It is always great reading something in a different format/genre. I liked the way that the storytelling was put together and presented. It was a fun, easy to read book.

Didn’t care for this. Not only is Ruthie annoying and over the top but her antics were just plain mean at times. Other times she was simply stupid. The whole password thing was laughably bad. Her family was even worse! Forgive someone for stealing from you like that? No thanks. Ruthie’s friends were only slightly better really. Lots of bad choices among them. Also a lot of nasty comments about someone’s vegan diet and such which felt very childish. I get that Ruthie was going to a French cooking school but nearly every single thing she either cooked or ate was over the top in so many ways. Just all fat and butter and cream. Astounding really. I love to cook but no way I’m cooking or eating like this.

Also the whole Bridget Jones Diary rip-off turned me off.

I don’t often compare one book to another but in the case of Off Menu, I just can’t help myself. Amy Rosen’s novel is Bridget Jones meets Nora Ephron meets Julie and Julia meets Ruth Reichl. Yes, that’s a lot. But it worked for me at the time I was reading it. I had a lot of fun with this book and think it’s a great summer read - especially for foodies!

Here’s the book’s description:

Twenty-something Ruthie Cohen, a data entry minion for a second-tier movie app, spends her days thinking about the kickass meals she’s going to make for her besties, Trish and Lilly, while pining for Dean (sigh, Dean), her vacation fling from six months earlier. Could they have made it work in real life?

On top of that, Bubbe Bobby Grace, Ruthie’s beloved and inspiring grandmother, passed away and left Ruthie an inheritance of $62,873, along with instructions on how to use it: “Follow your passion, Dollface.” During a prosecco-fueled night with her gal pals, Ruthie decides to turn her passion into a career and learn the art of French cooking, enrolling in culinary school, paying tuition, and buying her chef’s whites with a few quick clicks online. It’s not long before Ruthie marches into the kitchen and feels the heat from her cooking partner, Jeff, the super hunky (totally taken!) musician that weasels his way into her brain — right next to Dean.

How can anyone be expected to focus on school, cooking, career planning, baking, friends, and deciding between two hot guys, especially when one of them also thinks that John Cusack is woefully underrated? And what if neither feels quite like Ruthie’s perfect pairing?

Let’s first talk about something that I can’t actually talk about because it’s a big ol’ spoiler: the ending! It was perfect. Or as perfect as a book’s ending can be. Everything hit right and I applaud Rosen for giving me such a satisfactory ending.

Ruthie is 27 but kind of acts like she’s 22. There's a huge amount of life learning to be done in those five years and I don’t think Ruthie has quite gotten to where she maybe needs to be. Not that there’s a set way you should be living your life by a certain age. You do you. But there was just a little something that was too immature for my liking and I know it might annoy a lot of people. Ultimately, though, I embraced it and I loved watching her grow over the course of the year as she focused on herself.

Because, really, that’s what the book is all about. Ruthie following her true passions and discovering what makes Ruthie, well, Ruthie. There’s a lot to be said about trying something even if it seems like a far-fetched idea - and having a great support system in your corner. I love that Ruthie tried something scary after digging deep to figure out what that something should be. Once she realized she was where she needed to be, her confidence skyrocketed and she really started to come into herself. I loved reading that.

I hated both love interests. It was painful to read as Ruthie went through some serious shit with the stupid boys. They were not good for her. (No need to stress. It’s run of the mill serious shit for the most part - no abuse, nothing dark or harmful.) I didn’t love it for Ruthie. Maybe I was being too big sister protector-y and couldn’t enjoy those parts of the book. *shrugs* When everything goes down with Jeff, I could not believe her parents were willing to let it slide and encouraged her to give him another chance. The man was a walking red flag. Ignore your parents and step away from the hot chef.

I’m not a huge foodie but I was definitely hungry while reading this one! So many delicious meals were mentioned as Ruthie learned to be a chef. I’m not the cook in my household and I’m not one for super fancy meals. But I know there’s massive skills there and it was really fun to read as Ruthie sharpened her cooking skills and pushed herself to cook ridiculously complicated things. Her love of food was so obvious and she wasn’t stuck-up about it. She mentions a dish she loves making that is full of clever hacks that makes it so easy and yet it’s delicious. She appreciates the skills and nuances to some dishes but, at the end of the day, she just wants to put good food in front of the people she cares about.

I listened to part of this book and I really appreciated that the narrator knew how to pronounce toque/tuque/touque and Z. It had Canadian spellings and was set in Toronto. Yay!

Off Menu is a great book for your next weekend read. Amy Rosen’s created a character who will entertain you and might just worm her way into your heart. At the very least, you’ll be inspired to eat a lot of good food and book your next vacation!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, ECW Press, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Reading Off Menu felt like being wrapped in the chaotic, comforting scent of something bubbling over on the stove—messy, unpredictable, and impossible not to love. Ruthie Cohen is not your polished heroine; she’s insecure, impulsive, and deeply human—and that’s exactly what makes her irresistible. Through a diary-style lens that’s as intimate as a voice memo to your best friend, Amy Rosen lets us stumble with Ruthie as she trades in the safe for the soulful: a dead-end job for culinary school, and a predictable life for one brimming with burnt baguettes, emotional leftovers, and a surprising amount of prosecco.

What I adored most was how Off Menu doesn’t just serve food—it serves feeling. Every dish Ruthie prepares is laced with her longings, her fears, her grief, and her joy. I found myself not just laughing at her unfiltered rants (seriously, she’s hilarious), but also quietly nodding when she let herself grieve, spiral, and fall in love—in the kitchen, and outside of it. Her dynamic with Jeff and Dean adds just enough “What if?” tension, but it’s the friendships and self-growth that really make this story sing.

Thank you Netgalley and ECW Press for the ARC!

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and ECW press for providing me with an ARC.

This is a light-hearted novel told in diary format of a young woman embarking on her dream of becoming a professional chef. Along the way there are romantic mishaps, social faux pas, a lot of learning, a heavenly culinary tour of France, and my favorite part of the story, a tight friend group showing up for our protagonist, Ruthie, and each other, in important ways.

The protagonist was at times exasperating and certain points of this novel require a real suspension of disbelief. However, the book ended on such a satisfying note that I left the story thinking Ruthie might just be okay.

I'd definitely recommend for fans of 'Bridget Jones Diary' or 'The princess Diaries' or if you're into food writing in general.

Book Review: Off Menu by Amy Rosen 🍝✨💘

I just finished Off Menu and I’m still thinking about Ruthie, her chaotic kitchen adventures, and all the delicious meals she whipped up along the way. This book was such a fun, cozy, laugh-out-loud unique read written in a diary-style format. Ruthie’s voice jumps right off the page. It’s messy, honest, hilarious, and I loved how personal and real it felt, like I was being let into her world one meal, one mistake, and one late-night spiral at a time.

Ruthie Cohen is in that classic mid-twenties limbo: working a dead end job, stuck in a daydream about a vacation fling from six months ago and constantly fantasizing about the next meal she’ll cook for her besties. When her beloved Bubbe passes away and leaves her $62,873.42 with the note “Follow your passion, Dollface,” Ruthie takes it as a sign. After one too many glasses of prosecco, she enrolls in culinary school, orders her chef whites, and decides it’s time to make a real go of her dreams.

Amy Rosen blends humor, heartache, and hunger (seriously, do not read this book on an empty stomach) into a story that feels like a warm hug and a girls’ night all in one. I loved the banter, the ride-or-die friendships, the will they won’t they tension, and the deeper themes of grief, reinvention, and following your gut even when it’s scary.

Every meal Ruthie describes had me absolutely drooling. Amy Rosen doesn’t just write food well, she writes it with love, and it made this story all the more flavorful. It’s not just about cooking; it’s about healing, risking, and finding purpose in unexpected places. And just when I thought the book couldn’t get more comforting… the final pages include recipes for some of the meals mentioned throughout the story and it’s truly, chef’s kiss. 💋

Off Menu is a love letter to friendship, food, following your passion, and figuring things out one (sometimes burned) dish at a time. If you love stories about self-discovery with a generous side of romantic tension, laugh-out-loud moments, and a strong female lead who’s still figuring it all you need to add this one to your TBR.

Thank you Netgalley and ECW press for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Delighted to include this title in the June edition of Novel Encounters, my column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national lifestyle and culture magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

I must say I was drawn to this book as it seemed to be food related and I do love a good food related read. And tis is a humorous and food worthy read and one I enjoyed for its quirky theme and characters, it's tasty cooking school setting and its fun. The book is a mix of fun, romance, friendships, dreams, food and even some loss and sadness.

An overall good read and one that entertained me and made me smile and also made me think about cooking up a French food storm in the kitchen.

Thank you NetGalley and ECW Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Mouth-watering, charming, and full of flavour 🍽️✨. Off Menu serves up a delicious mix of food, romance, and self-discovery. Amy Rosen crafts a delightful, feel-good story that had me laughing, swooning, and seriously craving great food. I adored the quirky characters, culinary adventures, and the heartfelt journey of finding love—and yourself—off the beaten path. Perfect for fans of foodie fiction, romance, and uplifting stories sprinkled with humour.

Hilarious most of the time, Ruthie pines for Dean whom she had a fling with in Thailand. She can’t get him out of her head but also thinks of looking at her future as a chef and registers for culinary school courtesy of grandma’s legacy.

Interspersed with wonderful cooking lessons and mouth watering food is another romance, someone who breaks Ruthie’s heart, scams her out of her money and disappears. Ruthie has to concentrate very hard to get her priorities right and focus on what is important.

Lots of young fun, delicious food and a simple story which caught my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-copy of Off Menu in exchange for an honest review.This is a heart -warming story about Ruthie Cohen who is at a crossroads in her life-not sure about what path to take but with the help of an inheritance decides to enroll in a culinary school in her native Toronto.Faced with many challenges including loving 2 men at the same time, dealing with her close friends ,Lily and Trish and their complicated lives and trying to find her way this is a book that offers a great plot and also great recipes.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I tried to get into this book, but it was a DNF for me.

I enjoyed reading Off Menu by Amy Rosen. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Ruthie Cohen, 27, is fed up with her job and has decided to do what she has wanting to do for a long time. Her beloved grandmother, Bubbe Bobby Grace, has passed away and left her an inheritance of $62,873.47. Ruthie has always loved to cook and has enrolled in the cooking school l’Ecole de la Cuisine Francaise in Toronto. She is geared up and ends up teaming up with a handsome man named Jeff. He is quite talented and together they work well. After spending its of days with him, she finds herself with a crush on him but knows he has a girlfriend. However, their closeness ends up wit him breaking up with his girlfriend and moving in with Ruthie.

Ruthie has begun writing daily in a diary and records her experiences and the book is told through her diary.

Ruthie has two very good friends, Trish and Lilly. They have been close for many years and have comforted and supported one another through many broken relationships. So, when something devastating breaks up Ruthie and Jeff, they all group together and again, take care of one another.

Ruthie finally graduates from her cooking school. Her French cuisine is her best forte however, her pastry cuisine is not her best. But she is quite happy. But an old flame comes into her life and she wonders if they can make it together.

I am a solid foodie and having lived in Paris for many years, French food is my favorite. So, I drooled as Ruthie prepared many of her dishes. There are some really funny things in this story and some sad ones as well. However, I did enjoy the book and hope others will as well.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I received an advance copy of this book thanks to NetGalley, and I enjoyed reading it. I did find the book to move a bit slowly, but appreciated the character development and the way Ruthie and her friends were constants for each other. I did find this book to be a slow burn. It was worth finishing, but it took me longer to read than it should have. And the end came up quickly. Ultimately, I would recommend it, but I think it would be more appealing for a bit of a younger age group than mine (45-50).

Imagine Bridget Jones meets a cooking show with a splash of prosecco, and that’s Off Menu for you!🍾📚 Ruthie Cohen is the kind of chaotic, hilarious, heart-full heroine you root for from page one. Between her movie app day job, dreamy vacation-fling Dean😮‍💨,and a sexy-but-taken cooking partner Jeff 👨‍🍳, Ruthie’s life is a delightful mess served with a side of garlic butter 🧈.

Losing her beloved Grandmother 💔 turns into a bittersweet blessing...cue the inheritance and life advice that sends Ruthie spiraling (in the best way!) into French culinary school 🥖✨ From burnt pastries to emotional plot twists, it’s a rollercoaster of laughs, late-night cravings, and so much heart.

The banter? On point.
The food scenes? Drool-worthy. 🤤
The emotions? Surprisingly deep.

This isn’t just about romance...it’s about self-discovery, friendship, chasing dreams, and realizing that your perfect pairing might not be a person, but a purpose 💫

Off Menu a charming rom com in diary form. This was a light fun read & I really enjoyed it.# NetGalley # ecw

An interesting book, there are some fun moments and some sad moments. I would have enjoyed it more if the characters were a tiny bit more likable. Now don't get me wrong, I love and dunlikeable characters or an unreliable narrator, but this book lacked a bit of depth to the characters that makes you interested in them even though you don't like them, 3 stars

This is the journal of Ruthie's year at culinary school. I liked the conceit but to be honest, Ruthie not so much. Rosen tries a bit too hard. That said it is funny in spots and sad in others. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.

I was really excited to read Off Menu as it sounded like a light hearted easy read. However Ruthie might be one of my least favourite fictional characters to date which made for a frustrating read unfortunately!