The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain was a sweet book about a middle-aged man who realizes that he's been hiding his true self all these years and it's finally time to reveal his true self and actually start living.

Albert was the sweetest character that worked hard to get out of his comfort zone and embrace the person he is. After his retirement is announced, he decides to create meaningful relationships with the people in his life, reveal to the world that he's guy, and search his first boyfriend, George.

Enjoyed the flashbacks on Albert's and George's love story and found most of the side stories cute.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Awww, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle (such a great name!) winds up with such a warm-hearted feel about it, and for me. I really loved it. The story is sweet if a little predictable (64 year old post man who has been forced into retirement...hmm, what will happen next?) I thought perhaps this was going to be another story about another curmudgeonly senior, but this is different. As mentioned, a tad predictable, at time quite slow moving. But all in all I enjoyed The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle and would recommend it.

Thank you to author Matt Cain, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free e-book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great read. Albert was a sweet character to follow, and his story was a really beautiful one. The focus on friendship and human connection is beautifully done, as is the discussion of some LGBTQ+ history.
I preferred Alberts voice, but both perspectives were interesting.
I was a little confused by the dismissal of Albert’s fears surrounding coming out. There seems to be a thread of ‘everything is fine now’ when in actuality his fears are valid, so I disagreed with the criticism of them. That being said, reading his joy at being accepted is really nice.
Overall, a really enjoyable read. Fits in really well with the ‘A Man Called Ove’ and ‘All the Lonely People’ type of book. I’d definitely recommend it.

This book tells the story of Albert who has been a postman for decades and is being forced to retire after is sixty-fifth birthday. He quickly realizes that his life has resolved around only his work and nothing more, leaving him with no friends and only his cat Gracie for company.

This was a tender story and even though I felt it was slow at times I rooted for Albert and loved seeing him grow and find his way. I was smiling at one moment and crying the next. A great story that’ll give you all the feels!

Representation: Older gay MC, various BIPOC supporting characters

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain. Albert has worked for the Royal Mail for decades, and he loves his job. Delivering mail to the same people every day, getting small glimpses into their lives, while being able to keep himself at a distance from everyone. His whole routine is shaken one day when he’s told that he’ll be forced into retirement once he turns 65, due to company policy. Albert starts thinking about what’s next, what he’ll have to do once he isn’t delivering mail all day. This leads to him reminiscing about his past, and the one who got away when he was a teen boy. It’s been decades, but he starts thinking about a plan to find the boy he lost and see if there’s any chance at a reunion and rekindling the old flames. Albert goes on a journey through the queer community, learning about how things have changed since he was a teen and how to be out and proud.

Rating: 4.5/5 I really enjoyed this! It’s rare we have queer stories that center an older main character, especially one in their sixties. It was wonderful to see this old gay man rediscovering the queer community, and having his mind opened to how different lives are for queer people nowadays compared to his childhood. Back then, it was more or less a death sentence or exile from everything they knew. It’s also about a man who’s realizing that if he opened up just a little bit, he’d find people who really do care about him and want nothing but the best for him. His neighbors that he saw on his route, his co-workers, even random strangers that he just met. It’s very heartwarming and heart-wrenching at the same time. It is predictable, and can drag on a little in some parts, but I would absolutely recommend this book.

It is the present day, and Albert Entwistle is about to retire from his job as a mailman in his small town. He doesn’t know it yet, but his life is about to change in more ways than his career.

With a gentle voice, author Matt Cain brings into focus an old man with very little to show for his life - no friends but his cat, Gracie (a cat! More than enough reason to pick up this book!), nobody sending or receiving Christmas cards (although, do people still do this?), no hobbies beyond watching TV every night, and no shoulder to weep on about the coming darkness of his unwilling retirement. Albert, and the townspeople who slowly get to know the true Albert, are brought to life in a style almost reminiscent of a cozy murder mystery - but slightly more fluently.

It is no spoiler that this is a coming-out novel, and unique for the age of its protagonist. Albert’s story of his youth is heartbreaking, and honours the gay community that suffered, and fought, for equality. While the overarching positive tone may seem unrealistic to some, it perfectly fits this beautiful novel of being true to oneself, and the belief that it is never too late to live the life we deserve.

What a sweet story! Though there are a few sad bits that made me tear up, the majority of this book is filled with heartwarming moments and definitely puts a smile on your face! Cain creates a flawed, adorable gentleman who realises later in life just what he has lost over the years. Charming, heartfelt and delivering a happy ending to older queer people, this one will appeal to readers young and old!

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle follows Albert a closeted postman who is very content keeping the world and everyone in at a distance. However after being forced into retirement as his 65th birthday approaches and then losing his beloved pet cat, he starts to realise that maybe he is not so content after all. This is a sweet sad but ultimately hopeful story of second chances, unlikely friendships, and self acceptance. I have seen this pitched for fans of Frederik Backman and TJ Klune and definitely understand those comparisons. There are some hard topics explored especially the homophobia of the 70s and 80s, But overall this is an uplifting feel good story with wonderful fleshed out main characters and a great cast of supporting characters.

I loved this sweet story of a man who grew up in a time when it was absolutely not okay to be who you truly were! Albert has been closeted his entire life, with the exception of one beautiful spring and summer when he was 16 and fell in love. With a boy. While this love story is told in a series of flashbacks, the majority of the book features Albert, a few months from retirement, discovering he is not as alone as he thought, learning about the community that surrounds him, and leaning into the joy that comes from truly being yourself.

This is for sure a desert-island shelf book!

This was a lovely story about a postman who is being forced to retired. As his retirement approaches and he faces losing the community he's loved for so long - the only community he has - he goes in search of a new purpose in life, to find his one long lost love. As Albert searches for George he reintroduces himself to the cast of characters he knows only from giving them their mail over his long career, and learns that sometimes people can surprise you.

TW: This book deals honestly with the history (and present) of gay men and homophobia in the UK.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Do you want a feel-good, easy read about a sixty five year old coming to terms with his sexuality and embracing his community? Are you willing to trade realism for a happy ending?

Pre-reading:
If you compare this to A Man Called Ove, you've got massive shoes to fill.

Thick of it:
Appearance drop by mirror trope. Beginning is very Ove, but Ove was better from the drop. Border collie! What on earth is salad cream? Oh my god, it's mayo. Gross. Corrugated as a description for eyebrows? Pass. I'm American; I don't know these references. Poor man’s a recluse for being gay? That's awful. See, this book is just annoying me with its cheesiness and like over-sentimentality, versus Ove was cranky and grouchy and I dug it. I am also lost. I don’t know what a creche is. Love Kate. Scorpia is a name. Levi 501s on a 65 year old?Why is a limp wrist considered femme? Apparently, it stems from ye old fashion style evolution. Oh, poor thing with all the miscarriages. Oh, not the cat. Be kittens or something. Oh, not the cat. Sad. This book is preachy. Like yes, LGTBQ+ representation in stories-great, but this is so heavy-handed. You know there’s just something off-putting about a man ~just realizing~ that women are treated shit by the world. Like buddy you’re the one outright doing it, or at the very least enabling it. Like sexy Halloween costumes started by you lot, but also ladies can just want to look sexy for themselves. Sexualization itself isn’t the problem. It’s the fact that people look down on anything sexual or like rape culture. The costumes are just clothes until your shit mindsets gives them power. God, it’s so cheesy-preachy. No, I don’t think just being open about your feelings changes the world. People have bad feelings. There are always going to be assholes, and corruption will always have more power than good. This book reads like it’s for middle schoolers. Like what do you mean a full-grown, married adult has never thought ‘I have to show people the real me for them to like the real me.’ Just stop. An impromptu strip show of your coworkers at the post office. It’s too much. It’s too unrealistic. HR would have a field day. I don’t want to read this. No sorry, your husband bumming you without permission isn’t a cheeky joke. It’s assault. Like this book is all woo gay positivity, but like shit for women, and like extremely heavy on rape culture. Sex isn’t predatory in a good way. Predators are bad, end of list. It feels like an adult trying to use teen buzzwords to sound current. I feel like Less was a better story about an old gay in the modern era. This is just like Queer Eye fanfiction. Again, with the bad sex ideas. You don’t have to manscape if you don’t want to. It shouldn’t be something expected. It’s his body; he can do what he likes. He doesn’t have to fit a mold. Like, I don’t want to 1 star this because it’s not horrific writing, but holy fuck, it’s doing nothing for me. Sounds like a That 70s Show outfit, and also like something I’d like to wear. Yeah sorry, you have to tell people you’re coming over. What if he’s like at a grocery store? Doesn’t have to be nefarious for somebody to not be home. No sorry, he should absolutely continue to take the money. She can be patient. It’s so little time in the grand scheme of things. This is a dumb fight. Money is money. We’re not normalizing calling people, daddy, sorry. Too much incest and rape for that. You know, maybe, let’s not fetishize animals that can’t consent. There’s a big difference between wearing like a Halloween costume and playing around and still very much being a person, and then like pretending to be an object or an animal that can’t consent. I’ll kink shame away. Okay, but we can’t pretend the community is all sunshine and rainbows; there are still predators everywhere. The club scene attracts so many awful people. Yes sorry, asking what you’re drinking is completely acceptable, and having someone brush it off like it doesn’t matter…yes, it fucking matters. What if it’s spiked? What if you’re allergic to something in it? What the fuck? It’s not that women want to gatecrash gay bars. It’s that they want to be able to go out and drink and dance with their friends without worrying about getting attacked by straight men. Oh good, that’s healthy. I wrote you off as not good enough before, but now I’m willing to settle. What the fuck, book? You throw a dead cat and a dead kid in here for what? Like some manic pixie shit to be like go live for them. That’s shit. Did not just say the friends I’ve made along the way. This is some after-school special, middle school bullshit. This is not Ove. Comparing it is insulting. I think it’s a bit presumptuous to immediately assume upon reuniting you’re going to fuck. Not romantic, just entitled. Such a Pisces, my godddd. Oh, I’ll buy that you were all victims, but you were not all innocent. There were definitely predators among you. But you buzzed your junk for him. Fucking ridiculous. This is kitten poster motivational, cavity-inducing garbageeeee. The author’s really latched onto this coloring page analogy like he did something there. Hold on, how are we just glossing over a green puppy?

Post-reading:
Absolutely cavity-inducing. Comparing this to Fredrik Backman is insulting to Backman. The only thing they have in common is that it’s a book about an old man embracing his community. They are not the same. Look, it’s a sweet book. I’m sure there’s an audience for it during pride if people want an easy, hopeful, happy read. I’m not the audience for that. I think there are significant flaws in glossing over how outright evil and predatory people can be in and to the community, and I don’t think the book helps with its depiction of women. Gayness is not free admission to sex-positivity. I think the book relies heavily on stereotypes and is pretty cliche. I think it reads far, far too young and naive for a sixty five year old protagonist. I think Nicole’s story is too feel good and cutesy for the actual dangers she would face in her day-to-day life. I get that this book is probably meant as escapism, and a it gets better type schtick, but you can accomplish that while still being realistic about what people are going to face in the world. This almost comes across as toxic positivity, and the irony is that it has some really unhealthy messages about relationships tucked in there.

Who should read this:
Anyone who wants an LGBTQ+ easy, happy read

Do I want to reread this:
No

Similar books:
* Less by Andrew Sean Greer-older gay man comes to terms with his sexuality in the modern era
* A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman-older man embraces his community. If you want that story, read this one instead. Please.
* Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman-lady’s job leads to her embracing her community and finding life fulfillment

Poor Albert Entwistle! At 64, he lives alone with his beloved cat, Gracie. He works as a postman and is to be forcibly retired in a few months when he turns 65. This puts Albert in a panic, as he has no friends and no hobbies. In fact, he's isolated himself so much that he can barely speak to the people he works with day in and day out and avoids any meaningful conversations with the people he sees on his mail route. Following a heartbreaking death (you'll have to read or listen to find out who), he's feeling more lost than ever. During his bereavement leave from work, he starts to remember his first love, George, the boy he was forbidden to love and questions of "what if" start to enter his mind. So begins Albert's journey to rejoin the world and truly start living!!

I was initially drawn to Matt Cain's "The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle" because of the references to Fredrik Backman and TJ Klune (plus I've been told I gravitate towards stories about lonely old men who come out of isolation by making new friends - A Man Called Ove is a perfect example). This book had all the elements of a feel good British story and Simon Vance was the perfect narrator. My only complaint is that it took almost a third of the book to lay the groundwork for the rest of the story. While this isn't terrible, some parts definitely dragged and could have been summarized a little more succinctly (this is when I switched to reading so I could skim a bit). That said, this was a truly enjoyable Pride month read/listen.

While I mostly listened to the audiobook, I finished by reading so... Thank you Netgalley, RB Media (audiobook) and Kensington Books (ebook) for the advanced reader copy of this book.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Kensington Books and A John Scognamiglio Book, for the chance to read and review this book,

Every day, Albert Entwistle make his way delivering letters and parcels, greeting people and everyone on his route knows the quiet man who lives alone with a cat. Or they think they know him. When three months before his sixty-fifth birthday Albert is contacted by the Royal Mail, who thanks him for his services and states he has to retire, his entire life is unraveled. What will he do now? Without friends, family and hobbies, with a lost love he still regrets, Albert decided to plan to live his life fully now and to be honest with himself. Starting with trying to find George, the man with whom he spent some time together long ago. With hilarious moments, Albert starts looking for him, opening up with those around him and, surprisingly, for him, he meets new allies and friends and the courage to find happiness for others and himself.

This book is one of the best I've read this year. It's moving, exhilarating, loving and it both inspires and gives hope and it's impossible not to fall in love with it.
A story about a quiet and shy postman, who decided to take a second chance in life, in being himself and finding love and community around him. A brilliant and lovely romance, written in a wonderful writing style, intriguing and captivating.
Funny, wise and inspiring, a story about love and never giving up, second chances and how it's never too late to hope and love and be honest to oneself. Amazing.

Albert Entwistle is a postman who likes to keep to himself. He does his job. He goes home to his cat Gracie. Then gets up and does it again the next day.
But when Albert is forces into retirement he realizes that without his job he has nothing. And that is not the life wants. So he sets out to find George. The love he lost many years ago, making new friends along the way.

This is a heartwarming story. There are some sad bits, but for about 98% of the book it is sunshine and rainbows and nothing can go wrong.
It’s a little too tidy for me.

If you like #uplit reads and stories about finding happiness late in life you don't want to miss this book!! I absolutely adored Albert Entswistle, a closeted gay man who gets forced into retirement from his postal job and decides to track down his first love George.

A beautiful cast of secondary characters help Albert come into his own and embrace his sexuality in a way he was never able to do as a young man with homophobic parents. Eventually he tracks down his first love and is able to find reconciliation and a second chance.

Heartwarming and the ultimate feel good read. Highly recommended for fans of A man called Ove or All the lonely people (but make it gay). I really do love books that feature older characters and remind us that they still have lives to live and are worthy of our affection and respect. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy.

As I was making my way through the Buzz Books Spring/Summer 2022 edition, I was intrigued by the introduction for The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain. I read the excerpt and liked its quirkiness enough to add it to my to be read list.

The book did not disappoint me in the least. It was like a feel-good musical with some profound lessons. It was such a delight to read that I made it through to 90-percent in just one day. I could have finished it by joining the Bad Decisions Book Club, but decided to leave Albert on the doorstep at the beginning of the second to last chapter. I had such anticipation about the ending that I told my housemate about the book over breakfast - and I never talk to him about the books I’m reading!

So, what about this book made me so happy? It is difficult to put my finger on it. It could be just that I enjoy personal treasure hunts, regardless of whether the treasure gets found. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close was a favorite for exactly that reason. It could be that I loved Albert. He comes across as a curmudgeon, but he’s just really shy and introverted. He was so stuck in the past that he didn’t realize that times had changed enough for him to be himself. By the end of the book, he talks about finally being able to “color himself in.” I felt myself cheering him on as he made the little everyday decisions - to say hello to a stranger, to be kind to someone, to follow through with a plan - that amounted to a big life change. And I loved the wide variety of supporting characters who irritated and enriched Albert’s life. It could be that this was such an unabashedly British book, and all the mannerisms amused me. But really this book could have taken place in any Rust Belt small town because it was so character driven. Or it could be that it was just the right book at the right time.

Personally, I’m surprised that, with a publication date just before Pride Month in the United States, Albert hasn’t become more of a phenomenon. The book was that good! I would definitely recommend it to almost anyone, especially to those people who think I only read books with sexy times on the page.

I received this book as a digital advance reader copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

You guys, I haven't read a book that gave me all the feels, great heartfelt story and a gorgeous journey, in quite some time until THE SECRET LIFE OF ALBERT ENTWISTLE!

The story follows albert, a sixty something postman in England who's life has revolved around his job and going straight home without little else. After being forced to retire in a few months Albert begins to think about his life and how he got to the place he is in now; living along, having spent most of his life as his mothers caretaker (who treated him poorly even in her illness), with no friends and most importantly without his true love that he let escape when they were young because he was afraid of people finding out his "dark secret"

Now, with a new outlook on life he embarks on a journey to find his long lost love but he can't do it alone; after embracing himself and coming to terms with who he is, he begins to open up to people and is pleasantly surprised that most people in his life wanted to be there for him, help him and generally want him to be happy.
As Albert begins his journey to find his love he must accept that perhaps his love has moved on, or worst is already dead, learn to trust people around him and open up to others and allow himself to be vulnerable, and maybe he'll find happiness exactly where his journey had begun.

I really liked this light-hearted book in this crazy climate where the Supreme court has threatened the civil rights of gay people in this country, this book hit on tones of oppression and persecution for loving the person you love and its scary that history may repeat itself all these years later. Still Alberts journey was a joy to go on, and one of the biggest lessons I think is that its never too late to start fresh! Whether its pursuing a hobby, a new job, rekindling an old flame or finding love. In these trying times we could all use a redeeming story with a happy ending.

i was really hoping to like this book but unfortunately it fell flat for me. i didn't enjoy the characters and the plot was very cliche.

Thank you to net galley for the ARC!

This book is exactly the kind of book I would love but it was toooooo long.

Albert is a 65 year old gay man connecting with his community and looking for his lost love. The story is so so sweet! The friends he makes along the way are delightful. I loved the way he was loved and supported.

I say it was too long because I found myself saying “haven’t I already read this?” Multiple times as his thoughts and conversations felt repeated. There were no surprises for me, so putting off the “big reveal” for so long was obnoxious.

I also was very annoyed by how in the course of a night a man who is clearly homophobic can completely change his mind and apologize. That hasn’t been my experience. People can change their minds, but processing takes more than a few minutes. Every person he came out to was supportive and cheered for him and I love that, but it also wasn’t realistic for me. Maybe I live in too conservative of an area to believe it.

Overall: I loved the story but would probably recommend people try the audio so it doesn’t feel so long.

I thought this would be more romance based and I'm actually not disappointed that this wasn't the case. I ended up getting a really cute story about Albert, soon to be forced into retirement, who finally allows himself to embrace who he truly is and create bonds with the people around him. It was very cute but also incredibly tragic, especially when you realize that this is how people live and have lived. Also, the story is told in alternating POV with a character named Nicole, who is having her own relationship problems. Sadly, her story wasn't as powerful and I even felt like her purpose was to enhance Albert's character and story