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thearieslibrary's review against another edition
5.0
Following on from the first instalment, this book transports readers back to father-daughter food detective duo Nagare and Koishi, where they recreate dishes from customers’ pasts.
I don’t know what it is about the second book in this series but to me, it was so much better than the first which I really loved. I enjoyed being back with Nagare and Koishi, although for some of this book Koishi seemed a bit rude to some customers? For the customers, I really enjoyed having glimpses into their lives and the reasons behind why they want certain dishes recreated.
One of issues of the last book is that I wanted to know more about Nagare’s investigations; how he finds the foods from people’s pasts and his ability to recreate them which this book delivered. It was so interesting to learn about how he found out the ingredients and recipes to the dishes and having a glimpse into the people who made these dishes in the first place. It felt like their dishes had created a legacy that lived on even after they did, which was beautiful.
I flew through this in one day — I adored the writing and Jesse Kirkwood deserves all the flowers because his translations are fantastic. This is the third one I’ve read by him now and I don’t know if having favourite translators is a thing but he is certainly one of mine and I will be looking out for more of the translated books he has worked on. Definitely recommend if you are looking for a cosy, translated fiction about food with some beautiful underlying messages.
⚠️ CWs: alcohol use; mentions past physical assault, death, car accident, bullying, spiders ⚠️
I don’t know what it is about the second book in this series but to me, it was so much better than the first which I really loved. I enjoyed being back with Nagare and Koishi, although for some of this book Koishi seemed a bit rude to some customers? For the customers, I really enjoyed having glimpses into their lives and the reasons behind why they want certain dishes recreated.
One of issues of the last book is that I wanted to know more about Nagare’s investigations; how he finds the foods from people’s pasts and his ability to recreate them which this book delivered. It was so interesting to learn about how he found out the ingredients and recipes to the dishes and having a glimpse into the people who made these dishes in the first place. It felt like their dishes had created a legacy that lived on even after they did, which was beautiful.
I flew through this in one day — I adored the writing and Jesse Kirkwood deserves all the flowers because his translations are fantastic. This is the third one I’ve read by him now and I don’t know if having favourite translators is a thing but he is certainly one of mine and I will be looking out for more of the translated books he has worked on. Definitely recommend if you are looking for a cosy, translated fiction about food with some beautiful underlying messages.
⚠️ CWs: alcohol use; mentions past physical assault, death, car accident, bullying, spiders ⚠️
woodsybookworm's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
These stories were little dramas: A woman who has fallen out of contact with her father tries to connect with her son, a couple who lost their son need to decide whether they "adopt" an apprentice, a woman must decide how to answer a marriage proposal, and more! They're all looking for that one meal from their past that will help them overcome some hurdle in their life. But no matter how hard they try they can't replicate that nostalgia - until they reach out to the Kamogawa Food Detectives!
My favorite arc of the book was "Christmas Cake" where a couple, who own a traditional Japanese bakery, ask for the father-daughter food detectives to recreate the cake that was made for them as an offering after their son's death. The story was heartbreaking, even with how short it was, and of all the arcs this one seemed to have the most depth and development.
I wanted one more chapter for each arc (each character's story arc only lasted two chapters), but there is no third chapter with a final resolution. Every story's character had an issue they needed to resolve and their meal was the stepping stone to reach their final decision but then we never got to see their decision!
While you don't get to learn the final choices of these characters you can still find enjoyment in the descriptions of food and the vibes of each story but if you're someone who needs a definitive resolution then this book is not going to satisfy you 😋
My favorite arc of the book was "Christmas Cake" where a couple, who own a traditional Japanese bakery, ask for the father-daughter food detectives to recreate the cake that was made for them as an offering after their son's death. The story was heartbreaking, even with how short it was, and of all the arcs this one seemed to have the most depth and development.
I wanted one more chapter for each arc (each character's story arc only lasted two chapters), but there is no third chapter with a final resolution. Every story's character had an issue they needed to resolve and their meal was the stepping stone to reach their final decision but then we never got to see their decision!
While you don't get to learn the final choices of these characters you can still find enjoyment in the descriptions of food and the vibes of each story but if you're someone who needs a definitive resolution then this book is not going to satisfy you 😋
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death
mcgbreads's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
ARC review; thanks to Netgalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the access to this ebook.
I'm not gonna lie, I requested this solely because of the cover. I mean, look at it, it's so cute! And the book is very wholesome. It's basically short stories where every chapter features a different person coming into the restaurant to solicit food detective services, which consists of finding dishes that the people don't know many details about or can't get the recipe of for one reason or another.
Each person has a story and learns something from having the dish recreated for them. It's a very simple premise with a straightforward execution. I admit it got a bit dull for me, but the stories and the descriptions of food made this a cozy, easy read overall.
I'm not gonna lie, I requested this solely because of the cover. I mean, look at it, it's so cute! And the book is very wholesome. It's basically short stories where every chapter features a different person coming into the restaurant to solicit food detective services, which consists of finding dishes that the people don't know many details about or can't get the recipe of for one reason or another.
Each person has a story and learns something from having the dish recreated for them. It's a very simple premise with a straightforward execution. I admit it got a bit dull for me, but the stories and the descriptions of food made this a cozy, easy read overall.
nightmarily's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free ebook!
I fell in love with the first book in the series, so I was so excited to get my hands on this one! I was not disappointed. It's such a quick read and left me feeling so cozy. The descriptions of the food are so great and always leave me wanting to learn to cook more! This one is pretty similar to the first book in the series, but we got a tiny bit more development in the characters. I would definitely recommend this entire series to anyone looking for something lighthearted and cozy to read.
I fell in love with the first book in the series, so I was so excited to get my hands on this one! I was not disappointed. It's such a quick read and left me feeling so cozy. The descriptions of the food are so great and always leave me wanting to learn to cook more! This one is pretty similar to the first book in the series, but we got a tiny bit more development in the characters. I would definitely recommend this entire series to anyone looking for something lighthearted and cozy to read.
vantxian's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
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