The Book Boyfriend Addict

He decided right then and there that he needed to be friends with Q-Bert, no matter what it took. Anyone who wrote monster porn and was the leader of a cult where people dressed as salmon and tigers and unicorns definitely could make Josy’s life more interesting.

I can’t believe I didn’t read this book back when I originally read the first book in the series. I loved How to Be a Normal Person so much and I think part of me didn’t think this book could live up to it. But boy was I wrong! This book was fantastic. It could probably technically stand alone but I think for maximum enjoyment you should read both books in order. This story was about Josiah and Quincy but all of my favorite residents of Abby, Oregon are here again and I think you’ll appreciate it even more if you’ve read the first book.

“That’s why I’m apologizing. You were being brave, and I wish I’d seen that.”

“You didn’t know anything about me,” Quincy mumbled. “You couldn’t have known.”

“Maybe. But good people deserve to be treated with respect because everyone goes through things we don’t know about.”

From a very young age, Josiah Erickson has wanted to be an actor. He’s had a bit of success in a few commercials and a background role in a crime drama but he’s still looking for his big break. Then he meets Q-Bert aka Quincy, an anxious bean who is a successful indie novelist and who is looking to make his directorial debut with the screenplay he’s written and it turns out Josy may be perfect for the role. Joey is pumped for the opportunity and for the chance to befriend Quincy after their first time meeting didn’t end so great. Now Josy is on the verge of having his dreams come true, dreams that may have expanded to also finding love.

“My life is pretty great.”

“It’s that simple for you.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

Quincy slowly shook his head. “I—I wish I could see things like you do.”

“But then you wouldn’t see things like you do,” Josy said. “And then there would be two of me and none of you, and that wouldn’t be so good.”

“It wouldn’t?”

“Nope. Because I like you just the way you are.”

Josiah! He was a ball of sunshine and I adored him. Is anxious X sunshine a trope? Because that’s how I would describe this one. Quincy wasn’t grumpy but he did have anxiety and depression that he dealt with every day. He was equal parts delighted and confused by Josiah’s optimism and sunny demeanor. They were so flipping cute together. Josy was demisexual and needed a deeper connection before he experienced sexual attraction so his primary goal was to become friends with Quincy, he wanted that the second they met and it was adorable. Quincy didn’t necessarily understand at first but he was open-minded and was happy with whatever Josy could give him. But, our favorite matchmakers from Abby, Oregon were back at it and helped these two eventually figure out how deep their feelings ran.

“I’m a Rubik’s Cube,” Josy said honestly. “I’m made up of rainbow colors, but they’re all out of order, and you need to spin me around until I start making sense.”

Much like the first book, a big theme here was being true to yourself and not changing to fit others’ expectations. If you do this, you’ll attract the people who will truly care about you. They may not necessarily be the people you share blood with but they’ll be the ones who stand by you no matter what. Josy certainly found this with his stoner hipster friend group, his agent, and the eccentric residents of Abby, Oregon. Quincy struggled with it, his depression and anxiety making it hard to see that he was fine just the way he was. But Josy helped him see the wonderful community he’s built and all the people he’s helped by being himself and being so open with sharing what he’s going through. This was one of my favorite aspects of this book and the series in general. Sure, it’s delivered in a sometimes silly manner but behind all the laughs, this series is all heart.

“I like that you exist in the world. I think a lot of people would say the same thing.”

“I like that you exist too.”

My very favorite part of this book? The glorious return of Gustavo Tiberius! I wasn’t sure how much we’d get of him in this but he has a huge role in this book too and every scene he was in was a pure delight. Turns out that Josy and Gus bonded when Gus helped him run his lines for the Campbell Soup commercial in the first book and much to Gus’s chagrin, he and Josy have become quite good friends. Josy’s obsession with Gus may be the best thing that’s ever happened. Gus was still Gus, of course, and acted annoyed by it all but was secretly a huge softy toward Josy. Their friendship was great, it’s hilarious and heartwarming!

“Sometimes you need to hide away from the rest of the world. And it’s okay to do that, just as long as you don’t forget the world is waiting for you when you’re done.”

This book also delivered the laughs, like the first one did. Beware if you’re reading in public – you will laugh out loud on multiple occasions! Josy’s mind was a crazy and entertaining place to be and the residents of Abby, Oregon are always good for some wackiness. And fear not – the internet comes to the rescue a few times too (if you’ve read the first book, you’ll understand how funny and disastrous that could be). I know this series is several years old now but if you haven’t read it and are looking to laugh, maybe even cry, and want a story that feels like a warm hug and will leave you smiling long after the last page – you should give it a try! I loved everything about both books and I’m glad I finally got around to finishing the series!

“We get these people in our lives. People who change the way we see things. They are so bright, just like the sun. And all you want to do is stay in their light, because it makes everything warm. They make everything better.”