Guess What? I Love You

by Mike Maimone

When indie musician Mike Maimone meets legendary publicist Howard Bragman, neither expects a once-in-a-lifetime love story to unfold. Despite their perceived differences, they quickly build a world together based on music, humor, hard-won wisdom, and the unexpected tenderness that comes from finding your forever person just when you'd given up looking.

But when Howard is diagnosed with cancer on the eve of Mike's proposal, the life they had been envisioning together changes overnight. What follows is both devastating and luminous—a final chapter marked by brutal honesty, fierce devotion, and moments of grace that arrive exactly when they're needed most.

Guess What? I Love You is Mike's memoir of the great love of his life and the tragedy of losing it too soon. He has also produced an album of the same name. As he channels his grief into words and music—guided by beautiful and inexplicable synchronicities—readers witness a transformation from heartbreak toward healing.

The result is both a portrait of love and a testament to resilience: a deeply intimate yet universal story celebrating love's power to endure.

PRAISE:
"A memoir that speaks true to the overwhelming grief of a cherished time cut short, and to the joy of a richly remembered relationship."
— Kirkus Reviews Verdict: Get it.

"I knew Howard Bragman as an advocate for truth—someone who believed that living authentically wasn’t a sound bite, but a responsibility. He helped me and others tell our stories, often before the world was ready to listen.
In Guess What? I Love You, Mike Maimone carries his husband's legacy forward with grace, courage, and heart. Mike writes with vulnerability and clarity, refusing easy answers or tidy endings. What he offers instead is something more powerful: permission—to feel, to love openly, to grieve honestly, and to keep choosing truth even when it's difficult."
— DON LEMON, award-winning journalist and bestselling author

"The most honest book I've read all year... I loved this book."
— ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI, host of the Open Book podcast

"An honest, moving account of love, loss and the radical act of staying open to possibility."
— Los Angeles Magazine

"Structuring his memoir of love and loss as a magnificent mixtape... Maimone invites readers into an intimate narrative that blends headover- heels giddiness with deep devotion."
— BookLife Reviews, a division of Publishers Weekly

"Maimone's beautifully written, deeply moving memoir will stir the soul of anyone who reads it. This story captures all the joy, wonders and heartaches of finding a new love, only to end tragically. The heart of this book is the very moving private relationship of two men whose lives come together through the magic of love, in an extraordinary way that neither one thought was possible, showing us all that love can last a lifetime - even through death."
— THOMAS MAIER, New York Times bestselling author of Masters of Sex

"Well done."
— GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, award-winning journalist and TV anchor

"Utilizing slices of charm and entertainment, this beautifully crafted piece demonstrates that love, in its purest form, lives beyond time and space and continues to grow stronger with the dawning of each new day!"
— JAMES VAN PRAAGH, #1 New York Times bestselling spiritual medium

"A once-in-a-lifetime love story... heartbreaking and healing all at once."
— Queerty

"Revelatory and rousing... a moving memoir about lasting love."
— Foreward Clarion Reviews 4/5 stars

"A heartfelt, poignant memoir... Readers looking for real-life examples of enduring, mature love standing firm against all challenges will fully enjoy Guess What? I Love You."
— BlueInk Review ★ Starred Review

"The book is a masterclass in emotional precision. It is an essential read for anyone navigating grief, proving that love's spectrum remains vast even in the face of loss."
— The Fight Magazine

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 10, 2026

About the author

Mike Maimone is a singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, and author. After earning a business degree from the University of Notre Dame, he briefly worked as an accountant before leaving the corporate world to pursue music full-time. He has written and published more than two hundred songs, many heard on TV, in movies, and on the radio. In addition to being a prolific recording artist, Maimone has averaged over 100 tour dates per year since 2005. He has played festivals such as Lollapalooza, headlined legendary venues like the Metro and the Troubador, performed with Stevie Wonder, and toured in support of OK Go, Plain White T's, Blues Traveler, and more. His fifteenth album serves as a companion piece to his first book, "Guess What? I Love You."

Reviews

[Chris Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first discovered Mike's music by happy accident on Instagram and TikTok a couple of years ago. He describes himself as 'genre-fluid' and never has a truer word been spoken: from American roots and blues, through alt-country to ballads and even, in his previous incarnation as the band Mutts, a power-trio, Mike's music continues to develop in constantly interesting ways.
However, this is his first book.
A companion piece to his new album of the same name, 'Guess What? I Love You' tells of the love story between Mike and Howard Bragman, a love story tragically cut short by Howard's passing from cancer.
OK, first things first and full disclosure - I really enjoyed this. Mike's prose, like his music, is very direct and uncluttered. He is not trying to awe you with complex sentence structures or astonish you with his clever use of metaphor, he is trying to engage and move you with simple, immediate, appropriate and emotional language. And he succeeds wonderfully with that intent.
All but the hardest hearted with find themselves with damp eyes as Mike describes the depth of his feelings for Howard and I am not ashamed to say that I found myself openly weeping as he outlines Howard's rapid decline and passing.
But, I feel I must emphasise, it is not all sadness and tears. Mike details their relationship from the very start to the deep connection they both felt and he does so with humour, kindness and a self-aware and self-deprecating honesty that is both rare to see and most refreshing.
Despite having been a fan of his music for a couple of years now, I must admit that I came to this book with a degree of trepidation - would the power of his lyrics be translated to his prose writing? I need not have worried.
Genuinely profound in places, 'Guess What? I Love You' is a charming, moving and astoundingly honest tale of two people who find in each other the love and connection they have been searching for. It is a bittersweet triumph for an artist not normally associated with books, and I look forward to where this new-found talent takes him.

[Chelle F · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a bit apprehensive going into this as a straight girl and wasn't sure it was geared for all. All that nonsense quickly melted away. How this is Maimone's first book is beyond me, so well written and he took the time to explain things which is more than appreciated as who does not want to come out of a book without knowledge? The story was pretty much in order of events, and easy to follow along. I enjoyed getting to know Mike & Howard, they really had that special love story that remains. I even scored an autographed copy! All in all, this was a beautiful story, so much vulnerability, I could never share all that, that takes guts. Oh, do not forget, there is soundtrack that goes along with the book, Moon River and The Best are my favorites!! PS-what happened to Nacho & Curtis though? PSS-the book cover is Gorgeous. Please Mike, write another masterpiece soon! Thank you for sharing your magical love with us!

[Stephen Poltz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered Mike Maimone on social media. Clips of his music began showing up in my feeds, probably because I tend to view videos by gay musicians. Mike was very different, with a gravelly Dr. John kind of voice and a distinctive blues/jazz/ballad fusion style. With all those slashes, you can probably say he transcends styles. I began following him and learned more about where he is in his life. He is a widower, having lost his husband and soul mate from an aggressive form of leukemia less than a year after they met. However, in that time, they both discovered they had found true love. This book is Mike’s memoir of their relationship.

Come visit my blog for the full review…
https://itstartedwiththehugos.blogspo...

[Rafff · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was very hard to read for me, honestly, and I don’t mean that it’s bad, but rather, the pain of reading the pages was just too intense for me (I’m an emotional person, so it just gets to a point where I just feel too much sometimes, it’s nothing new), that I had to step away for a few minutes before continuing on reading the next because I was sobbing uncontrollably. That said, it’s a very heartfelt memoir and I just wanted to say, again, thank you for sharing this. I will treasure this, you and Howard in my heart forever.

[DAVID FINK · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a loving tribute to a husband, exploring a full arc of their relationship. The book drew out emotions I didn’t know I had. There is a lot of specificity that translates to the general. And there are a lot of truths regarding gay courtship and commitment. I’m glad I went on this journey.

[Brett Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike has an amazing ability to be an incredibly vulnerable,approachable, and funny writer. The loss of a husband or spouse must be unfathomable. His ability to tell his side of the story to honor the amazing man that was Howard his husband is touching and memorable. Hit all the emotional buttons for me. Great job, Mike! What can’t you do?

[DAVID ROSSI · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very real and heartwarming tribute to that one special person in your life that comes along but then is gone. Mike bears his heart and soul about his relationship in this book and the album (with the same title) and songs (many videos on YouTube) he created are not to be missed.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've grown to be a big fan of Maimone over the last year, first at hearing his music and then learning his story and tragedy. This audiobook is a snapshot of a life lived in such a short time but a meaningful experience. I had such a hard time keeping my eyes dry the last half of this.

[George Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute, quick, fun and easy read by a fun musician I follow on IG.

[Ericdekker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very moving novel about living real love and the unexpected, unwanted ending of that.

[JosephGlen McWherter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immerse yourself into a one of a kind experience…

The book cover grabs your curiosity like a magnet. One you start to read, you can’t let go. You will have to pause to catch your breath. The story goes directly to the heart and emotions of the reader. It’s a constant feedback of those little details about life and love that need to be shared. You will feel empathy with the author. At the end, you will wish to be his friend. I enjoyed this book immensely because much of its story has parallels with my life. Buy a copy and prepare yourself to read it again and again. Thank you Mr. Mike Maimone. Hugs!