The world needs more MM romances with main characters in their 30s! I loved Leading Man and how it dealt with serious topics while also managing to be funny.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for an arc of this book in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Leo is always in the background, and has never had 'main character energy', but when an old friend returns to tow, his ex makes an appearance, his new boss is pushing him and he starts questioning his friendships, he becomes the main character. Join him on that journey.

This is not a romance, its a coming of age novel, I'm not sure why it is marketed as a romance, as pretty much anyone going in expecting a romance wouldn't necessarily by the right market for this book. Leo is an interesting protagonist, half the time I'm not sure I really understood him, despite being in his head, so I found it quite difficult to engage and relate to him. His actions didn't always seem to fit with how he was being described either.

I also didn't care that much for the friendships throughout the book, and they were far too easily 'resolved' near the end for my liking. I think the darker themes of emotional and psychological abuse are dealt with really well in this, and I think without the last chapter I would have given this book 3.5 stars, but honestly, the last chapter just seemed to undo a lot of the growth that Leo had had though the book.

This was an easy read, and I did enjoy it hence 3 stars, but I don't quite know; it was missing something and came across a little lackluster to me.

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.

This review is quite conflicting for me to write and has been sat in my notes for a while so I could decide a final rating.
The one thing I loved continuously throughout the story was Leo. Myers did a fantastic job of fleshing out a relatable character, incorporating charm into his voice even with all the hardships he went through. For me, he’s the saving grace of this book, because the plot and characters surrounding him did not do it for me at all.
Irritating plot lines and characters persisting when they don’t deserve forgiveness or grace is something I will never be able to enjoy in a book, and unfortunately we were left with an unsatisfactory ending and the experience in the last chunk of the book left a sour taste in my mouth.
I enjoyed the sharp writing style, and I will look out for Justin Myers works in the future, hopefully to find another Leo, and a better wrap up.

When I read the synopsis, I really thought I’d love Leading Man by Justin Myers, but something just didn’t work for me. It’s not completely awful, but I just really struggled to engage with any of the characters.

Leo is okay as a protagonist, but I feel like I didn’t really warm to him. He’s mildly sympathetic, but as he didn’t capture my affections early, I was quite disengaged as the story went on. It’s kind of why I struggled to see why all these men were fighting over him when he didn’t seem that much of a catch.

I found his two friends incredibly annoying, and I found myself questioning why he was friends with them in the first place. The only likeable character seemed to be his work friend, but even then, it was in short bursts. In fact, all of his love interests were also obnoxious so I’m not entirely sure how we were supposed to care about anything that happened.

I know it’s technically not billed as a romance, but the relationship between him and Harvey is a huge focus of the book, and I just didn’t buy it from page one… where was the connection? Where was the chemistry? Where was the romantic development? He mentioned how he was waiting for him to say I love you, and I was left thinking, “Really? Already? But you’ve only been together two minutes.” I just don’t think Myers showed the passing of time successfully, because I hasn’t realised they been together for any length of time.

I really didn’t enjoy the ending and the so called ‘plot twist.’ I thought it was actually a bit ridiculous and unnecessary. In fact, it came so much out of the blue, that it didn’t make any sense with what we know about the characters or any of the growth or development they may have done to that point.

Finally, because it became such an annoyance throughout the book, I have to mention the overuse of his nicknames; Dandelion and Lion. Yes, I’m aware the author was attaching meaning to them, and the names themselves don’t bother me, but they were said far too often in conversation that it seemed unnatural and it became irritating.

Overall, I just found it dull and disappointing.

I found this book difficult to enjoy at first. The 'leading man' is very down on himself, constantly criticising his own appearance and telling you why others are too good for him. But this story is about his journey towards valuing himself, and so, page by page, you see him awaken to why he is worth much more than the people who treat him poorly (no matter how attractive and fabulous they are). I've read plenty of queer romances over the years, but none centered on a gay man that had such low self-esteem. So, once I'd gotten into the story, it felt refreshing to navigate the world through his eyes. In the end, this book is a lovely lesson on what we shouldn't put up with from partners, friends and family and, instead, what we should make space for in our lives.

DNFed it after the first 80 pages

Not the right book for me and not what I hoped for.

I thinks the blurb is quite missleading, I expected more of a romance. Unfortunally I could not connect with Leo, his friends or the book itself. The main Problem for me was the book format by netgallery. It so frustrating to read, because I couldn´t change the settings so that I had to zoom in on every page to even decipher the words written down. Sooo...that didn´t reall make a fun read for me...

I think there are many readers who enjoy this book and the journay of Leo. I´m just not one of them.

I haven’t read anything by JM before so went into this pretty blind. I thought the book overall was a really great testimony for finding yourself and defining yourself outside of relationships, while also being quite open about how relationships can look good without the red flags being so visible. Leo was a character I found really realistic and believable. But quite honestly I was really disappointed by the ending? It felt very left field and didn’t really align with the growth throughout the book.

As usual, Justin Myers has written engaging characters with brilliant humour, humility and heart. Leading Man is funny, heartfelt and full of meaning.

The Leading Man was an interesting, witty and engaging read, and I will certainly pick up more books from this author.

It wasn’t the rom com I expected, and it did take me a little while to get into. This story is much more character focussed than it appears and I loved getting to know Leo. Whilst a very different story, it reminded me a lot of reading Bridget Jones Diary for the first time. Leo is vulnerable, human and is so relatable in his ‘side character’ state. There are some confronting situations in this story which I thought were handled insightfully, capturing the nuance and the emotional impact without resorting to melodrama, and maintaining a strong sense of hope.

The cast of characters around Leo were equally enthralling, and I enjoyed the experience of learning about their true characters along with Leo - it really made you start to doubt everything you knew. I wasn’t really fussed with the ending, but honestly this story was much more about Leo and his emotional and identity development, and on that the author really delivered.

Thank you Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

This book was exactly the book I needed it to be. Having read this author's previous books, I was expecting a witty and engaging read and I was not disappointed. Leo is a particularly engaging character, and I wanted a happy ending for him particularly given his toxic ex and seemingly perfect, yet clearly far from perfect, red flag waving boyfriend. Whilst on the surface this may appear to be a romcom, it offers so much more with reflections on relationships and self worth. This was a thought provoking if at times, sometimes uncomfortable read due to what Leo was subjected to, yet cleverly written to ensure the book remained warm and ultimately uplifting as Leo learnt to value himself. The additional characters, all come over as fully rounded, if not always likable, although I loved Mica. The plot was engaging, and the writing was intelligent and witty and I loved this book. I know not all reviewers loved the ending but for me, it worked and avoided what might otherwise been a predictable ending. As it was, it ended with a sense of promise of what was to come and it was the ending Leo deserved. Overall a very enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read.

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.”