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Don't Die Alone, Lucas Cook!
Lucas Cook is tired of being the third wheel. He's never even been kissed. Enter Vicky, his new best friend, armed with his late mother's bestselling love guide and a wild transform Lucas into a dating success story.
When he finally catches the eye of his long-time crush, Grayson Murray, his world turns upside down. Soon Lucas must decide how much he is willing to change for love and whether he's losing himself-or discovering what he truly wants.
Fans of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, and Heartstopper by Alice Oseman will love this hilarious and heartfelt YA LGBTQ+ romantic comedy - from George Lester author of YA Novel Boy Queen.
When he finally catches the eye of his long-time crush, Grayson Murray, his world turns upside down. Soon Lucas must decide how much he is willing to change for love and whether he's losing himself-or discovering what he truly wants.
Fans of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, and Heartstopper by Alice Oseman will love this hilarious and heartfelt YA LGBTQ+ romantic comedy - from George Lester author of YA Novel Boy Queen.
368 pages, Paperback
Published January 14, 2025
3 people are currently reading
185 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 4, 2025
4⭐️
AD-PR PRODUCT ~ Book Tour
A fun and entertaining YA LGBTQ+ rom-com! 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
I had the best time reading this book and it was a really uplifting read, perfect for this time of year with the sun shining!
Lucas Cook is tired of being the third wheel. He’s never even been kissed. Enter Vicky, his new best friend, armed with his late mother’s bestselling love guide and a wild idea: transform Lucas into a dating success story. When he finally catches the eye of his long-time crush, Grayson, his world turns upside down. Soon Lucas must decide how much he is willing to change for love and whether he’s losing himself-or discovering what he truly wants.
This book had more highs and lows than a rollercoaster, but it felt so incredibly real. Emitting Simon James Green and Alice Oseman vibes and more, I really enjoyed the premise and execution of this book.
I really loved Lucas. He was a typical shy and unconfident gay teenager with a big crush and no understanding of how to win Grayson over. I loved Lucas’ friendship with Vicky and Max and how they helped him along his journey.
I really loved the start of most chapters with a snippet of Lucas’ late mother’s guide to love. The advice was top notch and really added depth to the YA nature of the book. I felt so much pain for both the protagonist and his dad.
There was an overall predictability to the read but it did not hinder how much I really enjoyed this book. I also liked the ending. Sometimes some endings are too much, but this was perfect, especially with all the character progression.
A huge thank you @pridebooktours, @cloudydaypublishing and @thegeorgelester for having me on the Book Tour for Don’t Die Alone, Lucas Cook! 💛
I highly recommend this book! ☺️
⚠️ Please check out the trigger warnings! ⚠️
AD-PR PRODUCT ~ Book Tour
A fun and entertaining YA LGBTQ+ rom-com! 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
I had the best time reading this book and it was a really uplifting read, perfect for this time of year with the sun shining!
Lucas Cook is tired of being the third wheel. He’s never even been kissed. Enter Vicky, his new best friend, armed with his late mother’s bestselling love guide and a wild idea: transform Lucas into a dating success story. When he finally catches the eye of his long-time crush, Grayson, his world turns upside down. Soon Lucas must decide how much he is willing to change for love and whether he’s losing himself-or discovering what he truly wants.
This book had more highs and lows than a rollercoaster, but it felt so incredibly real. Emitting Simon James Green and Alice Oseman vibes and more, I really enjoyed the premise and execution of this book.
I really loved Lucas. He was a typical shy and unconfident gay teenager with a big crush and no understanding of how to win Grayson over. I loved Lucas’ friendship with Vicky and Max and how they helped him along his journey.
I really loved the start of most chapters with a snippet of Lucas’ late mother’s guide to love. The advice was top notch and really added depth to the YA nature of the book. I felt so much pain for both the protagonist and his dad.
There was an overall predictability to the read but it did not hinder how much I really enjoyed this book. I also liked the ending. Sometimes some endings are too much, but this was perfect, especially with all the character progression.
A huge thank you @pridebooktours, @cloudydaypublishing and @thegeorgelester for having me on the Book Tour for Don’t Die Alone, Lucas Cook! 💛
I highly recommend this book! ☺️
⚠️ Please check out the trigger warnings! ⚠️
March 25, 2025
i’m…kinda disappointed.
this book starts out really good. it has a fun rom-com trash premise, with a very relatable main character. but about 40% of the way through, i started to feel like things were getting repetitive with no end in sight & started worrying about how the book was going to end.
by the 60% mark, i was starting to get frustrated. i could see where the book was going, but the writing was missing the mark. and in the end, it totally did. i feel frustrated that it ended the way it did. there was no true resolution - just “they’re working on it.”
my biggest issue lies with lucas’s friend group. they him.
thank you to pride book tours and the author for giving me a copy of don’t die alone, lucas cook! i wish i hadn’t been so frustrated with it towards the end, because it had really good potential!
this book starts out really good. it has a fun rom-com trash premise, with a very relatable main character. but about 40% of the way through, i started to feel like things were getting repetitive with no end in sight & started worrying about how the book was going to end.
by the 60% mark, i was starting to get frustrated. i could see where the book was going, but the writing was missing the mark. and in the end, it totally did. i feel frustrated that it ended the way it did. there was no true resolution - just “they’re working on it.”
my biggest issue lies with lucas’s friend group. they him.
thank you to pride book tours and the author for giving me a copy of don’t die alone, lucas cook! i wish i hadn’t been so frustrated with it towards the end, because it had really good potential!
February 6, 2025
3.5/5 ⭐️
Don’t Die Alone, Lucas Cook started out really good. It was humorous and relatable and the characters were enjoyable. But by the halfway point of the story, it felt like the writing got sloppy. Suddenly characters were acting weird and hypocritical. The explanations for their behavior ended up being super vague or not really talked about at all. And I didn’t like the ending. I don’t know if it was meant to be mysterious or what but it just didn’t work for me. Max was the best character and I feel like the author didn’t do him justice. The entire story just felt sort of unresolved.
Don’t Die Alone, Lucas Cook started out really good. It was humorous and relatable and the characters were enjoyable. But by the halfway point of the story, it felt like the writing got sloppy. Suddenly characters were acting weird and hypocritical. The explanations for their behavior ended up being super vague or not really talked about at all. And I didn’t like the ending. I don’t know if it was meant to be mysterious or what but it just didn’t work for me. Max was the best character and I feel like the author didn’t do him justice. The entire story just felt sort of unresolved.
September 27, 2025
Damn it book, I was rooting for you, we were all rooting for you.
Ooh, I thought I would absolutely love this book. I absolutely did not. At all.
I found this incredibly tedious, it took me two full weeks to finish- because I kept having to force myself to pick it back up. It's easily 100 pages too long, with long portions where this book just spins its wheels going nowhere, repeating the same plot points it's already covered. Lucas is awkward, Grayson shows interest in him, Lucas freaks out and embarasses himself, Lucas overreacts, Grayson gives him another chance. Lather, rinse, repeat.
It's all tell and no show, Grayson is bad because we're told to think that, even though his behavior is mostly reasonable; Sophie doesn't suck because we're told she had good reasons for being the absolute fucking worst, even though she seems to me like a horrible friend. It's all these wasted pages that makes the ending even more galling.
I'd never discourage anyone from reading a book, because taste is such a personal thing. If this looks like it may be your jam, check it out, you may love it. However, trust me on this- if you give this a shot and you're not feeling it- there's no reward waiting for you in closing chapters. It peaks early and it's downhill from there. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I will say, I was going to give this a begruding 2 stars until I read the last chapter.
Ooh, I thought I would absolutely love this book. I absolutely did not. At all.
I found this incredibly tedious, it took me two full weeks to finish- because I kept having to force myself to pick it back up. It's easily 100 pages too long, with long portions where this book just spins its wheels going nowhere, repeating the same plot points it's already covered. Lucas is awkward, Grayson shows interest in him, Lucas freaks out and embarasses himself, Lucas overreacts, Grayson gives him another chance. Lather, rinse, repeat.
It's all tell and no show, Grayson is bad because we're told to think that, even though his behavior is mostly reasonable; Sophie doesn't suck because we're told she had good reasons for being the absolute fucking worst, even though she seems to me like a horrible friend. It's all these wasted pages that makes the ending even more galling.
I'd never discourage anyone from reading a book, because taste is such a personal thing. If this looks like it may be your jam, check it out, you may love it. However, trust me on this- if you give this a shot and you're not feeling it- there's no reward waiting for you in closing chapters. It peaks early and it's downhill from there. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I will say, I was going to give this a begruding 2 stars until I read the last chapter.
November 5, 2025
I really wanted to love this. I picked it up after I saw the advert online, read the blurb, had a small chat with the author. He seemed like a cool guy.
And the set up for the premise was good. The first 40% I knew what we were working with. Secret pining for best friend to come good in the final act, old friendships altering as the action continues, new friend making an impact in the MC (Lucas)'s life, the mother's book having an impact in all relationships.
And then the first date with Lucas and Grayson happened, and it went all over the place. Firstly, I do get bored of this penchant other UK YA contemporary authors have for the slapstick. Things can go wrong without the MC being a total clutz. Holly Smale is perhaps the only author I can see do that and get away with it because Harriet was just a ball of chaos. But Holly Bourne is a much better example of a YA author who can write twists without it being so ... look, Lucas and Grayson could have had a terrible date. It didn't need the stoic father who avoids love to suddenly ask all the other employees to pander to his son. It didn't need the candles being knocked over, sprinklers going off. It would have been perfectly fine with them being awkward, not knowing what to talk about, Lucas continually going to the bathroom and phone call faux pas. Then the next day "oh, maybe it was too stuffy, maybe we do something more our speed, what about Lamberti's next time?"
After that, the characterisation was awful. Was the dad absent, or angry? Some of the arguments were so small and in lowercase so it completely swept me by, others had Lucas swearing and coming across as a total brat. At the end, our MC was so unlikeable, I didn't root for him to get the guy at all. Soph was inconsistent, Vicky was far too forgiving (and also went off the book? She struck me as the type to realise Max loved Lucas and would have helped Max use the tips to get Lucas instead of just saying "actually, let's ignore your mum's advice now after I made you take it"), Jasmine had no redeeming qualities, what was the point of Krish? As for Grayson ... how is the guy who saved Lucas before the novel and friends with his friends suddenly a terrible guy who uses his friends? A much better conclusion would have been Grayson saying Lucas and the book left him confused, and Dylan had never made him feel that way, and wait ... Dylan? Then Grayson and Dylan got a HEA, and Lucas and Max could have confessed their feelings, and been open to moving forward together.
I also, as soon as I heard the premise of the movie they watched (twice, in the cinema) and the conclusion of Lucas' mother's novel, I knew how the book would end. There was no conclusion, no HEA, but the hint was that Lucas would pick Max. It didn't feel good, especially as Lucas declined into fully unlikeable. It was also clear Max liked Lucas, that it was causing issues with Soph, and would have made more sense if they broke up when Soph was off school, instead of leaving me going "when was Christmas in this novel?" which is when they allegedly broke up. It just felt like it needed more working to make it a smooth and satisfying read. The bones are good, the execution ...
I also thought the mum's advice in her self-help book was terrible. Awful. Didn't seem long enough for a book, but I'm not the self-help type, so I could be wildly wrong. But even when I was growing up, at the time her book was set, it was terrible advice, cliched, straight from the movies. Glad that was acknowledged in the end, but if Vicky had read it so much and loved it, why was she either saying that, or pushing it on Lucas to begin with?
I also said in my updates as I was reading, there were strange inconsistencies with the writing group. The group comment on Lucas' first work, then the teacher says something, then she opens it to the group to feedback on. Um, why? Why the second time? There was a strange focus on how much Soph and Max missed school. They didn't turn up for half of the three or four weeks that the timeline covered, which I'm sure would carry some punishment when Lucas worries he'll be suspended for missing a half day (also inconsistency there, his dad finds him near midday on that day, they have a big emotional chat, he takes him to school ... and it's almost lunchtime. That's really bad planning) it just seems like it needed more time before this book got released.
I wish I could have liked it more. George seems like a nice guy when you talk to him. The premise is interesting, the characters start off strong and well rounded. But boy do I wish Hanna the editor took this book more in hand. The inconsistencies in the plot, in the characterisation, the lack of punctuation on one page ... no book is perfect, but this one doesn't get to shine the way it deserves.
And the set up for the premise was good. The first 40% I knew what we were working with. Secret pining for best friend to come good in the final act, old friendships altering as the action continues, new friend making an impact in the MC (Lucas)'s life, the mother's book having an impact in all relationships.
And then the first date with Lucas and Grayson happened, and it went all over the place. Firstly, I do get bored of this penchant other UK YA contemporary authors have for the slapstick. Things can go wrong without the MC being a total clutz. Holly Smale is perhaps the only author I can see do that and get away with it because Harriet was just a ball of chaos. But Holly Bourne is a much better example of a YA author who can write twists without it being so ... look, Lucas and Grayson could have had a terrible date. It didn't need the stoic father who avoids love to suddenly ask all the other employees to pander to his son. It didn't need the candles being knocked over, sprinklers going off. It would have been perfectly fine with them being awkward, not knowing what to talk about, Lucas continually going to the bathroom and phone call faux pas. Then the next day "oh, maybe it was too stuffy, maybe we do something more our speed, what about Lamberti's next time?"
After that, the characterisation was awful. Was the dad absent, or angry? Some of the arguments were so small and in lowercase so it completely swept me by, others had Lucas swearing and coming across as a total brat. At the end, our MC was so unlikeable, I didn't root for him to get the guy at all. Soph was inconsistent, Vicky was far too forgiving (and also went off the book? She struck me as the type to realise Max loved Lucas and would have helped Max use the tips to get Lucas instead of just saying "actually, let's ignore your mum's advice now after I made you take it"), Jasmine had no redeeming qualities, what was the point of Krish? As for Grayson ... how is the guy who saved Lucas before the novel and friends with his friends suddenly a terrible guy who uses his friends? A much better conclusion would have been Grayson saying Lucas and the book left him confused, and Dylan had never made him feel that way, and wait ... Dylan? Then Grayson and Dylan got a HEA, and Lucas and Max could have confessed their feelings, and been open to moving forward together.
I also, as soon as I heard the premise of the movie they watched (twice, in the cinema) and the conclusion of Lucas' mother's novel, I knew how the book would end. There was no conclusion, no HEA, but the hint was that Lucas would pick Max. It didn't feel good, especially as Lucas declined into fully unlikeable. It was also clear Max liked Lucas, that it was causing issues with Soph, and would have made more sense if they broke up when Soph was off school, instead of leaving me going "when was Christmas in this novel?" which is when they allegedly broke up. It just felt like it needed more working to make it a smooth and satisfying read. The bones are good, the execution ...
I also thought the mum's advice in her self-help book was terrible. Awful. Didn't seem long enough for a book, but I'm not the self-help type, so I could be wildly wrong. But even when I was growing up, at the time her book was set, it was terrible advice, cliched, straight from the movies. Glad that was acknowledged in the end, but if Vicky had read it so much and loved it, why was she either saying that, or pushing it on Lucas to begin with?
I also said in my updates as I was reading, there were strange inconsistencies with the writing group. The group comment on Lucas' first work, then the teacher says something, then she opens it to the group to feedback on. Um, why? Why the second time? There was a strange focus on how much Soph and Max missed school. They didn't turn up for half of the three or four weeks that the timeline covered, which I'm sure would carry some punishment when Lucas worries he'll be suspended for missing a half day (also inconsistency there, his dad finds him near midday on that day, they have a big emotional chat, he takes him to school ... and it's almost lunchtime. That's really bad planning) it just seems like it needed more time before this book got released.
I wish I could have liked it more. George seems like a nice guy when you talk to him. The premise is interesting, the characters start off strong and well rounded. But boy do I wish Hanna the editor took this book more in hand. The inconsistencies in the plot, in the characterisation, the lack of punctuation on one page ... no book is perfect, but this one doesn't get to shine the way it deserves.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2025
Very poor characterization, to the point where it was just unbearable at times! The characters didn’t have a personality, and each one of them behaved in the most random ways. The writing was also not great: words were often repeated and there were typos, which made it seem like a wattpad story, more than an actual book that underwent review.
And I have a problem with the plot as well. The premise was very interesting, but poorly executed.
And let’s talk about Max.
And then.. Lucas’ writing. He’s supposed to be this amazing writer with a writing career ahead, but everytime we read something he wrote, it’s just the most basic thing that you could find in anyone’s personal diary. It’s really nothing special, I wouldn’t even say it’s good: it’s often very corny, uninspired, and bad. He has definitely not that amazing talent everyone tells him he has.
It just seems like the first half of the book is disconnected from the second one.
And I could go on and talk about more things that annoyed me in this book, but these were the main aspects. I’m sadly very disappointed from this read, as it had started as a nice, lighthearted book, but it just wanted to add random drama that made zero sense, and spent little time on building its characters. It’s such a shame, because I was really enjoying this book! But I’ll have to give it 2 stars.
And I have a problem with the plot as well. The premise was very interesting, but poorly executed.
And let’s talk about Max.
And then.. Lucas’ writing. He’s supposed to be this amazing writer with a writing career ahead, but everytime we read something he wrote, it’s just the most basic thing that you could find in anyone’s personal diary. It’s really nothing special, I wouldn’t even say it’s good: it’s often very corny, uninspired, and bad. He has definitely not that amazing talent everyone tells him he has.
It just seems like the first half of the book is disconnected from the second one.
And I could go on and talk about more things that annoyed me in this book, but these were the main aspects. I’m sadly very disappointed from this read, as it had started as a nice, lighthearted book, but it just wanted to add random drama that made zero sense, and spent little time on building its characters. It’s such a shame, because I was really enjoying this book! But I’ll have to give it 2 stars.
March 28, 2025
Having grown up in the absolute heyday of the 90s/early-aughts romantic comedy, this book was a delightful blast from the past, and I was here for every minute of it. If you've enjoyed a teen romcom and miss the delight of what was the movie (and sometimes book) of yesteryear, this is a fab book for you! And, it even features more than one LGBTQIA character!
I always seem to forget that I enjoy YA romance. But, every time I read one, they remind me why I love romance at all. Discovering love and trying to understand the feelings and the newness of it all. It's possible that being ace has something to do with it, too, because adult romance novels - and some YA ones, too - don't make a whole lot of sense to me. But that's a whole different kind of post.
This book ended up being especially close to my heart, because I could relate to Lucas so much as a fellow anxiety kid. And since he absolutely had anxiety, but no one seemed to be dealing with it, other than his BFF Max helping him come down from an attack, it was very similar to my own life. I also know what it's like to feel like you need to hide that "crazy" from people you love. So this was some great anxiety rep, even if it unfortunately didn't involve really dealing with it at all. It did involve people loving you through your mental illness, though, that is a big win!
Anyways, I loved Lucas and his very real person. He was imperfect and flawed. He was not the best friend or son ever. He made real mistakes and had to figure out how to fix them. And he was trying to navigate life as a gay teen. The LGBTQIA rep in the book is awesome. Every time I read a book like this, it heals my little broken teen heart that much more. I enjoy that none of the parents were awful, but that the world was realistic.
The author did a great job building the characters and the relationships. At least one character pointed out how the teens would get wrapped up in their new relationships and forget about their friends, which is a phenomenon that seems to transcend generation, sexuality, gender, and all other manner of boundaries—great representation of so many important issues, characters, and dynamics.
I really enjoyed the story, and I couldn't put it down! I can't wait to read more by this author - whether YA or adult writing.
If you're a fan of classic 90s romcoms, found (and regular) family, YA fiction, and coming-of-age fiction, you'll love this one. It is just a fantastic, hilarious, but also heartfelt exploration of growing up, friendship, love, family, and more! But, like with everything, I advise viewing the content warnings, because books will always wait until you're ready for them!
Content Warnings: This book contains scenes and topics that may upset some readers, including, but not limited to, Grief, Parental Death, Anxiety (Mild), Dysfunctional Family Units, Friendship Fights/Dysfunction, Adult Language, discussions of Adult Situations, and possibly more.
I always seem to forget that I enjoy YA romance. But, every time I read one, they remind me why I love romance at all. Discovering love and trying to understand the feelings and the newness of it all. It's possible that being ace has something to do with it, too, because adult romance novels - and some YA ones, too - don't make a whole lot of sense to me. But that's a whole different kind of post.
This book ended up being especially close to my heart, because I could relate to Lucas so much as a fellow anxiety kid. And since he absolutely had anxiety, but no one seemed to be dealing with it, other than his BFF Max helping him come down from an attack, it was very similar to my own life. I also know what it's like to feel like you need to hide that "crazy" from people you love. So this was some great anxiety rep, even if it unfortunately didn't involve really dealing with it at all. It did involve people loving you through your mental illness, though, that is a big win!
Anyways, I loved Lucas and his very real person. He was imperfect and flawed. He was not the best friend or son ever. He made real mistakes and had to figure out how to fix them. And he was trying to navigate life as a gay teen. The LGBTQIA rep in the book is awesome. Every time I read a book like this, it heals my little broken teen heart that much more. I enjoy that none of the parents were awful, but that the world was realistic.
The author did a great job building the characters and the relationships. At least one character pointed out how the teens would get wrapped up in their new relationships and forget about their friends, which is a phenomenon that seems to transcend generation, sexuality, gender, and all other manner of boundaries—great representation of so many important issues, characters, and dynamics.
I really enjoyed the story, and I couldn't put it down! I can't wait to read more by this author - whether YA or adult writing.
If you're a fan of classic 90s romcoms, found (and regular) family, YA fiction, and coming-of-age fiction, you'll love this one. It is just a fantastic, hilarious, but also heartfelt exploration of growing up, friendship, love, family, and more! But, like with everything, I advise viewing the content warnings, because books will always wait until you're ready for them!
Content Warnings: This book contains scenes and topics that may upset some readers, including, but not limited to, Grief, Parental Death, Anxiety (Mild), Dysfunctional Family Units, Friendship Fights/Dysfunction, Adult Language, discussions of Adult Situations, and possibly more.
March 18, 2025
This book was everything I wanted it to be, and more! Don’t Die Alone, Lucas Cook is a YA, gay, romance book that I couldn’t recommend more. It had me both screaming, giggling, and at times I needed to take a deep breath!
I love all the music references, My Man from Funny Girl, Taylor the Latte Boy by Kristin Chenoweth, AND Meatloaf? Tunes.
I was screaming the whole way through the ‘ignore for three days so he has a chance to miss you’ because dating books aren’t made for people in school ofc you’ll see him! Oh my heart was going out to them both😭
I like that you saw what was happening with his friendship group, how things can change when relationships are involved, especially as a teenager. Communication my guys!
It’s the same with his dad, once they were able to communicate without fighting, things got better and I enjoyed that.
I need to talk about the ending. Are there plans for a book 2? Do we get an epilogue maybe? I reread the last few pages at least 4 times to make sure I didn’t miss a name (or miss anything) that would at least hint at who ‘him’ was. I know who I WANT it to be😂 but yes please I would love more.
On another note, the pages of the book are really thick and soft I enjoyed that a lot!
I love all the music references, My Man from Funny Girl, Taylor the Latte Boy by Kristin Chenoweth, AND Meatloaf? Tunes.
I was screaming the whole way through the ‘ignore for three days so he has a chance to miss you’ because dating books aren’t made for people in school ofc you’ll see him! Oh my heart was going out to them both😭
I like that you saw what was happening with his friendship group, how things can change when relationships are involved, especially as a teenager. Communication my guys!
It’s the same with his dad, once they were able to communicate without fighting, things got better and I enjoyed that.
I need to talk about the ending. Are there plans for a book 2? Do we get an epilogue maybe? I reread the last few pages at least 4 times to make sure I didn’t miss a name (or miss anything) that would at least hint at who ‘him’ was. I know who I WANT it to be😂 but yes please I would love more.
On another note, the pages of the book are really thick and soft I enjoyed that a lot!
Read
January 22, 2026I loved so so so much about this but the ending just fell really flat for me. the early parts of the book with Lucas juggling insecurities over his friends and being single was great and seeing how the relationships evolve was neat. the problem was they never really addressed his friends hanging out without him and pointedly talking about him being his back, someone at some point could've at least said they'd make an effort to be nicer. and the whole "oh you've changed" thing because he's...confident? flirty? not always available at the times that benefit his friends? it's a bit much, I can understand Grayson being upset but everyone else was just overreacting. it seems obvious that Lucas and Max should get together but the vague ending felt like a cute idea the author had that didn't come off properly
March 13, 2025
I really did enjoy this a lot! The story handles teen anxiety around dating and self confidence in a way I’ve not read before and it was incredibly realistic for me. I loved the relationship between Lucas and his father and how much it grew at the end. The way grief is handled is spot on, the descriptions of how it hits at random times is perfection. Now the ending… I definitely wasn’t sat re reading the last few pages over and over to make sure I hadn’t missed anything but I am desperate to know who it was at the end. I loved how Lucas’ relationship with Max and his friends changed throughout the book to show that it isn’t always smooth sailing within friendship groups. Overall I read I will find myself thinking about a lot
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2025
I was expecting a romcom from this book, but what I got was so much more. It was definitely funny, and there's a lot of romance, but it's also a book that is often very moving. It deals with grief and difficult friendship dynamics with relationships. Lucas is an incredibly relatable and sympathetic protagonist, and his growth was wonderful to see through the book (even with some hilarious mishaps!) The side characters are all equally engaging, and it's great to see Lucas deal with the struggles he has with each of them. It was a thoroughly entertaining read, which I very much recommend!
March 22, 2025
What a fun YA read!
I was looking for a fun quirky read to take my mind off of life and this was the perfect read, from interesting main characters that will keep you captivated to a funny plot that will have you giggling this is a must read!
If you’re a romcom lover then this is for you, not only is there romance but lester has an amazing sense of humour and mixes these two genres so well. I flew through this book and finished it in a few hours, can’t wait to read more by this author.
I was looking for a fun quirky read to take my mind off of life and this was the perfect read, from interesting main characters that will keep you captivated to a funny plot that will have you giggling this is a must read!
If you’re a romcom lover then this is for you, not only is there romance but lester has an amazing sense of humour and mixes these two genres so well. I flew through this book and finished it in a few hours, can’t wait to read more by this author.
September 7, 2025
this book was amazing, the friends were pieces of shit though, treated lucas HORRIBLY. I'd give this book a higher rating, but we don't find out who he chose at the end? Nothing frustrates me more than a cliffhanger that could be solved with ONE SINGULAR SENTENCE. Plus the book literally has a line of dialogue about how annoying romance movies/books are when they say this guy is THE guy and then the main character gets with someone else, SO WHY ARE WE DOING IT IN THIS BOOK?
February 1, 2025
I am not normally a contemporary fan but I am a big fan of George’s work and if him as a person so this was a must read and I adored it right from the off. Funny. Moving. Cute. A real page turner as I just wanted to see what would happen next. Bloody brilliant. I wish I’d had a friend like Max when I was 16!
February 9, 2025
I have only just put this book down and I miss Lucas Cook already! I romped through this book in less than 24 hours...Lucas has such a funny, engaging and relatable voice that I just couldn't get enough of. The story is full of sweetness, emotion and hilarity, and I couldn't help but root for dear Lucas all the way through. We need a sequel now!!
April 29, 2025
A deceptively cute story about deep topics like grief and relationships. I really love the way these hard-hitting topics are woven into to an age appropriate, compelling YA novel that is enjoyable and engaging for adults as well.
September 3, 2025
Best thing I've read in years
I cried and laughed out loud while reading this! Haven't done that in years. If this doesn't gather awards, something is very wrong.
I cried and laughed out loud while reading this! Haven't done that in years. If this doesn't gather awards, something is very wrong.
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