A different type of historical fiction, this book was set in 1932 England. Stella is an author of cooking history, embarking on a project of writing about particularly English foods. When her father suddenly moves in with her, Stella becomes distracted and falls under the influence of a man who convinces her to fabricating information for her book. Her frustration with her love for Michael has also led her to be easily swayed, as he becomes involved with someone else. As a social history of the times, the book did well with the status of women, and the growing dangerous nationalism between the wars. The story was a bit drawn out and could have been told a bit more succinctly, but it was enjoyable. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Stella Douglas has been enjoying her life in London in this story set in the 1930s. She has a good friend in Michael, writes books (with modest success) about cooks of days gone by and is content with her life. All of this changes when Stella returns home, to Yorkshire, to be there for her her father.

When Stella returns to London to meet with her publisher, he sets her a task. Stella is to write about British foods in a far reaching compendium. She accepts this challenge which leads to research, writing and travel. Stella meets many along the way. How will her life be changed by this project and where it takes her? Find out in this delightful novel.

For me this book seemed a bit slow at times but I am glad to have read it. I think that those who enjoy women’s fiction, historical fiction, food and more will want to look at this nostalgic title.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morris for this title. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for access to this arc.



I will admit that the reference to this being similar to “Dear Mrs. Bird,” got me to read the blurb which then got me to read the book. So I guess that worked. But I want to say that while this is a well written book about historical England and its traditions, it doesn’t have that “resolutely cheerful in the face of the hardships of war” tone. Readers looking for that will be disappointed. But what it does have is a woman doing some self discovery while trying to whip up a book about English cookery as the nation faces the Depression and slight breezes of what will become the winds of war. I also discovered a lot of heartfelt emotion, a wonderful father-daughter relationship, and two people who really needed Lucien to knock their heads together.

Stella Douglas is one of the new, post-war women who leave home for uni with plans for a dazzling future. But unlike many of her fellow students – who all seem to be doing marvelous things, as they make sure to tell everyone at the party while conversing with Stella’s chest instead of her face – she decided to take the guaranteed paycheck for her weekly contributions to a women’s magazine (where she’s lately been doing articles for the financially challenged kitchen) in addition to writing biographies about famous historical cooks. After its slow sales, she’s thrilled when her publisher offers her the chance to write a book about English food. Stella, who adores the French food that her bestie and his roommate prepare as chefs in top London restaurants, nevertheless grabs the opportunity.

Replies to her appeals for information about family recipes and traditions pour in but after being deluged with oatcake recipes and contradictory traditional traditions, —

If only there weren’t so many inconsistencies and contradictions in the responses she was receiving. As she’d reviewed the letters on currant cakes, she’d again felt like she was required to referee competing legends. There did seem to be rather a lot of that in English food.

— Stella finds herself going on the road to suss out the true history of Bath buns and eels. Along the way she meets a man who might take the place of her bestie who has become engaged to a toxic society Bright Young Thing (who seems to be like an early version of an influencer). Freddie does mansplain on about the proper way to prepare rabbits (WARNING for vegans and vegetarians in this chapter) and pheasants but he’s handsome, fun, sets a lovely table, and urges Stella to “spice up” her book in order to get it to sell.

But when her house of cards topples and Stella has to face all the issues in her life, what path will she take and with whom will she take it?

I am SO glad that I’ve been faithfully watching GBBO because I knew what Stella and others were referring to when they talked about genoise sponges, hot water crust pastry, raised pies, split buns, and various other things I’ve seen on the show. Now I want to try a parkin, an Eccles cake, and some of the Christmas and Yule cakes that are mentioned. I’ll skip the eels though.

Stella is determined that she’s going to write a book that will earn back the confidence of her publisher. But when faced with umpteen recipes for oatcakes (that some readers got overheated and tetchy about) she realizes that she has to find more – something sparkling, something to grab the reading public’s attention. That is where Freddie takes her hand and leads her down a dark path of “embellishing.” It’s not a lie, he says, it’s just a small fib to liven things up. As she and her father are still grieving her mother’s death and her bestie is now running with the BYTs, Stella doesn’t have her usual sounding boards and steps off the path of truth and references.

What is the book actually supposed to be though? Only English cookery or does she include all the foreign influences, immigrant food, and trader’s ingredients among other things which now permeate “English” food? Is there anything that is solely and completely down to English ingredients and cooking methods? Stella thinks, “At what point did a foreign flavor become native? We are a mongrel nation.” Plus during a dinner with Freddie’s public school chums and their wives, Stella is bombarded with political viewpoints coming out of Germany and Italy along with the (more than slightly) bombastic opinions these people have about the working man and British foreign policy.

“Dessert? How deliciously northern of you! I suppose you have dinner at midday too, don’t you? And tea at six o’clock?” He looked amused by this thought. “For pudding it’s treacle tart and custard. I do hope that’s complicated enough?”
It said something about the English class system, and the strength of regional identity, that they couldn’t even agree on the names of meals, didn’t it? Stella made a mental note that she must look into this further …

Yet as she travels across England, reads the letters being sent to her from all over, and delves into her mother’s journal Stella begins to get an image of what she’s aiming for and what isn’t “her.” She has to face up to what she’s (almost) done, decide how to move forward, and rethink the company she’s been keeping. Reading her mother’s words and recipes takes Stella back to her happy childhood as well as gives Stella a glimpse of why her mother pushed her to stand up for herself, to follow her dreams.

I enjoyed all of this as well as Stella’s “voice.” She’s an intelligent woman but still dealing with the attitudes of the day. She also felt twinges of her decisions “not being right” but with the family and personal issues she was facing, I could see how she lost her way. When the chips are down, Stella bucks up and realizes what she has to do and then does it. Where I wanted to shake her and someone else was because of her refusal to see a relationship that had always been right in front of her. That’s right, Stella, ignore the advice of two people you trust and keep sticking your head in the sand. This part gets resolved a little too easily but the end of the book is happy and hopeful and I enjoyed learning more about How the English Eat. B

Despite Stella’s semi-lackluster debut, her editor tasks her with a second publication,
The History of English Food. English food is not known for being delicious and the English economy is almost sunk! What a challenge!

The story is enlightening, historically and culinary. Stella’s search for recipes and her journey through grief, disappointment and relationships made for an interesting read.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 stars
RECOMMEND

I received a complimentary Kindle e-book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to Caroline Scott, Simon and Schuster UK, Book Club Girl, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a book about Stella who is writing a book about "How The English Eat". She travels around England doing research as well as requesting information in various newspapers. The letters that she receives are HYSTERICAL.

Unfortunately, the book was not historical fiction, but more about English food with a story woven through it. I would have preferred more of the story and less of the food and recipes.

Thanks to William Morrow for my copy of Good Taste by Caroline Scott.

Set in 1932, Stella is a writer who moved home to Yorkshire to help her father after her mother died. She's working as a columnist for a women's magazine and is asked to write a book about the history of food in England. Her research takes her all over the country and she put out requests in local papers for people to share their local cuisine, she's worried about what direction to take the book and if it will sell. On one of her trips, her car breaks down and she meets a charismatic antiques dealer. Will Stella be able to figure out what direction to take the book?

I enjoyed this book, but it was a slow book. I liked seeing Stella try to figure out her way, especially as a young woman in the 1930s.

Good Taste centers around Stella Douglas, a woman who recently moved home to Yorkshire to care for her father after her mother's death. Stella is a writer, and a lover of food, working for women's magazine in 1930s England, when her publisher proposes she write a book about the history of English food. As Stella works to research and develop her book, she meets a cast of characters across the country with their own ideas about what English food means to them.

This book was very difficult for me to get interested in and finish, and I felt it took me far longer to read to completion than it would typically. The concept of a Depression Era female writer was intriguing, but the execution was lacking. I felt like the book jumped right in but at the same time backtracked to fill in details of Stella's life from prior to the events of the novel. In addition, the book itself didn't really feel like it was set in 1930s England, beyond occasional references to Hitler and the financial state of the country. Stella seemed like a "modern" woman to me and this book felt fairly modern to me as a result.

When I finished this book, I initially left a rating of 4 stars on GoodReads, but in giving myself a couple days to think over my impression of the book, I will be down grading it to 3 stars. It simply didn't interest me, despite the fact that at face value this should be a book right up my alley.

Thank you to Book Club Girl, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

I hate to be a Debbie Downer but this book was boring to me. It just didn't work at all and I was really looking forward to it. They can't all be 5 stars and this one wasn't for me.

I liked the time frame. So much of current historical fiction is WWII and it’s been beaten to death.
Stella is a writer but. Is she’s charged with a new book about English food. Some of the recipes were absolutely dreadful like the eel ones. Those made me recoil in distaste.
Although a novel about food, both Stella and her father are emotionally hungry and stumble a bit while trying out new recipes.
It’s a unique story and an enjoyable read.
But English food is still nota palate I like.

Set in 1930's England, Stella is a writer dealing with the death of her mother and moving home to care for her father, leaving her more glamourous and exciting life behind in London. She's writing for a woman's magazine to make ends meet after the disappointing sales of her latest book. Her publisher has her tackle a new cookery book based on England's regional favorite foods - she tours the countryside learning recipes and when her car breaks down, she meets Freddie - who soon is escorting her around and terribly influencing her writing.

It's an easy read, lighthearted at times, and heavier at other parts. The author's descriptions are incredible and the characters are so fleshed out they seem like your neighbors.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

A charming story that reflects on adulthood, relationships, and—of course—food. In the early 1930s, Stella Douglas is a women’s magazine and nonfiction writer who has recently been requested by her publisher to write a history of English food. To do so, she travels the country, researches and tastes local dishes, and puts out ads calling for traditional recipes from readers. As Stella grapples with the assignment and tries to make the topic defined, authentic, and interesting, she also deals with the recent loss of her mother, misunderstandings with her widower father, and a somewhat eventful love life. Overall, I found the novel pleasant and I appreciated how it touched on women’s independence, globalization, and the nature of writing with honesty and integrity. I do wish, however, that more time was spent fleshing out the romantic plot line and adding more depth to the characters involved, as I felt they were a bit flat and predictable. 3.75 stars rounded up.

Thank you to William Morrow for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This review was posted online on October 23, 2023, to https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5759996592.

2.5* There were things I really liked about this one and things that bored me to tears so it is always difficult to rate a book like that.
I really enjoyed the mention of English food as I grew up hearing or eating much of what is discussed and have to agree that it is not the most delectable of cuisines!
I liked the main character's relationship with her Dad and how he handled grief. The family dynamics were wonderful and the letters from her Mom were endearing as well.

I didn't like most of the friendship dynamics/characters and found the discussion of food and its history a little boring and the writing dry as the main character attempts to write a book about English food that readers would want to read.
I also thought there were too many themes explored that made things feel a bit disjointed.

I think this is an example of my expectations not being met as I was thinking it would be a book about family relationships and grief around a table of English food. When the story focussed on that, it was lovely.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read it in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

This book was such a slog. The writing was slow. I didn't have a connection with Stella. I dearly wanted to be reading the book that the MC was writing about English cuisine instead of this one.

The author is a historian, but some of the food facts read exactly like the Wikipedia page (Sally Lunn bun specifically) which feels a little concerning. I feel like I definitely learned some of this from watching the Great British Bake Show.

I spent a good 150 pages of this book reading in horror as I thought Stella was going to continue a relationship with a Nazi. She just kept seeing him after he said "we should look at what Hitler and Mussolini are doing" and I just stared in horror. I really don't think the rape plotline was necessary for us to figure out that Freddie was a terrible person.

Needless to say, the book got infinitely better in the last part of the book after she gets rid of Freddie. Eff that guy in particular.

Good Taste
Caroline Scott
Nov. 7, 2023
William Morrow
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
* historical fiction
Carolyn Scott’s. Newest novel is a fun, witty and nostalgic romp through British Culinary history, It follows food writer Stella Douglas and her grief of losing her mother , the disappointing low sales of her new book, and the love of her life’s engagement to someone else,.
I loved it and will recommend it to anyone who loves cozy fiction.
5 stars

Good Taste left a bad taste for me. Clearly I didn’t inherit my own taste in food from my English ancestors, because most of the food described in this book sounded either bland or disgusting. I usually look forward to books about food! It’s also incredibly heavy on questions isn’t it? It felt like there were one or two a paragraph, didn’t it? This writing habit drove me crazy. I also didn’t really care for Stella, the protagonist tasked with writing the book. She comes across as judgmental at times and rather oblivious at others. The book itself is too long, and too ambitious in its scope. Instead of a primary plot supported by a secondary plot, Scott has four different storylines competing with each other for the reader’s attention. There’s the storyline with her and her father, after her mother’s death from cancer. A storyline with her friend that she’s in love with that gets engaged to a society woman. The storyline about meeting a man she doesn’t know how to read when traveling to do research for her book. And last but not least is the storyline about putting together the book itself, which goes off the rails and causes her problems. It made it really hard to enjoy the book or feel like it ever got into any kind of rhythm. If a stronger emphasis had been placed on the history of English food and how people made it their own and how it reflected their lives it would have been a much more interesting story for me. Instead it meandered from storyline to storyline without motivating me to care about the protagonist or her personal or professional choices.

England. 1932. The Great Depression.

Stella has written a biography that hasn’t moved very well. When her editor calls her into the office, she fears her career is done. But instead she is given a new assignment. She is commissioned to write a history of food in England as well as how they eat. It must also feature cost saving recipes and ideas to remind them all of how they all cooked in hard times. The problem? Most English cooking isn’t that tasty. The Solution? Ask women to contribute their favorites. And when that doesn’t work? Go out and talk to cooks.

So off she goes until her car breaks down and she discovers a man and some really good food!

What a lovely story this is! I have never read anything by this author, but I will rectify that!

NetGalley/ William Morrow Paperbacks, November 07, 2023

1930s pre-WWII England and Stella Douglas is dealing with the recent death of her mother, unrequited desire for her best friend, and a writing career that seems stagnant after the less than stellar sales of her recent book. Summoned by her publisher, she is tasked with writing a history of English food that sends her on a trip around the country to find historically English recipes. Yet, she finds that most English dishes have roots in other cultures.

She meets handsome antique dealer Freddie, who steers her on a different path. Faced with conflicts that modern women today face as well as xenophobia and politics, Stella is a heroine that you find endearing and relatable as she navigates her way in 1930s career and society.

I was waiting awhile before reviewing this title because I needed to process what I really felt about it.

In truth, I knew I was going outside of my usual genre when I selected to read this book. However, the blurb/synopsis was interesting, and I was curious to see how the history of food aspect would play into the story.

I think many of us would love to learn more about where certain foods or recipes originated from, and I liked that this book intertwined that into the story. Nevertheless, some aspects of the book felt awkward to me. I don't know if they fully added to the story as a whole, so I think that impacted how I processed the story in the end.

I do think a lot of readers will like the main character and her journey though. The writing was well balanced and the overall plot was generally well thought out.

ARC provided by William Morrow via NetGalley, and I have given my honest and voluntary review.

I don't know about anyone else but I quite enjoyed Stella's journey.
When I seen this book I got excited because I've recently became a rom com foodie fan! And this cover was cute as could be laugh out loud! It was what made me want to read it.
I liked the way this author made Stella realistic and believable because I and many other readers can relate to Stella. Y'all will just love her. She'll make you laugh, cry and all the other feelings that come with life.
I love historical novels even if they are set in England. It's a place I've never been so I get to go from the comfort of my own home.
I did learn some about cooking though. To be honest some of the food made me drool. I just couldn't help myself!
I never knew that you could tell something about a person by what they ate?! How interesting! Another thing I learned.
I quite agree about English food some of it is well quite atrocious.
I could live on potatoes though one of my favorite foods.
This book is definitely full of charm I'll say that and it was a fun read for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book so I'll highly recommend it!! I finished this book in one night it was awesome!
I hated to say goodbye to Stella. She became such a good friend!
5 stars for keeping me engaged. A job well done!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own!

I've sat on this review for awhile after finished Good Taste, because I didn't want to be too hasty.

In all honesty, I think a lot of people will really like this book. I picked it up because I'm willing to read anything where food and fiction intertwine. In this novel, it's the 1930s in England. Stella has just lost her mother and moved away from London back home to watch over her father.

Meanwhile, she's working on a second biography when she's told by her publisher they want her to write a history of English food.

Through interviews, letters, and travel, Stella finds that harder than she initially thought. Meanwhile, she struggles with knowing how much to babysit her father, how to stretch her pennies, and trying to deal with her male best friend's new relationship.

The plot summary for this book focuses entirely on Stella's food writing. I think if the book had stuck to that, it would've been a fun ride. I understand obviously this is a novel and other things have to happen to the heroine, but I felt like they were disjointed. And while you could see the ending for her relationship status, I was really disappointed at the resolution not even being on the page.

I'll be curious to see what other people think - but for me, I just couldn't develop sympathy for Stella as a character and didn't quite understand where the author was going.