A really charming, funny and relatable book.

Justin Myers' writing style is wonderful with real depth, and the characters are realistic and flawed.

The ending seemed a little rushed, but overall this is a great debut novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Funny, quirky and warm-hearted novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an ARC of this book in exchange for my feedback.

DNF. I couldn't connect with this book at all and found it really hard to get into. I had high hopes for this, which is a shame.

As a person who has been a fan of Justin’s blog The Guyliner for many years, I was thrilled to discover he was writing in a novel. In a similar vein to the Guardian Blind Date blogs, the story features James who begins online dating and documenting it in a blog. Justin’s quick-witted humour really shines through, and although the ending felt a little rush, overall it was a very enjoyable read. Looking forward to more of Justin’s writing!

The last Romeo was a great laugh out loud book. I really enjoyed it and struggled to put it down. I just had to keep reading.

Enjoyed this, despite a main character who was at his best a bit grumpy and at his worst just disastrously awful. The ending felt like pay off (and it was who I wanted it to be) but it wasn't entirely satisfying because it all came a bit of a rush. It also felt like anything happening outside Jim's direct universe was kind of ignored (like, who was Nate's boyfriend? Did he care that he'd pushed his friends away, what was happening with them?) but that feels a bit nitpicky.

I really like a good amusing post to read on the internet, let’s be honest, we all do. When there is an opportunity to laugh at some light hearted content, we all jump on the bandwagon, so I think there was a huge appeal to read a book based on the experiences and writing process of such throwaway content.

The Last Romeo is written by Justin Myers, himself an online writer and blogger at theguyliner.com, which means the understanding of the world being written about was unique and felt deeply authentic. He had an understanding for the background emotion that revolves around putting intimate information into the public domain for public devourment, so James’s struggles with work and writing balance, professional and personal integrity, and growing online fame felt intrusively real and incredibly genuine.

James himself is a flawed masterpiece. His friend’s are those we expect to find in a book that centre’s around a young, popular gay man’s life, and even though I could not care one bit for the ex that triggers this story, the side characters are amusing, anecdotal, and advisory in equal, joyful measures. The provide the right level of comic timing and harsh reality checks that both James and the story need to come to its (somewhat predictable but still enjoyable) ending.

The premise of using dating websites and reporting dating catastrophes, misdemeanours, and hilarious moments is ingenious, and I especially loved the way the blog posts themselves were included in the novel and not just talked about. It is a truth universally known that a tale over a pint about a dating disaster is a story worth telling and laughing about, so sharing quality content of the kind on the internet is something that is believable and the perfect escapism from everyday life. As a blogger, I can see how this medium would be the perfect platform for James, and love how the online dating apps and websites that have suddenly become accepted in real life are used for both comedy, but also as a cautionary tale of meeting the wrong people for the wrong reasons.

I genuinely really loved the book, and would have probably rated it a full 5 stars had it not been for my own personal experiences (or lack thereof). I’m not haunted by bad online dating stories, I’m not traumatised by online trolls, it’s nothing like that, and I realise this is 100% my own shortcoming, and actually reading about James and Nate was interesting and funny and heart breaking and enjoyable, I couldn’t absolutely 100% connect with them. Justin wrote about their lives and their stories brilliantly, and has made me want to read more of his stuff and more of the contemporary adult genre. I just don’t understand what it is like to be a gay man in a celebrity world struggling to come out of the closet. I don’t understand what it is like to have come out and be comfortable in your own skin, but to date someone who is the opposite and is dampening your spirit and your ability to be your own person with the one you like/love.

This is a funny and enjoyable read that I would 100% recommend to anyone and everyone. I think there is an element of self-reflection that anyone would go through reading this and that quality, along with the unique storytelling, has made for a special read.

Fun and clever, a great rom com with a brain and heart--what a complete package! I can't wait to read Justin's next novel, am sure it will be as enjoyable is this one!

If you're a fan of Justin's blogging and witty Twitter persona, you'll love The Last Romeo. A fun, easy read that riffs off LGBT celebrity culture and comments on 'popularity' in the social media age.

I’m not quite sure if there is a such a thing as ‘gay chick-lit’ but if there is then The Last Romeo is a prize example of the genre and it is an absolute pleasure to read – well written, very witty and funny and absolutely bursting with hilarious three-dimensional characters that I genuinely came to care about.

Perfect for holidays or for simply whenever you need a head-chill from heavier books, it is still far from being a shallow read and remains true to life (just not in a very serious way) and, as I mentioned before, it is always amusing and entertaining.

Many thanks to the publishers Piatkus, to the author, Justin Myers and to Netgalley for letting me read and review this marvellous book.

This is a lovely summer read, I really felt like the only thing missing was the beach or a pool to dip my feet in while I was reading it. That’s not to say that it isn’t moving, there were some very sad moments in this novel.
I loved the main character of Jim, he was so witty and sarcastic, his narration definitely made this novel much more funny and entertaining. He was also extremely likeable, even if he did make some dubious decisions and some obvious mistakes, I was still rooting for him the whole way through.
I also really enjoyed reading about a protagonist in his 30s still looking for love and not settled with anyone. I get a bit fed up of reading novels where anyone over the age of 25 is happily married.
I was a little disappointed with how the novel turned out, I was rooting for James to get with a specific person which unfortunately didn’t happen, and I actually thought the twist was a little ridiculous and seemed a touch unbelievable to me, but maybe that was just a personal issue!
It’s a very warm and funny read, and it’s altogether very heart warming and feel good.
The writing itself is excellent, it feels realistic, and the characters all seem realistic and well developed. The novel also features some very interesting commentary on celebrity culture and internet fame which is particularly topical at this time and resonated with me, especially as the main character ran a blog which I could relate to!
Overall I enjoyed this novel, it is a nice warm-hearted romance, and it’s LGBTQ which is important to have in YA.

Finally finished "The Last Romeo" by @theguyliner! Reminded me a bit of Bridget Jones (in a good way!) and although I'm not necessary a target audience for gay chick lit (what do you call it, cocklit?) I really liked it. Thought it was funny (I really laughed out loud couple times!) and fluffy and generally, like any other romcom, made me feel good. Perfect escapist read.

You'll probably know Justin better as The Guyliner, the pseudonym under which he wrote for many years both as a dating blogger and an advice columnist for Gay Times. His takedowns of the Guardian Blind Dates column are well worth diving into, by the by. I've followed him for a while, and have always admired the way he balances his acerbic wit with gentleness and fairness.

This is his debut novel, and some of the ground will be familiar to those who have followed him for a while. The book follows James as he goes from devastating break-up to dating blogger, on a quest to find his 'Last Romeo' by plundering the world of online dating and beyond. Of course, it's a book about dating but it's also so much more than that, as James also navigates his career, friendships and living alone for the first time in a long time alongside his love life.

As the book is about a dating blogger, naturally we get excerpts from the blog, and it's a further peak into James' world as you watch how he experiences the dates and then how he presents them for the world. Of course, you can speculate all you like about how much of it is fiction and how much of it is drawn from Justin's own experiences (and maybe that's the point) but at the end of the day, it's funny and warm, insightful and emotional. I was rooting for James from the off, and his inner monologue is a joy to follow as he goes from heartfelt moments and realisations to humorous observations about humans and dating, even when he's not always the 'good guy'. It's real and relatable and should definitely be on your to-read list.

James is 34 and fed up with things. He's just broken up with Adam after 6 years and is feeling a bit lost. So he creates a blog about his relationships.

I found it highly enjoyable.

I often agree to review books without actually reading the blurb. Sometimes, I just trust that the particular publishers – or indie authors – have produced an outstanding book worthy of reading. On this occasion, I loved the title and the fact that the book was written by a fellow blogger. What I didn't realise is that The Last Romeo is a book about a gay guy and the lengths he goes to, to find love. It's full of ups and downs of the gay dating scene, some hilarious, some lovely and romantic and others just downright cringe-worthy. It's one of those books that will have you laughing out loud one moment and leave you in shock the other. The Last Romeo is probably the quirkiest book I've ever read!

A funny read about one guy's journey to find love and happiness. Romeo is a blog persona who writes about his real life dates.
Great book to take on holiday.

I read a lot of dark, gritty thrillers and a lot of sad and/or serious books so sometimes it’s really nice to read something a little lighter in nature. I immediately liked the idea of The Last Romeo and although the blog or diary being used as a plot device is not a new idea I though this story still felt quite original and fun.
I liked James, our main character, a lot and I enjoyed rooting for him throughout the story. His voice is really witty and normal enough that he felt easy to relate to. It was entertaining reading about the varied and often quite strange men that James goes on dates with and who provide fodder for his blog, they made for amusing anecdotes. However, I found his relationships with his friends and the people in his life even more interesting. I found them funny and the friendships felt realistic and full of shared history. The fact that despite living in a huge, fast moving city like London and having his close friendships, James does often feel lonely or slightly overlooked throughout the book rang really true. I definitely think that people do often feel most alone when surrounded by other people and this idea of how hard it sometimes is to be alone brought a real sense of emotion and depth to the story. There was also some really fascinating questions raised about the validity and merit of online relationships when compared to real life ones which feels like a very current and compelling issue.
Overall I really enjoyed The Last Romeo, it was an easy read in the best way possible. If you’re looking for a fun and witty read with a heart then The Last Romeo is an excellent choice.

Wow! What a fantastic debut novel from Justin Myers and I’m so chuffed to read that Justin has a two book deal with Little, Brown so we all have another book from Justin to look forward to.
Justin Myers has written a very raw, honest story. His writing comes from the heart, it’s fresh, candid, full of wit and humour, flirty and naughty but altogether quite fabulous.
Following the break-up of James Brodie’s long-standing relationship with Adam, a relationship that sounded pretty much one-sided he’s now single and feeling more adrift since his best friend Bella is moving overseas to work in Russia. With his despondency spreading to his job as a journalist for a gossip mag James decides he needs to get out of this gloom. He joins an online dating site and anonymously blogs about his journey to find the one.
James has ultimately become obsessed with his alter ego Romeo and has lost his aim in finding the one, the Last Romeo. After so many scary, hilarious, unbelievable, gross no, no’s and a few yes’ his heart has taken a bettering and a complete detox from this ‘persona’ is needed to clear his mind. James needed to step back and appreciate and learn from his journey.
I loved James journey, even the no, no’s. With a whole host of great sub-characters, I especially loved Richie, the author Justin Myers has created a great romcom that would ultimately appeal to many.
I look forward to more from Justin Myers.

I'd never heard of the author before but I wasn't surprised to learn that he actually writes a blog about his own life. The level of realism makes it clear that this book has an autobiographical touch.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and really loved some of the characters - especially Romeo himself, he was so believable.

A truly heartfelt, hilarious, relatable story about modern dating, social media and blogging. I loved it!