Finding Your Choux and Other Charming Pursuits: A Gaslamp Fantasy Romantic Romp

by Erin Vere

Cemre may have left her choux at the ball, but it’s not the prince who sets her wings aflutter – it’s the chef.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 2, 2024

About the author

Also writes under Erin Grey.

Erin lives in South Africa with her pet husband and Evil Cat Overlord. Her personal experience with mental health issues and her obsession with neurodiversity inspires her writing. She laughs at things in the hopes they’ll go away, which is why she writes humorous novels with neurodivergent characters facing ridiculous situations. The goal dearest to her heart is to eat chocolate cake without getting fat.

Reviews

[S.L. Prater · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is stunning! The humor is excellent, the mental health rep is flawless, and the MMC is so cute I want to kiss his face off!

[H J Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vere exceeds all expectations with 'Finding Your Choux'. This novel is enthralling and the entertainment value is unsurpassed. Vere's world building is breath taking; her tone contemporary and engaging. Her world is realistically detailed and the fantastical elements are thrilling. The feminist story arc, though a tired trope, manages not to be burdensome or antagonistic. These features alone would make a stunning YA fantasy romance.
However, the literary value of 'Finding Your Choux' manages to pull the novel above the genre. Vere's tone is reminiscent of Pratchett with whimsical and hilarious footnotes. Best of all, Vere manages to insert incredibly realistic neurodivergent characters into her novel. Their unique skills and deficiencies are portrayed so casually that they are so easily embraced as human (even when they are not). Vere also introduces two characters with mental health issues. Never have I seen this implemented correctly in a romance novel. These heroines are realistic, yet not dull or depressing. Best of all, they are not using their mental health as a crutch, actually portray the work needed to recover, and *are not fixed by finding a husband.* The importance of portraying the latter to society cannot be overestimated. Vere also shows that this situation should not be seen as an option, as it ultimately does not work and is not healthy. All of these elements elevate the entire novel to one that has the lightness and is engaging as a YA novel, yet has the depth and maturity of adult literature.

I have never come across an author that is so comparable to Pratchett, and manages to hit the perfect fantasy and comedy spot as he did. It is so rare to find a fantasy able to blend of all of these elements so perfectly. I highly encourage it for fans of romance, fantasy, YA, Pratchett, and especially for those with or wanting to understand mental health issues and neurodivergence. l simply adored novel this and cannot wait for more.

[Zara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a new favorite author! Just like the first in the series, this Cinderella-esque story is brilliant and amusing. The writing is like a contemporary fairytale remake blended with Terry Pratchett (Discworld style), then mixed with a sweet regency romance, magic, and steampunk - all in one. Loved it!
I received this story as an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Roosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding your Choux and Other Charming Pursuits is a delightful fantasy romance. The story is set in the gaslamp fantasy world of Middelrealm (same as the previous book and short stories by Vere), but it’s a standalone. This book made me so happy. I laughed, I cried, and I squealed (a lot).

The plot takes some aspects from the classic Cinderella story, but spuns them around to a completely different storyline (the family is actually nice, no age-old evil stepmother tropes, thank god!). The main adversary in the story is patriarchy (the story of our lives, right?). Feminisim and equality are themes that Vere has brought up in her previous stories as well. What would a gaslamp story be without some kind of suffragette movement, right? On top of that, the story focuses on a MasterChef kind of a competition, talking about mixing some styles!

The end result is a charming and funny story that warms you up. The book handles mental health issues and chauvinism with delicate depth, but still manages to keep a lighthearted atmosphere. It felt relatable and encouraging. We all could use a fairy godmother (or a muse goddess) as a mental health coach! Everything that Vere has written so far has been absolutely delightful and I can’t wait to read more! I warmly recommend this book to everyone who likes fantasy, or romance, or likes cooking, or needs a hug, or likes books in general.

I received an advanced readers copy of the book and this is my honest opinion that was left voluntarily.

GENRE: fantasy romance
TROPE(S): Cinderella, cinnamon roll guy
POV: single
THEMES: cooking competition, mental health
ATMOSPHERE: Gaslamp, cozy
TRIGGERS: chauvinism, depression, poverty
STARS: 5 / 5⭐️

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful, entertaining, funny!

This is only my second experience with a humourous fantasy book, and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked the blurb so I decided to give it a try, and while the beginning seemed a bit slow, it quickly picked up the pace and kept getting better with every chapter.

The characters were amazing and relatable. Their daily life struggles, mental health issues, and coping mechanisms were detailed which added a sense of depth to them. It made me want to keep reading because I could connect with everything they felt.

Though it was supposed to be a fun story, it covered some important topics like gender-based discrimination, depression, ADHD, the plight of the poor as they starved while the privileged wasted food. It broke my heart everytime I read about it.

Coming to the humour part, I loved Rubella's antics and all the ridiculous things that came out of her mouth. I also liked all the teasing and jokes shared by Cemre's chef friends. The best part was the climax. I snort-laughed at the revelation; it was shocking and hilarious at the same time.

The romance was sweet and heart-warming. Massimo's gestures towards Cemre made me melt. He was thoughtful and considerate, and I wanted to keep reading about their interactions.

The ending was highly satisfying. Overall, this was a great book, and I would recommend it to readers who enjoy fantasy with sweet heroes, strong frienships, food, humour, mental health struggles and fairytale retellings.

[M.V.A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second novel I've read from the lovely Ms. Vere and her second book in the Lady Primlore Presents series did not disappoint. There were so many lovely aspects about this book, from the charming little recipes or cooking instructions at the beginnings of chapters, to the footnotes which added SO MUCH character and fun context to the story. I thought the footnotes really allowed in a pep or sass from the narrator which was super enjoyable to read. (Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, anyone?) I also enjoyed the feminist narrative line and the positive messages about the need to properly treat mental health crises. It was not very subtle, but in the sneakiest way, which I thought would be wonderful for teen or even some pre-teen audiences. I really loved the way that the interspecial or intercultural relationships were portrayed, as the interactions were all ingenious and super fun to read. The camraderie and plot twist involving the main cast of characters was also very enjoyable to read, and the romance was a perfect sprinkle which added to the storyline without changing the main plotline. I would say that the romance seemed a very small bit underdeveloped, but if that is the case it is because the rest of the worldbuilding and characters are so rich.

Needless to say, I'm very excited for Vere's next novel, "Pyromancy for Beginners"!!

I recieved an ARC of this novel for free from BookSirens, and I leave this review voluntarily. Thank you to the author and BookSirens for allowing me the chance to review this written work.

[Miranda ~BookishlyBrewed~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book #3 I’ve had the honor of reading by Erin Vere, and once again she did not disappoint!

There are many reasons she remains one of my fave indie authors, some high points being:

—excellent female character representation
—real, honest, raw emotions
—fantastic world building
—slow burn romance that is not stereotypical
—phenomenal and multi dimensional character development

Now, let’s talk Finding Your Choux 🧁

The fairytale retelling elements were so well thought out and so fun. I love Erin’s unique take and personal twist on every one included. I was pleasantly surprised by the route the book took, first expecting it to be Cinderella—esque, it ended up being entirely different and so much more exciting than I could have predicted!

The characters were some of my faves she has created yet, she is so talented at making these people feel so real, it makes me dread closing the last page every time. 😭

The recipes and food descriptions were so enticing and lit my mind up with beautiful, fantastical images—I really couldn’t get enough!

The mental health transparency and representation was so lovely to see, that is so rare—and as you’ll see, I have read very many books and this is the first to truly tackle the idea, well done!

Lastly, Massimo—I need mo’ please, that is all. 😍 truly he is such a dream. He’s a true cinnamon roll beau and I am all here for it! 🙌🏻

Please read this book, or any of her other works ✨

Until next time, butt. 😋 iykyk

Thanks again, Erin, for your beautiful work. I will be here waiting for the next! 💜

[Selma Znn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding Your Choux is a magical and fun story that mixes fantasy and food in an exciting way. It follows Cemre, a young woman trying to take care of her family in a world filled with magical creatures and her dream of becoming a great cook. The world Erin Vere creates is full of charm, with fairies, centaurs, and other magical beings that feel part of everyday life.The story revolves around a cooking competition, which adds a lot of excitement. Cemre’s journey is both heartwarming and relatable as she struggles with poverty and finding her own path. The descriptions of food are rich and make you feel like you’re right there tasting the dishes with her.While the book is mostly light and enjoyable, it also touches on some deeper themes like family and self-worth. Some parts move a little slowly, but the food and magic make it worth sticking with.Overall, Finding Your Choux is a delightful read for anyone who loves fantasy or cooking. It’s a sweet and promising debut that left me looking forward to what Erin Vere writes next!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet, delightful, cozy fantasy. I literally did not want it to end and dragged out reading it for as long as I could (for all the right reasons).

Finding your Choux mixes the right amount of MasterChef and fairy tale. It’s a stirring story of Cemre, an impoverished fairy who takes what she can to provide for her family - a step mother and two step sisters. (Unlike most Cinderella retellings, the step-family is surprisingly fantastic)

Cemre must face things that are so relatable - depression, for one. Mental health matters and it was refreshing to see it addressed in this format. I hilighted literally SO MANY THINGS to remind myself in the future on dark days.

Cemre must also face *drumroll please* men. UGH MEN. Why must you be such dweebs? Men run the world and women are expected to cook at home - but not on cooking competitions.

But through her new friends, Cemre’s faith in herself and her place in the world will rise like good yeasty dough.

OH! And all those footnotes made me laugh out loud.

Contains: cross-dressing, found family, sweet romance, and baked goods. Humor, mental health representation, fairy godmothers, and glitter.

[Marina Bair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erin creates such a fun, colorful world. The idea for the book was an interesting one too. But, there were a few things that weren’t my favorite. There was one reference to the FMC not having the proper male “equipment” in order to pass as a man. Unless you’re wearing tights I really don’t see that being an issue in the first place. Second, it wasn’t brought up again so it felt like an unnecessary and uncomfortable scene. Another thing, was that I felt there was a little man hating going on. (Apart from the MMC of course who was very sweet.) Perhaps I’m being overly sensitive due to how much man hate I’ve been seeing in the world today and that frustrates me. The last aspect that I didn’t care for personally I can’t discuss as it would be a spoiler. It was nothing inappropriate, just something that I personally did not care for.
That being said! Many people did enjoy it and there were sweet moments. And the things that bothered me likely won’t bother a great many people. So, please by all means check it out for yourself.

[Varsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed EVERYTHING about this book! It was so good, I read the whole thing in one sitting; that sleepless night was TOTALLY worth it.

The characters are wonderful, the plotline is exceptional, the witty naming of places and things is delightful and the elegance with which the book handles a lot of sensitive topics is wonderful.

Things I liked:

- The modern take on Cinderella

- The chuckle-inducing, extremely-clever naming of places, things and experiences

- The sensible handling of the topic of mental health, without any of the stigma associated with it

- Gently weaving in the inherent bigotry faced by folks identifying as women into the narrative

- GIRL POWER!!!!!

- A golden-retriever-energy, totally-written-by-a-woman-kinda-man MMC

- MasterChef vibes all thru the cooking show segments

- Seamlessly blending IRL elements with Fantasy elements

- a beautiful HEA ending that has me squealing

Overall, a brilliant story. Definitely would read again and would 110% recommend!
---
Voluntarily reviewed after reading an ARC of the book from BookSirens.

[The Book and Bubble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding your Choux and Other Charming Pursuits was a sweet and delightful as the name of the book. 🧁 The book is a Cinderella retelling where Cemre, her stepmother, and her step sisters are destitute after the passing of her father. Cemre wants to become a chef, but women aren’t chefs in this fairytale. Cemre has a fairy goddess who helps her with a dress for the ball. After leaving her Choux (pastry) at the ball, she rides home between two pumpkin in a cart on the way home. Cemre and her family decide she needs to enter the Prime chef competition. Will Cemre achieve her goal to become a chef? Will she end up with the prince or another chef? You need to pick up this sweet read to find out what happens next!! 🩷

🧁Cozy Fantasy
🍨Fairy, Trolls, Pixie, and Humans
☕️Romance
🫖Mental Health Rep
👠Cinderella Retelling
🍰Baking

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ecem · Rating 4 out of 5]

****I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.




Finding Your Choux by Erin Vere is a delightful and cozy read, filled with unexpected twists that kept me engaged. As someone who usually doesn't enjoy Cinderella stories, I was pleasantly surprised by how well this retelling was done. The author managed to breathe new life into the classic tale, making it enjoyable even for those who aren't fans of the original.

The world-building in the book had great potential, though I felt it wasn't fully explored. There were hints of a rich and intriguing setting that could have been developed further. However, the real highlight for me was the cooking scenes. They were so well-written and vivid that they inspired me to try my hand at some new recipes.

Overall, Finding Your Choux is a charming book that offers a fresh take on a familiar story, making it a nice and enjoyable read.

[Brittany ( BookWyvernLovesTea ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very fun and entertaining. I was pulled into this world and the character's plight right from the first page and was given an end twist that had me clapping with glee. Vere's fantastical reimaginings never disappoint!

It's Cinderella meets Master Chef!! And it was such a fun fantasy twist. Cemre loves her step family and does her best to take care of them, but they are in dire straights.
.
But Cemre loves to cook, so she's going to help by winning a cooking competition! However, girls aren't allowed in this competition so Cemre is going to get herself some pants and a mustache ( with a little magical help, of course 😉).
.
What could possibly go wrong?
.
This was a very sweet ( no spice) story. Cemre falling for a competing chef was icing on the cake to a heartfelt tale about a girl who loves to cook, but needing to learn her own worth.

[Chandaly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love Finding Your Choux ! As far as fairy tale retellings go, I found this one to be very pleasant to read and original. I couldn't put it down once I started reading it.

This novel is a retelling of Cinderella. It has a definite Cinderella meets Masterchef vibe.

One of the reasons I liked this version is that the storytelling was really good and I found the characters really endearing. The development of the characters was well-done and everything just fell into place, from the trials they face to the decisions they eventually make. I also appreciated the new take on Cinderella's relationship with her step family.

I strongly recommend this book for lovers of the genre because it was a really lovely read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[zel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disfrute mucho este libro, la forma de escribir de la autora también me gusto

Otra cosa que me gusto fue que no se enfoco en buscarle un romance a la protagonista, no, se enfoco en el sueño de nuestra protagonista: ser chef.

Y como por ser mujer no la dejaron participar en un programa que se iba a realizar, por lo que tuvo que fingir que era hombre para que pudiera cumplir su sueño, aunque ella siempre dice que solo lo hace para el dinero y así poder ayudar a su familia

Al principio es un retelling de la cenicienta: pues es huérfana y vive con su madrastra y sus dos hermanastras, y son invitadas al baile real

Me gusto bastante la verdad

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a strong sequel in the Lady Primlore Presents series, it had everything that I enjoyed from the How to Train Your Goblin King. It had that fairy tale retelling element that I was looking for and enjoyed from the other book. The characters and world felt like the same from book to book. I really enjoyed what was written and thought it was engaging and enjoyed a lot. Erin Vere Erin Vere wrote this perfectly and glad it had that same spark that I enjoyed from the first book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Joslyn Rosado · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover is so cute so I signed on to read this arc. It has a slight Cinderella story to it, with Cembre, the main female character, is a poor fairy who is taking care of her stepmother and stepsisters. She is helped by a fairy godmother and enters a cooking competition. It took a little while for me to get into the story. But following her and Massimo’s story throughout the competition is really cute. Subjects such as mental healt h and sexism is brought to light throughout. I received this arc through booksirens and these are my opinions.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a delightful story! It starts a little bit slow, but that helps to give you a strong sense of how normal life is for the main character. The romance is gradual and so cute, really really well done. I enjoyed everything about this book, from the characters to the world build, to the overall plot. Lots of very casual diversity, which I enjoyed, and a strong theme of working against unfairness.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cassy Gilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be my first Gaslamp Fantasy and it certainly won't be my last! Cinderella has always been my favorite fairytale and I thought it would never get better until my eyes were graced with this re-telling! Not only in a fantasy format, it was tasteful and a twist I did not expect! I loved every second of this book and I have probably gained a couple kg's too from the mouth watering cooking that was happening! What a story!!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chef's Kiss. What a fun read. The story is Master Chef meets fae. Throw in a great family dynamic which is lacking a great deal in books. The side characters are entertaining. I laughed, I wanted to smack our main character, and I was sad in a few parts. I have already recommended this book to a friend. I have no cons for this book. The way it is set up was well done. There are a few surprise twist. I can't recommend it enough.

[Bookwyrm_in_KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a delightfully sweet Cinderella reimagining. I loved that the step family was kind instead of cruel. The neurodivergent and mental health representation was well done and showed the work it takes to begin tackling depression.

[Madeline🤍🦋 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Cinderella inspired book is fantastic! I practically read it in one sitting. I love how real the FMC felt.

[Cleocutie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great romance based on a classic fairy tale. The characters are well done and the story flows smoothly and keeps you interested.

[Hayley Crosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a CUTE book, love love loved. loved the fantasy top chef moment

[J.W. Ellenhall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got an ARC of this book and absolutely adored it! The characters are thoroughly entertaining, and how can you go wrong with a romance that revolves around fantasy cooking contests, royal balls, and the sassiest diva of a fairy godmother that I wish was mine?! 🥰

Can’t wait to read the final edition.