Review by Booklist Review
Nolan Baker is desperately in love with his best friend, Drew Techler. The problem is that Nolan refuses to tell Drew he loves him until he conquers the world of stand-up comedy. Since Nolan's career telling jokes has become permanently stalled at the Hardy-Har Hideaway, dating Drew remains just a dream. When Nolan finally gets the career-making break he desperately craves, in taking advantage of the opportunity he disappoints everyone he knows, including Drew. Waking up the next morning, Nolan intends to set things right, only to find that it may be extremely difficult since he is now living seven years in the future. In the latest charmingly sexy addition to his Boy Meets Boy series--Never Been Kissed and You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince (2022)--Janovsky's flair for perfectly timed comic moments and dryly humorous dialogue is brilliantly married to a whimsically inventive plot. This love story not only thoughtfully explores the importance of a work-life balance and the power of humor, it also manages to get in a few clever digs at the concept of celebrity-lifestyle brands.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The latest charming rom-com from Jaovsky (You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince) adds a mystical twist. Twenty-three-year-old Nolan Baker dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian. At his sister's wedding, funded by Doop, the cultish wellness brand she works for, he gets a call that could be his big break--but only if he abandons the wedding and gets to the comedy club. He chooses his career over family, leaving everyone outraged at him--especially his best friend turned wedding date, Drew Techler, who had just confessed his feelings when Nolan took off. Reeling, Nolan wishes on the crystals in his Doop goody bag to become "successful, happy, and universally loved"--and wakes up the next morning at 30 with no memory of the intervening years that formed him into a famous albeit mean-spirited comedian. Freaked out, he seeks out Drew, now running a mystery-themed bookstore, who reluctantly agrees to help Nolan get back to his own time. A domineering manager and the looming filming of a Netflix special test Nolan's efforts to make amends--until a family crisis forces him to choose his career or his loved ones once again. Janovsky has as sure a touch with classic romance tropes as ever, and it's a joy to watch his flawed hero grow. Readers will be charmed. Agent: Keven O'Conner, O'Conner Literary. (Aug.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
When a comedian's wish fast-forwards him seven years, he discovers that he's successful but devoid of friends and family. At 23, Nolan Baker has big plans, and he hopes to reach 30 with all his personal and professional goals fulfilled. At the moment, though, he doesn't feel like he's anywhere close. With his sister CeeCee's wedding coming up, Nolan is determined to have something to show for himself, and he finally musters up the courage to ask Drew Techler, his best friend and big crush, to be his date. He vows that once the wedding is over, he'll take a good hard look at himself and maybe even give up comedy for good. But when he gets a call in the middle of his sister's wedding inviting him to perform at a famous comedy club in an hour, Nolan prioritizes this sudden opportunity over supporting his family and continuing his date with Drew. Later, he realizes he's ruined all of his relationships. Desperate to fix things but torn between his shot at stardom and making things right, he grabs a weird set of crystals his sister had given him and visualizes his "ideal future" in which he's "successful, happy, and universally loved." When he wakes up, he's 30 and he's certainly successful, but he learns that the choice he made during CeeCee's wedding has had long-lasting consequences. He's a household name, but his family has no desire to connect with him or even take his calls. Nolan's only hope of making things right is to find Drew, who also wants nothing to do with him. As Nolan tries to win Drew over, he must reckon with the callous mistakes he's made. His road to redemption is an arduous one as he strives to hold himself accountable, which doesn't come easily. The romance between Drew and Nolan takes a back seat to Nolan's introspections, but it still provides a sweet and steamy way of both lightening some of Nolan's more vulnerable moments and giving him the extra push he needs to dig deeper. Over time, Nolan learns how to feel better about his life without sacrificing the feelings of others. A hopeful redemption story with a magical time-jump twist that takes its time, for better or worse. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
