I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Goodreads Giveaways.

What initially drew me to this book was the comparison to Fredrik Backman – that’s a high bar to reach in my opinion, and if this book could reach it, I would be sold. While Cain’s writing style isn’t the dry wit that one can expect from Backman, Albert’s story is reminiscent of Backman’s work, especially Ove, and I was immediately charmed by the whole package deal.

Albert Entwistle is an instantly likeable character – he has his own faults for sure, but he also means well, even if he seems stuck in his ways. His past is uncovered little by little as the book goes on, and I enjoyed getting those glimpses and seeing in what ways he’d changed and what ways he’d stayed the same. Cain sticks to scene closely, which I appreciated – as much as I like Backman, sometimes he can be a little rambly, and Cain manages to avoid that here.

Now, to address the elephant in the room. Albert’s sexuality plays a very large role in this story, and there are some trigger warnings (albeit mild ones compared to other books) that come along with that. I do think that overall, Cain handled the issue very well; there is lots of representation, and we get a lot of Albert’s thoughts on things as they happen. I do wish there had been some mention of the transphobia that seems rampant in Britain right now – I think it would have made for a poignant scene if Albert had realized that trans people are currently experiencing much of the same discrimination that he faced as a teenager. But that might have changed the tone of the book a little too much, so I understand why it was left out.

If I have any one critique, it’s that I found one pivotal character to be underwhelming. There is so much hype built around them that by the time we finally meet them, it’s hard to see what Albert sees in them. But perhaps that is the point – if so, I would have liked to have a little more emphasis on this. Even so, I don’t think it detracts from the overall story at all, and it’s not enough to affect my rating.

Overall, if you’re looking for a heartwarming story about elder queer love, this is a great choice. It’ll make you laugh, it’ll make you cry, and most of all it’ll make you want to pick it back up again very soon.