✨️Thank you, NetGalley , Rhapsodic Press, and Augusta Reilly , for the digital advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review✨️

4.5⭐️ rounded up

TLDR; Hilarious. Lighthearted, fluffy but still emotional sometimes. Character depth. Reflective. Did I mention HI-LA-RI-OUS? Last but not least, Phallus! 🍄‍🟫

Are you in search of a light read but still filled with some emotional/serious moments?

Are you in search of a book that will make you laugh out loud?

If you said yes to both questions, you have to read this book.

I flew through this book, I laughed out loud and felt deeply for Piper at some point. Even Matthew got some of my sympathy.

The author is a former stand-up comic, and it shows in the writing. The jokes are well done, and the delivery is always on point. Not only can she deliver jokes and make you laugh, but she can also make you think and reconsider some stuff in life, mostly on how you treat others. It's easy to judge people when you don't know them or even when you know them.

I also wondered if the author herself was treated like that by family members or friends, maybe... the way she describes how Andrew perceives his sister is pretty realistic. I've seen artists be judged and considered "less than" because of what they do for a living. But people don't always take the time to reflect on the fact that artists are important in our everyday lives.

I felt this book gave a clear message while making you laugh out loud on multiple occasions. Highly recommend!

I also bought myself a physical copy just because I like the book that much and will for sure re-read it at some point in my life.

This book had me laughing out loud from start to finish. The characters are brilliantly quirky and feel so real, each with their own hilarious quirks and heart. The absurd humor is perfectly balanced with moments of genuine warmth, making it more than just a comedy — it’s a story about friendship, found family, and embracing life’s chaos. Augusta Reilly’s sharp wit and unique setting in Moab create a wildly entertaining and unforgettable read.

I requested this because it sounded like a funny quick read. The writing was well done and the characters fairly interesting. Unfortunately, the type of humor in this just was not for me. I ended up DNFing this.

Thank you #netgalley and Rhapsodic Press for a copy of #ThePhallusInNature.

Do you ever come across a book on NetGalley and think, yeah, why not. I read this blurb and it just sounded funny and fluffy, and I decided I needed that in my life.

This is general fiction labeled as humor and satire and I basically laughed through the whole thing. It has a bit of a cozy feel to it. I really enjoyed the author’s writing and pretty much flew through it.

Matthew gets an inheritance and decides to invest in a tiny house duplex in Moab, Utah. He’s only been to Utah once and didn’t fully grasp the scope of the desert heat in the summer. This is a major issue because he relies on the money he receives renting out the other side of the duplex. A duplex with no central a/c. With no rental money he is super broke. Enter Piper, a photographer with a best selling photo collection who has earned millions taking photos of objects that well, are, they look like, they’re phallic. Millions. She decides to rent out the other side of the tiny duplex. Hilarity ensues.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and recommend it especially for a fun break from reality.

Thank you Rhapsodic Press for this arc.

I had to read the blurb and it sounded so wacky that naturally I needed to ask to read it and then began laughing almost as soon as I started to read it. This is what I’ve now seen called “absurdist fiction.” I need to look for more of this. It’s realistic but also, yes, slightly absurd. It’s got tiny houses, a desperate search for AC, an author who has made a fortune taking pictures of phallic looking things in nature, a linguist whose attempt to break loose from his standard PhD earning life has now landed him in the shit, some bizarre but fun neighbors, and an Irish-Episcopal (giant hairy) scorpion named Jeff. No, I’m not making up the heroine’s subject choice of photos.

Romance? Oh, yes there’s a good one that slowly develops as Matthew realizes that Piper being in his life (and everyone else’s life in Moab) is what makes things special now. Sure Piper sings and dances at 6am like no one is watching or listening but her genuine excitement about life and people and photographs and animals is infectious. Her joy in doing good for those she loves and even for people she doesn’t know well is a gift to the world. And when it counts, Matthew finds the right words to let her know how much she means to him.

Piper, I think, is going to be a heroine you love or hate. Some readers might think she’s just too special and wonderful but to me she is like a Golden Retriever Puppy who exudes love and friendship to all. Actually my next door neighbor reminds me of Piper as she’s always smiling, always happy to see you, always willing to help so yes, people like this do exist. This book makes me laugh and makes me smile. It’s got enough grit – and swear words – to balance the sweet. I had a blast reading it. A-

The Phallus in Nature wasn't my usual read--I picked it out as a digital ARC because of its eye-catching title and humorous reviews. It's fluff, but very funny fluff. It's even laugh-out-loud fluff. If you're looking for mayhem and mishaps, friendships and bizarre happenstance, this is the fluff for you.

Absolutely loved this book! Laugh out loud funny, very inclusive/diversive. An overall unique and fun story! Wholesome and heartwarming, 5 stars.

With a title like “The Phallus in Nature”, I want white sure what I was getting myself into. This book was utterly hysterical. I literally laughed out loud and would love to see this told on the big screen. Great read!

this was most certainly a page turner that got a lot of chuckles and giggles out of me! there was no POV that i dreaded reading. the author really knows how to balance the clever and witty humor with the more serious moments without sacrificing one for the other.

all the characters were memorable in their own ways and had distinctive personalities. nearly everyone was lovable, and even those that weren’t were still very entertaining. Piper, while initially being off putting due to her childlike personality, ended up being the loml because of her outlook in life.

absolutely loved the friendship between Matthew and Piper— its was really nice seeing them grow together while also supporting each other. these two and the side characters make up a wholesome friend group that makes you wish you were apart of their ridiculous adventures.

would most definitely recommend this book to those who are looking for a good laugh yet a great message about finding contentment in the simplicities of life and the company of friends. it’s entertaining and keeps you wanting for more!

much thanks to NetGalley, Augusta Reilly, and Rhapsodic Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Find my review on GoodReads here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7581256083

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this! As much as I have failed to meet the deadline due to personal reasons, I am picking this one out as soon as it officially hits the shelves, as it really got me intrigued!
If there is any way I can get access to this again, I would very much appreciate it!!

This had me laughing out loud, marveling at the incisive skewering of different cultural groups, and really invested in the outcome for the characters. Who dreamed Moab Utah in summer could muster such excitement? I'd compare this to The Wedding People in terms of so many disparate characters, all at crucial turning points in their lives, being thrust together and learning from each other in uproariously funny and heartwarming ways.

Phallus in Nature is easily the most hilarious reading experience I have ever embarked on. Seriously, this story is salaciously funny - don’t read with a full bladder!

Matthew’s life has been marked by a series of unfortunate events. The most recent leaving him as the owner of a tiny home duplex in Moab, Utah…. and broke as a joke. Enter Piper Lawless. Piper is mega famous as a result of publishing a book of peens. Well, a book of photos portraying things that LOOK like peens (cactus, clouds, mushrooms… you get the drift). Piper rents out half of Matthew’s duplex for an extended stay while she works on the second volume of her book (turns out, there’s lots of things that resemble peens in Moab, Utah).

What ensues is a side-stitching story about found family, simple living, and the pursuit of happiness. If we could all live like Piper, unashamedly happy and trusting, the world could actually be a better place!

The characters remind me of Trailer Park Boys in the best way! They are quirky, chaotic, flawed and have a proclivity for substances. Tinytown is now on my list of fictional places I want to visit. The story felt a little longer than necessary but I was having such a good time it didn’t overly bother me.

Fans of dark humor will have a great time with Phallus in Nature. Augusta Reilly is a comic mastermind and I found myself highlighting something that made me LOL on every other page. It takes a talented writer to make so many dark and twisted jokes but still allow the reader to feel like they read a sweet and heartfelt story at the end (which it is)!

I would recommend Phallus in Nature to anyone with a dark sense of humor or in need of a fun read. Thank you to NetGalley and Rhapsodic Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Phallus in Nature is so much fun. That is a sentence I never thought I would write but it’s true. Matthew Gormans dad worked all his life at job he hated so that he could retire well so when he dies in his fifties and leaves Matthew some money Matthew decides he won’t waste the opportunity. He decides in adventure. He convinces his long term girlfriend to move with his to Moab Utah and build a tiny duplex they can rent out for heaps of cash while write their scholarly hearts out. But Moab in summer is like the surface of the sun and Matthew doesn’t have air conditioning. His girlfriend leaves him and he can’t afford an air conditioner for both sides of the duplex. Rescue comes in the form of Piper Lawless a twenty something photographer who is famous for taking pictures of dicks in nature who pays a months rent up front. Matthew just has to live next to the sunshiny Piper and the residents of tiny town and as their lives become more and more entangled Matthew’s seems to be unravelling. This book is a lot of fun, I read that the writer was a stand up and some parts of this do read like a routine but that’s not a bad thing. I felt the ending was a little rushed and I would have liked a bit more of Piper’s brothers but all in all I had a great time in Moab a place I will NEVER visit.

4 ⭐ | 0 🌶️

I can confidently say this is the hardest I’ve laughed while reading a book. From the very first page, it's absurdly funny, and the dialogue feels so real that I almost forgot I was reading. I was hooked right away.

Told from multiple POVs, the book follows the story of Matthew, the owner of a tiny house rental, and Piper, who rents it for her ongoing photography project: The Phallus in Nature. It’s a satirical comedy that takes a jab at society’s rigid intellectual hierarchy and our obsession with defining success—all wrapped up in a lighthearted, unpredictable story full of twists.

Throughout the book, Piper is treated like a child with an intellectual disability—despite being 25 years old and financially independent. Her family judges her, but in a quirky tiny-town community filled with misfits, she finds a place where she is simply seen for who she is. This is the only book I’ve read in the past year that isn’t centered on romance but rather on friendship. It’s also the only book where references to toilets, phalluses, Mormons, and Canadian history somehow all make perfect sense, despite the sheer absurdity of it. And for the first time, I admit I completely misjudged a character.

After finishing the book, I looked up the author. I already knew she was an independent writer with two other successful comedy books, but I had no idea she had done stand-up. She lives in the U.S. but travels frequently to Montreal and even graduated from McGill University. I loved how she wove parts of her life into the book, especially the hilariously dry references to Canada’s boring history.

It was an absolute delight to discover such a talented and hilarious author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rhapsodic Press, and Augusta Reilly for the eARC of The Phallus in Nature.
The. book is a fun ride that'll leave your sides aching and your pets questioning your sanity you'll be laughing out loud so forcefully and so often. If you have even a hint of a funny bone that needs tickling and love the absurd, give this a read.

This is a book about a handful of characters, more so than an actual story. The style of writing isn’t my favorite. I found Matthew to be likable enough, but I didn’t care for any of the other characters. The story felt like it had a million tangents and wasn’t particularly fun to follow.

I read A LOT. Not as much as some, but much more than most people. This book is without a doubt one of the funniest books I have read in years, or maybe ever.

We start with the main character, Matthew, crying “for the first time in eleven years” as his girlfriend has left him, his father had a heart attack and died, and he’s completely broke. But within the first few pages, his parents are hilariously bickering on his father’s death bed. Later, as we meet the world’s most interesting cast of characters, the laughter continues!

Some of my favorite quotes:

“Meet Mahatma Randy. Randy is a marijuana salesman. He was born in Utah and raised a Mormon, so there’s obviously a story there. No one knows what that story is, but he has stopped wearing underwear entirely so they figure it must be bad.”

“It’s like nothing’s ever happened in the entire history of Canada that didn’t involve a beaver.”

“A freelance pharmacist, a reptile dealer, and a penis peddler walk into a bar. They are accompanied by a linguist, who feels like the correct answer to a One of These Things is Not Like the Others quiz on Sesame Street.”

There were at least two points in the story I was crying laughing, one involving physically moving a body.

The author has created such an interesting world with fun characters — a ‘family isn’t always blood’ vibe. The two main characters go through such incredible character development and it is truly a joy to read about it! The pacing is perfect — always interesting even when nothing is really happening — because we are learning more about these characters and their motivations. It is so easy to love (most of) these people! I will no doubt recommend this book to everyone I know who reads.