Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out is a feel good novel about a man and his grandson both telling their family that they are gay. Arthur is 79 but has decided it is time to tell his children that he and his wife are now separated and he is gay. Arthur's grandson Teddy has been hiding his sexuality from his family, and Arthur's announcement makes Teddy even more unsure about coming out himself. As Teddy deals with a new job and colleague he might have feelings for, Arthur faces the opinions of the community he's lived in all his life.

This is a book firmly in the 'feel-good modern novel about someone finding themselves with a side of romance' genre, with the intergenerational element that many of these books have thrown in as well. Each chapter alternates between Arthur and Teddy's perspectives, which works well, and you get the expected range of side characters who mostly all turn out to be good people as this is meant to be a happy book (the somewhat of a villain character was very obvious from the start, as you might expect). The bond between Arthur and Teddy is something that stands out in the book, making their stories well-connected rather than two different elements.

There are a lot of characters in the book, both in the family and outside, and some of them don't really become more than a name due to this (like Teddy's sisters, who it is hard to tell the difference between). Similarly, with a lot going on in the plot and the need for everything to feel resolved due to the necessary happy ending of the genre, the ending is quite rushed and a lot of things suddenly happen with time jumps that don't quite feel fully realised. Teddy in particular gets quite a confused ending where it feels like the book just ran out of space. I liked Teddy's eventual romance plot, but again, I felt like the payoff was rushed and didn't quite give enough space to a narrative that is familiar to a lot of queer people. I don't tend to read this kind of genre much, unless it features queer characters and might be doing something interesting, so the writing style was also not quite for me, with some forced, cheesy dialogue, but I imagine some fans of the genre will probably enjoy that more.

If I had to compare Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out to something else, I'd probably say it is a bit like the TV series Grace and Frankie if it was more about different generations coming out, but with similar family drama, though with a lot more neat working things out. Having queer versions of this kind of finding-yourself-at-any-age light read genre is a good thing, allowing more people to see different kinds of stories about sexuality, but the narrative pacing and writing of this one wasn't quite for me.

3* Utterly unrealistic, sadly, and there's no way you can get divorced and remarried in the UK in 3 months.

I loved the title and blurb but the tale had too many cooks and it was a bit tedious and a bit of a mess, especially when a potential good guy turned out to be opportunistic - you could see that coming from a mile off - and when a friend tying himself in knots then untied himself and yet didn't carpe diem. On top, a face from the past arriving at the last minute, too late into the tale, as by then I'd met another character and was hoping for a sweet outcome for him and Arthur, added more un-realism to the tale, which upped that even more with the author telling us that Arthur was married 3 months later. There's no way in the UK, even under our new 2022 quickie divorce laws, that you can be divorced in 3 months. It's 20 weeks til the decree nisi and another 43 days til the absolute.

The author should have had some tough-love betas and editors and should have done his homework, as well as weeded out the wood, as this had neither likable characters in Teddy and Arthur nor anything vaguely believable. Tbh, that there was a baddie was actually a relief, as it meant something not unrealistic happened.

ARC courtesy of HQ and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

This was a different read for me, but after following Ryan for a while on Twitter, I was so curious to read this. I knew it would be feel good, but I wasn't prepared for that warm cosy feeling it would give me. Arthur and Teddy are ADORABLE, so well written and well rounded. The pacing was great, a lovely (although a little rushed) ending which left me smiling from ear to ear. A beautiful book!

Just the title and cover made me excited to read this debut by Ryan Love, and I am so glad I did!
Arthur is nearing octagenarian status, and he has made a bold decision; to come out to his family. He, along with his fifty-year-old wife, has kept it a secret.
He always knew it wouldn't be easy, but the reactions from his children were mixed.
His daughter is furious and embarrassed. His son, perplexed.
But what happens when his grandson is in the same situation?
This was a remarkable story, with a feel-good ending, but interlaced with the tensions associated with homophobia, small-town thinking and not conforming to what they all think are the norms.
I loved the parallel storytelling, with the points of view of both Arthur and Teddy switching.
There were plenty of lovely moments in the story, along with ones that were realistic to the situation and not nearly as lovely.
But, a great read, nonetheless.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Loved a lot about this book - the relationship between Arthur and Teddy in particular. A real feel good story on so many levels. I enjoyed all the characters and relationships between them, Madeleine is a saint! Nice to see members of the older generation having new relationships and enjoying life in ways they weren't able to when they were younger. Some good ideas in the plot that I felt could have been extended or not solved quite so easily.
I wasn't too keen on the ending it seemed to contradict everything that had come before for Teddy and what he wanted, although in fairness he never knew what he wanted! A nice easy enjoyable read. Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the pre published copy.

I loved parts of this book and didn’t enjoy others so here comes a very mixed review.

Arthur is 79 and has been keeping a secret from his children, but with the support of his wonderful wife, Madeline, he comes out over a family dinner. His daughter, Elizabeth, is shocked and angry. She refuses to accept him and insists that her children are not allowed to speak to him. However, her son Teddy is going through a similar experience, albeit in his early twenties rather than his late seventies.
Teddy is only out to his close friends, Lex and Shakeel, but really wants to tell his family. So when his grandfather explains the truth about his sexuality, Teddy feels like he can too. He comes out to his grandfather and together they support each other through the coming months. Teddy finds romance at work where he is a trainee at The Post, a job his res[ected mother got for him. His fellow trainee, Ben, is at first stand-offish and rude to Teddy but they find common ground and later begin dating.
Meanwhile Arthur is trying online dating whilst dealing with horrible discrimination in the town he grew up in, only feeling truly comfortable at home with Madeline. He isn’t sure quite what he wants from his life but can’t stop thinking about his long lost love Jack…

I really loved the premise of this book and the grandchild / grandparent dynamic is lovely. The coming out stories for both of these characters were challenging and at times some of the ways they were treated, especially by Elizabeth, were hard to read, showing the unfortunate realities that the LGBTQ+ community can sometimes face. Fortunately, there were some wonderful characters in the book, especially Madeline, Oscar and Lex who were supportive throughout.

I sadly didn’t love some of the dialogue which I felt was very forced, a little cringey and not quite realistic of how people communicate. In addition, some of the plot points felt a little random, especially Arthur’s wing walk. It just didn’t seem believable as there was little to no build up to the decision to do it. There were also some points in which I felt that Teddy’s character was underdeveloped, he didn’t know what he wanted and didn’t really seem happy with any of his options, even in the highly privileged position he was in. Teddy’s ending thoroughly confused me because of this, I felt that the career direction he chose to go in made very little sense in relation to the rest of the book which made it feel slightly rushed. Arthur’s ending was so sweet though!

Predominantly, this is a sweet book about coming out, families and having the freedom to discover and express who you are.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free arc.

Arthur and Teddy’s story was one of a Grandfather and Grandson coming out together and unlike any other queer story I’ve read. While there were many aspects of the story I enjoyed, I just didn’t connect to the writing or characters and so I can only give it three stars.

'Arthur And Teddy Are Coming Out' is an incredible and addictive debut from Ryan Love.

The book is completely unique in a genre that can often feel repetitive. It features a very clever split narrative. It jumps between Arthur, a 79 year old grandfather who has just come out to his family, and his grandson Teddy, who is also gay and struggling to find his place in the World. In this genre, you would most often see the two love interests sharing the narrative. Having grandfather and grandson sharing the spotlight instead, this book has torn up the rulebook completely. It was a brave decision to stray away from something so familiar, and in my opinion, it works really well.

Covering around a year of their lives, it's full of interesting twists, characters that really pull you in, and a brilliantly crafted plot. I found myself gasping more than once, laughing at some parts and feeling emotional during others. This story is hard to put down once you get going. It's also perfectly paced - I didn't feel bored at all while reading it, and every part seemed to move the story forward.

The characters are brilliant in this story. I adored Arthur - I can really imagine him being real. He provided some really poignant and emotional moments for the book, particularly the parts highlighting his past, as well as his constant love and support for Teddy and his family. I enjoyed his relationship with Madeleine too - she is such a strong lady, and the kind of ally we all need. I can't think of any other story I've read with a coming out story for a character of his age, but it's one that needed to be told.

Teddy will feel really familiar to a lot of young gay people I think, with his struggles to come out highlighting how hard it can still be even now. His part also perfectly covers young love and all the drama and hormones that come with it. I loved that it wasn't all mushy and fake - the romance plot is full of lovely moments but also packed with angst, and I enjoyed how things ended up. It wasn't something I'd expect from this genre, and I liked how real it felt.

What really makes the book shine though, is the bond between Teddy and Arthur. They really helped each other grow as characters and into their own identities as the book went along. You often see the male family members as antagonists in this genre, but that is absolutely not the case here. I'd love to have read something like this when I was younger and finding myself. This is a fantastic debut and deserves a lot of success.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC. This is my honest review.

Ryan Love’s debut novel ‘Arthur and Teddy are Coming Out’ is a triumph of queer literature. It is a truly addictive page-turner- a book that will pull you in and capture your heart through its thought-provoking and touching story and the vivid and heart-warming characters we meet along the way.

Love is to admired for the clever and fresh way in which he delivers the traditional ‘coming out’ tale, where he explores the experiences of young Teddy, who is trying to establish his sense-of-self and identity at the age of 21, and his grandfather Arthur, who has just come-out at the age of 79. In a book that is pacey, witty and poignant, Love paints an exquisite picture of how the spellbinding pairs’ lives ebb and flow alongside one another. As we travel alongside them on their journey to self-acceptance, we get the enjoy the unexpected twists (including one that had me literally gasping out loud), emotional interludes and a beautiful climax that will leave you teary-eyed!

The characters of this book leap off the page- they are nothing short of iconic! In addition to our two protagonists, I fell head over heels in love with Madeleine, who is a rock of positivity and calmness in Arthur’s life, and Cora, the girl from the coffee shop, who has a heart of gold. Even the novel’s villain Elizabeth March is to be celebrated- a character so richly imagined and sharply delivered that I felt personally scandalised by her!

Too often, queer literature is enjoyed only by the LGBT+ community, but this is a novel ready to be loved by the masses. Filled with love, laced with warmth, peppered with heartache, and topped with pride, fans of the likes of Matt Cain, Alice Oseman and Becky Albertalli will, like me, find themselves unable to put down this book, utterly captivated as they will be by the joyous journey of our characters. A promising debut and an absolute must-read!

I really loved the premise of 'Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out.' Arthur's character stole my heart completely and crushed it somewhat with insights into his past.

It's easier said than done that you're never too old to start again. Despite Arthur's bravery in coming out, the author realistically portrays his anxiety over how this revelation will impact his relationship with his children, friends, neighbours, etc. I really felt like we went on a journey with Arthur's character and I loved seeing him slowly begin to own his identity with the help of his grandson Teddy and his delightful friend Oscar.

Arthur and Teddy's relationship was the definite highlight of this story. The way in which they leaned on each for support just felt really new and fresh. Teddy's attempts to navigate work and relationship dramas were also very relatable and like Arthur, I loved seeing him figure out what he wanted from life and developing the confidence to go after it. Overall, this was a beautiful story and I can't wait to read more books from the author.

(P.S. Can I just add what a relief it is to read a story where the main character isn't the sole gay best friend in their friendship group!)