Dear Emma Barry,

I loved Chick Magnet, released earlier this year and was excited to read Funny Guy, although I knew from your social media posts that it is a very different book. Different is fine – but unfortunately Funny Guy didn’t work quite as well for me as I’d hoped.

Sam Leyland is a stand-up comedian who works on a New York-based live TV show ‘Comedy Hour’. He’s funny but gets into trouble a lot and self-identifies as an asshole. It’s obvious that Comedy Hour is based, at least loosely, on Saturday Night Live.

You clearly say in your author’s note at the end that none of the characters are based on real people but it’s difficult not to make connections to actual humans. At least, it was for me. While Sam is described as physically quite different to a certain former SNL performer who has guest hosted recently, I couldn’t help but insert the real person into the storyline and I found it jarring. Part of this is that I personally do not find that person attractive but part of it is that I prefer my fiction to stay fictional. When real life starts to blur into a romance novel it tends not to work as well for me. I have deliberately not said the real-life comedian’s name because if I had not made the connection between him and this book I think I’d have enjoyed it better and I want to give other readers the chance to live in ignorant bliss.

When I could wrench my mind away from picturing the real life man and thought only of Sam I enjoyed the book better.

Funny Guy is a somewhat darker book than Chick Magnet. Even though Sam is a comedian, his comedy is based on his painful childhood. He grew up in abusive household and lived in poverty. His best friend, Bryony (Bree) Edwards grew up in the same trailer park in Ohio. They know everything there is to know about one another. Bree knows the painful secrets that form the basis of Sam’s comedy. She knows that a lot it isn’t actually a joke.

Bree has been in love with Sam for 17 years but she’s never told him. He’s too important to her to risk their friendship and Sam is notoriously bad at relationships. In fact, the book begins with his latest romantic disaster the cause of yet more trouble for him: his ex-girlfriend, Salem, a pop star (I couldn’t help but think of Taylor Swift even though, as far as I know, Tay Tay has never been romantically connected to [redacted]), has written a song about Sam called “Lost Boy”. Sam is humiliated by it and he’s not coping well. The media are all over him and members of the public are loudly speculating about the song and him when he’s nearby (rude!).

Sam has long thought his career success was basically on a knife’s edge. He’s destined to slip and make a bloody mess at some point and ruin everything. He just knows it. But he can’t help but stay on the edge and tempt fate.

Bree wishes Sam would look after himself better, maybe get some therapy, think better of himself. Bree also has realised that she needs to separate herself from Sam in order to have a real life of her own. Sam overshadows every part of her existence – he’s bigger than life and she loves him. While Sam doesn’t intentionally take advantage of Bree, he nonetheless does and Bree lets him. It’s a weirdly co-dependent relationship. It …did not always seem healthy to me.

Bree is an urban planner with a passion for sustainability and functionality for everyone in the community, not just the wealthy, not just home/business -owners. She’s reached the pinnacle of where she can go in New York and has a chance to run her own team within a prestigious firm based in Michigan but she will work all over the US and even in other countries if she takes the job and moves. However, moving would be moving away from Sam, whose role at Comedy Hour would keep him in New York. Bree dreads telling Sam. He will feel betrayed and abandoned and Bree does not want to add to his abandonment issues. But she also knows it’s time for her to do something for herself so that she can move on. She cannot bear to watch Sam fall in love (again) and for her to have no relationship because she’s pining for Sam all the time. Her boss in New York doesn’t hate Sam but urges Bree to take the job and do something for herself. She gives her some good advice when Bree asks her how one knows if they’re doing the right thing.

“You don’t,” she finally said in answer to Bree’s question. “Not at the time. Right and wrong are labels you apply after the fact, and they’re lies half the time anyway. You don’t know what would’ve happened if you’d taken the other path, and you don’t know if you’ve chosen wisely. That Robert Frost guy was a liar.”

Due to the publicity around “Lost Boy”, Sam stays in Bree’s apartment for a while to lie low and in that time, the dynamic between the pair shifts. Bree was already dreading telling Sam about the job in Michigan but when they move from friends to lovers that dread becomes existential. I think we all know where it’s headed.

Perhaps it’s not just my mental association with Mr. Real Life and Sam that was the problem. Sam was somewhat difficult for me to like. Some of his behaviours were self-destructive and he’s a very needy guy. I often thought the pressure he put on Bree was unfair. There were times when I wondered why Bree loved him so much, why she put up with his bullshit. To his credit, Sam sometimes wonders the same thing.

The book ends happily of course. But more importantly perhaps, by the end, Sam is a better person and isn’t as reliant on Bree for his mental equilibrium. At least, not the way he was.

I found Sam a little difficult to connect with. There were times when I could and those were the bits I enjoyed the most – when I couldn’t, the reverse applied. I liked Bree and her friends from work who saw her as so much more than just Sam’s best friend and who wanted her to see herself that way too. I liked the parts about Bree’s job and how she made things better for the people she worked for (and I don’t (just) mean her employer).

Overall, Funny Guy was a bit of a mixed bag for me.

Grade: B-

Regards,
Kaetrin

I think that Emma Barry is quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors! I absolutely loved this book and her last book I read Chick Magnet and I didn't think that Sam and Bree would blow me away the way they did in this book. Sam and Bree were such interesting and fun to read especially when they weren't able to communicate. Both Sam and Bree had so much history together, which made it difficult for them to envision more than friendship and actually being romantic. Reading most of their story was bittersweet, but it was so rewarding when Sam and Bree got together, it actually made me cry because all of their friends could see that they were meant to be together. I'm also so happy that Sam ended up making himself vulnerable on the Comedy Hour to show Bree that he was serious about her and was also acknowledging how he could've been better to various people over his life. I think it was the big move that he needed to make in order to move onto a healthier point in his life with Bree.

I'm so lucky to have gotten a copy from NetGalley and Montlake. Thank you so much for giving me a copy, all opinions are my own.

The heroine has romantic feelings for the hero for a long time and wants to move on with her life at the beginning of this book. The hero is immortalized in an ex's hit song and had hit a point with it when he is introduced in the story. The hero and the heroine had been friends for a long time, and this dynamic will change when life-changing events forced each of them to make decisions that may bring them together...or apart.

This is my first Emma Barry book that I've read. It's a friends-to-lovers story with a strong cast of characters that enriched the book. There were definitive moments that I enjoyed reading, but the story wasn't as grifting as it could be in my eyes. I really liked the heroine and her character, but the hero was frustrating at times that I didn't feel connected to him as much as with the heroine. Therefore, I wasn't committed to their HEA as I could have been since this book has my favorite romance trope of all time. That said, it's still a nice book and I would still want to read more Emma Barry books in the future.


** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. **

Funny Guy by Emma Barry focuses on a friends-to-lovers romance featuring a standup comedian on an SNL-type show, but ... he's just not very funny? Even in the depiction of his standup, there aren't really any jokes? I kept picturing Pete Davidson but only when he's depressed. Maybe I've outgrown the troubled, self-destructive type guys, because I kept wanting the women in his life to run away from Sam. He might have a good heart, but he's not emotionally mature enough for a relationship yet. And I couldn't help but draw comparisons to Curtis Sittenfeld's Romantic Comedy, which also depicts an SNL clone (will Lorne Michaels not allow the real show to be mentioned by name?) but is told from the perspective of a female writer who's not a cast member. That book delves into some pandemic realness, but this one, not so much. But, as an Ann Arbor native, I was amused by all the shoutouts as Bree contemplates the next stage in her life. Maybe this one will be someone else's cup of tea more than mine.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

*Received a copy for review.*
I’ve always wondered what it would be like to fall in love with a stand up comic. Is your whole life material? What if you don’t think they’re funny?
Bryony and Sam had terrible parents. They found each other as kids and have weathered all the storms. Mostly created by Sam and his hurricane mouth. He is all gas no brakes and that leaves a lot of messes behind.
It’s a classic friends to lovers and is done well. I loved the thinly veiled SNL show. I even learned some of what urban planning is.

Sam and Bree have been best friends since kindergarten, and she’s been in love with him since they were 14. He’s now a famous comedian on a hit sketch show (think Saturday Night Live) known for aggressive comedy and asshole behavior. But his hard nature is an act to protect the boy beneath. So when his famous pop star ex-fiancee bares Sam’s soul in her latest hit, it’s time for him to hide out with Bree, again.

Funny Guy is a wonderful friends-to-lovers romance. It’s easy to understand Bree’s unrequited love and the heartache of loving your best friend. Bree and Sam have their own issues, and I love that the author doesn’t dismiss them or make things easy. While Bree is very in touch with her own feelings, Sam is very spontaneous and allows his more negative emotions to control his actions. So when he realizes that he has these odd feelings towards Sam, it’s a bit of a shock for him.

While on the surface, it looks like Sam and Bree have a one-sided relationship, it’s evident from both POVs that he loves Bree and will do anything for her. It’s just that his baggage is way more visible than hers. He comes to her after every breakup, yo-yoing in and out of her life; however, it’s not that he leaves her life, it’s just more in your face when he stays with her. The author and Bree make it clear that Sam may be clueless about her feelings, but he’s a good friend. He does what he can with a kind heart.

Bree loves Sam with her whole being, but is happy being his friend because their relationship is so important to her. She doesn’t want to risk telling him her feelings out of fear it will get awkward, or worse, that he’ll question their entire friendship and cheapen what they have. But she also realizes she’s never going to have a full life as long as Sam is such a big part of it. Deciding to move is a huge decision, and I felt the weight in my own being.

In the end, I adored Funny Guy. The author does a wonderful job creating real emotions that I could understand and experience through her characters. I loved watching Sam realize what is true and who he loves, and seeing the pair fall in love.

My Rating: A-

"Funny Guy" by Emma Barry is a friends-to-lovers romantic tale set in the backdrop of New York City, weaving together elements of humor, heartache, and healing. The story revolves around Sam, a comedian known for his self-inflicting humor, and Bree, his childhood best friend who secretly harbors feelings for him.

Their relationship takes an unexpected turn when they are forced to share Bree's small apartment, leading to a charged and evolving dynamic.
The characterization in the book is rich and layered. Sam, with his self-destructive tendencies and humor as a defense mechanism, contrasts nicely with Bree, a sensible designer on the brink of a life-changing decision.

Both characters grapple with unresolved childhood trauma, and this shared past further deepens their connection. The author's portrayal of their careers, individual friend circles, and distinct personalities adds authenticity to their characters and enhances the overall narrative.

The book also does well in addressing contemporary issues. The depiction of the comedy industry aligns with real-world insights. At the same time, the commentary on housing and gentrification in NYC adds relevance to the setting. The discourse on consensual and comfortable intimacy is commendable, although some traditional romance tropes could have been better handled.

However, despite its significant strengths, some readers may find the plot predictable, with the inevitable crisis point and resolution foreseeable. Also, given its contemporary context, the story's setting in a post-COVID world could have been better addressed. Despite these minor drawbacks, "Funny Guy" is a captivating read, exploring love, friendship, and personal growth. It scores a 4 out of 5, with an engaging narrative that keeps the readers hooked and resonates long after reading. Thanks to Montlake and Emma Barry for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sam can't escape the song "Lost Boy" after his ex wrote it about him and his childish ways. Him and his best friend Bree share a small NY apartment. He has no idea she's in love with him and she's decided to move across the country in order to move on.
I liked how Bree and Sam both developed as people. Sam was hard to like as a character at first but changed for the better as the story moves along. I loved that they got there happily ever after ending. Overall it was a great cute read and I enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Funny Guy is a sweet friends-to-lovers romance set against the backdrop of an SNL-esque show and the eternal questions of what it means to actually grow up.

Bree has been in love with her best friend Sam since the two of them were growing up in a small Ohio town. But now, Sam is spiraling (worse than usual) thanks to his pop star ex-fiancee's hit song about him and the general presence of his worst impulses to try to burn everything down around him. Meanwhile, Bree is offered her dream job... far away from New York City. And all this is happening just as Sam realizes that maybe he has feelings for Bree, too.

I loved the premise of this book: two people who have known each other forever finally getting out of their own way and letting themselves be in love. It's just a story that works. And I loved that the transition wasn't smooth. Both Bree and Sam had lots to figure out, and there were plenty of stumbles along the way. But as characters, they both shined, equally lovable and messy in their own ways. Their friends, too, were solid background characters, and honestly, I loved Sam's ex Salem enough that I want to see her get her own HEA.

I think the pacing was occasionally an issue with this book - the first half noodles around a little too much for me - but once things got going, I was hooked, devouring the second half of the book in a day. This isn't a light and fluffy read - both Sam and Bree have lots of trauma in their past and the book doesn't shy away from it - but it is a lovely one.

4.25/5

This was a quick sweet romance between two lifelong best friends. Sam was giving me intense Pete Davidson vibes due to the characters career and past relationships. I did enjoy it but he was all I could picture. Bree felt like your typical female romance character. I will say the actual romance was lacking for me. I typically feel a bigger attachment to the two characters in a romance novel but it wasn’t there. If you want a quick relatively clean romance this is for you!

2.5 Stars. Stand-up comedian and cast member of an SNL-like sketch comedy show, Sam is dealing with the consequences of his ex-fiancee writing a hit song about him and their split. He's embarrassed and touchy about the subject and turns to his best friend Bree for comfort and a place to stay away from the paparazzi. Bree has always loved Sam but life in New York is no longer what she wants it to be so she is interviewing for jobs elsewhere. The two at on their feeling for one another one night and then must navigate their changing relationship.

I don't think Emma's books are for me. This is the second one I've read that has left me disappointed. In friends to lovers stories, especially ones with unrequited love, I want to feel the longing and rising tension. There was none of that. I felt zero chemistry between Sam and Bree even while they were being intimate. The book focused more on their respective careers than it did on them as a couple. I just wanted more of anything really, because honestly i was bored by the end and it is not a long enough book to warrant being boring. Alas.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bree and Sam are longtime best friends. Bree has had feelings for Sam for a long time but he has not known. Sam is a comedian whose career is suffering because of his ex who wrote a song about him. Rita has decided to take a job that is far away because of her unrequited feelings. As they are together in this apartment feelings, arise between the two. This is an emotional and romantic book with banter that still makes you laugh. I love how there are light moments in the book but yet you can always see that there are emotions involved and it’s a very intense type of emotion between both characters. I would definitely recommend this book to read.

A pretty sweet friends-to-lovers romance. The guy, Sam, is a comedian working on what is basically SNL. Bree is an urban planner. They're so clearly ride or die for each other from the first page, the majority of the conflict actually comes from their jobs. Sam is going through some rough personal stuff and - like many men I know - has absolutely no tools to deal with it in a healthy way. I'm glad the books ends with him getting some much needed therapy. I'm also glad that Emma Barry handled Sam's ex with some grace, rather than making her a cartoon villain.

A good cookie, all in all.

3 stars

This was friends to lovers yet I didn't felt the chemistry between our mcs which is a shame because the story was fun and wholesome but if the romance doesn't work then the book loses some of the "magic". Still, this was a fun read.

3 stars

Bree is an urban planner in NYC and her best friend, Sam, is a comedian on a sketch comedy show. Sam is impulsive and self-destructive, which isn't helped by how famous he is. The two grew up together with both experiencing bad home lives. The two have bonded over their upbringings and can't seem to let others in fully. Except Bree has been in love with Sam for years and doesn't think he could ever love her back.

The writing was great and the heavier subjects were handled well. I really wanted to like these characters a lot more than I did. I understood Bree's need for control, but she was also kind of a doormat. And Sam, well Sam was kind of a jerk to people (not Bree) and didn't seem like he'd ever finished growing up. I did root for them, mostly because I loved the idea of Bree getting her happily ever after.

I feel like the ending really helped this book and I would recommend it to friends who like these tropes.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Sam is a famous comedian on a weekly sketch show. Bree is his urban planner best friend--they grew up together in a crummy situation in small town America. When Sam's pop star ex-girlfriend writes a hit song about him, he lays low at her tiny studio apartment and their friendship... evolves.

While this is an enjoyable read, it didn't hit for me. Bree has loved Sam since she was 12. She's has the opportunity to take a dream job and move, but is worried how the ever-volatile Sam will react. It's not the healthiest of relationships.

There's some solid yearning, and Sam does eventually do some work on himself, but I don't see myself re-reading this story, unlike others from this author.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sam can’t escape the smash hit “Lost Boy” because, well, he is the lost boy. His pop-singer ex immortalized him in a song about his childish ways, and now his comedy career is on the line.

At least he still has Bree, his best friend and confidante. Bree has always been there for Sam, but she’s never revealed her biggest secret: she’s in love with him. To help herself move on, Bree applies for her dream job across the country—and doesn’t say a thing to Sam.

But as Sam tries to resuscitate his career, he turns to Bree for support—and maybe more. In the confines of her tiny apartment, they share a different dynamic. A charged dynamic. But she’s his friend. He can’t be falling for her.

Except he is.

Are his feelings for Bree just funny business? Or is their smoldering attraction the real deal?

Caroline and Lisa both read Emma Barry's Funny Guy and are here to share their thoughts on the novel.

Lisa: I’m a huge sucker for best friends-to-lovers romances, especially when you have two people bonding via childhood trauma.  I also love forced proximity romances. But you know a book’s in big trouble when one of the characters is much less interesting than the other - and we’re supposed to root for them to end up together.

Caroline: I 100% agree. Sam is a hugely vivid character. Very believable and deeply messed up. I am reasonably certain Bree would have come across as generic and not terribly charismatic in any novel, but set against Sam, the contrast is even starker. She spends the novel worried about being nothing more than a dwarf planet wobbling around Sam’s star, and rightfully so, because that’s exactly what she is.

Lisa: Sam is a wonderful character, and he’s built carefully and is incredibly interesting to follow. It’s so easy to sympathize with and like him.

Caroline: I really liked reading about him, but he struck me more as the hero of a fiction novel than a romance novel. I don’t mind that he’s flawed - again, I enjoyed reading him! - but I don’t think he’s healthy for a relationship.

Lisa: That’s interesting because yeah, I could see how he straddles the line between WF and romance with his traumas and anxieties. Generally, though, he works as a character, and I liked the Bree/Sam relationship to a degree, but it isn’t all that exciting. Sam is a decent guy who’s been through A Lot and who is now the center of some rather humiliating stuff.

Caroline: I liked some things about the relationship. I definitely understood how the two of them are already in a relationship, just not one that included sex. But their relationship sits too much in the past. Okay, Sam values Bree because she knows where he came from - but what does she bring to the table for their future?

Lisa: Yeah, the fact is they’re both away from their abusive families - so what do they have in common now? Bree isn’t interesting or lively like Sam is, so the answer can only be ‘not much.’ I don’t mind the fact that the relationship was premade, but I think the difference might have been solved with some flashbacks showing them as kids and teens.

Caroline: Yes, but honestly, they needed better scenes in the present, too!

Lisa: The biggest problem with Bree is that she’s too much of an eeping mouse. There needs to be more of her to make her interesting but she barely exists.

Caroline: Ultimately, her ‘arc’ is ‘I am too dependent on Sam, so I need to break out’, followed by ‘He needs me right now so I can’t’, followed by ‘I’m still totally emotionally dependent on Sam, but in a new city, so this means we are equal’. He bends towards her, but that still doesn’t mean she grows.

Lisa: For a novel that’s really supposed to be about them making a home away from their horrible parents, they end up in a bit of a codependent relationship, don’t they?

Caroline: Bree is Sam’s emotional support animal.

Lisa: That hits it right on the head! Like, I’m sitting here going ‘is this romance romantic?’ and my answer’s kinda ‘eh?’

Caroline: I agree. For me, a romance has to bring the leads together in a situation that seems healthier and happier than they were alone, and one for which I see a good long-term prognosis. This one just didn’t give me that.

Lisa: That’s a huge issue here, because you have to wonder if they’re just teaming up to incubate their own pain.

Caroline: Okay, change of topic: Celebrity-civilian novels often cast the non-famous partner as a refuge of normalcy, a person the celebrity can go to and escape the pressures of living up to their role. I didn’t really get that here.

Lisa: I just read Lily Chu’s The Comeback where a K-Pop performer poses as an ordinary guy and ends up falling in love with a lawyer, and that handles the outré weirdness K-Pop idols have to go through so much better than the way Funny Guy presents the topic of celebrity. Sam’s big enough to have a Netflix special but lord, people do not treat him that way. It feels like everything surrounding them should be bigger.

Caroline: The celebrity parts of Sam’s career are off, but the professional parts seem authentic. I liked seeing him as an ‘elder statesman’ at his workplace, mentoring a new comedy writer and supporting him against bullying. His head-butting with his female boss and his female co-star work bestie, are also great because it shows him having nuanced relationships with women he isn’t having sex with. That’s something a lot of authors miss.

Lisa: Emma Barry does a great job of making me care about that part of Sam’s life and yeah, that really worked. But ugh, again, compare and contrast with Bree!

Caroline: Yeah. We’re definitely ‘told’ not ‘shown’ what a great urban planner she is. And even at the moments when I bought that characterization, I got depressed, because I genuinely didn’t buy that leaving New York was the right step for her. Maybe it’s possible to spend over a decade specializing in New York urban issues and head to another city, but the author didn’t convince me of it. I felt that Bree had been in New York for Sam, and now she’s going to leave New York over Sam, and her career will be whatever it has to be.

Lisa: Her being ‘lesser’ than him really is a big problem here. What grade are we going for here? I’m going with a C+, and much of that is for Barry’s always-terrific writing and Sam being Sam. The romance wasn’t too convincing and I felt like Bee was just a meh character, and if it’s not romantic I can’t give it any more than a middling grade.

Caroline: I’m going to go B-. When I give a grade in the C range, it means I think our readers should give the book a miss, but Sam alone is worth the price of admission here. It’s just too bad Bree isn’t in his weight class.

I am friendly with the author on social media and I have enjoyed some of her previous books that I have read (Chick Magnet was absolutely awesome).

I see comments about who the inspiration behind the characters is but since I am not American and don't follow celebrities that much, I read the book without making any connections with real life people.

This is not a cute romcom if that is what you expect based on the title. It’s what the blurb says it is – heartfelt, emotional contemporary friends-to-lovers romance. While I liked some aspects of it, in the end it was not my favourite book by Emma Barry.

We get a heroine who has been in love with the hero since they were children and the hero is completely/mostly unaware because he is emotionally stunted.

I was not sold of them being friends for over 15 years and her being in love with him all the time. Even if I could get past my doubts over the premise , I had really difficult time liking the hero. He acted out, self-sabotaging his career and romantic relationships, relying on the heroine to keep him grounded and out of trouble and at the same time refusing to seek professional help. He seems like a big man-child and I couldn’t see what the heroine saw in him. His behavior is explained with childhood trauma over messed up family but it fell flat for me. I think the issue for this that so much of the story is just telling the reader some facts – about the present or the past and so little of showing – how the characters act in certain situations. I don’t know to express it better, there wasn’t enough dynamics.

On the plus side, there were some really memorable tender moments – him taking care of her when she got a cold, him calling out billionaires for who they are, her caring for the people in the architecture designs she makes.

The writing is lovely, there are some poignant comments about our society, including definitions of personal and professional success but in the end this story is a mixed bag of good and not so good for me.

My second Emma Barry read - I enjoyed it well enough, but it wasn’t quite what I was expecting, or I guess hoping it would be. This is a best friends since childhood turns a bit more turns out to be long-lived unrequited feelings on both parts, and as expected… turns to lovers, with a whole, long, very complicated situation to get there.

Sam is a big NYC comedian (not just stand-up clubs, but big sketch comedy shows on TV, which he’s involved in writing - think SNL). Bree is his best friend since they were kids, and he can always call on her whenever he needs anything, including when his pop star ex fiancé releases a huge new song, all about him and his life - “Lost Boy.” He needs to disappear from public while the uproar from the song and his shouting at people dies down, and he stops risking losing everything. The problem is, there’s some feelings happening, especially with the close proximity in her tiny apartment.

Bree hides a secret about a new job and leaving bestie Sam in his time of need and when he’s finally seeming to show some reciprocal feelings, but she can’t let a tiny potential of more than friendship change her future plans and moving on.

I did enjoy the chemistry and plot of this one, but found it to be a bit slow. I read her previous release (Chick Magnet) and really loved it, so perhaps was comparing them too much… because this was good, just on the slower side (just my opinion). I do still recommend it, and it’s a solid 4-star!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Montlake, and this is my honest opinion.

Included as a top pick in weekly May New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)