Three's A Crowd

by Simon Booker

What happens when an estranged father and son unwittingly fall in love with the same woman?

'What a treat this novel is! Compulsively readable, and with surprising twists and turns right to the end. And who knew that such a nightmarish situation could be so funny?' DEBORAH MOGGACH, bestselling author of The Carer

'Fun, fresh and endlessly entertaining!' HEIDI SWAIN, Sunday Times bestselling author
 
A hilariously laugh out loud, romantic comedy, perfect for fans of Something to Live For (Richard Roper), Love, Unscripted (Owen Nicholls), The Love Square (Laura Jane Williams), and Us (David Nicholls).
 
Out-of-work actor Harriet is recuperating from a crash-and-burn affair with Damian – aka ‘Cockweasel’ – and making ends meet as a barista when she meets two rather lovely men. Tom is a regular at the café, and seems like such a nice guy. Smooth-talking DJ Richard is older, but in great shape – a real silver fox.
 
Deciding to take a chance on both of them, Harriet doesn’t realise at first that she is actually dating father and son. Tom and Richard aren’t on speaking terms, and don’t share a last name – so how was she to know? By the time everyone finds out, both Tom and Richard are truly madly deeply in love with Harriet, and she’s faced with an impossible choice.
 
But as the battle for her affections intensifies, ‘Cockweasel’ makes an unexpected reappearance and begs her to give him another chance…

Genres: Fiction, Romance, British Literature

Audible Audio

Published August 24, 2021

About the author

I’m an author and screenwriter with many credits in primetime drama on BBC1 and ITV. I’ve written original thrillers like The Stepfather for ITV1, penned BBC1 adaptations such as Just William, and worked on long-running series including The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Holby City and The Mrs Bradley Mysteries starring the wonderful Diana Rigg. I’ve also written romantic comedies for American TV, including Perfect Strangers starring Anna Friel and Rob Lowe (and yes, his eyes really are that blue). I started my writing career with a collection of plays for BBC Radio 4 and have worked extensively as a TV and radio producer, and as a journalist.

Without Trace is the first in a series of psychological thrillers featuring Morgan Vine, a single mother and journalist who specialises in miscarriages of justice. I enjoy writing for TV but it’s great to branch out into new territory. And I hope Morgan Vine might one day show up on a screen near you.

I live in London and Deal, Kent. I’m a volunteer facilitator in restorative justice, working with offenders at HMP Brixton. My partner is fellow crime writer Melanie "M.J." McGrath. We often discuss murder methods over breakfast.

Reviews

[Sabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very fresh. I liked the writing. 3.5 stars



The character writing, plot, scene were nice. Especially, liked the artistic careers of all the three leads.

The thing that lacked in times was comedy, it was more of a dry humour instead of my preferred humourous one. But, that's subjective, so it's okay.

[Ingstje · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some will argue with me that you can enjoy a rom-com at any given time of the year but for me this is the best season to add some extra sweetness and love into my life and Three’s A Crowd certainly puts the sugar in my tea. I think I resist it most of the time but at the end of the year I can’t seem to get enough of it.

When I saw Simon Booker, the author, during a live Zoom session where several new books were announced for 2021 by publisher Simon & Schuster, I enjoyed his little quips and when he told us about his new book Three’s A Crowd, I knew it would contain that same type of humour and I wanted to read it as soon as I could. The book’s publication date is set for 24 August so you could say I really couldn’t wait to read it.

It all starts when Harriet meets Richard in the run-up for The Voice of London competition (to become the person who tells you to ‘Mind The Gap’) and she meets Tom in the coffee shop where she works as a barrista. Father and son don’t know of each other because they haven’t spoken to each other in a long time. The reason for the radio silence between them and their difficult relationship throughout Tom’s childhood was a mystery on its own and the revelations about the root of their astrangement certainly came as a big surprise and was definitely one of the best twists in this novel.

I know a lot of readers don’t really like a love triangle trope and although I don’t really mind as long as it doesn’t happen to me, you can rest assured Three’s A Crowd has a much lighter and funnier outlook on the whole love triangle trope. For one the whole ‘affair’ with the two men doesn’t go too deep and doesn’t get too complicated, on the contrary, it plays out on the same level field so that made it fun and I didn’t have to take sides to support whoever wasn’t winning. Tom and Richard were both interesting men with a good nature and with Harriet’s age right in the middle of them she could do well with both of them.

Three’s A Crowd has a little bit of everything, drama, mystery, love and well, the bottom line is that it is just fun to read. The story was engaging from the start and it was cute to see both men falling for Harriet and trying to be a perfect gentleman at every moment, being patient because they were playing the long game, patience thus being the key word.

A little word about the other characters who make Three’s A Crowd a very worthy read then. Age is just a number, Three’s A Crowd proves it! Gorgeous George, Richard’s father, is to put it quite frank an 80 year old gigolo trying to swindle his latest love interest Imelda for money by spinning her a story about an African gold mine… George is here and there and everywhere, except with his son who has cut him out of his life… And then there is one of the youngest of mind, Nan (Nancy), Harriet’s grandmother who is such a fun character to have come across and her advice to her granddaughter is priceless. It’s not really what you expect from a grandmother but I loved her one-liners!

3% in: “Like Nan says – try everything once except incest, folk dancing and bin juice.”

6% in: “… she listened to me wanging on about Cockweasel, took out her teeth then said, ‘The best way to get over a bloke is to get under a bloke.’ I like her style.”

The story kept me well entertained, it is certainly much more than a love story and quite enjoyable to read even if you’re not big on romance, and I’m satisfied with the way the story ended although I didn’t anticipate who she would choose/not choose. There were quite a few unexpected twists throughout the story and I did like that all the different storylines with the other characters, Nancy and Gorgeous George were thought out and were wrapped up nicely as well. It wouldn’t surprise me if I’d see this novel on screen at some point. I’d certainly watch it because it’s perfect rom-com material!

[Belinda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn’t finish this. It was boring, superficial characters and some really questionable stalking. I’m not surprised to find a book written about 2 men childishly fighting over a woman is written by a man.

[Fabulous Book Fiend · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the premise for this story, two people in love with the same girl who just happen to be related. I think it would make an excellent limited series for Netflix and I can imagine is playing out with much humour on the screen. I was expecting a little slapstick humour in the book but it actually goes a lot deeper than that. This book tackles mental health head on, delving into topics not often talked about in a romantic comedy in this way and I definitely applaud Simon Booker for the content choices that he made.

Harriet, Tom and Richard feel very true to life. Their careers, their home lives and their hopes and dreams all seem very easy to relate to and I felt like they could really exist. I listened to the audiobook for this and was lucky enough to listen on a couple of train/ bus journeys through London. Whilst listening I could picture the characters walking along the streets I was traveling and I loved the TFL link with Harriet.

It took me a while to get to know each character and adjust to the structure of the book, I started reading this one as an ebook but I kept losing which character was which and so that's why I downloaded the audiobook. The narration of each character really helped me get to grips with whose chapter we were on an I felt like I got a deeper understanding of who everyone was. The eBook felt a little slow in the beginning but once I got into the audiobook I flew through the rest fo the story.

I really enjoyed the context and the way the storyline played out. I did find it funny and I was invested in Harriet's story. I warmed to Harriet as a character despite the questionable choices he made. I would like to revisit Tom's character again in the future to find out what has become of his dreams and his relationship with his family. I strong 2021 debut.

[Victoria Wilks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a truly beautiful romantic comedy that I found impossible to put down.
The characters were all brought to life brilliantly and well developed. I found myself really liking each of them as individuals and could not wait to see how the love triangle would pan out as the book progressed.
The storyline is perfection and really keeps you engaged to the very end, full of laugh out loud moments alongside those that really warmed your heart, this was a delightful read!.

[lucy (taylor's version) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5: i was so bored. the whole time.

[Dominic Gray · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the premise at the start but the plot became way too far fetched from midway through to the end.

I also felt the characters were very cliche and although supposed to be Londoners through and through, there were a remarkable amount of Americanisms sprinkled throughout that made it feel a bit inconsistent.

The characters also regularly referenced popular or old sayings/phrases/quotes which really added nothing and became quite tiring quite quickly.

[Gingercat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The unusual premise of this book immediately caught my attention. What would happen if a father and son both fall for the same woman… intriguing, right?

I must admit that it took me a good few chapters to get to grips with the writing and the characters, but after a slow start it all fell into place.

The author explores the issue of relationships – family, romantic and friendships – and there are certainly a fair few versions of each in this story! The book also takes a look at mental health. It does so in a humorous fashion but not so as to detract from the seriousness of the issue.

The story revolves around three flawed, frustrating but likeable characters - Harriet, Tom and Richard. Gorgeous George (Tom’s grandfather) and Nancy (Harriet’s Nan) may have small parts in the overall story, however they are certainly scene stealers, particularly Nan who gets some of the best lines in the book!

Three’s A Crowd is a witty, clever and unique take on a romantic comedy. It’s entertaining, engaging, a little bit quirky and ultimately uplifting, plus the plot will certainly keep the reader interested.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with a review copy of Three’s A Crowd.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it. really funny and lots of heart. Had a lot to say about family relationships and dynamics. I loved the characters. Absolutely begging to be turned into a film

[Agi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard is a DJ at the local oldies radio station. His son, Tom, is a struggling writer, working on his musical. They haven’t spoken to each other for a long time, having a rather difficult relationship, with Richard for example not speaking to Tom, when he was 6 years old, and his wife Bonnie, for a whole year – there are some revelations coming our way here! But then father and son meet Harriet, though they don’t know that the other one also met her, and also fell in love with her – until they know. What now? Is one of them going to back down or is the situation going to escalate?

I loved the premise of the story and the more I read, the more intrigued I was and the more I wanted to know how it’s going to end. And well, I absolutely haven’t guessed the end, so there. I am still, after having finished the book a few hours ago, wondering if I’m satisfied with it or not, but on the other hand, if the ending was different, would I be satisfied? No, I think the author has got out from all those troubles and the dilemma really well.
I know that love triangle may be an uncomfortable topic, but Simon Booker took a much lighter and funnier approach in his book. The whole affair was actually like a background to the many other events and subplots taking place in the story, and there were plenty of them, there was all the time something happening and I really loved it like this.

The characters were great, so well drawn and really well developed, I felt a part of their fictional world, I cheered with them, cringed with them and kept my fingers crossed for them. Tom and Richard were actually both so likeable that I’ve never actually wanted to take sides, and Harriet was a perfect balance to them both. The background characters were sometimes really bonkers and I couldn’t believe my eyes, I felt as if I were in a gangster film sometimes, what with Gorgeous George spinning stories about an African gold mine for example.

Now, perhaps I’m overthinking things here, apologies in advance, but there came a moment in the story when it started to feel like a bit different read, taking turn from a rom – com to more of comedy of random errors with whiz – bang shoot-’em-ups and with the events happening incredibly quickly, at the end we were literally moving from scene to scene, quickly and without a warning. The last parts of the story felt too chopped and too rushed and absolutely different to the rest of the book. Nevertheless, I found this book a brilliant and entertaining debut and I liked how the story played out and that, despite being so light – hearted and funny, it was full of depth and also thought – provoking, much more than a love – story.

Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flows like a steady stroll in the country

This book tackles mental health and how everyone suffers differently.

I knew this book was going to be a good read when I read that the author is a screenwriter and his tv credits include Holby City !

I really enjoyed how the relationships between Tom and Harriet, Harriet and Richard and Tom and Richard panned out , the love triangle had me gripped. At times I would be team Tom but then I switched to Team Richard towards the end. Who did Harriet get with ? You will have to read it to find out …

[Lauren Murray · Rating 1 out of 5]

If the author set out to write a book with no likeable characters, he should congratulate himself on a job well done.

The two men that fall in “love” (serious insta-love) with the main woman are horrendously creepy. She kissed ya once mates - back aff ya spooky bitch(es).

I would love an explanation as to how the initials on page 365 line up with the initials of the character they are trying to spell out?

If I had to read the word “libretto” one more time, the entire book would be going out the window.

Managed to finish the book through sheer force of will - whatever goodwill went into reading this book was massively misplaced.

[faith:) · Rating 3 out of 5]

took me forever to finish this book, but it was a good read! i wasn’t a fan of the way it ended and it isn’t the best book i’ve read but i needed to finish it to see what happened

[Kate Highmore · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t set out to make a gendered reading of this book, but with the publishing industry’s often simplistic code for ‘light woman lit’, in mind, it does seem to be marketed at straight women (the romance plot; the fact the male author’s name is hidden behind initials; the candy coloured covers; the illustrations etc). Quite often, readers seek relatability and strong female leads in such novels - (myself included) and quite honestly there's a dearth of anything really original or thoughtful available now for this market. Three's a Crowd looked quite fresh and interesting, and to begin with I thought 'wahoo, a good book,' but halfway thought it'd lost me completely. Certainly, if you're looking for something upliftingly feminist this book, you’ll be disappointed.

I got the sense that a middle aged straight male author’s fantasy wish fulfilment is playing out in these pages - mid-thirties beauty with sexy voice has siren-like desirability for man 15 years her senior. Despite that, though, the author shows emotional range and depth when writing from a male or a female perspective. And at times, desire and longing are very convincingly drawn - a scene early on, between the female lead and her older suitor, sizzles with chemistry and the banter rattles along.

As it progresses though, the novel feels fairly clumsy and trips and lands splat in a few pretty sexist tropes. I hope I'm not wheeling out the S word lightly; I know it can be a minefield for blokes to know what they 'can' and 'can't' say, and I'm pretty laidback, but here's my case:

-The ‘father and son’ characters squabble so immaturely over the female lead, often with the assumption that she has absolutely no agency. Rarely do we see the two plonkers ponder the possibility that *neither* of them are really her type. Even when both extend friendship to her, it isn't selfless - one of them is still thinking, 'maybe she'll decide it's ME she needs to have around because I'm wadded,' quite as if he feels she's a hapless little creature. There’s an essence of something quite 'caveman' in this novel - everything that the female lead character achieves seems to be provided by the blokes in the book. They see it as their duty and the narrative doesn't challenge the idea she might be able to look after herself without a fella's stinking great pile of cash. The one whiff of balance is when the female lead helps her younger admirer write his musical. On the whole though, in this book, women - although not without talent - are liberated and supported by much more successful men. Even in an ‘other woman’ scenario about halfway through, two women are depicted as sort of squabbling over this wealthy man, and the crux of the plot then boils down to - 'how can we extort money out of this b*stard because he's made a mint and we cant provide for ourselves?'

So there's this questionable nonsense to contend with, but sometimes it’s actually downright sketchy. One of the blokes actually follows the female lead back from work one day to see where she’s going - and whether or not he’s hopelessly in love (which I'm actually just not convinced by - by the middle section, the attraction is so flimsily drawn) it gives me a shudder. Yes, it's meant to be whimsical and funny but I really don’t care - *following* the woman you fancy is normalised here; it's just not challenged in the narrative at all. It's sort of fine that this man wants to check up on his Great Love. I think he felt weird for a second, but did it anyway.

I only finished this book to see if there was anything redeemable. I just didn't think it was brilliantly written and I didn't feel invested in the characters.

[Bookshortie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harriett works at a café as a barista but that’s not the job that she truly wants as she wants to pursue a role in the performing arts but she is waiting for her big break. Tom visits the café regularly to the point that Harriet knows his order as soon as he walks through the door. Tom really likes Harriet. When Harriett applies for a job as a TFL announcer her path crosses with Richard a radio presenter and he too takes a liking to Harriett. What Harriet doesn’t know is that Richard and Tom are father and son. She starts to spend more time with each of them until the dots are connected and the three realise they are involved in a love triangle. The battle for Harriett’s affections has started. Who will be the ultimate winner? Who will Harriett choose?

I’ve read a lot of contemporary fiction and romance novels but I’ve not read one for awhile with a love triangle. I don’t recall reading one where the love triangle involved a father and son respectively so this for me was quite a refreshing read. I have to say I really enjoyed the storyline. It kept my attention from the beginning and it kept me guessing as I wasn’t sure what would happen next. This was such a funny read. The storyline was filled with humour and I lost count of the amount of time I was laughing out loud. The relationship between Richard and Tom is certainly strained and broke down further when Tom’s mother left causing Richard and Tom to become estranged. Tom believes that his father cheated on his mother and that’s why she left but as the story unfolds we actually find out a bit more about Richard’s relationship with his wife. For Richard since his wife left he put his life on hold maybe in the hope that she would return and Harriett is the first person that he looks to as a potential love interest and a chance for him to move on with his life. Richard and Tom are quite alike but they’re also very different. The one thing that they have in common is that they’re both extremely competitive. When they find out that they have both been inadvertently dating Harriet neither of them backs down rather they both start vying for her affections. One of the funniest parts of the book was when Harriett starts working with Richard at the radio station and they go to a yoga class for research purposes. So as not to be left out Tom invites himself along so he can keep an eye on them both and to make sure that Richard doesn’t get closer to Harriett

What I liked about the story was that I thought I knew which direction the story was going in and then it took an unexpected turn when Richard’s father was introduced. The story then took a slightly different direction but I think this really added a fresh element to the story. At times I did feel bad for Harriet because she finds herself in the middle of this love triangle. Her previous relationship was something short of a disaster so when her ex makes a reappearance things do get more complicated and totally messy.


A love triangle story which will have you laughing out loud.

[Karen Kingston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have noticed that I read very few books written by men, and if I do pick one up, it tends to be a thriller. So I was interested to read a romcom written by a man, especially after reading fabulous reviews from some of my favourite authors, including Milly Johnson and Heidi Swain.

The story is narrated by three of the main characters, Tom, Richard and Harriet (and an occasional guest appearance from George). Through a series of events, they find their lives overlapping in ways they could never have imagined.

Tom and Richard are keen to impress Harriet (both immediately pretend to be vegetarian) but Harriet is still in love with Damian, a married man. I loved how Tom and Richard discovered that they had fallen for the same woman. Would it be a case of all is fair in love and war?

I thoroughly enjoyed the humour in this story – something much needed in the world at the moment. This isn’t a long epic read, the pace is quick and there are plenty of clever twists to keep you wondering what will happen next.

This is also a book that reminds us that we need to live life to the full, to follow our hearts and dreams, and to try rather than listen to our self-doubts. There are some tender scenes too, as Tom and Richard finally start to communicate.

Happy to recommend this uplifting read.

[Tuesday Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

One sentence review: A good read for those who like a no thrills, casual tale!

'Three's A Crowd' was an enjoyable book for a casual read, although I found it lacked excitement. The story just didn't connect to me, but I can see why it may be of interest to others. It wasn't bad enough for me to stop reading, but it did take me much longer to read this than other books of the same length.

I had high hopes for this book but I found that there were a lot of empty plot lines and a lot of events that resulted in no story progression. A random plot twist was added near the end, which just seemed to be pulled out of thin air. It was almost like Booker wanted to add something exciting, but for me, it was a random and confusing plotline. The story of a love triangle got lost gradually as the story progressed.

So why the three stars? I did find the first half of this book enjoyable and the characters themselves were developed well. I particularly liked how Harriet's OCD was portrayed throughout and how the rivalry between father and son was written. It didn't take too much thinking or concentration, which was nice after reading a few heavier books.

Overall, I did find this book enjoyable for the most part, but the ending left me confused and underwhelmed. I wouldn't recommend this book if you like a bit of action.

[Moonie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook which has a full cast of voice actors. What I did like about this was that we get to learn and read about Harriet's OCD/ intrusive thoughts. It was informative and enlightening to read, especially since I think it's important that we read books about other people's experiences and ways of seeing the world, even if it's in a fiction book. Other than that, this book was not for me. I definitely liked Richard more than Tom but Richard was cheesy. They both say they love Harriet, that she's "Miss Right", she's the perfect one for them... but why? Their reasons for loving her to the point where they would fight their own son/ father was not emphasised enough and therefore their complete infatuation with her wasn't believable, which is important considering the plot. The family drama in this one is high and there's a plot concerning diamonds towards the end that I did not care for. All of the characters were annoying so it was hard to root for anyone in this book.

[Wendy(Wendyreadsbooks) Robey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and quick paced read with an interesting concept. Full of very dry humour this story has a lot of laugh out loud moments and the will she /won’t she storyline kept me going til the very end.
Each of the characters are written in such a way to allow you to empathise with them but never too deep - you’re reminded time and time again this is a fun read.
A different spin on a romantic comedy with the addition of a complex relationship between father and son, S R Booker has written a lighthearted tale about coincidence and what if’s.

[Trish Hills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three's A Crowd comes with high praise from fellow authors so I was quite excited to read it. The premise sounded hilarious and quite unique, unlike any other book I've read.

The 3 main characters, Tom, Richard and Harriet end up tangled in a very odd love triangle type situation and the way the story unravels is very clever. I really liked Harriet, she was determined, funny and sweet. Tom and Richard, however, both grated on me more than a little.

I liked it this book and read it in one sitting. I laughed a fair few times and there some Oh Wow moments that I really enjoyed.

I particularly liked the final third of the book. It was unexpected, fun and exciting!

Overall, I say 7/10. It's worth a read if you're after something different and funny.

[Grackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I….cannot say how i truly feel about this book? Very much different to what I am used to, very much did not expect where this book was going to go. I did not bond with the characters, not sure if it was tone or personalities, but I struggled to warm to them. Love the realness and dialougue surround mental health tho, hence the extra star.

I won’t lie though, I really am not sure what i just read and I don’t think i ever will

[Rachel Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet premise of a story and I wanted something super light so it fit the bill.
Didn’t quite believe in the characters profiles or the language they used
Quite a lot left unsaid which is frustrating when you’ve read 400+ pages
Could definitely be shorter, felt so packed out. Could have cut around 150 words IMHO
Agree nice premise for a Netflix show especially musical comedy
Overall.. So meh like

[Ebony Gillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this book. It was absolutely hilarious and definitely kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for Harriet to choose.

Harriet works as a barista who is an aspiring actress. She is a work in the cafe where she meets regular coming Tom and Richard who works as a DJ for a local radio station. Harriet fancies both men and decides to start dating them. Only to find out they are both related… father and son!

[Kimbaws · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to netgalley for the copy of this book.

I wasn't sure I would enjoy this book, it's not your standard rom-com that I tend to favour, however overall I did enjoy it. It explored relationships and family drama in an unexpected way, with a dash of mystery and seedy scheming. I found myself rooting for each character during their narrative which is quite interesting.

[Bloom⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't even know what to say about this book, the main character is horrible and cringey, expecting these two men to serve her on hand and foot even though she's described as a "strong female lead"

The "thoughts" , everyone has intrusive thoughts, this was written like it was some kind of horrible disease, and she acts like she has to hide it !!

I'm just so confused

[Cay Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t really like this book, thought all of the characters were unlikeable in their own way, wasn’t sure about the writing style either. Thought the author had a good plot idea but it just wasn’t executed very well. Did like the plot twist about the father and son though. Ending was very abrupt.

[Sharlene Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable listen good believable story enjoyed the characters

[Layna Fong · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5* stars

Such a fun story! Gives me big 90s romcon vibes, think Bridget Jones etc.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how different and unpredictable this was! It would make a great movie or mini series.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many unexpected twist and turns in the book, I couldn’t put it down. Managed near enough the whole book in a day, I would recommend this!