Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out
- Author Ryan Love
- Narrator Bruce Alexander, Caius Nicholas
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date 13 April 2023
- Run Time 10 hours and 41 minutes
- Format x-book®
- Genre Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Contemporary romance, Family life fiction, Humorous fiction, Narrative theme: Coming of age, Narrative theme: Love and relationships.
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What to expect
The feel-good read of 2024. Perfect for fans of Mike Gayle, Beth O’Leary and Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper.
Selected as one of the Independent’s 19 debut authors set to make their mark in 2023
‘Gentle, honest and beautifully authentic’ Julietta Henderson
’Touching and sincere’ The Sunday Times
‘Feel-good, heartwarming fiction’ Holly Miller
’I’m totally #TeamArthurandTeddy’ Heidi Swain
’A feel-good novel to inspire’ My Weekly
’Uplifting and emotional’ Justin Myers
’A celebration of family and love’ Platinum
‘Joyful, big-hearted’ Freya Sampson
’Will stay with me for a VERY long time’ Miranda Dickinson
When 79-year-old Arthur Edwards gathers his family together to share some important news, no one is prepared for the bombshell he drops: he's gay, and after a lifetime in the closet, he's finally ready to come out.
Arthur's 21-year-old grandson, Teddy, has a secret of his own: he's also gay, and developing serious feelings for his colleague Ben. But Teddy doesn't feel ready to come out yet – especially when Arthur’s announcement causes shockwaves in the family.
Arthur and Teddy have always been close, and now they must navigate first loves, heartbreak, and finding their place in their community. But can they – and their family – learn to accept who they truly are?
Readers are LOVING Arthur and Teddy!
‘Too often, queer literature is enjoyed only by the LGBT+ community, but this is a novel ready to be loved by the masses.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This book is genuinely a hug in book form.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘The multiple relationship threads running through the story come together beautifully at the end and the book is a joy to read from start to finish!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘What an absolutely beautiful book! Dealt with sensitive subjects really, really well and brilliantly descriptive characters.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I'd love to have read something like this when I was younger and finding myself.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Critics Review
‘The very best of feel-good, heartwarming fiction’ Holly Miller, author of The Sight of You
n‘A true joy of a read’ Closer
n‘Proving there's no age limit on following your heart and finding love! I'm totally #TeamArthurandTeddy.’ Heidi Swain, Sunday Times bestselling author
n‘Readers will be rooting for them in this charming debut novel by Fermanagh writer Ryan Love.’
The Irish Times
‘A warm, uplifting, and emotional read’ Justin Myers, author of The Fake Up
n‘Gentle, honest and beautifully authentic’ Julietta Henderson, author of The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman
n‘You’ll fall in love with these two’ Bella
n‘A joyful, big-hearted story about family, friendship and finding your place in the world’ Freya Sampson, author of The Last Chance Library
n‘Funny, warm . . . so, so touching . . . Arthur and Teddy will stay with me for a VERY long time’ Miranda Dickinson, Sunday Timesbestselling author
n‘[An] absolute delight of a novel. Life-affirming, warm and so full of love.’ Chloe Timms, author of The Seawomen
n‘A sweet coming out story which sensitively portrays the difficulties and the celebrations of coming out and being true to yourself’ Emma Denny, author of One Night in Hartswood
nUser Reviews
Arthur is 79, married to Madeline for some 50 years, with two adult children and three grandchildren, when he comes out as gay, with his wife’s support.
Sadly, so far (24%), this is a worthy but rather two-dimensional read. There are real issues to explore and they are explored here.
Yet a funny thing happened since I wrote that last paragraph - the book grew on me and I’m at 80% and happy to traverse that last stretch.
The writing style didn’t change, but my sympathies for the characters increased. Thinking about why, it’s because they are emotional and reactive, not cerebral, and I get to work with my empathy.
Sometimes the characters are frustratingly oblivious to the obvious, Teddy. And sometimes, Arthur and Madeline, they are sagacious saints.
But the moments of homophobia and of contrasting kindness and support, Cora for example, are well done and pulled my emotional strings. Even though the transformation in attitude amongst some initially hostile and homophobic people seem to come too easily, I rolled with it for the pleasure of what became a well-plotted story. And one of the pleasures of that is when Teddy finds his spine in this story about finding yourself and being true to that.
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