I picked up this ARC after I noticed that the book was on every must read summer book list that I looked at and that our bookstore had not yet purchased it. We have now!
It’s the story of a reclusive former tv sitcom star, Patrick, who takes his niece and nephew for the summer after his sister in law/BFF dies and his brother goes into rehab. Patrick has no experience caring for children and often leaves them bewildered by his speeches but the kids immediately understand what a loving heart underlies his bluster. The family dynamics, descriptions of trying to be authentic as a gay manin a family he felt unrecognized in, and the dealing with Patrick’s grief for his friend and for a former lover whom he also lost, lift this story from just another witty beach read into a full bodied novel that had me cheering for the entire family of characters. This deserves to be on all the summer lists!