Description

‘Funny – of course it’s funny – but also smart, insightful and sincere about heartbreak’ DAVID NICHOLLS, author of ONE DAY

‘This is the greatest. You’ll cry and laugh. I read it though the night. And I never, ever avoid sleep’ CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN

‘I award it 13/10 on my QWJ scale (stands for Queasy With Jealousy that I didn’t write it)’ MARIAN KEYES

—

Every relationship has one beginning.
This one has two endings.

Andy loves Jen. Jen loved Andy.
And he can’t work out why she stopped.

Now he is. . .
1. Without a home
2. Waiting for his stand-up career to take off
3. Wondering why everyone else around him seems to have grown up while he wasn’t looking

Set adrift on the sea of heartbreak at a time when everything he thought he knew about women, and flat-sharing, and his friendships has transformed beyond recognition, Andy clings to the idea of solving the puzzle of their broken relationship. Because if he can find the answer to that, then maybe Jen can find her way back to him.

Andy still has a lot to learn, not least his ex-girlfriend’s side of the story.

From the bestselling author of Ghosts and Everything I Know About Love: a sharply funny, beautifully observed and exquisitely relatable story of heartbreak and friendship, and how to survive both.

‘The most book-based fun I had this year … It’s the most I’ve laughed while reading about heartbreak since Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity. A complete delight’ The Sunday Times, Critics’ favourite books of the year

Sunday Times bestseller, November 2023

Publisher Review

Leaves you heartsore but happier. Irresistible * Richard E. Grant * Have you ever wondered what a lost love was thinking? In this ingeniously constructed and endlessly amusing novel, Dolly Alderton flips the script on everything we think we know about romantic loss, to bring us an unforgettable character on a deeply relatable downward spiral. Wise and relatable and pee-your-pants funny. I cried by page 5. Dolly Alderton is, quite simply, the bard of modern day love * Lena Dunham * WONDERFUL … Shot through with Dolly’s characteristic emotional intelligence … Very funny … Such a pleasure to read. I devoured it … I award it 13/10 on my QWJ scale (stands for Queasy With Jealousy that I didn’t write it) * Marian Keyes * This is the greatest. You’ll cry and laugh. I read it through the night. And I never, ever avoid sleep * Claudia Winkleman * Made me laugh while punching me in the gut. Loved this book * Aisling Bea * Dolly Alderton just gets better and better. Good Material is both heartbreaking and hilarious with an ending that has you holding your breath. With the wit of Nick Hornby and the emotional scalpel of Nora Ephron, Alderton is one of our greats and this is sure to be an absolute classic * Emma Gannon * A funny, tender novel about human relationships. By turns, laugh-out-loud, eye-roll relatable, and ‘stop you in your tracks’ heart-wrench. A thoroughly modern romantic masterpiece. * Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina * The bestselling author brings her warmth, emotional intelligence and wry observation to bear on her second novel … Refreshing * The Bookseller, Editor’s Choice * Witty, touching without ever being sentimental, hugely enjoyable * David Nicholls, praise for Ghosts * An absolute knock-out … Dolly Alderton’s voice feels like your very favourite friend * Taylor Jenkins-Reid, praise for Ghosts * Utter BRILLIANCE. Dolly is such an insightful commentator on love, longing, friendship and emotional landscapes * Marian Keyes, praise for Ghosts * I loved it – Dolly Alderton has clearly mastered every form of writing. Which is a surprise to nobody * Candice Carty-Williams, praise for Ghosts * Dolly Alderton’s talent is phenomenal * Elizabeth Day, praise for Ghosts * Reading Dolly’s writing is like having one of those glorious girls’ nights in, where you drink til the early hours – laughing, venting, and feeling warm and seen * Holly Bourne, praise for Ghosts * Dolly is such a fantastic writer * Jill Mansell, praise for Ghosts *