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.

Per the request of the publisher, this review will not be posted on any other platforms prior to 25th April 2024. Thank you to the publisher, and NetGalley, for an advance reader ebook in return for an honest review.

This is easily one of the best books I have ever read.

Leading Man is an emotional sucker punch of a book. It might be blurbed like a romcom, and in so many ways it is one, but it is the modern, self-aware kind of romcom that gets 80% or high on Rotten Tomatoes. The kind of romcom that would star comedians, down to earth Nepo-babies, and up-and-comers. Leading Man is a heart breaking, heart mending, soul expanding wonder of a book.

Leo, Lion, Dandelion, whatever you want to call the MC of this wonder of a book, is the voice inside all of our heads. Self-aware to the point of self-destructive, Leo knows his past relationships, his family life, and his friendships have all screwed him up, and been screwed up by him, in unique and painful ways. When an old friend returns to Edinburgh he finds himself catapulted into a relationship, dating a man from his wildest dreams. At the same time changes at work not only leave him swimming upstream, when he'd always been a go-with-the-flow kinds guy, but being encouraged by an unfairly-attractive, and deeply irritating new deputy head. With his love and professional lives in upheaval, Leo finds that he can't even rely on his oldest friends. Perpetually the sounding board, and only just starting to discover the depths of his ex's depravity, Leo is in a constant state of flux. Leading Man follows a 34 year old drama teacher Leo, who never casts himself in centre stage, as he finally begins to interrogate the relationships he has, the people who claim to love him, and the things he can rely on.

Leo was a joy to read, and at the same time I have never wanted to bodily shake a character so much. Myers has crafted someone deeply human, and yet possess such an intrinsic wit, and incomparable command of language, that the story could never be mistaken for biography. I picked this up thinking it would be a romcom, and I was delighted to find that I was wrong. Every interaction, every word, every repeated motif, was brilliantly timed. This was so much more than a campy love-themed romp. This was a novel about self-love, about exploration, and in so many ways about abuse. What it looks like, why it hurts, and how we can turn it inwards. Myers depiction of friendship in particular, the selfishness at it's core, the distance you feel when you are the callee and never the caller, was breathtaking, and heartbreaking all at once. I have never read Myer before, but he just became and auto-buy writer for me.

Leading Man isn't what I was expecting, but it blew me away. This is the kind of book you recommend to everyone you know, because it is a gem, and they will find something in it. I have no criticisms for this. It was perfect, crafted with care and skill. I read this in February, and not talking about it until now has been physically painful. I cannot express how absolutely this has consumed me. Leading Man is a perfect example of what good fiction looks like.

5 stars.

Dnf it wasn’t what it was advertised to be, I expected more and it was put in the wrong category. May still buy a copy to try again

Actual rating: 4.5

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

Teacher Leo has recently come out of a disastrous relationship with a man his mother still adores and keeps in touch with. He has low self-esteem, and is always belittling himself and comparing himself to his friends. He's fairly newly sober, so the dynamic with his old friends Tam and Daisy has changed. He believes he's set to live life from the outside looking in, until a childhood friend returns to Edinburgh.
So, he starts a relationship with Harvey, and learns a lot about himself and the people he surrounds himself with along the way.

Leo was loveable and relatable, and mildly infuriating as he continued to fall into his routine of not believing he's good enough.

Myers has a skill for creating real characters, and this includes the less than loveable people Leo finds along the way.

The ending was pretty unexpected, but it wasn't unwelcome. The novel didn't go the way anyone would expect, and seemed to come slightly out of nowhere, but it made sense. Overall a wonderful read.

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group and Netgalley for the ARC!

JUSTIN MYERS – LEADING MAN *****

This is the easiest five stars I have awarded for a book in months.

Justin Myers – I’d never heard of him until this story – is nauseatingly talented. Humorous too.

‘You’re tall.’
‘Oh? I was five-seven when I left the house.’

‘Jordan’s body was harder than a sudoku; he was a granite worktop with hair.’

And clever in the images he creates. And the full-rounded characters.

Daisy and Tam, our hero Leo’s (Lion, Dandelion) long (suffering?) friends who know him so well. His lovers, present and ex.

Leo is a young drama teacher in Edinburgh. We meet him after his breakup with Peter as he embarks on a new journey with beautiful Harvey. Life is perfect. Or is it?

Leo is tall and gangly and not at all good-looking, always putting himself down. In very witty ways, of course. But what he sees in the mirror is not how other people see him.

You really care about him, his choices, the people he ends up with. And there are twists and turns galore, even in the final pages of the story. Six stars out of five.

Leo is an unassuming and steadfast friend to the pair of drama queens, Tam and Daisy. He deals with his problems quietly and on his own. His break up with Peter, or The Unpleasantness, as he likes to call it, his father’s death – he is brand new and fine, no need to make a fuss. But when he starts dating perfect Harvey, who pushes him to become a better person, when his boss at school gets him involved in a school production, Leo is in the spotlight.
Reading Justin Myers’ books is always like coming home or visiting a friend. I love his writing style, the humour, the characters, and the way that with each book he seems to grow as an author. Similarly to his first book, this first person narration takes us on a journey of the character’s relationship, but there is so much here as well. The messiness of friendships, heartbreaks, dealing with a low self esteem and the being your authentic self – there are many interesting layers in this story. I like when I do not expect what’s going to happen, and I GASPED several times while reading Leading Man. There were fragments where I have felt seen, and seeing my experiences validated made the book even more engaging for me. I also liked the narrators voice, the self-deprecating humour, his art of deflection and the journey of self discovery on which he embarks. The ending was unexpected and really caught me by surprise! I imagined the whole story quite differently to be honest, it is rare for me to be so wrong!

Having delved into Justin's previous works and being an avid follower of his weekly column (which I hope transforms into a book someday), I eagerly picked up his latest. This book revolves around Leo, a charming drama teacher in Edinburgh. Leo's character is incredibly likable and endearing, although there are moments when you may feel the urge to give him a metaphorical shake. If you're a fan of romantic comedies, this book is right up your alley.

Unfortunately this book was just not for me.

I did enjoy the writing style, and laughed out loud at some of the jokes. I like my rom coms with some actual comedy, and ‘Leading Man’ delivered on that. I also thought the characters were pretty well fleshed out, and they mostly felt like people with lives outside of the story instead of characters.

[The next part of the review contains spoilers]

Unfortunately the ending felt extremely rushed and I was left with little but a sense of confusion. While I enjoyed their friendship, I never felt any romantic chemistry between Leo and Tam. I was glad that Leo didn’t fall for Alex’s routine, but I never got the sense that Tam was the person Leo was looking for. I can’t think of any instances in the book where Tam is especially supportive of Leo for who he is.

Bereits mein zweites Buch von Justin Myers, und das war nicht mal Absicht. Und ähnlich wie THE LAST ROMEO da es sehr nah an einer Realität ist die ich fühlen kann. Leo, Mitt30er, nicht sooo attraktiv, nicht so talentiert, nicht so interessant, seit einer schlechten Beziehung Dauer-Single ... ja der perfekte Nebendarsteller in seinem eigenen Leben. Und EIGENTLICH ganz zufrieden damit, irgendwie. Schließlich sind seine besten Freunde Daisy und Tam centerstage genug mit ihren Romanzen und Dramen. Und dann wird Leo von seiner Mutter auch noch zu einem Treffen mit einem alten Kinderfreund verdonnert, Harvey. Doch was, Harvey ist unglaublich attraktiv und kultiviert.... und schwul ... und an Leo interessiert. Und auch im Job bekommt Leo plötzlich wichtigere Aufgaben und seine Chance zu glänzen.... doch geneigte Leser, all das passiert in den ersten 50 Seiten. Ihr wisst was das heißt. Ich möchte keine Twists verraten denn da das Buch nur aus Leos Sicht geschrieben ist, bekommen wir alles hautnah genau wie er mit. Und da ist einiges, auch an Leo selbst, denn wer macht uns eigentlich Zum Nebendarsteller? Unser Umfeld oder wir weil wir es mit uns machen lassen. Wenn etwas besser wirkt, ist es dann auch besser? Ignorieren wir Red Flags egal an wem und malen sie grün nur weil wir es gerne grün hätten? Sind wir entscheidungsscheu und überlassen es darum anderen und wollen wir wirklich die Aufmerksamkeit der Hauptrolle oder blendet uns das Scheinwerferlicht? Warum erwarten wir einen neuen Ausgang, wenn wir immer wieder das selbe machen, freiwillig und willentlich? Und was passiert wenn wir am Boden liegen und eigentlich nichts mehr zu verlieren haben und DANN den Mund aufmachen? LEADING MAN mag an sich klassische Gay Romance sein, außer vielleicht ... btw das Ebook wurde mir von @netgalley zur Verfügung gestellt.

Having adored all of Justin Myers' previous books, I was over the moon to receive the arc for this one. Tonally, it feels different from his previous works - the laughs have been abandoned for something so moving it totally took me by surprise. Leo's story about body image, self-acceptance, societal expectation and conventions, resonated with me to an unexpected and profound extent. Myers writes with such tenderness and love, it was impossible not to be totally invested in Leo's journey of love, both of self and others.

This was such a great book

Leo’s story draws you in it’s cute funny with some serious bits … I loved his journey of self discovery

The ending was I felt a little rushed and not where I thought it was going

I increasingly think the shouty blurbs publishers give books are unhelpful. 'Hilarious and relatable coming of age story' it says on Amazon for this one.

Now, first off, there are some great gags in this, as you might expect. Myers is effortlessly witty (or looks it - I recognise that to look effortless at anything takes practice as well as chops) and his humour always works for me on a number of levels, which I find very satisfying. But I don't think 'hilarious' is the best description. There's a lot more to it than the laughs. There are some convincingly dark elements to this book, and it made me feel quite tense in places. (That's a good thing, I'm not complaining. It makes this kind of book feel much more realistic.) This felt like a step up from The Fake-Up (a book I enjoyed, although I prefer his first two) in terms of the writing and the story.

Like Mhairi Macfarlane, Myers writes good friendship groups, even if sometimes you might not like all the friends as much as they like each other. Leo's friends are Daisy and Tam, who both drink quite a lot (Leo does not) and are, in his view, more like main characters than he is. Leo is not a leading man, and he's fine with this, or mostly fine. There's some good stuff in here about they way that it's sometimes hard to imagine hot people having problems, even when those hot people are your mates and their problems are quite clear.

Leo is tall, and awkward, and can never see what anyone would see in him, although he seems funny and kind and is, I think, a good teacher. (He teaches drama at a secondary school.) He has a big inferiority complex about his looks while acknowledging that this is silly. Or - not silly - but that he shouldn't mind about it. This is nicely done, and for anyone who is not hot (most of us, right) his feelings are relatable.

He tries hard to live up to the expectations of his new fella, who is sporty - or 'active' - in a slightly opressive way. He avoids thinking about his ex and tries not to be bitter that his mum is still friends with him. He's never told anyone exactly what happened with Peter, and increasingly you feel like maybe it would be a good idea if he had, or did. (Peter is a piece of work all right.) The inclination to avoid picking over your life by pretending it isn't interesting is also something I recognise, especially if you have main character mates who live for drama.

I really wasn't sure what was going to happen as I was reading - I came up with a number of potential scenarios, some of which were close-but-no-cigar, and the denouement was quite surprising. But I did enjoy the way it made me reconsider some previous conversations and events.

Leo is a very likeable protagonist and you really do want things to work out for him. 'The Bastille Day Ideal' may be a relationship fantasy but there's no reason why he shouldn't have people be nice to him. That really isn't too much to ask. If this means facing up to some hard truths about his past he should probably get on with it.

(This is not a coming of age story, by the way. The characters are like, 34.)

Thank you to NetGalley for approving my request to read an arc of this book


I will admit that I went into reading this book expecting something very different. The book had been tagged as a graphic novel, however it is a book and there are no pictures in it. It was an enjoyable read and I really liked how the main character was able to step out of the shadows and enjoy life in new ways.

Overall this was a really great read, dealing with many changes in life that are good and bad, showing the ups and downs of life and love.

Leading Man was entirely charming. It was easy to step into Leo's shoes, and I felt like I really understood who he was. Even when I was screaming at him in frustration, I could identify with how he was reacting to his circumstance. I unreservedly recommend this book to all romantic comedy fans and also to everyone else.

Justin Myers writes likeable stories with engaging characters and plenty of heart. There's no shortage of humour, but also depth and insight. Leading Man is no exception.

Drama teacher Leo is still recovering from his last, disastrous relationship with Peter. (The fact that his mum still loves Peter and keeps in touch with him doesn't help.) His self esteem isn't great, particularly about his looks - tall and lanky, he considers himself something of a gargoyle next to his gorgeous friends. (Though this is obviously not true.) Having given up alcohol for reasons which later become clear, the dynamic with his permanently sozzled old friends Tam and Daisy has changed somewhat. He's resigned to life on the sidelines, denying any desire to be the centre of attention. But a blossoming new relationship with handsome Harvey, a childhood friend recently returned to Edinburgh, seems almost too good to be true.

Then there's the new deputy head and his alarming demands to stage an end of term spectacular. (I loved the plot with the school play - sorry, show - which sounded like a lot of fun.)

Leo was a likeable and relatable character, even if you wanted to give him a good shake at times. To be fair he's not the only one here in need of a shake, although a punch in the face might be more appropriate for certain people. (I am not condoning violence... probably.) More than one person in Leo's life has really done a number on him, but who - if anyone - will he end up with?

I liked the Edinburgh setting and I loved all the school scenes.

The ending was a surprise, and I'm not sure it was an entirely welcome one. It wasn't how I thought the story would end for Leo and seemed to come a bit out of the blue, though maybe I'd just missed the clues. Anyway, it probably wasn't the ending I'd have chosen and felt a bit unsatisfactory, but that's maybe just me. Overall a great read, as always from Justin Myers.