| Title | : | Midlife Crisis |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0983767866 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780983767862 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 182 |
| Publication | : | First published August 20, 2016 |
Midlife Crisis Reviews
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35-yr-old Jack - "single, college professor with the paid-for condo and thirty-inch waist" - has just broken up with yet another boyfriend - "Greg: big dick - both the adjective and the noun, the former trumping the later." Jack wonders if maybe he "needed to find the problem with me before I could move on" and decides to track down his high school boyfriend, Bing. However, Bing has disappeared off the face of the earth - no Facebook, no Instagram, no Twitter - so Jack moves back home with his parents for a few weeks to track him down. What could go wrong?
Rob Rosen's writing style is light and incredibly funny and "Midlife Crisis" is populated with off-the-wall, very funny and well-developed characters - Jack's parents, Chompers the deaf exceedingly gassy basset hound, Jack's friend Monroe and Dave, Jack's former high school bully, who now looks like Bradley Cooper."You want to have sex with me, don't you?" I blurted out, but I was simply stating the obvious. [...] He nodded. "For, I don't know, maybe the last twenty years or so, give or take."
Without revealing too much of the plot, Jack and his parents encounter close-mouthed townsfolk, the FBI, drunken Shriners and more on their way to a bittersweet conclusion ... as well as a happy ending.
Looking for quirky weirdness, hot romance and some unexpected sweetness and life lessons? Give "Midlife Crisis" a read.
I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
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The things we do for love, the things we do for love...
Like walking in the rain and the snow
When there's nowhere to go
And you're feelin' like a part of you is dying
And you're looking for the answer in his eyes.
You think you're gonna break up
Then he says he wants to make up.
The Things We Do For Love
by 10 CC (with a little editing from me)
Sometimes when I'm reading a book things just pop into my brain randomly and 10CC's song 'The Things We Do For Love' was one such thing as I read this book. I haven't read a lot by Rob Rosen but I have to admit I'm glad this was one of them.
'Midlife Crisis' was both a mystery and a romance with a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor thrown in. Jack is 35 years old and his latest relationship has just ended so he's having a bit of a pity party when his friend Monroe stops by for some Coke (of the cola variety) and to dispense a bit of sage advice in the form of a walk down the memory lane of Jack's love life which culminates with the memory of Jack's first love who of course was also the one that got away...Bing O'Malley (hey, I did not name this guy, sadly someone thought his parents should be allowed to. What the hell, it worked for Bing Crosby, right?). It's with a great deal of determination that Jack decides to go back to his hometown of Ono, California and yes, it is pronounce oh-no! trust me it's appropriate. This is where his search for Bing and in many ways his journey to get his own life back on track begins.
While Jack may have been the main character in this story he definitely was not the only 'character' there was Jack's mother and his father but especially his mom. She was one unique individual, Chompers the dog, David the hospital nurse and former high school bully who it turns out was more in the closet than bully, there was of course Bing, Monroe and his husband Paul, and just for good measure lets add in a host of small town characters and more twist and turns than a piece of abstract art.
I loved that like most of us Jack's hindsight was considerably better than his foresight and he was fully aware of this and like most of us it was more than a little annoying at times.
I'm not really sure how to explain the humor in this book, it was quirky and at times it was even a bit lame but in a rather entertaining way. It just really, really worked for me. I was totally entertained and amused from start to finish and yet there were a couple of things that didn't work too well for me and honestly I'm not going to delve into them because in the overall scheme of things they didn't spoil the book for me or take away from the entertainment factor so really not worth spending any time on. 'Midlife Crisis' is however, worth considering if you're looking for a romantic, mystery that tends to poke at life and love with a very tongue-in-cheek and totally irreverent attitude.
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A copy of 'Midlife Crisis' was graciously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. -
‘Midlife Crisis’ – which, by the way, can’t possibly be the right title for this book since Jack insists that, at thirty-five, he is nowhere near “midlife” – is the hilarious story of a single gay man who is looking for a partner. After an analysis of past boyfriends, he comes to the conclusion that the last time he was really happy and in love was with his first boyfriend, Bing, in high school. But since he and Bing drifted apart, rather than properly breaking up, Jack figures what he needs is closure and all his issues will be magically resolved as soon as he finds Bing. With me so far? Good. That was the easy part.
What follows once Jack sets off on this adventure is not just hilariously funny - which is what I sort of expected from a Rob Rosen book. It is also suspenseful, surprising, thought-provoking, and a beautiful character study of Jack, as well the various very colorful secondary characters who accompany him – more or less willingly – on this journey. There are his parents who are a total hoot, and their dog who is also a character in the truest sense of the word. Of course Jack has a best friend in San Francisco who is happily married and decides to go on a diet. There is Jack’s former high school bully who still lives in his hometown, and whom Jack guilts into helping solve the mystery. Because yes, there is also a dead body, a police cover-up, and more people who refuse to talk about what appears to be a murder than is normal.
Jack is not easily deterred. Finding Bing was the mission he set out on, but finding out who the murderer is and why nobody wants to talk about the case quickly becomes just as important to him. Most of his friends assume that Jack has either got a severe case of the crisis-that-shall-not-be-named or that he has lost his sanity. Jack just can’t leave well enough alone and keeps digging. The solution happens in several stages – making me careen from one surprise to the next. I had several suspicions as to who had done the deed, but none of them were correct. The tension ratchets up and up and up until I thought I knew what was going on – only for Rob to surprise me again with yet another twist. Wonderfully mysterious and very well put-together!
If you like men who struggle with their lot in life and have the courage to get up and do something about it, if you like your murder mysteries to come as a surprise and with a big side order of humor, and if you’re looking for a read that will keep you intrigued from beginning to end as you discover what secrets Jack uncovers in his search for love, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. Rob Rosen’s unique sense of humor kept me entertained, the cleverly constructed mystery had me on the edge of my seat, and the ending made me shed a happy tear or two. Simply fabulous!
NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on
Rainbow Book Reviews. -
Jack is a 35 year old college professor and unwanted single. Again. Not that his last boyfriend of 6 months was his dream man - actually he has mixed feelings about their break up: relief and concern. Because a good fuck is not the same thing as a good relationship. And at thirty-five Jack wishes for nothing more in his life than to find Mister Right. At last. Like Monroe, his best friend since after college, who is happily married and ten pounds overweight (but since he is already married and doesn't have to worry about).
I think we all have situations or just moments in our lives, when we wonder how our first love/date/kiss/sex is doing? Is he/she happy and how it would be to meet her/him again?
It is exactly what Jack thinks in the aftermath of the recent relationship crisis.
Bing O'Malley was his first kiss, first fuck, fist boyfriend. He hasn't thought of him in years, and now, going through the photo albums (with Monroe), he suddenly realizes that they have never actually broken up, Bing went to college, Jack went to college, they left their home town and since then never spoke again. But what if Bing is single now and what if he is THIS Mister Right? What if the first love is our last one?
I am envy of college professors/teachers because they have summers free.
The fact that Jack became single in the beginning of summer gives him a splendid possibility to go back to his home city to find Bing.
What seemed like an easy summer-searching-for-the first-love fun at the beginning turned into a case full of secrets, lost endings, withheld information and life-threatening danger. And not only for Jack, but also for his parents! Murder mystery sends its greetings!
Without giving too much away, what will happen to Jack:
He'll find Bing Jack will fall in love Jack will be in deadly peril
I adore the first half of the book, but I have a problem with HOW the events developed in the second part of the book, and how the story ended. I had more eye-roll-moments later than laugh-moments. I think it is a matter of taste, and I can't blame the author for lack of imagination, but I personally don't like how he interpreted a comedy genre. You might find it creative and clever, I found it kinda a turn off.
But it is my subjective opinion.
All in all:
If you're looking for something hilarious(the first part of the book) and murderous(that is mostly the second part of the book), you should give it a go.
***ARC provided to Gay Book Reviews by the author in exchange for an honest review*** -
Ok, I’m going to start by saying something I hate to say, It’s me and not the book. I hate books where the main character constantly comments on the action with witty repartee. It’s just not funny to me. It’s boring and obnoxious.
As soon as I started reading this book I thought I should DNF and walk away. But, I got kind of caught up in the story about his old boyfriend and his search for him. Then this turned into a gay Nancy Drew novel and I wanted to know who murdered Drew’s mother Rosemary.
I did love Jack’s parents, especially his mother. She was a hoot. I also loved Chompers and Dave. Although I couldn’t understand why Dave hung in there. Anyway, I finished it.
I will admit it’s well written (although it could use a little better editor) and I probably should have rated it higher. But a gay Nancy Drew? I just couldn’t. -
Midlife is a state of mind. Oh, I suppose if you’re planning to only live to the ripe young age of seventy, then thirty-five is the point where a well-timed crisis might hit, but piffles I say. Jack isn’t going through anything more than the regret of lost love. Crisis? What crisis?
Okay, maybe a little crisis of the existential variety. But that’s all.
Jack Nelson’s luck with relationships has been what you might call…crappy. When his latest stab at romance goes belly up, the only thing he can attribute the disaster that is his love life to is that he must still be pining for Bing O’Malley, the one that got away, the boy who left for college right after high school graduation and was never heard from again. They never broke up in any sort of official way, you see, so how can poor Jack move on if he’s technically still in a relationship with Bing? Sh. Just go with it. They never broke up. It’s been a decade and a half. Whatever.
So, as that infamous Sicilian Vizzini once said, you go back to the beginning, which is when Jack decides to spend the summer at his parents’ house, in the hopes that he can track down Bing–the one man on the planet who has no digital footprint. None. Not even a MySpace profile, for God’s sake. And this is where the fun of Midlife Crisis begins. At the beginning.
As Jack and his utterly delightful mother, Brenda, whom I adored (in case that wasn’t obvious), begin asking questions around town, hoping to discover Bing’s whereabouts, they uncover a few unexpected details—namely, no one seems to want to answer their questions. But that doesn’t stop them, and they soon find out that not only has Bing gone AWOL, but his dad, Carl, is missing too. And, the more they snoop, the more it begins to appear that Bing’s mom may have died under the sketchiest of circumstances. Rosen teases out this novel’s multiple mysteries, leading us into and out of big clues and dead ends, all while watching Jack chase the elusive past like a dog chasing his tail. Or some tail. Actually, it’s a bit of both. Jack’s little head gets a lot of attention and admiration, truth be told.
What we readers get in Midlife Crisis is pure comedic romp–not to be taken too seriously, and seriously funny–part mystery and part satire with a heaping helping of hilarity to add to the romantic conundrum our horny hero finds himself in the midst of. There’s more than a little nostalgia to go along with the danger afoot as Jack and Brenda delve deeper into the sleuthing, and they get some help from a colorful cast of side characters too—Dad and his faithful companion, Chompers the ever flatulent dog; Jack’s BFF, Monroe; and Jack’s former high school bully, played to perfection by Dave, who has a surprise or two to lay on Jack, which makes things fun and interesting.
Humor, like so many other things, is such a subjective concept, but when it comes to authors who write it well, Rob Rosen doesn’t disappoint. I laughed more than a few times, chuckled a few more, and grinned nearly the entire way through this book. Antics. There were antics in this novel, for sure. But, there were some truly touching moments as well. Jack may be the walking poster boy for the perpetually randy, but once he realized he was ready to plant his flag and stake his claim, he did so for keeps. There were some red herrings and surprise revelations to keep the mystery entertaining too, so read this one when you’re looking for a good giggle or three.
Reviewed by Lisa for
The Novel Approach Reviews -
A
Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
Oh, but this was a fun one! I’ve never read anything by Rob Rosen, but when I picked up Midlife Crisis, I read some reviews of his previous work. After that, I knew I was in for a treat. I’m all about mysteries, especially mysteries that don’t take themselves too seriously. To me, that’s a great combination and makes for a great reading experience. I got this and more, and I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to read this one.
I want to start with Jack. I liked him right off the bat. He made me laugh with his sort of self depreciating, and maybe a little snarky, narrative. Speaking of narrative, Midlife Crisis is written in the first person, and that really works with a book like this. Jack is beginning to feel his age, and even though he denies he’s going through, well, a midlife crisis, he does feel the need to find Bing. He has a bit of a fantasy that he and Bing will reunite and life happily ever after. I find that to be rather sweet.
Read Kenna’s review in its entirety
here. -
Jack is in a crisis, at 35 he absolutely refuses to call it midlife, but still... All his relations tanked, so he decides to go back to his very first one: Bing o Malley! Which means spending the summer with his parents. At home he meets his old high school bully (or maybe it was a crush)? Dave, but unfortunately no trace of Bing.
This is a fun ride, sometimes hilarious, it is also a murder mystery and a really good one, but it is certainly not a romance book. I mean the M/C's hop in and out of bed and yes you counted right, there's more than 2, it is even sweet to read how Jack finds, with who his destined HEA will be with, but still for me it would not qualify as gay romance. If you are fine with that, you will certainly enjoy this book, probably smile a lot and sometimes laugh out loud. If you are in your late thirties or early forties you will probably also relate to the problems of our protagonist here. I enjoyed it and for me this was a solid 3.5 star read! -
After having been succinctly dumped by Greg, Jack decides to spend the summer at his parents house to try to locate his first love, Bing. His mother assists him in his endeavors, as does a forgotten high school bully, Dave.
What a fun read. Jack and his mother are quirky and are quietly supported by his father and Dave. Jack and his crew stumble and bumble through their attempts to locate Bing, at the same time uncovering a bigger mystery. What happened to Bing's mother? Where is his father? Why did Bing disappear. I thoroughly enjoyed Jack's conversations with almost everyone; he says what he's thinking and his thought processes are a tad askew.
It could have gone through another spellcheck ("their" instead of "there", etc) but recommended.
I wonder.....is Rob Rosen like his main characters? If so, I need to have him become a BFF! -
This is a fantastic story about a man, Jack, searching for love by revisiting his past. He's helped out by a zany cast of family and friends, both old and new. Along the way, Jack uncovers an ancient murder mystery that ultimately threatens them all. Does Jack find love? Will the murder be solved? Well, you'll have to read the book to find out. In any case, get ready to laugh your ass off. I know I did.
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Book – Midlife Crisis
Author – Rob Rosen
Star rating - ★★★★☆
No. of Pages – 182
Cover – Good
POV – 1st person, one character
Would I read it again – Maybe
Genre – LGBT, Romance, Crime/Mystery, Midlife Crisis
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK, BY THE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER, IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
Midlife Crisis is that mix of all the things you're looking for in a pick-me-up book: Mystery, romance, sexy stuff and a good giggle. It certainly picked me up on a God-awful day.
I love a good who-dun-it, so the mystery aspect of this one really worked for me. Sure, parts of it were a little incredulous, but that was the whole fun of it. The book didn't take itself too seriously, so I as a reader didn't either. This was more your Miss Marple – someone stumbling into something they, on paper, shouldn't be stumbling into – rather than your Poirot, where a profession gets sucked into another case.
Jack was a hottie, with money, but a love-loser life. He had everything and nothing – great parents, who were a hoot, a great best friend, a good job/money and a nice home, but he didn't have love, luck or even the closure of a past love to keep him going. So began his adventure. And, boy, it was a doozie!
I don't want to give the plot away, but I will say that I loved all the main characters – Jack, his mother!, Monroe, Dave and even Bing. But it was really in the last 10-15% that you really saw their true colours shine through so bright. And that was brilliant too.
Down side? Well, this is an unedited and unformatted ARC, so I had some trouble reading it. There were a few editing issues – nothing that needed to really be taken into account for my rating, because I'm sure they'll be fixed before publication. The formatting was also negligible, since I knew going in that it was unformatted. I only mention it, because it was tiring trying to follow the story while there were a few spaces missing, so words blended together. BUT, this is nothing anyone needs to worry about; it's all the unedited/unformatted part and nothing that will appear in the published version.
So, why is it a 4 and not a 5? I can't honestly pin-point it. I had a good giggle and I was surprised by some of the mystery/crime resolutions – which rarely ever happens to me! – but I guess there was just something indefinable missing for me. Possibly that something that would make me read it again? I'm not sure. It feels like the kind of book you'd read and it stays with you, so re-reading isn't really necessary, if you know what I mean?
Overall, though, it was a well plotted, well written piece of slap-stick comedy, with enough romance, mystery/crime and slap-and-tickle (sorry, I couldn't help myself. It felt so appropriate!) to satisfy any reader of the genre.
~
Favourite Quote
“He wants us to go on a diet together. I promised to love, honor and cherish. There was no mention of a diet. I would've remembered such a thing.”
“Dave might've been quick, but no one was quicker than Ma. Ma knew when I was up to no good even before I was awake. Ma had my punishment figured out a week in advance.” -
3.5*
Warmly amusing tale of Jack coping with his 'if only' trip back down memory lane after he finds a photo of his first boyfriend.
I could imagine those with time on their hands (Jack is a teacher, it is summer) and at a crisis point (dumped again, middle age is coming down the tracks at him!) would be intrigued by a completed blank in terms of social media for said bf.
Jack, his friend Monroe, his parents, the dog and another old school acquaintance set about to have The Summer of Bing!.
Yes, Jack can't see the right person under his nose, nor see that all thise warning signs are there for a reason. But sometimes you do have to be TSTL-ish in your quest.
I do enjoy Rob Rosen's writing and this moved along at a swift pace. Jack was a bit annoying at times and I felt Dave was mega patient and forgiving. -
This was a well written story that has a lot of humor, but also some darkness that twists the reader up and leaves them questioning what is going on and who is the bad guy. Jack is a man who has a lot, but not love. finally he decides to dig up an old boyfriend of may years earlier and that is when the trouble starts. violence, death, crime, mobs, humor, an old bully and an old boyfriend and a great HEA. Excellent, well written book that I would highly recommend to those that like humor and some excitement in their books.
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Amusing
This was absurd, suspenseful, ridiculous and ridiculously funny. Jack was an entertaining and engaging character, with his unusual perspective on finding love. I’d recommend it. -
Humor's not working for me.
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Awesome!!! A must read!!!!
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(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews with a copy provided by the publisher / author for an honest review.)
I enjoyed this humorous mystery, whodunit, search for first love, and whatever else was blended into the mix. Mr. Rosen brings us a tale of a man’s midlife crisis. Although the man, Jack, is only thirty-five, so it obviously (at least to him) can’t be a midlife crisis. Can I start by saying that Jack irritated me at some points in this book. I really wanted to reach in and grab him and give him a good shake. I’ll be interested if other reader’s do as well!
Jack has just gotten out of his latest relationship. Six months with a man down the hall in his condo building. He is not sure how he thought that would last anyway, since it was so close to home. He is down in the dumps and decides to go look for the first boy he ever dated, had sex with and fell in love with. The only problem? He hasn’t seen this guy since he was eighteen and they both left for college. Jack decides to go back to his small hometown of Ono, California to see if he can track him down.
But something is odd. No one in town wants to talk about his friend Bing’s family. No one will make eye contact with Jack, his mom or his dad when they ask questions, so Jack turns to a Facebook friend for help. The Facebook friend is none other than his high school bully. Funny how that happens. Real life story, one of my childhood bullies sent me a Facebook request and I accepted him, so I personally understood Jack’s acceptance of Dave as an online friend.
Turns out Dave might be looking for a little more though, since he has come out of the closet since high school. But Jack is totally focused on Bing (which is part of what irritated me about Jack.) Jack, his mother, his father and Dave are all drawn into the underlying murder mystery. What is up with Bing and his family? Where is Bing, and what happened to Bing’s father? Will Jack find Bing? Will it be everything he imagined?
I have to disagree with my fellow reviewer (who did a split decision duo review at Love Bytes) that the story was too “out there”. I enjoyed it. I liked the blend of catty comments, humor, mystery and the underlying whodunit in this story. The whodunit mystery wasn’t solved until the very end and it wasn’t who I thought it would be. The only thing I figured out before I read it was the surprise final event, and only because I remembered something about the pictures. No spoilers on that though.
I recommend the book for anyone wanting a fairly fast read mystery/whodunit with some catty humor, and a guy waffling back and forth between two big muscle bound hotties. -
"Our sassy hot-mess protagonist--suffering from the novel's titular malady--is torn between two unlikely men from his past. Rosen makes that choice agonizing, in what is ultimately a glorious love story. With a fifteen-year-old murder mystery and a cast of believably zany supporting characters, readers will anxiously be awaiting their ultimate fates until the last page." - Eric Del Carlo, author of After the Hell
"Rob Rosen does madcap gay humor better than anyone else writing today. Midlife Crisis is no exception." - Neil Plakcy, author of The Mahu Investigations
"Rob Rosen's Midlife Crisis has laughs aplenty, along with intrigue, romance, sex, and heartbreak. The reader will enjoy the humorous wordplay and snappy dialogue, which, alongside a tale of first love lost and along-forgotten mystery surfacing from the past, carries the story forward to an exciting conclusion." - T.R. Verten, author of Confessions of a Rentboy
"Can you go home again? Rob Rosen explores the perils and promises of renewing a steamy boyhood affair in this witty romance wrapped in a murder mystery, seasoned with a dash of mature but spicy sex. The answer for his hero Jack seems to be "Yes," but watch out:there may be more "there" there than you think." - Louis Flint Ceci, author of Comfort Me
"If you're looking for a humorous and intelligent book to read, Rob Rosen's Midlife Crisis should be on the top of your list. A tale of going back to move forward, as told by Jack, the story's main character, is full of youthful and gay witty repartee balanced with the poignancy that comes with adult life. It will make you laugh out loud one minute and get teary the next. Oh, and if you like a good murder mystery, there's that too. Kudos to Rosen for creating some very memorable characters." - Julian G, Simmons, Narrator, Widdershins audiobook series -
Meet Jack. Jack is 35 years old, a teacher, and on summer break. Jack is not having a (*cough*) mid-life crisis after breaking up with his boyfriend of six months. Jack is temporarily visiting his parent’s, staying in his old room (complete with Madonna poster). Jack decides to go looking for his high school love, Bing. Jack finds Dave, high school jock and bully. Jack finds Bing. Yay! Jack and Bing have a fling. And suddenly…it’s complicated.
This is light-hearted, sweet and cute. You’ve already met Jack above. There is Bing, the long-lost and found love. There is Dave, hot nurse and ex-jock. There is Brenda, Jack’s mom and force of nature to be reckoned with. We have Monroe, Jack’s best and now happily married friend. And Chomper’s, the elderly basset hound. It’s a tie whether I liked Chomper’s or Dave more.
The “mystery” part of this was a bit of a stretch, and perhaps that was the point, but I confess I had a bit of a hard time suspending my disbelief. As Monroe pointed out more than once, why the fascination with someone else’s deceased mother, whom the main character has never met. Jack insistence on following the mystery to the dramatic conclusion really didn’t make sense from a practical standpoint. But, this is fiction, which isn’t always practical.
Yes, yes, this is all a journey about self-discovery, not a midlife crisis, and finding closure. But after a while even I was agreeing with Monroe. Get over it and move on, Jack!
Though, if Jack had done that there wouldn’t have been a quirky, happy ending.
Ultimately, a feel-good, humorous and easy read that is meant to leave you with warm happy fuzzies. Plus it has Chompers. And Dave.
Review cross posted at
Gay BOok Reviews
Copy of the book was provided by the author/publisher for a fair and honest review. Thank you! -
Original review on
Molly Lolly
Four stars!
This was such a fun story. Jack goes on a journey and discovers so much about himself, his family, and his past. watching Jack trying to figure out the right thing to do in a multitude of situations was fascinating. He followed his heart most of the time, otherwise he uses his conscious. I loved getting to read Jack’s totally fun stream of conscience. The way his person POV is written is completely fun and had me chuckling and cringing right along with Jack. He’s surrounded by people that support him completely, even if it’s kind of difficult to tell on the surface.
Jack is a character that grows on you. He’s a tiny bit spazzy, a little bit spacey, has an incessant need to have questions answered and someone you would truly want in your corner. I enjoyed his thought process and hysterical self-approval of things he does. The way he flip flops in his feelings for Bing and Dave can be tough for some readers. However it was really well written and so typical of Jack’s personality. It’s also realistically written because we’ve all had those times in our life that is a total crisis. even if it’s midlife or not.
The mystery aspect of the story was fascinating. I didn’t see some of the twists and turns coming. Or the plot twist towards the end. The way the pieces are laid out and how you get more clues as you go while solving a different piece at the same time was so intriguing. I couldn’t help but keep reading.
The ending made me incredibly happy. All of the mysteries and loose ends were tied up but done in a way that flowed naturally. Jack got his happily ever after and was clearly deeply in love with the man he’s going to spend the rest of his life with. -
**)4.5 mysterious stars.
.•.•*) .•*)
(.• (.•`*Midlife crisis at 35? Get a grip man!!
You want romance and suspense, a total mystery with so much laugh worthy finds, then this is the book for you.
He was single again at thirty five.
Nothing could throw business professor Jack Nelson into a tailspin than feeling like a romantic failure. Was it him? Was he too picky? And to have a relationship fail over parsnip? Yeah, laugh worthy.
What happens next when his friend's words sends him back to his hometown to visit his parents for the summer to solve the case of lost first love is awe inspiring. Jack is caught up in a seventeen year old murder of his first love Bing's mother (yep, still cracking up over THAT name); figuring out what happened to said lover and his family; caught in the grips of a new relationship with high school tormentor Dave, and discovering that the parents he knew are so much different than he thought.
There were tales and surprises and a good time had by all. In the end lies the question: will going through all of this guarantee Jack his HEA? One click, read, laugh and enjoy. And look out for Chompers, he was hilarious in his own rights.
ARC provided by Fierce Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Cee from
Alpha Book Club
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It started as a hunt for his high school love but quickly became a murder mystery. With the help of his parents and his old high school bully, Jack searches for the truth.
"So one dead woman, a missing husband, a missing son, a vacant plot of land, and a possible murder cover-up," he reeled off. "That about cover it?"
"Yep."
Jack is funny! I wasn't quite sure at first if I liked him, his snarky and sometimes self-deprecating humor was a bit hit or miss in the beginning. There was a lot of that dry and sarcastic banter between the characters. And while I may be in the minority by saying this, it reminded me a little of The Gilmore Girls meets Seinfeld and I was not a fan of The Gilmore Girls. However, 10% in and I found myself chuckling out loud and then I had to admit to myself that I was enjoying it, that I did in fact really like Jack.
As for Jack's parents, we should all be so lucky. He's got great parents. Supportive, loyal, fun and a little crazy. Them and their gassy dog Chompers. It wouldn't have been as funny if they were not part of the story.
I don't want to give anything away because it would kind of ruin the reading experience but I will say that I definitely recommend Midlife Crisis. If you like comedy, mystery and romance you'll like it. There are a few twists and turns and some complete absurdity. But there are also some very relatable moments as well. If Rob Rosen's other books are this fun to read I am definitely making him a one click author.
5 Stars!
***A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review*** -
I'm a huge fan of Rosen's work, and Midlife Crisis is one of his best. Jack is looking for his long-lost love, Bing, and along the way finds so much more. This is a story about love and life and family, all told with Rosen's signature wit and style. I laughed, I cried, and I gasped at the various twists and turns as the mystery unfolded. A great read!
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I loved this book! The author has a real knack for comedy, but there was also quite a bit of pathos and life lessons to be learned and "aha" moments. I found myself laughing throughout, but had my heartstrings pulled, as well. There aren't a lot of gay romantic comedies out there that are also mysteries. This book blends them together perfectly!
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Surprisingly, this was more amateur sleuth mystery than romcom.
