A very interesting premise with something missing.

I enjoyed the overall themes of the story and the first half was well paced and entertaining. However, the latter half of the story dragged. I found it hard to connect to any of the characters and found Konstantin and Maura’s relationship to be rather forced.

Overall, an interesting read if somewhat slow paced and lacklustre.

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

I was excited to dive into this, the premise immediately intrigued me. The way it explores the emotional connections between food and grief was both beautiful and interesting.

The descriptions of food are vivid and sensory, each chapter left me feeling hungry. You get to explore the evocative power of food - not just as sustenance, but through memory, emotion, and legacy.

It took me a little while to get used to the ghost "rules," especially the food hall element, which felt a bit abstract at first. But once I let go of trying to understand everything and just leaned into it, I found myself enjoying it more. The way it ties together the presence of ghosts, the power of food, and the human need for connection was compelling.

That said, while the beginning flowed really well and kept my attention, the second half started to lose some momentum. There were a lot of elements introduced, and by the time the big climax arrived, I felt a bit underwhelmed. However, the ending pulled things together nicely.

Overall, Aftertaste was a rich, heartfelt read that I truly enjoyed. It’s a book that lingers like the memory of a good meal.

4/5

If the dead could put the taste of something in your mouth so vividly that you knew every component how would that change how you live your life? That’s the intriguing premise of this book.

There are really interesting thoughts on grief underpinning this but with a great and unexpected plot so it’s fun the read as well as think about. There are also loads of pop culture references peppered throughout.

If you don’t like reading vivid descriptions of food then avoid this, otherwise dig in.

I loved this , quirky, indescribable, absolutely delicious story and the author is definitely a ‘master chef’ in my eyes. It defies description and categorisation, combining horror, an epic love story, the supernatural and food writing in one glorious banquet of reading. The aspects of love portrayed - familial, friendship and romantic - are beautifully drawn and the idea of favourite meals, however elaborate or humble, bringing our love ones back to us is comforting and just seems right somehow.

Aftertaste is one of those books that’ll be everlasting in my mind for its uniqueness and Daria’s ability to literally make me hungry through words. This was such an incredible story, I did struggle at first in understanding the plot but after the first 50 pages I flew through and read this in one sitting . If you want magical realism, ghosts , a love story and lots and lots of food! This will definitely be for you , just remember to not feed a hungry ghost !
I also will never be able to see Reese’s peanut butter cups the same way
Thank you to netgalley and Bloomsbury for the e-arc in exchange for a honest review

I started out really loving the concept and execution of Aftertaste. The supernatural element of “clairgustance” is handled perfectly, such that it is believable and desirable. Kosta’s relationship with his father (and soon, his grief) is moving, poignant. Actually a perfect book to read shortly after I read the non-fiction On the Scent: Unlocking the Mysteries of Smell -- and How Its Loss Can Change Your World.

Then it starts dragging. Maybe it’s because I’m not really a foodie - I mean, I love a good meal, but I’m just not so invested in the gourmet experience, the ingredients, the romanticism.

I do feel that the hungry ghosts, the reason for their “badness” is left too long. The bit about having to let them go is a bit saccharine. Maybe I was just tired of it by the end, but it didn’t have me weeping (the beginning, with Kosta and his dad, did).

That said, the writing is lyrical, and I don’t regret reading it. I just grew a little tired of it.

Grief , love , heartbreak and a myriad of other emotion are explored with throughout food and his tastes
the start was sloe but once it kicked off i was super into it

Aftertaste- Daria Lavelle

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book, unfortunately I was unable to complete as I broke my iPad and therefore I cannot give a review. I will be looking out for this one when it’s published. Thanks again

Aftertaste is one of the most unique books I’ve read in a while. Kostya, a dishwasher with the strange ability to summon ghosts through food, decides to open a restaurant that serves closure to the dead — and things get wild from there. It’s part culinary fiction, part ghost story, with a touch of romance thrown in.

The idea is weird in the best way, and the writing really brings it to life — especially the food descriptions (seriously, you’ll get hungry). I loved the emotional layers, especially Kostya’s relationship with Maura, a party psychic with her own hidden motives.

It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did, I couldn’t stop (well, adulting made me, but you get it). A creative, bittersweet story about grief, love, and the ghosts we carry. Definitely worth picking up if you’re looking for something different.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC — all opinions are my own.

Thank you to the author and publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I really liked the concept of this book. The writing was really good and the story was intriguing and heartfelt. Very emotional and thought provoking.

Daria Lavelle’s Aftertaste is a genre-bending feast of a novel that blends culinary fiction, supernatural intrigue, and aching romance into something wholly original. With vivid prose and darkly whimsical imagination, Lavelle serves up a story that’s both delectable and haunting — a tale of grief, passion, and the peculiar power of food.

At the heart of the novel is Kostya, a disillusioned dishwasher with a dead-end life and a hidden gift: he can summon ghosts through the dishes he cooks. When this strange ability begins to attract the attention of lost souls desperate for closure, Kostya seizes the opportunity to open a restaurant in New York City that serves the spiritual as much as the physical. The premise is delightfully weird — part Ratatouille, part The Sixth Sense — but Lavelle treats it with emotional depth and creative flair.

The stakes are raised by Maura, a party psychic with secrets of her own. Their slow-burn relationship is tender, complicated, and tinged with the melancholy of two people who are both connected to — and haunted by — the dead. As Kostya’s menus grow more powerful and the boundary between the living and the Afterlife thins, Lavelle steers the narrative into morally murky waters. Can healing the dead harm the living? Should closure come at a cost?

Lavelle’s writing is lush and sensory, especially when describing food — expect to crave things that don’t even exist. But beyond the flavors and phantoms, Aftertaste is a story about the ache of unfinished business, the hunger for connection, and the ways people carry their ghosts — metaphorical or otherwise.

Perfect for fans of The Night Circus, Kitchen Confidential, and The Lovely Bones, Aftertaste is a darkly charming, bittersweet novel that lingers long after the final course. It’s a standout debut and a must-read for anyone who loves their fiction imaginative, emotionally resonant, and just a little bit haunted.

What a magnificent book. As soon as I read the synopsis of Aftertaste by Daira Lavelle, I knew it was for me. A story where the dead return for one final meal with a loved one? That idea clutched at my heart.

My husband and I share so many of our memories through food, so this concept hit hard. Kostya’s gift, tasting a ghost’s aftertaste, feels intimate, strange, and deeply human.

The story is simple in premise but full of complexity: grief, longing, quiet romance, and the kind of sorrow that hums beneath your skin. The writing is lush without ever being too much, and the food descriptions? Sensory and stunning. You feel every bite, every memory tied to it.

A slow burn, but a meaningful one. This story lingers. 4.25 stars.

Kostya discovers that he has the ability to summon the spirits of the dead by recreating their favourite food.. He works his way up by learning to cook these food until he opens his own small restaurant, but things don't go to plan.
This is definitely a trope that I've never read before, definitely a novel way of summoning ghosts. I did struggle to get into the book, but persevered and was drawn into the story. There is a love interest in Maura, a party physic, who has her own reasons for using his talent but does give him a dire warning about what he is doing. Definitely worth a try if you want to read something different.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Thanks to Daria Lavelle and NetGalley for this ARC!

Unfortunately (and ironically) this book suffers from a case of “too many cooks”. It doesn’t stick close enough to one particular mood or theme for long enough for me to get overly attached to anything that was happening in the book. It has an interesting concept but something about the execution made me distant from the narrative.

Kostya has the ability to summon ghosts through food that he cooks but is currently a dish washer. Kostya then follows his dream to open a New York restaurant that serves closure to the bereaved and deceased. However there are many reasons for why he shouldn’t do this as he has his own ghosts, he is falling for a psychic and he is threatening the stability of the afterlife itself. Will Kostya succeed in his dream or will it all come crashing down.

This book was unputdownable except adulting made me put it down. From the off I was fascinated by Kostya and his “gift”. This was well written and the characters were all pretty much likeable. I definitely recommend reading this book as whilst I have read May books about the afterlife I have never read one about aftertaste until now 4.5 ⭐️ read

I loved the concept of this book as thought it was unique and I hadn't read anything of a similar story to it before and I really enjoyed it. I did think it took a little for me to fully get into it which is why the three stars but overall I did enjoy this one

Huge thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for the gifted ARC of The Aftertaste, the haunting and heartfelt debut novel by Daria Lavelle.

This is easily one of the most original books I’ve read in a long time. The premise is wholly unique and completely captivating—grief, food, ghosts and second chances, all wrapped up in a story that lingers like the best aftertaste.

Konstantin Duhovny has lived with ghosts ever since his father died. He doesn’t see them, but he tastes them—flavors of their favorite meals flood his senses when a spirit is near. When he finally acts on these visions, he discovers a strange gift: the ability to connect the living with the dead through food. And so, begins a journey that takes him into the fiery heart of the New York restaurant world—and toward some deeply unexpected consequences.

The book gives off Under the Whispering Door vibes, but stands completely on its own. It’s mysterious, funny, sad, and profound—all at once. It explores heavy themes like grief and purpose while immersing the reader in the vibrant chaos of the NYC culinary scene. A ghost story with soul and seasoning.

If you enjoy literary fiction with a touch of magical realism, layered emotions and a love for food, this is one to savor.

A really descriptive, well written plotline. It was absolutely brilliant, and I loved how food and feelings connected with the grief. I snacked a lot through this one.

Thank you to the author, publishers and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

"Salt." He looked up at her, daring, nodding, finding what he meant. "You bring out the best of everything- the sweet, the sour, the bitter. You're the reason to savor things. You're the first seasoning and the last. You're the sea. You're the stars. Life is built on salt, and I- I want to build mine with you."

Kostya is a haunted man. After his father dies suddenly in his childhood, he starts to experience "aftertastes". A taste will arrive in his mouth of a fully formed and very specific meal, sometimes consisting of flavours he has never even tasted himself, but somehow he just knows exactly what they are. He realises that these flavours belong to ghosts, sharing an important meal from their life, that will mean something to someone still living, someone still holding on to their memory.

He then discovers that by preparing the meals, that he can reunite people with their deceased loved ones for closure. He starts a career in the culinary scene to expand his skills and to help people and most importantly bring back his own father. But as we all know, messing with the afterlife has consequences. When Kostya meets Maura, a medium with experience in the afterlife, she very vehemently tries to stop him from pursuing the aftertastes. But then they realise that her deceased sister is looking for her, and when they start to fall in love, they can't stop the path that they are on.

This story is like if 'Like Water For Chocolate' and 'Ratatouille' were meshed together into a ghost story. I really enjoyed the culinary exploration, I enjoyed the journey that these characters went on, and I was devastated from their grief as they experienced it. It invoked in me all of my own childhood memories of meals eaten and enjoyed with family members who are no longer with us. This isn't a book that you rush, but one that you take in, one bite at a time, let the thoughts roll around, and then sit an marinate for a while. I really applaud this author for writing a book so poignant.

I received a gifted advanced reader copy through Netgalley as part of Bloomsbury's Big Night In through Tandem Collective.

I was really intrigued by the concept of Aftertaste—the idea of blending a love of food with memories, grief, and human connection. For the first 60%, I felt so much heart in the story. There was real emotional depth and meaning, and I was completely drawn in.

That said, I found the alternating POV chapters a bit disruptive. The perspective shifted partway through without any clear signposting, which pulled me out of the main narrative and made things feel slightly disjointed. The ending, too, felt a bit chaotic and lacked the polish and emotional nuance that had hooked me in at the start.

Still, Aftertaste offers a gentle, touching reminder about how we carry our lost loved ones with us—and how, eventually, we find ways to let them go.