Meh
Hayley is a small town girl with big city dreams. Things aren’t going so well as she loses her job and place to live in the same day. After altering her plans she bluffs her way into a job at a diner as a line cook. Things are bound to improve…right? Lauren likes everything in her life neat, calm and orderly. She manages Greta’s Diner and when Hayley comes in for a job, she’s not so sure… The blue haired bundle of controlled chaos leaves her unsettled… Its not long before Lauren finds out how rough things are for Hayley and when she does, things will never be the same for wither of them.

I thought this was an ok book. It was well, ok but nothing really stood out… I liked the characters and the premise, but it was rather depressing…. It’s like it was lacking colour and vibrancy. A lot of bad things happen to Hayley (she stays safe though so no need to worry) and Lauren is so stuck in her rut with nothing to look forward to that I felt sorry for her. Eventually things got better for both of them and they had some good times and eventually things seem to work out for them but about that time the book is over. Regretfully there just wasn’t anything for me to get excited about in this book…

This is my second LGBTQ romance book and yeah it was nice.
The storyline is about two young women. Hayley moves to Toronto to get out of her small town.She finds a job as a cook in a diner. The other character Lauren happens to be her boss. They eventually grow closer.
Synopsis: Frustrated with small town life, Hayley moves to the city only to get fired and lose her apartment all in the same day. Desperate, she takes a job as a short order cook in a quaint diner. Now she just has to find a place to live and learn how to cook.

Lauren manages Greta’s Diner the same way she manages everything in her life, with calm and order. All that changes the moment Hayley walks through the door. She’s loud, opinionated, wild, and completely alluring. When Lauren finds out that Hayley’s been sleeping in the diner, she makes a decision that will change both their lives forever.

•I loved the growth of the characters.
•I loved the part of the book where the baking dreams were described.
•The problems faced by Hayley and Lauren seemed realistic.

I deducted a star because umm Hayley was sometimes over dramatic and the romance was a bit slow at the beginning.

This was an enjoyable read which was a nicely paced story by CJ Birch. Just One Taste highlights Hayley who leaves her small town in Canada and is trying to start her life in Toronto. Initially she struggles to find work and a secure place to live. She is eventually hired by Lauren to be a line cook at a small diner that Lauren manages in the city. The story describes how Hayley comes to live with Lauren and how they grow closer. The latter part of the book features a pursuit of baking dreams and how the outcome of those dreams not only impacts their lives but ultimately their relationship.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

C.J. Birch has written a very lovely yet at the same time somewhat poignant contemporary romance with her newest novel Just One Taste. It tells the story of two young women who meet in Toronto. Hayley has just moved to the big city to get away from her small town life, only to lose her job before she can even start. Without a job, she can’t afford her rent, but she refuses to go back home in defeat. She finally finds a job as a short order cook in a small diner, a job she has no experience for, and meets Lauren, her new boss. There is a connection between the two, but events and misunderstandings lead to many missteps that could keep them from finding a life together.

Poor Hayley. Murphy seemed to be practising all his laws on her character in this tale. If anything could go wrong for her in this book, it did, and by extension it ended up affecting Lauren as well. I have to admit there were times I would get really annoyed with Hayley. Her character often acted quite naïve and immature which can be dangerous when alone in a big city like Toronto. This is almost an opposites attract story since Lauren and Hayley are such different characters. I wondered how the two would get together since they were so different. It was interesting seeing how Ms. Birch worked that out in the novel.
The setting is very realistic. Of course, Ms. Birch herself is from Toronto so she would know how to set this story in the big city. I can tell you that she did a great job of describing what it is like there, right down to the raccoon families making the rounds every night in the neighborhoods.

If you like good solid contemporary romance with some angst running through the story and realistic settings, then try Just One Taste by C.J. Birch.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

If I had to describe Just One taste in a word, I would say ‘‘enjoyable’’. It was simple romance book, fast-paced, that I read between two heavy fantasy books. I wasn’t blown away by this book, the story was quite predictable and although Lauren and Hayley were two interesting characters, I didn’t relate to them. The romance was really slow to begin, I wish it had been faster and I thought that they relationship lacked chemistry. I also didn’t like the fact that Hayley kept lying, first about her skills for the job and then about the money she stole. I think the author could have handled that part of the plot better.

Small town girl Hayley moves to the big city to try to make something of herself. But things get off to a bad start right away, She ends up homeless and takes a job as a line cook with no previous experience.

Lauren manages Greta diner where she has been working for years. Besides spending all her time working she triest o take care of her father who neglects his health.

It's a sweet story of tow people finding and helping each other. It's also a story that makes your hungry for diner food.

It only the ending wasn't a letdown. Not an unhappy ending but I expected more of it. It was very abrupt and rushed.

This one is cute. it was super easy read. I liked both characters. I did not feel any depth or felt like this was what the book was aiming for. tho that could be just me.

Recommended for the ppl who love to read love stories with little drama. thank you for the author and her team for the free copy in exchange of an honest opinion

I liked this book about Lauren and Hayley who cross paths when Hayleys job she moved from a small town for, disappears as the company is out of business on her first day and she ends up becoming a line cook in the diner Lauren manages.
Two opposite characters who slowly grow to appreciate eachother, this development goes realistically over some time. I liked both characters and could see both sides of the argument with the rift at the end. That ending feit just a bit too rushed, but that's the only hang up I have... apart from that I really enjoyed reading this romance.

*** An ARC was provided by netgalley in exchange for a honest review ***

Thank you to NetGalley  and Bold Strokes Books for a  copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Will be posting review on my Instagram on date of Book Release: Sept 15, 2020, review available on GoodReads.

What a wonderful book!!
Just One Taste is a quick, easy read. Granted a bit of a slow start but the second half definitely makes hp for it. 
Not only is it an LGBT couple, it's set in Toronto. I live just outside Toronto and am very familiar with it- so places like Kensington Market and Trinity Bellwoods being mentioned transforms me right into the scene, like I am physically watching all this go down. 

Both Hayley and Lauren went through a ton of growth. Where the climatic issue is a very crappy situation,  it handled fairly and efficiently and I like that there was no sprinkling of the feel-good to solve the problem, it was realistic, that is missed in books like this one. 

The plot flows smooth. It's a comfortable,  cuddly read... not sure if that makes sense. It's a feel good book and I will be getting a copy yo permanently have on my shelf upon release.

Small town girl, Hayley, with dreams of making it in the city had her hopes dashed when her new job went up in smoke and had to struggle to keep a roof over her head and make ends meet.

Determined to keep herself in the city, she stumbled upon a diner and in the course of her employment kickstarted her route to independence and survival.

Lauren, married to her job as the diner’s manager for more than a decade has been keeping her life and job the very same way until Hayley steps into the diner, and something about her sets Lauren off.

Both main characters have so much more to give to life than the hands they have been dealt with. Resilient in their own rights, they portrayed women who were not afraid to rough it out, stay the course and to keep the show going. The development of their relationship was sweet but found it a tad lacking in the intensity department.

Overall a 3.5 stars rating for me. And for readers who like animals, that pet of Lauren’s? It has some character (haha).

I just reviewed Just One Taste by CJ Birch. #NetGalley

I had to sleep on this review before I posted it. I actually liked the story. It was really sweet and I did enjoy reading this book. On the other hand, there were some loose ends that seemed to never be pulled back in, so I ended the story with unanswered questions. There were parts that just didn’t make sense and seemed highly unlikely. Let’s be honest, I’m not reading looking for a literary masterpiece, so at face value, it was enjoyable.

Sweet romance between two women who meet when working in a diner.

Hayley: A woman who lives life being positive, except when it comes to dating. Having had a bad break up she decided to leave the small town she used to live in, and move to a big city. Upon her arrival things doesn't work out as planned.

Lauren: Lauren is stuck living a life of working at least double shifts almost every day. She doesn't take risks, and likes a well ordered life.'

Pro:
Sweet and low angst - The story is sweet, and whilst it has some angst, it's well written and it never too much.
Natural progression - I enjoy the fact that the romance in this book progress naturally, as it feels realistic and is relatable.
Kind MCs - Both MCs are kind, and you root for them to succeed. I feel like Birch has succeeded in creating nuanced and loveable characters.
Evil cats

Con:
Abrupt ending - As the romance has progressed slowly, I found the ending to be a bit lacking. It felt too abrupt as I didn't get to see as much of how everything worked out as I wanted.

This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

Hayley is small town girl who wants to experience life in the city. Her life becomes a mess when she gets fire and lose her apartment and now she has to pick up the pieces.

She gets a job working at this diner as short order cook but the things is she not the best cook now she has to learn to cook.

Lauren likes order and calm and she manages Greta diner when she learns Hayley is sleeping at the diner she does something out of character. As they get to know each other a romance is form although they are both different and had to overcome past issues they manage to help each other get out of their way.


I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

A sweet , attractive and inviting book cover. There is something about the mention of food and diners in books that does a number on me and I just follow, HYPNOTIZED. That is exactly what happened here as well.

We follow two women, Hayley and Lauren in this story. Hayley is a small town girl with eye-catching blue-ish hair who moves to the big city to experience the city life. Unfortunately, she gets fired from the job and loses her apartment soon after delving into the city life. Lauren is a women of order, all prim and proper in everything she does. She happens to manage "Greta's Diner" in the city.
After the unfortunate and sad welcome from the city, Hayley desperately looks for a job and place to stay and happens to bag the role of a "line cook" in Greta's Diner. Eventually, all the good things start to brew between Hayley and Lauren who are like chalk and cheese. To find out what it is exactly you need to read the book.

I liked the build up in the story and its a fast paced, fuzzy read. I did have some more expectations from it but nonetheless, its a decent one.

Thankyou NetGalley and the publisher for this e ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the ARC. It just really wasn't for me. The very first sentence was rude and I never really could get into the book. I wanted to like it but it just wasn't the best fit for me.

This was compelling and adorable right from the start. I love Haley and Lauren and cheered for them to get together all the way through.
Recommend!

I was struggling with this one.
It isn't the best written, and I just couldn't connect with characters.

Just one star from me.

DNF. The writing is just not professional quality. I couldn’t get into it.

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the ARC. It just was not for me.

you give me anything with lesbians and its automatically a five star lol but in all honesty i love this book so much and it got me out of a reading slump which i really appreciate. the twe main characters hayley and lauren are so lovable and during the climax its easy to understand both of their point of views where lauren fel betrayed and hayley just wanted to help the woman she loves and omg the white squirrel symbolism was so sweet i love it

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!