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The Underdog
- Author
- Felicity Cloake
- Narrator
- Heather Long
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 7 May 2026
- Run Time
- 8 hours 41 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
- Genre
- Modern and Contemporary romance, Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Humorous fiction, Narrative theme: love / relationships
- Rating
- 5.0 (1 review)
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What to expect
THE DEBUT NOVEL FROM THE AWARD-WINNING FOOD WRITER
'IRRESISTIBLY FUNNY, SEXY AND CHARMING' AMY KEY
'A JOY TO READ' RUKMINI IYER
'THE FUNNY SLOW-BURN LOVE STORY YOU NEED TO START SUMMER PROPERLY' RED
Sometimes life doesn't follow a recipe…
Katy is thirty-six, has recently been dumped by her dull-yet-deceitful fiancé and in a (not-unrelated) moment of madness, abandoned a Solid, Decently Paid Career to pursue her dream of becoming a chef. But, after a year of expensive cookery school and months in Michelin-star kitchens blow-drying edible ferns for free, she finds herself making sandwiches (heritage duck egg and black garlic mayonnaise on sourdough, admittedly, but sandwiches all the same) in a north London café and stuck in an ill-advised situationship with a twentysomething who thinks he’s his generation's answer to Marco Pierre White.
Then, a gorgeous doctor strolls in and orders an espresso. Katy is briefly charmed… until she sees the scruffy mutt at his feet. Katy hates dogs — and Dr Dipesh never goes anywhere without Alan. Can she overlook this major red flag? Will she ever convince her mother she’s not having a midlife crisis? And, when a drunken mishap involving a restaurant critic turns Katy’s life upside down, will she ever see Dip, Alan or the inside of a kitchen again?
Critics Review
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'The joyous, funny, slow-burn love story you need to start summer properly' RED
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'Irresistibly funny, sexy and charming' Amy Key
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'A brilliant romp through the London food scene. A joy to read.' Rukmini Iyer
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'I adore Felicity's food writing. Now I get to take her fiction to bed too. We are completely spoilt.' Melissa Hemsley
See more reviews See fewer reviews
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‘Food. Romance. Dogs. There is literally nothing not to love in this novel’ Emma Freud
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'For romcom or restaurant fans, this is a witty, insightful joy of a book, alive with warmth and humour. For fans of both – like this reader – it's a dream' Marina O'Loughlin
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‘This book will take over your life until you reach the final, delicious page’ Emily Chappell
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‘Brilliantly fun, witty and warm’ Emma Hughes
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'A charming rom-com, funny and fun' Best
User Reviews
Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
- No written reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Felicity Cloake
- Narrator
- Heather Long
- Duration
- 8 hours 41 minutes
- Release Date
- 7 May 2026
- ISBN
- 9780008695323
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Modern and Contemporary romance, Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Humorous fiction, Narrative theme: love / relationships
- Rating
- 5.0(1 review)
- Narration
- 5.0(1 review)
Synopsis
THE DEBUT NOVEL FROM THE AWARD-WINNING FOOD WRITER 'IRRESISTIBLY FUNNY, SEXY AND CHARMING' AMY KEY 'A JOY TO READ' RUKMINI IYER 'THE FUNNY SLOW-BURN LOVE STORY YOU NEED TO START SUMMER PROPERLY' RED Sometimes life doesn't follow a recipe… Katy is thirty-six, has recently been dumped by her dull-yet-deceitful fiancé and in a (not-unrelated) moment of madness, abandoned a Solid, Decently Paid Career to pursue her dream of becoming a chef. But, after a year of expensive cookery school and months in Michelin-star kitchens blow-drying edible ferns for free, she finds herself making sandwiches (heritage duck egg and black garlic mayonnaise on sourdough, admittedly, but sandwiches all the same) in a north London café and stuck in an ill-advised situationship with a twentysomething who thinks he’s his generation's answer to Marco Pierre White. Then, a gorgeous doctor strolls in and orders an espresso. Katy is briefly charmed… until she sees the scruffy mutt at his feet. Katy hates dogs — and Dr Dipesh never goes anywhere without Alan. Can she overlook this major red flag? Will she ever convince her mother she’s not having a midlife crisis? And, when a drunken mishap involving a restaurant critic turns Katy’s life upside down, will she ever see Dip, Alan or the inside of a kitchen again?
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