A book that had been on my radar for a while, and very pleased I got to it. Matt Cain writes a vivid heartfelt story of a flawed gentleman suddenly realising what he has lost in his life. its a charming story that leaves you missing the characters in the book long after you have finished.

This book was so sweet! I love reading stories of older queer people and the history that they provide. As a young LGBTQ+ person, it's really important to me to honor those stories and recognize those who fought for the rights we have today. I think this is a really special story about finding community and love... and it's never too late to find those spaces and people in your life. I think this is a great read and anyone looking for a happy queer ending should read this!

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE ERIE READER.

There isn’t much anyone would be able to tell you about Albert Entwistle: as an extremely private man, his neighbors and colleagues can’t say anything with certainty about him, except that he’s a postman.

At least he was a postman, until the Royal Mail sends him a letter thanking him for his service while simultaneously forcing him into retirement by his sixty-fifth birthday. Now, Albert has no clue what to do – his life has revolved around being a postman for almost 50 years. After some thought, he creates a plan to start living life rather than watch it pass him by.

In Matt Cain’s The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle, Albert’s determination to start living his life leads him on a whirlwind journey to come to terms with the past to create a better future for himself. He realizes that in order to be happy, he must be honest about who he is with those around him. He also realizes that his happiness hinges on finding George, the man he loved and lost almost 50 years ago.

With that mission always at the foreground, Albert finds himself in places he’s never been – from the gay club scene in Manchester to a drag show in London – with people he’d never expect. As he slowly begins to emerge from the barrier he’s built around himself all these years, he finds unlikely allies and new friends, the most important being Nicole, a nineteen-year-old single mother who lived on one of Albert’s post routes.

Together, Albert and Nicole set out to find George, but help each other in more ways than on the surface. While Nicole helps Albert grow more comfortable in social situations and opening up to people, Albert helps Nicole realize her worth both professionally and personally.

Cain’s writing is nothing short of spectacular. Perhaps it is the story, the scene, or Albert himself, but everything in this novel works so wonderfully well together that readers will be absolutely spellbound by it. Traveling alongside Albert as he becomes his true self seems a privilege that Cain has graciously shares with us.

Cain has brought to life the quiet, ordinary man and makes him into an extraordinary example of what we should all strive for – not simply living for the sake of it, but really participating and enjoying our lives. No matter how big or small a part they play in Albert’s life, each character is crafted with such excellent detail in their quirks and qualities that it is difficult not to imagine them right in front of you.

This novel is an absolute triumph for Cain, as both he and Albert prove that it’s never too late to change, to grow, to live, to hope, and to love.

What I loved most about this story is the uplifting and hopeful message that it conveys. One of the elements the author really nails is the voice of the character. Albert Entwistle starts out afraid to share the truth of who he is, not only his loves, his passions but any hint of his warmth and sensitivity. He holds himself apart and the truly joyful exploration is when he slowly begins to reach out and is accepted, he opens up more and more. So many people are still afraid to share their truths but this story shows that individuals can learn to build a community, even in the places they least expect.

Not only is the voice of Albert compelling but so is the voice of Nicole and the other characters. Nicole is especially endearing as she struggles to fit in, while in different ways from Albert, her difficulties allow her to be empathetic to Albert and they end up helping each other, building a beautiful friendship. The embracing of other’s differences and the ability to be proud of who we are encourages others to do the same. 

The story does a brilliant job of exploring Albert’s past a bit at a time as he slowly accepts himself, showing the history of what it was like to be gay in Britain but also the changes that have occurred over time, thanks to individuals and groups who have fought for the rights of all. That exploration of history through the voice of Albert’s past is part of what makes this story so uplifting and hopeful. 

If you like stories that are upbeat, beautiful and embracing of all no matter who we are, then this story is for you. Read for the hope and the changes, for the adorable characters and community built through the novel.

4.25⭐️

Why do I have such a soft spot for reading about lonely old men? It’s been a while since I cried reading a book, and this one did it for me🥹

This book is about Albert, a shy, closed, lonely postman who is being forced to retire. He goes on a journey to find his only love George, who he has not seen in 50 years. Along the way he befriends a diverse group of people who help him on his journey.

I loved Albert. He was sweet from the beginning, and although shy… was earnestly seeking love and companionship. He was an easy main character to root for.

While I loved Albert and some of the side characters as well, I can also understand why this may not work for some people. It is admittedly simple, predictable, and maybe even one dimensional? If you are looking for an honest feel good story about a lovable character - this is it. However, if you’re looking for a layered and complex novel with twists and turns… you will be disappointed.

I think it was a little bit too long. The first 20% and the last 20% had me so interested, but some of the in between felt too stretched out.

There are definitely some stereotypes played into, and I wish Nicole’s story had been wrapped up in a different way. I was not obsessed with the fact that she found her worth in someone else’s proclamation of love.

The audiobook narration was *excellent* and definitely made the reading experience even more enjoyable.

I personally had a great time reading this. Do I think it’s the most earth shattering, unique, special book that exists? No. But did I fall in love with the main character and cry my eyes out at the end? Definitely.


Thank you to Netgalley and Libro.FM for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately I think that Albert is portrayed as kind of autistic and he unravels his autism by accepting himself and this is seen as a Good Thing. I found this to be Kind of Inspiration Porn. Let A Man Have His Quiet Routines And Struggle To Get Out Of Them Because They are How He Copes. I guess I expected this book to be cozier than it ended up being. I also found the writing to be kind of repetitive. Two stars.

Holy, mother of…
This book was, no sorry, is, incredible. The story of a 64 years old closeted man whose life starts to crumble. He has just a few months left before he has to retire, and his cat, his only friend, and family, dies. At the same time, he finds old letters from the only man he ever loved. So he decides to search for him, and apologize to him. And for this, he starts to open up to people, he comes out to some, finds a community, and finds friends. And he even helps Nicole, a single young black mother, struggling with her boyfriend. And she’s not the only one he helps, he just discovers that the world changed and, he’s also changing for the best.
This book is just 5/5 stars. It’s beautiful, well-written, touching, heartfelt, and emotional. It gives hope and helps us remember why we should live our lives. For the one who couldn’t, for the one who lived in the 50/the 60s and after. For the ones who had to stay closeted their entire life, for the ones who died, for the ones that couldn’t love.
This story also shows us, that it’s never too late to live your life. There’s always hope, you can always love the person you are meant to be. Second chances are possible. There will always be people that will accept you and who you are, no matter what.
You will always find a community.
I had never read a book with a protagonist this old (always with YA or NA books), but it was not a disappointment, it allowed me to reflect on some aspects of my life. Also, even if the story is set between December and March, this is the perfect story for pride month..
TW: Homophobia, Animal (cat) death, Bullying, Racism, Cancer, Child death, Body shaming, Emotional and physical abuse, Islamophobia, Police brutality, Parent death, Sexism, and Homophobic slurs.

Albert was truly delightful! While I initially struggled to get into the story, as Albert began to open up, so did I. I read this novel during Pride month and it was very eye opening to be reminded of all of the hardships experienced and discrimination for individuals who didn't fit the heterosexual narrative. My heart broke for Albert and I was cheering him on as he searched for George.

I did find this book a tad long and somewhat predictable. However it was still a good read and entertained me.

Thank you very much to the publisher for this copy!

The story/plot is nice enough; Albert coming in to his own and accepting his sexuality. But the writing wasn't my cup of tea. It just felt a little too on the nose for me. Especially the thoughts/inner dialogue of Albert. It became very much "to much telling not enough showing". And many places the writing also felt extremely repetitive. In addition, the drastic and sudden switch in Albert's disposition towards other people seemed a little too easy to me. From one day to the next he goes from not being able to function without his strict routines and not being able to converse with his colleagues or anyone else, shying away from literally everybody, to talking to strangers, making quick friends, inviting people into his home. Like, it's a lovely change, and probably good for him, but it quite literally was written as if I happened within the span of... a couple of days?

So while I can see some people enjoying this book for the story/main plotline alone, from my point of view it just wasn't well enough executed for me to really enjoy it.

After the main character, Albert Entwistle, comes out in his 60s following a lifetime of hiding his sexuality, he discovers that the world is now much more accepting and goes on a journey to find his lost love from his childhood.

I have been putting this review off for so long because I simply did not enjoy this book. The premise seemed good, but I did not like the writing or the simplistic view of the world. Sure, the world is much more 'accepting' now, but this book painted it as if (apart from a couple bad people) homophobia barely exists now. I found this a little frustrating to read over and over. Overall it was this and the basic writing that detracted from the book too much for me. At times it felt like I was reading a wattpad fiction of 'old gay man discovers the world is no longer homophobic'. Might be a case of wrong person/wrong book, so if none of this bothers you, then check it out!

This book was so wholesome and so sad. The grief it took to get to the healing was so heavy. Albert is so precious and the way Matt expressed his character and growth was so beautiful. The writing is so simple and so fun. I adored every aspect of this book. I sobbed for the heartache Albert endured and I sobbed for all the good things that came to him; that he decided to fight for.

Albert found the love of his life only to have society and homophobic parents too it from him. Ashamed of who he is and beaten down from loss, Albert lives a very quiet, routined life secluded from others.

When more loss and disruption to his blanketed life finally shows him just how alone he is at the age of 64 he decides to do all he can to change that. He lets people in and opens up about his secret life. He embarks on a journey to get back the love he let go of 50 years ago.

The healing in this book wrecked me. The community and friendships gained along the way we’re so wholesome. I laughed and cried so much. Because Albert decided to open himself up and chase after life instead of letting it pass by, he brought so many good things to other peoples lives as well. His friendships not only made him less lonely but impacted his new friends and made them just as enthused to stop watching life pass by.

Oh my, this novel brought up all the emotions! And I absolutely loved it! Wonderful, vibrant characters, a sweet story line, personal growth, and a search for a lost love – what more could I want?

This novel was beautifully plotted, and while it was slow to start but I found it worked for me. In that wonderfully trundling slowness I saw how Alberts life was for him as he trudged through his day to day routine. There was something so beautifully simple about the story that made it even more charming for me. There was a lot of depth to story that shone through in both the plot and the characters. The characters in this story are what really brought the joy for me, and I loved the side characters and how fleshed out they were just as much as Albert which was so nice.

I loved that the story was told from two different points in Alberts life – I found switching between the two helped me to understand Albert more. It was interesting seeing how his early life and his relationship with his parents then affected him so much later in his life. This is so true of so many gay men of that time that it makes the story all the more heartbreaking. Though it was heartbreaking with a hopeful end, which I really loved. The end of this edition of the novel also included some interviews with gay men of Albert’s age with similar stories to Albert’s. I think this was a really lovely addition at the end.

Despite the very painful reality of Albert’s situation and his story, there is some really clever humour amongst the heartfelt or emotional moments of self reflection. These moments really make this novel an absolute joy to read!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for sending me this free eARC (eAdvanced Reader Copy). I am leaving this review voluntarily. This title was published 31st May 2022.

Well this was quite the wholesome and feel good story! Albert is a grumpy old introvert until he comes out with his secret that he’s gay. His personality does a complete 180 when he can finally be him true self and it was great seeing his development. I enjoyed all the characters in the novel and I’d love to be friends with all of them because of how supportive and nice they are. Especially George! Also, it’s funny because my dad is a mailman and is almost retired and I totally knew how Albert was feeling when he got the boot. My dad doesn’t know what he’ll do after retirement either 😂 anyway I’d highly recommend this novel!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

It has been said but The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle is a heart-warming and uplifting read that will leave you no choice but to have a smile on your face. 64 year old Albert has been a postman his entire life. He has always kept to himself and lived a quiet life, but when he learns that he has to retire he becomes overwhelmed with the idea of the lonely future that faces him. He sees an opportunity to find something (someone 😏) that he lost many years ago, and to finally be honest about who he is and what he wants. What follows is a journey of self-acceptance, love, and finding his true self..

Overall, it’s a sweet albeit predictable story but one that will charm you. I loved the exploration of Albert’s character, as well as his supporting cast of characters. It’s a colorful novel that will suck you in.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle is out now!

A truly endearing story of transformation and heartache. I laughed, I cried, I aww'd. Thank you to Netgalley for a digital ARC

This sweet book reminded me a lot of A Man Called Ove and I want to give Albert the world! A perfect Pride Month pick if you aren’t looking for a steamy romance

64-year-old Albert Entwistle enjoys his life of routine and predictability working as a postman. However, one letter from Royal Mail HR threatens his future routine: retirement is compulsory upon turning 65. Living a quiet life in and out of work, Albert soon realizes there isn’t much for him once he retires. Memories flood him of a time in his life where he was social, carefree, in love. Is it possible to return to that person he once was? Or is he bound to be alone for the rest of his years?

I love an older protagonist, especially if they’re a bit of a loner. Albert Entwistle checks all the boxes on this front. His evolution throughout the story and willingness to be vulnerable felt so real. I was truly absorbed in this book as I read it.

I highly recommend this book if you’re in the mood for a coming-of-(retirement) age story with a sweet protagonist set on finding himself, once again.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a free ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

An uplifting and positive coming of age story. As Albert reaches his 65th birthday his only companion, his cat, dies and he is mandated to retire by the Royal Mail. After a trauma in his teems he has lived a closeted and lonely life. Not wanting to live that way for the rest of his life he courageously makes new friends to help him find his young love and to come out of the closet and be a gay man. An amazing story.

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle is a heartwarming story of friendship, love, and self-discovery.
This book was so easy to love, the characters all captured my heart and I thought it was just such a special story that needed to be told. Albert was such a wonderful character and I loved seeing him grow as a person. Even though this story had the potential to be sad and heavy it was a pleasant surprise to discover how it was full of joy. The relationships between the characters like Nicole, George, Danny and Daniel, and even Jack, were what really made it for me. It showed the importance of love and community and I could really feel it through the pages. The little stories at the end were also a lovely addition.
There are only a few critiques I have, the ending felt a little rushed which in turn made it feel inauthentic, and I would have loved to see Nicole play a bigger role because I enjoyed her character.
Overall I thought it was a beautiful book and I would definitely recommend it to others.

Sweet feel good fiction. Have already purchased for my library and will definitely recommend to my gentle readers.