My Rating : ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Thank you so much Harper360YA and Netgalley for the gifted e-arc
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This was a coming-of-age book with awkward interactions, shy MC's coming out of their shells, unexpected friendships and some theater kids drama, then you have come to the right place! This book has...
~ MM YA coming-of-age book with unlikely MCs
~ Wade 'I'm going to get my ex back' Westmore & Elijah 'I don't belong here with the musical group' Brady
~ Mutually beneficial relationship for personal goals
~ Shy MC trying his best & the loud one coaching him
~ Love Triangle-ish situationship
~ Amazing friendships and awkward introductions
~ Character growth and feelings are involved
~ Stupid MC's not acknowledging their feelings
~ Drama filled practice sessions & behind the curtain planning
~ Third act declarations and unwanted feelings
~ Prom season is the worst
~ Final confession without much noise and theatrics.
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Favourite Lines from the book :
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“People always say ‘you’re quiet’like it’s a bad thing,”he says, finally accepting defeat. “But quiet people are observant. And just because I’m not talking as much doesn’t mean I don’t have a lot going on in my head.”
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“You said you wanted people to notice you ,” I remind him. “We need to make sure it’s for the right reasons. Because whether it’s fair or not , people will judge you based on how you look. And, no offense, but you could use some help in that department.”
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“Wanting to look your best isn’t shallow,” I tell him. “I’m not saying your appearance is the only thing you should care about. But if putting on a nice outfit and fixing your hair makes you feel more confident, why not do it?”
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"Cool shouldn’t be about doing what’s popular by everyone else’s standards. It should be about having enough confidence to be who you are, and not caring if that makes you stand out. It’s okay to be quiet. It’s okay to say the wrong things. It’s okay if it takes you a while to warm up and feel comfortable."

Irresistibly charming and full of heart—a delightful take on the challenges of growing up, finding your place, and staying true to who you are. Highly recommend.

‘𝙲𝚘𝚘𝚕 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚋𝚎 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚍𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝’𝚜 𝚙𝚘𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚛 𝚋𝚢 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚎’𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜. 𝙸𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚝.’

🫶🫶🫶🫶.5 / 5

🌶️.5 / 5

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Review:
Received this one as an ARC in exchange for an honest review! A huge thank you to the author and the publisher!
(I am extremely late to review this one and I cannot apologise enough!)

My Fair Brady is every queer loving, theatre obsessed, shy kids, must need read! Perfect for everyone and anyone but will sing to those who are still trying to find themselves! 

Full of themes of finding yourself, self love, opposites attract and found family this is the perfect fun loving read if you’re looking for a fast paced lighthearted read.

Wade is hot, popular and used to being in the spotlight. He definitely comes across as full of himself and selfish from the get go. Trying to win back the guy who not only dumped him, but stole his dream part in his favourite musical too. While stressing about getting into drama school, and struggling with the constant battle of living up to his older brother’s; Wade is a man of many layers. At the start I wanted to hate him, but each page led me to adore him just a fraction more. Like an ogre Wade has layers (yes that was a Shrek reference, no it has nothing todo with the plot, I just like saying it in a Scottish accent🤷‍♀️). I loved that Wade learnt to put his phone down and enjoy life rather than letting it pass him by while he try’s to find the perfect angle and filter for his instagram pics! Wades character arc is written beautifully and just makes you love him more!

Elijah is a shy, overlooked, anxious introvert who detests attention and has so little self belief and confidence that all I want to do is swaddle him in a heated blanket and cuddle him until he’s okay🥹 Elijah is incredibly relatable for anyone who struggles with anxiety and a low self esteem; the sheer terror he had for signing up to the stage crew, or sitting by himself at a restaurant reminded me of many painfully anxiety driven days of my not so distant past. His inner monologue was honestly spot on; he really is the socially awkward leading role ;) (I love theatre puns :) ). Watching him grow and embody the nature of Brady was so beautiful, like watching a butterfly grow and spread its wings. 

One of my favourite things about My Fair Brady, although the majority of the main characters are queer and a lot of them have loud personalities, I never felt like the queerness was shoved in my face; making this a perfect starting book to help anyone enter the queer literature world (I have many recommendations just ask ;) ). 

Kennedy’s writing is lighthearted and fun, fast paced, and full of theatre references. This is definitely a bingeable book and will leave you craving a theatre trip and have you hunting for more queer romances. This is definitely worth a read!

Definitely a fun, fluffy read. Will definitely be recommending it to those who want a quick, charming romance.

This romance book is a beautifully written tale that tugs at the heartstrings. The chemistry between the main characters is undeniable, and their journey together is both touching and memorable. The story offers a perfect balance of emotion and tension, with moments that will make you smile and others that will leave you reflecting long after you've finished. A lovely read for anyone who enjoys a heartwarming love story.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I truly couldn't have loved it more.

I've loved My Fair Lady since I was a kid and have watched the movie adaptation an absurd number of times. I jumped to see it when Bartlett Sher's Broadway revival transferred to London a couple years back too so I was naturally beyond excited for a queer book that has not only a school production of it but a whole makeover/passing-someone-off-as-someone-else storyline by way of a 2000s rom-com. I genuinely don't know how you can hear this premise and not want to read it immediately.

This is such a sweet and funny story filled with heaps of queer characters, showmances, friendship, family, musical theatre references galore and a milkshake shop I truly wish I could go to. It brought back all the best memories of my school theatre experiences and the messiness and the camaraderie and l'm so prepared to read everything Brian D. Kennedy writes from here on out!

I loved this authors book about a Dollywood themed romance, which had charming characters having a tumultuous romance.

This is a similar vibe but really ramps up the theatre kid elements from A Little Bit Country. I’m not in anyway a theatre fan, and don’t get a lot of the referencing. It doesn’t take away from the comedic or romantic elements, and I thoroughly enjoyed it despite not quite being the target audience.

The author has a confident assured writing style and remains in control of the narrative throughout, and it gave the needed cozy feeling while maintaining an element of drama.

Very sweet.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me early access to this book! There need to be more book comps to My Fair Lady- I was intrigued from the first line of the review.

So very charming! A My Fair Lady retelling in a high school theatre world. Elijah Brady is a shy, introverted sophomore. He enlists the help of Wade Westmore, one of the popular theatre kids, to help him become more confident and make friends. So Elijah becomes “Brady”, his bolder alter ego while Wade learns that you don’t always have to be the main character, that it’s okay to be the supporting one sometimes.


Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the trend that had been happening recently in YA rom coms of talking classics and doing a gender-bent version with queer characteras and ccute updated storylines! Superb!

As someone who loves the theatre, and who participated in high school, I loved this book. It is absolutely true that everyone needs to have watched My Fair Lady. The dual narratives of Elijah and Wade are so emotionally perfect. They capture the trepidations and fears of building relationships. It was hard to put this book down because you just wanted to know how the characters were grow together and learn something from unlikely encounters. Every theatre kid is going to get the jokes and appreciate the process of putting on a production. I highly recommend this book as I have also liked Brian D. Kennedy’s other book, A Little Bit Country. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Wade Westmore is certain the lead role in the spring musical is his, until it isn’t. Instead his ex-boyfriend Reese is cast in the role - the boy who dumped him due to Wade's self-centeredness.
Elijah Brady is accustomed to being overlooked and ignored so he decides to join the tech team in a bid to make some friends.
Realising that he is way too shy and not confident enough to make this happen by himself, Elijah proposes a deal with Wade after a backstage mishap: if Wade helps Elijah become popular, it could help him prove that he isn’t as self centred as Reece believes, thus benefiting them both. As Wade focuses on transforming Elijah into the new and improved "Brady," unexpected feelings arise, shifting his concerns from winning back his ex to the possibility of losing the Elijah he has got to know.

If you love 90s romcoms, random facts & theatre, this is the book for you. I loved A Little Bit Country so I was super excited to be chosen as part of the ‘Brady Bunch’ to get an arc of My Fair Brady.

“(𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵: 𝘓𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 10 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥’𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳.) (𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵: 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘵𝘢’𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 ‘𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 10,000 𝘓𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴,’ 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘴 11,842.) (𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵: 𝘞𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘞𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘴𝘦-𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘴.)”

I was never a theatre kid growing up but I do love going to the theatre in London and have some great memories of productions. Kennedy’s writing immerses you in the theatre world making it accessible to everyone, whether you’ve spent your life in theatres or never stepped foot in one.

It’s about learning to grow into yourself and not being afraid to show others who you really are, not projecting a certain personality because you think it will make you more popular and ultimately not being afraid to do the work to change into a better version of you.

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯,” 𝘐 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘮. “𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵.” “𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮? 𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘺?”

I enjoyed reading Wade and Elijah’s journey but equally I loved the development of all the side characters and the way they evolve as Wade and Elijah discover more about their relationships with their friends and families. Both boys' character arcs are realistic - in fact at one point I was worried that Wade thought he wasn’t self-centred when he definitely still was, but I shouldn’t have worried, he got there in the end.

“𝘔𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘣𝘢, 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨! 𝘞𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦: 𝘐’𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘐 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳.”

This is a great feel-good read, perfect for cosying up on the sofa with your favourite hot drink and diving right in.

This retelling of my fair lady in high school and queer is enjoyable and also because it's YA sometimes I am annoyed by young people, but honestly it was fun

Brian Kennedy never misses! I devoured this incredible story quickly and was left wanting to follow these goofballs forever. What a charming, lovely story, and a necessary add to the queer reads canon.

*3.5 stars*

My Fair Brady is a theater kid book written for theater kids. I'm not a theater kid, but I still enjoyed it, though I found the young adult squabbles and drama to be a bit exhausting at times.

I'm not a YA romance reader, as a rule, but I dabble from time to time. This is my second book from Brian D. Kennedy, and I enjoyed it like the first one. However, I think that if you are a YA reader or were/are in student theater, you'll enjoy it even more. Personally, I've never even seen My Fair Lady! I'm sure tons of references were going right over my head.

The story is low steam, which is expected, and involves a messy romance that, IMO, is underdeveloped. Friendship, sure, but it isn't a romance! type of romance book. Which is fine, but just know that the story is more about the MCs finding themselves than their relationship. I enjoyed how these guys felt like self-involved teenagers, which is how they should be acting at their ages, and the nice development of the side characters.

A nice story for me, but I think a GREAT one for the right reader.

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I have given My Fair Brady by Brian D. Kennedy four out of five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this story! This book follows two students: Elijah Brady and Wade Westmore. Elijah is super shy whereas Wade is the complete opposite. When the two students have a disastrous introduction to one another, it ends with an arrangement being made for Wade to help Elijah to become popular. For fans who enjoyed the movie She’s All That, there were quite a few similarities and inspiration pulled from that teen flick.

To start off, I didn’t think I was going to like Wade’s character as he was quite annoying and felt like he only really cared about himself however, there was a lot of growth for his character which was great to read. Also, I loved the dual perspective between Wade and Elijah to get the full picture between the two characters.

There were some secondary characters that I would love to learn more about and see their stories blossom too, if this were to become a series. I found this book to be a fun read, the writing was great. I would love to read more of Brian D. Kennedy’s material in the near future.

Really enjoyed this "She's All That" inspired queer rom-com, following MCs Wade and Elijah as they navigate social status and queer identity during their high school journey. The characters felt very authentic and the high school drama was realistic.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley & HarperCollins Children's Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book, such a cute and cosy read, thankyou NetGalley for an arc copy, I would definitely recommend it

Unfortunately, an interesting premise is ruined by a lack of characters that the reader will actually care about. Elijah is the only character I even halfway like.

Fun filled, packed with drama and a quick read, My Fair Brady packed quite a punch! It’s warm, it’s a cosy read and really deals with struggles that queer youth would face on a regular basis.

My Fair Brady follows Wade - a thespian who loves the stage - who ends up not being cast in a role he wanted and his ex boyfriend gets the part instead. And Elijah - a shy wallflower often finding himself feeling invisible. They both have a run in backstage and Elijah ends up convincing Wade to teach him how to be popular.

It’s an adorable book with so much emotion and teenage drama packed in that I just could not put it down. I love a bit of drama within books and this did not disappoint!

If you love YA, friends to lovers and good rom - com vibes, this is the book for you!!