The Underdog

The debut novel from the multi-award-winning food writer.

'Irresistibly funny, sexy and charming' Amy Key

‘A joy to read’ Rukmini Iyer

'The joyous read 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?

Reviews

'The joyous, funny, slow-burn love story you need to start summer properly' RED

'Irresistibly funny, sexy and charming' Amy Key

'A brilliant romp through the London food scene. A joy to read.' Rukmini Iyer

'I adore Felicity's food writing. Now I get to take her fiction to bed too. We are completely spoilt.' Melissa Hemsley

‘Food. Romance. Dogs. There is literally nothing not to love in this novel’ Emma Freud

'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

‘This book will take over your life until you reach the final, delicious page’ Emily Chappell

‘Brilliantly fun, witty and warm’ Emma Hughes

About the author

Felicity Cloake is the multi award-winning author of the Guardian’s long-running How to Make the Perfect series, the New Statesman’s food column and seven books, including One More Croissant for the Road and Red Sauce Brown Sauce, which won the Fortnum and Mason food book of the year award in 2023. The Underdog is her first novel.