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The Dinner Party
Greg Thompson is a typical young man growing up within a conflict between his raising and the culture around him. Greg's been raised to think that sex before marriage is unacceptable, and yet his hormones and the people all around him seem to be telling him otherwise.
He thinks that he is a 'nice guy' and that should be all of the qualifications he needs to find the 'one, ' but he soon finds out it is not enough. ...And perhaps he's not that 'nice' of a guy.
Follow Greg on this odyssey from the boy he is to the man he wants to be.
He thinks that he is a 'nice guy' and that should be all of the qualifications he needs to find the 'one, ' but he soon finds out it is not enough. ...And perhaps he's not that 'nice' of a guy.
Follow Greg on this odyssey from the boy he is to the man he wants to be.
275 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 4, 2025
5 people are currently reading
3899 people want to read
About the author
Michael Christopher Cole
2 books18 followersMICHAEL CHRISTOPHER COLE is a writer living in North Carolina with his wife, Sarah, and their son. He got his M.A. in Creative Writing, Fiction, from Southern New Hampshire University in 2017. He has written dozens of short stories. The Dinner Party is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 22, 2025
This was a very solid debut. Cole gets the reader right inside of the character to learn their motivations and the way their experiences have shaped who they become. We watch Greg grow up from pubescent to his 30s and along the way, he makes many mistakes in his relationships and experiences and in turn, he grows as a human being in his understanding of the world and human connection. I feel like Cole does a great job with introspection and I am curious to see the writer he becomes with each novel. This was definitely a character study done well and from a fresh perspective!
November 9, 2025
This book said “coming of age” but make it messy, honest, painfully human, and sometimes uncomfortably real. Greg Thompson is basically that guy you’ve absolutely met in real life. The one who thinks being “nice” is his entire personality trait and therefore should earn him a girlfriend like it’s a punch card reward system.
Watching Greg try to navigate the hormonal landmine that is being young in a world that screams YES while your upbringing whispers NO had me wanting to shake him and hug him at the same time. He’s stumbling. He’s confused. He messes up. He learns. And that’s kind of the magic.
This isn’t some tidy fairy tale redemption arc.
This is growth with dirt under its nails.
Greg thinks he’s the hero of his story (don’t we all?), and then life gently taps him like:
“Babe… maybe look in the mirror again.”
And I loved that.
The vulnerability. The cringe. The surprising humor. The realization that becoming a good person is something you do, not something you just claim.
If you’ve ever tried to figure out who you are between what you were taught and what you feel… this hits.
If you’ve ever outgrown yourself and had to rebuild from scratch… this hits.
If you’ve ever thought you were “the nice one” and then discovered… maybe you had a little villain arc to unpack… yeah. It hits.
A book that sneaks up on you and stays
Watching Greg try to navigate the hormonal landmine that is being young in a world that screams YES while your upbringing whispers NO had me wanting to shake him and hug him at the same time. He’s stumbling. He’s confused. He messes up. He learns. And that’s kind of the magic.
This isn’t some tidy fairy tale redemption arc.
This is growth with dirt under its nails.
Greg thinks he’s the hero of his story (don’t we all?), and then life gently taps him like:
“Babe… maybe look in the mirror again.”
And I loved that.
The vulnerability. The cringe. The surprising humor. The realization that becoming a good person is something you do, not something you just claim.
If you’ve ever tried to figure out who you are between what you were taught and what you feel… this hits.
If you’ve ever outgrown yourself and had to rebuild from scratch… this hits.
If you’ve ever thought you were “the nice one” and then discovered… maybe you had a little villain arc to unpack… yeah. It hits.
A book that sneaks up on you and stays
September 29, 2025
The Dinner Party is a compelling exploration of relationships, shame, and personal growth. The story follows Greg, who grows up under the weight of purity culture, where even the thought of sex is met with shame. He becomes hyper-focused on girls and sex, while simultaneously judging women for their own choices.
Through college and beyond, Greg is back and forth between a “fuckboy” phase and more serious relationships. Then comes Maggie. With her, Greg begins to see the possibility of change, though his old tendencies don’t completely disappear.
The central event of the novel, the dinner party, brings all of Greg’s ex-girlfriends together. Each woman shares her experience with Greg, and the author makes their voices feel authentic and relatable. Their stories are vivid, raw, and show the real impact of his behavior.
What makes this book stand out is the balance between critique and growth and how real it all feels.
I absolutely loved this book. When the author reached out and asked me to read it, I immediately thought it sounded good, but didn't think it was a story I would typically read. I’m so glad I was given the opportunity to read it, and I hope you read it too.
Thank you SO much to the author, Michael Christopher Cole, for allowing me to read and gifting me an ARC.
Through college and beyond, Greg is back and forth between a “fuckboy” phase and more serious relationships. Then comes Maggie. With her, Greg begins to see the possibility of change, though his old tendencies don’t completely disappear.
The central event of the novel, the dinner party, brings all of Greg’s ex-girlfriends together. Each woman shares her experience with Greg, and the author makes their voices feel authentic and relatable. Their stories are vivid, raw, and show the real impact of his behavior.
What makes this book stand out is the balance between critique and growth and how real it all feels.
I absolutely loved this book. When the author reached out and asked me to read it, I immediately thought it sounded good, but didn't think it was a story I would typically read. I’m so glad I was given the opportunity to read it, and I hope you read it too.
Thank you SO much to the author, Michael Christopher Cole, for allowing me to read and gifting me an ARC.
July 29, 2025
An Engaging and Honest Journey Through Manhood
The Dinner Party by Michael Christopher Cole is not a book I would normally pick up, but I'm very glad the author sent it my way in exchange for an honest review. I flew through its 250 pages in a single day—a testament to how compelling and relatable the narrative is.
The story follows Greg, from his teenage years into adulthood, as he navigates a winding and often messy journey of sexuality, relationships, and self-discovery. As a man, I found much of Greg's inner turmoil strikingly familiar. Those years of hormones, confusion, awkward encounters, and trying to make sense of who we are and what we want—it's all here, raw and real.
At times, Greg’s self-loathing and emotional flailing got under my skin. He whines, he stumbles, and he makes choices that are frustrating to witness. But somewhere along the way, I realized: I’ve done the same. Many of us have. Growing up is hard. It’s uncomfortable, painful even. And this book captures that awkward, stumbling growth in a way that’s both authentic and reflective.
The most powerful takeaway for me was this: we can either learn from our mistakes or drown in them. Greg struggles, but he grows. And in watching him confront the consequences of his choices, I was reminded of my own growth.
If you're looking for something introspective and emotionally honest—especially from a male perspective—The Dinner Party might surprise you, just like it surprised me.
The Dinner Party by Michael Christopher Cole is not a book I would normally pick up, but I'm very glad the author sent it my way in exchange for an honest review. I flew through its 250 pages in a single day—a testament to how compelling and relatable the narrative is.
The story follows Greg, from his teenage years into adulthood, as he navigates a winding and often messy journey of sexuality, relationships, and self-discovery. As a man, I found much of Greg's inner turmoil strikingly familiar. Those years of hormones, confusion, awkward encounters, and trying to make sense of who we are and what we want—it's all here, raw and real.
At times, Greg’s self-loathing and emotional flailing got under my skin. He whines, he stumbles, and he makes choices that are frustrating to witness. But somewhere along the way, I realized: I’ve done the same. Many of us have. Growing up is hard. It’s uncomfortable, painful even. And this book captures that awkward, stumbling growth in a way that’s both authentic and reflective.
The most powerful takeaway for me was this: we can either learn from our mistakes or drown in them. Greg struggles, but he grows. And in watching him confront the consequences of his choices, I was reminded of my own growth.
If you're looking for something introspective and emotionally honest—especially from a male perspective—The Dinner Party might surprise you, just like it surprised me.
July 23, 2025
A fun debut - coming of age meets sex comedy.
Currently reading
November 4, 202511/04/2025 UPDATE: Today is publication day, which means you can get the book now! It's also free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers!
Greg Thompson is a mess in progress. This book follows Greg as he struggles to find his place in the romantic and sexual world. In the late-90's/Early 2000's he's what would now be deemed an Incel. In the mid-2000's he's found the ability to connect with women sexually, but has abandoned any of the pretense about being a 'nice guy,' in exchange for being a full on fuckboi. Finally, as his thirties arrive, he's ready to reform and to spend his life with the love of his life.
That's when his past boils into his present. He's ambushed at a dinner party by the women he has hurt, and forced to face their scorn, and hoping that his fiancé will remain by his side when it's all said and done.
I loved writing this book, it's my favorite thing that I've written so far. I've enjoyed sharing it with some of my early readers, and on November 4th, I'm excited for all of you to get a chance to read it as well! I hope you enjoy it.
Greg Thompson is a mess in progress. This book follows Greg as he struggles to find his place in the romantic and sexual world. In the late-90's/Early 2000's he's what would now be deemed an Incel. In the mid-2000's he's found the ability to connect with women sexually, but has abandoned any of the pretense about being a 'nice guy,' in exchange for being a full on fuckboi. Finally, as his thirties arrive, he's ready to reform and to spend his life with the love of his life.
That's when his past boils into his present. He's ambushed at a dinner party by the women he has hurt, and forced to face their scorn, and hoping that his fiancé will remain by his side when it's all said and done.
I loved writing this book, it's my favorite thing that I've written so far. I've enjoyed sharing it with some of my early readers, and on November 4th, I'm excited for all of you to get a chance to read it as well! I hope you enjoy it.
November 4, 2025
Thank you to the author for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. The description had me intrigued so I went in excited to see how it would go and honestly I enjoyed it so much! Basically, the MMC grows up in a purity culture and then goes through a f*ckboi phase and then meets the woman of his dreams and they get engaged. But before they can get married, they attend a dinner party where all of the MMC’s former flames come to dish out what their stories are. And WOW. So well done! Five stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 1, 2025
📖The Dinner Party
✍🏽Michael Christopher Cole
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️.5
🗓️ Pub date: November 4, 2025
The Dinner party focuses on Greg, a self proclaimed ‘nice guy’, navigating through the world of relationships. Greg grew up going to a catholic school that preaches purity culture, but his hormones overrule anything he’s learned. He’s stuck wanting to have sex with women, but also wants those women to not have had sex.
It’s a coming of age tale mixed with a sex comedy and a little bit of ‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” and I was curiously amused. I wasn’t sure what I was going into when I started, but as we approached the titular ‘Dinner Party’, I was thoroughly entertained. I enjoyed watching Greg grapple with the nice guy/fuckboi/love of your life stages of his life, and learn that there are two sides to a relationship.
It was fun, enlightening, entertaining, and interesting to watch Greg’s growth and his perspective shift.
What a great debut!
I’d like to thank @michaelchristophercole for my advanced copy. All my thoughts and opinions are my own, and I think you should check this one out on November 4, 2025.
✍🏽Michael Christopher Cole
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️.5
🗓️ Pub date: November 4, 2025
The Dinner party focuses on Greg, a self proclaimed ‘nice guy’, navigating through the world of relationships. Greg grew up going to a catholic school that preaches purity culture, but his hormones overrule anything he’s learned. He’s stuck wanting to have sex with women, but also wants those women to not have had sex.
It’s a coming of age tale mixed with a sex comedy and a little bit of ‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” and I was curiously amused. I wasn’t sure what I was going into when I started, but as we approached the titular ‘Dinner Party’, I was thoroughly entertained. I enjoyed watching Greg grapple with the nice guy/fuckboi/love of your life stages of his life, and learn that there are two sides to a relationship.
It was fun, enlightening, entertaining, and interesting to watch Greg’s growth and his perspective shift.
What a great debut!
I’d like to thank @michaelchristophercole for my advanced copy. All my thoughts and opinions are my own, and I think you should check this one out on November 4, 2025.
December 28, 2025
The Dinner Party is a coming of age where we follow Greg through several failed relationships and then later get his ex’s perspectives on their relationships/how Greg treated them.
It was interesting to see him evolve and how his views of women and relationships in general change, and not always in a positive way. In the end, his past flings gather to air out the dirty laundry and expose how their relationship with Greg impacted them.
I enjoyed this book overall. It’s quite different than most of my recent reads, so it was nice to switch things up a bit!
Thank you to the author for my gifted copy. All opinions shared into this review are my own.
It was interesting to see him evolve and how his views of women and relationships in general change, and not always in a positive way. In the end, his past flings gather to air out the dirty laundry and expose how their relationship with Greg impacted them.
I enjoyed this book overall. It’s quite different than most of my recent reads, so it was nice to switch things up a bit!
Thank you to the author for my gifted copy. All opinions shared into this review are my own.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews