This was a really easy read. Sometimes I struggled with the language, but this was when phrases like 'ace' were used and probably because I don't use those words.

The story follows Ted, who after discovering his husband has been cheating, goes on a journey of self discovery. I loved the positivity that came with this story - making good out if something bad. Matt Cain must have experienced some true heartbreak as the way that this was described during the story and the way Ted dealt with it, was perfection.

The drag story did seem a little predictable, but it didn't detract from the enjoyment of the story. Other twists and turns definitely made up for it.

The author writes wonderful characters. This book tackles some tough subjects and the author deals with this sensitively. The storyline is addictive and compelling. This book is also very humorous in places.

If you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love somebody else?!

I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Matt Cain so far and this one was yet another lovely read. I love his rich characters who really come to life, the realistic way he portrays relationships and the gentle way his stories unfold.

Ted lives many a boy’s dream, working in his family business: an ice cream shop, married to a gorgeous guy. But it’s not his dream.
Cracks form in his relationship with Giles, and he doesn’t even like ice cream. Something has got to change.
With his new motto, Ted first, Ted takes charge of his life. Following his dreams, being who he really wants to be.
We follow Ted in his journey to new love, but most of all this is a story of self-love.
Matt Cain does it again with sensitivity in his characters and northern charm, and this all translates excellently to audiobook.
I really enjoyed this read.

After reading The Madonna of Bolton I knew Matt Cain was a down to earth author telling compelling stories with loveable characters. Ted is another great addition to the list! This story is a brilliant winter warmer. Full of love, encouraging, comforting and more.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for my review.

This is a heartwarming tale of one man, Ted, and his ultimate dream of becoming a drag queen. If you're not into books about gay relationships, then this may not be for you but, as someone who loves reading books about LGBTQ+ relationships (being part of that community myself), I found it to be an ultimate charm. I look forward to reading more of Matt Cain's books over time. Five stars.

Really enjoyed this. Matt Cain is a new author for me and i hope to be able to read more from him in the future.

What a beautifully told story, really relatable characters and a heart warming story, I didn’t want the book to end and I look forward to ,ore from this author.

Matt Cain whisks readers off to the seaside where there’s hope, dreams and putting down new roots and creating a different life.
Ted Ainsworth has a dream and it is captivating to see if he reaches and achieves his goal. One he has been keeping secret. He’s into the Manchester music scene and he wants to pursue his dream of being on-stage and be part of this and the drag scene. He’s a fairly unassuming guy in his 40’s who works in the family business with life meandering along, not that he wants to be in the family firm nor has a passion for ice cream, but was moving along not too badly, until his heart is broken. You can really feel the weight of his pain, with the memories attached and all he really has is Lily, his dog and not his man as planned. This is testament of Cain’s writing and realism of how you break up with someone, but there’s still things to do, thoughts in the form of memories still persist, as they do when he was with Giles.
There is the sense of the seaside and how it was in its hey-day and how it is now.

There is also the story of Oskar who settled in St. Luke’s-on-Sea after relocating from Poland. He is full of hope of learning a new culture and of new things he had never heard of before.
There is also Trevor and his wife, Hillary dealing with a diagnosis to do with her health and Stanley wanting to make the most of what is left of his life, now he is 90. Suddenly there’s a few characters, including the supporting ones who suddenly, energy goes into rooting for from the moment they’re met to when more is revealed.

Readers can see who Ted Ainsworth and how he transforms and becomes Ted in what he becomes in what is an uplifting, charming book, even through all the emotion.

This is an author I’d certainly read again, having read two and now look forward to seeing what he writes in a third.

I’d read the author’s previous book, which I loved, so was excited to begin reading this one. We meet Ted when his marriage to Giles has just broken up. Ted is understandably devastated, and the story begins with Ted at his lowest point. We follow him on his journey of turning his life back around, becoming who he wants to be and doing what he wants to do.

I have to admit that this book didn’t capture me as much as this author’s previous book. That doesn’t mean however, I didn’t find Ted a wonderful character, he truly is! Ted has a great network of friends who support him throughout the story, and I particularly liked Oskar, a young Polish man who Ted meets. Whilst at times this was a sad story, particularly at the beginning for Ted. But as the story moves on, it becomes enlightening and a lot more light-hearted. I loved Ted’s transformation and cheered him on as he went along. I loved the underlying message of this book and applaud the author again for bringing the LGBTQ+ community into the forefront. Not as loved as Albert Entwistle, but nevertheless this was such an enjoyable read.

It's lovely story about life, being alive and finding what one wants. Heartwarming but also thought provoking, a great cast of characters and an excellent storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Becoming Ted was an incredibly human, insightful read. I loved the realness of the novel, the relatability of the characters. It is gorgeously written and I enjoyed myself immensely.

This is an absolutely amazing Adult General Fiction/LGBTQIA book, which I thoroughly loved and enjoyed!

The story is about adorable Ted, who is in his forties and works in his family's ice cream shop in England. Ted's husband Giles splits up with him, which is a huge shock to him. From here, Ted goes on a journey of self discovery, as although he is grieving for Giles, he is now able to be himself, and be true to who his character really is.

We find out more about Ted's childhood, and about his family, his friends, his identity and other intriguing things. From here, Ted starts to put himself first, instead of being the people pleaser he always was. We see him blossom into a drag queen called Gail Force (great name), and then we celebrate with him as he meets a new love.

I found the whole book really interesting, as I didn't really know much about drag queens before, and how they perform on stage. I found this fascinating, and it was really enjoyable to read about it.

The story is heartwarming, touching, funny, sassy, fiery, romantic, emotional, dramatic, delightful and eye-opening, and I recommend it highly! It is a great book, which is really uplifting and warm, and it will bring joy to your heart!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

This is my third @MattCainWriter read. He’s quickly become one of my favourite feel-good comfort writers. He’s great at queer themed romcoms and stories of self-discovery/self-actualisation. All told with terrific Northern England humour and compassion

I'm sorry to say that I've just finished reading Becoming Ted. It's one of those books that leaves you missing the characters almost as soon as you've read the final word.
For me, this was the perfect romance book. Cosy but not cheesy, with believable characters whose back stories were convincing. I admit to being slightly biased as it's set in Lancashire (where I'm from) and, alongside Ted, the main character, it features a lovely Polish man and I'm rather partial to lovely Polish men (I married one!)
Ted is wonderful - the kind of character you wish you could be friends with - but there's a whole cast of other wonderful characters. Sometimes I find the number of characters in a book a bit overwhelming - I tend to get them muddled up or have to scroll back a few pages to remind myself who somebody is - but that wasn't the case with this book as they're all so well depicted.
Throw in ice-cream, the seaside and several colourful drag queens, this really is a fantastic book. If I could give it six stars, I would.

When Ted's husband leaves him for another man he is absolutely devasted. Unaware that Giles had been unhappy, the comfy married lifestyle with his perceived soulmate, falls apart in an instant.

As he comes to terms with their seperation, Ted realises that his relationship wasnt as rose-tinted as he thought. He starts to revaluate his life - his career, his dreams as a young man...could Giles actually have been a bit controlling and holding him back?

We follow Ted as he starts to rediscover who he is and explore the more flamboyant, camp side of himself that he had suppressed to keep Giles happy. With the help of his friends, new and old, he gradually starts to gain confidence.

I really liked the sub stories about Oskar, a Polish builder, who is struggling with his sexuality. He has moved from a country where being gay is considered a sin, and whilst his was a yoing boy his own father (also gay) was persecuted and driven away due to his sexuality. He finds it hard to finally come out to friends and colleagues in the UK. We also meet pensioner Stanley, who came from a geneation where gay relationships could only happen in secret. As a young man he  took part in some of the first gay pride marches, but now, as an octoganarian, still faces prejudice from other residents in his care home.

This is a lovely, feel- good book about a young man picking himself up from a relationship and learning that his needs are also important. It also explores lots of important issues surrounding sexuality and prejudice in society, past and present.

An enjoyable and easy read, with memorable characters and a great story about following your dreams and brig true to yourself

I devoured it in just over two days as it was a gorgeous and uplifting read.

The story focuses on Ted and those close to him. He has been dumped by his husband Giles, who he has been with for 20 years, for another man called younger man called Javier. Ted works for the family ice cream business (yum 🍦) which is famous in the area but it’s not really what he is passionate about. Maybe it’s time for Ted to start putting himself first and discover who he really is, rather than what others expect or want him to do. With the help of his best friend Denise and dog Lily, Ted finds the courage to reassess what he wants from life. I love a hopeful story me 🤩 Great characters in this book. I particularly loved Stanley, his elderly friend who made me laugh out loud, and his best friend Denise. It’s sad in parts and very funny in others (especially the banter between the drag queens) so a good mix of emotions. I found it really easy to read and I loved the core theme of it’s never to late to go for your dreams. Cain writes with humour and honesty which radiates joy. It’s left me with a big smile on my face and warmed my heart. I was rooting for Ted all the way, even though he doesn’t like ice cream…what?!!! 😆 A lovely book 🥰

I was really enamoured with Matt Cain's, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle and I absolutely adored Becoming Ted. For me this glorious tale is all about accepting yourself as well as reaching for your dreams. I fully expected the characterisation to be first-class and it was. Extra special was the character of Stanley who gives Ted perspective regarding his problems. Ted himself was such a sweet, gentle man that you had to root for him.

Matt Cain writes so beautifully, with heart and humour. He masterfully interlaces some dark themes in this novel around prejudice, control and betrayal, among many others, however, they are balanced accordingly with friendship and warmth. The uplifting ending is delightful. I’m massively keen to read more from Matt Cain and Becoming Ted is a 2023 favourite, already.

A special thank you to Headline, Matt Cain, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read. This review is my unbiased opinion.

After seeing so many 5 star reviews I couldn’t wait to start Becoming Ted however it just didn’t live up to the hype.

I found the overall story quite chaotic and the writing style was a bit confusing. There was a whole lot going on where it could have been a lovely story of Ted finding his true self. I’m not sure how much depth the additional plot lines provided as they just felt a bit unnecessary and added 100 additional pages. I wasn’t a fan of the internal monologues the characters had or the un-signposted flashbacks and as a Northerner the regional dialect drove me insane.

I wanted to love this book but it just wasn’t for me. It was a slog to finish.

I’ve been keen to read Matt Cain for a while having read rave reviews for Albert Entwhistle.

I absolutely adored Becoming Ted. A story of accepting yourself for who you are and reaching for your dreams, I found it an inspiring read. I loved the characters, their flaws and all, but extra special love is reserved for Stanley who I think deserves his own book for being so flipping fabulous!
Whilst a wonderful read full of fun, it doesn’t shy from tough subjects. The treatment of gay men throughout history, and elsewhere in the world contrasts sharply with the sweet romance. How can love be wrong? I particularly enjoyed Ted’s ‘scene’ at the nursing home!!

I’m very excited to read more from Matt Cain in future, in the meantime I’m still enjoying the warm hug it feels as if he’s still giving me

This book is brilliant for lots of reasons, but the first is that Ted is a wonderfully formed character and Matt Cain surrounds him with true to life and fully formed secondary characters.

Ted is forced into a second chance to build his life when his husband of 20 years leaves him. Suddenly, Ted has to consider the choices he has made, whether his life is fulfilling him and whether he has ever stepped into his full sense of self. His journey is lovely, and one that will give hope to many, many readers. It was brilliant that his family tension and unhappiness was about parental expectations of career rather than sexuality, but the book goes further and uses this to investigate the sense of gratitude Ted feels for not being ostracised.

This sits in contrast to the stories of Oskar and Stanley, two men of different generations that depict the painful experiences of family life many LGBTQ+ people have experienced and continue to live within. Seeing Stanley support Ted, and seeing Oskar take steps to reunite with his father and accept himself was touching.

It's also not very often I see where I live depicted in fiction - and when I do its genuinely never in a particularly positive light. Actually, it isn't even in reality. So this book, filled with flawed but ultimately kind people, complicated but hard working, maybe failing a little but but loving and supporting each other - it's nice to see the people I know, the place I grew up depicted the way I experience it.