I'm a massive fan of Nick Spalding's books and once again he knocks it out of the park with this novel.

It's funny, it's zany, it's real and I loved the whole concept of Jake and Sy being experience day reviewers and influencers.

It meant they get to regularly experience things that most people would probably never dream of doing, from the exhilarating to the much more sedate, each carrying so it seems a risk of injury or embarrassment (both of which are good for viewer counts!).

I loved reading about all the various experiences, and would be highly curious to know just how many the author took part in himself in the name of research, or if it was just good old fashioned looking things up, as the accounts especially when things don't quite go according to plan are highly detailed and amusing.

From hot air ballooning, escape rooms, cuddle therapy, supercar driving day and a whole lot more, there are plenty of wacky events going on in this book.

Which are technically he backdrop to a new person entering Jake and Sy's world and Helena making Jake into a third wheel in all senses.

It's a look at male friendship and whether it can overcome a woman entering into it.

I just loved every second of it (give or take a couple of vividly disgusting descriptions that made me feel a bit ill), and once again this author has had me greatly amused and entertained from cover to cover.

Thank you to Lake Union and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Spalding delivers yet another hilarious story, full of wit and charming nonsense.

Jake has become the third wheel. His best friend and business partner, Sy, is loved-up with their new colleague, Helena, leaving Jake with only the memories of the good old days. Pushed to the limit, he realises that he'll do anything to get Sy back, even if that means a spot of sabotage.

Whilst the characters are frequently in bizarre and surprising situations- like on a driving experience with Batman- their feelings are always profoundly relatable. It's what makes every Spalding book a guaranteed good read.

I was really excited to read this, after hearing such good things about the author, but I just couldn't quite imagine the characters, and the storyline felt quite dragged out.
I will be trying a different book by this author, and I'm really hoping the next one might be better.

This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

I was really intrigued by this book and it didn’t let me down, a perfect 5 star read. I enjoyed the story and the relationship of the characters. Highly recommend to anyone who wants an easy read.

This book is different because the main conflict is between two male best friends who are also business partners.

I enjoyed the funny moments and the easy flow of the the writing style. It was easy to enjoy and to follow. The first person perspective really made me feel what the character was going through. I loved that there was growth in the characters even if it was through hardship and some very cringe worthy moments.

I recommend this book if you are looking for a fun time but also enjoy human moments that feel real.

4 stars because I felt the book dragged a bit in the middle. It hit a slump before picking back up

Another fun book from Nick Spalding. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This was a humorous book, but really slow to get into. It was a quick, light-hearted, easy read, but unfortunately, I couldn't connect to the characters.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This is definitely cringe worthy in places but underneath all that there is a good underlying story. Written in Nick Spalding's usual humorous style but with a serious undertone.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for a review.

A fun, light-hearted and humorous read! I really enjoyed it! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the early arc!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book for my review.

I liked how author initially started off with their friendship tale and then the events turnover. Overall, it was a fun and quick read.

Great humorous read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for my review.

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and NetGalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Ahhh, yes!

There was a lot of mixed feelings in relation to this book so my rating is 3.5. I wanted to check it out because it looked like it might be a fun story and I was basing it off the cover too.

Jake and Sy (Symon) have a successful YouTube channel called "Do it or Don't" which entails trying out new activities and rating the experience. Sy decides that in order to take their business to the next level, they should hire a female presenter to appeal to female audiences. Jake has always followed Sy's decisions and never really rebutted on anything. He is unsure of an added third person in the mix, though doesn't fully express his concerns. They audition females presenters for days before meeting Helena. It's not long before Sy falls in love with her, therefore disrupting Jake's life.

The story is told in Jake's point of view and I loved how he would break down the wall to talk to us the reader. I can see how people might not like Jake. He is petty, doesn't speak up and is overly jealous. If you can take on the understanding that Jake is someone that doesn't accept change well, doesn't like confrontation, lacks confidence and isn't well at communicating, you can then empathise with his manic inner dialogue and unwarranted thoughts. In the end, he just didn't want to lose his best friend and felt like Helena would disrupt something big, that they had built perfectly well on their own.

I had mixed feelings up until about 75% of the book. I did find that Jake could be ridiculous for an adult man and sometimes his thoughts on Helena seemed extreme. I feel like she went into it not wanting to disrupt the dynamic at all and it just turned out that way. He could have kept an open mind throughout it all, though stooped to being jealous and petty of her. In the end, he did grow and gain confidence to speak up, even if that meant he'd lose his best friend. I was almost sure he would end up doing his own channel, embracing his new found confidence and opening a new chapter for himself on his own, but it wouldn't be a happy ending if Sy didn't come back right?

Jake and Sy are best friends. They have a really successful online presence where they review experiences which range from hobbies to adrenaline packed.

Sy decides it’s time to get another presenter on board and despite not wanting to change they dynamic Jake goes along with it. Helena seems like the perfect fit until Sy falls head over heels for her. As romance blossoms and Helena becomes more involved in the business Jake is mortified as he becomes the third wheel.

This is absolutely not what he wanted so we watch him go through the motions and some unfortunate actions which involves some sabotage and some retaliation.

Will Jake finally manage to explain himself and do what’s right for him or is this now the new dynamic?

I really really enjoyed reading this, it was laugh out loud funny, I found the characters and the actions totally relatable. If you’re looking for a fun, lighthearted read which isn’t too deep then I would definitely recommend 🤍

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

This was one of my first Nick Spalding books and man did it deliver!

I couldn't put this book down once I started reading. It is easy to read, flows well and is downright hilarious.

After reading this book I will have to go on a Nick Spalding hunt and read every one of his books that I can!

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Thank you NetGalley and Nick Spalding for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bloody brilliant, isn't it? I laughed so much that my cheeks were sore from the journey. This story follows a young man named Jake who runs a business with his best friend, Sy. They have been nearly inseparable since they were children. Jake's loyalty to his best friend knows no limits. As Sy chooses what activities they should do for each of their business excursions, Jake complacently follows along.

When the dynamic of their friendship changes, inviting in Helena, who becomes not only a co-host to their business, but Sy's girlfriend, it feels like the absolute end of the world to Jake. Enough so, that I wanted to shake him out of his turmoil once or twice. He finds himself feeling constant dread at the shift in dynamic, the awkwardness of being the third wheel, and the unusual activities they now find themselves reviewing for their business.

This story made me reflect on how relationships can sometimes be very one sided in regards to give and take. Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself. Sometimes you have to say no.

Reading the misadventures Jake experiences as he tries to continue through life like everything is totally normal made me laugh, cringe, and nearly cry. This was, for the most part, a highly amusing story about the importance of friendship with an ending fit for a rom com.

Spaulding’s Third Wheel had me hooked with its fun, cute cover and blurb. I was intrigued by its social media/tech angle and the central relationship being that of two male friends (as opposed to female friends and their relationships), however I really struggled to get through this quick read.

Jake, Sy and their social media entrepreneur/influencer angle were a great setting and backdrop to the story, and some of the funniest moments in the book were provided specifically by their backgrounds here. But the
relationship between Jake and Sy didn’t live up to my expectations, the latter being more of a “bully” type and the former being the “woe is me” type. (Although, understandably, I think this is a more realistic relationship between men in marketing/influencing/entrepreneurship, just not what I was expecting.)

Perhaps because the narrative was told from Jake’s POV, but once their new female hire started, it went from 0-60 in less than a chapter. There was no build-up to Sy and Helene’s flirtationship/relationship, and no hints dropped prior to their escape room outing (where Jake is forced to watch them heavily flirt the entire time). Maybe it’s my own ignorance but I can’t imagine a new female hire immediately shacking up with her boss.

All that being said, the story quickly becomes forced and repetitive, like it was trying too hard to be funny and instead just made me roll my eyes. Lots of cliches were involved in the plot once Jake decides to try and sabotage his best friend and new business partner, and all in all ended up being a disappointment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m usually a big fan of Nick Spalding, finding his books in general light hearted and easy to read, but this one wasn’t up there with his best in my opinion. Slow to get into and the main characters were a bit unlikeable, I also struggled a bit to connect with the decisions they made and why. Not a bad book, but just not for me I don’t think, although I enjoyed the make friendship perspective as a nice change to the standard female friendship genres.