I really enjoyed this!

One Love tells the story of Danny, a gay man in his late 30s who has been in love with his best friend, Guy, since they met at university 20 years ago and hopes that their friendship will become something more during Manchester Pride weekend.

Despite that - and despite what the book suggests - this is not a romance. I worry that the marketing is a little misleading here, and that some readers are going to be disappointed. I was expecting more of a romance than I received, particularly as the book does play with some of the tropes of the genre, but in all honesty it didn't dull my enjoyment.

This is an uplifting tale of self love and self acceptance, with a true feeling of place. As someone who has attended her fair share of Manchester Pride parades, the essence of the weekend was there on the page to be enjoyed.

4.5★s
One Love is the sixth novel by British writer, broadcaster, and commentator, Matt Cain. As they travel to, and arrive at, the Manchester Pride Festival in August 2022, Danny Baxter hopes that, over the four-day-weekend, he will be brave enough to finally tell his friend of twenty years, Guy Falconer, how he feels about him.

Back in 2002, when they had each arrived from further afield to study at Manchester University, newly-out Danny couldn’t really believe that a man as gorgeous as Guy was winking at him. But he was determined to enjoy the freedom of not hiding his sexual preferences the way he’d had to in Barrow-on-Furness, and Guy tentatively went along, to Canal Street, the gay bars and dance venues, even if he wasn’t quite game to come out himself.

Now, as they drop into familiar spots and run into former lovers, each of them recalls the chain of events that somehow saw them never actually becoming lovers themselves. In a series of miscommunication, mistiming and misfortune, Danny’s lack of flirtation led Guy to believe he wasn’t interested, while Danny never dared to make any advances for fear of ruining a beautiful friendship. But finally, Danny is ready to take the plunge, to risk rejection, for a chance at happiness.

As the work of a gay author, of course the authenticity of this tale is immediately apparent: Cain’s depiction of his eras and settings is wholly credible. But he doesn’t give the reader cardboard cliches for characters, not does his plot follow entirely predictable lines: there are twists and surprises before a realistic ending. An enlightening, thought-provoking and heart-warming read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Headline.

In a story that is ultimately about self-love and acceptance of who you are, it feels that Matt Cain has also become more confident to write not just about queer lives but to them as readers as well. His previous two novels were written, I felt, to be “hetero-friendly” and appeal to a wider audience but One Love is unapologetically LGBTQ. Reading between the lines in the acknowledgements, it may have been a struggle with publishers to push for this direction.
The other refreshing aspect of this story is that it chooses not to conform with standard romantic will-they, won’t-they narrative. Life is more messy than fiction and Danny and Guy’s relationship, shown through flashbacks and present day, is a snakes and ladders tale of love.
Having been to university at Manchester as well, the setting was a reminiscence for me and I very much enjoyed the story and its message of love in all its variations.

Another fabulous book from Matt Cain. I wasn't sure at first that I would enjoy this one as much as his previous books (which I adored) as it felt much more serious in tone, somehow, but I ended up absolutely loving it. Danny is a great character, sensitive, full of heart, and I loved his mum and friends too. The ending was really moving, and left me with a lump in my throat, which is always a win for me.
Truly wonderful, a triumph of a book.
With grateful thanks to NetGalley, Headline and Matt Cain for giving me the opportunity to read an advance ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

A 100% buy-today-read-tonight delight.

Thanks to a great author we have warmth, wisdom and emotional intelligence, this book was a huge pleasure to read! A fabulous, really enjoyable read.
Matt your a star!

In this story we follow two best friends who have know each other for 20 years. We read from their perspective in the year 2002 when they met and in 2022 when they return to Manchester for pride. The premiss of this story sounded very cute and overall it was an okay read. I just found the two timelimes a bit confusing and repetitive. The voices of the protagonists sounded the same no matter at what age, which was a bit of a let down - nobody is the same at nearly 40 than they have been in their late teens. Overall it was cute tho.

One Love is a heartfelt, long-lasting story following the 20 year long friendship of Danny and Guy, and is lovingly written.
It's character lead, both heavy and light and sticks firmly in its northern roots. I love the multiple timelines and how effortlessly the past and present connect to one another, and the themes of friendship and finding your identity through that, it's a beautiful story.
However, the friendship between the two men didn't touch me as much as I had anticipated and it was quite a slow going read for me, but other than that, it's a brilliant novel.

Thank you to Headline and Netgalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed the two previous books by this author, but this one was just not for me. It was missing the wholesomeness and I really didn’t like either of the characters. But, I’m probably not really the target audience so I will keep recommending this author to my customers, it was well written and it’d be great to see this author become a brand name.

Oh how I loved this book, so much so i didn't want it to end.
I'm not a huge romance reader and I will admit that i was drawn to it initially by the Manchester setting. Being someone who works at the Uni and who was a student in the late 90s I just knew I had to read this .

Firstly the book is also a love letter to Manchester. It is so vividly written , both the flashbacks to Manchester in the early 2000's (the name drops of places, Manto!!) and the descriptions of the city today (even the Townhall renovation has a mention !) , honestly you feel like you are walking the streets with Danny and Guy.

And the story itself ... it's so much more than a typical friends to lovers . It's also a story about homophobia, about the gay culture in the UK , how it's progressed and how discrimination is still so present . The characters are so real and so likeable ( but also annoying at the same time ) .

This was my first Matt Cain book and after reading this it will not be my last,. Thank you Netgalley!

One Love by Matt Cain
I give this book 4.5 stars.

2002
Danny arrives at Manchester University this is the year his life will begin.He locks eyes with a handsome stranger at the Freshers' Fair. It starts with a wink and soon Danny and Guy are best friends.
2022
Now, both single for the first time in years, Danny and Guy return for Manchester Pride.Could this weekend be the end of a twenty-year friendship . . . or the start of something new and even more beautiful?

After loving Becoming Ted and Albert Entwistle l was so excited for Matt Cains new book!
Told from Danny and occasionally Guy’s pov’s spanning a twenty year friendship this is a slow burn story full of heart. No one is portrayed as perfect and that’s what makes this feel so heartbreakingly read to me. We journey along with both of them through the years unravelling the complications of relationships and challenges and emotions the characters go through during this time period and how their lives intertwine and pull away from one another. Starting and ending where they first met and exploring identity, love and the changing attitudes towards the LGBTQIA community through the decades this book is a moving portrayal that completely drew me in. In short I loved it!
With thanks to Netgalley,Matt Cain and Headline,Review for my chance to read and review this book

Danny and Guy meet in freshers week at Manchester Uni, Danny really is into Guy but is frightened to break their friendship. After that there never seems to be the right moment to let him know exactly how he feels about him. Their friendship lasts over 20 years through thick and thin until Danny decides he can't hold his secret in any longer so decided to declare his love over a return to where it all started for Manchester Pride. I can tell Matt has poured his heart into this book but its hard if worthwhile reading

Well this book was a real tumultuous journey, that’s for sure.
I have such mixed feelings about it, but I definitely appreciate how real this felt. I was expecting a lovely slow burn romance, from the blurb. That was not at all what this was.

Really showed the ups and and downs of long term friendship and unrequited love. It explored the challenges of queer men in the 90s and 00s and how shame and low self esteem can just permeate and overtake everything.

Whilst in some ways I didn’t find it satisfying, I actually think that’s good. It’s a book that challenges expectations, which is the whole message. Like why do we need to fit in these set moulds for life and relationships?

I did find some of the time switching and perspective switching a little disorientating. Sometimes it would change mid chapter and it was a little jarring. But, I guess you could argue that the style reflected the characters and the journey they were on. You go along with them as they reflect on their 20 year friendship.

I did find bits a little slow and it was maybe a little long. However, Matt Cain is really a master of capturing different experiences of gay men and his books definitely make for insightful and emotional reads.

Danny has been in love with Guy since they met and decides to tell him at their reunion at the 2022 Manchester Pride event with the hope he feels the same. The chapters chart their friendship over the years and jumps backwards and forwards from 2002 to 2021 and the present day.
At times, I had a great deal of sympathy for Danny and other times I wanted to shake him for self sabotaging all the time!!!!
A heartwarming and thought provoking read

This book was absolutely different from what I expected and it’s mainly the blurbs fault. Why is this marketed as a kind of epic romance when it is absolutely not?
I’m not saying it’s a bad book, because it is not, but why is the blurb so misleading?

This story is about two young man meeting at the beginning of the 2000 starting university, trying to live as openly gay man for the first time (at a time when/close after “promoting” gay media was forbidden by law in the UK, just for reference).
20 years later they are still best friends, but one of them as always been in love with the other and is trying to tell him face to face for the first time at the epic pride in Manchester.
The story switches back and forth between 2002 and 2022, so we see how they meet for the first time, build their friendship, come out, have first time experiences and how different their lives are and develop.
I really enjoyed the style of this, slowly showing how the experiences from their past affected their friendship in the present and what led to the current situation.

But for me this book was anything but a love story. It’s more about gay culture, how growing up as a gay man in the 90s and early 00s in the UK was, bigotry and homophobia, (missing)(older) queer role models, about gay dating, gay relationships, image, pleasing your parents, the body image in the gay and media scene and so much more! So much happened in the last 20 years and all of this is portrayed so perfectly in this book.
And at the end of it all it’s about self love. If you’ve been told one thing over and over again for years one day you’ll just start to believe it. And this is what this story shows.
This story is messy, the characters are messy, you’ll hate everyone at some point, question their decision, want to shake someone. There’s all the emotions and that’s what makes it so real and realistic. None of these people are perfect and this is real life. The ending was exactly that too.

With the dawn of 2024, Matt Cain's upcoming novel, "One Love," is a delightful start to what promises to be an exciting year for literature. This was my first novel from Matt Cain, even though I've had two of his older novels on my shelf. But I can confidently confirm that I won't be procrastinating on those unread books any longer.

The heart of the story revolves around the intertwined lives of two queer friends, Guy and Danny. Their reunion at the 2022 Manchester Pride event sparks hopes of their relationship evolving into something more. The narrative is expertly woven between the present weekend and a series of flashbacks through the years from 2002 to present day. Through these flashbacks, the author meticulously unravels the rich tapestry of their friendship, offering us a full spectrum of their emotional journey.

Cain skillfully uses "friends-to-lovers" trope, but he brings a refreshing maturity to the narrative. Unlike other books that might take a more predictable route, "One Love" explores this theme with nuance and depth. Moreover, the book offers valuable insights into the evolution of the LGBTQ+ community over the course of two decades, reflecting on the progress and challenges that have shaped the world.

One of Matt Cain's best attributes as a writer is his ability to breathe life into his characters. Guy and Danny feel incredibly real, their complexities and emotions laid bare on the pages. However, if I were to find a negative side, it's that the book, while engrossing, could have benefited from some trimming. A reduction of at least 50 pages might have made the pacing even more engaging.

Despite this minor critique, I wholeheartedly recommend "One Love". This novel a memorable addition to the world of LGBTQ+ literature. I am eager to delve into his backlog of novels.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC,

I wish Netgalley would include sample chapters with every potential book, so we can check out the writing style before requesting. It would make things a lot easier for everyone. I suspected from the first rather uninspired sentence that this book wouldn't be for me and the head-hopping in the opening paragraphs confirmed it. I'd loved the story concept: two young gay men meet at university and form a twenty year friendship that eventually might develop into something more. I also love the idea of a novel that charts the evolution of the LGBT+ movement across decades. I'm not sure why, but my expectations were that it would be literary. It's not. The writing style is basic and not to my taste (head hopping, cliches, tropey characters and plot, way too much spelling-out and telling in comparison to immersive showing, long passages of flat exposition and explanatory dialogue). The style reads like younger YA but includes explicit sex scenes. It just didn't work for me.

Danny is a sweet and likeable protagonist. I did want him to be happy. Guy wasn't that well-developed. They were the gay boy who is accepted by his family and the one who wasn't. Despite the fact they came from different classes, their voices were the same. The scene in which Guy came out to his family felt like paint-by-numbers with every objection raised by his horrible parents a thin cliche. I recently saw All of US Strangers and couldn't but help compare the differing scenes with the same subject matter, portrayed with so much more complexity and humanity in the movie.

I didn't feel much difference in the voices or personalities of university Danny and Guy vs almost 40-year-old Danny and Guy. They didn't feel older or more mature. I found it hard to believe Danny, who hardly ever looked at his phone, as an agent.

The period details were fun, if a little over-flagged, and there were tons of details about Pride, some of which I would have lived a happier life without reading (a woman being sick in a glass), but it wasn't enough to keep me interested in what felt like a very thin story with undeveloped characters. Poor Emma. Her entire personality was "sexual female".

I read 30% and DNF. I'm sure there are people who will enjoy a sweet, simple love story like this, but I'm not the right audience.

Danny and Guy met twenty years ago during Freshers Week at Manchester University. It was love at first sight as far as Danny was concerned but he never had the courage to let Guy know his true feelings. Spending a weekend together celebrating Manchester Pride, Danny hopes that now is the right time to tell Guy exactly how he feels.

When we are first introduced to Danny and Guy in One Love by Matt Cain they are exploring the Gay Village in Manchester for the first time. Newly arrived at Manchester University in 2002 Danny is determined to live his best life as an openly gay man, having been unable to really be himself in his hometown. Danny’s openness finally allows Guy to come out about his own sexuality. Danny’s quest for adventure and to make the most of everything Manchester has to offer is the support and catalyst Guy needs.

The pair form a strong friendship; however, what Guy doesn’t realise is that Danny has fallen in love with him. Over the span of twenty years, Danny’s unrequited love doesn’t abate. Fate seems to conspire to keep them apart, with one or the other always being in a relationship, until now. After twenty years both men are single and heading to Manchester Pride together. Danny hopes that he’ll finally be able to tell Guy exactly how he feels about him and hopes that his feelings will be reciprocated.

Interspersed with the events of the weekend are snapshots of the past twenty years. We see the highs and lows of the friendship. Your heart goes out to Danny. As Guy looks for a long-term relationship he repeatedly overlooks Danny. Danny’s insecurity and low self-esteem mean that he’s never been brave enough to tell Guy exactly how he feels about him. You really feel the catch-22 situation Danny is in, torturing himself by maintaining the friendship and as a result watching Guy fall in love with a variety of partners, but on the other hand terrified of being honest and destroying the friendship completely.

Over the space of the weekend, the pair are forced to examine the nature of their friendship, set against a backdrop of a vibrant, joyful and often raucous Pride festival.

Have to say I don't think this book was for me. It tells the story of two gay men, Danny and Guy who meet at Uni in Manchester and goes between different stages of their relationship over 20 years, including the present where they are back in Manchester for Pride.

It switches between the perspective of Danny and Guy, although Danny's perspective is featured much more than Guy's who we only see every once in a while. This book tackles some very real issues in terms of pride vs shame and the impact internalised homophobia can have. There is a strong message on the importance of self-acceptance and self-love.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy reading this. I found Danny's perspective very frustrating. It is obviously a journey he is on to self acceptance, which is rooted in his experienced and internalised homophobia. But then it was a challenge getting through 90% of the book with him constantly going on about his many percieved shortcomings.

Beyond the main message of self-acceptance, I would have also liked to see it address some of the themes it touches on in a more nuanced way such as substance abuse within the LGBT community.

I also found the way this book talks about fatness to be really difficult to read. Danny struggles with his weight and we see his dysfunctional relationship with food and his body. He talks about 'starving himself' in preparation for the weekend. He frequently describes his body negatively, describing himself as flabby and feeling shame about his weight. This is a real struggle gay men have, lgbt people have higher instances of eating disorders, but the fact that this wasn't resolved or addressed in a meaningful way felt jarring.

This also carried through in how people were described generally throughout the book. There were lots of scenes that described background characters to set the scene, but descriptions of an 'overweight drag queen' or 'chubby gay footballers' just felt unnecessary and a bit uncomfortable.

I think the tone of the book just didn't hit quite right for me, but I can see this being great for someone else, maybe someone with a lived experience closer to the main characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC

I had heard so much about Matt Cain’s debut, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle, and therefore I had high hopes for One Love.
 
I love multiple timelines, I adore the friends-to-lovers trope, I cherish funny stories with harder-hitting topics underneath, I like stories set in the early aughts because so much happened in my life in those years (yes, I’m that old). BUT (1)… Danny’s and Guy’s story didn’t touch me as much as I hoped it would. I can’t even pinpoint why. Maybe it’s the constant switch between timelines and past tense and present tense. Maybe it’s because this story is mainly written from Danny’s POV, but it also changes into Guy’s. Maybe all those memories felt a little too much and repetitive. Or maybe this book is just not for me. I have to admit that I started skimming pages once in a while. BUT (2) … I liked the message and the ending. I’m definitely going to pick up Matt’s debut one day, and I think One Love is probably a great story for so many of you!

Matt Cain knows how to write a bloody good book! This was fantastic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.