Hungry for a new summer beach read? Stephanie Danler’s Sweetbitter is sure to satisfy.

When small town Tess arrives in New York, she’s starving. But for what, she’s not quite sure. That’s until she lands a job as a back waiter at one of New York’s most exclusive restaurants, a place where publishing moguls and old-moneyed New York families indulge in long lunches. A place where remembering the particular desires of your regular customers is as important as remembering the daily specials. It is there that Tess discovers an insatiable appetite for the frenetic lifestyle of the restaurant business.

Under the watchful eye of the restaurant’s seasoned waitress Simone, Tess’ mind is opened to the complexities of French wines, the briny taste of oysters, and the nuttiness of fresh truffles. But as her culinary palate is refined, so is her taste for late nights, drugs, and the bad boy bartender Jake.

What lengths will Tess go to to distinguish herself in the competitive restaurant biz and get Jake’s attention? Pour yourself a glass of wine, buy yourself a copy of Sweetbitter, and find out.