I’m not sure what I was expecting when I started this book. Probably something light and feel-good, based on the breezy, bright cover. And it is, but it was also more emotional than I expected. GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick, AKA Guncle Patrick) is a semi-retired actor (not officially retired but also not choosing to work) living a somewhat isolated life when he is abruptly thrust into the caretaker role for his niece Maisie and nephew Grant after their mother dies and their father enters rehab.
This is a funny book. Patrick is quick with the quips and “guncle rules” for his niblings, ranging from amusing (“If a gay man hands you his phone, look only at what he’s showing you”) to important (“In this house we wear what we want, it doesn’t matter if it’s for boys or girls”). But there is also a lot of grief within these pages. Patrick had been close friends with Maisie and Grant’s mom Sara before she even met his brother. The kids are grieving and he is grieving, and because he is not a man who is in touch with his emotions, he also never fully grieved the death of his partner several years before.
Steven Rowley hits a lot of tonal beats—funny, sad, sexy, poignant—and it never feels jarring. This is what grief is for a lot of people. It’s not sadness 24/7. There can still be plenty of moments of joy and lightness. Patrick struggles with the less pleasant emotions, like sadness. He recognizes it in himself and the kids and tries to help them through it, but he is limited by his own discomfort with some emotions. The summer with the kids is a growth experience for both them and Patrick.
I really enjoyed this book. You will find some gay stereotypes in it, but they’re easy to take in the way they’re meant because the author is in a same-gender relationship, and frankly, it adds to the humor and never feels judging or mean. There’s a sequel that I look forward to reading eventually.