Just One Taste

May 6, 2024
A woman unexpectedly inherits her father’s restaurant in Dent’s delicious latest (after The Summer Job). London food critic Olive blames her parents’ divorce on her father, who prioritized his business over his family, and hasn’t seen the man in 15 years. So she’s shocked when he suddenly dies, leaving her his restaurant—with the condition that she must collaborate with his annoyingly hot sous chef Leo Ricci to finish the cookbook he was writing when he died. Olive is less than thrilled to spend time with Leo, whom she resents for his close relationship with her father, and Leo’s upset to learn Olive intends to sell the restaurant. It makes for an awkward start to their trip through Sicily, Tuscany, and Liguria collecting recipes for the book. The gorgeous sights and tasty bites enhance the romance as Leo and Olive slowly go from enemies to lovers—until a shocking revelation about her parents’ relationship leaves Olive newly afraid of commitment. In vivid prose, Dent brings the Italian countryside to life while building a simmering attraction between her leads. Hopeless romantics looking for an armchair vacation will want to check this out. Agent: Hattie Grunewald, Blair Partnership.

June 1, 2024
Olive is a notorious London food critic who hates her job even more than she hates pretentious food. When her estranged father unexpectedly dies and leaves his floundering Italian restaurant to her, she immediately decides to sell and use the profits to get out of her rut. But there is a caveat. She must travel to Italy to finish the final three chapters of her father's cookbook. And she must do so with Leo, the sexy sous-chef at her father's restaurant. Leo started working at the restaurant shortly after Olive and her father drifted apart, and he became like a surrogate son. He can't understand why Olive would sell. Determined to loathe one another, Olive and Leo butt heads. But over countless courses of sumptuous Italian dishes and crisp wine in the summer sun, the two begin to realize that maybe they aren't so different. Dent's (The Sweetest Revenge, 2023) cozy, slow-burn romance is a heartfelt journey through Italian cuisine and culture. Readers will delight in the rich descriptions of food and dream of a summer holiday in Italy.

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After her father's death, food critic Olive Stone gets stuck working on a cookbook in Italy with his sous chef. Olive kept in only sporadic touch with her father after her parents' divorce years ago, so she's shocked when he wills her his beloved restaurant, Nicky's. Nicky's is mostly a sore spot in Olive's history, given that her parents' marriage failed because of her father's complete inability to balance restaurant work with a family. She's determined to sell it and wash her hands of this chapter of her life--but there's one hitch. Her dad also wanted her to finish his nearly completed cookbook with Leo Ricci, his sous chef. Leo and Olive have to spend several weeks in Italy to research and finally finish Olive's dad's pet project--but given that Leo is hellbent on convincing Olive that she's making the wrong decision in selling the restaurant, those weeks in Italy promise to be more of a challenge than a vacation. What Olive doesn't count on, however, is slowly falling for Leo's charms and getting to know all the people, restaurants, and foods her dad once loved. Soon, Olive is reevaluating her entire career, her romantic life, and what she thought she knew about her father. But should she mix business, pleasure, and complex childhood trauma? Dent easily balances rom-com tropes with grief. The story doesn't shy away from examining Olive's complicated feelings while also indulging in some lighthearted fun. Leo and Olive have serious chemistry that simmers slowly on the back burner as they explore Italy, and the lush descriptions of simple foods like tomatoes, cherries, and oranges will make readers want to book a trip (or at least book a reservation at an Italian restaurant). A delightful, sexy summer read for foodies.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (Online Review)