Graham Patterson’s life has hit a dead end. His career as a comedian is failing. The love of his life recently broke up with him and he literally has no idea what to do next. With nothing to lose, he buys a new car and hits the road, planning to drive across country and hopefully figure out his next moves before reaching California.

But along the way Patterson does something his old self would never have even considered: he gets tattooed by a brilliant tattoo artist in North Carolina. The decision sets off a series of extraordinary events that changes his life forever in ways he never could have imagined. Among other things, Patterson is gifted with the ability to see in real time three different lives that are available to him. The choice is his: The life he is leading right now, or two very different ones. In all of them there is love or fame and of course danger because once he has chosen, there is no telling what will happen next.

Mr. Breakfast is a dazzling, absorbing and deeply moving novel about the choices that we have to confront and face, confirming Jonathan Carroll’s status as one of our greatest and most imaginative





Thank you NetGalley for this arc. sadly I didn’t love this

When I first heard the title of this book (without knowing anything about the synopsis) I did wonder who, or what, Mr. Breakfast was going to be. Then, the synopsis hooked me. I love road trip plots. I have reviewed different books with alternate future subplots, and this is by far the best so far because of how natural this subplot is.

I liked the way that Graham was so decisive about things: buying the car, getting a tattoo. For me, every setting is so visual: the car, the tattoo parlor, and the tattoo itself.

I did like Anna Mae and she was welcoming, honest and talkative. Her mother, Mrs. Collins, was kind and hospitable. I liked the way she accepted her scars and disfigured hand. I liked the heart to heart between him and Anna Mae. It was heartfelt. I felt for Graham after his divorce.

Every character is excellently portrayed. Steve had interesting suggestions for Graham's life, and seemed a good friend.

Mr. Breakfast is gripping, poignant, honest and realistic, yet sometimes surprising and unsettling. However, when it's surprising and unsettling, it's also clever.

I loved it. I was eager to know what was going to happen, and there were plenty of twists. They were all expertly written into the book.

5 stars.

I thought Scott Merriman was an excellent narrator. His reading and the writing style made this a very relaxing audiobook. I definitely want to find more books by Jonathan Carroll after this, it's iconic.

Thanks to Jonathan Carroll and Brilliance audio for my audiobook in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

This was my first Jonathan Carroll novel - and it won’t be my last! Mr. Breakfast is a trippy, time-bending story of a would-be comedian who decides on a whim to get a tattoo. The unique tattoo he selects has special properties that enable him to choose one of three life paths. It’s a wild ride! I don’t want to explain more and risk spoiling the story. If you enjoy time travel, alternate realities, choose-your-own adventures, etc., give this book a try!
Originally published years ago, I believe this is part of a project to reissue some of his works as audiobooks. Since that’s my preferred way to consume books, it’s no surprise I had not “read” Carroll’s works. So happy they will now be in audio format. This audio book is well narrated and very interesting. Give it a try!
My thanks to the author, publisher, @BrillianceAudio, and #NetGalley for access to the new audiobook of #MrBreakfast for review purposes.

A deeper and more in-depth exploration of It's a Wonderful Life, less focused on how important a person is and more about the choices we make and the sacrifices we're willing to make to have the lives we want (and if we actually want those lives in the first place). Definitely made me think of what my other two lives might look like.

Mr. Breakfast has an awesome premise, with some parts having that Twilight Zone or Black Mirror vibe. While the book was great overall, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Some moments were just okay, and I was hoping for a 5-star experience but got more of a solid 4-star read. I'm still excited to dive into more of Carroll’s work in the future!

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the chance to listen to this title in exchange for my honest review.