My Fine Fellow

Helena Higgins and Penelope Pickering are finishing their last year of culinary school in 1830s England, which requires a final project. Helena is looking for something to stand out, something that will bring her front and center in the field. When she meets Elijah Doolittle selling pasties on the corner, she barely sees him. When he later asks for lessons, she discovers her project: turn the street vendor into a gentleman, one who can mingle with society as though born into it. However, information about his past combined with Helena’s prejudices may stop the project in its tracks, just as the romance is budding and his culinary talents are heating up.

This gender-swapped tale based on Pygmalion (or My Fair Lady, the well-known movie with Audrey Hepburn) also features an alternative history, in which women train to be culinarians while men hope to break into the field. It provides a colorful backdrop to a lively world, and the author’s note is definitely worthy of a read, especially the explanation about the different roles women play in the book. This is a must-read for those who enjoyed The Lady Janies series by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. Excellent!