Review of Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle

Aftertaste is a beautifully written contemporary fiction novel which touches upon the themes of love, loss and the memories that food can bring to the forefront of our minds. We all have a meal or a food item that we have paired with a person or place, one we can taste and we are drawn straight back to in an instant, but what if you could bring back a loved one for just enough time to enjoy one last meal together? What meal would you choose?

Kostya a dishwasher in a New York restaurant finds that he has that exact ability when he’s dishwashing one evening and he begins to taste a specific drink when a patron filled with grief appears - after making the drink, the drinker is reunited with a lost loved one. Kostya is in awe, having experienced a loss close to his heart he begins planning on how he can help others. 

Aftertaste is a stunningly written, evocative and thought-provoking novel with a hint of romance and character development, i was engrossed from page one and left satisfied at the last page. It’s different and special - highly recommended!

Reviewed by Danielle

Published on 22/05/25 by Bloomsbury

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