Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Andy Marshall has moved back to London with plans for a fresh start. A little heart sore from a nasty break up, he joins a local amateur dramatics society called the Sarky Players based in Greenwich. Despite his best efforts at the audition, Andy lands a leading role in play called Whoops, Vicar, There Goes My Trousers, a ridiculous farce written by a local first-time playwright.

The play might be bad, but the Sarky Players are a friendly bunch. Andy quickly makes new friends and finds himself drawn to Phil Cormack, a local artist helping with the set and props. But despite their growing attraction, Phil’s not in the right place to date, and Andy won’t wait forever.

Life doesn’t run to a script, and if Andy and Phil want to get their happy ending, they need to move past rehearsals and put each other centre stage.

First edition published by Dreamspinner Press, August 2015.

Book Review

What a delightfully funny story this turned out to be: full of (very) British humor and references, floundering and squabbling characters, and a play/farce so ridiculous it’s probably considered high art by some. Actually, if you want to get a really quick feel for what the book is like without reading this or any other reviews, all you need to do is look at the cover. It is the embodiment of this novella’s spirit, and I suspect you either hate it or love it. I definitely loved it, and laughed out loud several times. It’s a story that doesn’t take itself seriously, making it all the more enjoyable for me to read and discover all the little observations and details the author has included for my amusement. Much like in real life, the romance is only part of what is going on in Andy and Phil’s lives, but once they figure out what they want, there is no doubt in my mind that they are well suited to make a go of being more than friends.

Andy is an accountant who likes to be organized in and out of the office, is in his midthirties and has just broken up with his boyfriend of four years, and moves to London for a new start. Finding his feet in the London branch of his company is relatively easy but making sure he spends some time making new friends will be more difficult – or so he thinks until his colleague Natalie takes him under her wing. Andy joins an amateur dramatics group as a result, but only gradually finds out what kind of a play he has let himself in for. It’s too late to back out, most of the people are friendly – except for the overly dramatic ones, pun intended – and Andy figures a bit of personal embarrassment onstage is a small price to pay for not having to spend his evenings watching bad TV.

There are several men Andy runs in to who vie for his attention. There is fellow amateur actor Ryan, who seems way too interested and is very flirtatious, and there is a brief attempted setup with a man called Danny, curtesy of Andy’s sister. But the quiet man in the background, a guy called Phil, is the one Andy keeps running in to. Phil has a whole range of issues, one of them an abusive eight-year-long relationship he is trying to get away from, and among everything else that is going on in their lives, the two keep missing each other for the longest time. The point is that they keep running into each other as well, thanks to the ridiculous play, and gradually it becomes obvious that they may just be suited for each other. Very nicely done!

If you like romantic comedy, if you think you’re up for a bit of British humor and a feel for what it’s like to live and work in London, and if you’re looking for a read that will make you laugh as well as groan with the sheer farcicality of it, then you will probably like this novella. I’m glad there are more in the series for me to look forward to!

 

 

 

 

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Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 144 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	18-November-2019
Price	$2.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Overly-Dramatic-Treading-Boards-Book-ebook/dp/B081QWV2F2