I loved this book so much that I wanted to tell everyone about it. I grew up in California and got the humor right away and I would tell anyone who likes to laugh out loud while reading to please buy this book. It was just a really good,funny,loving,honest and well i can't say enough about it so i will stop now and go home pick it out of my bookcase and read it again(i need a good laugh!).

This is a must for anyone who enjoyed "Friends", "Will and Grace" and those American TV movies on an afternoon. It comes from the same place; the humour and the poignancy are excellently executed.

It's a bit of a wallow, but rewarding for all that. Very much a book of the Aughties.

Doug, Russ and Claire are the lynchpins and the author details their psychological messes in a way that completely endears them to the reader. It is fun to be part of all this.

The surrounding Parker family again match those TV types we all know, but that is not to denigrate, but to praise: Tropper's writing resonates with fellow feeling and that's what makes it all so enjoyable.

This is not a deep novel, probably more sentimental than analytical. That's a plus because if that's the sort of book you feel like reading, you're in for a treat.

I knew from the first page that I was going to like this book. It is extremely readable, very funny yet very poignant in places and the characterisation is excellent. I particularly loved Doug's dad - hard to say why he was so great without giving too much of the plot away though. Highly recommended.

I could not find the depth in this book that others appear to have uncovered.
It is a potentially good story line but I did not develop any empathy for the characters as they were drawn quite thinly with highly predictable outcomes. There were a few set pieces that worked well and amused at times but as a whole I should imagine most people will forget the book within hours of finishing it. No bad thing in itself as for the most part many of us read to be entertained and it fundamentally achieves that.

This book I really enjoyed. The story Of Doug coming to terms with the loss of his wife, his stepson who is very mixed up, and how Doug tries to move forward, sad, and very funny at times. A sensitive subject to write about. Caz