What really makes the book shine though, is the bond between Teddy and Arthur. They really helped each other grow as characters and into their own identities as the book went along. You often see the male family members as antagonists in this genre, but that is absolutely not the case here. I'd love to have read something like this when I was younger and finding myself. This is a fantastic debut and deserves a lot of success. The characters are brilliant in this story. I adored Arthur - I can really imagine him being real. He provided some really poignant and emotional moments for the book, particularly the parts highlighting his past, as well as his constant love and support for Teddy and his family. I enjoyed his relationship with Madeleine too - she is such a strong lady, and the kind of ally we all need. I can't think of any other story I've read with a coming out story for a character of his age, but it's one that needed to be told.

The problem I have with some things getting skipped or not getting enough explanation is that this story, even though it's feel-good, handles really serious problems. They need attention, explanation, and time in this story. So, you can say the pacing felt a bit off.No one in the family is prepared when 79-year-old Arthur Edwards drops a bombshell: he's gay, and after a lifetime in the closet, he's finally ready to come out. I enjoyed spending time with this family and found the book to be a very comforting read. Characters explain their feelings clearly, and there are enough supportive characters that the homophobia explored isn’t too traumatic. The plot isn’t the point - you know where the journey will end from early on but the pleasure is joining Arthur and Teddy on their journey, speed bumps and all! The book is completely unique in a genre that can often feel repetitive. It features a very clever split narrative. It jumps between Arthur, a 79 year old grandfather who has just come out to his family, and his grandson Teddy, who is also gay and struggling to find his place in the World. In this genre, you would most often see the two love interests sharing the narrative. Having grandfather and grandson sharing the spotlight instead, this book has torn up the rulebook completely. It was a brave decision to stray away from something so familiar, and in my opinion, it works really well. Even Madeline, the grandma and Arthur's wife, is a trope. She's a saint. She is constantly kind, does the household, takes care of Arthur (which is sweet but also???), and is so involved in the community that it feels like the entire town is her. She's on every committee and has founded a million clubs or whatever. And because all that obviously leaves so much free time, she also cooks and bakes and generally 'keeps them fed'. Which, anyone who's ever had to keep a household running knows that that's a full-time job even with the kids long out of the house, so when does this almost 80-year-old woman sleep???

Arthur and Teddy have always been close, and now they must navigate first loves, heartbreak, and finding their place in their community. But can they – and their family – learn to accept who they truly are? Despite the story being a little twee, I really enjoyed it and I would recommend it if you're looking for a comforting read that will tug at your heartstrings. While some of the characters show bigotry towards Arthur and Teddy, most show only love, support and compassion to them as they embark on a new chapter of their lives. The feel-good read of 2023. Perfect for fans of Mike Gayle, Beth O’Leary and Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper.Teddy's story was less successful for me, in that he's a nepo baby who gets upset whenever anyone less privileged dares point out that he's benefiting unfairly from flagrant and overt nepotism, and also a terrible self-centred boyfriend. It's been a while since I read a story where we're asked to sympathise with the nepo baby over the guy who had to work for his job. It is slightly on the cheesy side, but that is exactly what the intention is. It's hard hitting and thoughtful in all the right places and then cosy and heart warming where it needs to be. It is definitely reminiscent of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain, a book which I also loved. It begins with Arthur who is about to turn 80. He has been married for a long time and has grandchildren.. He decides to come out of the closet. His wife knew that he was gay. Basically they both kind of helped each other out for various reasons to get out of bad situations they decided to marry each other.. They ended up very good friends with an incredible love for each other. They enjoyed each other's company and they felt safe and comfortable with each other so they had children. All these years later he has been thinking about his age and how much time he has left and he has decided that he wants to have some time to be his authentic self for however long he has left.His grandson Teddy is also gay and has been struggling with the idea of coming out. He sees his mother have a difficult time when her father comes out and this makes things harder for him. First of all, okay, not everything about this was terrible. Arthur and Madeline were very sweet and their story was (superficially) moving. But don’t worry! At the end, our little nepo baby oh so magnanimously turns down the job at the newspaper so that Ben can have it! How civic-minded of him!

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

I have to talk about Madeleine, Arthur’s wife! Despite 50 years of marriage, she embraced Arthur’s wishes and was the epitome of love, support and understanding. My emotions towards Elizabeth fluctuated throughout. I understand that fear took hold of her and that she acted horribly, but I thought this character was important in demonstrating that sometimes people need time to process news. I loved the idea of this book when I read the blurb, and I was super excited to receive an ARC of it, but I have to admit, I found it really disappointing. Teddy is an insightful study of self-doubt and self-sabotage as he struggles to find the right moment to come out as gay. His habit of putting himself down and avoiding taking risks is one so many readers will recognise and it’s his development over the course of the story that is so engaging. His need for approbation from Elizabeth is heartbreaking at times. Arthur is an absolute inspiration… They’re twofold really, the first relating to Teddy and his treatment of Ben (apparently his boyfriend but you wouldn’t know it) and the second to the story’s narrative and its easy forgiveness of Elizabeth’s homophobia (YMMV on this one). Let’s start with Teddy and Ben because I have a lot to say about it and there will be spoilers (so stop now if you don’t want them). Even though I had a bit of trouble with the pacing, I did still enjoy this book. The bond between Teddy and Arthur is amazing, and you can really see both of the men grow into even more amazing human beings.

This story is perfect for you if you love queer romances and are in need of a great book that you'll finish in no time because of the writing style and story itself. It's been strange since coming out. I didn't really think about how I would feel after it. You forget that it's not just one moment. It's a moment you have with every single person after that too.'Proving there's no age limit on following your heart and finding love! I'm totally #TeamArthurandTeddy.' Heidi Swain, Sunday Times bestselling author What an absolutely beautiful book! Dealt with sensitive subjects really, really well and brilliantly descriptive characters.'