"Didn't You Use to be Queenie B?" was an absolutely gem! Terri-Lynne DeFino blended humor, heart, and a touch of nostalgia. The characters are flawed, but likable and the complicated relationships and serious situations keeps you captivated. This is a must-read for anyone who is a fan of cooking shows!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance audio copy of this title. Regina runs a soup kitchen that serves exceptionally delicious food to vulnerable populations. When neighborhood resident, Gale, needs dinner one night. He ends up helping at the end of the evening, and Regina eventually takes him under her wing. No one in the neighborhood suspects that Regina used to be a popular TV chef who flamed out spectacularly in all the usual ways. The supporting characters of family, friends, and neighborhood characters add color and flavor to the plot. This could be a "Chick-Lit" story, but it is much meatier. An enjoyable listen.

This is a miss for me. I thought it was going to be very interesting but as much as i struggled to get into this one i just couldn't. I'm sorry. The plot didn't plot at all and lost me.

Regina aka Queenie B had it all. A career as a larger-than-life chef, tv personality, wife and mother. Unfortunately, Queenie B likes to party, and she crashes and burns when she can't get it under control. She loses her husband and the right to take care of her child.

Regina atones for her wrong doings. She opens a soup kitchen in a rundown area to help those who are struggling.

Gale Charmichael is a broke aspiring chef who is dealing with addiction. He is sober but struggling with the urge to use again. He is haunted with the death of his best friend, his memory haunts with thoughts. Gale goes to the soup kitchen for a meal and meets Regina. He doesn't recognize her as someone who used to be a top chef.

This book is about addiction and living with the consequences. About trying to better for those that are around you. Trying not to have one taste or one hit. Being honest with others and yourself.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I really enjoyed this one. Alternately light hearted and deep, with characters that really made you root for them. I would absolutely read more by this author.

Didn't You Used to Be Queenie B. exceeded my expectations! I liked the concept, but how Terri-Lynne DeFino writes this story kept me engaged in listening to the audio version in the car in front of the house. Eva Kaminsky did a nice job with the narration.

Gale Carmichael lives with his childhood friend, Kyle and a couple of other roommates, two years sober after a serious incident that left another close childhood friend, Sean dead. Gale is working his way up the prep line in a well-regarded Italian restaurant in New Haven Connecticut. Money is tight and he accepts no financial help from his folks who are happy he's alive but underwhelmed by his career choice. Gale went to culinary school and it is obvious to us early on that he has a certain something.

Regina is a wealthy woman who has settled into a marginal neighborhood in New Haven, her hometown. She operates a neighborhood soup kitchen and developed a close relationship with some of her regulars who help out for twenty bucks. There is something she has left behind. She is partly making amends and partly finding out how to be her authentic self. Her food, while simple, is outstanding. Because, it turns out, Regina was once a famous television chef and highly respected restauranteur, so successful that she continues to earn royalties from the products she spun off and reruns of her programs. She was Queenie B. But nobody knows her now. She does not venture into neighborhoods where she might meet old acquaintances and she so loathed New Haven, they would not think to look for her there. Most people assume she's dead.

And then, one day, Gale agrees to eat at the soup kitchen with Kyle because he's earning less due to an injury. And over time, without knowing her secret, he connects with Regina. Throughout this lovely, novel of humanity in all its permutations, people who are suffering, no matter their backgrounds, grow and get close and begin to figure out their lives. I thought it was beautifully written and that Gale's character, with his complex issues relating to his trauma, addiction and his better self trying to stay on top was particularly well written.

📖 Bookish Moments:
This one wasn’t for me. I loved the idea—a washed-up celebrity chef hiding out in a soup kitchen? Yes, please. But it didn’t quite land for me. The pacing dragged, and I struggled to connect with either Queenie or Gale. Still, I can see this working better for readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories with a redemptive edge.

🩷 What You Can Expect:
• Disgraced celebrity chef
• Found family
• Redemption arc
• Culinary drama
• Reality TV
• Addiction and recovery

📖 Final Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Audio Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo

Thank you to HarperAudio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.

Reading Didn’t You Used to Be Queenie B felt like catching up with an old friend—one you hadn’t seen in years, but when you do, it’s like no time has passed at all. This book is full of humor, heart, and a bit of that “OMG, that was me in high school” vibe.

Queenie B. is a character I immediately loved—smart, witty, and maybe a little lost, like we all are when life pulls the rug out from under us. The journey of rediscovering yourself and the tension between who you were and who you’re becoming was so beautifully portrayed. It was like a love letter to anyone who’s ever had to confront their past while building their future.

The writing is delightful, the characters are so real, and the laughs? They’re sprinkled in with just enough tenderness to make you feel all the feels. If you’ve ever been caught between the girl you once were and the woman you’re becoming, this one’s going to hit home in the best way.

*This is a review of the audiobook narrated by Eva Kaminsky

This is most definitely one of the top 10 books I have read/listened to this year!! The premise is fresh and new, the characters are well defined and relatable and the plot will keep you reading until you’ve turned the last page.

Gale Carmichael is a young man who has dreamed of being a chef for as long as he can remember. He has had some years of substance abuse and is newly sober. He also has PTSD from a tragic accident and he is haunted by the loss of his friend.

He is down to his last dollars and ends up at a local soup kitchen.

Regina Benuzzi is currently the cook at a soup kitchen in New Haven. She enjoys cooking for those who need her and gets to know her customers well. She can be abrupt and hard to work but she has a kind heart.

Regina is Queenie B - she had an incredible career as a culinary superstar. She had money, fame, fortune, Michelin Star restaurants and a cookbook empire. She lost it all, along with her husband and son because of her alcohol abuse. She stepped away and “disappeared” from the public eye.

When Gale offers to help out at the soup kitchen he gets to know Regina well. When he is chosen to compete in “Cut!” a well televised cooking show - Regina consents to mentor him.

This is a story of redemption for both of these characters. Regina and Gale both have their inner demons and are searching for a way forward.

The descriptions of the delicious food practically made me swoon.

These characters touched my heart along with a host of ancillary characters that rounded out the story.

I highly recommend this book to everyone! Publication date is set for April 15. I really enjoyed the audiobook and the narration was fantastic.

I received this audiobook from the publisher Harper Audio Adult through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to listen to and review this novel.

This novel is a hopeful story of a former celebrity chef who finds a way to simply her life to overcome addiction. I enjoyed the entire story and Queenie B’s deep relationships with people. The audio book narration is so spot on.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader audio book.

Didn't You Use to Be Queenie B was an excellent read for people who love the food scene, restaurants, and competitive cooking shows! Don't let this fun, pink cover fool you though; this book has some heavy themes.

Didn’t You Use to Be Queenie B? By Terri-Lynne DeFino is a beautiful story of a famous chef Regina B who vanishes from the public eye, giving up everything to go into hiding and prioritize her sobriety. She takes a local chef, Gale, under her wing and soon realizes that his success in the culinary world will pull her back into the spotlight. She is forced to decide whether or not she wants to run and leave everything behind, again, to stay in hiding.

I loved the array of characters, in this story, and their ability to come together under unusual circumstances. Everyone has their baggage and they all choose to see beyond one-another’s mistakes, and support each other, even through their own battles with alcoholism. This book was humorous, and heartfelt. A beautiful story about the love of food and not being defined by our past mistakes.

The narration by Eva Kaminsky is very well-done, and only added to the story! 

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for an advanced copy of this audiobook!

3.75 stars, Great Story of Comeback and believing in yourself. Narrator did a great job really bringing me into the story. Favorite was the cooking terms at the beginning of every chapter such a great touch !

Didn’t You Use to Be Queen is B by Terri-Lynne is a deliciously messy, heartfelt ride through food, fame, and finding your way back to yourself. I devoured every page—between the behind-the-scenes drama and the deeply human moments, I couldn’t put it down. The characters are gloriously flawed and beautifully real, the kind you want to shake and hug in equal measure. There’s a rawness here that makes the glitter of success feel earned and the heartbreak hit harder. I’m docking half a star only because I wanted just a bit more closure—but honestly, I’d read a sequel tomorrow.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 4.5 stars

Queenie B has it all; fame, money, is a world wide recognized chef. Her at home life is anything but put together. Her husband has given her so many chances. And her son, while he hardly knows her. After a very public debacle that left her divorced and ashamed of her reputation, Quinne B has to hide.
Gale struggles to keep a job let alone pay his bills. Him and his friends find themselves at their local soup kitchen; the only place they can afford. Shockingly surprised at how good the meal is every night!
With the soup kitchen help out, Gale finds himself tagging in to help head chef Regina. Surprised by Gales creativity and chef skills Regina quickly offers him a paying job at the soup kitchen.
Cooking skills are tested and truth and trust comes out. This is a fun read whether you're a food lover or not!

I really enjoyed Didn't You Use to Be Queenie B. The characters were compelling an complex which gave a deep and hopeful story. The book felt like something that reads like a limited series on Amazon or Netflix similar to The Maid series (from Netflix, or its book: Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive). I enjoyed the conclusion for the characters. The pacing was perfect. I barely ever felt like the story dragged. Overall, a really great read!

Gale doesn’t recognize Regina, the soup kitchen’s cranky proprietor, whose famous black mane is now streaked with gray. It’s been more than ten years since Queenie B vanished into her careful new existence. But she sees Gale’s talent and recognizes a brokenness in him that she knows all too well. The culinary genius in hiding takes him under her wing.

I really enjoyed this tale. It does have a bit of a slow start. But once I got into it, I flew through it. I was rooting for Regina (Queenie B) and Gale from start to finish.

Regina is a tough character that will come close to breaking your heart. With her past and the way she has chosen to live her present..she cannot help but pull at your heart strings.

Then there is Gale. He is also struggling with his inner demons but I wanted him to win this cooking show contest so badly…you will have to read this to find out!

I learned so much about the cutthroat business of chefs and restaurants. Such drama and stress in this profession. The author did a fabulous job exposing the reader to this side of the kitchen doors!

The narrator, Eva Kaminsky, was Queenie B! She had great emotion and just made this book come alive!

Need a book with characters you want to succeed in every way possible…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Gale Carmichael, a line cook in recovery from alcohol abuse following a tragic accident, relents to go grab a meal at a local soup kitchen when money is tight. There he meets a suspiciously talented cook running the remarkably and expensively equipped kitchen. The cook, Regina, quickly becomes his mentor, and the relationship becomes even more important to him after a friend sends in an application for Gale to compete on the popular cooking show, "Cut". How he performs on the show could completely change Gales' life. But who is Regina, and what is her backstory? There is much more than meets the eye here.

Didn't You Use to Be Queenie B is a story of redemption and second chances; both seeking them for ourselves and helping others to have them. It's about forgiveness and grace, friends and family, holding onto hope, and getting back up when you've been knocked down. It's also about food! The food writing is great, but I think my favorite part was the family and friends (and friends that become family) that surrounded both Gale and Regina throughout their journeys. I'm not sure I would compare this to The Bear, as my only complaint is that it was too long and drug a bit in parts, so it is not as intense as The Bear. That said, if you are a lover of food/cooking competitions and have knowledge of celebrity chefs and the culinary world, you'll probably enjoy this one! I gave this book 3.75-4 stars.

This book consumed my thoughts, my heart AND my appetite!

Set in dual timelines, we have two stars here.
Gale, a recovering addict with demons haunting his sleep- and waking moments. His family has all but given up on him, and he's practically giving up on himself.
Regina, former (infamous) celebrity chef, currently hiding (and assumed dead) while running a local soup kitchen for addicts, low income and the elderly. No one knows who she is, and she plans to keep it that way.

The two converge when Gale, a broke line cook, needs to eat and lost his last 3 bucks in a mugging.

Lose, recovery, regrets and FOOD all are the themes of this story, and I will say it was one of the best books of the year for me. Great for fans of:

Found family
Top Chef
Second chances
Forgiveness

Even if this isn't your normal read, I encourage you give it a go, it is excuted with the perfection of a 3 star Michelin meal.

Terri Lynne DeFino’s Didn't You Use to Be Queenie B? is a story that invites you to slow down and savor each unfolding moment. Layered with backstories that enrich the present and characters who slowly knit together into a compelling found family, the novel shines especially through the immersive experience of the audiobook. Eva Kaminsky’s narration elevates the emotional depth of the story—her voice acting brings each scene to life in a way that makes the pacing feel intentional rather than slow. Think The Bear meets the behind-the-scenes grit of a reality cooking show, all wrapped in a deeply personal coming-of-age journey.

This is a novel rich in themes of self-growth, second chances, and the quiet strength found in community. DeFino explores how identity can be lost—and reclaimed—and how mentorship and belonging can shape one’s future. The dynamic between Regina and Gale is especially poignant, unfolding with care in the unique setting of a soup kitchen, which offers a deeper commentary than a typical culinary backdrop. With evocative descriptions, well-developed secondary characters, and a story grounded in emotional truth, this is a book that lingers. While I initially read a print copy from William Morrow, it was Harper Audio’s edition that truly deepened my appreciation. For stories like this, audio isn’t just a format—it’s the heart of the experience.