Thank you for my eARC of this book. I think I read this when I was in the right mood for it, had it been another time I might not have stuck with it, but I really enjoyed my time with this and would recommend it!

I found this book enjoyable, interesting and really uncomfortable.
I like that the characters aren't fully formed, and it really doesn't seem to matter.
We never know the actual reasons for the relationship breakdown, or what dress size Piglet is, but that's OK. We know enough, to use our personal experience to form our ideas and opinions.
I genuinely think that ever person will take something different away from this book.
It's the kind of book that I would hate to be made into a movie because the directors depiction will include their own personal experience/prejudices, which will be totally different to mine.

Piglet 🐷

Thank you to @doubledayukbooks and NetGalley for my copy!

In terms of 2024’s hyped books, Piglet has to be up there as the book I have seen people chatting about on bookstagram. Before and after release, I’ve seen it EVERYWHERE and honestly I think rightly so!

We meet Piglet as she’s in the approach to her wedding, just as she has learned something about her fiancé. If that sounds like a simple premise, it is. But it is done SO well.

There were so many scenes here that I have discussed with pals in all caps (WEDDING DRESS, as one example); so many moments where if I hadn’t been reading this on an iPad I would yeeted it across the room. Hazell’s writing is entirely engrossing; at no point did I feel like an outsider in the story or in Piglet’s life.

I would have loved for there to be slightly more in terms of food writing; the scenes that were focused on this, especially where Piglet was cooking or creating, were just exquisitely done. I think about croquembouche at least once a week now, and it would have been nice to see more of that.

We also never find out the central mystery at the heart of the novel, an unsatisfactory end to an otherwise wonderful novel. I’m excited to see what Hazell writes next!

Piglet is a fascinating debut novel from Lottie Hazell. It follows the life of a young woman who attempts to build a perfect life. She feels embarrassed by her working-class family and craves a better life. Piglet focuses on her career, learns to be a perfect hostess and finds an ideal fiancé. When his betrayal is revealed, the disenchantment hits hard. It appears that moving to a new city and starting a new life did not solve her problems. As her idealised future crumbles, she feels the need to fill the emptiness within her…

This novel examines the idea of a ‘perfect’ life and how easily it can be shattered. It’s filled with incredibly detailed descriptions of food, cooking, and baking. It was a captivating read, and I will definitely reach for the author’s next novel.

Quite a difficult and triggering read at times but really well written. I think Piglet will stay with me for a good while

Piglet immediately appealed to me; sure, being an ex-food blogger, how could I resist this food centric protagonist?

Piglet is superficially, at least, living the good life. A new home with her fiancé Kit in leafy Oxfordshire and their wedding imminently approaching. The chance of promotion at work. It’s all a far cry from her working-class and rather traumatic childhood in Derby.

But, our thirtysomething gourmand is living a lie; Kit drops a bombshell thirteen days before their wedding day, which threatens to shatter everything in Piglet’s much dreamed for fairy-tale existence. Will she let everything crumble, or will she follow the recipe and fight to keep everything sweet?

Piglet’s emotional crutch since childhood has been food, and her relationship with it is far from simple. As her emotional void grows, Piglet attempts to fill it with food, literally, but with binging comes a shame and distress that is palpable.

Irritatingly, we never find out precisely what Kit is after doing, and much as I loved Hazell’s use of food to reflect themes of disordered eating, body confidence (and lack thereof), friendships, family shame, social mobility and keeping up appearances, overall, the story left me hungry for more. 3.5⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy via NetGalley; this is always an honest review. Piglet is out now.

A scrumptious, delicious debut novel full of passion, obsession and delightful food writing.

Piglet, a nickname from her childhood, has the perfect life not only is she on the verge of a promotion in her cookery publishing job, has recently moved into a new build with fantastic furniture with her fiance, and is only weeks away from getting married. Tensions are building as she holds her working class family at arms length, the process for baking her own wedding cake is turning into a big operation and her future mother in law is poking holes in every decision.

Less than 2 weeks before the big day, Kit, her fiance, confesses to the ultimate betrayal.

Numb and confused, dread starts to build in Piglet and her life starts to unravel around her, descending into rage as she tries to unpick the details. Bingeing on food with an appetite she cannot fill, she knows that she does not want to tell anyone and the pressure to maintain the blushing bride is about to erupt. Her perfect life is on the brink, and only she can make the decision on where her life will go. Lizzie Hazell really builds up the tension and the pressure within the character, and at times the claustrophobic felt by the character was felt by me. Brilliant writing!

This is a bold book about food obsession, class and the pressures put on women to have it all, and to maintain decorum at all costs. I really enjoyed reading Piglet, and I am looking forward to seeing more from Lottie Hazell.

Thank you @netgalley for the ebook copy of the book!

What a wonderful journey of self discovery afterwards huge betrayal! I loved the descriptions of meals and food as a means of obsession! I didn’t overly like Piglet as a character, especially at the start, but I was compelled by her journey!

Exploration of the female experience through food seems to be a trope that is hot right now and Piglet (which is all over social media) is another book with much hype and deservedly so.
This is a story following Piglet (her actual name is not disclosed and the reason for her nickname is explained approximately 22% through) from a modest, humble background who is engaged to an affluent man from Oxford. They’re happy. Until her fiancé reveals a secret thirteen days before the wedding and Piglet’s world collapses…if her husband can indulge in his appetite, why can’t she…
This was an interesting read. Parts of the story was vague (her husband’s secret is never revealed but you can tell what it is in nature), and as the story is in third-person narrative there is a distance between the character of Piglet and the reader, which can make this a tricky read. I know a lot of readers weren’t happy about the fact the secret isn’t revealed but I didn’t mind and felt it added to the story, as we’re focused on Piglet and her reaction. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and was completely engrossed but there parts when there too much telling and the descriptions of the food didn’t add to the story. There were sections that moved me emotionally (when she goes to the Indian restaurant and the burger scene were 🤌 - so emotionally devastating) but that tension just wasn’t sustained and there were times, such as Piglet’s lack of empathy for why her pregnant friend who has just given birth, can’t fulfil her bridesmaids duties. Despite these flaws, this was a solid reading experience, a confidently written debut. I will definitely be looking forward to what Lottie Hazel writes next.

I find this slightly triggering and nauseating in places through the way piglet was treated. I think this was an interesting story and i liked what this did. It certainly was provocative and presented some challenging ideas. I thought the side characters were well developed and they helped sell the rest of the story well. I found this interesting overall and would read more by this author.

Piglet is a gripping story and the gorgeous food descriptions had me drooling. Piglet, our protagonist, is days away from her wedding when her fiance reveals a devastating truth, throwing her life completely off course. She finds comfort from her turmoil in food, and devolves into confusion and rage as she battles with her self confidence. This is a fantastic novel, exploring the reality of being a woman in todays society and struggling with your relationship with food and the pressures and expectations of those around you. I highly recommend this, especially if you're a fan of foodie books and dramatic plotlines.

It's a bold move by a writer to have a character reveal a devastating lie, but never let the reader know what the lie is.

Piglet is on the surface, living a good life. A new home with her fiancé Kit. The chance of promotion at work and a wedding imminent. But thirteen days before the wedding Kit confesses to something that makes Piglet reconsider her whole life.

The tension builds exquisitely as Piglet begins to unravel and the croqembouche scene made me feel so anxious. Right up until the last second I wasn't sure if she was going to go through with the ceremony, and this did keep me reading.

But my natural curiosity needed to know what Kit had done and it was exasperating never to know. I also found it to be quite a bleak read and Piglet to be a desperately unhappy character that made me feel really sad.

I think Piglet is one of those books that you don't love, and yet, you can't stop reading and thinking about it. Brilliantly written no doubt, and one that would be great for a book group discussion.

Great, lightweight fun. I might be interested in more from this writer once they have matured a bit?

Piglet is a difficult book to review, if not to read.
The premise is that Piglet, an agent at a culinary book publisher, is about to get married. Her fiancée, Kit, comes from a wealthy Oxford family who have helped them buy their first home. Piglet is from Derby and seems eager to distance herself from her family and background. 13 days before the wedding Kit reveals an awful secret that cracks apart the whole facade that Piglet has built around herself.
Piglet is beautifully written and the descriptions of food in particular are a work of art. We watch as Piglet slides into a breakdown, unable to call off the wedding, but unable to deal with what Kit has told her.
However, nothing really happens. She keeps going and, though she tells some people what has happened, as we the reader don’t know (and never know) his secret, it’s difficult to understand the various reactions, let alone react ourselves. It’s a strangely distancing move that leaves the reader unable to make a personal judgement on the situation. We know it’s bad, but how bad? The final chapters as the wedding plays out feel like they need some sort of reveal to finally understand Piglet and her dilemma.
In conclusion, do read ( but not if you are hungry!) but be prepared to be frustrated.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest, independent review.

With a childhood nickname like Piglet, it's no surprise that our protagonist has a deep love for food.

As a cookbook editor who judges others based on their culinary choices, Piglet leads a content domestic life. Engaged to Kit who is from the most perfect, upper-class family, she finds herself in a new home, the perfect hostess.

However, a bombshell revelation from Kit just thirteen days before their wedding day shatters Piglet's fairy-tale existence, leaving her torn about proceeding with the ceremony.

In her debut novel, Lottie Hazell expertly intertwines themes of food, perfectionism and intrigue, gradually revealing background information to heighten tension. The vivid, mouth-watering descriptions of food will leave readers hungry for more, wishing to delve deeper into Piglet's world.

While Piglet may appear overly critical and unlikeable at times, her complexity adds depth and mystery to the storyline, making it a truly compelling read.

What a bold and brilliant new voice. This book was engrossing from the very start. I loved the characters, the slow reveal, the careful plotting and pacing. Highly recommended.

The descriptions of food and eating were quite over the top at times, but I couldn't stop reading. This was a very tense and uncomfortable reading experience - yet not necessarily unenjoyable.

Overall, Piglet is a solid addition to the "terrible millennial woman on the verge of a mental breakdown" genre.

Piglet’s life is full to the brim, however, she is always hungry for more.

She lives in Oxford with her fiance, Kit, and works in a publishing house. Piglet’s counting down the days to when she gets married to Kit, but two weeks before their wedding, he confesses to something…

Will the wedding go ahead?

I read this book in two sittings – I loved it from the start to finish.

Piglet is quite a complex character. She earned the nickname during her childhood years, where she was always hungry and finishing other people’s food. This hasn’t changed, as now she loves to cook and feed people.

There was quite a contrast between Kit’s and Piglet’s families. He was from a posh and prominent background whereas Piglet was from a working class family in Derby.

She tried really hard to move up the social hierarchy ladder and when she got there, she still wasn’t happy. She was always hungry for more: whether it was food or material possessions.

Piglet’s relationship with food was quite an issue. She would go to a restaurant and order enough food to feed four people, and then eat it.

This book raises an important issue of never being satisfied in life and always wanting more.

Thanks to Doubleday for approving my NetGalley request to read and review this title.

I love reading foodie themed books of any genre and you only have to look at the cover to make you want to read!
Piglet is essentially a tale of a woman's love and need for food in times of crisis . It's a story of which many can relate to I'm sure and we all turn to food in one way or another when things go wrong or well, that can be both positive and negative . Piglet is a character I liked but i just didnt feel that we got to know her well enough. We have no image of her which made it sometimes hard to understand her thought process. We know little of her background or of how she met her husband and we NEVER find out what Kit actually did!!
I felt we got a better image of Margot her best friend and I loved all the side characters . The descriptions of food and cooking are also very well done .
It's a nice easy reading book , i felt there was room for a lot more depth but nevertheless i enjoyed it and would love to see a sequel to see what Piglet does next ....

This is a book that I would never normally pick up,but when I read the synopsis of this novel I was intrigued and needed to reading. I found some parts really emotional and others extremely and yet darkly funny. I have never read a book quite like this one. Worth a read!!