Member Reviews

Struggling writer David wakes to find his latest Grindr paramour lying dead beside him. He calls, not the police, but his literary agent, a woman in her sixties, for help. What results is a "Weekend at Bernie's" scheme of those two lugging a "drunken" corpse around Manhattan, attempting to get him back to his room at the Plaza. This implausible scenario went on WAY too long, and bugged the hell out of me. And, then . . .well, let's just say that the rest of the book DID NOT make up for this early gaffe.

This is billed as a mystery, but the only thing I found mystifying is why this was ever published.

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David Alvarez is on a downward turn. His first novel did well, earning him a six-figure contract and lots of good publicity. He had a great apartment in New York City and a boyfriend who loved him. But his second novel didn’t do so well. His earnings stopped. Jeremy broke up with him. David had to move into a studio apartment, where he tried to think up a third novel and drank too much. His publisher wasn’t interested in his latest work. And his agent is thinking of retiring.

As David’s bank account dwindles down to its last few thousand dollars, most of which he needs for rent, he feels even more desperate. He can’t focus enough to write. So he decides to hit the dating apps. His last experience through the app was not worth writing home about, but this time David gets a response from a good looking man wanting to meet him at the Plaza for a drink. The man introduces himself as Robert, and as they drink champagne and bar hop, David starts to think that they may have a future. This man is a really good match for him, smart and sophisticated. They end the night back at David’s apartment, and David finds that Robert is still there the next morning.

But there’s a problem. Robert is still there, but he’s no longer breathing. David doesn’t know what to do next. He thinks through all the people he could potentially call to help him. He realizes that the only person still in his corner is his agent, Stacey. So that’s who he calls. They debate whether to call the police or not and finally decide to take him back to his room at the Plaza. That fateful decision changed everything.

They successfully take care of the problem, and David takes the opportunity to turn the experience into his next novel. But while the police close their investigation and move on, there is someone else who seems to have David in their sights. Will this new novel be his new breakthrough bestseller, or will it just break him?

I Might Be in Trouble is a dark thriller with humorous overtones from author Daniel Aleman. It’s partly an honest look at the challenges that full-time writers face in their careers and partly crime caper, with plenty of soul-searching and bad decisions.

I enjoyed the story of this novel, but I did want it to be more light-hearted overall. David had a lot of childhood issues that brought shadows of pain and struggle into the story. There isn’t anything wrong with that, of course, but I felt like it was sold to me as a dark comedy, which I love, and while this definitely had the darkness, I thought it lacked that irony that could have brought more comedy. For me, it was mostly just dark. I still enjoyed it. I just didn’t quite love it as much as I’d hoped.

Egalleys for I Might Be in Trouble were provided by Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley, with many thanks.

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Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this free copy for review. This was a fantastic and fast read as struggling writer, David, meets someone on a dating app, has a great date and fun night with him and in the morning, he wakes up to a dead body. Hilarity ensures as David, along with his literary agent, Stacey, try to decide what to do with the body so he doesn’t get charged with murder while using this to write a bestselling story to salvage his career. David finds out more about who his date really was while he also tries to figure out his own life.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing company for this Advanced Readers Copy of I Might Be In Trouble by Daniel Aleman!

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Weekend at Bernie's knockoff with ridiculous situations and characters making the stupidest choices possible. Just not the book for me.

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I really really enjoyed this! What a witty, funny read. I found myself wanting to scream at the pages several times, especially in the beginning at poor David and his awful plan. SO much could've been avoided by better decision-making, but then we'd never have so much to root for!

I genuinely had so much compassion for these two cooky MC's. Their friendship and character development was so genuine and authentic, they were easy to want to succeed. There were so many times reading I did not know how we were going to make it through this experience, and yet, we persevered with resilience.

Can't wait to see what's next for Daniel Aleman! Would happily read whatever is next.

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Thank you Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of I Might Be In Trouble! All opinions in this review are my own.

Much like Weekend at Bernie's, the first part if I Might Be In Trouble is full of dark humor and chaotic misadventures. While it does take Part 2 a little while to connect to the events in Part 1, it is worth it. I didn't love the ending, but I do recognize that the situation makes it difficult to have a satisfying ending.

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Couldn't really get into the story much. Looking at the other reviews, it was a me problem, but that's OK.

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A dark comedy about an author whose career is in the toilet but thinks he might have a story that will bring him back to the top of the charts, only to wake up after a raucous night to find his date dead in his bed. What ensues sometimes causes the reader to leave common sense behind and jump on the farcical, even preposterous, bandwagon. But dark hilarity is my cup of tea. Think of this as a dark, queer Finlay Donovan.

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A stressful and sort of meta dark comedy about "hiding" a dead body with your work bestie. This got pretty stressful, especially in part two after the deed was done, but it was funny and intriguing the whole way through. I listened in one day, and I always wanted to keep going to know what over-the-top thing might happen next. I'll definitely continue picking up Aleman's books, whether adult or YA.

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David is a published author. When he was only twenty-four his first book was a best seller. Not so much his second one. So, there’s a lot riding on his current project. And, it’s not going well. Then things go from bad to worse when he wakes up one morning, finds a dead body in his bed, and has no idea what happened. He calls upon Stacey, his literary agent, to figure out how to keep his career from completely going off the rails.

I Might Be in Trouble has a quirky premise, with promises of dark comedy and humor. But, for me, this wasn’t the case and I didn’t find much humor in the story. Instead, the book is about David’s reflections and self-examinations as he tries to analyze his past relationships, why the love of his life left him, and his conflicting feelings for his father and his second wife. For a young man still in his twenties, I found David to be quite mature in many ways, with a desire to truly understand his life. There were parts of this book that were very thought-provoking and insightful.

With that said, I also found this book to be quite slow and sometimes even boring. It wasn’t until the final 25% that it seemed to pick up the pace a bit and became a little more interesting. Mr Aleman is a talented writer but, overall, this book wasn’t as enjoyable as I had hoped it would be. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

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I might be in trouble was a sharp witty read from Daniel Aleman. It was the perfect mix of a dark comedy with a thriller, and I enjoyed reading it all the way through. I’m looking forward to reading more works by this author.

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Huh. This one was not quite what I was expecting based on the blurb. Didn’t read satire to me. More zany premise with some less zany underpinnings. Not a favorite for me didn’t quite know what it wanted to be.

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Omg was this fun. I loved books centered around novelists and the publishing industry. Add some murder into that and you've got yourself a perfect book! The agent character was great. This book was fun and thrilling and filled with hijinks reminiscent of Finley Donovan. Highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a good time. I finished this book in a day because I couldn't put it down. Can't wait to read more from this author.

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I think there was a bit of a misalignment between what I thought this book was (a sort of madcap adventure where two friends turn some bad luck into inspiration) and what it actually is (more of an introspective meditation on success and creating art with stressful felonies on top). This probably dampened my overall enjoyment since I went in looking for something light and got something much heavier and serious instead.

This is all to say that this wasn't the right book for me at the time, but I think it will work for anyone looking for a protagonist to cheer on after they make some truly bad decisions.

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The novel follows David Alvarez, a once-successful writer whose debut novel was a hit, but his second book flopped. Now struggling with loneliness and financial pressure, David seeks inspiration for his third manuscript. After a night out with a stranger he met on a dating app, David wakes up to find his date dead beside him. Panicked and confused, he turns to his literary agent, Stacey, for help. Together, they navigate the aftermath of the night's events, attempting to cover their tracks while considering how this misadventure could become David's next big story.

This is a twisty, darkly humorous ride that kept me hooked from start to finish. The friendship between Sheila and David was a standout, providing plenty of laughs amid the chaos. I was on the edge of my seat during the scenes where they were dragging a dead body across NYC—it was equal parts nerve-wracking and hilarious! The story wraps up beautifully, and I’m still rooting for a future between David and Jeremy. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves sharp humor and unexpected twists.

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I have recommended this to friends but I wasn't the biggest fan, mostly due to the sex. I don't care that it was gay sex, I don't want to read about ANY sex in books.

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I Might Be in Trouble by Daniel Aleman is a hilarious and wild ride from start to finish. The story follows David Alvarez, a struggling writer who went from being super successful to completely stuck after his second book flopped. Things get crazy when he has a one-night stand with a guy he meets on a dating app, only to wake up and find the guy dead in his bed. David freaks out and calls his agent, Stacey, to help cover up the mess. As they try to figure out what happened, David also tries to come up with a great idea for his next book. The book mixes comedy, mystery, and drama in a way that makes it really fun to read. David’s panic and the friendship between him and Stacey keep things light and funny, even when the situation is seriously messed up. It’s a quick, entertaining read that’s hard to put down.

Thank you to Daniel Aleman, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Fueled by a hilarious premise and just bursting with hearbreak, I MIGHT BE IN TROUBLE is a deeply successful debut author with a unique POV on modern dating, success, and family.

David Alvarez is somehow both a literary bestseller and, subsequently, a flop by the time he's 30. Now broke, and broken-up with, the young rudderless writer ends up in a chance encounter with the man of his dreams. Only for that man to be dead in his bed the morning after they met. As David learns more about the man who he loved and lost in just 24 hours, he turns to the only confidant he has left--his agent, desperate for him to write another hit. Armed with nothing but gumption and desperation, the two team together to solve the problem of the dead body and, in the process, help David figure out where he must head next if he wants to find love or fame in his writing once more.

No matter how you try and sell this novel, you're bound to underset it: I MIGHT BE IN TROUBLE has the pacing (and some strong plot points) of a thriller, but it's so much more expansive than that genre. It's a thoughtful meditation on how young artists value their success and worth within their art. And, perhaps most successfully, it deeply captures the insecurities of dating and mating, particularly in queer communities. It's wholly funny throughout, though, which makes the ride all the more enjoyable. As Daniel Aleman transitions into writing for adult audiences, he's done something that many aspire to do: He's truly carved his own lane, and it's one that I, and I suspect many of you, will want to ride down with him.

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What an interesting blend of genres this book turned out to be. A literary thriller of sorts, with a lot of heart and humor to boot. I must say, this was an engaging and thoroughly entertaining read from start to finish. I found the main character, David, to be an interesting character to focus on; unlike the protagonists of many of the LGBTQ books I've read in recent years. Though there were many bad decisions made by the characters in this book, each choice led me to become more engaged with the story. A true page-turner.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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