Stand Up Guy – Nina Kaye

Dumped by Instagram post. Not a whiff of a social life. Can it get any worse? After a string of failed relationships - romantic and platonic - Lea’s had enough of watching life happen without her. When she bumps into Shep, a comedian at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in need of accommodation, it feels like destiny. And voilá – Lea now has a lodger and some company. The two get on like a flat on fire, and Lea can’t resist falling for outgoing Shep. But she knows it’s a mistake that will cost her heart – he’s just another guy passing through, after all. And with Shep’s stand-up routine edging him closer to his big break, there’s no way he’ll stick around. Love is no laughing matter as the Fringe draws to a close. Can Lea find the confidence to step up and confess her feelings to Shep? Will he want to stay? A feel-good, heartwarming romance for anyone desperate to break out of their shell and find their true self.

This book contains:

Ghosting
Anxiety attack in public
Manipulative and controlling friend
References to an amicable divorce.

Lea is a quiet, shy and reserved research assistant who wishes she had a more active social life than she does. But doesn’t know how to go about making new friends. On top of that, she’s sick of dating guys who are just after a quick fling and wants to find someone she can spend her life with.

Shep is an aspiring comedian from Ireland hoping to make his big break to avoid the disappointment he’ll feel from his family’s judgement of his career choice. At the time Lea meets him, he’s not feeling his most confident meaning any little thing is ready to set him back and potentially send him home.

Lea stumbles across Shep when his confidence is at an all time low and ready to go home. Instead of letting him give up on his dream, she offers him her spare bedroom. Over the course of the few weeks he has left in Edinburgh, their connection grows, is tested and ultimately faces challenges neither of them expected.

I had such a fun time reading this.

While you expect to laugh given one of the main characters is a comedian, I wasn’t expecting some of the hilariously funny moments that had me cracking up so much I had to pause reading while I got my breathe back. I wrongly assumed the comedic routine would be brushed over, like in a “fade to black as he introduces himself” kinda way.

And yet, it doesn’t!

Well, not exactly. You don’t get the full show and routine obviously. But you do get some moments and portions of his dialogue. Enough that you really get a sense of what the show is and how funny it could be.

While in some ways I can understand how Lea is, there were others that made me really wonder how she’s managed to survive as long as she has. I’m also quite anti-social, shy and struggle to talk to new people. And yet, I’ve still managed to find ways to regularly socialise…

But I guess that’s part of the story. Lea coming out of her shell, making friends and expanding her social circle which was pretty sweet.

Continue to read further down to find out about the author.

Author Bio

Nina Kaye is a contemporary romance author living in Edinburgh. She is author of three other books for Canelo – Take a Moment, One Night in Edinburgh, and Just Like That. She has previously been a contender for the RNA Joan Hessayson Award.