I absolutely devoured Aftertaste. Lavelle’s writing makes every flavor come alive and every ache of loss hit home. Her idea of summoning ghosts through taste felt magical and deeply moving as I followed Kostya through ambition, heartbreak, and a genuinely sweet romance with Maura. Their playful banter, and the way the story shifts between the whirlwind of a top-tier kitchen and the quiet moments of grief kept me reading late into the night. If you’re into stories that blend food, fantasy, and a good ghostly twist, this one’s for you.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Konstantin lost his father when he was ten and he's an haunted man, since ghosts have been hovering around him ever since. Kostya can't see the, but he can taste their favourite foods and so discover there's a ghost around. One time he decide to act on what he's tasting and discovers he can help grieving people, reuniting them with their lost ones, at least for the time of eating a dish he's prepared.
When he enters the New York culinary scene, a fiery ring of Hell, he will soon learn there's catastrophe looming in the Afterlife, his kitchen skills catch up with his ambitions and the person who should stop him happens to fall in love with him.

Aftertaste is a very original, haunting and intriguing story about the power of food and love, grief and pain, helping grieving people and it's a mix between a dark comedy, a love story and a painful and grieving one.
It's a story about love and loss and Kostya is the perfect main character and I truly loved reading this peculiar book. Passion and hunger, love and loss, it's a mix of everything and it's very well written!
Restaurant and afterlife? That's a unique combination!

This book was not what I was expecting at all and was a did not finish for me. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC

Wow this was such a good story, I can’t believe I sat on it so long! This book is different from the stories I normally read but I enjoyed the change. The detailed explanations of food and how it is created makes me wish that I saw cooking this way. You can feel the passion of Konstantin and his work. This combined with the supernatural world and the souls he encounters makes it such a unique and fun read. I love books in which I am awed by their creativity and wonder how they came up with this story. I actually made a reservation to a local “foodie” restaurant while I was listening because I just wanted to submerge myself in the atmosphere of cooking and good food. I highly recommend the audiobook; it helps separate the different POVs and also helps to hear the different pronunciations of various foods and names.

I highly recommend this book for a refreshing new story that encompasses good food, friendships, and some of life’s struggles (all mixed with some “stuck” souls).

Let’s start off with this book was not what I was expecting it to be from the cover but was pleasantly surprised how good it was! I loved the magical realism, mystery and romance of this. I ate this up figuratively and literally! The masterpiece that is this novel.

Some books stay on your tongue long after the final page and Aftertaste is one of them.
As the reader, we follow Kostya, a Ukrainian American dishwasher in NYC who develops the ability to taste the favorite foods of the dead. What seemingly begins as a gift to grieving families turns into something darker as he open his ghosty supper club where ling between the living and the dead begin to blur.

Lavelle's writing and prose is ✨GORGEGOUS✨ Her descriptors of the food had me feeling like I could practically smell or taste a great many dishes and drinks that I'd never had let alone heard of. I did not expect such imagery and sensory stimulation to be so emotional for me. Grief is at the center of everything in this novel but she handles it with such care and warmth with plenty of dark humor along the way. I think this is such a unique concept and it worked so well, even with a bit of slow pacing in the second half which affected the momentum for me.

For lovers of magical realism, food writing or stories that leave an ACHE:
Aftertaste is not simply about ghosts or food, it's about the burdens we carry and what we all yearn for. Taste can be a memory and a memory can be love. This book was so deeply strange and such a flavorful debut.

This was arguably one of the most original novels I've read in YEARS. It's eerie and tender and sort of haunts you (in a good way) prepare to cry, prepare to be curious and most of all prepare to be hungry while reading such a profound work of art.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, Daria Lavelle and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ♥

Something just felt off about this for me. Good idea for a plot but it wasn’t handled well. The back and forth perspectives just didn’t work for me. The ending was a letdown.

I LOVED this book. It's like if Flatliners had a baby with Ghostbusters and Hells Kitchen. Delightful different, savory, and overall a delicous read!

Delicious 🩵 I’m seeing this one all over Bookstagram, endorsed by the master himself @jordys.book.club, which like, in Jordy we trust 🤣😄 but really! It’s giving me BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD vibes in the sense that characters can visit with someone deceased (which happens often in the BTCGC series) - so if that’s a series you also enjoy this might be the next perfect read for you!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This out now!

Magical Realism/Romance. When Konstantin was 10 his father died and while his grief was still fresh, his encounters with ghosts began. But it wasn’t your typical ghost encounter - Kostya can taste the ghosts’ favorite foods. Meals he has never tasted before will flood his mouth, down to every last spice. This was just an odd quirk Kostya lived with, until a chance encounter revealed he can reunite people with their lost loved ones while they were eating the meal Kostya made of their aftertastes. Kostya decides his life purpose is to reunite others with their lost loved ones (and possibly get the closure with his father he desperately needs). As Kostya hones his cooking skills and eventually get the chance of a lifetime to open his own restaurant in NYC, a catastrophe is looming on the other side of the veil and the obly one who can possibly prevent it is also the woman he’s falling in love with.

I absolutely LOVED this one. This was such an original concept for a book and the food writing was phenomenal. Do not read this on an empty stomach or you will be starving. Grief is also beautifully covered in this - what would you do for a chance to see a loved one again and how do you move on after death? Very bitter sweet.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 This book was so interesting! It’s super different than anything I’ve ever read before. The main male character, Konstantin, has an ability to taste important food memories of the deceased. The story is set in New York City. He spends this story fighting through his guilt about the circumstances surrounding his father’s death, his relationships with others (or lack there of), his life’s purpose in relationship to these food memories, mental health and love. This story is full of unforeseen twists and turns, action, mystery, romance and food. The story is a fantasy at heart with magical realism throughout, but seamlessly weaves the other genres into the book. The book is medium paced and keeps the reader’s attention. There is representation of mental health, specifically depression, grief, disordered eating, suicide etc. So please check trigger warnings. I appreciated how these things were represented thoughtfully and not in a gratuitous manner! I recommend this book to any avid fiction reader! Thank you Daria Lavelle and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC and leave an honest review!

I took a chance with this one--I've experienced a lot of family member deaths these last few years. Books about death/grief either comfort me or just don't work for me--unfortunately this one was just a little too hard for me to read right now. However, I loved the premise and think it will be a hit for readers, just not for me at this pint in my life.

Savoring Bonds

Konstantin Duhovny is being used as a conduit for the dead, tasting the flavors of their favorite meals. He discovers that by recreating these meals he can unite the spirits with a grieving loved one. For the duration of the meal, the ghost reappears, allowing the two to bury any lingering issues. Konstantin dedicates his life to this mission, driven by a personal quest for reconciliation.

When he was ten years old, Konstantin had a heated argument with his father. “Mama’s right! We should have stayed in Kiev!... You’d cook! You’d own a restaurant instead of driving a stupid bus!... And I wouldn’t be so ashamed!... Go to the Devil!” His father died that day and Konstantin remained burdened by guilt. His desire to conjure the dead is, in part, fueled by his desire to reconcile with his father.

Early on, after Konstaantin’s first successful conjuring, his close friend, Frankie, persuaded him to get a tarot reading from the beautiful Madame Everleigh. When he confided in her and asked about his “gift,” she warned him he was treading on dangerous ground. “You’re dealing with hungry spirits and capital-D Death and the Hereafter… Let me be as idiot-proof as I possibly can here. Don’t ever make that food again.”

The book is heavily foodie-oriented, with deep dives into flavor profiles. In order to be able to successfully replicate the flavors he is tasting, Konstantin immerses himself in restaurant work. Here he will be able to hone his skills and have access to a vast array of ingredients. Eventually he opens his own humble establishment, part of what one spirit promotes as The Konstantin Duhovny Culinary Experience.

There is romance. Madame Everleigh, whose real name is Maura, tracks Konstantin down and changes her tune about helping him with his mission. She, also, is looking to find closure with someone she’s lost. They inevitably fall in love. Maybe the line of the book follows their profession of love for one another, the profound: “I love you like salt.” Foodies, IYKYK.

There are plenty of unforeseen twists and turns on the menu. In addition to creative and moving ghost encounters, there are gangsters, otherworldly food courts, and even a pure embodiment of evil– a food critic. The narrative poses two compelling questions: Will Konstantin find resolution with his father, and will there be a price to be paid for disturbing the balance between the living and the dead?

Daria Lavelle has prepared a delicious and inventive serving in “Aftertaste.”

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and to NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #Aftertaste

This is a beautifully crafted exploration of the intersection between the supernatural and the culinary arts. The narrative weaves together a poignant tale of ghosts, not merely as figments of haunting but as reflections of our memories and emotions attached to those we've lost. Through vivid imagery and lyrical prose, the story delves deep into themes of grief and the essential process of letting go. It skillfully illustrates how, by embracing our past and honoring our connections, we can find a pathway to healing and transformation, ultimately allowing us to move forward while still cherishing the flavors of our cherished memories.

Aftertaste is a genre-bending novel following a MMC who can taste via nearby ghosts' past experiences. The premise was extremely unique, and I liked the emotional aspect. Ultimately I struggled with the pacing and the genre crossovers.

I received an ARC from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Aftertaste is a compelling, genre-bending piece of fiction that I absolutely inhaled—and I think I’ll be “tasting” it for months after reading.

Heaping cupfuls of gorgeous food writing (for fans of PIGLET), A dash of Yes, Chef (perfect for fans of THE BEAR), and a sprinkling of the paranormal all adds up to one delicious story. Romance and excellent side characters add additional flavor.

I loved the way Lavelle explored memory, family, belonging. and grief through the lens of food. Highly recommend!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

What a wildly original, emotionally rich, and unexpectedly delicious read! Aftertaste is a ghost story, a love story, and a deep meditation on grief...all wrapped up in mouthwatering food writing. Kostya’s ability to taste the memories of the dead is both eerie and beautiful, and such an interesting take on the afterlife. If you’ve ever wanted to have one last meal with someone you’ve lost, this story will hit you right in the soul. Dark, funny, and full of heart—Aftertaste is unlike anything I’ve read before.

Thank you Daria Lavelle, Simon and Schuster, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

#aftertaste #netgalleyarc #netgalleyreview #netgalley #arcreview #arc #arcreader #review #somanybookssolittletime

AFTERTASTE – by Daria Lavelle

‘They call it the Magic Meal. A Reincarnosh. An Aftertaste. It has a lot of names, but if you find yours, it’s a Golden Ticket. A way to return to your Living. A last meal to help them finally let you go.’

‘The unabashed joy of spaghetti carbonara. The absolute abandon of a triple-decker turkey club. The particular sadness of lemon cake. When the ghosts appeared, Kostya could see it in their faces—the sentiments he’d tasted, seasoning the memories that shepherded them back.’

I love this Book—a supernatural storyline I have never read before—one that is sweet, tender, heartbreaking, heartwarming, hopeful, touching, and funny. (No whammies—Hey, if you know, you know. You know? ;)

Highly Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Publishing, for providing me with an eBook ARC of AFTERTASTE at the request of an honest review.

I was very curious to dive into this story based on the publisher's blurb. Things I loved - the cooking and all of the scenes that took place in NYC kitchens. I didn't know that was a niche that appealed to this reader, but it did! The author does a great job really setting the scene in the fast-paced, grueling and competitive world of the NYC culinary scene. Things I didn't so much love - the hangry ghosts plot. It just didn't totally make sense to this reader and so I couldn't totally buy in. I would, however, take another chance on this author and read whatever she puts out next. Her writing kept my attention even if the plot didn't totally work for me.

Picture yourself sitting down for a meal at a restaurant when the head chef senses your dead father’s favorite meal of hamburgers and French fries. That’s at least the meal that my dad would order up. Each Friday evening my mother would drive into town to the local meat market and pick up fresh, ground beef for our little family of four. Homemade burgers and French fries cooked in hot Crisco were served up. At some point it became habitual and we grew to expect it. I drowned my burger in Heinz 57 sauce and chased it down with soda pop which came out of glass, returnable liter bottles. (The pop was only allowed once per week.) That said, I know that if I hit up our main character, Kostya’s restaurant in NYC that my Dad’s spirit would probably show up and order this meal.

Aftertaste tells us the story of Kostya, a first-generation New Yorker who loses his father at a young age. Suddenly Kostya tastes his father’s favorite meal of lightly burned liver and onions. He feels it through the entirety of his body. He knows precisely what the ingredients are and how to prepare it. When meals are made the spirits of lost loved ones appear and full conversations (along with closure) can be captured one last time.

Throughout the book there are amazing descriptions of cooking. Ingredients. Spices. Methods of cooking. Readers who enjoy non-fiction books by Ruth Reichl, Stanley Tucci and Ina Garten would enjoy this novel. So would fantasy readers who want to be pulled into a realm of possibilities. Horror readers will enjoy the lengths that the characters will have to go to for a sound resolution.

I found that this book incorporated so many different genres and multiple plot elements. The book chugs along at an excellent pace and I enjoyed the characters and plotlines. 4.75 Stars rounded up to 5