Member Reviews

Overall, the characters in this book are likeable and I was really looking forward to seeing where the story went. There were some really nice moments between a lot of the characters as well as the mystery around Rebecca and her whereabouts. It felt like a very real account of how isolating living in London can be and I would have loved to have seen more development between some of the characters like Eoin and Ciara, or Eoin and James.

The plot at times moved quite slowly so it seemed like not a lot was happening and when it was, it was predictable.

The characters weren't particularly diverse considering the book is set in the heart of London.

Love the cover (I would definitely pick this up in a store!) and I enjoyed the themes covered.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Eoin's world gets turned upside down when his boyfriend Rich asks him to open their relationship. He's conflicted and unsure of what he wants out of his life, and this little crisis is definitely not helping. Neither is the fact that he barely has friends, and that the cafè where he's worked for so long might be about to break down...

This is a sort of late coming of age story, with endearing characters and a different perspective on the supposed "glamour" of living in the big city. Eoin's life is full of messy relationships and a fair bit of loneliness, something I think many young people can relate to. I was a bit thrown off when the story suddenly changed to something akin to a crime investigation, but it definitely kept me intrigued. It made for an enjoyable read, though I might've connected more with the characters if I'd been older when picking it up.

Overall, I feel pretty neutral about this book. It met my expectations without being life-changing, so if you're ever stuck not knowing what to read I definitely recommend it as a short, fun story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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This book sounded like fun, and was a fun read. The writing is beautiful in this book and I will definitely read more from this author. A beautiful book with great characters and writing.

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An utterly gorgeous read that explores open relationships, growing up, and loneliness in London, Sounds Like Fun is wonderfully written- with a compelling lead who had me rooting for him on every page. I’ve not read a more realistic portrayal (for me) if the realities of moving to London as an adult- and the grounded drama is well balanced by a good current of humour that runs through everything. Highly recommend- hoping it’ll be a big hit in 2023!

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What a cracking read Sounds Like Fun is!

The novel follows Eoin who has been in a relationship with Rich for six years. One drunken night Rich brings up that he’d fancy trying an open relationship, a suggestion that takes Eoin by surprise… We follow Eoin after this revelation.

I adored how skilfully the novel balanced emotional heft with warmth and humour. I gobbled this story up in just two sittings and will certainly recommend all my rom com loving pals pick it up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for access to a digital proof of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

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"Sounds Like Fun" is an uplifting and complex story about growing apart in a relationship, relational expectations, navigating your early and late twenties as a young man in a big city, longing for being seen and cherished.

In Bryan Moriarty's book the subject of opening up a relationship (and the subsequent desire to close it back) is a pretext to talk about these important aspects of one's life. Even though Eoin's experiences and his first-person perspective around practising non-monogamy are the main storyline, what's going on in the background definitely adds to it. Staring from what's going on in Eoin's workplace, to his friend's Jax complicated love life, it creates a believable and immersive narrative.

Even though there's a lot of sadness, loneliness and complicated feeling in this story, it was such an enjoyable read.

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4.5*

This was such a fun and heartwarming read, with excellent writing, characters I cared about, and a depth of feeling that I perhaps find fully expected before I started.

It begins with the awkward suggestion of opening up a relationship, in a way that basically ticked all the 'how not to do consensual non-monogamy', moves through Eoin's explorations of hookup culture, and let's him and the reader end in a much more hopeful and optimistic way.

What I think it did best, was in capturing that particular loneliness of a big city, especially London. The different ways people express and deal with that loneliness, and above all seek ways to connect - whether romantically, sexually, or platonically.

While this is not a genre Romance, there is a key focus on romantic relationships and the ending here did bring warmth to my heart.

The side characters were well done too, I definitely finished longing for more about many of them, but especially Jax. I felt very invested in her happiness!

I was concerned that the book might take a strict monogamy only kind of view, and to a certain extent that did feel the case, where almost all the stable, happy relationships were monogamous, but the inclusion of a delightful threesome loving couple helped to temper that. Long may T&D prosper!

My only other issue was that for a book set in London it did feel very white. I'm not sure there were any POC characters and that is certainly A Choice.

Overall I am definitely going to look out for more by this author, as the writing and heart of this novel thoroughly captured me.

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