“Food could do that. It could tell stories."

“What would you give ... for one last meal together?”
--
The way I savored every page of this book - and yes pun intended! Truly an AMAZING book! Aftertaste will make you laugh, will have you pouting, will make you think of your loved ones and even make you hungry. It is a reminder of closure, moving on, and letting our loved ones go. Yet, at the same time, it reminds us to appreciate those special memories.

LOVED the NYC setting, fine dining atmosphere, and bar/restaurant mentions. The snippets we get from the afterlife were entertaining. Certainly enjoyed the mouthwatering food writing! The chapter names were on point, most named after a bar or culinary term. And the ending.. perfection.

Add this debut novel to the top of your TBR! I can't wait to read what Daria Lavelle brings next!

A few more quotes.. because this novel was just ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

"To eat was to celebrate .. food was love. It was how the Living coped .. the Dead ate to forget. To let go .. Only a record that they might leave. A recipe .. A way to never really die."

"I love you like salt."

This one as a dark read for sure. I think I wanted something more, it felt kind of trapped between 2 genres. I would have preferred the audio version of this I think

Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle

Summary:
What if you could have one last meal with someone you’ve loved, someone you’ve lost? Combining the magic of Under the Whispering Door with the high-stakes culinary world of Sweetbitter, Aftertaste is an epic love story, a dark comedy, and a synesthetic adventure through food and grief.

A food story to binge.
A ghost story to devour.
A love story to savor.

Konstantin Duhovny is a haunted man. His father died when he was ten, and ghosts have been hovering around him ever since. Kostya can’t exactly see the ghosts, but he can taste their favorite foods. Flavors of meals he’s never eaten will flood his mouth, a sign that a spirit is present. Kostya has kept these aftertastes a secret for most of his life, but one night, he decides to act on what he’s tasting. And everything changes.

Kostya discovers that he can reunite people with their deceased loved ones—at least for the length of time it takes them to eat a dish that he’s prepared. He thinks his life’s purpose might be to offer closure to grieving strangers, and sets out to learn all he can by entering a particularly fiery ring of Hell: the New York culinary scene. But as his kitchen skills catch up with his ambitions, Kostya is too blind to see the catastrophe looming in the Afterlife. And the one person who knows Kostya must be stopped also happens to be falling in love with him.

Set in the bustling world of New York restaurants and teeming with mouthwatering food writing, Aftertaste is a whirlwind romance, a heart-wrenching look at love and loss, and a ghost story about all the ways we hunger—and how far we’d go to find satisfaction.
Review: 3 Stars
While I’d enjoyed the book it was one I could walk away from for weeks, had trouble connecting with the characters and it was the storyline that kept me coming back to this story. The editing was spot on and one of the reason I wanted to finish the book and not do a DNF. To me the emotions weren’t captured those making the characters dry.

Conclusion:
Would I recommend this book to others NO
Would I read other books by this author YES

🍛Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle is a one-of-a-kind book. Its unique blend of loss, love, and grief within a magical realism setting will stay with me for a long time. Our bodies store trauma, they keep the score, and our memories often tie themselves to the visual, to fragrance, to taste.

Kostya has an unusual gift. He can taste ghosts. He begins cooking meals inspired by the dead, offering them to their living loved ones in an attempt to bring closure to both. But while these acts of kindness serve their purpose briefly, the afterlife is not something to be tampered with lightly. Kostya’s choices set off a chain of events that demand the greatest sacrifice of all.🍛

🧁How do I even write about a book like this? I’m still contemplating my own grief and how food has carried my memories, too. Grief is not something we simply move past; it lingers, etched deep within us. The sorrow of Kostya and the others evokes such deep compassion. The author has taken the ingredients of grief, food, and love, and blended them into a tender, unforgettable tapestry called Aftertaste. It might just stay with me forever.🧁

Thank you, Simon and Schuster and Simon books , for this moving read.

Content Warning: This book includes themes of grief, death, and trauma.

Have you ever wished to share one more moment with someone you loved? Someone who left before harsh words could be taken back? I think we all have. Konstantin Duhovny wishes so. Losing his father is hard but losing his mother to her grieving is also hard on him. Until one day he tastes his fathers favorite food and wonders why. He knows that food can connect him to those who passed . Can he make things better with his father? Should he dabble with the supernatural? His friend Maura warns him against it.
This is less of a ghost story and more of a story of loss and love. It's a beautiful read. I imagine this book will stick with me for a long time.

Thank you Simon and Schuster and Simon Audio for review copies.

There is a reason so many people are raving about this book, making claims as a top 2025 read already....it's an impressive feat of storytelling, plot development, magical realism, and engaging and memorable characters.

Aftertaste is a beautifully written debut that surprised me in the best way. Speculative fiction can sometimes feel too abstract or distant for me as a reader, too innovative and not perhaps meghan as a reader friendly, but Daria Lavelle anchors her story in something deeply tangible—food, memory, and longing. She evokes feelings with her story, plays with senses and memory and taste in fascinating ways.
With a vivid New York City backdrop (a favorite setting for me!), quirky yet heartfelt characters, and themes of grief, connection, and the unknown, this novel blends fantasy and emotion with striking storytelling. I found myself particularly drawn to the sensory richness—how taste and memory are so powerfully intertwined. Konstantin is a standout protagonist, and I have to say that the powerfully produced audiobook really made this a standout book for me.

Aftertaste was evocative and interesting. It had a tasty, dark love story with grief and ghosts. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to more by the Author.

We all have a favorite meal that we have shared with someone that is important to us. Something that an Aunt, Uncle, Parent, Grandparent or maybe Best Friend has made for us that instantly brings us back to that moment in time. Sometimes just the smell of it or a taste close to it brings it all flooding back so bittersweet. I wish I could go to my Grandma's get pizza and go to blockbuster to pick out a movie. Go home eat said pizza while sipping a cold Dr. Pepper from her fridge and watch movies until I got to have my icecream bar from the variety pack she kept in the freezer. Or maybe her Award winning Cinnamon Rolls that she never gave anyone the recipe too. Just imagining those things brings her vividly to mind (not that she is ever far from my mind anyhow).How I wish I could see her one more time.

For Kostya those tastes are very real. After the death of his father he begins to taste his fathers favorite meal exactly as his dad liked it cooked. Sometimes he could even taste other meals, things that he has never had in his life that he doesn't even know how it is that he can name every ingredient, and exactly how to make it. One night after a clearly grieving man comes into the bar that Kostya is closing for the night he gets an Aftertaste and instinctually knows exactly what to use and how to make it. When the man begins to consume the beverage something starts to happen. The mans wife appears before him, there to let him know he needs to let her go, she wants to move on and wants him to do the same.

Stunned Kostya begins to wonder exactly what he can do with these Aftertastes and if he can help the ghosts that come to him through taste. Upon meeting a woman named Maura he is warned that he shouldn't be messing with the otherside. Speaking from expierience she warns him that eventually the other side takes notice and things can turn quickly. A hunger that has followed Maura since she died one night and ate food from the Hall of Food in the otherworld then returned to life has haunted her. She hasn't been able to satiate that hunger that is until she meets Kostya. Maybe its his connection to the dead but he makes her feel full.

As she warned him though there are unforseen consequences to these skills of his and the veil has been torn. Now they must find a way to return hungry ghosts to where they belong.

I want to thank #Netgalley for the chance to read #Aftertaste by #DariaLavelle in return for a fair and honest review.

Meet Konstantin "Kostya" Duhovny. Ever since his dad passed away when he was a kid, Kostya's been haunted – not by spooky apparitions, but by tastes. He can taste the favorite foods of the deceased, even if he's never had them before. It's a secret he's kept bottled up for years, but one night, he decides to actually do something about it. He discovers he can reunite people with their lost loved ones for one last meal, prepared by his own hands. Talk about a unique catering service!

This discovery sends Kostya on a wild journey through the high-stakes, often brutal, New York culinary scene. He's trying to master his cooking skills, all while grappling with the emotional weight of bringing spirits back, even temporarily. But as you can imagine, messing with the afterlife isn't exactly simple, and things get complicated pretty fast, especially when he falls for Maura, a party psychic with her own mysterious connection to the other side.

Lavelle's writing is just chef's kiss. The food descriptions are incredibly vivid – seriously, prepare to be hungry while reading this! But it's not just about making your mouth water; the food is deeply tied to memory, emotion, and the profound connections we have with those we've lost. The story is beautifully structured, with chapters that feel like courses in a meal, each one revealing more layers of Kostya's past and the intricate rules of this magical world.

Aftertaste is a slow-burn kind of book, but it's constantly engaging. It dives deep into themes of grief, identity, and the power of memory, all while maintaining a really engaging pace. There are twists and turns you won't see coming, and the emotional impact is definitely there. While some of the afterlife mechanics might require a little extra thought to keep track of, it's a small price to pay for such an original and moving concept.

Overall, Aftertaste is a truly impressive debut. It's a blend of magical realism, romance, and culinary adventure that's both poignant and surprisingly funny at times. If you're looking for a book that's fresh, thought-provoking, and will leave you with a lingering, well... aftertaste, then you should absolutely pick this one up. It's a solid 4-star read that I'd recommend to anyone who loves a story with heart, a touch of the uncanny, and a whole lot of deliciousness.

I absolutely loved this book. The story was so unique, emotional, and provocative. I fell in love with the characters, and also, as a foodie, it inspired me to want to cook and eat.

I've heard a lot of praise for this book, which is fantastic, but it's just not my thing. I'm realizing that if a book doesn't appeal to you, there's no need to finish it. I made it through about 30% before deciding to stop reading.

I'd only heard great things about this book, and wow did it live up to the hype. What a haunting and hypnotic book. Exquisitely written. Heartbreaking throughout. But with a biting satirical look at hip/cool restaurant culture.

Highly recommend.

Quite simply, this multi-faceted, intricately nuanced, spectacularly unique, and utterly gorgeous novel spoke to my soul. It is a highly unusual exploration of grief, forgiveness, love, and moving on. And it felt deeply personal.

Konstantin Duhovny is weighed down with grief. He unexpectedly lost his dad as a child; a time when he was too young to fully understand or process his emotions. He’s haunted by their last conversation which was tinged with anger and disappointment—and is haunted by the feeling that his beloved dad died displeased with him.

Kostya soon discovers that he shares an unlikely connection with the dead. While he can’t speak with them, he can taste flavors of food meaningful to them. These aftertastes were his secret until he unexpectedly recreates an aftertaste and reunites a man with his deceased wife. This propels Kostya into the culinary world with the hopes of giving people the opportunity for one last meal; one final chance to say goodbye.

The rest of the story must be experienced by the reader. It is a brilliant journey, entirely unexpected, and completely satisfying.

I understood Kostya; his regrets and his aching. My dad died when I was 13-years-old and our last conversation was a contentious one over a movie he would not give me permission to see. That’s a heavy burden to carry along with debilitating grief and sorrow. I often wished (still do) for the opportunity to have a different last conversation; for our final words to be ones of love and not teenage angst. Well crafted stories give the reader a chance to lose themselves in the pages and Daria Lavelle certainly provided that for me with this book.

I promise you’ve never read anything quite like AFTERTASTE and you won’t soon forget it once you do.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Aftertaste is a beautifully original debut that blends food, memory, and grief in a way that feels both fresh and deeply human. The story centers on Konstantin, a Ukrainian-American chef with a quiet but uncanny gift—he can taste the favorite meals of the dead. As he cooks for the grieving, offering them a unique kind of closure, he’s also navigating his own losses and emotional wounds.

Lavelle’s writing is elegant and evocative, especially when describing the food—it’s rich with sensory detail but never overwrought. What I loved most was how she uses cooking not just as a plot device, but as a true emotional language. The novel explores how food connects us to memory, family, and love, without ever feeling heavy-handed.

If you enjoy stories with magical realism, culinary themes, and a heartfelt emotional core, Aftertaste is a quiet gem that lingers with you long after the last page.

Recommended for: Fans of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake or Like Water for Chocolate.

Thank you for this ARC read I truly enjoyed this book. The overall story was a cool concept and interesting with each chapter. The characters really did develop a lot in this going from a broken boy to an exquisite man who kept going after a lot of fall backs. The pov is cool to feel as though you’re on tour. I would recommend but also have tissues ready as it does hit a nerve throughout.

Events in our lives are marked with food

Cakes for birthdays, turkeys at Thanksgiving, chocolates at Valentine's...while the specifics may vary from person to person and culture to culture, food and memories are often intertwined. For Konstantin (Kostya) Duhovny, the connection between food and memory is quite vivid, and personal...although he does not at first have a name for it, he has a talent for clairgustance. Most people (whether they believe in it or not) know what clairvoyance is, in which people with a certain kind of sensitivity can "see' information from another realm; clairgustance is a variation on that in which a person like Kostya who possesses it can "taste" things from the other realm. Kostya may not be able to see dead people, but he can taste something, a lingering memory these spirits have of a particular food or drink. For a man who lost his father as a boy (an event about which he still has unresolved issues) and has yet to find a meaningful role in life, he isn't sure that this "talent" is of any use. Until the night that he creates the exact drink that he can "taste" and, once the man to whom he has served it drinks it, the spirit who has been tethered to the man by this memory can appear, and converse and relieve the living man of his guilt and sadness. Can Kostya do the same thing and summon his father's spirit and hopefully put his own sadness behind him? He begins to experiment, taking a job as a dishwasher in one of NYC's hottest restaurants in order to learn as much as he can about food and ingredients and cooking. After more than a few ups and downs, he will open his own restaurant and continue to bring comfort to those left behind through his food. But what Kostya thinks is a wonderful service to the living is having the complete opposite effect in the Great Food Hall in the sky....he is preventing those spirits who are tethered to an intermediate plain by memories that connect them to those they left behind from moving on as they should. Kostya has given everything to his cooking, he thought....but to undo the damage he has unwittingly created, he must be willing to truly give himself up. Completely.
Aftertaste is a novel rich in its descriptions of food (don't read it on an empty stomach!), but also in the loves and losses of the people within its covers. Kostya and his larger than life best friend Freddie are fully fleshed out, flawed but endearing as they try to make their mark on life. As I read I began thinking of some of my own memories that tie in to food in some way....a gazpacho in Santorini, a Boston Cream Pie while watching a favorite show as a young girl, and more....and found myself delighting in the mix of humor, supernatural twists, painful losses and the hope that bubbles up when all seems lost. Foodies, those who love a good (but not too scary) ghost story, and anyone who has romance in their soul will find much to like in this clever tale. Readers of Laura Esquivel, Erin Morgenstern and Joanne Harris in particular should rush this title to the top of their nightstand. Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me access to this engaging and enchanting read (4.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 5) in exchange for my honest review.

It took me about 50 pages to get into this book, but once I did, I was hooked. It was the perfect marriage of magical realism and foodie lore and I loved it. While the characters are deeply flawed, they all admit to their own issues and if they weren’t flawed the story wouldn’t work. This is one of my favorite books so far this year and I can’t wait to recommend it to people!

Aftertaste by Daria lavelle is such a unique read. Kostya is a culinary wizard in New Yorks culinary scene who also has had a secret he’s carried with him he’s whole life-he can sense ghosts. More than sensing ghosts-he can taste the flavors of the meals that the spirits enjoyed in life-foods and flavors he’s never tasted. He finds that his culinary skills and connection to the other world blend together to allow him to help the living reunite with their dead loved ones while they are enjoying his meal. Believing this to be his life’s purpose, kostya dreams bigger and better for his culinary dreams and is heading for disaster. Kostya must reconcile with his own grief and loss in this spiritual plane if he is to help anyone else and to avoid the major catastrophes an awaiting him.

While this is a weird premise, I did enjoy it! this is a unique blend of culinary, love, loss, grief, and ghost story all in one package. This will also tug on your heart and make you think about lost loved ones and what you would do if you had the gift that would allow you to see them again for one last meal. I do recommend this one and would seek out more ;from the author!

Thanks to the publisher for providing the arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

6 stars. FANTASTIC! Surprising. Emotional. Nostalgic. These are just a few of the words I would use to describe Daria Lavelle’s new book, Aftertaste. The book poses a question; “What if you could have one last meal with someone you lost?” Before even cracking the book open, I thought long and hard about my answer. Who would I want to see at that dinner table? What would we eat? As most of you may know, food is a big part of my life and so when I thought about thsi question I reflected on all the meals I’ve eaten and made and the people I’ve shared them with. And then it hit me, I would make my son’s favorite snack. Chocolate Chip Banana muffins. And I’d share them with the grandparents I lost way too soon. Too soon to meet Dion. Too soon to feed him. Too soon to love him in this life. Just us, and the muffins my son demands every week.

Then I read the book. Kostya reminded me so much of myself. And then there was Frankie and Maura and the way New York City blossomed on my tongue. In my psyche. Salty and earthy and sweet and bitter. Home. This is a love story. So many kinds of love told chapter after chapter. Familial. Romantic. Self. All of those things combined with the culinary world as it’s backdrop. I cried. CRIED. I laughed. I remembered. I remebered why I cook and why we eat. Thank you for writing such an amazing book Daria. You smashed it.

I'm very grateful I was able to receive an ARC of this deliciously unique story. Going into the book I thought it sounded unlike anything I had ever read before, and that was very true. This beautifully written book discusses grief, how humans are bonded together with food, the dangers of holding on too tightly, and love. Just be warned that you will get hungry as you read the book.