I didn’t really like this one. I ended up dnfing it. The idea sounded interesting but there was so much conversation that seemed to have nothing to do with the story that I got bored and quit. Just not for me!

Another take off on the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. This adaptation takes place in London’s victorian age. Where two aspiring female chefs Helen Higgins and Penelope Pickering try to make Elijah who is from the poor part of London into I’m award-winning Chef.

This was cute. A definite must-read if you feel like Chopped in book form seems like a good idea. Some of the characters were a little one-dimensional, but I had a good time reading it!

I loved this book so much!! It did a great job at mimicking the original without directly copying it. The characters were lovable and the plot was perfect. I'd absolutely recommend reading this book!

This gender swapped story was interesting. I think that for some this one won't work for them. But for others it will be a wonderful story. For me I enjoyed parts but not others. I think that overall this one could have been shortened to under 300 pages. Parts of it just didn't have a great pace and others it was fine. For me this one was a take it or leave it. The characters were ok but not amazing.

Set during the extended, imagined reign of Queen Charlotte, Lady Helena Higgins and Miss Penelope Pickering sit at the edge of fame and career success when they meet a challenge. Both women are about to become Culinarians—innovative, female chefs that are allowed to work and pursue a career while most women are confined to more traditional roles. But the two come across a hawker (think food truck worker, but less modern) named Elijah Little. In a moment of hubris, Helena believes she can flip Elijah’s life using her culinary skills. This quaint trio faces several challenges as they discover if Helena is able to meet her goal.

Overall, I liked this book, but I’d say it was 3.5 stars for me. I liked some of the characters, but they’re admittedly simplistic. I enjoyed the ending, but I wasn’t surprised during any point of the text. I did learn new things about Judaism, which I appreciate. It didn’t feel like school at all—these details snuck themselves in nicely. However, overall, this didn’t feel all that new. It’s a story I’ve read before; I enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t go back to it.

Thank you to Harper Collins Children’s Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was absolutely delightful. I love a good retelling of the classics, and the genderbend for Eliza Doolittle, Henry Higgins, and Colonel Pickering was cleverly done and added a fresh spin to the classic tale of Pygmalion. It was just similar enough that I loved the nods to the original, but also just different enough that I had no idea how it was going to end. I especially loved that the writing style was clean and I never questioned whether people living in the 1830s would actually be talking about the same subjects.

Another piece of this tale that I found intriguing was the world building. At first I was so confused because the events that were taking place didn't track with my memory of British history, but when I got to the end Cohen explained everything and I was satisfied. The book takes place in 1833, but instead of William IV being on the throne, his niece, Princess Charlotte, was Queen. It was actually quite interesting to read about Charlotte, because if she hadn't died in childbirth before taking the throne, Queen Victoria would likely never have been born. As a result of this female monarch, British culture was also changed to explore what it would look like if women had more autonomy. Helena and Penelope are both Culinarians, or professional chefs, and discussed in great detail what it was like to be a woman in a professional setting.

One thing that Cohen didn't change was how British culture treated Jews. The discrimination that they faced on a daily basis was a prominent theme, and highlighted the harsh truth that even though Britain never went to the same lengths as Germany did in WWII, the overall attitude towards Jewish people was essentially the same. It was really interesting to read about this social issue and the ways that it impacted people.

On a lighter note, I mentioned earlier that the girls were Culinarians, and so as a result, a huge portion of the book was about the amazing dishes they would prepare or teach Elijah to prepare. Let me tell you that every time I picked up this book I immediately started starving. The descriptions of the food were incredible, and simultaneously made me hungry and made me want to learn more about how to prepare these amazing meals. Plus Cohen included a recipe for their empanadas, and I always adore it when authors let me experience their story by trying the food that the characters love.

Honestly, my only complaint isn't so much a complaint as it is a comment, but I'm not entirely sure that all of the phrases/words they used were entirely historically accurate. They didn't say anything obviously modern, but overall it was just a lot easier to read than books written during that time. Again, not a complaint, just an observation. :)

<i>My Fine Fellow</i> is, in many ways, a combination of <i>Food Wars: Shoukugeki no Soma</I> and the works of Jane Austen by way of the musical <i>My Fair Lady</i>. A gender-flipped retelling of the musical where the goal is for Helena Higgins to turn Jewish street vendor Elijah Little into a gentleman chef, the story is replete with references to the show and a fascinating picture of an alternate England where Princess Charlotte did not die in childbirth in 1817 and instead took the throne, effectively replacing the timeline where Queen Victoria existed. Since I've always felt very sorry for Princess Charlotte, I loved the idea.

If there is any one issue with the book, it is Helena. Because Elijah is Jewish and Penelope Pickering (Helena's friend and the Colonel Pickering role) is biracial, Helena manages to be even more repugnant than Henry Higgins, adding anti-Semitism and racism to the classism already present in the original character. On the one hand, having experienced more than my fair share of the former, I can say that the author does an accurate job of portraying the constant fear and anger that you feel when judged for your heritage and culture. But I also can't say that I felt that Helena deserved the redemption that she eventually gets. People, including Helena, can learn to be better, but it happened far too quickly and completely for my liking.

On the whole, though? This was a fun read, and just about perfect reading for a headachy day - and one I'll certainly be suggesting to others. 3.5 rounded up.

Jennieke Cohen has given readers an enthralling, clever, character-building story in her historical novel My Fine Fellow. In her novel, she re-imagines My Fair Lady, a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. Replacing the two male protagonists with female culinary students, she turns the well-known story on its head. As Lady Helena Higgins and Miss Penelope Pickering begin their final term before graduating as culinarians, they have a chance run-in with a street hawker who peddles his homemade empanadas to well-heeled society people at Covent Garden Market. His pastries are delicious and complex, and Lady Helena brags that she could turn him into something more than a peddler with her talent and expertise. Her words spark a desire for a better life in the hawker, Elijah Little, who survives on his baking skills since his parents' deaths. This begins a grueling training for Elijah who is taught knife skills, sauces, and cooking techniques while also mastering table etiquette, elocution, and the manners required to pass as a gentleman. While his skills grow, he keeps a secret hidden, but so does Lady Helena, his mentor. Miss Penelope wrestles with her own secret, keeping it from everyone, even herself until it becomes inescapable. When Elijah earns the right to compete in the Royal Culinary Exhibition, all of the secrets show themselves, and Elijah, Lady Helena, and Penelope have to decide who they really want to be.

Cohen has honored the beloved classic play and musical in her work while she creates new characters for readers to love. Her characterization is honest, authentic, and realistic, and each character comes alive as the plot builds. The complications and conflicts that drive the plot are serious enough to earn readers' interest, and they matter today, just as much as they would have in the mid-1800's. Internal conflicts over society's expectations and taboos, the importance of one's heritage and history, the desire for acceptance entwined with the need to be oneself -- Cohen tackles each of these topics deftly, showing readers the value of one's identity and the meaning of true friendship. While the themes are powerful and heavy, readers who have read Pygmalion or watched My Fair Lady will find happy surprises tucked in each chapter, reminders of the classic re-envisioned in clever ways.

Readers want to read stories that keep their interest, but they need to read stories that show characters wrestling with values, earning their integrity, one painful decision at a time, and coming out of their struggles stronger, wiser, and more themselves than ever. Cohen gives readers the story they want and the character development they need, leaving us with a story that is uplifting, inspiring, and an absolute pleasure to read.

Already a fan of Jennieke Cohen, I was excited to see that she had a new book coming out. My Fine Fellow lived up to all my expectations and so much more. The characters, the story, the intrigue, and the food were all fantastic! 5 bright stars for My Fine Fellow!!

it was a cute book.....I am fairly new to historical fiction (huge Bridgerton series fan) so this book was a good continuing introduction. I do like that it a retelling and YA reader will be sure to enjoy it.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a delightful take on My Fair Lady!!! I loved the characters and how they interacted with each other verbally and non verbally. Well done!

Fun at first, but there are places where the story is stretched too thin. It would have made a fine novella? On a related topic: Can we make foodie novellas a thing? I'm thinking just pages upon pages of rapturously drawn food descriptions punctuated by a flirty romance or some pithy dialogue. So, what I'm saying is this would benefit from a little trim, but is still a pleasant enough read.