This was a really fun read. I love a book where the characters travel and this was even better with the addition of all the food and drink description. I loved it!!

I started with mixed feelings about this book, but the author ultimately won me over with her clear passion for the topic.

Honestly, it took me a bit to buy into this premise. Cassie didn’t seem that interested in fine dining when her foodie boyfriend, James, was still alive, but after his death she not only has an appreciation for the culinary arts but a magically refined palate? It’s the kind of premise that seems better suited to something farcical or broad, but tonally this book is very grounded, even sad at times.

HOWEVER, when I let go of that nitpick and enjoyed the book for what it is—a love letter to fine dining—I found myself lost in the descriptions of the food and atmosphere. Does Cassie have to understand every aspect of what she’s eating to appreciate it? Do I have to understand all of Monet’s techniques to appreciate his paintings?

I also found myself relating to Cassie at times. It’s so easy to lose sight of what’s important in life when you become too goal-oriented. Stepping into James’s shoes might have been a major stretch, but it was the shake-up she needed.

At times this book felt like a love triangle between Cassie, her late boyfriend, James, and fellow food and beverage critic, Eamonn. And while this doesn’t end with a clear HEA, I still found the conclusion satisfying.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Eat, Post, Like by Emily Arden Wells had a cute idea, but it didn’t totally hit for me. I loved the food moments (even if they got a little over the top sometimes), but the story wrapped up way too fast, and the almost-romance didn’t leave me fully satisfied. Big thanks to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC! ⭐️⭐️✨ (2.5)

I should start off with the disclaimer that I am nine months pregnant and should know better than to read a book about food. I fluttered between incredibly jealous and incredibly nauseous in response to these food descriptions. The entire book felt like a love letter to fine dining and the beautiful things in life. Nothing about it was heavy hitting, but it did take a fun perspective on the idea of pleasure. The ending was deeply unsatisfying but it didn't really matter to me because the plot of the book wasn't hard hitting.

I will dip into this book for a reread when I am more interested in reading about caviar.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Eat Post Like is one of those books where the premise is excellent but the execution was incredibly poor. The writing was SO stiff and every character was very one dimensional. I think this book would have been much better if the author had chosen to write in first person from Cassie's perspective instead of third person. Cassie lacked emotional maturity for someone who is a full grown adult and a working lawyer. I found her to be such a coward and was disappointed that she had literally zero character development. She lives in New York City and was dating a huge foodie but she had never heard of an Aperol spritz until she was in Italy for the first time? Absurd! Also, her boyfriend didn't really seem that great and she didn't seem to like him that much, especially since she chose work over him literally every single time. 

The "climax" of the story, if you can even call that one page of drama a climax, fell so flat for me and the rest of the book was sped through and not fleshed out enough. And the romance felt half thought out and didn't even make sense. 

Overall, I feel like I read a first draft of this book and not a final copy that is about to be published as a debut novel. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This debut novel by Emily Arden Wells was such a fun read. It made me feel like I was there seeing all the food. My only complaint was that I wanted more of the story! I would love to read more.

*****Publishing June 3, 2025*****

Cassie is a lawyer who is so consumed with her work that she hardly has time for her boyfriend, James. Even when she does, she gets called to work. Cassie receives a call that James tragically died in a car accident. Now she is left grief-stricken and has to sort out Jame’s apartment. Cassie finds out that James was the New York Secret Diner food critic. She decides to try to take over his account. Can she succeed, or will people realize her posts are different from James’s?

Even though there is tragedy in this story, it was still a fun and entertaining read! I loved how Cassie honored James by taking over as being the food critic! It gave Cassie an excuse to have more of a work/life balance. If you love watching travel culinary shows or enjoy dining in exquisite places, then you will enjoy this book! A great book to put in your pool/ beach bag!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I hate to say it, but this book was like having teeth pulled. I'll admit, I don't have a frame of reference for the kind of grief our main character, Cassie, is supposed to have suffered, but even so... everyone was just so insufferable. I had a hard time liking any of the characters or really rooting for anyone. It's a played-out plot with a foodie influencer as the star. The writing felt very superficial but did the job, if you just setting you down in every location without immersing you in the setting is what you like.

This book simply wasn't for me. I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters, and maybe that's where the sole problem lies.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc.

This book is a really fun read for those who may enjoy travel, food reviews and content creation! I don’t think it was the best mix of a book for me, I just struggled to remain engaged and I couldn’t relate much with the FMC, Cassie. I wanted to like her more than I did. However, I did think the writing was detailed and well done! It was a really well thought out plot and I enjoyed the depiction of grief throughout.

The cover is striking. It’s fun and colorful and a preview for what’s inside.

This book makes you want to sign up to be a food critic. It would be amazing to always get the best table, menu items and service with someone else picking up the tab.

My stomach was growling throughout the story with the thought of walking into a restaurant with mouth-watering delicacies of caviar, fresh oysters, jumbo shrimp, thinly sliced tuna, Japanese Wagyu beef and a fine array of desserts. Let’s not forget the champagne! Sadly, my refrigerator didn’t even come close.

This was a fast-paced romantic novel with the main character, Cassie, exploring an alternative career. I was shaking my head in some of the parts wondering how this girl was able to attract such luck.

Readers were taken on an exclusive awards trip to Paris, Copenhagen, Rome, Venice and Barcelona. Influencers got a taste of the good life stepping into luxury hotels and 5-star restaurants. I especially enjoyed extra tidbits of the culture and history. It’s entertaining and a lighthearted beach read.

My thanks to Avon and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of June 3, 2025.

This book is for foodies and travel-seekers. Was it for me? I don’t think so, but I don’t regret reading it either because of the phenomenal food descriptions.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for the ARC.

An exploration into what happens if everything you thought you knew about someone was a lie, and you had the chance to become a new version of yourself. I thought it was really sweet! Loved the relationships between the four reviewers, especially between Cassie and Ben. I’m not sure if I actually liked Cassie as a character that much, she felt a bit too apologetic despite going through major life changes. There were some points that felt like a travel guidebook (not sure if it was necessary to have every single street name and place) but I did enjoy the details on the meal and felt like that made more sense! Overall an enjoyable read.

This was fine. I read most of it but ended up DNFing it before finishing (however I feel I read enough to review). The premise of the book is right up my alley: food, travel, healing/personal growth but I had a hard time getting into the story due to the writing style. It just wasn’t for me.

Workaholic Cassie, has it all: on track to become partner at her law firm and a great boyfriend. James is an accountant, foodie and is incredibly patient with Cassie. After James tragically dies, Cassie discovers he was an anonymous food reviewer with a huge online following. Cassie accepts an offer intended for James to go to Europe on a high-end food review tour. She discovers much about herself on the journey. Then following an unremarkable third act conflict the book was just done. I loved everything about this book but the ending which felt very rushed and forced.

This is a debut novel and for a debut I think it's fantastic. The author makes this book engaging from the very first page, and her writing style just kind of pulls you in and makes you want more with each turn of the page.

I absolutely adored the banter between Cassie and James - right from the beginning it was cute & fun. Cassie is a super dedicated lawyer with big dreams for her future; she feels like she can just hang on through her relationship now then she'll have more time for it later on. James is a bit of a character - he's sweet and it's easy to see how much he cares for Cassie but there's also a bit of a mystery about him as well.

Tragedy strikes and Cassie is forced with needing to re-evaluate everything; all of her goals, her big dreams, do they really matter in the long run? I really love her journey of self discovery, and how she grows and learns and matures - her discovering James's secret as an intense Foodie and how she chose to lean into that was pretty fun and amusing.

The ups & downs, the whirlwind that follows really is a great story on it's own. The conflict that arises feels so late and then it's just a blurred rush to the end so the ending is not as satisfying as the beginning of the book. However, I still really enjoyed the journey and the food discussions and just all of the intricate details that were included.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review

I enjoyed the depth that this character had. I think her navigating through her grief was important and added a lot to the story however the writing felt clunky at times. It wasn’t a super easy read for me

I wish they had a place to show half stars, because this was a 4.5 for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon publishers for an advanced copy of this book. Emily Arden Wells is a new author for me and I really enjoyed this book. If you are a "foodie" you will love this book.
Insert SPOILER-Like most people Cassie and her boyfriend James are caught up in the crazy busy life cycle until one day something happens, and James is gone. As Cassie mourns and goes through all of James things, she discovered a secret about him. He was a secret food critic with an extremely large following. As Emily was processing all this information, she decided to step into that role and take his place. This one decision changes everything for Cassie. The story was very well written, just a little slow for me. There were laugh out loud moments, and mournful moments. Great character development with a sweet closed door romance.

Unfortunately, I did not want to finish this book. I couldn't connect with the protagonist and I didn't buy into her relationship enough to care about what happened to her boyfriend. There was something about the writing style that also just did not jive with me and my taste, although I can't quite put my finger on what it was. I really liked the premise of this book but it didn't captivate me enough to keep on reading. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this arc!

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. Cassie has a perfect life, she works at a law firm and wants to make partner. She also has a great accountant boyfriend, James. When he dies tragically, she finds a journal he had revealing he was the owner of an anonymous food account. She decides to keep his reservations and go on a journey. here she is, a lawyer, but keeps her identity a secret as she takes over Jame's food account anonymously. This was sad, but fun, and depicts finding yourself, while also grieving.