4 Stars!

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an earc in exchange for an honest review.

Okay I've had time to process this in full and I've gone backwards and forwards, and for now it's a 4 star rating. There is so much to process with this, because you have Leo/Lion/Dandelion and the story progresses throughout the year of him entering a new relationship after being single for a veryyyy long period of time due a very toxic ex. And by toxic I mean he was in an abusive relationship that he never really spoke up about to anyone.

I genuinely found Leo to be a very endearing character, I think he knows where he stands and accepts himself for who he is done in very self deprecating ways that I think some people will find relatable. The thing is, I feel that this is partly due to his relationship with Peter and the effect it's had on him.

We see his friendship with both Daisy and Tam and I just... it didn't really hit for me, like at all. I found them both to be low key selfish and I didn't really find either to be likable. They both clearly had their own issues and things going on but I think that in friendship groups that seem to be as solid as there's they should know when a friend is in distress and has something going on (but that's just me).

Leo and Harveys relationship was something else entirely. When you see them first start dating you believe that it's going to be a second chance romance and I was kind of happy that he had someone pushing him to do new things and put himself out there. HOWEVER, the more I read the more alarm bells were being raised and you could see Harvey wasn't everything that he seemed.

Then there's Alex, and I actually liked him BUT again there were some things that I just didn't like. I liked that he was kind of a safe space and listened to Leo and he was someone he could talk to. The thing is though, it was bits in between with boundaries and things like that where I was a bit icky.

The subject matter itself is something that really needs to be talked about more often and I think it was done in a way where parts of it were very subtle but it could be very eye opening for a lot of people.

It's a really weird one because I didn't like a lot of the characters, but I really really really liked Leo and you got such a sense for who he is that it's hard for me to rate this anything less. I do have to say that the ending for me just was such a miss. I think if there'd of been more signs or *something* but for me it just felt very out of the blue, and I just yeah...

Overall I think this was a book where the main character really drove the book for me, if I hadn't of liked Leo so much I don't know if this would be as a high of a rating, but here we are!

✰ 2.5 stars ✰

“There are two types of people in the world: those who think they’re the centre of the universe, and those who know, beyond all doubt, that they’re not even close.”

I think this book was written for me.

This was the comment I wrote down, about a quarter into Leading Man. At the halfway mark, I felt in my bones that this was on the way to be a certified winner for me. You can't imagine how many highlights I was making, how many times I was nodding along at all the thoughts - be it self-deprecating, or self-reflective that thirty-four year old gay drama teacher Leo was making.​ 'I was the type of man you’d have to search for in a group photo.'​ It made me think, can you read my mind?!!! Is it self-deprecating if you're just being honest? ​Always on the outside looking in, but now it's your moment? Who wouldn't want to read something like that? 🥲 It was the start of a story that I felt that I would willingly recommend - encourage others to give it a chance for how much I felt that this was something people would relate to and appreciate.

“My Bastille Day Ideal, I called it. I wasn’t stupid. I knew it couldn’t be all idyllic. Light only looks bright because darkness is nearby. But that didn’t make me want it any less. And now it was mine.”

​And the writing captured Leo's conflicting emotions with a lot of grit and heart; ​Leo was a really likable protagonist, too. His voice channeled so much honesty and sincerity as he navigated his way through friendships that make us wonder why they're even our friends, new romances that make us evaluate our own self-worth and new challenges that have us break through the walls​ we've set up. It was a heartbreaking and emotionally charged journey and I wanted him to attain happiness, I really did. ​I mean, nothing screams more relatable than someone who is a people-pleaser; one who has always felt that he is not the main character in his own life - the ever-existing third wheel of a group of friends who radiate charm and light, whereas he is forever hidden in the shadows.​ 'Regardless, not everyone can be centre stage; some of us aren’t built for it. These hierarchies are flexible, though, depending on who we’re with.' I disliked his friends with an intense passion - regardless of how good memories Leo has of them,I couldn't - I wouldn't be able to stomach it the way he did. 💔💔 It stings, but he lives; he endures. He endures because he's made his way out of an abusive relationship that had him always second-guessing himself and putting his own needs and pleasures secondary for the sake of his boyfriend​. It was painful to read about his abusive ex and how it still haunts and hurts the excuses one makes to cover up that guilt and shame.

So, when Leo has the chance to start up a relationship with a childhood friend, it's a window of an opportunity if there ever was one.​ A chance to maybe not restart over, but to play a more pivotal part of where he matters. Where theatrics aside, the spotlight could very well shine on him. I was here for it - I was rooting for it - I wanted it to work out for him.​ I was watching their friendship blossom - noting all the points that hinted that something meaningful was stirring - that this was Leo's chance to find someone who saw him truly for who he was. 🥺 'It felt ​like permission to be happy.​' So much felt like this was the reassuring sign that all that has led Leo to be the person that he is now - with all the doubts and insecurities about his job, his appearance, his relationships - his life could have more meaning to have a future that defined a change in him by taking a chance on a change... And I was beyond ecstatic to see how it goes... ​❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

“ I think that’s all some of us want, sometimes, to know the space we take up is valuable, that someone would care if we weren’t in it.”

And yet, a little bit beyond the halfway point, something happened - a shift in the plot that not only did I not expect - it was one I did not like. ​The more I read the madder I got​ - yes, this is another note I jotted down in between all the quotes I had marked. The subject of the story suddenly became one of life lessons on relationship experience rather than ​not only actually having meaningful growth of the main character​, but it almost seemed as if it was trying to forgive the misgivings of those who made Leo feel as unimportant and unloved as he did. 😟 ​I know you'll say it is more important to have a realistic portrayal of life, but the way that it happened - did it not defeat the whole purpose of why Leo wanted to be the one who mattered for once? When in fact, he was somehow ending up right where he started in the first place? 😕 Almost as if saying the people you have always known are the only ones who are going to be there for you? 'I’d never been enough. I just wanted someone to tell me, you’re good, you’re done, I like you the way you are.' And​ don't get me started on that ending -- the ending ​which completely came out of nowhere, without preamble or without a realistic build-up considering how nothing that took place in the story indicated such a shift, that if you ask me - completely defeats the purpose of what Leo wanted of himself. 😩

For the first time, he wanted to be the leading man of his story - of a life that he could make on his own without the help of the two ​best friends, who frankly, were ones I would ​NOT​ want to be with at all, considering how many grievances he had against them - not to mention how they even even treated him in the story. I did not like the message of the story;​ I thought it was a romcom, but I would not say that it was, judging by how it ended. It made me upset and it left me so unsatisfied at how even abruptly it concluded. 'Life is complicated and love is not electricity; you can’t just switch it off and sit in the dark.' 😐 It was such an engaging read, one that I could find so many qualities that made it worth my while, but that unsavory​ ending, not to mention the whole build up to it, completely eradicated all my good feelings for it​ - souring my mood completely. And the fact that I read this nearly three months ago and had no desire to re-read it again​ - since Goodreads had not yet uploaded the book to their server - goes to show ​just how much the memory of disappointment still lingers so very clearly for me. 😢

​*Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll be honest my thoughts on this book kept flopping back and fourth as I was reading because I liked the main protagonist, Leo, a lot but for the most part I thought all the other characters were actually awful people for the majority of the book with a few redeeming scenes between them. Which I know that was the point of the book but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.
The ending also threw me because although I could feel it coming it also just didn’t feel that realistic, considering how that person had been acting towards Leo for most of the book.
So I’m not sure how I feel, I read it fast and did like it for the most part but there was just something missing for me.

BOOK REVIEW - LEADING MAN by Justin Myers

⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown Books and Justin Myers for providing an eARC of Leading Man for review.

I was excited to dive into Leading Man; look at the start of this description! 'Leo's content to be in the background, letting his louder, more charismatic best friends shine. For a thirty-something gay people pleaser it's always been safer that way' - talk about relatable! The story follows Leo, a drama teacher in Edinburgh, as he navigates relationships and personal insecurities. Leo's witty narrative voice made the book charming.

The book had some engaging characters and moments of humour, but the last ten per cent and the ending twist left me feeling somewhat disappointed. I even waited a couple of days before writing this review, and I really cannot make sense of it. While the exploration of Leo's emotional trauma and his tendency to mask it with self-deprecation added depth to the story, it became a bit too much for me at times.

Despite this flaw, the author's clever writing style and the authentic portrayal of relationships were enjoyable. The setting of Edinburgh was a refreshing change of scenery for me.

Overall, Leading Man was an emotionally driven story with some highs and lows. While it had some really cute moments, particularly in its character development and humour, the unsatisfying ending twist overshadowed its strengths, leaving me with mixed feelings about the overall experience.

Justin Myers has done it again, so please write this book's release date down in your calendars and make a run for it when the time comes in a few days!
"The Magnificent Sons" is the other novel I absolutely adored by him, which was the perfect example of two queer people coming into their sexuality in dramatically different ways, despite belonging to the same family and environment.
As for "Leading Man", I immediately felt transported into a queer Bridget Jones: the comedy, the underlying tragedy of not belonging, societal expectations etc...
It is the story of Leo, an Edinburgh born and raised man who's always been content with leaving in the shadow of his two more exciting best friends, or so he has led himself to believe. However things start to change once an old childhood friend shows up in town and seems really interested in Leo, thus catapulting him to being the main character of his own life.
However, being in a relationship and being happy are not the same thing, and Myers does a fantastic good job in diving deep in the insecurities a relationship can bring up, but there's also a big spotlight on the things we all ignore in favour of living the fantasy we longed for.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC!

I went into this book thinking it was going to be a fun easygoing rom com, and actually it turned out to be more emotionally driven, exploring the complexities of friendships, romantic relationships and self worth- my favourite kind of book.

Please definitely look up trigger warnings beforehand as the book does delve into several serious topics such as domestic abuse, sexual harassment, infidelity and abortion.

The characters were interesting, and honestly I never really knew how I felt about all them- it was very much a rollercoaster, but I also liked that I never had a set opinion on them. Apart from Mica- I loved Mica throughout and I will not hear a bad word about her.

I think the feeling of being a side character in other people’s lives is so relatable, and I could really resonate with aspects of Leo’s story. But also, I kept wanting to shout at him to see what’s happening in front of him, to make him realise!! This is a good reflection of reality because how many times have we not realised what is going on until you have the beauty of hindsight?

The only thing I will say is that the ending of the story is not necessarily what I wanted for Leo, but still it doesn’t take away from the book.

Overall it’s a 4 star book for me and I would definitely read more from the author!

4.5 rounded down. Well... I really didn't think we would end up there... not that I can explain what I mean... but... hmmm... sometimes it's more about the journey than the destination and I really really enjoyed the journey this book took me on. But still not 100% sure about the ultimate ending, hence the rounding down...
So... Leo, Lion, Dandelion, a man of many nicknames but one who prefers to keep his cards close. He's a drama teacher, has a bestie at work, and two long term friends - Daisy and Tam - all who feature heavily in the book, and with whom Leo has somewhat differing relations with.
We learn early on that Lea has his issues, mostly around self esteem and previous failed relationships. He is a people pleaser, which as I know myself, is a bit exhausting. But he hides himself so well that he never really shows his true self, meaning that, his true self is also lost to him. I guess this is kinda his coming of age novel. We follow him through many scenes with his friends, through a new relationship with childhood-friend-met-again Harvey, dissect an old relationship with Pete, follow him at work where he is faced with a new boss, and some added pressure to perform. We also meet his family... and learn why he no longer drinks.
I loved this book. It did take me a wee while to get into but I wasn't put off as I have read and loved all three of this author's previous offerings. I actually feel a little mean rounding down this time just cos the ending wasn't to my liking but I will also add that, personally, I couldn't really see this ending coming. It came right out of left field for me, but I guess maybe I missed some foreshadowing. Dunno. Just irked me a tad. I'd be interested to hear others' thoughts on it all though.
Anyway... This book had it all. It ran the whole gamut of emotions through the cast and me as the reader. I laughed with him, I cried with him. I occasionally wanted to give him a hug, and maybe a wee mental slap. I really fell for him as a character, and was sad to have to leave him at the end of the book. Especially with how it ended. He might have got his closure, I was left wondering...
As well as a lot of poignant, occasionally heavy, stuff going on, there are also some very funny moments in this book. And some cracking lines. You'll know when you get to one. But it matched by sense of humour very well indeed. Especially some of self-deprecation, a topic I know only too well, sigh.
What I also found quite interesting is that my own opinion of the supporting cast changed along with the scales coming off Leo's eyes. As he started to see through certain people, see another side of them, that really came through in the writing. I'm almost tempted to change my rounding down to up for that alone! But not quite.
All in all, another winner from an author who is now firmly cemented on my favourites list. With all he has delivered in the past, I really can't wait to see what he will serve up for next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Leo is the sidekick in everyone’s life, especially his friends’. He had a terrible break up and feels destined to not experience a relationship, sleeping around instead. His mum reunites him with a childhood friend, Harvey, and Leo feels he has really hit the jackpot with this perfect man. But this book is not a romance; this is an exploration of love, loss, trauma and identity.

I feel a little odd about this book. Partly this is my own fault for assuming it was a romance though I’d assume the blurb led me to believe that. This is actually a book about self discovery, abuse (physical and mental), friendship and the lack of, and identity. It’s a difficult read at many times, masked my humour that sometimes hits and sometimes doesn’t.

It takes turns I genuinely didn’t expect. The final page was a plot twist I absolutely didn’t see coming and to be honest didn’t feel needed to happen. I also felt we were living the same story multiple times with multiple partners which maybe was the point. I felt we didn’t deal with some of the friendships; I suppose in many ways this is a love letter to friends but there were some major friendship issues here that I felt were never addressed when partners were called out for the same thing.

As a musical theatre fan I did very much enjoy the sondheim references and west side story being someone’s favourite musical was the icing on the cake.

I think if you like witty writing, self deprecating humour, love friendship analysis, like romance but ultimately much prefer contemporary, you will like this book. There’s absolutely an audience for this I’m just sadly entirely it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately I did not find this book easy to engage with, despite the humorous aspects involved. I believe I was intrigued by the blurb however, for me, this excitement did not follow through. I did not connect with the characters and very quickly lost interest. However it wasn’t completely a miss, I did enjoy the development of the characters within the story and I think Leo has the potential to be quite a relatable character, even if this is not myself. I do believe that Leo is a realistic character though seen in everyday life due to his comparison of himself to others and the self-judgement he possesses. Overall I think this book would be a great read for others but for me it wasn’t unfortunately.

Favourite Quotes:
•”I wish I looked good wet. You know what I mean.”
•”Ah. There it came, that little extra effort to swallow…”
•”Her phone started going full angry vibrator in her hand.”

This book was a really great read - not at all what I was expecting! It’s marketed as a rom-com but I think it’s so much more than that - yes there is romance and there are definitely some funny bits, but at its heart, it’s a book about a 30-something Scottish gay man and his 30-something friends struggling with life, love and healing.

Leo Falconer is a drama teacher and cardigan enthusiast. He doesn’t drink, loves musicals and is happy to be the supporting actor in his own life. Leo has a lot of hangups - he doesn’t like the way he looks and compares himself to others a lot, he has low self-esteem which his covers with humour, and he doesn’t drink due to gaslighting by a horrendous ex. In fact, his relationship with his ex and the abuse his suffered at his hands colours a lot of the relationship he has in this book.

Watching Leo realise his true worth and untangling the mess that has been his dating history is really lovely to watch. I also enjoyed the side characters’ struggles that are happening - Tam and Daisy are Leo’s best friends. Daisy is in a dying relationship with a man who is never going to commit, and Tam is fretting over his upcoming marriage and using retail therapy to cope.

Read Leading Man for:
✨ Drama teacher with low esteem but high humour
✨ Coping with recovering from an abusive relationship
✨ Chaotic group of friends with issues
✨ Emotional drama, cheating, gaslighting
✨ He just wants to put on a school show
✨ Hopeful ending 💕

This book is a fab read for anyone who likes contemporary romance about healing and becoming yourself after trauma, plus chaotic friendship groups fuelled by drama and Sauvignon Blanc. Also for anyone who has ever been a teacher, something about Leo spending his whole Christmas holiday trying to organise his schoolwork gave me PTSD flashbacks, IYKYK 🤣

Many thanks to the author and NetGalley for an ARC of this book ✨

Leading Man was a really fun read. A contemporary romance, 'finding yourself' story. We follow Leo, a teacher, a gay man, a friend, often existing in the background letting his friends take a leading role and not making a fuss. Through a tumultuous year of change, good and bad, Leo is able to face his past and figure out what he wants from the future. Leo is a really lifelike protagonist and I enjoyed seeing the world through his eyes. We see the people around him as he sees them to begin with, and as his perspective changes, so does ours.

Funny, relatable and engaging. Recommended to fans of modern, character-driven stories.

I couldn't connect to the story, characters, or writing style of this one at all. It just didn't work for me, it felt very hollow to me for some reason. It sounded like a fun story from the blurb and it didn't line up with my expectations.

I warmed to Leo from the get go, and really enjoyed getting to know him and how he navigates changes in his life that push him into the spotlight. I hard relate to a lot of Leo and his experiences, although he is way funnier than I will ever be (side-note - I've always enjoyed the wit in Justin Myers writing and this is right up there, one of his best), and I loved the way he evolved as the book went on, becoming a version of himself that's more able to own who he is, what he wants, and what he values. Leo's not a pushover per se, but definitely prefers the sidelines, which makes sense when his friends often have dramatic goings on of their own. He's the listener, the helper, the shoulder to cry on. That's no backhanded compliment - those are characteristics of an excellent person, but as we read the book we gradually find out why he tends to hide behind these qualities when he's with other people, rather than care for others and also advocate for what he needs in return. This is a funny book - I giggled a lot - but there are also dark edges, and Myers finds a way to write both without either undercutting and diminishing the impact of the other. My only reservation is that I didn't quite buy the ending - but that might just have been my frame of mind, and it certainly didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

I already loved Justin Myers writing style and this novel didn't disappoint! I loved the dynamics of Leo and the relationships with his friends and how time and perspective can change our relationships.

I would highly recommend and can't wait to read the rest of Justin's back catalouge

It's so nice to see how Leo develops throughout the book and grows beyond himself and learns how wonderful and strong he actually is

Do I read romantic comedies? No. Do I usually like contemporary adult fiction? Also no.

Let’s see how Leading Man by Justin Myers goes…. Brace yourselves…

Actually while all true, that’s total clickbait nonsense. Myers is one of my favourite writers, from The Guyliner, the Guardian dating column summations, via his deliciously well written weekly Substack, I’m a fan.

His second book, The Magnificent Sons was just perfection, a spiky, funny, emotional treat. This, his fourth, follows Leo, a drama teacher in Edinburgh navigating a toxic ex, a new relationship and two ‘main character energy’ best friends who don’t seem to much care about him at all.

Myers has created a great cast of characters here - which is impressive as I didn’t really like any of them, but enjoyed them because of how well rounded they were, and felt real. I could sense what they would say or how they would react. I really wanted to see what happened in their lives.

As a lead, Leo is infuriating in his lack of self confidence - but as a self deprecating gay man with body and looks issues I can assure you it’s very well done and rings true!

As ever, Myers writing is spectacular. His turns of phrase are meticulously crafted and his wit is razor sharp. Even the bleakest parts of the book charmed me because of the warmth of the writing and the pitch of the humour.

I wasn’t rooting for a particular ending, but even then the pesky characters didn’t do what I wanted, especially as the book finished on a little WTF moment, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, and would happily turn back to page one and start again to savour any funny bits I missed, especially to look for signs of that ending.

I will definitely continue to read anything Myers writes…

Somewhat of a development for Justin Myers this - less funny, but more emotionally engaging. There’s still a thread of humour throughout, but as all told from Leo’s perspective it’s a rather lowkey humour.
There’s a throughline of dealing with emotional trauma, and masking that through self- deprecation and sidelining one’s own importance. This is rather affecting, in a way I hadn’t anticipated. There’s also a lovely plot to follow with Leo and his friendship group, and their various relationships. I was genuinely surprised by the denouement- which is unusual in such a novel. Really appreciated that, whilst recognising that the seeds had been sown throughout.

Lastly - loved it being set in Edinburgh and not London. Makes a nice change! And I made an involuntary yelp at the references to late nights at Favorit…

I liked Leading Man a lot.

The book focuses on Leo, a teacher who is a little insecure about his looks and personality and has some very energetic friends, Tam and Daisy. He meets a childhood friend again and they get involved. At the same time he is charged by a new deputy head, as the drama teacher, to put together an original end-of-year school play and is forced to spend more time with his slightly grumpy superior working on this project.
Since his relationship with his last boyfriend ended badly, Leo avoids talking about his thoughts and feelings and instead focuses on his friends' issues when they spend time together.

The book is relatively slow-paced and is instead focused on the development of Leo's relationships and character, his thoughts, insecurities and how he and his new, attractive boyfriend shape their lives together.

I am someone who likes to read the last page first so I'll try to say this as in-spoilery as possible. Although I knew the ending, it was a little out of the blue and could have built up a little bit more, since there have not been many wandering thoughts apart from aesthetic appreciation. I did like to know the ending, though, because this way I think I focussed more on some earlier clues and noticed red flags a bit sooner and could appreciate their development a bit more.

I would rate the book a bit higher than 4 stars, maybe 4.25-4.5
I would die finitely recommend this.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the book for me. I wasn’t a fan of the writing style, or Leo that much, I think this book could do with a better blurb and a better ending. It was entirely out of the blue and far too quick to be satisfying.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

"Leading Man" by Justin Myers was captivating from the start with Leo's life and backstory. As a Drama Teacher myself, I found a personal connection to Leo, which enhanced my engagement with the narrative. Myers skillfully crafts Leo's hardships, providing fresh insights into his thoughts and actions. The dynamic characterisation keeps readers on their toes, oscillating between liking and disliking characters with each chapter. The twist at the end brings a satisfying conclusion, leaving a smile on my face as I revel in Leo's happy ending. Overall, "Leading Man" is a captivating read that keeps readers thoroughly engrossed until the very end.