Summary from GoodReads:

Tom Violet always thought that by the time he turned thirty-five, he’d have everything going for him. Fame. Fortune. A beautiful wife. A satisfying career as a successful novelist. A happy dog to greet him at the end of the day.

The reality, though, is far different. He’s got a wife, but their problems are bigger than he can even imagine. And he’s written a novel, but the manuscript he’s slaved over for years is currently hidden in his desk drawer while his father, an actual famous writer, just won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. His career, such that it is, involves mind-numbing corporate buzzwords, his pretentious archnemesis Gregory, and a hopeless, completely inappropriate crush on his favorite coworker. Oh . . . and his dog, according to the vet, is suffering from acute anxiety.

Tom’s life is crushing his soul, but he’s decided to do something about it. 

 

My Review:

Another smart, witty comedy by a male author – I am on a roll this year and loving it.  I fully admit to being one of those readers who is lured by pretty, magical covers and I dodged around this book numerous times in the bookstore because it just didn’t grab me – but then I started seeing reviews.. and those reviews spoke really, really well of this book.

So … I gave it a shot.

I am so glad I did.  Once again, I am reminded never to judge a book by its cover.  This story had me in tears, it had me groaning with pity, it had me just completely entertained for hours and hours.  I savored the story, enjoying how well-crafted it was and I felt like I was reading a book that didn’t pull its punches.  When I finally read the final page I felt as if I was saying goodbye to friends, and that, folks, is story-telling.  I connected with these characters and I wanted more.

I’ll definitely be looking for more stories from Mr. Norman – which I hope is soon, because I do not necessarily want to be reading his book on developing web applications!

Check this one out if you enjoy smart contemporary stories.

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