Week 34 Review: My Fine Fellow

From Goodreads:

Culinary delights abound, romance lingers in the air, and plans go terribly, wonderfully astray in this cheeky and charming historical tale, perfect for fans of Bridgerton or Dickinson.

It's 1830s England, and Culinarians—doyens who consult with society's elite to create gorgeous food and confections—are the crème de la crème of high society.

Helena Higgins, top of her class at the Royal Academy, has a sharp demeanor and an even sharper palate—and knows stardom awaits her if she can produce greatness in her final year.

Penelope Pickering is going to prove the value of non-European cuisine to all of England. Her contemporaries may scorn her Filipina heritage and her dishes, but with her flawless social graces and culinary talents, Penelope is set to prove them wrong.

Elijah Little has nothing to his name but a truly excellent instinct for flavors. London merchants won't allow a Jewish boy to own a shop, so he hawks his pasties for a shilling a piece to passersby—but he knows with training he can break into the highest echelon of society.

When Penelope and Helena meet Elijah, a golden opportunity arises: to pull off a project never seen before, and turn Elijah from a street vendor to a gentleman chef.

But Elijah's transformation will have a greater impact on this trio than they originally realize—and mayhem, unseemly faux pas, and a little romance will all be a part of the delicious recipe.

My Review:
This was a really fun read! I really enjoyed her first book, and this looked like it was going to be a great read. And oh, I really had a great time learning about these characters, and I cared for their stories, and it was just a fantastic time! Though it does suck that this alt-history of events didn't happen, because I believe the Queen in this book passed before she had a child, let alone make all these changes to create the Culinarians.

I will say, that I'm not a foodie. It's just one of those areas where I don't use much energy, and am very much not creative. So it was a bit baffling to read about this wide variety of foods. I don't get the passion, but I'm glad that they have it!

Most of this story was about attempting to rise above the station of your birth. In Elijah's case, that's twofold-he's poor, and he's Jewish. But Helena makes becoming him a gentleman chef as a way to pass with flying colours with her project. It's just that she's very blunt, and very blind to her own privilege. 

There were so many things that I loved about this book! From Penelope and her kindness and want to spread non-European dishes and flavours, to her relationship with Elijah. And the growth that Helena shows, because boy was she unlikeable before she learned from her mistakes!

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait to see what Jennieke Cohen writes next! 

Author: Jennieke Cohen
Read: August 26th, 2022
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Loved her first book and it's a Historical Fiction 2022 Book, SAC 2022 Book, Sophomore Challenge Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: January 11th 2022

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars