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One Love
Two men. Twenty years of friendship. One love.
2002. Danny arrives at Manchester University determined not to hide from the world any longer. This is the year his life will begin. He locks eyes with a handsome stranger across the hall at the Fresher's Fair. It starts with a wink and soon Danny and Guy are best friends.
2022. Now, both single for the first time in years, Danny and Guy return to the confetti-covered streets of the Gay Village for Manchester Pride. After years of shared adventures and lost dreams, Danny finally plans to share the secret he has been keeping for two decades. He has always been in love with Guy. Could this weekend be the end of a twenty-year friendship - or the start of something new and even more beautiful?
2002. Danny arrives at Manchester University determined not to hide from the world any longer. This is the year his life will begin. He locks eyes with a handsome stranger across the hall at the Fresher's Fair. It starts with a wink and soon Danny and Guy are best friends.
2022. Now, both single for the first time in years, Danny and Guy return to the confetti-covered streets of the Gay Village for Manchester Pride. After years of shared adventures and lost dreams, Danny finally plans to share the secret he has been keeping for two decades. He has always been in love with Guy. Could this weekend be the end of a twenty-year friendship - or the start of something new and even more beautiful?
449 pages, Paperback
Published April 29, 2025
127 people are currently reading
4455 people want to read
About the author
Matt Cain
12 books596 followersMatt Cain is a writer, broadcaster, and a leading commentator on LGBTQ+ issues. He was Channel 4’s first Culture Editor, Editor-In-Chief of Attitude magazine, has written for all the national newspapers and appeared on BBC Breakfast, Lorraine, Good Morning Britain, The Today Programme, Front Row and Woman's Hour.
Matt is also an ambassador for Manchester Pride and a patron of LGBT+ History Month. In 2021 he received an honorary doctorate from Bolton University and in 2023 he addressed the Cambridge Union. In the New Year's Honours List 2025 Matt was awarded an MBE for services to LGBTQ+ culture.
Matt's breakthrough work of fiction, The Madonna Of Bolton, became Unbound’s fastest crowdfunded novel ever before it was published in 2018. In 2021, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle was published by Headline, followed by Becoming Ted and One Love. His Quick Read Game On was one of the official short novels of World Book Night 2024.
Born in Bury and brought up in Bolton, Matt now lives in London with his husband, Harry, and their cat, Nelly.
Matt is also an ambassador for Manchester Pride and a patron of LGBT+ History Month. In 2021 he received an honorary doctorate from Bolton University and in 2023 he addressed the Cambridge Union. In the New Year's Honours List 2025 Matt was awarded an MBE for services to LGBTQ+ culture.
Matt's breakthrough work of fiction, The Madonna Of Bolton, became Unbound’s fastest crowdfunded novel ever before it was published in 2018. In 2021, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle was published by Headline, followed by Becoming Ted and One Love. His Quick Read Game On was one of the official short novels of World Book Night 2024.
Born in Bury and brought up in Bolton, Matt now lives in London with his husband, Harry, and their cat, Nelly.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
March 30, 2024
I was not blown away by this nor felt it was awful! It's just an average book that felt far too long.
It was very repetitive and I felt no real connection to Danny or Guy, so just couldn't care enough about their story, in fact, the best character was Elaine (Danny's Mum) give her, her own story!!
Danny comes across as far too self-centred and loving being not quite good enough for anyone so settles all the time (but tells himself he shouldn't) and Guy is a selfish friend who knows exactly what he's doing but fakes innocence when called out about it.
It was very repetitive and I felt no real connection to Danny or Guy, so just couldn't care enough about their story, in fact, the best character was Elaine (Danny's Mum) give her, her own story!!
Danny comes across as far too self-centred and loving being not quite good enough for anyone so settles all the time (but tells himself he shouldn't) and Guy is a selfish friend who knows exactly what he's doing but fakes innocence when called out about it.
December 23, 2023
4.5★s
One Love is the sixth novel by British writer, broadcaster, and commentator, Matt Cain. As they travel to, and arrive at, the Manchester Pride Festival in August 2022, Danny Baxter hopes that, over the four-day-weekend, he will be brave enough to finally tell his friend of twenty years, Guy Falconer, how he feels about him.
Back in 2002, when they had each arrived from further afield to study at Manchester University, newly-out Danny couldn’t really believe that a man as gorgeous as Guy was winking at him. But he was determined to enjoy the freedom of not hiding his sexual preferences the way he’d had to in Barrow-on-Furness, and Guy tentatively went along, to Canal Street, the gay bars and dance venues, even if he wasn’t quite game to come out himself.
Now, as they drop into familiar spots and run into former lovers, each of them recalls the chain of events that somehow saw them never actually becoming lovers themselves. In a series of miscommunication, mistiming and misfortune, Danny’s lack of flirtation led Guy to believe he wasn’t interested, while Danny never dared to make any advances for fear of ruining a beautiful friendship. But finally, Danny is ready to take the plunge, to risk rejection, for a chance at happiness.
As the work of a gay author, of course the authenticity of this tale is immediately apparent: Cain’s depiction of his eras and settings is wholly credible. But he doesn’t give the reader cardboard cliches for characters, not does his plot follow entirely predictable lines: there are twists and surprises before a realistic ending. An enlightening, thought-provoking and heart-warming read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Headline.
One Love is the sixth novel by British writer, broadcaster, and commentator, Matt Cain. As they travel to, and arrive at, the Manchester Pride Festival in August 2022, Danny Baxter hopes that, over the four-day-weekend, he will be brave enough to finally tell his friend of twenty years, Guy Falconer, how he feels about him.
Back in 2002, when they had each arrived from further afield to study at Manchester University, newly-out Danny couldn’t really believe that a man as gorgeous as Guy was winking at him. But he was determined to enjoy the freedom of not hiding his sexual preferences the way he’d had to in Barrow-on-Furness, and Guy tentatively went along, to Canal Street, the gay bars and dance venues, even if he wasn’t quite game to come out himself.
Now, as they drop into familiar spots and run into former lovers, each of them recalls the chain of events that somehow saw them never actually becoming lovers themselves. In a series of miscommunication, mistiming and misfortune, Danny’s lack of flirtation led Guy to believe he wasn’t interested, while Danny never dared to make any advances for fear of ruining a beautiful friendship. But finally, Danny is ready to take the plunge, to risk rejection, for a chance at happiness.
As the work of a gay author, of course the authenticity of this tale is immediately apparent: Cain’s depiction of his eras and settings is wholly credible. But he doesn’t give the reader cardboard cliches for characters, not does his plot follow entirely predictable lines: there are twists and surprises before a realistic ending. An enlightening, thought-provoking and heart-warming read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Headline.
September 28, 2023
⭐️ 5 ⭐️
It’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of Matt Cain’s books. Matt became an auto-buy author for me after I fell in love with Albert Entwistle (The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle) in 2021. Ted Ainsworth (Becoming Ted) stole another piece of my heart later in 2022.
One Love is beautifully written. Matt has an incredible talent for creating such well-rounded, down-to-earth, credible characters who are always true to life and full of personality.
The character-driven story is told over dual timelines: 2002 and 2022. Getting to know Danny, Guy, and the rest of the supporting cast was a joy. I found the chapters set in 2022 particularly entertaining and thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Manchester Pride Festival, where the party atmosphere practically oozed from the pages and the colourful sights and sounds are so well drawn that I could clearly visualise everything in my mind’s eye.
One Love is a story of hope, friendship, love, and acceptance. Yet again, Matt Cain has crafted a wonderful, uplifting book, one full of warmth, heart, and humour.
Brilliant!
Many thanks to the publisher for my proof copy, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
It’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of Matt Cain’s books. Matt became an auto-buy author for me after I fell in love with Albert Entwistle (The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle) in 2021. Ted Ainsworth (Becoming Ted) stole another piece of my heart later in 2022.
One Love is beautifully written. Matt has an incredible talent for creating such well-rounded, down-to-earth, credible characters who are always true to life and full of personality.
The character-driven story is told over dual timelines: 2002 and 2022. Getting to know Danny, Guy, and the rest of the supporting cast was a joy. I found the chapters set in 2022 particularly entertaining and thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Manchester Pride Festival, where the party atmosphere practically oozed from the pages and the colourful sights and sounds are so well drawn that I could clearly visualise everything in my mind’s eye.
One Love is a story of hope, friendship, love, and acceptance. Yet again, Matt Cain has crafted a wonderful, uplifting book, one full of warmth, heart, and humour.
Brilliant!
Many thanks to the publisher for my proof copy, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
October 29, 2023
I had heard so much about Matt Cain’s debut, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle, and therefore I had high hopes for One Love.
I love multiple timelines, I adore the friends-to-lovers trope, I cherish funny stories with harder-hitting topics underneath, I like stories set in the early aughts because so much happened in my life in those years (yes, I’m that old). BUT (1)… Danny’s and Guy’s story didn’t touch me as much as I hoped it would. I can’t even pinpoint why. Maybe it’s the constant switch between timelines and past tense and present tense. Maybe it’s because this story is mainly written from Danny’s POV, but it also changes into Guy’s. Maybe all those memories felt a little too much and repetitive. Or maybe this book is just not for me. I have to admit that I started skimming pages once in a while. BUT (2) … I liked the message and the ending. I’m definitely going to pick up Matt’s debut one day, and I think One Love is probably a great story for so many of you!
Actual rating 2.5 stars, rounded up to three.
Thank you, Headline and NetGalley, for the ARC.
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I love multiple timelines, I adore the friends-to-lovers trope, I cherish funny stories with harder-hitting topics underneath, I like stories set in the early aughts because so much happened in my life in those years (yes, I’m that old). BUT (1)… Danny’s and Guy’s story didn’t touch me as much as I hoped it would. I can’t even pinpoint why. Maybe it’s the constant switch between timelines and past tense and present tense. Maybe it’s because this story is mainly written from Danny’s POV, but it also changes into Guy’s. Maybe all those memories felt a little too much and repetitive. Or maybe this book is just not for me. I have to admit that I started skimming pages once in a while. BUT (2) … I liked the message and the ending. I’m definitely going to pick up Matt’s debut one day, and I think One Love is probably a great story for so many of you!
Actual rating 2.5 stars, rounded up to three.
Thank you, Headline and NetGalley, for the ARC.
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February 7, 2024
I inhaled this in a day. Not a romance but a story about love, self-acceptance and making peace with the past. This was so vibrantly written and read like I was watching a film. The timeline jumps over twenty years, following two men’s friendship, culminating in one weekend at Manchester Pride. I really loved the lessons taught in this book and it felt so heartwarmingly real.
June 10, 2024
Disclaimer: thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
It's very rare that I rate a book 1 star - the last time was about eight years ago - but this might have been the worst thing I've ever read. I'm not a big fan of writing negative reviews, so this is going to be short, but these are the key takeaways:
- All of the characters felt extremely two dimensional, almost like caricatures.
- The pacing was all over the place.
- The parallels between the two timelines were too on the nose. Literally every scene from the present would have a scene directly comparable - and sometimes quoted verbatim - in the past.
- There's pretty much no character growth for the entire thing. For context, the scenes set in the 'present' take place over 4 days. The rest of the book takes place over 20 years. Worse than that, for the first half of the book it looks like they're both pining over each other but too afraid to 'ruin the friendship', and then when Danny confesses his feelings Guy says he's never loved him the same way and we're just supposed to roll with that as if he's given any indication that that's how he feels during his POV chapters???
I can see that a lot of people have rated this very highly, so I have to believe that the finished copy of the book must be marginally improved otherwise genuinely what is going on? Am I tripping? how did so many of you like this? Genuinely asking.
The real kicker was the acknowledgements where the author says he's been working on this for four and a half years?????? Please say sike. The writing is so bad you could have told me the whole thing was written in a week with no edits and I'd have believed it. Matt Cain, if you're reading this, I'm sorry and I'm not trying to be mean. But also I had to read this whole thing so I'm not that sorry.
TLDR: this might have been so bad that it's pushed me into a reading slump. TBC
It's very rare that I rate a book 1 star - the last time was about eight years ago - but this might have been the worst thing I've ever read. I'm not a big fan of writing negative reviews, so this is going to be short, but these are the key takeaways:
- All of the characters felt extremely two dimensional, almost like caricatures.
- The pacing was all over the place.
- The parallels between the two timelines were too on the nose. Literally every scene from the present would have a scene directly comparable - and sometimes quoted verbatim - in the past.
- There's pretty much no character growth for the entire thing. For context, the scenes set in the 'present' take place over 4 days. The rest of the book takes place over 20 years. Worse than that, for the first half of the book it looks like they're both pining over each other but too afraid to 'ruin the friendship', and then when Danny confesses his feelings Guy says he's never loved him the same way and we're just supposed to roll with that as if he's given any indication that that's how he feels during his POV chapters???
I can see that a lot of people have rated this very highly, so I have to believe that the finished copy of the book must be marginally improved otherwise genuinely what is going on? Am I tripping? how did so many of you like this? Genuinely asking.
The real kicker was the acknowledgements where the author says he's been working on this for four and a half years?????? Please say sike. The writing is so bad you could have told me the whole thing was written in a week with no edits and I'd have believed it. Matt Cain, if you're reading this, I'm sorry and I'm not trying to be mean. But also I had to read this whole thing so I'm not that sorry.
TLDR: this might have been so bad that it's pushed me into a reading slump. TBC
January 21, 2024
Exceptional. Matt Cain has done it once again with this incredible book. This man does things to my brain that no one else really does. His books make me feel seen and are the reason I come back to reading. Again I don’t think this is the epitome of literature but when you have so well fleshed out characters, address many topics and infuse both emotiveness and a genuine wit, does it have to be the most well written thing? No. Because this is darn right fantastic.
This follows Danny and Guy in a dual timeline situation. First off we have them meeting at Manchester uni in 2002, both having suppressed their gay identity and are here to live freely and truly find themselves. These chapters follow the men over two decades, their trials and tribulations and all that’s in between. Our second timeframe is in 2022 where they’ve decided to return to the city that made them for the Manchester Pride weekend with Danny needing to tell his best friend something that may end their friendship: he’s been in love with him since their first meeting. This book is a love story, but not like one I’ve ever experienced before.
The thing I love most about Cain’s books are for sure his characters and this is in no way an exception. Danny and Guy are written so real and it was an utter privilege to share the past few days of reading this with them. They have flaws for certain and do things I wish they hadn’t but that’s life - it’s messy and complicated and had nuance, something very apparent in this novel. I loved our MCs but that’s not all because others in this book are also very fleshed out too including their uni friends Emma and Lynsey; the hilarious Arthur; and Eileen, Danny’s mum, who was just so damn precious and kinda iconic too. Not only are the characters so realised, but the experiences they go through, and their thoughts and feelings are things so many people can relate to which I continually revel in whilst reading Cain’s books: it’s feeling seen and creating a deeper shared bond with those that inhabit the pages.
This could’ve been good enough but additionally Cain infuses so many topics of discussion that was incredible. A big one is the masc v femme, ‘straight-acting’ v camp debate because Guy and Danny in many ways fit these ‘roles’ respectively and we get to see how this impacts their past experiences of coming to terms with their sexuality and living as a proud gay man but also how they’re perceived and treated into adult life from the outside and within the community. There’s a certain part where another character, Spencer, makes a comment that it must be easier for Danny given he’s ‘obviously gay’ so doesn’t need to constantly come out like him or Guy need to and whilst there is an argument here, it clearly wasn’t easy growing up in a small northern town with the limited representation and bullying he received. And then again, for someone who can more easily hide their sexuality, it’s difficult really understanding who you are with familial pressures and assumptions put forward that you’ll clearly be straight. I don’t know if I’m fully making sense but what I want to get across is that, as queer people we do have many different experiences but just because somethings may be presumed as easier, that doesn’t give anyone the right to discredit the difficulties that still come with being queer, understanding oneself, having feelings of shame (regardless of the support system or time or anything) and everyone’s struggles are valid.
From this, the book also details the discrimination and vehement dislike by a lot of gay men towards those that are more outwardly campy. Danny faces this a lot and it’s really heartbreaking at times. In a similar vein is this discourse on body image in the community that is very well explored. Once again, Danny had to deal with men bullying him about his weight and hair loss and it throws up a lot of questions about how important body image is, and why this is the case. The low self-esteem from this and in many ways a general dislike of oneself that Danny experiences leads him to harmful actions, he uses humour and leads a more promiscuous lifestyle to hide the pain; and I guess he feels unworthy of the love he does deserve. The above experiences play their part but so too his internal shame present from childhood. Via his actions, he also takes on the role of the ‘bad’ gay which is contrasted against Guy, seen as a more ‘respectful’ gay, and whilst I don’t have much experience reading about this discourse I found it very eye-opening. The impact of not having much representation for these two growing up in the late 80/90s, arguably as a result of Section 28, meant there wasn’t the gay couples and coverage of a happy lifestyle available. So what do you do? Follow the ‘straight’ model or else feel like a failure.
And if this wasn’t enough for Danny to deal with, he’s also from a working class, single parent household in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. He faces discrimination, some subtle many not, about this, experiencing classism and region-ism (think I’ve made this up basically I’m saying a mocking, looking-down-your-nose attitude at people from the North). This is explored very well, in how characters make snide remarks about his accent, the impact on his acting pursuits and many other instances. It’s portrayed with a rawness I believe to have come from personal experience. Somewhat similarly, Cain does infuse more politics into this book compared to others in how certain governments haven’t been the most progressive, the situation for queer people around the world in countries where their safety is threatened, homelessness, and the dwindling recognition of the queer elderly to mention a few. These are embedded exceptionally well and I’d say adds another layer to the story as a whole. The impact of the pandemic is also spoken about which again was done well, it’s real and relatable.
I really could go on and on about this book I loved it so much but as a final note, in One Love Matt Cain really gifts us a love letter to Manchester. This was the city, like Danny and Guy, that he first got to experience the queer scene and saved him as a teen. Manchester certainly comes to life in this novel, it’s abundantly clear he loves it and this was a joy to read. The city has a strong history of progressive attitudes and this shines through. Reading about the MCs finding solace, acceptance and love here is truly beautiful and on many occasions did this book make me cry. And then they return and despite the changes, it allows something beautiful to blossom once again…
This follows Danny and Guy in a dual timeline situation. First off we have them meeting at Manchester uni in 2002, both having suppressed their gay identity and are here to live freely and truly find themselves. These chapters follow the men over two decades, their trials and tribulations and all that’s in between. Our second timeframe is in 2022 where they’ve decided to return to the city that made them for the Manchester Pride weekend with Danny needing to tell his best friend something that may end their friendship: he’s been in love with him since their first meeting. This book is a love story, but not like one I’ve ever experienced before.
The thing I love most about Cain’s books are for sure his characters and this is in no way an exception. Danny and Guy are written so real and it was an utter privilege to share the past few days of reading this with them. They have flaws for certain and do things I wish they hadn’t but that’s life - it’s messy and complicated and had nuance, something very apparent in this novel. I loved our MCs but that’s not all because others in this book are also very fleshed out too including their uni friends Emma and Lynsey; the hilarious Arthur; and Eileen, Danny’s mum, who was just so damn precious and kinda iconic too. Not only are the characters so realised, but the experiences they go through, and their thoughts and feelings are things so many people can relate to which I continually revel in whilst reading Cain’s books: it’s feeling seen and creating a deeper shared bond with those that inhabit the pages.
This could’ve been good enough but additionally Cain infuses so many topics of discussion that was incredible. A big one is the masc v femme, ‘straight-acting’ v camp debate because Guy and Danny in many ways fit these ‘roles’ respectively and we get to see how this impacts their past experiences of coming to terms with their sexuality and living as a proud gay man but also how they’re perceived and treated into adult life from the outside and within the community. There’s a certain part where another character, Spencer, makes a comment that it must be easier for Danny given he’s ‘obviously gay’ so doesn’t need to constantly come out like him or Guy need to and whilst there is an argument here, it clearly wasn’t easy growing up in a small northern town with the limited representation and bullying he received. And then again, for someone who can more easily hide their sexuality, it’s difficult really understanding who you are with familial pressures and assumptions put forward that you’ll clearly be straight. I don’t know if I’m fully making sense but what I want to get across is that, as queer people we do have many different experiences but just because somethings may be presumed as easier, that doesn’t give anyone the right to discredit the difficulties that still come with being queer, understanding oneself, having feelings of shame (regardless of the support system or time or anything) and everyone’s struggles are valid.
From this, the book also details the discrimination and vehement dislike by a lot of gay men towards those that are more outwardly campy. Danny faces this a lot and it’s really heartbreaking at times. In a similar vein is this discourse on body image in the community that is very well explored. Once again, Danny had to deal with men bullying him about his weight and hair loss and it throws up a lot of questions about how important body image is, and why this is the case. The low self-esteem from this and in many ways a general dislike of oneself that Danny experiences leads him to harmful actions, he uses humour and leads a more promiscuous lifestyle to hide the pain; and I guess he feels unworthy of the love he does deserve. The above experiences play their part but so too his internal shame present from childhood. Via his actions, he also takes on the role of the ‘bad’ gay which is contrasted against Guy, seen as a more ‘respectful’ gay, and whilst I don’t have much experience reading about this discourse I found it very eye-opening. The impact of not having much representation for these two growing up in the late 80/90s, arguably as a result of Section 28, meant there wasn’t the gay couples and coverage of a happy lifestyle available. So what do you do? Follow the ‘straight’ model or else feel like a failure.
And if this wasn’t enough for Danny to deal with, he’s also from a working class, single parent household in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. He faces discrimination, some subtle many not, about this, experiencing classism and region-ism (think I’ve made this up basically I’m saying a mocking, looking-down-your-nose attitude at people from the North). This is explored very well, in how characters make snide remarks about his accent, the impact on his acting pursuits and many other instances. It’s portrayed with a rawness I believe to have come from personal experience. Somewhat similarly, Cain does infuse more politics into this book compared to others in how certain governments haven’t been the most progressive, the situation for queer people around the world in countries where their safety is threatened, homelessness, and the dwindling recognition of the queer elderly to mention a few. These are embedded exceptionally well and I’d say adds another layer to the story as a whole. The impact of the pandemic is also spoken about which again was done well, it’s real and relatable.
I really could go on and on about this book I loved it so much but as a final note, in One Love Matt Cain really gifts us a love letter to Manchester. This was the city, like Danny and Guy, that he first got to experience the queer scene and saved him as a teen. Manchester certainly comes to life in this novel, it’s abundantly clear he loves it and this was a joy to read. The city has a strong history of progressive attitudes and this shines through. Reading about the MCs finding solace, acceptance and love here is truly beautiful and on many occasions did this book make me cry. And then they return and despite the changes, it allows something beautiful to blossom once again…
October 25, 2023
Oh god, this book is so special. It’s about friendship, love and relationships - but it has so much wisdom, compassion and insight into why those things are so special - and so challenging - for LGBTQ+ people especially. I loved this book. It’s out on January 18 next year and deserves to be as widely read as possible.
September 2, 2025
made me gasp out loud and then broke my f*cking heart
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2024
A beautifully written story of love, friendship and most of all of being kind to yourself. Becoming Ted was one of my favourites from last year and so to get the chance to read One Love was wonderful. Danny and Guy’s story is full of emotion - laughs a plenty fill the pages and I loved the stories in the 2022 timeline of them being back in Manchester at the Pride weekend.
Matt Cain writes such wonderfully real characters - I loved Danny ( and many a time wanted to give him a hug) and his mum and Arthur were lovely.
The memories from Guy and Danny’s time at uni and first meeting are written so beautifully- the anguish and worry of being a gay man in the early 2000’s really bring home the pain of pretending to be someone else to loved ones for so long. The relief they both must have felt in Manchester was such a contrast for them, and Matt Cain is able to show their worries and fears so eloquently and with love and compassion.
More than just a love story, One Love is a trip through the years celebrating the LGBTQIA+ movements, but most of all celebrating life and love.
Matt Cain writes such wonderfully real characters - I loved Danny ( and many a time wanted to give him a hug) and his mum and Arthur were lovely.
The memories from Guy and Danny’s time at uni and first meeting are written so beautifully- the anguish and worry of being a gay man in the early 2000’s really bring home the pain of pretending to be someone else to loved ones for so long. The relief they both must have felt in Manchester was such a contrast for them, and Matt Cain is able to show their worries and fears so eloquently and with love and compassion.
More than just a love story, One Love is a trip through the years celebrating the LGBTQIA+ movements, but most of all celebrating life and love.
June 18, 2024
This book is unbearable, given up at 100 pages
January 21, 2024
This is not a romance, but it is a love story. I very strongly identified with the main character and his journey, which definitely enhanced my experience. It was sad and frustrating at times, but also had moments of being uplifting. It may come across as a simple writing style and might at first appear as if it's going to be a predictable romance, but the plot is actually quite complex and certainly the emotions are messy at time, which really makes you think about how you would react in certain circumstances...and what makes a person good or bad.
So all in all I would highly recommend this, but don't expect a straightforward romance novel!!
So all in all I would highly recommend this, but don't expect a straightforward romance novel!!
May 6, 2025
****I won a free copy of this in a Goodreads Giveaway****
So. I struggled with this one a little bit. I understand--at least, I think I understand--why the author chose to have these characters act as they did. It was a way, I believe, to show the different types of struggles that gay men go through, not just with family, but within their own community, as well as in society in general. And, I imagine, it was to show two men with faults, as we all have, thus making them seem more human. If this was the intention, I understand that. However, I struggled to like either of the main characters. I'll get to why under a spoilers heading in a minute. Aside from that, though, the writing was very repetitive and thus made it seem as though this book was dragging. I enjoyed the messages intended, of loving oneself, as well as not needing to define relationships in the way society deems we must, but, it took a long time to get to these....at least, it seemed that way because of the chosen writing style.
Now, onto some slight spoilers.
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It seemed to me like Guy knew rather early on how much Danny liked him, that he was in love with him. While he says it happened when he heard the voicemail, I think he knew before that, but didn't want to admit it. And, Danny was right: Guy used him. Whenever he was down, after a breakup or studying, he went to Danny, looking to him to help lift him up. And then...then, he doesn't even have him as an usher at his wedding???? This man he credits so much to, this man who helped him become confident enough to come out doesn't even get to stand at his side on his most important day???? Wow. I get wanting to please your parents, especially for him, as his denied his sexuality until he was dating a 'respectable gay man'. Not to mention how he completely ignored his boyfriend-turned fiance-turned husband constantly put Danny down. Bad friend. Don't get me wrong; Danny's not innocent in all of this. He had his own issues, mainly his drinking and showing up at big moments hungover or getting drunk during them.
So, I think I understand why this book had these characters as they were. Danny had always been tormented because his sexuality seemed obvious, so he didn't think he'd ever deserve love. Guy came across as straight, had parents who didn't approve until he fit their mold so he was constantly looking for men who would help him look good, who he could trot out as his successes for getting with them. While I believe I can understand the reasoning, I just don't think it was done as well as it could have been.
So. I struggled with this one a little bit. I understand--at least, I think I understand--why the author chose to have these characters act as they did. It was a way, I believe, to show the different types of struggles that gay men go through, not just with family, but within their own community, as well as in society in general. And, I imagine, it was to show two men with faults, as we all have, thus making them seem more human. If this was the intention, I understand that. However, I struggled to like either of the main characters. I'll get to why under a spoilers heading in a minute. Aside from that, though, the writing was very repetitive and thus made it seem as though this book was dragging. I enjoyed the messages intended, of loving oneself, as well as not needing to define relationships in the way society deems we must, but, it took a long time to get to these....at least, it seemed that way because of the chosen writing style.
Now, onto some slight spoilers.
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It seemed to me like Guy knew rather early on how much Danny liked him, that he was in love with him. While he says it happened when he heard the voicemail, I think he knew before that, but didn't want to admit it. And, Danny was right: Guy used him. Whenever he was down, after a breakup or studying, he went to Danny, looking to him to help lift him up. And then...then, he doesn't even have him as an usher at his wedding???? This man he credits so much to, this man who helped him become confident enough to come out doesn't even get to stand at his side on his most important day???? Wow. I get wanting to please your parents, especially for him, as his denied his sexuality until he was dating a 'respectable gay man'. Not to mention how he completely ignored his boyfriend-turned fiance-turned husband constantly put Danny down. Bad friend. Don't get me wrong; Danny's not innocent in all of this. He had his own issues, mainly his drinking and showing up at big moments hungover or getting drunk during them.
So, I think I understand why this book had these characters as they were. Danny had always been tormented because his sexuality seemed obvious, so he didn't think he'd ever deserve love. Guy came across as straight, had parents who didn't approve until he fit their mold so he was constantly looking for men who would help him look good, who he could trot out as his successes for getting with them. While I believe I can understand the reasoning, I just don't think it was done as well as it could have been.
July 29, 2025
3.5/5 ⭐️
There were some aspects of this story that I really liked and others that I really didn’t.
Pros: The overall message was nice. It’s very important to learn to love ourselves. Coming to terms with your sexuality, embracing what exactly that means for you, and navigating your queerness is a tough journey. As the characters showed, there’s no one way to be queer and you’re going to make mistakes, but it’s important to be true to yourself and keep moving forward. The story was also extremely relatable. I think every gay man, myself included, has fallen for a man that is either straight or just doesn’t feel the same way. And navigating those emotions is exhausting. I still have to reign in my emotions when I see one of my old classmates from high school.
Cons: The story was just too long. It made for some boring chapters and characters that fell flat at times. Also, the relationship between the two main characters was borderline toxic. I know they kind of addressed that in the end, but it was hard to read. Guy was a horrible character. He knew exactly what he was doing and his feeling towards Danny were so back and forth I honestly still don’t know whether he likes him as a friend or more. The worst part for me was the ending. It felt rushed and the issues felt unresolved.
There were some aspects of this story that I really liked and others that I really didn’t.
Pros: The overall message was nice. It’s very important to learn to love ourselves. Coming to terms with your sexuality, embracing what exactly that means for you, and navigating your queerness is a tough journey. As the characters showed, there’s no one way to be queer and you’re going to make mistakes, but it’s important to be true to yourself and keep moving forward. The story was also extremely relatable. I think every gay man, myself included, has fallen for a man that is either straight or just doesn’t feel the same way. And navigating those emotions is exhausting. I still have to reign in my emotions when I see one of my old classmates from high school.
Cons: The story was just too long. It made for some boring chapters and characters that fell flat at times. Also, the relationship between the two main characters was borderline toxic. I know they kind of addressed that in the end, but it was hard to read. Guy was a horrible character. He knew exactly what he was doing and his feeling towards Danny were so back and forth I honestly still don’t know whether he likes him as a friend or more. The worst part for me was the ending. It felt rushed and the issues felt unresolved.
August 10, 2024
Dave and Guy are friends for a long time.
The story goes back and forth in time and show us scenes.
Not much happen.
They are excited to see each other. Yet not telling the other person they are secretly in love with each other.
That is probably why I dislike romance genre. It depends so much of miscommunication.
I found this boring. 3 stars.
The story goes back and forth in time and show us scenes.
Not much happen.
They are excited to see each other. Yet not telling the other person they are secretly in love with each other.
That is probably why I dislike romance genre. It depends so much of miscommunication.
I found this boring. 3 stars.
May 27, 2024
I REALLLLLY enjoyed this book. Strong storytelling and the storyline was easy to follow even with differing timelines.
Highly recommend EVERYONE reads this.
Highly recommend EVERYONE reads this.
July 9, 2024
Really wonderful book. Cute, sweet storyline and evoked a lot of memories about starting university in the early 2000s. Really enjoyed.
October 30, 2023
Have to say I don't think this book was for me. It tells the story of two gay men, Danny and Guy who meet at Uni in Manchester and goes between different stages of their relationship over 20 years, including the present where they are back in Manchester for Pride.
It switches between the perspective of Danny and Guy, although Danny's perspective is featured much more than Guy's who we only see every once in a while. This book tackles some very real issues in terms of pride vs shame and the impact internalised homophobia can have. There is a strong message on the importance of self-acceptance and self-love.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy reading this. I found Danny's perspective very frustrating. It is obviously a journey he is on to self acceptance, which is rooted in his experienced and internalised homophobia. But then it was a challenge getting through 90% of the book with him constantly going on about his many percieved shortcomings.
Beyond the main message of self-acceptance, I would have also liked to see it address some of the themes it touches on in a more nuanced way such as substance abuse within the LGBT community.
I also found the way this book talks about fatness to be really difficult to read. Danny struggles with his weight and we see his dysfunctional relationship with food and his body. He talks about 'starving himself' in preparation for the weekend. He frequently describes his body negatively, describing himself as flabby and feeling shame about his weight. This is a real struggle gay men have, lgbt people have higher instances of eating disorders, but the fact that this wasn't resolved or addressed in a meaningful way felt jarring.
This also carried through in how people were described generally throughout the book. There were lots of scenes that described background characters to set the scene, but descriptions of an 'overweight drag queen' or 'chubby gay footballers' just felt unnecessary and a bit uncomfortable.
I think the tone of the book just didn't hit quite right for me, but I can see this being great for someone else, maybe someone with a lived experience closer to the main characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC
It switches between the perspective of Danny and Guy, although Danny's perspective is featured much more than Guy's who we only see every once in a while. This book tackles some very real issues in terms of pride vs shame and the impact internalised homophobia can have. There is a strong message on the importance of self-acceptance and self-love.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy reading this. I found Danny's perspective very frustrating. It is obviously a journey he is on to self acceptance, which is rooted in his experienced and internalised homophobia. But then it was a challenge getting through 90% of the book with him constantly going on about his many percieved shortcomings.
Beyond the main message of self-acceptance, I would have also liked to see it address some of the themes it touches on in a more nuanced way such as substance abuse within the LGBT community.
I also found the way this book talks about fatness to be really difficult to read. Danny struggles with his weight and we see his dysfunctional relationship with food and his body. He talks about 'starving himself' in preparation for the weekend. He frequently describes his body negatively, describing himself as flabby and feeling shame about his weight. This is a real struggle gay men have, lgbt people have higher instances of eating disorders, but the fact that this wasn't resolved or addressed in a meaningful way felt jarring.
This also carried through in how people were described generally throughout the book. There were lots of scenes that described background characters to set the scene, but descriptions of an 'overweight drag queen' or 'chubby gay footballers' just felt unnecessary and a bit uncomfortable.
I think the tone of the book just didn't hit quite right for me, but I can see this being great for someone else, maybe someone with a lived experience closer to the main characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC
June 16, 2024
I really wanted to love this, but the writing is just awful. The best way to describe it is that the whole thing is 'tell, don't show'. It's superficial, made up entirely of cliches and the final 20-30 pages feel like being beaten over the head with the 'point'. It lacks any kind of subtlety or nuance. I found myself skim reading most of the middle, for which I'm extremely thankful now that I've seen the ending.
SPOILERS!
The main character has some kind of epiphany after listening to a one hour talk about why 'gay men are bad at relationships'. Following this talk during a Pride event (which the books paraphrases!), he suddenly realises it explains everything he's been doing for the last 20 years/his life and his unrequited love for his friend. He relates to this his friend/love interest and he now too realises that this talk also explains his behaviour over the last 20 years perfectly and they are suddenly able to understand and forgive all the ways they've hurt each other... This happens in the span of maybe 15 pages? After 430 of bad pining and poor writing. I mean really. Worst book I've read in a long time and it saddens me that I could have spent that time reading literally anything else for Pride month.
SPOILERS!
The main character has some kind of epiphany after listening to a one hour talk about why 'gay men are bad at relationships'. Following this talk during a Pride event (which the books paraphrases!), he suddenly realises it explains everything he's been doing for the last 20 years/his life and his unrequited love for his friend. He relates to this his friend/love interest and he now too realises that this talk also explains his behaviour over the last 20 years perfectly and they are suddenly able to understand and forgive all the ways they've hurt each other... This happens in the span of maybe 15 pages? After 430 of bad pining and poor writing. I mean really. Worst book I've read in a long time and it saddens me that I could have spent that time reading literally anything else for Pride month.
April 30, 2024
I'm kind of sad to say I found this underwhelming, as I know the author has taken a long time over it and put a lot of himself into it, but the constant jumping back and forth through time and perspectives was annoying, and the main characters are just awful people for the most part. Selfish, annoying, stereotypes. The ending too I found rather simple and trite. One seminar and suddenly the mists part and everything's right with the world. Meh.
Plus an unforgivable error in the first few pages an editor or proof reader should have picked up. On p1 Guy is wheeling a case, on p3 he only has a small duffel bag that fits under his train seat and jokes about travelling light.
Plus an unforgivable error in the first few pages an editor or proof reader should have picked up. On p1 Guy is wheeling a case, on p3 he only has a small duffel bag that fits under his train seat and jokes about travelling light.
July 16, 2024
Rounded up to 1.5 stars as I did finish it but BARELY. Truly painful to get through, thought it would be adorable and absolutely my kind of thing but the writing was dreadful. I also hated Danny as a character lmao. I pretty much skimmed the last part of the book as I just couldn’t wait for it to be over.
April 14, 2025
Finished reading: April 13th 2025
"From as early as he could remember, Danny had known he was gay - and so had the other children at school."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and A John Scognamiglio Book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
REVIEW
WARNING: the unpopular opinion curse has struck once again!!
October 28, 2023
One Love is a novel about two old friends spending the weekend together at Manchester Pride, with one hoping it'll be the start of something new for their friendship. Danny met Guy when they started at Manchester uni in 2002, with Danny excited to be able to finally be out to the world and Guy navigating actually telling people he's gay. Now it's 2022 and after years of ups and downs, Danny and Guy are still friends, returning to Manchester for Pride, but Danny wants to tell Guy that he's always been in love with him, but he knows it'll change things forever.
The story of this book was what drew me in, the idea of queer friendship and yearning, though the narrative is actually a lot more complex than a simple friends-to-lovers type romance set over many years. That was definitely refreshing, and I do think that the ending's conclusion, though maybe not what everyone might expect from this type of book, engaged much more interestingly with the complexity of gay life and love than similar books might. Blurred definitions of relationships and friendships and building the kinds of connections you want weren't things I expected from the title and blurb, but I appreciated it and felt it worked well for the story.
The book uses a split timeline to tell the story, combining the present day of 2022 with flashbacks to the years previous and charting the friendship of Danny and Guy, and how their lives have gone since university. It is mostly focused on Danny's perspective through the third person narration, though sometimes it jumps to Guy's perspective, and this disparity does make it occasionally a bit confusing to suddenly realise you're meant to be in Guy's thoughts, not Danny's. The time jumps sometimes weren't apparent either, but that might've just been related to the formatting when reading it digitally. The writing style was something else that didn't always do justice to the book, with a tendency to over-describe things and fall back on stereotypes.
Stereotypes are something that become a theme in the book, with attempts to push back at ideas of stereotypes and if people can actually be them. Danny gets a lot of stick in the book for seeming like a stereotype when he's just living his life, and it seems like there's a message around questioning if it is useful to see real people as being stereotypes or not. However, basically all of the characters in the book are shown to be stereotypes in various ways, so I'm not sure how successfully the book questions them and how much it uses stereotypes in place of complexity. The book addresses in some ways Danny's struggles with self-image and internalised fatphobia, but ultimately it felt like the book swept this out of the way, and it would've been interesting to see this element, as well as the way the characters use alcohol and drugs to escape, made into something more nuanced in the narrative.
One Love is a book that makes me feel conflicted, because it captures some of the complexity of queer love and friendship, whilst not really addressing the complexity of much else. I think plenty of people will find it powerful and maybe revelatory, but I didn't enjoy the writing style and I felt the way that it generally engaged with LGBTQ people and issues was often too simplistic.
The story of this book was what drew me in, the idea of queer friendship and yearning, though the narrative is actually a lot more complex than a simple friends-to-lovers type romance set over many years. That was definitely refreshing, and I do think that the ending's conclusion, though maybe not what everyone might expect from this type of book, engaged much more interestingly with the complexity of gay life and love than similar books might. Blurred definitions of relationships and friendships and building the kinds of connections you want weren't things I expected from the title and blurb, but I appreciated it and felt it worked well for the story.
The book uses a split timeline to tell the story, combining the present day of 2022 with flashbacks to the years previous and charting the friendship of Danny and Guy, and how their lives have gone since university. It is mostly focused on Danny's perspective through the third person narration, though sometimes it jumps to Guy's perspective, and this disparity does make it occasionally a bit confusing to suddenly realise you're meant to be in Guy's thoughts, not Danny's. The time jumps sometimes weren't apparent either, but that might've just been related to the formatting when reading it digitally. The writing style was something else that didn't always do justice to the book, with a tendency to over-describe things and fall back on stereotypes.
Stereotypes are something that become a theme in the book, with attempts to push back at ideas of stereotypes and if people can actually be them. Danny gets a lot of stick in the book for seeming like a stereotype when he's just living his life, and it seems like there's a message around questioning if it is useful to see real people as being stereotypes or not. However, basically all of the characters in the book are shown to be stereotypes in various ways, so I'm not sure how successfully the book questions them and how much it uses stereotypes in place of complexity. The book addresses in some ways Danny's struggles with self-image and internalised fatphobia, but ultimately it felt like the book swept this out of the way, and it would've been interesting to see this element, as well as the way the characters use alcohol and drugs to escape, made into something more nuanced in the narrative.
One Love is a book that makes me feel conflicted, because it captures some of the complexity of queer love and friendship, whilst not really addressing the complexity of much else. I think plenty of people will find it powerful and maybe revelatory, but I didn't enjoy the writing style and I felt the way that it generally engaged with LGBTQ people and issues was often too simplistic.
February 21, 2025
This book was suppose to be something I adore: twenty years of friendship and a chance at love. So I'm super sad to write that One Love didn't reach the expectations I (maybe a bit unfairly) had put up for this story.
The timeline was all over the place. Jumping through years is something I love, but author's creative decision to write super short, and I'm talking 1-minute-reading short, chapters and then jumping 20 years foward had me confused most of the time. On top of that, constantly switching POVs were hard to follow and made it difficult to get into the story.
I might hate both Danny and Guy a little. Not the characters themselves, but how they were presented. Danny and his 20 years of same insecurities, pining and getting sad, them angry at Guy, falling into same bad habits. As for Guy...well, he was, simply put, an awful person. Also, the third time Danny realized that his timing to confess his love for Guy felt through, because Guy ONCE AGAIN found a new boyfriend right after breaking things off with his ex, had me rolling my eyes. That repetitive scene was probably my most hated in the whole book.
Please don't get me wrong, there were things I actually enjoyed and loved white reading One Love. Like the support of a parent. Danny's mom was hands down the best character in the book. Her unconditional love for Danny had me tearing up at times and I wish, from the bottom of my heart, that there were more parents like her.
Friendship and second chances. Even though I saw no real friendship between Danny and Guy, I found it in their friends group. Even after so many years, Emma had kept in touch with everyone and the storyline with Lindsey showed major character growth. Really enjoyed reading that one.
The LGBTQ+ scene and its change over the decades. The Manchester Pride chapters were so full of love and diversity, happiness and joy. Loved it. Back in the year 2002 when Danny and Guy were students, the young men felt scared and oppressed, but their acceptance of themselves and more and more people coming to accept them, support them, made them flourish.
I had hoped that One Love would be something like One Day, so the big reveal and the ending got me by surprise. I don't think I liked it, however, I do see what M. Cain was trying to say with this story.
Thanks to Netgalley for this book.
The timeline was all over the place. Jumping through years is something I love, but author's creative decision to write super short, and I'm talking 1-minute-reading short, chapters and then jumping 20 years foward had me confused most of the time. On top of that, constantly switching POVs were hard to follow and made it difficult to get into the story.
I might hate both Danny and Guy a little. Not the characters themselves, but how they were presented. Danny and his 20 years of same insecurities, pining and getting sad, them angry at Guy, falling into same bad habits. As for Guy...well, he was, simply put, an awful person. Also, the third time Danny realized that his timing to confess his love for Guy felt through, because Guy ONCE AGAIN found a new boyfriend right after breaking things off with his ex, had me rolling my eyes. That repetitive scene was probably my most hated in the whole book.
Please don't get me wrong, there were things I actually enjoyed and loved white reading One Love. Like the support of a parent. Danny's mom was hands down the best character in the book. Her unconditional love for Danny had me tearing up at times and I wish, from the bottom of my heart, that there were more parents like her.
Friendship and second chances. Even though I saw no real friendship between Danny and Guy, I found it in their friends group. Even after so many years, Emma had kept in touch with everyone and the storyline with Lindsey showed major character growth. Really enjoyed reading that one.
The LGBTQ+ scene and its change over the decades. The Manchester Pride chapters were so full of love and diversity, happiness and joy. Loved it. Back in the year 2002 when Danny and Guy were students, the young men felt scared and oppressed, but their acceptance of themselves and more and more people coming to accept them, support them, made them flourish.
I had hoped that One Love would be something like One Day, so the big reveal and the ending got me by surprise. I don't think I liked it, however, I do see what M. Cain was trying to say with this story.
Thanks to Netgalley for this book.
November 16, 2023
This book was absolutely different from what I expected and it’s mainly the blurbs fault. Why is this marketed as a kind of epic romance when it is absolutely not?
I’m not saying it’s a bad book, because it is not, but why is the blurb so misleading?
This story is about two young man meeting at the beginning of the 2000 starting university, trying to live as openly gay man for the first time (at a time when/close after “promoting” gay media was forbidden by law in the UK, just for reference).
20 years later they are still best friends, but one of them as always been in love with the other and is trying to tell him face to face for the first time at the epic pride in Manchester.
The story switches back and forth between 2002 and 2022, so we see how they meet for the first time, build their friendship, come out, have first time experiences and how different their lives are and develop.
I really enjoyed the style of this, slowly showing how the experiences from their past affected their friendship in the present and what led to the current situation.
But for me this book was anything but a love story. It’s more about gay culture, how growing up as a gay man in the 90s and early 00s in the UK was, bigotry and homophobia, (missing)(older) queer role models, about gay dating, gay relationships, image, pleasing your parents, the body image in the gay and media scene and so much more! So much happened in the last 20 years and all of this is portrayed so perfectly in this book.
And at the end of it all it’s about self love. If you’ve been told one thing over and over again for years one day you’ll just start to believe it. And this is what this story shows.
This story is messy, the characters are messy, you’ll hate everyone at some point, question their decision, want to shake someone. There’s all the emotions and that’s what makes it so real and realistic. None of these people are perfect and this is real life. The ending was exactly that too.
I have to say that one thing I really hated in this book was the use of LGB, when it’s clear that the author also writes about drag queens, NB people etc. in the book. Why? Also why always write “lesbians” when there’s a woman at the 2022 pride? How do you know? That really pissed me off.
I’m not saying it’s a bad book, because it is not, but why is the blurb so misleading?
This story is about two young man meeting at the beginning of the 2000 starting university, trying to live as openly gay man for the first time (at a time when/close after “promoting” gay media was forbidden by law in the UK, just for reference).
20 years later they are still best friends, but one of them as always been in love with the other and is trying to tell him face to face for the first time at the epic pride in Manchester.
The story switches back and forth between 2002 and 2022, so we see how they meet for the first time, build their friendship, come out, have first time experiences and how different their lives are and develop.
I really enjoyed the style of this, slowly showing how the experiences from their past affected their friendship in the present and what led to the current situation.
But for me this book was anything but a love story. It’s more about gay culture, how growing up as a gay man in the 90s and early 00s in the UK was, bigotry and homophobia, (missing)(older) queer role models, about gay dating, gay relationships, image, pleasing your parents, the body image in the gay and media scene and so much more! So much happened in the last 20 years and all of this is portrayed so perfectly in this book.
And at the end of it all it’s about self love. If you’ve been told one thing over and over again for years one day you’ll just start to believe it. And this is what this story shows.
This story is messy, the characters are messy, you’ll hate everyone at some point, question their decision, want to shake someone. There’s all the emotions and that’s what makes it so real and realistic. None of these people are perfect and this is real life. The ending was exactly that too.
I have to say that one thing I really hated in this book was the use of LGB, when it’s clear that the author also writes about drag queens, NB people etc. in the book. Why? Also why always write “lesbians” when there’s a woman at the 2022 pride? How do you know? That really pissed me off.
August 28, 2024
I should start by saying I absolutely loved this book. While I scored it a three, it is mainly down to issues I had with the writing style, which at times took me out of the story/emotional aspect of it. Not that it is badly written, far from it. It’s funny, true to life in an intricately detailed manner (so much so that at first, I was cringing at some of the flashback moments because I realised I related to them picture perfectly).
The issue comes from sometimes the descriptions are lengthy and so specific that they can often come across a little like lists to me, and they lost some of the emotion as I got taken out. But this is more down to personal preference, and shouldn’t be a judgement on the book’s quality. Far from it in fact.
Ultimately, the way the book feels so profoundly accurate to real life (and resonated so strongly with my own and my own history), I actually found the journey profoundly moving. In fact, it’s probably triggering some deep introspection for myself too. Cain has hit the nail on the head, in a way that many might find hard at first, but I think will be brighter for reading it.
The issue comes from sometimes the descriptions are lengthy and so specific that they can often come across a little like lists to me, and they lost some of the emotion as I got taken out. But this is more down to personal preference, and shouldn’t be a judgement on the book’s quality. Far from it in fact.
Ultimately, the way the book feels so profoundly accurate to real life (and resonated so strongly with my own and my own history), I actually found the journey profoundly moving. In fact, it’s probably triggering some deep introspection for myself too. Cain has hit the nail on the head, in a way that many might find hard at first, but I think will be brighter for reading it.
June 21, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.
I think a lot of people will enjoy this, I am, sadly, not one of them.
The start of the book was strong to me, but is was way longer than it needed to be (100-150 pages could have easily been cut)..
The way it was written was almost like a lecture was pasted in between the, mostly, messy storylines that make up the romcom part of the book. If you want to make a point about society (queerness, race, class, etc.) maybe do it in a litfic, fantasy or sci-fi setting. A romcom book just makes it seem forced.
Danny was also a very needy and annoying character and that only started to change towards the end. Though the ending is something I mostly agreed with.
Overall, this book dragged too much and felt overly preachy, but the love and dedication from the author was clear. As I said at the beginning, I think a lot of people will resonate with and/or like this book a lot. Just not me (it's no Red, White and Royal Blue).
I think a lot of people will enjoy this, I am, sadly, not one of them.
The start of the book was strong to me, but is was way longer than it needed to be (100-150 pages could have easily been cut)..
The way it was written was almost like a lecture was pasted in between the, mostly, messy storylines that make up the romcom part of the book. If you want to make a point about society (queerness, race, class, etc.) maybe do it in a litfic, fantasy or sci-fi setting. A romcom book just makes it seem forced.
Danny was also a very needy and annoying character and that only started to change towards the end. Though the ending is something I mostly agreed with.
Overall, this book dragged too much and felt overly preachy, but the love and dedication from the author was clear. As I said at the beginning, I think a lot of people will resonate with and/or like this book a lot. Just not me (it's no Red, White and Royal Blue).
April 27, 2025
Matt Cain!! He did it again. A bittersweet heart wrencher about the different ways to be queer, the ways you can love a person - and the ways our unresolved trauma can affect how we do both. Danny & Guy have been dancing around the truth hidden behind their friendship for decades; Danny's planned them a weekend at Manchester Pride to celebrate their 20 years of friendship - and he plans to finally tell Guy how he's felt since the day they met as first years in uni. The plot bounces around through the ebbs and flows of their history in a way that reveals every detail with perfect timing. I did quite a bit of gasping in the second half!! Truly a tale of “If you don't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”
I received an advanced digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
CWs - Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Sexual content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Cursing, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Violence, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Abortion, Pregnancy
I received an advanced digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
CWs - Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Sexual content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Cursing, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Violence, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Abortion, Pregnancy
July 1, 2024
Another enjoyable book from Matt Cain that took me into the lives of Danny & Guy, from them meeting at Uni in 2002 right up to present day.
I laughed out loud at times but also had a tear or two in other places with beautiful descriptive writing bring the characters to life for me. Although the book was about being gay and the struggles involved in understanding and coming to terms with yourself, I felt it really was applicable to most of us in life looking for and finding and loving the person you are and finding where you fit in.
The characters were (as always) very well written, Danny's mum and Arthur being my favourites but I have to admit here - I really didn’t like Danny (and strangely couldn’t form a picture of him in my mind) and I’m not sure why.
I laughed out loud at times but also had a tear or two in other places with beautiful descriptive writing bring the characters to life for me. Although the book was about being gay and the struggles involved in understanding and coming to terms with yourself, I felt it really was applicable to most of us in life looking for and finding and loving the person you are and finding where you fit in.
The characters were (as always) very well written, Danny's mum and Arthur being my favourites but I have to admit here - I really didn’t like Danny (and strangely couldn’t form a picture of him in my mind) and I’m not sure why.
February 26, 2025
I was really looking forward to reading this novel, but having finished it I was under whelmed.
Having read the story it obviously has lots of personnel elements from the author's own experience, however these by themselves, do not make this story compelling, or entirely realistic, the reasons for this being:
1} The format of the story, going backwards and forwards to tell the story from different perspectives, was jarring and at times annoying
2) Neither of the lead characters grabbed me
3) The story felt to be "trying to hard" on occasions
I have loved other novels by Matt Cain, this one was a disappointment.
I was given a copy of this novel by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Having read the story it obviously has lots of personnel elements from the author's own experience, however these by themselves, do not make this story compelling, or entirely realistic, the reasons for this being:
1} The format of the story, going backwards and forwards to tell the story from different perspectives, was jarring and at times annoying
2) Neither of the lead characters grabbed me
3) The story felt to be "trying to hard" on occasions
I have loved other novels by Matt Cain, this one was a disappointment.
I was given a copy of this novel by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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