Elijah is every shy, nerdy kid in high school, just trying not to embarrass or draw attention himself. In an effort to increase his popularity, he convinces Wade to teach him how to be more outgoing. Wade, the popular theater kid, has his own reasons for helping Elijah. Recently dumped by his boyfriend, Wade decides he can show his ex that he's worth a second chance by demonstrating how unselfish he is. Taking a page from My Fair Lady, the play at the center of the plot, Wade helps Elijah create alterego "Brady" to break out of his shell.
While the scenarios were quaintly low risk and even a bit predictable if you know the source material, it was a sweetly written rom-com with likable characters worth rooting for. Elijah's trivia knowledge is endearing, and while Wade presents as a bit of an attention hog, we learn that his drive comes from deep insecurities.
The journey of self-discovery for both the boys feels genuine and deep, as their friendship helps them both be better versions of themselves.

As someone who grew up around theatre because of my family this was such a joy to read. It was informative in the sense of you know nothing about performing or how to put in a show it went into a lot of detail which was actually very interesting! But, most of all I absolutely loved how even tho the characters were flawed and made lots of mistakes, they learned from them, grew and evolved and that’s just how teenagers are.

I love how queer this book was. The diversity and representation was really great (gay, trans, bi/pan etc). I loved seeing the journey Wade and Brady went on. From learning to change as people, performers, learning to get out their comfort zones. I also liked how realistic it was in the sense that even though you have this image of what you want to do with your future it may not always go as planned and that’s okay. It may hurt, but those feelings won’t last forever.

I laughed a lot and read this book in one day, I did not want it to end. This was one of my most anticipated releases and it definitely lived up to everything I thought it would be, and then some. I relate to Brady a lot in the sense that it’s okay to be quiet, it’s not a bad thing. I do think maybe if Brady was possibly a junior and not a sophomore it would’ve been better, but overall I absolutely loved this book and will be reading it again.


Thank you to Harpercollins and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

OK, I'll say it: this is a very nearly perfect YA romcom.

It is not a romance for adults and it shouldn't be judged like one: it doesn't have the emotional complexity you (probably) want if you're an adult reader. There isn't any sex (though it's hinted that one of the MCs did have sex in a past relationship). There are Social Issues, but Social Issues Lite: a trans girl alludes to past encounters with transphobes (but she has lots of friends and a cute boyfriend); a high-achieving African American girl mentions that she has to work harder than her white peers to get the same kind of recognition (but she's the Prom Queen, and she's going to med school at Stanford); one of the MCs is pretty sure his parents aren't super comfortable with his gayness (but it turns out they're on his team anyway). The setting is a private school, which is a bit of an eyeroller and seems unnecessary. And oh, yeah, some of the life lessons Elijah and Wade learn are spelled out too neatly.

But honestly, if you're a 15-year-old looking for a sweetheart of a story in which a shy wallflower learns that he can make friends and attract boys while remaining his nerdy self, and a self-centered showboat with a good heart learns what a pleasure it is to relax and stop worrying about impressing people, along the way hitting those good, good romance beats (the Apparent Betrayal; the Misunderstanding; the Grand Gesture, which by the way is a nice one) -- well, 15-year-old in search of such a story, you've found it. Also, you'll learn a lot about how to put on a musical.

4.5 stars because I did have to ding a little for this and that, but of course rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Balzer + Bray, for the ARC. As I am in general an irritable and finicky reader, you know my good reviews are honest ones.

I absolutely loved this book! The characters are vibrant and charming, and easily recognizable as a theater-person myself. I can certainly see myself recommending this book to my drama students, but I absolutely adored it for myself as well.

Theater nerds rejoice! My Fair Brady is the queer high school rom-com that we all deserve! Wade is a senior and leading man of his high school's theater department. Elijah is an insecure sophomore and techie on the crew of the musical he's performing in. After the two worlds collide, Elijah quickly becomes Wade's next project as a way to catch the attention of his fellow co-star and recent ex - Reese. Is Wade trying to help Elijah grow his self-esteem? Or is he too busy inflating his own ego? Will this unlikely duo become something more? Let the drama begin!

A love letter to high school theater, My Fair Brady gives you a showmance worth fighting for! An absolutely wonderful time that has you rooting for Wade and Elijah the entire time, filled with enough drama to make you realize why theater is called drama!

I loved this book! My Fair Brady brought back wonderful memories of my own high school theater days, and it felt very true to life - the intense bond and incusiveness of that particular community. I thought the characters were also spot on - the actors being their dramatic selves and the techies being chill and down to earth. The relationship between Wade and Elijah developed in a really tender way, and I felt the self-development of both characters was realistic and nuanced. This was a joy to read and I look forward to reading more books by this author. I highly recommend this to readers of YA romance and LGBTQIA+ romance!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

If you ever did theatre in high school, this book is for YOU. It’s the way I understood every single reference, fell in love with our two boys, and was on the edge of my seat with antici—

pation. (See what I did there 👀)

As a lover of A Little Bit Country, I KNEW I was going to love this book. It basically took the song Popular from Wicked and made it into a whole STORY! I loved it.

Also, Brian D. Kennedy must know how to write a good character because I have NEVER been so sympathetic for a character so much before 😭 Wade deserves the WORLD.

Overall, I really liked how face paced the story is. It stays true for being a book about high school theatre, which is also very fast paced, dramatic, and easy to get lost in when you don't pay attention to the things around you. I would've loved to read a book like this when I was in high school, but it makes me so happy as someone who does theatre as a career to read a book like this now.

That was so freaking adorable. Almost had a nostalgic vibe to it. Like rewatching an old teen movie you've seen a million times before.

High schoolers are messy dramatic assholes and nothing about that is surprising. The id however that Wade is somehow actively worse than the rest of his friend group and his ex is absolutely laughable. These tensions could only exist in the high strung world of high school theater and teenage queers. I really enjoyed this book, I loved the tension and the pining. As a fan of yearning and big idiots not realizing they're in love, I really tore through this book. And I really loved how pathetic Wade got, but truly if that was me I would have changed schools after like two or three of the events in this book. An incredibly enjoyable read.

Wade is one of the kings of the school. As a junior he was the lead of their school musical, and had the awesome boyfriend, Reese, to boot. But after Reese ends things, and then gets the lead in the next musical, Wade decides he can at least get something right. Reese’s main complaint is that he was selfish so he’ll just show him that he isn’t. When Elijah, who is incredibly shy, asks him for help to become confident, wade sees his opportunity to show his selflessnesses (you see where this is going?). But spending time together, wade finds it’s nice not to feel like you’re performing all the time, and Elijah finds that people like him when he is willing to reach out to them.

This is definitely heavy on theater references, and I feel like it probably would have been better if I had understood any of them; however, it was a really fun book with a parallel story happening in the play they’re doing (my fair lady) and what’s happening between Elijah and Wade. I thought the parallels of the play and the story line were subtle but well placed to point out the similarities.

My heart loves Elijah so much. He is such a shy kid but he has such a big heart. And now that he is trying to be “Brady”, his cooler alter-persona, he is trying to figure out who he wants to be. But maybe being a cool kid isn’t all it’s hyped up to be.

Something I loved was Elijah and Reese’s relationship. As Elijah gains popularity he thinks he needs to be a people pleaser to keep people liking him. And Reese is nice so he always checks with Elijah, but Elijah feels trapped into always saying yes because he doesn’t want to be the one who ruins things. Bless his little heart, I wanted so much for him. I love his character progression and how snarky he is. He is quiet but half his comments are super sarcastic and I love it so much.

This was a fun read but honestly probably best for those into theater since there are so many theater references in it

My Fair Brady takes its cues from all the popular iterations of Pygmalion and gives it a modern, queer twist. It offers a backstage look at all the teenage drama of theater, but at its heart, it's about the transformative power of self-love and finding your place among people who care about you.

At times, it was difficult being in the head of Wade, whose role as the popular Senior taking pity on the friendless Sophomore Elijah (the titular Brady) often felt manipulative- as Wade is the first to admit. However, this dual POV offers a bird's eye view of the character development that both Elijah and Wade go through, with realistic stops and starts to the progress.

There are not always easy fixes to Wade's and Elijah's problems and they often miscommunicate their way to their own misery. Despite this, there is a lot of compassion from all the characters and a reminder that the people who truly love you only want you to be yourself.

4.5 stars!

Theater nerds rejoice! My Fair Brady is the queer high school rom-com that we all deserve! Wade is a senior and leading man of his high school's theater department. Elijah is an insecure sophomore and techie on the crew of the musical he's performing in. After the two worlds collide, Elijah quickly becomes Wade's next project as a way to catch the attention of his fellow co-star and recent ex - Reese. Is Wade trying to help Elijah grow his self-esteem? Or is he too busy inflating his own ego? Will this unlikely duo become something more? Let the drama begin!

Being a theater kid, I'm entirely biased, but this book authentically captured the essence of high school theater. It's delightfully queer, sweet and all of the characters are trying to improve and discover themselves instead of self destruct like many of the stereotypical gay plots we're used to seeing too often. Luckily, Brian D. Kennedy must've been a fellow thespian because his theater references were spot on. From the cast list being posted, the striking of the sets and tech days in PJ's to the cast party shenanigans, he totally got the world.

I read this in one sitting, it stirred up so many happy memories from my own past high school productions. I felt like I was right back in the overstuffed costume basement of the auditorium doing vocal warm-ups. As someone who hung Wicked posters on his walls and rented the original broadway cast recording of Rent from the library, this book would've been my entire personality at sixteen.

So if you have an affinity for the stage or enjoy themes of identity, self-love and queerness - this one's for you! I'm in my thirties and far gone from my days of PHS theater, so I didn't expect to relate to Elijah and Wade as much as I did. I'm not the biggest fan of My Fair Lady, but My Fair Brady has my heart. How I WISH I had a showmance like theirs!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC!

I cannot put into words just how much I loved this book. From the opening line to the last line, this book was absolute perfection. You can tell that Brian is a theatre kid because this entire book is a love letter to theatre itself. Elijah and Wade personalties bounced off each other so well and they had instant chemistry from the very first time they met. I loved as well how all of the supporting characters felt so developed, well thought out and all an integral part of the story whilst never overshadowing the two main characters.

This book was so special to me because I really resonated with Elijah. For the first time in my life I saw myself in a book and for that I have to thank Brian. Telling queer stories is so important and I’m so happy that the community has authors like Brian who not only tells our stories but does it so beautifully and with such wonderful complexity.

If I could give this book more then 5 stars I would!! Everyone needs to read this book!! I cannot recommended it enough!!

In "My Fair Brady" by Brian D. Kennedy, readers are treated to a delightful and heartwarming romantic comedy that combines elements of classic tales like "My Fair Lady" and modern teen films such as "She's All That." Kennedy weaves a story that is both endearing and swoon-worthy, perfect for teen (specifically aged 14-16) fans of feel-good LGBTQ+ romances.

The story revolves around Wade Westmore, a charismatic high school student used to basking in the spotlight. However, when he's passed over for the lead role in the school's spring musical, his world is turned upside down, particularly because the role goes to his ex-boyfriend, Reese. On the other end of the social spectrum is Elijah Brady, a shy sophomore who often goes unnoticed by his classmates.

The novel takes off when Wade and Elijah have a less-than-pleasant encounter backstage. Elijah proposes an intriguing arrangement: Wade will teach him the art of popularity, while Elijah will help Wade prove that he's more than just a self-absorbed persona. As their unconventional partnership unfolds, readers are treated to a heartwarming and often humorous exploration of transformation and self-discovery.

One of the key aspects of "My Fair Brady" is the development of the characters. Wade's journey from self-centeredness to genuine care for Elijah is a heartening transformation, However, Elijah's growth in confidence and self-worth feels very *just written in* Elijah's character feels very anxious, self-deprecating, and fragile — and while a lot about that is very authentic to what is like to be 16 in high school, his character development is really poorly done. He certainly changes, but we don't see him actually grow very much; it's more that he just gets attention and extra care from hot boys around him and suddenly he has a more lively life. While some of Elijah's struggles were relatable, I found him pathetic from the get-go and that never really changed. That being said, while very cliche, the chemistry between the Elijah and Wade is palpable, and their evolving relationship is a joy to witness.

Kennedy's writing style is engaging and relatable, capturing the essence of high school life and the complexities of teenage emotions — there were so many times where I could physically feel the anxiety, embarrassment, etc. that the characters were going through. The story's pacing keeps readers invested in the characters' development, and the humor adds a light and enjoyable touch to the narrative.

While "My Fair Brady" is a fairly enjoyable read for those who can relate to it, some readers might find the plot's reliance on familiar rom-com tropes a bit predictable.

THIS BOOK. It has my nerdy, shy, theatre kid HEART. With the onstage antics of some of my favorite theatre YA books PLUS the backstage antics of a crew just as lovable as The Backstagers, My Fair Brady hit EVERY NOTE and then some. Wade and Elijah made such a good duo...I wanted to scream at multiple points in the story over fear about what would happen by the book's curtain call. I'm off to wait for this book to come out so I can snatch up a copy and spend time with this cast over and over again.

If you want a queer YA theatre kid story for the quiet ones, the nervous ones, the trivia lovers, and the ones who drink milkshakes as often as possible...this book is made for you.

My Fair Brady was a great YA coming of age romance that had all the fun of movies like “She’s All That” and “The 10 Things I Hate About You” but without the fake dating trope. But chock-full of the popular kid befriending the loner introvert, a huge makeover, and then social status upgrades with the slowly-falling-for-eachother cliche. And I mean cliche in the best way!

Wade Westmore is the epitome of a drama king and a musical theatre nerd. Elijah Brady was the unsuspectingly handsome shy meal boy needing to break out of his shell.

The two characters contrasted each other so much that the dual POV was a huge part in understanding both of their internal monologues, their actions, wants and desires. Sprinkle in a bit of selfish motives and misunderstandings, Wade and Elijah’s relationship develops into something truly beautiful.

Both characters grew so much throughout the book that it made me kick my feet when everything finally fell into place. It was truly a great coming of age romance that was also a bit nostalgic for former theater kids like myself. The manifestation of the theater kid personalities were scary accurate. Truly an overall great read!

I was so excited to read this book as I loved the authors debut... but I can't help but. feeling a little underwhelmed by this book. It was by no means bad, it just did not have the same feel as the first book. Maybe it is because I am not a huge fan of the popular kid turns quiet awkward kid into a star, but this book did not have the same emotional feeling of his first book.

To me, this book felt rushed. I feel like it would have benefited from being longer! I wanted so much more from it. Elijah to me was a very likable character, but Wade was not. I kept hoping that Wade would redeem himself in some way, but he never really did. The book ended up being very predictable and I did not enjoy that. I am still a huge fan of Brian D. Kennedy, but this books did not work for me.

It was very gay but also very good. It had some of the same vibes and banter that Red White and Royal Blue by Casey Mcquiston has which I love.

This was such a fun book to read! A nice queer theater book is something everyone needs, and this is a perfect option for any YA reader who wants a good story about personal growth. A book on queer love and growing into a new person.