I picked this up because of the title. The idea of a ‘stand-in’ dad – for any reason – just sounded so very appealing. The book looked like it would be just wonderfully warm and fuzzy – which is just what I was looking for and also exactly what it turned out to be.

Meg and Hannah are engaged to be married when the story opens. They are already on the road to their happy ever after, but that road is not running smoothly. Not because they have a problem, but because Meg’s parents are being asshats. (I just imagined Meg’s mother wearing her ass as a hat because she’s exactly the type to wear hats and OMG its hilarious and awful at the same time)

So Meg is hunched outside the door of the florist shop that her mother was supposed to meet her at, crying because her mother is doing passive aggressive asshattery by ghosting her own daughter, and fate steps in. Or rather, the florist, David Fenton, steps out of HIS florist shop and into the role of Meg’s stand-in dad.

Not that it doesn’t take a while, but it’s something that they both need. Meg needs help, a shoulder to cry on, a confidante, and someone maybe a bit older if not wiser just to be there for her. David needs a do-over, he needs to be the parent he didn’t have when he came out as teenager and walked away from his own parents’ rejection with a hole in his heart. His parents are long dead, and that hole can’t be healed by fixing that relationship.

But maybe it can be healed by paying forward the relationship he wanted but didn’t have. AND he’ll get to help plan a wedding for someone he comes to love and wants to support as if she was his own daughter.

What makes this story beautiful is the way that Meg and David manage to heal each other even as they draw an entire community around the wedding of Meg’s – and her fiancée Hannah’s – dreams. And if that dream wedding is more than a bit untraditional every step of the way – even before Mother Nature intervenes in a really big way to make it even more so – it’s all icing on a very eclectic raft of wedding cupcakes. And it’s glorious.

Escape Rating A: This was the book that was calling my name this weekend, and I’m really happy that I answered that call because it was absolutely the right book at the right time for this reader. Even if it may seem like its a bit early for a review, which it both is and isn’t. If you can’t resist the call either, the ebook is available NOW. The US paperback will be available at the end of May.

Don’t let the ‘romance’ label on this book set up any expectations. It’s not a romance – and that’s a marvelous thing in this instance. It is, however and very much, a story about relationships. And it’s an absolutely lovely and terrific feel-good story that will have you turning the last page with a big smile on your face.

It certainly did for me.

What made me love this one so hard – which I absolutely did – is not just the father-daughter relationship that grows between David and Meg, but the way that they gathered their friends and loved-ones and the whole entire community into the process of both celebration and healing.

There’s a lovely symmetry in the way that helping to plan Meg’s wedding opens David up to re-examining his reasons for not wanting to marry his own life partner in spite of how much Mark would really like to marry him now that it’s possible.

At the same time, David has thrown himself into Meg’s wedding planning to push off dealing with the fact that his shop is failing and his dream is dying and he doesn’t know what he’ll do next. Until it all comes together in a way that is utterly delightful – even if it does feel a bit too good to be true in all the best ways.

There are a lot of things in their situations that turn out to be sort of sideways parallels that mean that both Meg and David grow and change and expand their circles of friends and found family in ways that reach beyond just the wedding. Which, of course, turned out to be wonderful even if it was nothing like was originally planned. It was better.

What makes the story work – and gives it its sweetness – is that the reader feels like a part of that found family. I cared so much about both of them and their struggles, and was so mad at Meg’s parents – considerably angrier than she was because I cared about her a lot and didn’t care about them at all beyond wanting to hit them in the head with a gigantic clue-by-four.

If you’re looking for a feel-good story with a happy ending that doesn’t rely on romance to get there, The Stand-in Dad is a marvelously uplifting read and a terrific debut novel.

The Stand-In Dad is a heartwarming and uplifting story about the power of acceptance and the importance of chosen family. David, who was rejected by his own family when he came out years ago, has since dedicated his life to helping others in need. When he meets Meg, a young woman struggling with her conservative parents' disapproval of her engagement, David steps in as her 'stand-in dad.' From dress fittings to cake tastings, David makes sure that Meg’s wedding is everything she deserves, despite her parents' absence. As the wedding day approaches, David's unconditional support and love help Meg find the courage to navigate the obstacles in her path—and maybe, just maybe, save the day when disaster strikes. This is a beautiful tale of love, resilience, and the families we create for ourselves.

We open the book with Meg crying in the rain, wanting comfort, a hug from her girlfriend, a cuppa and a biscuit, but we don't find out why she's in this position immediately - the scene crops up again in its place in the plot, a nicely done point. Meg and Hannah have been together for ten years and are getting married. They've just moved back to Meg's home town for sensible reasons, but Meg's parents aren't being very welcoming. In another teary scene, Meg's sat on a bench outside David's flower shop (Savage Lilies!) weeping because they haven't turned up for the appointment there. He takes Meg under his wing, and ends up offering to attend her wedding planning meetings with her, suggesting some as he also creates a network of queer and ally businesses in the area.

Everyone's lovely, but David's partner Mark starts to think that David's giving too much of himself, while battling with the shop not doing so well, and Meg's still upset her parents aren't involved. Some sweet teens from the youth club hang around the periphery, giving some lovely scenes, and also helping the plot along. When things threaten to go horribly wrong, David and Meg's new friendship is stretched and everything looks like it can't be saved ... but it's a positive book about community in the end. Side characters are nicely drawn, from Meg's old "boyfriend" Gus to various cake and other makers, and solutions to difficult situations are considered and modelled. A really lovely, positive read, very well done.

Blog review published 30 April https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/04/30/book-review-alex-summers-the-stand-in-dad/

This was a delightfully charming, fun read. The characters are wonderful and I loved the story of the wedding. This book made me very happy to read and gave me the warm fuzzies. I highly recommend if you're looking for a light-hearted romance.

I was hooked from the beginning!!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

this was a pretty standard feel-good novel, i enjoyed it a lot! i could however tell that this is the author’s first book, i found that meg lacked the depth and interiority that david had in spades and the writing was a little clunky at times. overall, i really liked this book!

The Stand-In Dad is a very lovely book about Meg who is planning her wedding to Hannah. Hannah is doing a lot of traveling, and the bulk of the planning is falling to Meg. Meg and Hannah recently returned to the town where Meg’s parents live and where Meg grew up. As the story opens, Meg is expecting to meet her parents and for them to help her with some of the floral decisions. They send her a text and tell her they can’t make it.

Meg is crushed and in tears. Coincidentally the florist is David and his family rejected him and his partner 40 years ago. David offers to help, and eventually Meg takes him up on that offer.

This is a heartwarming story. (I really don’t feel like this is a romance.) I prefer that romances are of the “closed door” variety; and I wasn’t sure whether this book would be “closed door” or not … but honestly … it was perfect! Just right (for me anyway).

Some of the plot seemed a bit too contrived. Looks like the authors first novel, so kudos to Alex Summers on his first novel. I did like that David was creating a list of businesses that supported the LGBTQ community and I loved how the floral shop supported teens in the area.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read the advance read copy of The Stand-In Dad in exchange for an honest review. 384 pages, Publication date is Apr 24, 2025.

Thank you Avon for inviting me to review this, I was delighted and charmed, warm fuzzied, by this read. I loved the premise, the idea that someone can rise from their own hurt to show up for others, and to have the ability to make a positive impact when others are knocked down... such a perfect read when I want to remember that people can have kindness and compassion even for others. Alex Summers' The Stand In Dad does all of that, brings in a host of delightful secondary characters, which for me makes a book a lot stronger, I will be recommending this to my followers as a great choice for a Spring read, a nice choice for a mother's day gift, and a great read to tuck in for a travel bag/pool side change of pace read.

This is a funny yet serious take on what family is, love, acceptance, community and respect.

The stand-in dad follows the story of Meg whose parents have refused to accept her relationship with Hannah and participate in their wedding. She meets David, whose parents had the same issue, and he agrees to stand in and do everything with Meg.

The highlight of this book was the various people the characters met in the wedding planning. Everyone had a story and brought their unique spin to the plot. The small town setting was just perfect.

It was a tad longer than expected and dragged on in some places but the universal theme was prevalent throughout.

I love David. He is relatable and just like most of us who don’t have our priorities straight. I love the celebration of small businesses and their struggles for survival today.

If you are looking for a feel good story which celebrates inclusivity, community and found families then check this out.

Meg is engaged to the love of her life, Hannah. Everything should be perfect, but her conservative parents have made their disapproval painfully clear. When they refuse to show up at the florist to help her choose her flowers for the wedding,, Meg is left in tears in front of the store. The owner, David, knows a thing or two about parents not being accepting of their children's lifestyle choices. His own parents rejected him when he came out. So he gravitates towards Meg and takes her under his wing. He helps her plan her wedding, and becomes the fill-in for the parents that have rejected her.

This sweet, heartwarming book showcases how "found family" can be just as important, if not more so, than the family you are born into. It highlights all of the prejudices LGBTQ+ individuals are subjected to, including by those who claim to love them. This was a book of inclusion, community, and friendships - both new and old. I loved it!

The book highlights romantic love, multigenerational relationships, and community support.

I did struggle with the first half of this book, as it moves slowly. After 10 years together, Meg and Hannah decided to get married, and unfortunately for them, some people do not support them as they would have liked.

David (the stand-in dad) is perfectly positioned to understand and assist Meg in the navigation of other's unacceptance, being a gay man himself.

The last half of the book did pull me into the drama and the character's lives more than the first half, and I ended this read with a smile on my face. It's message of acceptance, community, and found family connections was enjoyable.

This is a new author to me, and I appreciate Netgalley supplying my ARC.

This was such a sweet read that had me feeling emotional, it had perfect amounts of poignancy, emotion and humour for me.

2.5 Stars

There's no doubt that the story in this book is very heartwarming, surrounding issues of found family and acceptance. But in my book, it fell short of the potential the premise had. I loved the character, David. He was such a kind soul after everything he went through. Meg was very vulnerable, and I enjoyed her journey of self-acceptance and self-love. The book is an amazing tale of the pain parents can cause their children if they are different, gay in these cases. These parents made me so angry.

What the book lacked, in my humble opinion, was how sickly sweet the plot was. The resolutions were too simplistic and felt fake and not realistic at all. It was a bit melodramatic for my liking and too much like a soap opera. These are serious issues, so it lacked in that regard, and David and Meg ended up like caricatures.

The pacing was very slow, and the book is way too long. The plot unfolded very predictably, too. I wish there was drama and not everything tied up into a nice neat bow. It just diminishes the importance of the challenges the LGBTQ+ community faces on a daily basis. Even though the book is feel-good at its heart, it could have added more depth to the plot if it was more realistic.

Overall, this book was more of a comfort read than one that tackles issues, and I felt that lessened the overall moral of the story. So, even though it is heartwarming, a more realistic ending would have made me round up instead of down.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 stars)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Stand-In Dad by Alex Summers.

This was a cozy, heartfelt read that delivered on emotional moments and warm family dynamics. The premise was sweet, and I appreciated the comforting, feel-good tone throughout the story. While it didn’t fully pull me in or leave a lasting impact, it was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. Fans of small-town settings, second chances, and gentle romance will likely find something to love here.

oh what a beautiful book. i dived right into this one just from the blurb i felt better. its original and brilliant in doing so. it felt so apt. so real. so relatable. it was just such a tender and warming book. i couldn't have needed this book more.
prejudice is not ok. ever. and this book is such a balm for that.
Meg is getting married. shes found the love of her life, Hannah. but things are all sunshine and roses for the happy couple. because her mum and dad have made their feeling on the pair known. its cruel and horrible and i was so angry at them. after her mum stands her up it breaks Meg. standing outside a shop in tears she is spotted by David. ah our dear David, can we all have one of him please!? David is pulled in by Megs story and tears. they hit something so very close to his own inner heartbreak as his family did the same thing to him all those years ago. so of course he steps in. and hes going to be by her side throughout all the planning for this wedding. hes not going to let her feel she's got no one who will stand up and be there for her.
it wont be easy. because Meg is still hurting. and this bring up alot for David now too. can they both heal, can they do it for each other and together? i think you will want to find out.
this book is a heart healer. its so much about love in all its roles. and however it comes it just fixes it all. somehow love will always find way to fix it all whether that just in the small things or if indeed it can do so with the large things.

Reinventing Woburn Sands as a Gay Village

Although the author of this pleasant and engaging novel sees Woburn Sands as a satellite village of Milton Keynes, the village was there when Milton Keynes was a much smaller “satellite village” of Bletchley. The village is also on the Beds/Bucks border which always used to be crossable at the back garden gate of a very old house known as The Dene. The location matters, because although the gay and lesbian characters might be found anywhere in that region, a trendy gay florist’s selling coffee and cakes as a sideline wouldn’t have the same magic if it were set in Flitwick, for example. And none of the characters earn enough to live in Hitchin, let alone St Albans or London. The equations of economic reality and romantic fantasy require it to be set in Woburn Sands, so it is.

David identifies as a gay florist, but is also a middle-aged man too concerned for the well-being of young women to be trusted to look after his own interests and there are straight men like that, too. A young (by comparison with David) illustrator, Meg, has booked an appointment to discuss flowers for her upcoming wedding to fellow illustrator, Hannah, with David and her parents. Who don’t turn up. Meg is very upset, and David takes her into his shop and starts trying to make things go right for Meg. He persists in doing this for the rest of the novel, with results which veer from acceptable and promising, to muddle, misunderstanding, omission and utter catastrophe, before ending in a most unexpected triumph.

The sub-plot is David’s “significant other” Mark, who really wants them to become a married couple too, patiently trying to steer the man he loves in a less self-denying direction. David reacts to the behaviour of Meg’s parents in a very complicated way, because he had an even worse bust-up with his own parents, who both died before he got around to even seeking a reconciliation. The relationship difficulties are not simply homophobia, because there’s no clear boundary between that and misunderstanding, which on one occasion causes David a lot of hurt even though the other person had no malicious intent whatsoever.

The last quarter of the book, from catastrophe to triumph, has more twists than Tony Blair running the 100 metres sprint and salvation comes, not so much from facing reality as making the best of what you’ve got, even if it’s intangible or outright fantasy. In his determination to hang on to Meg’s dream, David is able to make it a reality, but only after his attempts to do so sensibly have been destroyed by circumstances beyond his control.

Interestingly, part of the solution comes from the youth club which David and Mark are involved with, because whilst the middle-aged gay men fail pretty miserably at communicating with Meg’s elderly and “homophobic” parents, the teenagers simply tell Meg’s parents what the score is and what they need to do. One of the teens also saves David’s business with a social media campaign, but that only takes off due to the wedding being made to happen despite the odds, which is too good a story for broadcast media to ignore.

There’s a lot in this book, and if it has a flaw it’s perhaps that the novel takes on a few too many issues at once. But it’s not a serious fault.

This was an absolutely charming story. The characters are extremely relatable, and believable, and the situation is one everyone has heard before – both within straight and LGBTQ families. The LGBTQ slant just gives another layer of interest to this delightful story.

Meg has recently become engaged to her girlfriend Hannah, so why is she crying her eyes out outside the florist? Her parents aren’t happy about the union and haven’t turned up to help chose the flowers for the wedding. Enter David, the florist, who knows all too well what happens when your parents don’t approve of your partner – or your lifestyle, and he vows to help Meg in any way he can. David offers to be her stand in Dad and helps her to organise the wedding – at the same time as setting up a network of LGBTQ tradespeople who can also help each other and boost their wedding sales. David has a secret you see, his florist isn’t doing too well, and if things don’t improve, they could lose the florist, and the flat they live in upstairs. Will Meg’s parent’s actually turn up for the wedding? If they do come, how will they behave, and will that upset David who is enjoying playing ‘Dad’?

A gorgeous story of families, and the families you make for yourselves. I would be very happy to read more Alex Summer’s stories.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7469080990

https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-stand-in-dad-by-alex-summers-this.html

A heartfelt cosy read.

David knows what it's like to be rejected for who you are, so when he spots Meg crying outside his flower shop and hears her tale of family abandonment because she's marrying another woman, he springs into action as a stand in Dad to help with the wedding chores.

A tale of love, LGBTQIA+ found family and true identity.

Meg has recently moved back to her hometown and is planning her wedding to her longtime partner Hannah. She's had a complicated relationship with her parents since coming out, but is hoping to rekindle with them since moving home. When her parents don't show up to her appointment at the florist, she ends up befriending David, the florist who also had a complicated relationship with his parents after he came out. David ends up stepping in and helping Meg plan her wedding.

I loved the premise of this book and was so excited to read it. I felt the pacing of this book was a bit slow for my taste and I had a hard time getting into it. I did enjoy seeing Meg and David's friendship develop, but I do wish there was more of Hannah (Meg's fiancée) in the story. It felt odd how little she was part of and when she was there she wasn't fully developed. I did really love the community and especially loved the inclusion of Benji and the other teenagers. Meg's parents arc felt rushed and unrealistic of a turn in the amount of time it was given. Overall I feel like this story had good roots, but maybe could've been developed differently.

3.5 stars

The Stand-in Dad was such a sweet book and had me in my feels, but the glacial pacing really killed this for me. I often found myself wandering away from the story because of it.