I love these types of stories. All the lonely people, a man called ove… but make it gay!

These stories are so heartbreaking and heartwarming. It’s almost too much!

Albert is forced into a retirement that he is not ready for. He spends his time now thinking about the one who got away (perhaps). Such a sweet story.

Thank you for the copy!

A sweet story about Albert Entwistle and what will happen to him when he retires. Albert lives alone after his cat dies and he goes on a quest to find a life after he retires. Along the way he makes friends that he never would have thought to be friends with. Great story line with a ending that is satisfying.

I absolutely adored this book! It has some "Man Called Ove" vibes initially, in that Albert is walled off and reclusive; however, ultimately lets his guard down and finds the courage to embrace his true self. It has forbidden love, humor, and wisdom. Cain's storytelling is impeccable. I was laughing and crying throughout!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Albert Entwistle has lived a solitary and quiet life. He has his companion Gracie the cat and works at the Royal Mail/post office (for the US version). But his life is about to change at 65 as he's about to lose both his job and Gracie. When this happens he's forced to look at his life and what it will be going forward. Albert lives this sort of life as he has a secret and a pain and regret that he's lived with for most of his life. He slowly realizes that things need to change and he decides take risks encouraged by a noisy yet caring co-worker and a neighbor. He finds a community and at 65 becomes the whole person is was hiding from others and himself. I loved the storytelling and the character's development. It was heart-warming and relatable with a lovely note from the author and interviews at the end of the book which made the story all more real. I highly recommend this one!

I loved reading about Albert and his life. I think anyone would enjoy this read. Humorous as well as heartfelt.
Thank you NetGalley !

“But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that trying to be anyone other than yourself will never make you happy…how do you know people won’t like you if you don’t ever show them the real you?”

I can’t believe I haven’t read this book until now!! I listened to the audiobook and absolutely adored it. It’s such a lovely story of an elderly, closeted, anxious postman, who takes steps throughout the book to interact more with those around him, find his long-lost love, and live his life on his own terms.

I really appreciated the introvert/anxiety rep in this, and how Albert overcomes it/works with it. Much of this novel is about him interacting with his neighbors and coworkers and realizing his positive effect on people if he opens himself up. It’s a beautiful message and I highly recommend this book!!

🌈Queer rep: gay older main character, queer side characters (gay/lesbian/bi)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I anticipated giving a high rating for this book but the story fell flat to me. It was okay for the most part but I wish the characters were better developed. I appreciate the queer representation but I wish the plot was also more exciting.

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle was a delightfully uplifting book with a vast mix of complex characters.

Albert is a postal worker of many years when he gets his notice that he is being forced into retirement on his upcoming 65 birthday. As a loner, he’s not happy about this retirement, work is the only form of social contact he has. Without hobbies and family his life is lonely and mundane. Albert decides he must make some difficult and drastic changes in both his personality and lifestyle to be happy and fulfilled.

He sets out to find an old love with the assistance friends that he has newly acquired. He befriends Nicole who is a young single mom. They make an odd pair but become solid friends. She’s exactly what he needs.

Prejudices and discrimination of the time are front and center, however the love and support he receives from the most unexpected people is heart warming. His determination to change is applaudable. Frightened of some steps he must take, he moves forward, one foot in front of the other until he reaches his goal. Never sure of the outcome, still he is not deterred.

Great book.

I enjoyed this book, there were some very poignant passages, but it was waaaaay too long 😅
I enjoyed this book, there were some very poignant passages, but it was waaaaay too long 😅

Albert is approaching retirement and reflecting on his life which has been on hold since he gave up the love of his life as a teenager. He comes out as gay and comes out of his shell to find new interests, new friends and self acceptance. I enjoyed the historical perspective as well as the general story line.

What a great story of creating your future when you weren’t sure there was going to be one after retirement. I guess the changes coming in life gave Albert the freedom to grab life and take on more changes at once. A loving look at the history of being a gay man in England and surrounded by the idea of being excluded. It was fun to see Albert grow in his community, but there is a small part of me that wishes Albert hadn’t been so removed from his community. Because he was a postman, it seems like something where he could have been more friendly or chatty, but I guess his fear of being found out led him to shut everyone out. The pacing was nice, and seeing him visit parts of England after never leaving his town added to his desire to make changes. All in all this is a heartwarming novel, a character I would love to read more about, or a spin off of another character in the town. Thanks NetGalley for the free ARC, all views my own.

A fantastic read! Albert Entwistle is one of the best characters to follow in a book and I adored every moment of this!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

This was advertised for fans of Fredrick Backman and TJ Klune, which are 2 of my favorite authors so I had to pick this up! I would say I could see the similarities to these authors and I overall enjoyed this book but Klune and Backman are in a league of their own. The beginning was super heavy and tears were shed but there were also a lot of light hearted moments (some a bit cheesy and unbelievable but I digress.) I also really appreciated the ending author notes about the real events this book was inspired by. I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Whilst this book starts off bleak and quite sad as you learn about Albert Entwistle's strict routine life, it's retirement that changes his outlook on everything.

There's a lot of character development and seeing his perspective change makes you think about our own lives and what we should be doing to look at them in different ways.

If you tend to cry and get emotionally attached in books - this may be one that will have you reaching for those tissues!

This book teaches us about understanding and acceptance.

What a book! If ever a book deserved a pull quote from a different but similar book it is this one and the quote is: "We deserve a soft ending my love". Albert and his beloved deserve all the soft endings.

As a lover of stories like “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman, “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom, “The Guncle” by Steven Rowley and “Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting” by Clare Pooley, I was immensely excited to receive an ARC for “The Secret Life of Albert Entwhistle." It is exactly my cup of tea.

I am so sorry I unfortunately did not download this novel in time to read, but it is sincerely one of the 2022 releases I am most excited to read. I genuinely look forward to receiving my preordered physical copy releasing in Canada November 3rd (Indigo Order #97139910) so that I can read and review at that time. My apologies I did not get to this one before it’s UK and US release, but I am genuinely very excited to read it soon. Thank you sincerely Matt Cain and Kensington Books for approving us for an ARC — I look forward to sharing my feedback in the Fall! Apologies I dropped the ball on this one.

This review will go live Thursday, August 11, 2022

There are characters who you forget the moment you close the page of a book. There are other characters that burrow themselves into your chest and stay with you for a while. These characters are important. They remind you of something you might be forgetting, encouraging you on and having your back all at the same time.

They feel like family. They feel like long-lasting friendships that care for you and nurture you.

Albert Entwistle feels like family. He is the reminder that it is never too late to find love, to live your life and learn how to be your most authentic self.

I love Albert. And I love this book so much it will probably be one of my most vocally supported in the coming months whenever anyone asks me what they should get for their partners, friends and family.

The bravery in the pages of this novel are as breathtaking as the moments of complete and utter devastation.

The characters feel alive, like they could walk off the page into your living room and ask you if you want a cup of tea. Or a nice Crunchie bar if you're really good.

The plot is a familiar one, but it is comforting and yes, at times extremely upsetting. This book will stick with you, and hopefully you'll love it.

Sometimes you need a story that is sweet and you know will have a happy ending even if there are hurdles to getting there. This was that kind of read, at least for me. It was enjoyable while I read it, but after the last page, nothing truly stuck with me.

I absolutely adored this one! Albert Entwistle is so completely charming. I am a huge fan of intergenerational friendships and this one was that to a T. Albert is a lonely man who is being forced into retirement from the only life he's ever known. He's got no human friends to speak of and no family. He also has a huge secret that he is worried about sharing. However this one was absolutely heartwarming and speaks toward the goodness of people and communities. This is one I will be recommending to all of my friends, and might even be the one I buy everyone for Christmas. Looking forward to reading more of what Matt Cain has to offer going forward.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.