I Want You to Be Happy

by Jem Calder

A tender, witty, and sharp debut novel about the passions and peculiarities of modern love, by “an extraordinarily gifted writer” (Sally Rooney).

Chuck and Joey meet in a bar. He’s in his mid-thirties; she’s twelve years younger. He long ago abandoned his ambition of being a novelist and works as a copywriter at a big ad agency. "Lead copywriter," he corrects himself. Joey is living paycheck to paycheck on her barista wages and privately dreams of making it as a poet. They go back to Chuck’s luxury flat—a world away from Joey’s cramped house-share, the crumbs in her bed. Soon, Joey is imagining a future between them and Chuck is moving on from a mistake in his recent past. Amazing, how meeting a new person can make you feel so new.

Funny, excruciating, and true, Jem Calder's I Want You to Be Happy is a sharp-eyed tale of two people searching for meaning and connection in modern times, missing the mark maybe, but still trying.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Audiobook, Adult Fiction, Novels

266 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 21, 2026

Reviews

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

really really good stuff. chuck you insufferable piece of shit

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

sally rooney says to read it, i read it

(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)

[leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

a love story for the digital age or a cautionary tale - maybe both?

really enjoyed this! such a sharp, poignant examination of modern relationships and loneliness. will write a full review soon.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

He’s called Chuck because you want to Chuck him out of a window

[whatzoreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the ultimate depresso London situationship from spiralling hell story, and it’s a delight.

Terminally online, emotionally bankrupt, everyone optimising their lives while actively deteriorating, you should avoid if you think you’re above this for even a second.

Chuck, 35, a “lead” copywriter (he will absolutely tell you this many times) functioning alcoholic, recently dumped, is operating at a sustained level of twat that feels almost athletic.

Joey, 23, sweet, skint, stuck in a flatshare, quietly writing poetry and mistaking Chuck’s hollow little lifestyle for stability and adulthood, and I shudder as I say “something aspirational”.

This is vibes and red flags.

And the age gap, it's not even about age, it's about digital operating systems. Chuck texts like corporate email. Capital letters and punctuation. Joey texts like a human being. Fundamentally, they’re an incompatible species. The texting in this book is VIOLENT. The drafting. The deleting. The timestamp analysis. The if I reply now will I look desperate, disinterested, the absolute cringe spiral. I felt personally attacked. Calder has clearly watched and decided to ruin all of us. Also, this book gets that addiction isn’t just substances anymore. It’s loops. Notifications. Micro-validations. The constant hum of needing to feel something, anything, even if it’s it just a blue tick.

Oh, and the romance? Be serious. This is not love. This is two people almost trying cosplay intimacy. The sex scenes are forensically embarrassing. You will want to evacuate your own body. I feel like they're both obsessed with appearing cultured, interesting, and intellectual while rotting in real time with screens and bad decisions. It's self-awareness as an aesthetic. Depth as performance. Everyone is curating, no one is connecting.

The dual POV is savage. You watch them misunderstand each other and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Bleak, sometimes funny, emotionally eviscerating in a “oh god is this how I come across” sometimes way. Read this if you want to feel slightly exposed and ashamed of your own texting habits but if you are not a fan of Normal People you need to stay away from this.

I loved this almost spiritually humiliating read. Honestly, I just want them to be happy (but mostly, Joey).

Thank you to NetGalley and Faber for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

[Sian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t feel like I was reading the same book as the reviews as I found this depiction incredibly sad of 2 people living mediocre unhappy lives where they felt trapped. I enjoyed their coming together and the mismatch of their feelings but the unlikeable character of Chuck did jar my enjoyment of the book overall.

[Rachel Louise Atkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as amazing and outstanding as everyone is saying it is, but it's good. I can see why it's getting compared to Sally Rooney but also I think Rooney often has more to say than this does. It's about a woman in her early-twenties who gets into a situationship with an emotionally immature manchild in his late-thirties. You will spend the whole novel telling her to dump him and that's it, but it is a captivating and entertaining read and the characters grow on you.

[Ness]

idk why Goodreads has this as unpublished bcos it’s very unfortunately published.
1. Joey should have bludgeoned Chuck to death
2. What stupid name is chuck
3. I hate chuck
4. If you’re going to have a bit about how chuck writes flat female characters, you can’t also be writing the main girls as devoid of really any growth or inner life
5. I think this is a cynical and boring take on relationships
6. I think is a cynical, boring, tired and incorrect take on London
7. Joey should have stabbed chuck repeatedly

[Kate Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be inside a man’s mind is a tedious thing. May Joey find happiness far far far away from Chuck.

[Emma Marsden · Rating 1 out of 5]

Chuck is insufferable,
Joey isn’t thrashed out as a character, naive and young.

It’s unlikeable character, stupid decisions and no plot at all. If that’s your kinda story you may well love this.
I liken it to conversations with friends by Sally Rooney (I know most people love that book, I did not). So perhaps this style of writing just isn’t for me.

I can generally get behind unlikeable characters if there’s something more to the story or other characters but this just fell flat for me.

This is a book about two miserable people who hate their lives having a very awkward relationship… I’m yet to see the real point of the book to be honest.

ARC copy supplied by Net Galley.

[Niamh Horn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved loved loved
Gave me war flash backs with my ex tho hence the 4*s

[Boris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this novel everywhere in London when I was there three days ago, so I just had to buy it. I’m glad I did.

Jem Calder, what a writer. I rarely come across a contemporary romance that feels this well observed and sharply written. Calder captures relationships with remarkable precision, but what impressed me most was the attention to the tiny details that shape the modern millenial’s life - the calculations, the compromises, the quiet anxieties that often go unspoken.

It’s the kind of book that feels deeply specific to a generation, in ways that might be difficult to fully grasp if you’re much older or younger. Intelligent, funny, and painfully accurate, this was a standout read for me. I will definitely read whatever Calder has got cooking next.

ps: This book reminded me of Good material by Dolly Alderton, who is also very good at writing about modern romance. Interesting thing is that in Dolly's book I sided with the male character, while in Calder's book I sided with the female. So yes, Chuck was an asshole

[Esmé · Rating 3 out of 5]

didn’t get the hype! just gave me anxiety and lose faith in men watching him self destruct and double back, even though that was the moral of the story

the east london trendiness is a bit overdone although it was funny to recognise the non descript settings as broadway market and ldn fields. find men going through a break up a difficult trope to get through, no sympathy from me sorry x

[Mennnnnnat.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

felt like i was stuck in this situationship with them

[Caitlin Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guys this was not as revolutionary as people are saying it is. It’s another book about a man who needs help, doesn’t get it and puts all of his problem on what ever woman he’s with.

[erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

unbelievably dull

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm upset because it's compared to Sally Rooney and maybe I was naive to think that even with her praise, this would come anywhere close to her writing.

I can see the parallels for sure, but I never quite got attached to these characters like I did to Rooney's and for me, characters are the most important thing. Chuck was insufferable and I know he's supposed to be; sometimes I really enjoy being in the insufferable person's mind. Here, I did not. These two characters were really just going around in circles and it was hard to remain into it, especially when Chuck wasn't over his ex, or at least his ego wasn't, and he was not a great guy overall. At least Rooney's male characters have dialoge that my heart could yearn over.. that was not the case with this MMC. It was sad and frustrating but not the kind I enjoy unfortunately 😅

[Cat Grogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

it’s been a long time since a piece of fiction made me feel as bleak as this. i had kind of learned how to separate the emotions i feel when reading from the emotions i carry in my body after the reading is done, but this broke through those imposed barriers. just so close to the bone on the dire experience of dating men. being privy to chuck’s innermost thoughts as he fucks around with joey gave me insights into the male psyche i probably would have been happier without. fair play to jem caldwell — fella knows how to write.

[Katharina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Marni Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed this, thank you for the lend al! this was veryyyy hyped up and the kind of book it is definitely aligns to the how & the who of how it has been promoted. it’s is a real rooney-esque / modern life is rubbish sort of vibe.

i thought it was very honest / compassionate / vulnerable & appreciated how astutely observant it was. did a good job of incorporating the teams and slack of it all in a way that is admittedly slit-your-wrists bleak, but not forced or cringe. & there’s some fantastically constructed sentences. justice for smiley.

[Jana Van Caspel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3*** met pijn en moeite. Nu wil ik een boek waarin geen druppel alcohol wordt gedronken.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book doesn’t treat its male character harshly enough!! And also doesn’t do him justice!! I know the ending is ambiguous but that man is an alcoholic and doesn’t deserve to reconcile with his ex until he sorts out his own internal problems!! This isn’t fair!! I know fiction shouldn’t tie up all its ideas into neat bows but this feels both like a neat bow and an unravelled ball of string!! Pick!!

I also couldn’t help but think of a certain comedian and podcaster I’m currently deeply parasocial about as I was reading this and I’m sure that hasn’t helped with the above!!

[Rosie Cook · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would love to be happy after this novel

[peyton!! · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was genuinely one of the worst books I’ve ever read and I wish there was a better way to express that than giving it a single star. I wish I could remember all the reasons that I hated it, but alas I will just have to hit the highlights here:

1) I don’t have to like your characters (and frankly a lot of my favourite books have characters I dislike greatly), but I do need to care about them, and I just didn’t care about these two.

2) Chuck is a certifiable asshole and it pisses me off that he got a happier ending than Joey. Not even a happier ending actually, it pisses me off that he GOT an ending at all and she didn’t. I’m a woman in my twenties too and I would like to know that life isn’t all bowls of shit and dating men who hate your guts???

3) none of these characters are fleshed out or possess any depth in any way. They are shallow, selfish, and stupid, and frankly I didn’t give a crap about what happened to any of them. Also, not once did I ever feel there was any kind of spark between them. Again, I don’t have to like them but I do need to care about them, and I was just not invested in their “love story” because I didn’t feel or see any chemistry at all!! Why the hell were they even together!!!

4) if you’re writing what is being marketed as a “love story” of some kind, I feel like it’s fair for me to reasonably expect the sex scenes to have some kind of intimacy. But when your (sad and depressing) masturbation scenes have more intimacy and depth than your actual sex scenes, I think there’s a problem here. Also, less masturbation scenes please. Chuck is a 35 year old man there is no reason for every scene to start AND end with him jacking off in his living room.

5) this books is so unbelievably dull. The prose is listless and wandering, the plot lacks any kind of imagination or structure, there’s no clear ending of any kind for anyone or even a HINT of what could be an ending for them in the future, and frankly I don’t like books that take a completely nihilistic stance!!! Like maybe life ISN’T always out to get you and full of terrible terrible things all day every day for the rest of your life!!! I’m not saying every story has to have a happy ending but we have to keep up some kind of hope in humanity or else what do we even have anymore!!!!

Anyways. Off my soapbox now. I hate seeing people comparing this book to Sally Rooney because it could NEVER be her. Doesn’t even come close not even in the same UNIVERSE. Don’t piss me off.

[Snædís Björnsdóttir]

Þessi var svo góð! Hnífskarpt samtímaraunsæi; frábærlega vel skrifuð órómantísk ástarsaga; margt alveg óþægilega kunnuglegt og samt ekki. Myndi setja þessa í sama flokk og Perfection eftir Vincenzo Latronico og bækur Sally Rooney.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was absolutely sucked in. Did Calder hack my phone, enter my brain and possibly live in my walls to write this book? Perhaps. It was frighteningly astute and made me cringe at parts I could see myself in too clearly.

It just felt so real that I worried about Chuck and Joey like they were my friends when I was’t reading. Will be recommending it to all my real life friends 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I delved right into this hoping it might fill a Sally Rooney-shaped hole (she is after all an admirer of Calder's writing). Whilst I wouldn't put this up there with Rooney's novels just yet, there is no doubt that Jem Calder is a writer to watch and this is a really promising debut novel.

We follow Chuck, mid 30's, who works as a lead copy writer, and has just recently split from his fiance. He soon meets Joey, a 20-something aspiring poet who works in a coffee shop. Despite the prominent age gap and both of them being at very different stages in their lives, the two are drawn to each other.

First off, Chuck is a highly unlikeable character. And I don't mean the kind we love to hate. Whilst you can sympathise with the fact that he is clearly mentally going through a lot right now and has a drinking problem, he's also just a bit of a dick who doesn't treat Joey particularly well. Joey is disappointingly not as fleshed out as Chuck's character, but you can't help but root for her. Unusually for this kind of novel - a microscopic look at an all too real modern day relationship - I never once wanted them to be together. They felt like a mismatch from the outset and I couldn't see what either of them was getting from the other. And although it leaves you feeling a bit odd and unsettled to not be rooting for your two main characters to make it, I have to applaud Calder for doing just that.

It's uncomfortably honest, extremely awkward, and so rooted in our modern world that it's enough to make you feel a little bit sick.

If you like novels about messy feelings and relationships, about writers, those with dreams and those who fail, then this is for you.

[Gabrielle Anagnostopoulos · Rating 2 out of 5]

oh man I wanted to love this because it it physically one of the coolest books I've ever seen (it's a soft cover with a book jacket!!!) but I just did not. I've read a few reviews saying it's a love story for the digital age, but I found it a largely depressing book that is trying more to be a commentary on modern relationships than actually achieving that. It has a lot of complaints about living in London that were very stereotypical, like a key plot point later in the book is a Gail's opening. Like come on.

The way it's written is very ''she did this, and then this, and then this'' and it was more the author explicitly telling me about a character's development as opposed to having me draw the conclusions of how the characters are changing from the book itself.

[Anna Lingard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ✨

[Vicky G · Rating 3 out of 5]

this one’s for the east londoners