FOOD WHORE

The Devil Wears Prada goes gourmet in this debut novel.

Tia Monroe has big dreams of becoming a food writer. As a grad student in NYU’s Food Studies program, her ultimate goal is to intern with cookbook author and food superstar Helen Lansky. After a chance run-in with New York Times food critic Michael Saltz, Tia’s convinced the internship with Helen is a sure thing. Instead, she’s disappointed to be assigned to the coat check at an upscale restaurant. However, when Michael visits the restaurant and is very interested in her opinions, Tia gains a whole new opportunity. Michael’s lost his sense of taste, but he doesn’t want to lose his job—so he needs Tia to taste everything for him and essentially ghostwrite his reviews. Tia readily agrees, but her undercover gig is more work than she thought it would be. She has to keep her new job a secret from everyone, including her school, her internship, her friends, and her boyfriend. Tia loves the perks of her glamorous lifestyle, like unlimited shopping sprees and the attention of a sexy chef, but when things start to catch up to her, she begins to wonder if she's made a mistake. The book speeds along with enough intrigue and excitement to keep any reader hooked. The ending is tied up a bit too neatly, but the deliciously detailed food descriptions are a bonus.

A fun and compulsively readable look at a woman’s journey into the underbelly of the New York food scene.