Third Wheel at first glance is an apocalyptic romcom. The protagonist is a single young man who has become a perpetual third wheel to all his happily coupled up friends. But now aliens have landed and their ideas of coupledom are significantly different, not too mention dangerous. It no longer pays to be part of a couple and survival is at a premium. Sounds cute, right? But the great thing about this book is that it isn’t or more like it manages to put its cuteness aside and get down to some seriously brutal apocalyptic reality. All the time spent describing various friends and their significant others and how they got together (frankly almost overwhelmingly so, at times it’s difficult to remember who’s who), so naturally you’ll end up carrying for them, they are, after all, a likeable bunch. And then the author does away with them, savagely. And, to his credit, very creatively. I enjoy apocalyptic fiction in general and it’s always nice to find a new twist on the genre. This story doesn’t offer any sort of warm and fuzzy resolution as you well know from chapter one narrated from some form of alien enclosure. Maybe there’s a sequel in the works. Though it works very well as a standalone survival story…and as a social commentary on the importance of pairing up too, I suppose. Plus it’s charming and charmingly British to boot, so there’s much to like here. It’s my second read by Unbound Press, winners both, and what an interesting concept, these books’ fates are decided by the public and are sponsored into being. Mind you, both very absolutely good enough to be released via more traditional methods and more well known publishers, but either way…I’m glad they came into the world. This one was tons of fun and a very enjoyable read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.