Kostya, a would-be top chef, but working as a pot-washer, realises that he can sense foods that his late father loved. Whilst restocking the bar at the end of the evening he encounters a very morose man wanting a drink In conversation he learns that the gentleman’s lady has passed away and suddenly finds himself sensing a cocktail, When he mentions the ingredients that came to his mind the man immediately says that it was her favourite drink and asks him to make one. As it is put before the man a vision of his lady appears and Kostya is left wondering what he has done and could he repeat it. He sets too with a friend who is a good chef and opens up a small dining project accommodating just one or two people at a time. He meets, and starts to fall for Maura who is also somewhat of a psychic, and despite her telling him to stop he can’t resist the challenge.

As time goes on word of his ability to conjure up the dead leads to a shady character offering to set him up in a fine-dining establishment on condition that he continues to bring people back to this life on a regular basis. Can he succeed or is he getting into deep trouble? Also, will his love for Maura survive? ……

Aftertaste is a wildly inventive, emotionally rich, and deliciously genre-defying novel that blends culinary fiction, supernatural suspense, and tender romance in a way that feels entirely fresh and unforgettable. It’s not every day you find a story where food becomes a literal bridge between the living and the dead—and even rarer that it’s done with this much style, wit, and emotional depth.

The book follows Kostya, a weary dishwasher with a mysterious past and a quiet obsession for creating meals that matter. When he discovers that his food can summon spirits, his dream of opening a restaurant takes on a much deeper purpose: helping the departed—and the living—find the closure they didn’t know they needed. But as the flavors deepen, so do the stakes. Kostya’s creations begin to unravel the fabric of the Afterlife itself, and his growing connection to Maura, a sharp-tongued party psychic with secrets of her own, complicates things even further.

This is a novel that bites and soothes in equal measure. The prose is crisp and lyrical, often laced with dark humor and moments of striking beauty. It’s not afraid to tackle grief, guilt, and longing, but never gets bogged down in melancholy. Instead, it dances between tones—funny, haunting, heartwarming—and lands each note with surprising finesse.

What makes Aftertaste stand out is its fearless originality. It’s part ghost story, part foodie fantasy, and part love letter to human connection—all stirred together with just enough danger and mystery to keep the pages turning. Readers who love The Midnight Library, The Night Circus, or even Chef’s Table with a supernatural twist will find a lot to savor here.

If there’s one critique, it’s that the story occasionally veers into the overly whimsical, which may not work for every reader. Some secondary characters could have used a touch more development. But these are minor quibbles in an otherwise captivating read.

In short: Aftertaste is a rich, strange, beautiful meal of a book—best devoured in one sitting, and sure to linger long after the final page. Highly recommended for readers hungry for something different.

#BBNI2025

My initial thoughts about the first Aftertaste chapters:
I absolutely loved these first chapters!
The writing style is so intimate and rich. The way food is described is incredible - you can almost taste it yourself, and this concept of food linked to spirits is beautiful.
I was especially drawn to the main character, his journey of self-discovery is beautifully told. The narrator does an amazing job recounting his childhood and the moment he begins to discover his power.
I can't wait to read more after this readathon!!

Well this one was enough to keep me up at night to read. It’s a story of love, loss and food. The food descriptions and the memories they invoke are real and moving. The characters flawed and full of regrets but still loveable. Maybe there is a message in there. It will stay with me and remind me the next time I cook recipes handed down from family. Where there is food, there is love. Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for this review copy.

Aftertaste is a brilliant speculative fantasy that’s highly emotional and really takes the reader into another world. I really enjoyed the characters, the world building, the descriptions of the food and the memories attached. It is a unique, hopeful novel about love and loss and what happens next.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.

I was incredibly lucky to receive an #gifted #ARC of this brilliant and heartwarming book as part of the @tandemcollectiveglobal Bloomsbury's Big Night In readathon that took place last weekend.

I went into this book blind not really aware of what the story was about but from the first few pages, I was hooked. The story follows the main character, Konstantin, who has a special talent - the dead can communicate with him via his tastebuds! So whenever a ghost wants to come through from the afterlife, Konstantin becomes overwhelmed with the flavours of their favourite food/drinks. Learning this power, he then uses his talent to create the food and drinks he's tasting, which brings back the person from the afterlife for one last meal.

What a concept, right? And believe me when I tell you that's it's executed SO incredibly well. Lavelle takes you on such a magical and moving journey, and if anything I wish the restaurant that Konstantin opens was actually real as the hope and closure it gave the variety of different characters throughout the book filled my heart with love. And often brought a little tear to my eye too.

So it's 4.5 stars from me ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, that a chef can taste the most memorable meal our dearly departed has ever eaten. The descriptions of food were lush and evocative, An interesting concept and a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital review copy of this book.

This book was rather a surprise in the end.

It started off in short bursts which I didn’t really connect with. I contemplated stopping reading it. But I’m so glad I didn’t stop.

Once it got going and I started to connect with the main character and the love element kicked in, the story drew me in.

It’s a very different kind of story than I’m used to, which I rather liked. It’s nice to be surprised yet still include the romantic element which stirs up emotion.

I was going to give this book 4 stars, however, the ending took it all the way to a 5 star rating.

I still think the beginning could be less arty. Can’t believe I’m saying that as I love arty! But I found it tricky to engage with it. I would prefer to be drawn in by an emotional connection with the main character, then the arty, staccato of chapters could begin. Just my opinion though, and others may love it exactly as it is.

It a book for me I have to say. I didn’t manage to finish it. It was however far from my comfort zone at the start.

This was a highlight of the year so far for me, a delicious debut of food, ghosts, grief, memory and longing.

Kostya, our MC, is grieving the death of his father and is tortured by the last conversation they had before he died, which leads him to embark on a culinary and spiritual adventure across New York when he realises he can taste the meal a spirit wants to re-live and by cooking it perfectly can resurrect them from the dead for a final goodbye. Cue, transforming himself into a world class chef and opening a restaurant that connects diners with their deceased. Think The Bear but with a supernatural twist!

Kostya thinks he’s serving closure, a chance for the living and the dead to finally move on, only the spirits he brings back don’t always return to the afterlife (which for restless spirits is a gigantic, elaborate Food Hall that tries to quell their insatiable hunger), and Kostya ends up haunted by a multitude of hangry ghosts (as well as his own demons).

The plot is imaginative, well executed and there are a dizzying amount of twists and turns. The literary fiction aspect of the book really nailed it for me though. It’s rare to find a book with such an interesting plot, well drawn characters and incredible writing. It’s also deep and philosophical whilst being sexy and fun, which I loved. Reading an interview with the author she described how she wanted the novel to “not only be a story with ghosts and death and grief, but for it to also be laugh-out-loud funny and entertaining and sexy and have a lot of life in it. I wanted to make sure that it had as much joy in it as it had more thoughtful and introverted and sad moments.” 👏🏼

If you like literary fiction, supernatural thrillers, mouthwatering descriptions of food and innovative plots then I highly recommend checking out Aftertaste. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc for an honest review.

Kostya has a unique gift, which makes him taste ghosts’ favourite foods.
He decides to use this talent.
It all turns into a thriller with romance and grief sprinkled inbetween.
3.5 stars rounded up.
Plot 3.5
Characterisation 3
Writing 3.5
Concept 4
Themes 3.5

The descriptions of the food and the opening were excellent - 5/5 stars for those.

Wow, what a book.
I feel like this was so many stories wrapped into one, beautifully.
Tying together themes of death with the power of food, Aftertaste transports through its words.

More in depth review on my instagram, linked below

Supplied by NetGalley as an ARC

What I expected: a deliberate exploration through different dishes tied in with varying forms of grief while having to balance working in a New York kitchen and falling in love.

What I got: the immediate and unsurprising commerialisation of ghosts and a harsh message on how grief should be approached.

Aftertaste's main character Konstantin “Kostya” Duhhovny has never been able to move on from the death of his father when he was a young boy. Later in his life, hopping from dead-end job to ended relationship with his friendship with sous-chef Frankie as the one bright constant, he discovers the strange phantom tastes of food he has been experiencing his entire life can summon back the dead for a moment.

My main gripe with this book was Kostya. He is in a word, unlikeable. He ignores the valid advice of the women in his life (his mother and his eventual girlfriend) and proceeds with his barely thought through plans causing disaster in his wake. For all this book is titled as Aftertaste, the food features only in singular bright and shining moments of pure love and exploration that I would have liked to see more of. Instead, the plot mostly focuses on Kostya's endeavours. Frankie was, to no-one's surprise, my favourite character out of the bunch. I enjoyed his optimistic attitude throughout the book and the sharp reminder that people cannot be truly known by those that only see part of them.

The Ghost World was a fun take on the situation which put me in mind of Beetlejuice more than anything else.

However, I did not agree with the book's take on grief and that the living can cause the ruination of their lost beloveds purely by not moving on. Blaming people for going through a natural process felt like a rough take for a book about ghosts and grieving to take and did take me out of the enjoyment of the story.

The romance was unsurprisingly, had notes of insta-love and fell into a kind of obssession with them both? Some time to flesh it out would have soldified the romance properly as feeling real, however I did adore the "I love you like salt" section, that was the most memorable and sweet part of the entire book for me.

I absolutely loved this book. Such an original idea, so brilliantly written. It was well paced and I just could not put it down.

Through the taste of our favourite food, the main character can bring ghosts of our loved ones back to life. The descriptions of food and recipes were truly mouthwatering at times and I couldn’t help but remember the taste of the cakes my grandmother used to bake.

Delightful, at times heartbreaking, a wonderful debut book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy.

What an unusual concept I was immediately drawn in by the premise here. A character who gets ‘aftertastes’ from the spirits around him, and if he makes their meal, their loved on gets one last meal of closure with those who've passed. A excellent concept and so well orchestrated, and deals with the overarching theme of grief really well and in a sensitive manner but not underplaying its severe significance and effect on peoples lives.
I loved the inclusion of Maura and her dynamic with the main character, they really gelled well and I’d have to like to have seen more of her really to see how their relationship progresses.
I feel things got a bit wayward toward the 3rd quarter and I wasn’t quite sure where we going but it soon resumed its normal temperament and pacing and overall I really enjoyed.

After the death of his father Kostya started getting the taste of of his father’s favourite food in his mouth without eating it. As he grew older this kept happening.
He found that he was getting tastes from ghosts in the afterlife.
A story unlike anything I have read before.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm definitely in the minority here: this one didn't work for me.

I mean, 10/10 for originality. But I feel like I was tricked into reading a romance when I was promised a speculative culinary novel.

The first few scenes in the book are beautiful. The prose is written in these sharp, staccato beats that would feel at home in the literary fiction genre. And the images of Kyiv (and its food) were brilliant. But this is quickly replaced with stilted dialog and explanatory prose that often comes too late in the story. I mean, when the rules of the book's universe have to be laid out during the climax, something wasn't crafted right.

I genuinely think anyone who's looking for a spooky romance set in NYC will enjoy this. But that's not what I thought I was getting, and it's not what I would have ordered.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc.

The concept of this book is so unique. It follows a chef who gets tastes from the afterlife. If he cools the food, he's tasting he can bring someone back from the afterlife to reunite with a loved one for one last meal.

This is not a book to read if you're hungry 😂 I was starving the whole way through reading about so many amazing foods. It also stirred so many emotions. I just couldn't put it down.

This book is special, for me a kind of therapy but in an amazing, incredible story. So well crafted and imaginative its journey is intoxicating. This had me hooked i just cant praise it enough. Fabulous