Leading Man
My fourth novel LEADING MAN is out now in paperback, and this is its delicious, pinkified, refreshed cover:
I don’t care where you get it from – support an indie if you can! – but here are links to preorder: Waterstones, Bookshop.org and Amazon
Maybe we should talk about the plot! I love this book so much.
“All Leo Falconer really wants is to look good wet. Is it really too much to ask?
He’s been happily single for four years and is content to skulk on the sidelines while best friends Daisy and Tam hog the spotlight with their endless crises. Other than teaching it at an Edinburgh high school, Leo avoids drama at all costs, packing away bad breakups and his hang-ups about his looks, and converting tension into wisecracks to avoid getting too deep.
But when handsome Harvey, a face from his childhood, returns, and his enigmatic new boss Alex tries to challenge him, Leo finds himself centre-stage and examining just how much of a hold his past still has on him. The main character in his own life for the first time, Leo realises he’s only been telling half his story. The friends who think they know him best really don’t know him at all.“
Sounds good, right? Right!
I really wanted to go deep on how even the strongest friendships can be unfulfilling for some of us, and the secrets we keep even from our closest allies. I also wanted to pull apart the romantic ideal and introduce a bit of reality to that swoony, heady love we think we’re all searching for. But most of all, there are some proper zingers here. I love putting words in my characters’ mouths and the central relationship between the three friends is spiky and joyous. This is a hugely fun book, but there’s weight and complexity.
Vibe-wise, it shares a lot of DNA with my debut The Last Romeo, so if you were a fan of that one, you might like this one too. But there are flashes of The Magnificent Sons and The Fake-Up in there too. I guess I have a style, why fight it?
I really hope you love Leading Man as much as I do.
Reader reviews said:
“This is easily one of the best books I have ever read. This is the kind of book you recommend to everyone you know, because it is a gem, and they will find something in it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”
“You really care about [Leo], his choices, the people he ends up with. And there are twists and turns galore, even in the final pages of the story. Six stars out of five.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(⭐️)”
“I like when I do not expect what’s going to happen, and I GASPED several times while reading Leading Man.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”
“Leading Man is funny, heartfelt and full of meaning. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”
Authors more famous than me said:
“This is the gay rom-com we’ve all been waiting for – I’ve never read better!” – Matt Cain
“I didn’t stop laughing – and then crying.” – Lucy Vine
“A masterpiece of light and dark.” – Daisy Buchanan
“Leading Man shines like a star.” – Veronica Henry
There’s a cool playlist of music featured in the book, too:
4 Comments
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Any idea when Leading Man will be available on amazon.com for readers in the US? Amazon.co.uk would not permit me to purchase the Kindle version through the link you provided. It said I was in the wrong region or country; it certainly feels that way to me in recent years. How did they know???
Hello! I’m afraid that’s not up to me. A publisher in the US would have to buy the rights but so far no deal has been done. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Hopefully that will change soon!
Hi Justin,
I’m almost done with the book and must say this is one of the best I read in really long time. (I read a lot, mostly thrillers but queer, modern, relatable pieces are my go to recently).
I would like to point out the characters who, I feel, I got to know so well thanks to your writing, that I will actually going to miss them 😀 It made me think about my own life, partner, friends and the way how secrets can ruin friendship (although usually temporarily – my own experience when I was coming out).
Leo is very complex character, Harvey’s character became an interesting journey, where I didn’t know what to think.
I hope something new will come soon as I really enjoy your style of writing, your characters and the flow of the story. It makes me think a lot.
Thank you again 🙂
Thank you very much, Marek. I’m so happy to hear that. I love this book so it’s been wonderful to see it finding its audience. Good news re next novel: it’s coming September 2025.