As someone that grew up watching the food network, this book really did it for me. I loved the multiple POV writing and the flashbacks - the way the story truly unfolds as you learn about each characters background. Queenie was such a fun character - layered in so many ways with a sordid history and a flashy lifestyle. Gale….sweet Gale. We all know a Gale.

This book was so well done in so many ways, and the writing was so good. It felt long, at times. The first third trickled by but after about 40% I couldn’t put it down. Well done, DeFino!

This book, told through alternating timelines, follows Regina, or Queenie B as she's known to her fans, as she falls from grace and starts fresh under a new identity. Now running a local soup kitchen, Regina crosses paths with a group of young cooks, and immediately senses something different about one of them, Gale. Despite his unique qualities, he feels familiar to her, and Regina begins mentoring him in the kitchen. When Gale unexpectedly lands a spot on the cooking competition Cut, Regina must navigate the challenge of keeping her former fame a secret while helping him succeed. But can she really stay anonymous, or will Gale uncover her true identity?

This book is a fast and engaging read, brimming with raw emotion. The way the story weaves together the journeys of both Regina and Gale makes for a smooth flow, something that's often tricky in books with dual protagonists and shifting timelines. Both characters are well-developed, with rich backstories, and even the supporting characters are memorable by the end.

The marketing for this book is on point, and I’d recommend it to anyone who loves the drama of shows like The Bear, fans of cooking competitions, or anyone who enjoys a good second-chance-at-life story.

A special thank you to NetGalley and publisher William Morrow for the advanced reader copy in exchange for honest feedback.

A heartwarming and satisfying story of redemption, love, and self-acceptance.

The writing is full of compassion and empathy for its characters and I adored Regina and Gale. It was a delight to witness their relationship develop and Gale’s confidence and creativity in the kitchen blossom. I enjoy cooking and cooking competition shows so I was especially engaged in Gale practicing for his chance to win the Chopped-like show, Cut!

Highly recommend to anyone who loves cheering for the underdog and believes in second chances.

Thank you very much to William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

I was not familiar with this author but after receiving this ARC, I will happily go back and read her other novels. The characters were richly written, motivations made sense, and there were enough flashbacks to flesh out the storyline but not so many as to distract you and pull you out of the narrative. I was rooting for the redemption of each character. It was not looking at the issues of addiction through rose-colored glasses and everything is not easy and tied together neatly. I appreciated each character's flaws and their reactions that seemed rooted in reality.

Really enjoyed the plot, cannot wait to explore other books by DeFino.

Editing note - there's a part where Regina is thinking of chefs from days past and mentions "Emeril, Ina and Lydia" - if the reference is to Lidia Bastianch, her name is misspelled which Regina would definitely know 😜

That was good. Dare I say, yummy and delicious. Read this book! Especially if you love cooking shows, even if you don't. I loved Terri-Lynne DeFino's Varina Palladino's Jersey Italian Love Story, This one's just as good, differently.

Scrumptious thanks to the good folk at NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC.

This is a fast-paced story that keeps the reader hooked. The descriptions of a reckless high-society celebrity chef who had a fall from grace, the up and coming protegee who is recovering from addiction, and the delicious meals they make are compelling. The work that Queenie B does to make amends for her life choices really shows her character and I loved seeing her redemption arc. This reminded me of Jennifer Weiner's book, The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits. Definitely a fun read for the beach. I highly recommend for libraries and bookstores.

I was invited to read this book didn’t request it but downloaded it anyway. I did not finish it. Some characters are too far away.

I really enjoyed this book, it started out a little slow, but then started moving alternating between Regina's past and present, and Gale's story before and after he met Regina.

I loved the descriptions of the restaurant life, and the food!

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC!

I enjoyed this book but I thought that it was a little slow. I really liked learning about the world of chefs and more about their lives/how everything works behind the scenes.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.

If you loved *The Bear*, you’ll eat this story right up! This novel is a savory mix of redemption, second chances, and the magic of food. Queenie B, once a Michelin-starred powerhouse, now hides out running a soup kitchen with surprising gourmet flair. Enter Gale, a struggling line cook with raw talent and his own baggage. Their unlikely partnership sparks passion, healing, and some seriously mouthwatering dishes. When a shot at stardom reappears, both their lives take a deliciously dramatic turn. It’s a feel-good, foodie read that’ll leave you hungry for more!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I have worked in kitchens before and am a huge fan of the show Bear and this book was a hit! It definitely covers some harder topics like drug addiction. The storyline is engaging, page turning, and fast paced. Read if you're looking for a great kitchen related read!

This is regina's story not queenie B's even though they are the same person regina she was a celebrity chef, no, she was the celebrity chef this book alternates between the past and a present day 2015........Gale is it up-and-coming line Cook at a restaurant he is also in recovery eighteen months clean, while down on his luck, he ends up in a soup kitchen. One bite and he knows that this is not standard seed kitchen fare - he ends up volunteering and working in the kitchen and learning so much from Regina. He has no idea that she is queenie B ( he knows nothing about queenie B period) while he is learning as much as he can, Regina, is also remembering how much she loves to cook. How much she loves to create. Gail is struggling though having a hard time staying clean, having a hard time with this past having a hard time with his guilt his friend enters his filled out application to a reality cooking competition show called cut ( think chopped) with queenies help He has a shot to win this thing- can Gale do it? Can he work through this past? And get the future, he deserves can you let go of the mistake She made and start again the secondary group of charactersKyle, Marco,Gale's mom lucy, burger queen oh so many more, are great additions to the story also learned alot of things about cooking and restaurants that was interesting-

Every fan of the Food Network or The Bear needs to read this book now! It's so charming with wonderfully written characters and a few surprises along the way. It delves into complicated relationships and serious situations. Many of the characters are very flawed, but also likable. I couldn't put it down. Would also make a great book group read. There's plenty to discuss.

I found this book because I look at Netgalley every month to post some upcoming books on the Foodies Read link up page. I like to get ones of different genres. I decided to give this one a try and I’m so glad I did. It was wonderful.

Regina used to be a celebrity chef with all the bad behavior that went with that. Now she is redeeming herself by living under her real name and using her money to fund a small soup kitchen. She cooks by herself and pays some customers $20 cash to serve each meal. No one knows who she is. None of her former friends know if she is alive or dead.

When the regular server doesn’t show up, line cook Gale offers to help out that day. He knows the cook at the soup kitchen is obviously trained and skilled but her heyday was before he was watching cooking shows so he doesn’t recognize her. He ends up helping out more and more though in part because he is learning from her.

When Gale goes onto a cooking competition, Regina has to decide whether or not to help him practice. She knows she can make him better. She also knows that this could potentially out her if anyone figures out who she is. The tabloids would love the story of a disgraced celebrity running a soup kitchen. They’d pay well for that story. They people around her would jump at that money.

This is a much deeper book than the rom-com type book that you might suppose it is from the cover. This is a story of found family, overcoming addiction, overcoming past bad behavior and the regrets that come with it, and finding your place in the world now. The writing drew me in and kept me reading late into the night. Even if you don’t care about food competitions or chef culture, there is still a lot here to love.

I SO enjoyed this book! I was drawn in by description of two characters rebuilding their lives after self-created disasters, and DIDN’T YOU USED TO BE QUEENIE B more than delivered. Regina and Gale are richly drawn, interesting, thoughtful, flawed characters - it was a pleasure to get to know them and I appreciated how the author kept me guessing about what would happen next. And the secondary characters are just as good. This story does a great job of interweaving multiple mini-arcs into the plot without it ever becoming confusing. And as a non-foodie, I learned so much about why and how chefs build careers - what the creation of food means to them, and how it can be leveraged as a way to build - and rebuild a life. This is a great book for anyone looking for an encouraging read, and an excellent conversation starter for book clubs.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.

What a touching, exciting and most of all perfect story!
Terri-Lynne DeFino has created characters to root for and tension to keep the pages turning. Gale is a down on his luck young man in recovery. He works hard in his restaurant kitchen job but needs to visit a soup kitchen to supplement his meals. The chef, Regina, creates amazing meals and Gale finds himself returning again and again.

Simultaneously we hear about Regiana "Queenie B's" back story. She has had quite the life!
If you love food, reality shows, kitchen stories and great characters - you cannot go wrong with this gem!
#williammorrow #didntyouusetobequeenieb #terrilynnedefino

Thank you William Morrow for this review copy, I really loved how rich this story was, filled with themes on self-growth, finding your own way, and for me a great example of found family tropes. DeFino's story rotates around the idea that if you forget who you are, or let others dictate it for you, you can still find your way back and can recreate your vision for your future. There are also elegant themes on forgiveness and the power of a mentor who really sees you and wants you to shine; I really loved how the relationship between Regina and Gale unfolded. particularly in such a thought provoking and important setting as a soup kitchen (vs just a restaurant).
The story is rich with well developed secondary characters, the kind of settings and descriptions that make you feel grounded in each scene, and perfectly paced to let the characters develop and the plot themes resonate.

i really enjoyed this book! A touching redemption story of a disgraced celebrity chef and her accidental, former addict protege. Combination of plot-driven and character-driven, it moved slow at first and picked up well as the story went on.
Defintely a "foodie" book but more so for the restaurant and kitchen workers. Delicious descriptions of the meals prepared sprinkled throughout.

As a reader, I found this book to be about changing one's being as to who they are perceived to be and who they actually are. A book about forgiveness as the characters continue to evolve such ad Gale and Sean. Yes, Regina was a star as she singlehandedly changed television shows featuring food. However, it was both an emotional and physical sacrifice. She lost love and family. She is the epitome that even as a designated queen with a captive audience that it was exactly that. Simply an audience who were not her friends. She evolved as Regina and in serving others in her soup kitchen, it showed that she was a loving and caring person. In her sobriety, she truly changed. That is how she was able to support Gale and recognize his true talents as a chef. Like his participation in Cut, he could imagine dishes that most could not. In this book, despite his relationship with Jenara that did not work out, he truly evolved into a person that liked himself. I would love to have a sequel when they go to Bova. In my book, they are both stars. A great read.