A really heartwarming book! I have enjoyed Paul Rudnick's writing since the days he wrote as Libby Gelman-Waxner for Premiere magazine--those columns were hilarious. In What is Wrong with You, his trademark wit is front and center, almost to a fault, as there were a lot of one-liners that didn't necessarily add to the story. That being said, I really enjoyed this book--Rudnick did a wonderful job of introducing them and building up their stories so that we were really invested in how things turned out. Everyone comes together at a lavish wedding on a private island, where hilarity (and more) ensues. The book explores what it means to love someone in all the different ways that love exists, without being sentimental or cloying. Although I'm not expecting a sequel, I would love to see where these characters are in 10 years!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What is wrong with this? Well, no plot.

I wish I was joking. There wasn't any plot until 2/3 of the way in. There were just convoluted, run-on character descriptions. Maybe that's fine for some readers, but I went into this book enamored with the blurb. It promised wedding shenanigans, but the shenanigans didn't shegan until 67% of the way in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

An in depth portrayal of multiple nuanced queer characters. The style of writing feels very distant yet close at the same time, while also maintaining a somewhat humorous air, despite the characters many flaws and disagreements. I liked it, but felt lost sometimes in the weeds of the ensemble cast. I think many will enjoy this.

This was a delight, equal parts sassy and heartwarming. There are many characters and, love them or hate them, it was entertaining to follow their journeys either way. Everyone is somehow headed to a private island to attend the lavish wedding between a tech billionaire and former flight attendant. When they arrive, will Rob, Sean, Tremble, Paolo, Trone, Linda, and Isabelle find what they are looking for?

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Linda and Sean should have been soul mates. The problem is that Linda could never totally allow herself to trust the relationship. Therefore, she plans for failure and infidelity and thereby is never disappointed.

Gay love has all of the pitfalls of heterosexual love. The evolving question is: Can any human relationship be relied upon 100%? Would a gay partner be any less inclined to be faithful to someone who is terminally ill?

These and other questions are the essence of this tome. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the trials this author illuminates. So many threads in the storyline, so much conflict, so many stories. The writing style is compelling.

The ending of the tale turns out funny and rewarding yet tragic at the same time. And everyone will see it differently. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

I love Paul Rudnick's writing - it is very fast, very funny, very clever about pop culture, and very, very gay.

Whether in movies (Sister Act, Jeffrey) or novels (Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style) his writing always entertains me.

In Rudnick’s new novel, What Is Wrong With You, a bunch of loosely connected very colourful characters go to a super elite destination wedding on a private island where the world’s richest tech bro (think Zuckerberg with Elon money) is marrying a divorced flight attendant while also launching his top secret new high tech gadget.

Among the guests are our two lead characters, Sean, the bride’s cheating ex husband, a former D-list actor now working as a personal trainer, and Rob, his gay BFF, a just fired book editor who is mourning his recently deceased husband.

Among the guests are also the editor who fired Rob, a gay dentist hiding out from a psycho fling, and an author whose book he was editing; What there is in terms of plot is about Sean still being in love with his ex, and trying to win her back at her wedding, Sort of. It gets more convoluted…. Just go with it.

There is tons of catty humour back and forth, plus touching tangents on divorce, assisted suicide, online dating, and tech billionaires being weirdos.

What is the answer to the title, What Is Wrong With You? There is plenty wrong with all of them, and it’s occasionally sweet and always funny as hell.

A smart, fun read.

Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book. It publishes March 25, 2025.

This novel brings together an unlikely collection of people, each, in their own way, figuring out what comes next in their lives: A book editor who lost his husband and is struggling with navigating a changing workplace. His trainer, who formerly stared on a cult classic television show. The trainer’s ex-wife, a former flight attendant who is about to marry a tech billionaire. An unlikely author who is not sure her book will ever be published, and an editor intent on changing publishing. And a dentist who has a fraught relationship with another dentist.

All of these different characters converge on a private island off the coast of Maine where the billionaire is about to get married, and at the same time unveil a new technology that he is sure will change the world. But nothing seems to be going according to plan … and that just may be what each of them needs.

This is a funny and frequently insightful book. It explores interesting and timely themes around aging, grief, and love. As it shifts among the perspectives of the different characters, I appreciated how nuanced and complex each of them are — and how they navigated the challenges, whether it was death of a loved one or a difficult co-worker or finding true love, that so many face.

Highly recommended!

I shouldn't have enjoyed this one as much as I did for the amount of characters involved, but since the cover did such an amazing job of portraying the contents, I knew what I was signing up for and ended up liking this one. The writing style was not my favorite, but I will likely end up purchasing this one in stores and cherishing it. This is a genuinely funny book that reads like a rollercoaster with a ton of turns. It's very very fun!

Thank you for allowing me to read this in advance of its publication! This was such a treat to be able to enjoy. I look forward to getting it once I see it in stores. Totally recommend for those who enjoy funny banter and silly books that make you giggle.

I received a free copy of this book. This is my honest review I am voluntarily leaving.

This book had a lot going on. There were a lot of characters, and the point of view jumped around a lot. Some of the chapter headings were confusing and I wasn’t quite sure who was talking, but shockingly it worked for me. I did spend half the time wondering what was going on and how the book worked, but it did just work. There was so much going on, it was easy to find something about the story that worked. I would say that it was really well written because it felt like a mess, but it really was a beautiful piece of art that was fun to read. There is a lot of melodrama, and that made it a lot of fun. I do with some things that would have been tighter, but like I said, it did work and it was fun.

If you’re looking for a book that’s a little different in a fun way, then check this one out.

This book made me laugh out loud. Some of the jokes felt forced or juvenile, but the vast majority of them were simply funny. The characters had the potential to simply be two-dimensional, but they weren't. What Is Wrong With You sucked me in with its light tone and frenetic pace, but ended up being quite a bit deeper than its appearance. Which, I suppose, was also true of its characters. I really loved Sean. I need a Sean in my life.

Paul Rudnick has an amazing imagination matched with a wicked sense of humor. He's also got incredible story telling skills. What Is Wrong With You? doesn't disappoint. Rudnick combines that sense of humor with a crazy story about the convergence of characters onto a billionaire's island for a wedding and product launch. In-between, there's poignant writing about relationships, love, loss, and NYC.

Witty and sharp, What Is Wrong with You? offers a quirky mix of humor and heart that keeps the pages turning. The story balances eccentric characters with moments of surprising depth, making it both entertaining and unexpectedly touching.

DNF at about 25% the story unfortunately didn’t pull
Me in and I found myself skipping entire passages to have the story move forward

i realized a little too late that i definitely wasn't the target audience for this book. the writing is fine and the premise is interesting, but definitely not something i normally pick up once i started to read it.

i'd call this book a beach read for gay people. if you like messy gay melodrama, i would recommend it. not my personal cup of tea but definitely not a bad or poorly written book by any means

Interesting book about a couple of people all coming to a wedding. There is writer, actor, editor and a billionaire. There is some romance and loved the different point of views. I liked seeing what happened at the wedding and what happened after. Overall an okay story.

This is an entertaining, funny, and a little bit messy book! It has a lot going on, soooo many characters coming together for this destination wedding of a billionaire. It does become hard to follow with so many characters in this book. For me it was hard to keep track of everyone and it made me confused. Other than that, I enjoyed the writing and it was a fun read
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Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!