Publisher's Weekly Review
Video game designer Gramazio debuts with a charming speculative novel about a woman's difficulty settling on a mate. When Lauren, in her early 30s and decidedly single, returns one night to her London flat from a boozy evening out, she's greeted by a total stranger who says he's her husband, a claim mysteriously borne out by her photographs and texting history. This is alarming enough, but things get weirder still after Lauren's supposed husband climbs up the attic ladder to change a light bulb and a different man descends, one who also claims to be her husband. This revolving door of spouses persists for months, and Lauren discovers that various circumstances of her life--her circle of friends, her fashion sense, her career choices, even her apartment decor--alter with each change of partner. Gramazio's inventiveness and humor save the Groundhog Day--esque plot from tedious repetition (Lauren rejects one man immediately for wearing shoes with individual toes, another for filling a room with Funko Pops). Though Lauren's drastic action near the novel's conclusion feels a bit out of sync with the rest of the story, there's plenty of intelligence and candor in the author's creative spin on the conundrum of commitment. Gramazio is worth keeping tabs on. (Apr.)
Kirkus Review
"Love the one you're with" is the song's advice, but is that really still the best approach? When Lauren, a single woman in London, returns home a little tipsy after a friend's hen party, she encounters a strange man in her flat. He sounds like he knows her and, despite her concerns, doesn't seem to represent a threat. It takes some time for Lauren to figure out that he's actually the husband she's somehow acquired in another life. It takes her more time to figure out that the attic over her flat, courtesy of an electrical malfunction, will be sending her an apparently endless stream of husbands once she sends each previous one back upstairs--this is not a novel about bigamy. Lauren finds her own circumstances (job, hairstyle, decorating scheme) changed with each subsequent spouse, and she eventually realizes this is not a "time loop" she's in; time is advancing as she works her way through her possible spouses. Some of the husbands are tolerable, some attractive, some complete "no's" (who wants to spend a lifetime with someone who likes to nestle the tip of their nose in the corner of your closed eye?). Gramazio's often comedic fantasy rom-com proceeds from an unlikely premise, but the plot allows the author to explore current attitudes and approaches to dating and mating from a fresh perspective: Given the infinite variety of people in the world, how can you know "the one" when there may be a better one just around the corner (or descending the attic staircase)? Lauren's madcap romp with the parade of spouses takes a few serious turns, particularly when one is reluctant to climb back upstairs, but the makings of a comic miniseries are all here. A fun take on a big question. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In this hilarious, time-bending story, twentysomething Lauren comes home to find a strange man in her apartment who seems to be her husband. Photos on her cell phone show their life, but Lauren remembers nothing. As she adjusts, her husband goes into the attic to change a light bulb, and a different man comes down who, according to her changed apartment decor and new pictures on her cell phone, seems to be her husband now. Lauren discovers that the attic magically replaces the men, giving her an infinite source of husbands that she can try out. After 100 husbands, Bohai Zhang comes down and tells her about his time travels. As Lauren becomes tired of the constant change, she questions if she will ever know which husband is the right one. This delightful fantasy is both funny and philosophical as it asks readers to consider if a person can ever be sure if they have taken the right path or found the right spouse. Readers who love Emma Straub, Erin Morgenstern, and time-travel novels that explore modern life will find this a delightful read.
