Reviewed on Richard & Judy on Wednesday 15th August 2007.
This is such a funny book despite its sad subject matter of a young man being widowed suddenly at the age of 29. The protagonist of the novel, Doug, finds himself in despair and having to cope with everyone else in his life suddenly becoming the most dysfunctional they ever have. Told with real wit and dry humour this is a book that can be read in one sitting and hardly surprising that it appears as one of Richard and Judy’s Summer Reads. Obvious comparisons will be to Nick Hornby and Tony Parsons but with a New York slant.

Synopsis

When Doug Parker married Hailey - beautiful, smart and ten years older - he left his carefree Manhattan life behind to live with her and her teenage son, Russ, in the suburbs. Three years later, Hailey has been dead for a year, and Doug, a widower at 29, just wants to drown himself in self-pity and Jack Daniels. But his family has other ideas...

Russ is furious with Doug for not adopting him after Hailey died, and has fallen in with a bad crowd. Claire, Doug's irrepressible and pregnant twin sister, has just left her husband and moved in, uninvited, determined to turn his life around. Then there's Debbie, their younger sister, engaged to Doug's ex-best friend and maniacally determined to pull of the perfect wedding at any cost.

Soon, Doug finds himself trying to forge a relationship with Russ, reconnecting with his own eccentric nuclear family, and reluctantly dipping his toes into the shark-infested waters of the second-time-around dating scene. It isn't long before his new life is spinning hopelessly out of control...

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About the Author

Jonathan Tropper was born and raised in Riverdale, New York. He attended the creative writing program at New York University Graduate School of Arts and Science, where he received a Masters degree. His novels have been translated into more than ten languages. He lives with his wife and children in Westchester, New York, and teaches writing at Manhattanville College. More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation