Thank you so much to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the early release of I Might Be in Trouble. This novel by Daniel Aleman ticks all my favorite genre boxes - dark comedy, suspense, romance, and overcoming tragedy. The main character, David, starts the story waking up next to a dead body, then takes you on this wild ride, trying to get his life together while colliding with one obstacle after another. If someone would have told me I was going to need tissues at the end - I’ wouldn’t believe them…but, there I was - sniffling and tissue-less.

I am obsessed with this book. It’s my first by this author and it won’t be my last! Dare I say this is my favorite book I have read in a while? It really got me out of a reading slump!

I won’t rehash the plot but I love how unique this story is. I love how flawed, yet rootable the main character is in the book. I love the message behind this book. I just loved it all. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this wonderful story!

What a great story. It's funny, relatable and very easy to read. David and Stacey's dynamic is so great and over-the-top I literally laughed out loud several times. I was really digging this. Then...I got to about the 3/4 mark where the climax begins and BOOM sadly disappointed. I get why the author goes the way they do, but man did I have a different vision. I do stand by the recommendation to read, but don't blame me if the story takes a turn you don't like :)

3.5 stars rounded up

Although this book is billed as a dark comedy, I don't really see it that way. For me, it was a look into a person's life--what they thought it would be, what they want it to be, what it is, and what it could be. This is all placed in the context of an event that can either make or break him. There are some comedic elements, but overall it's more thoughtful than dark.

David Alvarez is a writer who is stuck. His first novel was a decent success, but his second one was a flop. Now trying to write a third, he can't come up with anything. To deal with his crisis of conscience, he goes on a Grindr date and after a wonderful night--he wakes up and finds the man dead in the bed next to him. Can he get out of this? Can he use it to jumpstart his writing?

There is so much about David that is really relatable, especially if you find yourself in a similar situation. Stuck in life and not knowing how to get out of the mire. When David talks about what foundation his life is built upon it really resonated with me and readers will likely feel the same.

If you're looking for a unique book filled with uncomfortable situations that will really make you think, then this quirky read might be for you.

Daniel Aleman!!! We need to have a word….you made me have small panic attacks throughout the book along with David. I was checking over my shoulders and wanted to hide. Not only the anxiety but the raw emotions that David shared about his family and how he felt around them…hit way too close to home. 

I’m a HUGE fan of Daniel Aleman…couldn’t wait for this story. It's a funny, emotional, and psychological ride all rolled into one. 

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing #IMightBeinTrouble #NetGalley

I thought this was a great debut and the mystery felt real with the suspense I like as well as great pacing and I want to see more of this

"A suspenseful dark comedy about a struggling writer who wakes up to find his date from the night before dead - and must then decide how far he's willing to go to spin the misadventure into his next big book.

A few years ago, David Alvarez had it all: a six-figure book deal, a loving boyfriend, and an exciting writing career. His debut novel was a resounding success, which made the publication of his second book - a total flop - all the more devastating. Now, David is single, lonely, and desperately trying to come up with the next great idea for his third manuscript, one that will redeem him in the eyes of readers, reviewers, the entire publishing world...and maybe even his ex-boyfriend.

But good ideas are hard to come by, and the mounting pressure of a near-empty bank account isn't helping. When David connects with a sexy stranger on a dating app, he figures a wild night out in New York City may be just what he needs to find inspiration. Lucky for him, his date turns out to be handsome, confident, and wealthy, not to mention the perfect distraction from yet another evening staring at a blank screen.

After one of the best nights of his life, David wakes up hungover but giddy - only to find prince charming dead next to him in bed. Horrified, completely confused, and suddenly faced with the implausible-but-somehow-plausible idea that he may have actually killed his date, David calls the only person he can trust in a moment of crisis: his literary agent, Stacey.

Together, David and Stacey must untangle the events of the previous night, cover their tracks, and spin the entire misadventure into David's career-defining novel - if only they can figure out what to do with the body first."

But hear me out... His sales would have gone up if he was a suspect in a murder... So, he could have just called the cops...

I would give this 3.5 if half a star was possible. It was a fun read, but it just had a hard time holding my attention. The premise of moving the body with no one noticing... I'm sorry I lived in NYC for the past 12 years and people would have absolutely noticed. There could have been a more clever way to accomplish the task without "Weekend at Bernie"-ing it, but the book probably would have been even shorter. The portrayal of the main character as a hopeless romantic was well done but could have been amped up even more. Why wasn't he fantasizing about Robert's husband falling in love with him while writing the memoir? For a book that was meant to be grounded in reality, there was no way their escapade with the dead body would have happened, so I wish the rest of the text was amped up to match that level of absurdity. Because once that sequence happened, I started to lose interest and it should have been the other way around.

Easily one of my this year's favourites! Aleman really hits all the notes I like with this one - dark humour, mystery, a messy main character, and a dash of romance. The book is witty, charming, and impossible to put down. I haven't read Aleman's previous work but I look forward to diving in now.

Daniel Aleman's I Might Be in Trouble is a suspenseful dark comedy that follows a struggling writer who wakes up to find his date from the night before death. This shocking discovery sets off a chain of events as the protagonist must decide how far he's willing to go to potentially resuscitate his flagging career.

While the book has an intriguing premise, its execution may vary in appeal for different readers. Some may appreciate the dark humor and suspenseful plot, while others might find the protagonist's actions off-putting. Ultimately, I Might Be in Trouble seems to be a novel that will elicit a strong reaction from readers, making it a potentially compelling choice for those who enjoy morally complex characters and darkly comedic storylines.

This was a fun read and even though it was a little predictable at times, I enjoyed the banter between the characters and the hijinks that ensued throughout the city. Would definitely read more by this author in the future!

I’m going to write a whole review post on this soon, but what a book! This is so different to Daniel Aleman’s previous works but it’s absolutely fantastic. There is a brilliant balance of thriller and dark humour contrasting with some really emotional and vulnerable aspects. David really is a nice guy who’s done nothing wrong but made some bad decisions, and my heart went out to him. Him and Stacey’s misadventures were hilarious to read about and the adventures just kept coming. Cleverly constructed and brilliantly carried out, I enjoyed every page of this book and flew through it in no time. Love love love.

This dark comedy is a meta-exploration about the relationship success and loneliness that is a quick, fun romp that still leaves you with something to think about. The main character is a desperate mess of emotions and feels genuine and relatable. The secondary characters, be it the MC’s dates or his agent, all feel a little bit like caricatures, yet this actually works for the story. They are all foils for different aspects of the MC’s neuroses to play off of, and so they embody their particular roles with a type of glee that still makes fun and interesting. The world-building is done really well, giving us the claustrophobic experience of success at a young age that doesn’t always feel entirely earned, coupled with a family that isn’t supportive and an inner life that feels like a constant performance instead of an actual identity. So much of this story is about pretense, and the anxieties that come from not showing others who you are, either because you are afraid of how they will react or because you don’t know yourself or a combination of the two, and the world-building and tone embodies that sentiment well. The writing is strong throughout, with convincing dialogue and a compelling style that pulls you through, not overly saccharine or emotional but still really letting the reader feel connected to the main character’s despair. The pacing was great for me until the third act, which dragged a little. On one hand the characters themselves are in a type of limbo, a holding pattern, and that unknowing, which can feel interminable, is reflected in the writing, so the resonance between pacing and character experience works… but it feels like the whole third act simply happens to the character and he has given up any pretense at agency, which feels like being dragged along. I like the twists and turns and the places the story eventually ended up, but there is a little disconnect, for me, between where the emotional journey ultimately lands and the character’s seeming stagnation in the third act. Everything is believable, and as I said I do really appreciate where it ended up, but it I would have liked to see a more active role in that outcome. Especially as, during that third act, there are some potentially self-sabotaging behaviors that suggested the character may have bene traveling in emotional loops, and the way he emerged from that spiral felt a little sudden.

Overall, this was a lot of fun. The mystery and story were a little predictable but never felt bland. The inner journey felt rich and relatable, overall, and offered an engaging exploration of loneliness and what it means to discover who you are and what you depend on when everything else is in chaos.

(Rounded up from 3.5)

I want to thank the author, the publisher Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

David Alvarez, a once-successful author, is now struggling after his second book flops and he loses his boyfriend. Looking for inspiration, he goes on a wild night out with a guy from a dating app. But when David wakes up to find his date dead next to him, he’s thrown into a chaotic mess. With the help of his agent, Stacey, he tries to figure out what happened and turn the disaster into his next big novel.

This dark comedy is a fun blend of mystery and humor. David's misadventures and mishaps are laugh-out-loud funny, but the story also digs into themes of loneliness and the pressure of creative success. It’s a rollercoaster ride of emotions—one minute you’re laughing, and the next, you’re feeling for David as he navigates his mess. Overall, it’s a unique and entertaining read!

David is an author who is struggling with perusing his passion. One morning he wakes up with a strangers body in his bed with no memory of how this happened. He must find a way to cover this up so his career and life doesn’t get ruined.

I really enjoyed seeing Daniel’s character growth and seeing him thrive through his grief and heartbreak. This was a really beautiful story that was at times sad and at other times really funny. Stacey made me laugh a lot.

Daniel Aleman is an incredible author. I loved reading his previous 2 books so when I saw that this was available on NetGalley I immediately jumped at the opportunity to read and review it. I really enjoyed reading this.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Despite the tension and suspense, "I Might Be In Trouble" is one of the most fun reading experiences I had all year. Aleman is fantastic at developing characters that have singular voices, that feel lived in and fully-actualized. I wanted to keep hanging on for dear life as this caper took our main character all over New York City, riding the highs and truly emotional lows.

David seemed to have life all figured out: a debut novel that was a hit and a perfect boyfriend. But then his second novel was a flop and he broke up with his boyfriend. Now all his hopes are riding on the third book he’s writing … if he could only come up with a good idea.

So one evening, he decides to take a break and go out for a night of fun with a guy he meets on a dating app. His date turns out better than he could have ever hoped, and they have an amazing night. When David wakes up the next day, he’s hopeful for the first time in a while. That is, until he realizes his perfect date, who spent the night, is now dead.

Unsure of what happened, and facing the possibility that he may have somehow played a role in his date’s passing, David calls the only person he trusts: his agent, Stacey. Working together, David and Stacey try to figure out what happened the night before all while trying to hide any role that David may have played.

This is a well written and strongly plotted novel. Darkly funny, it combines an engaging mystery of who David’s date really was and what happened that fateful night, with an insightful story about struggling with success, expectations, and loneliness.

Highly recommended.

this was such a fun, satirical and unexpected read!

There is not much more I can say other than that. Give this a chance, I was definitely pleasantly surprised by it!

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc of this book!

PAUSE. i can't. im literally dying laughing. David, the main character is HILARIOUS. i opened the first page of this novel with a face straighter that that heterosexual homie you got a crush on when you were in sixth grade, and continued on with fits of laughter that quite literally pushed me to meet my laughter quota of the year.

David is a struggling, full-time writer, whose financial life is in shambles. He's got no one to turn to, and he's been making one bad decision after another--and it's also somehow hilarious how he deals with his woes. It's not surprising that he wakes up next to a dead body one day, less surprising still is the fact that he may very well be responsible for manslaughter.

And OH BOY the things he does next are just as hilarious as his previous actions. It's insane, just when you think he couldn't get any more facepalmingly ridiculous, he does something to prove otherwise. and just when you think the situation he's in couldn't get any worse? it goes even further downhill.

yet somehow--
somehow the themes tackled in this novel will make you reflect the state of your own life. it weaves in social commentary while introspecting on everything that happened in David's life that led up to this moment, and the effect is fresh, almost jarring. it reaches for and twists your heart, really.

towards the end of the book, suddenly: TEARS. where did these tears come from, how am I crying, i was just laughing my lungs out two minutes ago? how are we delving deep into the anatomies of our loneliness and how we come back to ourselves after only ever getting used to self-sabotage? you'll find that even though you can spot more differences than similarities between David's superficial qualities and your own, you'd still resonate with the existential questions that flood his psyche after the fateful encounter that catalyzes the rest of the story.

the book also contains countless odes to writing: the aching way David reconnects to the whys of pursuing his craft, and of coming back to it time and time again. if you're a writer like me (or anyone who pursues any sort of creative expression) you'll resonate with David's craft-related epiphanies as well.

overall: the best roller-coaster ride you'll ever be on this year. buckle up and read.

massive thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Twisty and fun! This is a great satire of the publishing industry combined with the feel of an Oxygen true crime documentary.