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The Small Stuff
Josh Allen always dreamed of finding his soulmate, only to be told it wasn't ever going to happen. Maggie Mills found who she thought was hers, only for the relationship to end in disaster. Now, the two are struggling to make their way in the City of Angels, with zero faith they'll ever find that one true love. Fortunately, the universe has other plans, as Josh and Maggie will soon discover.
Meet the village of people around family, friends, local auto body clerks, homeless journeymen, famous chefs, and nighttime talk show hosts-people whose small, insignificant decisions in life are the reason why Josh and Maggie will finally meet once and for all. But when the two realize they've been unknowingly crossing paths all their lives, their small love story takes on even bigger significance.
A romantic comedy for the new millennium, The Small Stuff asks the ultimate What if the reason we find the love of our life isn't due to fate or chance or plain dumb luck-but because of the decisions everyone around us ends up making?
Meet the village of people around family, friends, local auto body clerks, homeless journeymen, famous chefs, and nighttime talk show hosts-people whose small, insignificant decisions in life are the reason why Josh and Maggie will finally meet once and for all. But when the two realize they've been unknowingly crossing paths all their lives, their small love story takes on even bigger significance.
A romantic comedy for the new millennium, The Small Stuff asks the ultimate What if the reason we find the love of our life isn't due to fate or chance or plain dumb luck-but because of the decisions everyone around us ends up making?
303 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 7, 2024
8 people are currently reading
4407 people want to read
About the author
Paul Davidson
4 books121 followersPaul Davidson is an entertainment executive in Hollywood who also manages to find time to be a producer, screenwriter and four-time published author. Along the way he ran the digital entertainment division at a major tech company in Seattle whose name may or may not rhyme with Sycrosoft.
He lampooned corporate America in his first book Consumer Joe: Harassing Corporate America, One Letter at a Time and imagined what the world would have been like if historical figures had been able to blog in The Lost Blogs: From Jesus to Jim Morrison.
Most recently, he released his debut fiction novel The Small Stuff which Publisher’s Weekly called a “quirky debut rom-com” that was “sure to stick in readers’ minds.”
His writing has been featured in Wired, the Los Angeles Times and Mental Floss and he also hosts the film commentary podcast The Side Track.
Paul lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two daughters and an emotionally needy dog.
He lampooned corporate America in his first book Consumer Joe: Harassing Corporate America, One Letter at a Time and imagined what the world would have been like if historical figures had been able to blog in The Lost Blogs: From Jesus to Jim Morrison.
Most recently, he released his debut fiction novel The Small Stuff which Publisher’s Weekly called a “quirky debut rom-com” that was “sure to stick in readers’ minds.”
His writing has been featured in Wired, the Los Angeles Times and Mental Floss and he also hosts the film commentary podcast The Side Track.
Paul lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two daughters and an emotionally needy dog.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 6, 2022
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
“It takes a village,” someone at a wedding once said.
The Small Stuff tells the story of how circumstance, fate, and all those little choices, we and others make, work and conspire to bring together Josh Allen (no, not that one Bills fans) and Maggie Mills. We start off getting introduced to a young 4yr old Josh and the moment his childhood innocence is killed off when his mother tells him just because he wants something, doesn't mean he'll get it and not to have unrealistic expectations out of life. This, along with a kindergarten friendship gone awry will become Josh's baggage that he takes through life and keeps him working at the same job for years when he is first rejected from his dream job. Maggie's upbringing is different with a father that is more supportive and she has a personality that has her wide-eyed asking “What, I was just being honest?” because she hasn't learned that sometimes honesty needs tact. We don't fully learn the big piece of Maggie's baggage until later in the book but her philosophy regarding love is that soulmates don't exist so why bother looking.
The small stuff, it seemed after the fact, wasn't so small after all.
The first half had a beat that was a little tough to get into, after we're introduced to Josh, the second chapter jumps to his parents and we get an abridgment of their lives, giving us that trail of all the little choices that bring Josh and Maggie together that is the theme of the story, and this jumping to secondary/side character synopses continues throughout the book, heavier in the first half. This ended up giving the first half more of an uneven beat as it kept breaking up the connection I was trying to build with Josh, Maggie, and their relationship starting to build. I know numerous flashbacks can be tough for some, but since I kept in mind the underlining theme of the book, I worked harder to stay engage with these seemingly intrusive side-characters, looking for how they could be connected and/or help Maggie and Josh come together in the future (I also had fun flipping back to the cover to see if I could find if the illustrated characters on front to match who I was reading about, A+ cover art connection).
They had been simply waiting for each other.
I thought the story hit it's stride around the 45% mark and the jumping around beat smoothed out as the focus settles more on Maggie and Josh. As far as their romance, they get a meet-cute at the most romantic of places, an auto-body repair shop, numerous teasing fun moments, Easter egg past moments, fade-to-black bedroom scene, that third act angst moment, and ultimately their HEA. They were a couple that showed how finding that certain someone can support and give you the strength and courage to go after what you want in life, in this case their dream jobs. It takes a little while for them to emerge from some of the side-character synopses that seem a little butt-in unless you keep in mind the underlining theme and numerous Gen X pop culture references that were at turns fun, nostalgic, (I'm of the wonderfully named elder millennial group so I could bond with vast majority of them) but also too much. I missed some of the emotional thoughts and feelings that lead to romantic leads picking each other because, at the end, they had that easy fall back to physically be able to point to the signs that, yes, the universe obviously wanted them to be together and I felt like some of the work was missing at that ending moment.
If you're a linear reader, this would probably feel like an ADHD nightmare but if you can handle time jumps (the latter half has a couple paged chapter that jumps 31yrs into the future only to return to present in next chapter) and off-shoots that have some Easter eggs, then this would be a fun off-beat romance beach read to pick up.
“It takes a village,” someone at a wedding once said.
The Small Stuff tells the story of how circumstance, fate, and all those little choices, we and others make, work and conspire to bring together Josh Allen (no, not that one Bills fans) and Maggie Mills. We start off getting introduced to a young 4yr old Josh and the moment his childhood innocence is killed off when his mother tells him just because he wants something, doesn't mean he'll get it and not to have unrealistic expectations out of life. This, along with a kindergarten friendship gone awry will become Josh's baggage that he takes through life and keeps him working at the same job for years when he is first rejected from his dream job. Maggie's upbringing is different with a father that is more supportive and she has a personality that has her wide-eyed asking “What, I was just being honest?” because she hasn't learned that sometimes honesty needs tact. We don't fully learn the big piece of Maggie's baggage until later in the book but her philosophy regarding love is that soulmates don't exist so why bother looking.
The small stuff, it seemed after the fact, wasn't so small after all.
The first half had a beat that was a little tough to get into, after we're introduced to Josh, the second chapter jumps to his parents and we get an abridgment of their lives, giving us that trail of all the little choices that bring Josh and Maggie together that is the theme of the story, and this jumping to secondary/side character synopses continues throughout the book, heavier in the first half. This ended up giving the first half more of an uneven beat as it kept breaking up the connection I was trying to build with Josh, Maggie, and their relationship starting to build. I know numerous flashbacks can be tough for some, but since I kept in mind the underlining theme of the book, I worked harder to stay engage with these seemingly intrusive side-characters, looking for how they could be connected and/or help Maggie and Josh come together in the future (I also had fun flipping back to the cover to see if I could find if the illustrated characters on front to match who I was reading about, A+ cover art connection).
They had been simply waiting for each other.
I thought the story hit it's stride around the 45% mark and the jumping around beat smoothed out as the focus settles more on Maggie and Josh. As far as their romance, they get a meet-cute at the most romantic of places, an auto-body repair shop, numerous teasing fun moments, Easter egg past moments, fade-to-black bedroom scene, that third act angst moment, and ultimately their HEA. They were a couple that showed how finding that certain someone can support and give you the strength and courage to go after what you want in life, in this case their dream jobs. It takes a little while for them to emerge from some of the side-character synopses that seem a little butt-in unless you keep in mind the underlining theme and numerous Gen X pop culture references that were at turns fun, nostalgic, (I'm of the wonderfully named elder millennial group so I could bond with vast majority of them) but also too much. I missed some of the emotional thoughts and feelings that lead to romantic leads picking each other because, at the end, they had that easy fall back to physically be able to point to the signs that, yes, the universe obviously wanted them to be together and I felt like some of the work was missing at that ending moment.
If you're a linear reader, this would probably feel like an ADHD nightmare but if you can handle time jumps (the latter half has a couple paged chapter that jumps 31yrs into the future only to return to present in next chapter) and off-shoots that have some Easter eggs, then this would be a fun off-beat romance beach read to pick up.
April 4, 2022
Totally biased. But if you can't give yourself a pat on the back, then what kind of world are we living in!!?
February 10, 2022
A different take on funny, soulmate-yearning tales. It's like Carl Sagan and William Goldman teamed up to write a romantic comedy. Loved Josh and Maggie and was rooting for them the whole way. As a fan of Christina Lauren, the wit and charm of this book also reminded me of "Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating" and "The Soulmate Equation" (which I loved).
February 13, 2022
I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. I cannot say enough. What a charming, mesmerizing unveiling of how we all fit together in some magical way. The way Davidson weaves together the lives of all of these strangers is impressive and I couldn't wait to see who knew whom and read as their stories unfolded. I loved it.
February 9, 2022
What draws us together? Is it fate, chance, the will of others, or maybe a little bit of all three? I thoroughly enjoyed reading an ARC of this upcoming book. It's smart, funny and whimsical. Loved the attention to detail and the way Davidson weaves together seemingly unrelated events and coincidences that conspire to bring two soulmates together. I wouldn't normally consider myself a RomCom guy but this one hooked me from the start. Expect a film / tv adaptation in the near future.
April 12, 2022
The Small Stuff is one of the best romances I’ve read in a long time. It made me feel warm, happy, and hopeful. I became so invested in each character and their lives. This will probably be one of those novels I revisit every few years if I want to feel happy. A classic!
February 10, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this book! I found it very funny, life affirming and hopeful. Also, in these cynical times, I really appreciated the refreshing good natured tone.
April 27, 2022
Thank you to Paul and the publisher for this free ARC! I really enjoyed this rom com, it really is like 500 Days of Summer meets the Adjustment Bureau. I loved seeing how every choice and decision in Maggie and Josh's lives (and even their parents lives) lead to them meeting. Their romance was modern but still sweet. And tons of great pop culture references!
April 10, 2022
I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. There were so many wonderful characters to get to know but I wasn't sure of the connection between them. As I continued to read I began to see how they were all coming together. Paul Davidson has taken the universal question of "what if" relating to how each small event that did or did not happen could change your journey in life.
It is a charming story of a couple who are living parallel lives and the "small stuff" that brings them together - something we all long for - that special connection to another person! With summer coming this is a perfect read that will warm your heart as the sun warms your body!
It is a charming story of a couple who are living parallel lives and the "small stuff" that brings them together - something we all long for - that special connection to another person! With summer coming this is a perfect read that will warm your heart as the sun warms your body!
February 24, 2022
Fast read. I really enjoyed it
April 5, 2022
I won this Kindle edition book in Goodreads
Giveaway. Thank you to everyone involved.
A funny romantic comedy.
Giveaway. Thank you to everyone involved.
A funny romantic comedy.
March 25, 2022
A quirky romantic comedy that brings together two people who have met numerous times in the past without knowing it. When they finally fall in love, all the intricate pieces of the puzzle come together.
At the ending of the book, the reader will understand how the small stuff in life really matters.
I enjoyed this Ebook that I received from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. Loved the many characters in the book who played a role in Maggie and Josh’s love story.
At the ending of the book, the reader will understand how the small stuff in life really matters.
I enjoyed this Ebook that I received from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. Loved the many characters in the book who played a role in Maggie and Josh’s love story.
April 29, 2022
I can honestly say that this story is clever, fun, creative and witty - just like its author. Kudos to Paul - this is a sweet little read. How do small decisions and events throughout our lives shape future outcomes? I have thought about this for years with my own husband - how many millions of tiny happenings brought our worlds together? I'm thankful for every one of them :) the Small Stuff - it's a love story, a family dysfunction story, a chasing your dreams story and more.
March 4, 2022
What if the decisions around us are what shape us, not our own choices?
Paul Davidson asks an interesting question in this book. What if we’re shaped by our surroundings and other choices besides 0ur own? It makes sense that it would happen.
This is a book of people. Sounds strange to say that, right? It sort of is, but this book reminds me of the saying it takes a village…and in this case, the village is well represented.
This story is written in an easy fashion and goes along at a great clip. There are a lot of characters, so it’s sometimes a bit difficult to keep everyone straight. I did have a hard time identifying with Maggie and Josh because they seemed a bit flat as characters. I wanted to root for them and I did want to know what would happen, but sometimes I wish I’d have connected with them more.
The Small Stuff was enjoyable and quick. It’s nice for an afternoon or weekend read. The message of love and soulmates shines through. It’s a good read. Why not try it?
Paul Davidson asks an interesting question in this book. What if we’re shaped by our surroundings and other choices besides 0ur own? It makes sense that it would happen.
This is a book of people. Sounds strange to say that, right? It sort of is, but this book reminds me of the saying it takes a village…and in this case, the village is well represented.
This story is written in an easy fashion and goes along at a great clip. There are a lot of characters, so it’s sometimes a bit difficult to keep everyone straight. I did have a hard time identifying with Maggie and Josh because they seemed a bit flat as characters. I wanted to root for them and I did want to know what would happen, but sometimes I wish I’d have connected with them more.
The Small Stuff was enjoyable and quick. It’s nice for an afternoon or weekend read. The message of love and soulmates shines through. It’s a good read. Why not try it?
February 23, 2022
When Josh and Maggie accidentally end up with each other’s rental cars, they realize maybe it wasn’t an accident after all. As their relationship grows, not only do they realize that their paths have crossed multiple times in the past (unbeknownst to them at the time), but they also keep coming back to the small stuff. Those little moments, when you shift your perspective, can be the moments that end up mattering the most. Once you focus on the small stuff, maybe then everything else will just fall into place. This was a very sweet and funny rom-com; when I read the first sentence of this book, I literally laughed out loud. Although it has some serious moments, I kept laughing all throughout at Josh and Maggie’s easy banter. The cover is also cool and there are plenty of great song lyrics referenced throughout. Frankly, any story that quotes “Dirty Dancing” is a must read for me! And I felt like at its core, this story illustrated that there are no accidents; everything happens for a reason. It was a refreshing read that left me feeling hopeful about the little things in life. Thank you to Paul Davidson for sharing this copy with me! This review will also be posted to my Instagram blog books_by_the_bottle.
The Small Stuff will be released on April 12, 2022.
The Small Stuff will be released on April 12, 2022.
March 23, 2022
Thank you to Hadleigh House Publishing and Paul Davidson for the gifted copy of The Small Stuff in exchange for my honest review!
The Small Stuff is an adorable rom com about Josh and Maggie, two Angelenos who have historically struck out in the love department. After a chance encounter, they begin a new relationship, only to discover they've been randomly crossing paths almost their entire lives.
As someone who is fascinated by (and totally believes in) the Butterfly Effect, I loved this story! All the decisions made by those closest to Josh and Maggie ultimately led them to one another and I loved how intertwined all their loved ones' stories were.
Off the bat, I started keeping notes on characters and their respective backgrounds, thinking I wouldn't be able to keep up, but fear not! It quickly ties together and makes perfect sense.
The Small Stuff is out April 12!
The Small Stuff is an adorable rom com about Josh and Maggie, two Angelenos who have historically struck out in the love department. After a chance encounter, they begin a new relationship, only to discover they've been randomly crossing paths almost their entire lives.
As someone who is fascinated by (and totally believes in) the Butterfly Effect, I loved this story! All the decisions made by those closest to Josh and Maggie ultimately led them to one another and I loved how intertwined all their loved ones' stories were.
Off the bat, I started keeping notes on characters and their respective backgrounds, thinking I wouldn't be able to keep up, but fear not! It quickly ties together and makes perfect sense.
The Small Stuff is out April 12!
March 10, 2022
Received as a Goodreads giveaway. The beginning was a bit of a slow start, and if you hang in there, it’s a very cute, quirky tale. I don’t know how much I believe in soulmates, but I do like the coincidences that bring these two - Josh and Maggie - together. It’s a story that will make your heart smile.
April 3, 2022
This story has a really cute concept and had a unique take on the standard love story. As I am not the greatest with remembering names, I did struggle a little in the beginning, as the book is written to tell small pieces of many people's story. Due to this, I felt it was somewhat of a slow start, but I enjoyed this book quite a lot overall.
Received in a Goodreads giveaway.
Received in a Goodreads giveaway.
April 17, 2022
Paul Davidson introduces characters very well, in such a way that you want to keep reading to see where they will knit into the storyline. The storyline itself was fast paced, interesting and modern. You will want to finish the book to see how things turn out for the main characters and some of the other characters as well.
February 14, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. At first I had a hard time keeping the characters straight and their relation to each other. However, I really enjoyed this love story that wasn't written in your typical romance style. Highly recommend!
February 9, 2022
This book was wholesome and sweet but overall fell short of leaving me with any real emotion. It wasn’t particularly plot driven, instead focusing on memories and flashbacks to help the reader understand the storyline. Although not confusing, it didn’t help provide any character development or substance.
As for characters, Both Josh and Maggie often felt bored and I didn’t get an overwhelming feeling they were happy in their relationship. It felt more like they were obligated to be in it since the universe demanded. There were constant unrelated flashbacks to secondary characters that helped drive home the idea that soulmates exist, but eventually it felt more tiring to hear the same story of how fate kept bringing them together. As someone who has literally never experienced that (personally, chance meeting at the grocery store with an old friend just don’t happen much) it didn’t help make the story feel realistic.
The message that love is real and soulmates can exist was well portrayed. However, it would have been nice to see a character that didn’t have a soulmate or didn’t have a ton of chance meetings throughout life. It would have helped me feel connected and possibly left me thinking more deeply about my own relationships. Overall, a solid 3/5 since the story was enjoyable and a new twist on an overplayed plot line, but I don’t think the author really accomplished what he had really set out to do.
As for characters, Both Josh and Maggie often felt bored and I didn’t get an overwhelming feeling they were happy in their relationship. It felt more like they were obligated to be in it since the universe demanded. There were constant unrelated flashbacks to secondary characters that helped drive home the idea that soulmates exist, but eventually it felt more tiring to hear the same story of how fate kept bringing them together. As someone who has literally never experienced that (personally, chance meeting at the grocery store with an old friend just don’t happen much) it didn’t help make the story feel realistic.
The message that love is real and soulmates can exist was well portrayed. However, it would have been nice to see a character that didn’t have a soulmate or didn’t have a ton of chance meetings throughout life. It would have helped me feel connected and possibly left me thinking more deeply about my own relationships. Overall, a solid 3/5 since the story was enjoyable and a new twist on an overplayed plot line, but I don’t think the author really accomplished what he had really set out to do.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2022
I appreciate the concept a lot more than I got into the execution of the novel. Exploring the ways in which life's little decisions can have a "butterfly effect" that ripples out and can eventually lead to momentous elements of one's life has been written about before but is always ripe for more. In this case, while I end up rooting for the two protagonists (Josh and Maggie) it feels somewhat like we bounce around too much. In fact, I couldn't even figure out who I was supposed to be following through at least the first quarter of the book. Also, by the end, it feels like the message is less "look at how cool these coincidences are" and is instead "this is simply fate at work." That is a very different message and was really drilled in as the "random" life intersections between Maggie and Josh keep growing in number (not to mention the epilogue).
As usual, I appreciate the romance present here, but again this takes a backseat to the overarching message of fate.
As usual, I appreciate the romance present here, but again this takes a backseat to the overarching message of fate.
March 16, 2022
It was my pleasure to review this elevated romantic comedy by @paulyd_71 . It was intelligent, witty, and had so much heart. The release is scheduled for April 12! I had a previous book hangover so it took me a bit longer to immerse myself, but once I was familiar with the characters, I didn’t want it to end! The humor was quick and use of irony was clever—akin to that of a British sketch comedy. I won’t soon forget the characters, Maggie and Josh. Both characters relatable in their ambition and the modern conflict between pursuits of work and love. Just as much a tale of Maggie and Josh as it was of the serendipitous circumstances sometimes required to reinforce our decisions. It was a book that was written differently from anything else I’ve read.
April 1, 2023
Very modern, with current cultural references throughout.
July 13, 2023
P cute! Kinda slow, despite it being such a short book. I don’t actually know that I liked any of the characters.
December 4, 2023
A fun, romantic book that reads like putting together a puzzle, The Small Stuff is sweet and insightful, full of optimism, wit and surprises. I loved every minute of it.
April 12, 2022
The Small Stuff by Paul Davidson was such a charming and delightful read! I literally devoured every word…and found the story to be so relatable! My guess is that anyone who picks this one up is going to love it as much as I did! Who doesn’t want to read about love, romance, and finding their soulmate! Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2022!
April 24, 2022
I liked the overall characters and story but it was too broken up for me. Each chapter started with a different random character and it took a while to figure out their place in the story. Even though everyone was connect it was just too much trying to figure who was who and how it was all connected. Yes it is all eventually explained but each chapter was like starting a new story so it took some of the enjoyment out of it for me. Instead of being sucked in reading chapter after chapter I kind of did one and then put it down for a bit.
Would I recommend: no
Would I read more by this author: maybe
Would I recommend: no
Would I read more by this author: maybe
October 5, 2022
What a ride! There is a magic spark woven through this fun and imaginative story linking choices and reactions to luck and outcomes. The playfulness of the writing and charm of the characters is engaging, and there are clever twists and references that make the characters real and relatable with their own flaws and shortcomings. I really loved them, and found myself laughing with and rooting for Josh and Maggie and wanting to read more. Definitely a sweet, fun read - highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews