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

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain is a story about a 64-year-old man named Albert Entwistle (big surprise there) who is about to retire from the Royal Mail (the UK equivalent of the United States Post Office). He discovers that he has largely lived his life alone and closed off from the people around him. His secret is that nearly 50 years ago, he fell in love with a man named George. Will Albert be able to find connection in this world? And what happened to George?

This book was initially billed as funny as Fredrik Backman with the charm of TJ Klune. Who is this spin master? Because I definitely need this person in my life! The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle did have some humorous moments, but it did not reach the same level as Backman (nor for that matter TJ Klune).

The story itself is cute, but it is too long. For example, the storytelling needs some fine tuning as some of the events are not too exciting. Additionally, the romance between Albert and George is underwhelming. I still don’t understand what is so special about George. Aside from just love, did George inspire Albert to be a better person? Did Albert and George go through an experience that bonded them? Is there a great friendship between Albert and George?

I was also disappointed that the cat, Gracie, didn’t appear more throughout the book, and the ending is very unrealistic and predictable.

We know where the book is heading – a reunion of Albert and George. Cain takes a bit too long to get us there.

In conclusion, I did enjoy the plot overall; however, I think that The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle would have been better off as a short story rather than a full-length novel.

*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion. For this book, I practiced immersion reading (listening to the audiobook as well as following along in the text). The audiobook was purchased by yours truly.

This book is just what it says it is. Reading it gave me quite a feeling of deja vu. There is no new ground. A lonely, old guy gets his life upturned and has to make a go of it. It was sweet, if not predicatable.

A lot of folks have compared this book to a Fredrik Bachman book, with specific parallels drawn to A Man Called Ove. While the comparison is not NOT valid, it’s a little off the mark because while Ove is a curmudgeon, Albert is…Albert is almost not present in his life. He goes out of his way to be superficially pleasant to everyone, but extricates himself immediately with a wave and a smile, exclaiming some variation on a theme of “these letters won’t deliver themselves!” But when it comes down to it, Albert is very much alone, a state that he has convinced himself he prefers. He doesn’t want to know people. He doesn’t want friends. He is seemingly content in a very solitary existence. He lives his life like he is almost on the verge of fading out of it, like he is present only in the most literal sense. He is almost a non-person.

Albert is gay, which is a phrase that he has never said out loud. He was raised in a time when being queer led to beatings, incarceration or worse. He was raised by a police officer father, whose cruelty toward Albert and George, the boy that 16-year-old Albert loved, was truly horrific. As Albert reflects on his forced retirement from the Post Office, he comes across a surprising cache of letters from his love, letters seemingly inexplicably saved by Albert’s distant mother.

The letters prompt Albert to make changes in his life, prompt him to try and find George, and along the way, prompt him to try…being friendly. To try to open himself up to the possibility that he might not have to live his entire life alone.

The book is kind, and heartwarming. Albert is not so much afraid of knowing others as he is of being known, and when he is known and seen and loved anyway, the change in him is palpable. Where he feared judgement, there is only acceptance. Where Albert was once alone, he finds an entire community aching to befriend him.

I thought that the book was a little slow, and I found that I could not read it for more than an hour or so at a time, before I was looking for something a little zippier. However, I returned to Albert day over day, because I did come to enjoy our time together. It’s a gentle book, full of hope, full of love. It might not be for everyone—it requires a bit of a commitment, a bit of stick-to-it-iveness. But ultimately I found it to be completely worth it.

And my honest review: I haven't cried for a book in ages. This had me BAWLING SEVERAL TIMES. UNCONTROLABLY SOBBING. Yes, my 14yo dog passed away three months and a half ago, and seeing Albert deal with his kitty's death drew that to the surface again. Yes, I was barely out of high school when I felt I had blown up my chance at my big happy romance story, and Albert sharing his journey made a big impact on me. The last story that shaped me in this way was Evelyn Hugo, and that feels like a long time ago. Yes, I've been looking for stories with queer adult people to feel like my life will not be over at 35, like I still have a shot at being loved, like I will be able to be freely queer somewhere somehow even if that feels impossible now. I have time, I have many many many opportunities ahead of me that I can't even imagine yet, and happinness will find me. I know that now, at 23. It wouldn't have been possible without Abert Entwistle and others like him. I am so honored to have been chosen to be with him throughout this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for access to this arc.

I read the blurb for this book and wanted to try it based on the feeling that I was going to get something a little different from my usual. Here is an older MC – a closeted gay man facing his retirement and wondering about the love he lost 50 years ago. It also had a cat on the cover. It began with a lot of sad stuff, had me tearing up in places but by the end it was almost too perfectly smooth and easy. Sort of a Hallmark Movie in a book.

Albert Entwistle is almost 65 and has lived a quiet life in the small town of Toddington delivering the post for the Royal Mail. He keeps his head down and has ducked away from sharing details of his life with anyone and would be happiest if he could be invisible. It’s just he and his elderly cat Gracie. Then he gets a letter reminding him of the forced retirement at age 65. What will he do then?

As I said, this one starts bleak but gets much happier before eventually becoming full fledged feelgood. It’s like most of all the tough conflict is cleared out early on to smooth the path for the rest of the story. I could feel Albert’s reluctance to interact with most of his colleagues and people on his post route. Albert is a quiet kind of person, as am I, and both of us aren’t the flamboyant ones who garner attention and tell every detail of our lives.

Then Something Happens to Gracie. Albert and I both cried. But I also felt a little cheated. I wanted more Gracie. Something else happens that makes Albert remember his youth and the wonderful young man with whom Albert fell in love before Events tore them apart. This is told in almost a montage format of flashback scenes spaced across the entire book. The joy of Albert’s awakening love life is contrasted with the abhorrence with which society at large (and Albert’s awful parents) still viewed LGBTQIA people and their relationships.

After Albert begins to think about his past and wonders about the “one who got away,” he gradually comes out. Not only about being gay but also out of his social shell. I’ve read that some think Albert is almost childlike in how little he knows about social media or about updating his dress style. Well he knows about these things it’s just that up until this point in his life, he hasn’t been interested. Cut Albert some slack, people.

Most of the story is Albert opening up to friendship and the possibility of finding his lost love. There is very much a “found family” element going on. He comes to rely on a young single mother of Trinidadian heritage as well as an older single woman who are both people on his postal route. As they help him, he also helps them. Very heartwarming, all in all. There is also a degree of formulaic-ness and every stereotyped person possible who needs support is turned into a character and given 10 minutes in the spotlight. Also, parts sort of turn into a manifesto on gay pride (from young George). If I can see the strings being tugged, it takes away a bit of the emotional depth for me.

I enjoy a positive book as much as anyone but by the end, I felt smothered in sugar and sparkles with it only needing a ‘heartfelt chat” between Albert and some other character to clear up long standing issues and give people exactly the boost or idea needed to fix whatever was wrong in their lives. There is a degree of easy sentimentality and the idea that once extremely quiet and reserved Albert decided to come out, all his friends, neighbors, work colleagues, and casual acquaintances would joyfully throw “coming out” parties for him or rush out onto the street to clap him on the back and congratulate him for finally admitting he is gay began to stretch my belief.

But perhaps we need a book in which this happens. It won’t make up for the past but as Albert says, he’s partly continuing his search to find George not only for himself but for all the men who lost their loves or their lives due to prejudice, HIV or having lived when being open and out wasn’t possible. For this I say, fling the glitter and confetti.

Nevertheless, the book needed a bit of editing down as there were points when a bunch of telling took the place of showing. Other scenes included too many details that weren’t exactly needed. Plus the final climax was a touch anticlimactic for me. And I wanted Albert to get another cat. B-

Thank you to Kensington Books, A John Scognamiglio Book, and NetGalley for allowing me read and review this digital ARC of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle.

I love the premise behind this book and that it could serve as a blueprint for queer novels. There is joy, authenticity and so much love. But its not all sunshine and rainbows - while it also touches on the traumatic history of the queer community. 65 yo Albert, a gay recluse, shares his story of second chances, post traumatic healing, and finding a new life at an older age. This book truly is a must read for Pride month!

In three short months Albert will lose his identity and his only connection to the outside world. By then he will have turned sixty-five and will be forced into retirement by the Royal Mail. Albert has been a postman all his life and now he is spiraling unsure of what he will do next. With no family or friends to speak of, no hobbies he enjoys, Albert doesn't know how he will fill his days, afraid of the silence his life will be filled with. After a tragedy, Albert is shaken into reality and realizes that he needs to step outside his comfort zone and slowly allow people in. Albert decides he needs to find George - the love of his life once before he lost him decades ago. Hoping to right the biggest wrong from his past and with the hope that his chance for love is not lost, Albert will need to trust those around him and be braver than he ever has before. There have been a few book characters that I have wanted to jump through pages and wrap my arms around them and Albert Entwistle has now joined that list. Albert's journey will break your heart and fill you up with joy all at once. Matt Cain has written a fictional story that is stuffed to the gills with historical fact giving readers a taste of what it was like to live with discrimination and love being illegal. Every human deserves the right to love freely with the freedom and safety to be who they are. A big thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Book for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Albert is a postman who lives a very insular kind of life, with his cat, Gracie. He doesn't really mix with his co-workers and doesn't interact with his customers either, other than a basic "how do". He has been carrying a big secret for the past 50 years and this has shaped his life.

After several big shocks in a row, Albert decides that life is about living, and he takes some steps to get out of his comfort zone. As a fellow introvert, I really felt for his struggle to open up to others, this is not easy at all.

I really loved the inclusion of Nicole in this story. The fact that Nicole and Albert, very different ages and backgrounds, become family for each other, really warmed my heart. I thought Nicole was terrific and I was cheering her on!

The whole story was about acceptance, what family is all about (whether that is blood family or a family you adopt for yourself) and community.

I got warm and fuzzy vibes from this book. Go, Albert!! :)

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books.

The story of Albert Entwistle is both saddening and heart warming in equal measure. It is truly terrible to think that 2 people in love could be separated for 50years because their love was deemed illegal.

Albert is a lovely character who is learning at 64 to be proud of who he is and to let people into his life. Albert is on a mission to find the love of his life, George. Along the way he meets some lovely people who show him the power of acceptance and help him to accept and learn who he is.

A lovely tale that shows how far we have come and how far we still need to go.

I have been trying to process for days how to write a review for this book; but how do you write a review for perfection? Because that's what this book was in my opinion. There wasn't a single thing I would change. The prose was beautiful and binge-worthy, the story was engrossing, the characters were magnificent and the feels were top-tier. I laughed, I cried, I bubbled over with feelings. This was a huge hug of queer perfection. I cannot recommend this book enough, and it's honestly going to be vying for a top place in my yearly wrap-up for 2022.

What I loved:
- Gracie. Y'all I sobbed. Albert holding her paw. Just UGH. I loved how she was such a catalyst for change in his life.
- Found family. I will alway be a sucker for some found family, and Cain wrote endless amounts in this story. Every chapter Albert's family grew and grew and I ate every last bit of it up.
- Age-gap friendships. I have been privileged enough to have many friendships with older folks and those relationships are so precious. You can learn so much from one another and they can truly be so deep. Albert and Nicole's friendship was everything.
- Second-chance love story. We love a second chance at love, and boy was this a long-game. Fifty years of loving someone, and knowing that it's never too late to find love. On that note...
- It's never too late to accept who you are! While I love that the younger queer community is getting so much representation currently, experiencing stories were older queer folk get to finally come out and accept who they are is SO IMPORTANT.

I could go on and on but I don't want to give too much away. In summation -- read this book. If you do nothing else this year, READ. THIS. BOOK. Endless perfection. My heart is still full and any time I need to feel better about the world, I will think of Albert Entwistle.

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle is a wonderful, heartwarming, and inspirational fiction that kept me turning pages and left me with a smile on my face and a bounce in my step after finishing.

This is such a heartfelt and truly memorable novel. It really brings home the message of acceptance, regret, hope, second chances, and that no time in life is too late to take your life by the reins and make a go of it.

Reading the story of Albert, his life, his regrets, his secret hopes, wishes, and desires….it took me through a full gambit of emotions. I felt my heart go out to him so many times seeing that for so long he had to repress who he was, what he really wanted…sacrificing his happiness for society and what was expected at that time. It was truly heartbreaking.

I found myself cheering him on many times as he finally decides to branch out, go for it, place himself out there on a limb, and risk vulnerability to finally find happiness, make connections, and find true love and happiness.

Finishing this book gave me hope for the future for me, and for us all.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 5/31/22.

The opening chapters of Matt Cain’s The Secret Life of Albert Entwhistle reminded me of something. Or someone. Arthur Dent? Bilbo Baggins at the start of The Hobbit?

Albert Entwhistle is a very lonely, controlled man who did the right things in his life and it hasn’t made him happy, but finally wakes up and does the honest things: coming out; being kind, helpful and friendly; and looking for his old flame.

I’m not sure I am the target audience for the book: a late in life coming out story of a boy from northern England. When I came out back in the last century, there was a happy little flush of coming out stories. Once I stopped being scared of them, I enjoyed a few of them a great deal. But lately, they disappoint and frustrate me. I like to think there’s more to life than the fear and relief of coming out, and our families, friends and coworkers dealing worse and better.

The English working class context reminds me of Beautiful Thing. I remember watching it with feel-good delight. A year or two ago I watched it again, and squirmed with failed suspension of disbelief. So, maybe feel-good pieces aren’t for me?

The book hooked me in a totally unexpected way that I’m sure would puzzle the author. It made me feel like the child of emigrants. We’ve all been practising introducing ourselves as ‘settlers.’ I understand the reasons behind that, and sit on my discomfort with the label. I’m not writing about (de-)colonization today, but I tend to identify with the side of the family that’s been here long enough that the ‘old country’ feels like somebody else’s history.

My father’s mother and grandmother were off the boat from Lancashire. Little tics of language unexpectedly reminded me of sitting on my nan’s knee while she showed me a postcard of Blackpool pier and told me a story I don’t really remember. So I had to admit that Albert’s story could have been mine and kept reading.

I squirmed with discomfort at my own teenage memories of sharing West Side Story with a fellow, neither of us yet ready to admit who and what we are. We didn’t hurt one another, but we weren’t especially kind or supportive either. Remembering trying to get away from a tipsy, too friendly woman. I shared a twinge of the anger expressed by shopkeeper at Albert for dawdling along the road to coming out. And I’m close enough to Albert’s age to ask what will become of me when people forget about my work identity.

I reframed it in my mind as a feel-good film, and, through that lens, it’s very enjoyable. Don’t we all wish we were strong enough to shut down the philistines in our lives? And I’m close enough to Albert’s age to ask what will become of me when people forget about my work identity.

Albert Entwistle is a 64 year old postal carrier, who is being forced to retire at his 65th birthday. He lives alone, is private - hiding his true self, and has no life outside his job. He doesn't know what he is going to do. Through flashbacks, we learn about his relationship with George, the young man he loved as a teenager and has never forgotten or stopped loving. Growing up in a time where homosexuality was illegal, he hid his true self from everyone. He decides to try and find George as well as be open and honest about his life and true self. What happens next is amazing.

I really enjoyed this story. Albert was a character I wanted to reach out to and give a huge hug. I had so many emotions while reading and listening to this story: sadness, anger, happiness and joy. Based on the laws at the time, a father who was a police officer and the opinion of people, Albert gave up the love of his life as well as any happiness. He lived in fear of what others would think long after he has to, based on his upbringing. The only thing he has in his life besides his job is his cat, Gracy. I loved seeing him drop the veil and share his secret with others. Each time someone accepted his news, he changed. His search for George hit many roadblocks, but I was happy he didn't give up. There was also Nicole's story about the hurdles she has of being a single mother, as well as being black. She and Albert became friends and supported as well as encouraged each other to fight for their love. This is a story of discrimination faced by non-heterosexual persons. It shares how important it is to have supportive people in your life (parents, family and friends). There were a lot around, but Albert didn't realize that. It is also a story showing that it is important to be who you are, how hiding will affect your life and being honest.

Read this book!

I don't often start my reviews this way, but here's the thing: I've been in one heck of a reading slump during the worst of the pandemic and this gem of a book got me excited to read again. The endearing main character, Albert, has his set-in-stone routine upended by compulsory retirement. Facing this great change, he starts to reevaluate his life and his choices (and the loneliness that has resulted) - which makes him "wake up" to the people around him, whether that's customers on his mail route, neighbors, or coworkers. I laughed out loud, I cried, but mostly I cheered for Albert and the new life he's out to find.

4.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for allowing me to review an ARC of this book!
It will be published on May 31, 2022

Wow, this book was something else. If you are a fan of character-driven, slow/medium-paced books with lots of different personalities, this one is for you. We follow Albert, a (soon to be retired) post-man who has been in the closet his entire life. When he finds letters from his childhood boyfriend, George, he decides to give love a try and search for him. We meet the people whose lives are touched by Albert's presence and find that being true to yourself is more important than whatever the world tries to make us.

CW: Homophobia and pet death

I really loved this book. I fell in love with Albert's quirks and how he views the world. Every character is unique and brings something special to the world that Cain created. While at times, the prose seemed to drag, the story itself was very heartfelt and truly wonderful.

So often LGBTQ+ literature focuses on teenagers who are discovering who they are. We finally have a story of a man who was forced to hide away for his entire life; who chooses to risk it all for a chance at love.

Pick this up if you love works of Backman and character-driven plots with a scoop of humor and a dash of romance.

A lovely book about a gay man finding his voice and long lost love late in life. Addresses the suppression and difficulties of young gay men 30-40 years ago. A book about community and the wonders of opening yourself up to friendship.

2.5 STARS - I should have liked this book more. It has received rave reviews, but it took me almost halfway through to get into this story about Albert, a closeted, reclusive 65-year-old gay man who is on a journey of self-discovery and decides to find the long-lost love of his life.

The story starts off with a bleak feel but I was sympathetic to Albert whose adult life has revolved around his job as a postal worker. He has no friends, little contact with other people and is a socially naïve quasi-curmudgeon. And while I appreciated Albert's journey and the LGBTQIA+ representation, the story was too slow, awkward, and simplistic. It had a Hallmark movie vibe and felt like it was trying too hard to be sentimental with its overly contrived story that goes from bleak to saccharinely sweet quickly and includes a hodgepodge of tertiary, stereotypical characters.

The story vacillates between predictable and unbelievable. Albert went from isolated grump to finally accepting/loving himself and suddenly becoming this convivial guy whose life now falls into place. He has friends, he's social, there were no blips or speedbumps for Albert, and it just wasn't convincing. Another part that was sweet but not believable was how people reacted to his coming out. Everyone (coworkers, neighbours, strangers) was over-the-top super positive. That is great!! But realistic? Umm, no and more than that, it felt like a missed opportunity for a deeper story line.

I feel like a big old grouch, but this book was a struggle for me. It had good bones but was weak in its execution. It may appeal to readers who like lighter reads and a happily-ever-after story.


Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Kensington Books for my advanced copy which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

I love Albert Entwistle so much, I wish I could give him a giant hug!!

Overall, this book was such an absolute joy to read. It gave me the warm fuzzies over and over again as I watched Albert learn to love himself and slowly reveal his true authentic self to the world. I also love the cast of supporting characters and their unique relationships with one another and Albert.

The themes and messages in the book are so important. “The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle” is heartwarming and inspirational even beyond the main romantic storyline.

But I do have two main points of criticism:

1. While I appreciate the glowing optimism and the warm vibes, there are some points in the book where things are too perfectly shiny and celebratory. It honestly took me out of it for a moment because it just felt so unrealistic.

2. Some character arcs take abrupt turns, which also feels unnatural and pulls me out of the story. There was one point when a character changes their mind so quickly, I first thought what they were saying was sarcasm, not a genuine shift of perspective.

However, those critics are so minor in comparison to everything that I loved about this book.

I would recommend this book to nearly everyone, especially if they are looking for a light, feel-good, queer story.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A gentle, loving read that occasionally needs a tissue. That's The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle. Cain's novel has a deep and well-developed cast of supporting characters, but Albert and his transformation take the show. Now, this is not a fast-paced page-turner, so find another book if that's what floats your boat. But if you love English novels like The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry or Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, I think you'll love this book. The underlying theme centers around a 64-year-old gay man finally reckoning with who he is. The back story is essential history as it takes the reader through the oppression and persecution of gay men from the '60s up into the 90s. Many younger people (and older straight people) may be surprised at what they learn. Make sure to read the interviews of real older gay men at the back of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.