I’m sitting at home dreaming of getting away from work and traveling!

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my review!