Third Wheel

Thank you NetGalley and Nick Spalding for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bloody brilliant, isn't it? I laughed so much that my cheeks were sore from the journey. This story follows a young man named Jake who runs a business with his best friend, Sy. They have been nearly inseparable since they were children. Jake's loyalty to his best friend knows no limits. As Sy chooses what activities they should do for each of their business excursions, Jake complacently follows along.

When the dynamic of their friendship changes, inviting in Helena, who becomes not only a co-host to their business, but Sy's girlfriend, it feels like the absolute end of the world to Jake. Enough so, that I wanted to shake him out of his turmoil once or show more twice. He finds himself feeling constant dread at the shift in dynamic, the awkwardness of being the third wheel, and the unusual activities they now find themselves reviewing for their business.

This story made me reflect on how relationships can sometimes be very one sided in regards to give and take. Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself. Sometimes you have to say no.

Reading the misadventures Jake experiences as he tries to continue through life like everything is totally normal made me laugh, cringe, and nearly cry. This was, for the most part, a highly amusing story about the importance of friendship with an ending fit for a rom com. show less