Sounds Like Fun

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.

"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.

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.

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!

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.

Eoin has been with his boyfriend Rich for six years, having moved from Dublin to London to be with him. Out of the blue, Rich asks that they open their relationship. What follows is a masterclass in how /not/ to approach consensual non-monogamy, all while Eoin is stepping up at the cafe where he works after his boss goes AWOL, and dealing with the realisation that he doesn’t know what he wants from life.

I stayed up until midnight to binge read this in one go. It was relatable, funny, both sweet and sad at times. While this is not big R genre Romance, there is a strong romantic element which ends on a hopeful note so it still ticks a lot of those boxes (the love interest is so lovely, with just enough bite to be interesting as well). One aspect I really enjoyed was the fact that Eoin and Rich’s relationship was Not Right instead of Wrong - rather than one of them doing something terrible or hurting the other in some way, they are simply navigating that difficult space where their relationship is no longer serving them as it once was.

The portrayal of bit city loneliness hit hard. The way you can be surrounded by co-workers and housemates but still have very few true friends, even after years there. That transition out of uni in your mid twenties when you have to start actively making friends and building community is so difficult, and Moriarty handled this depiction very well.

This was a fantastic read. It was warm, fun and really beautiful. Thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC via NetGalley.

Although I found the start of this novel slow and the characters and scenario introduced there quite irritating, very soon the quality of the writing and the authenticity of the voice persuaded me that here was a new author with interesting ideas.

Bryan Moriarty achieves what I most like to find in author's writing about the lives of gay men and that is a sense of ordinariness. Eoin's experiences of work, love and relationships are firmly rooted in reality and have resonances which will chime with many regardless of orientation or gender.

I am of a different generation. I came to terms with my sexuality, found love, a career and my life partner in the early 1970s yet there were so many points of contact for me with Eoin's story and it brought back much of the joy and pain of that time in my life.

This is a fine achievement for a first novel and I eagerly anticipate more.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the digital review copy.

BRYAN MORIARTY – SOUNDS LIKE FUN *****

I read this novel in advance of publication through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Sounds like Fun describes itself well. A witty and wise stroll through London’s contemporary gay scene, bulging with humour and really great characters that I’m missing already. Not just the endearing but somewhat hapless narrator, Eoin, our Irish hero, who, in the very first sentence, comes off his bike because of a pothole, but his myriad of friends and lovers. Rich, his partner who decides he wants to try an open relationship, James, a budding actor hoping for success, and Billy, oh poor Billy, so sweet Billy, making every gaff known to mankind.

The principal setting – the Quarter Turn, a coffee shop with major problems, not least its absent owner - is drawn brilliantly, almost another character. Eoin and Billy work there and is joined by out of work actor James. But it is the periphery cast which create such a great background. The way their lives interact with each other, their highs and lows, is the canvas into which Eoin’s life is stitched so brilliantly. Which brings it alive.

To say anything more would mean spoilers, and this story is such fun that it is best to read it without too much previous knowledge.

Five stars. One of the most enjoyable stories I have read in ages. Should be a film.

To be clear, I absolutely loved this novel. Moriarty's is a fresh new voice, and he's got the knack of hooking you with compelling characters and a seemingly 'everyday' contemporary narrative that is well put-together. There are some humorous moments that had me laughing aloud, and the relationships between characters are, I think, well developed and believable. The protagonist, Eoin, is one who would appeal to a wide audience, and although you might call this novel a 'page turner', it also implicitly tackles some important contemporary and cultural issues. I read it quickly, and looked forward to reading it, and I don't think you can ask much more from a novelist. Very much look forward to more from this writer. Excellent. Thanks very much to NetGalley and to the publishers for the ARC.

I really liked this book. It's a very modern, compassionate, non-judgemental exploration of open relationships, which seems to be the default setting for every LGBTQ couple I know these days! But apart from that, at its heart, it's a book about self-realisation, and not so much growing apart in a relationship, but growing up. It also touches on what it's like to be an emigrant from Dublin to London, and how lonely that can be. A really lovely, sexy book from a a great new writing talent.

This is an absolutely wonderful book! I don't read a lot of contemporary fiction books so I wasn't sure how I would feel about it going in but I absolutely adored it - before I knew it I had read a huge chunk of it in one sitting!

The characters were so three-dimensional and charming, the places were so vivid and it was such a relatable and real portrait of queer London life. It was so lovely to watch Eoin's character develop throughout the novel - I was rooting for him the whole way through.

Can't wait to see more from this author!