It took me a while to pick up this book as I wasn't sure what to make of it. But when I saw Kate being compared to Katherine Heiny, I immediately started to read it, and I was sorry I hadn't done so sooner. This was such a lovely book that started off with very quirky characters that I immediately adored. But there was a lot of depth to this book that I didn't expect as some of the characters underwent some horrific experiences, which were all written about gently and sensitively by Kate. I was really rooting for everyone to find their happiness at the end of the book, although I am not sure if they did and there wasn't a bit of compromise? Anyway, this was a great read that I would highly recommend to everyone as it's full of gentle satire and great emotion.

Smart, funny and well observed story about fatherhood, learning to know yourself and modern art. My only criticism is that also the airbnb plotline worked well, using it for the title was a bit of a stretch.

This was an enjoyable character driven novel. A man rents out his London home as a way to support himself after a divorce. This is a look into his lives and the lives of his guests. The writing was really vivid. Surprised the author made me care about a cis white man but they did.

I had seen this book flagged in "The Bookseller" as one to look out for in 2021 so I was delighted to get my hands on it through Netgalley. This is a great book. It's easy to read but has an engaging story. I can't think what I could compare it to as it seems to be somewhat a unique read, at least to me. I found myself completely caught up in the characters, Bennett was such an engaging character! Will be recommending it to my library patrons throughout 2021!

What a fantastic novel! I read it in one sitting this afternoon and when I clicked onto the last page on my Kindle I let out a sound similar to a child being told it is time to turn the tv off and go to bed. Please Kate Russo, from one Kate to another, please can we have a sequel??
This book sits somewhere between chick-lit which isn’t a genre I particularly like, and serious literary fiction. It is light, easy to read and plain speaking it doesn’t demand that you search constantly for hidden meaning and metaphor but it is a very intelligent novel with a lot to say about how the self that we believe we are is very different from the self that those close to us think we are.
Bennett is a fantastic protagonist and I was pleased to see that in her acknowledgments Russo says to the artist who’s music appears in the novel “Thank you for soundtracking Bennett’s life and mine.” she sees her character as a fully real person and is invested in telling his story. I like to imagine that Bennett still occupies part of her brain now (go on Kate... sequel!)
The women in his life, from the very brief glimpses of Alicia and Emma to Mia, Claire and Kirstie are slightly on the periphery of the story as Russo’s lens is aimed squarely at Bennett but nonetheless they are well drawn, real and 3 dimensional characters that you really feel for.
The only other men, Richard the overly tactile gay best friend of Mia’s and Carl the annoying yet strangely loyal fellow artist are both equally strong.
When the final crisis comes Bennett does not instantly leap to do what is ‘right’ or the most romantic thing something that would have been easy to go for as a writer, and the reason that chick-lit isn’t for me; but he remains Bennett: torn, indecisive and prone to burying his head in the sand and when he does act you can’t help but be proud of him as well as slightly exasperated at his prevarication.

A wonderful novel, Kate Russo is definitely an author I will now be following!