I am a straight, conservative, white Southerner, so I am fairly certain that R. Eric Thomas did not envision me as part of his intended audience when he wrote Congratulations, The Best Is Over! However, when Anne Bogel recommended this book of essays in her Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide, I requested and received an ARC from the publisher and discovered that Thomas is very funny, at times laugh-out-loud and insist-on-reading-to-my-husband so, as in this passage about a visit to his childhood church:

<blockquote>But enough people approached me like a total stranger that I was like, "Is this shade?" I would have respected that. But no; they really didn’t know who I was! I would tell them, "It’s me! Eric! Standing here next to my parents, whom I resemble, and my brother, also in the same genetic neighborhood." And their eyes would widen and their mouths would fall open and they’d say, "Eric?! I didn’t even recognize you!'</blockquote>

As funny as he is, though, Thomas's true strength in this collection, and the element which bridged all of our disparate demographics, is the way in which his love for his husband David shines through, whether they are trying to outrun hypothermia on their engagement hike (in "You Said Outside, but You Ain't That Outside"); "shout-enunciating" at each other in the midst of a medical emergency (in "Oh My, This Soup's Delicious, Isn't It?"); making the dreaded move to the suburbs, with its screaming foxes requiring exorcism (in the titular essay); or negotiating different perspectives on household furnishings (in "This Is Wudder"):

<blockquote>After David and I moved in together, the question that always arose in our house was, "Is this clutter or is this a treasured personal artifact that Eric is heartlessly trying to donate to Goodwill?"</blockquote>

(By the way, Eric, honey, after almost 40 years with my husband, I can tell you that will ALWAYS be the question.)

I do want to be brutally honest with my fellow readers (because, after all, isn't that the purpose of a review?). Some of Thomas's descriptions of his life experiences as a gay black male in America made me uncomfortable, so if you are looking for 100% fun and fluff, this may not be the book for you. On the other hand, if you can take a little poking at yourself and your fellow white suburbanites in exchange for the opportunity to read a collection of warm-hearted and humorous slices of life, I encourage you to grab a couple of your favorite cupcakes and sit down with Congratulations, The Best Is Over! And don't forget to read the Acknowledgments; you won't want to miss the after-party.

I received a free copy of Congratulations, The Best Is Over! through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fun, Quirky but also, there were some essays quite thought-provoking. I enjoyed them and still think about a few of them daily.

Another enjoyable essay collection from R. Eric Thomas. This one felt a bit more serious than his first, perhaps because it focuses quite a bit on adjusting to life in the early stages of the pandemic, the struggles of making friends as an adult, and loss. Because of all that, it didn’t feel as funny to me as Here For It, but there were highly relatable moments.

R. Eric Thomas does it again! Congratulations, The Best Is Over was a fantastic read. I love the way the author can make me laugh out loud one minute, then have me reaching for a tissue in the next. His stories are always heartfelt and sincere with a splash of pop culture. I am a huge fan of Eric’s previous books and this did not disappoint. I will absolutely be recommending this to friends!

This author can make you laugh out loud and tear up in the same essay. It’s similar to his first book in that it is essays from his life. I really appreciated his letting us into his life with his husband, new house with a large yard (shout-out to the gay amphibian bar!), and living through the pandemic. He seems like such a fun, insightful individual and after reading his book feels like a friend.

It is an undeniable fact that elder millennials are the absolute best! I was not familiar with the author's other work in Elle and previous books but I will certainly be looking them up!
I life experiences as a "city mouse" and a black, gay man in an interracial marriage are very different from mine. I found his stories very relatable and enjoyable. I enjoyed him revisiting the COVID lockdown and BLM protests at this time. I currently get very confused about what happened when during 2020 and 2021 and with the current distance from those events, it was satisfying to revisit my memories and read his perspective.
I am a "country mouse" through and through so I really enjoyed the sections where he becomes a Home Depot frequent shopper and frog assassin!

⚠️ Content: mild language, laceration incident involving copious blood loss and stitches, discussion of mental illness

🏳️‍🌈 Representation: author (and his husband) are gay, many of their friends are as well. There is discussion of some people that are in same-same relationships (white on white!) :)

🎁 Gift to: anyone that loves Baltimore City and Presbyterian ministers? I think it's helpful for anyone that hasn't fully reconciled the events of 2020-2022 such as COVID, Black deaths and subsequent protests, Jan 6 terrorist attack at the Capitol. Also, folks that have moved to the suburbs and enjoy lawn care trials and tribulations would enjoy this read.

You had me at the cupcake on the cover. This book is very hilarious and relatable. Look forward to more of his stories.

How PRESSED was I about getting an advance copy of this book? Baby, I was SUPER PRESSED. PANINI PRESSED. SILK PRESSED. Thank you to the very kind people at Random House and NetGalley for indulging me because this is and forever will be a R. Eric Thomas stan account.

His brand of story-telling is my kind of carrying on. It's the way that he has you completely wrapped up in whatever it is he's talking about to the point where it feels like you've just dove headfirst into the shenanigans. His writing is funny as hell. His pop culture references remind me of when rappers ad-lib on tracks. I'm HERE FOR IT. So fun! Y'all know when Meg be like "real hot girl sh*t", you immediately stick your tongue out to go "ahhhh" with her? That was me while reading these essays. I feel like I was kicking it with a friend.

Thomas takes you on a journey using his signature wit and humor. His relatable anecdotes and introspective musings tap into the universal fear of missed opportunities, unfulfilled dreams, and the swift passage of time. This sentiment can leave you feeling as if the exciting moments of the past are forever in your rearview. Through his personal stories and reflections, Thomas captures this emotional state with authenticity, allowing you to connect with your own feelings of nostalgia and longing.

However, despite delving into these heavier topics, Thomas still keeps a lightheartedness and humor take on the rollercoaster of emotions that come with getting older. He reminds us not to take the present for granted and to find joy in the everyday moments. It's easy to feel like "the best is over", but in reality, I feel like the best is happening every day.

P.S. - The acknowledgements are like a Marvel movie easter egg. Read them. Trust me.

I was not sure what to expect from this book at all, but it was recommended in a Summer reading guide by Modern Mrs. Darcy, so I happily requested. What a treat it was! The author, a black, gay man married to a pastor writes about many topics, including the making of cupcakes, the love/hate/hate one can have with a hometown, realizing the Middle is impending, and finding a place as the first husband at his husband’s church.

Overall I enjoyed this surprising and delightful read. I recommend it as a switch up from frothy summer novels. Many thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Random House for making this book available in exchange for an honest review.

R. Eric Thomas is a bestselling author, whose previous books have been critically acclaimed. Thomas follows a short essay writing style, which makes his books easy to read. In "Congratulations, The Best Is Over!", Thomas uses his trademark humor and transparency to share about his life. These essays center around his long-term relationship (and hilarious proposal on a mountaintop!) to homeownership and moving back home to Baltimore.

This was a quick, fun book to read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Once again, R. Eric Thomas has written an essay collection that draws me in with his humorous take on everyday life, then gently cracks my heart open bit by bit with his kindness and joy. I only wish I'd been able to hear him tell these stories and share these thoughts.

Many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for a free e-copy for review.

I wasn’t aware of R Eric Thomas before I picked up this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect. A general consensus of everyday occurrences can be entertaining in the right hands and his are great!

I really enjoyed this follow-up essay collection from R. Eric Thomas. While it did not hit me in quite the same way as Here For It in 2020, it was a great read in its own way. Following Thomas navigating through a move, house-buying, losing family members, and seeking friends, it is definitely relatable for millennial readers, particularly those of us also living in Maryland.

I enjoyed almost every essay in this collection, though I did feel like the book read more as straight memoir than essays, as they seemed to be in chronological order, with one feeding into the next. I think audio is probably also the way to go with these, as it really added to my experience with Here For It.

Overall, very funny essay collection, and definitely worth the read!

If the measure of a book's success is how many times I laugh out loud when reading it, then this one is an instant star. I squealed when I found out R. Eric Thomas was releasing a new book, squealed when I got approved for the ARC, and chuckled regularly throughout the entire thing. But it wasn't all giggles; there was just enough sincerity and earnestness to pull on my heartstrings, too. I want to be best friends with Eric, and this book felt like catching up with a hilarious loved one over a cup of coffee. Definitely recommend!

Midlife crises are hard enough, but throw in a global pandemic and it becomes a whole other beast. In these essays, at turns hilarious, heartwarming, and eye-opening, R. Eric Thomas shares his mental health struggles in recent years and how he found a path forward that feels something like hope.

I'm still regularly recommending Here For It because I adored it so much, so I was obviously thrilled to read a new essay collection by R. Eric Thomas. And it did not disappoint! I laughed out loud in every chapter. But I was also moved by Thomas' open-hearted and joyful approach to these essays, even those on difficult topics. This is the kind of book we need in 2023: funny, genuine, and unafraid of broaching complicated social and personal issues. (Also, so many musical theater jokes! We love to see it!)

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

So many hilarious essays! I particularly love reading about how people have handled the pandemic, and in this case, Eric and his partner ended up buying a house in the suburbs during this time. I loved reading about their transition to living there versus the city. From gardening, digging, planting, dealing with neighbors, driving in the dark and so much more.

Honestly, I read this because I was baffled that a man who said he grew up in Baltimore could get so much wrong about the city and state of Maryland in his last book.

In this one he admits he has no sense of Maryland geography, unsurprisingly, but he also seems to have zero interest in learning it.

Frankly I still find him baffling. He writes about about himself, his husband, his parents, Baltimore, the outer suburbs he moves, his lack of friends, his inability to make friends, how no one wants to come to get togethers he throws but with such little introspection it’s like he’s writing a really flat novel, not about his own life.

There is no sense of depth or urgency or thought behind anything that happens. He briefly reflects on choosing an apartment that advertises itself as being removed from Baltimore while still being in Baltimore but only on the most surface way. He decides to move to a part of Maryland that is extremely conservative which seems like an odd choice for a Black man in an interracial relationship with a Presbyterian minister but only briefly mentions that fact and does not really share why they decided to move there anyway. It didn’t seem close to where his husband worked either.


I read this whole book and have no idea who this man is or why he made the choices he did. I know he really does not seem to like Baltimore or Maryland and only under duress moved back but not really why he doesn’t like it. He talks about how his parents live near where they filmed The Wire but so does basically anyone living in Baltimore. What is where his parents live like? Why do they live there? He talks about going to the reunion of his fancy private school and they gave him a name tag with someone else’s face on it but it was a very superficial story. Why is he sharing it? Is it supposed to illuminate something about his life?

He spends more time talking about tapas than anything personal. I feel like there are parts that are supposed to be funny but I couldn’t find them.

I’m perplexed he has made a habit of writing memoirs/personal essays. This felt flat and unfinished. It didn’t even feel like a book about a real person, much less someone writing about themselves.

Fantastic as always from this author. So smart and funny too! I'd happily reread this or gift it to another person.

These essays are fantastic to read. They made me stop and think about my own life and experiences. Thomas writes very well and is entertaining. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars!