I really needed a light, fun read and Becoming Ted really hit the spot.

A lovely story and while it is quite light it does deal with some more serious issues and deep feelings.

As the book opens we meet Ted just as his husband is leaving him. He is devastated but he soon takes the opportunity to re-examine his life and chase his dreams - dreams that were often crushed by his husband.

Looking back over their relationship and his earlier life Ted sees key incidents through a new lens and despite being a big people pleaser, he takes steps to put himself first and lead the life he has always wanted.

I enjoyed the way his relationship with his parents changed as secrets were revealed and he starts to view them as whole rounded people with a story and motives of their own rather than just mum and dad

Some great dialogue between the characters and some real laugh out loud moments especially in the banter between the drag queens.

Had not heard about Polari, a secret language of gay men, before and found that a really interesting detail.

Becoming Ted is a sweet book. In many ways it was quite a predictable story but that didn’t stop me cheering Ted on the whole way

I really wanted to like this, and there is a lot to like on the surface of it - however there were way too many stereotypes, and it was too predictable for me.

I so wanted to love this, and there is a lot to like. Always a huge yes from me for LQBTQ+ reads and particularly celebrating it and highlighting individuality.
But there seemed to be a lot of stereotypes, if the word "ace" was used one more time, I'd go crazy and I just found the subplot completely not believable and not at all necessary.

This was very very similar to Albert, I'd love to see this author be a bit more daring and surprising.

Ted Ainsworth is content with his life. He's 43, married to his long term partner Giles, they have a nice home together, he works for his family's ice cream business, has some good friends and a cute dog. It's safe and comfortable, that is until Giles tells Ted he's leaving him for a younger model. As Ted's world is turned upside down he's forced to evaluate his life. He's spent too long putting other people first, and decides that it's time for a change and rediscover himself. It's 'Ted first' time. First on the list is to follow a dream he'd locked in a box long ago – become a drag queen.

This is a sweet, uplifting read and I enjoyed it a lot. Ted is likeable without being twee, and the supporting characters are feel interesting and purposeful. Stanley and Oskar's storylines were highlights were for me. The main story is fairly predictable, it's like a watching rom-com, you know what to expect, and that's part of the comfort. In contrast, and for me Becoming Ted's main strength is that doesn't just feature one gay man's story, it actually tells five. This was a refreshingly nuanced as each of the men, (Ted, Oskar, Stanley, Giles & Andrzej) all of which have vastly different life experiences, are of differing ages and from different places. By telling multiple stories where there's a shared commonality that's then juxtaposed by how old you are, what your religion is, and where you're from was really powerful. There are some poignant reflections about society's treatment of gay men, both historically and currently that make Becoming Ted stand out.

Becoming Ted is charming book, it's sweeter than Ainsworth's ice-cream, and well worth a read. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ted Ainsworth knows he's really punching above his weight when it comes to his husband but they have an idyllic life and he is estactically happy. Unfortunately, his husband has decided to move on to more exciting things but hasn't had the guts to tell him. As Teds life falls apart around him he starts to reassess what he really wants out of life. I really loved the secret life of Albert Entwhistle so I was excited to read this story, it didn't disappoint. I love the gentle way Matt Cain approaches the subject of prejudice and acceptance with a Northern lilt. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley for this copy.

A really lovely, joyful read about the importance of following your dreams, showing the world the real you and not being afraid to put yourself first.

This is my second Matt Cain book. It is a similar theme as The Secret Life of Albert Entwhistle which I've also read. Luckily, this second book didn't make me cry but it did make me laugh!

Although the story is quite predictable (except who was sending the anonymous letters to Ted, that bit took me by surprise!) it is a wonderful, cosy read and great for when the world looks a bit bleak (like now!!).

I really enjoyed this novel. A nice quick read, and nice and light sort of the gay version of chick-lit.
The opening chapter was fantastic, the horrible shock of finding out that his husband and partner of 20 years has been cheating and wants to call time on their marriage instantly causes you to warm to poor Ted. There is some real pathos in a middle aged man, running an ice cream empire when he doesn’t even like ice cream, but gradually the sympathy for Ted grows into a genuine liking and admiration for him. His ebullient response to going to the dance class his mother signed him up for was wonderful.
The plot is a fairly predictable boy meets boy, life throws up hurdles, will they be together or won’t they… but there is also a tale of family and responsibility to your parents versus to yourself, a small mystery for Ted to solve and Ted’s fantastic transformation into the drag queen he’s always dreamed of being.
All in all a great, cheering read!

Ted Ainsworth thought he had the perfect husband but when his husband leaves him it comes as a big shock and forces him to re-evaluate his life. After the initial shock he starts waking up to the fact that maybe his husband wasn't so perfect and perhaps other parts of his life can change too.
Having read Matt's previous books I was wondering how he could top the brilliant 'secret life of Albert Entwistle'
He is certainly living up to his ever growing reputation of the feel good vibe and delivery uplifting tales filled with hope. These are definitely the kind of stories that the world needs right now.
I warmed to the characters in this book and it had some interesting twists. I never lost interest and it was a case of 'just one more chapter' every night. With some good humour added to the mix you certainly couldn't go wrong adding this to your reading list.
Another brilliant uplifting read from Matt Cain.

Matt Cain is fast becoming my go to ‘comfort’ author. His stories are warm, funny and full of heart, and Becoming Ted is no exception. A fun cast of characters populate Ted’s world, all so vivid that you find yourself casting them for the TV adaptation as you read. Cain has an eye for the little quirks that people have, and exploits them wonderfully. Similarly to his last novel, there are themes of wasted time and is it too late, but the approach is very different so as to not feel like he has repeated anything.

What a lovely trip into Ted’s life for a little while.

I’ve loved Matt Cain’s previous books, and Becoming Ted is just as good.
In his last couple of books, Cain has focused on queer older men- and it’s brilliant to see such representation taking place in a charming story that mixes the dramatic with the humorous. Cain has an eye for a funny line- and his well crafted characters certainly know how to deliver them! Wonderful

I think sadly, this author just isn't for me. After hearing great things about his previous book (The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle) I was completely underwhelmed and I'm sorry to say the same applies in Becoming Ted.

I'll start with the positives, I loved the queer rep, can never get enough of that as a queer person myself and I also love that Cain is not afraid to focus on someone's journey and blossoming later in life, I think we are sadly lacking in late bloomers in fiction and I love to see it.

The issue I do have is that Cain can tend to lean into stereotypes and cliches heavily and while this book wasn't as bad as in Albert, they still crop up too much and it's quite evident in the mother character who is considered 'lower class' and is the only character who is speaking with an accent. All around her have none.

There was a subplot in which Ted is receiving anonymous letters about his family and it was completely unrealistic, I don't know anyone in life who does this, especially now. And look away now if you don't want to know the conclusion............
The conclusion of the sender being his best friend who had had an affair with his father, I just don't have words for it. Why would she do something like that? It's distressing to receive such letters, they could be perceived as a thread. Why wouldn't she just tell him outright, or at least say she'd heard his father had had affairs? She thinks at the end "She was worried that awful word 'psycho' might make a reappearance." Well,.....yeah.... it should have, that was a straight up psycho move, nobody who wasn't would send their supposed best friend hurtful anonymous notes in such a way. And then Ted wants to apologise and make things right with her?

There also wasn't much difference with the inner voice of the characters, one was Polish but sounded exactly like the English Ted in his POV and spoke phrases like 'a young slip of a girl'. It's also not very believable that a gay man would be in Manchester scouting the gay clubs for his father and not dare venture into seeking any men for any kind of contact or relationships but in a small village would suddenly go for it with someone he met in an ice cream shop, especially how fearful he seemed to be.

Still, it's an uplifting book and has a great message that it's never too late to start over and go after your dreams, which is nice to read about in these times.

Like a lot of readers, I fell in love with Albert Entwhistle in Matt Cain's earlier book - and 'Becoming Ted' is a fantastic companion book.

In 'Becoming Ted' 43 year old Ted Ainsworth is happily married to his longterm partner Giles, working for the family ice-cream company, got some lovely friends and a good life. But when he find out Giles is out to leave him because he's too boring, Ted decides now is the time to find out what he really wants in life; should be follow his dream of being a drag artist or take the safer route and not rock the boat?

The book is interspersed with a series of childhood memories that help to explain why Ted has ended up where he is in life, feeling like he's stuck in a position he ought to be grateful for. There's also Oskar's story; Oskar is a Polish man in his 30s who has found himself in the same small town as Ted. He's lonely but doesnt know how to break down his barriers and let people in. A third story line comes from a 90 year old gay man who also lives in the same town, and befriends Ted, encouraging him to follow his dreams and explaining about the generations of gay men before him who would not have been able to have the freedom to do so.

This was such a feel-good inspirational story by Matt Cain, once again showing its never too late to show people who you really are and what you want to be. I am sure its going to do brilliantly, and look forward to seeing it on the shelves in January!

What a great read.
Some of the best one liners I've ever read.
You go on a journey in this book past and present but it flows like train of a dress.

I hope there might be a second book or even a short story so I can see where the writer takes them all.

If you want an funny uplifting book this is it.

I thoroughly enjoyed Albert Entwistle so I was really looking forward to this and I have to say I loved the eponymous Ted just as much. Ted’s life is turned upside down when his husband leaves him for a younger man, encouraged by his good friend after the initial shock settles Ted decides to fulfil his long term dream of becoming a drag artist, a dream that he slowly realises was suppressed due to his husband. Told primarily from Ted’s point of view but with a couple of other characters viewpoints in some chapters this is a good look at not only the stigma that can and has been attached to being gay but also how we mould ourselves to please others and how being true to yourself can be one of the best routes to happiness. This is thoughtful, sad, funny and uplifting all in one and I greatly enjoyed reading it.

At forty-three Ted Ainsworth is content with his life. He's been happily married to Giles for twenty years and is employed in the family ice-cream business. When Giles suddenly announces he's leaving, Ted begins to question whether he genuinely is content.

Earlier this year I read The Secret Life Of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain and fell in love with the wonderful Albert, therefore I was really keen to read Becoming Ted. Thankfully I enjoyed this book just as much as I did the previous one.

It's difficult not to make comparisons between the main character in this book, Ted, and Albert from the previous book. Both are gay men, going through drastic changes in their lives. Both have a host of wonderful characters supporting them. I didn't love Ted as much as I did Albert but I didn't dislike him.

Ted's dilemma is that he's always put other people in his life first, diminishing his own dreams. Husband Giles is horrible; self-centred, arrogant and fickle. Giles leaving is just the catalyst Ted needs to realise he needs to put "Ted First". This act of rebellion leads Ted to admit he has always wanted to be a drag queen. He also has to find the courage to admit to his family that he doesn't like ice-cream.

In order to fulfill his dream Ted is helped along by best friend Denise and pensioner Stanley. Denise is a larger than life character who only has Ted's best interests at heart. Along the way we discover that Denise is also lonely following a disastrous relationship. The description of Denise's experience with dating apps certainly raises an eye.

Flamboyant Stanley is probably the star of this story. In his nineties Stanley is now living in a retirement home. Unfortunately some of the other residents are making his life uncomfortable because he's gay. Stanley refuses to be cowed by them, having fought hard for gay rights as a younger man he refuses to give in to homophobic abuse. We learn how gay men were hounded and abused in the 1950's and 1960's. It makes you realise how far society has come since then, although there are instances in the story that show we still have a way to go in some parts of society.

We have numerous happy endings, as you would expect from a feel good story. A story about acceptance; acceptance of each other and, more importantly, of ourselves.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book.

After loving another book by Matt Cain I was very excited to start this one, however this book had a few lines that greatly put me off, from how bodies were described, to a sentence about coaches where it said ‘the coaches were full of parents with toddlers and people taking their disabled relative on a day trip.’ I know no harm was intended, but as a disabled person this felt like a micro-aggression where disabled people are seen as a pet or an object instead of a person. Changing the line to something like ‘-and disabled people on a day trip with their families.’ Would be so much better.