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A review by hideyourspoons
Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck
5.0
We all have those absurdly unbelievable moments in life where we think, "You can't write this stuff." Well, Kate Goldbeck did. She's taken the wildly relatable "failed to launch" phase and given it main character energy. Carefully plotting an emotional growth arc for Sam that starts at home-office-squatter and develops into someone who tries. And that's it. That's the goal for Sam—to try. Daddy Issues is a slice of life survival story one embarrassing, messy, depressing, tender moment at a time.
I swear, too, Kate Goldbeck doesn't write characters—she brings them to life. It's not necromancy, but definitely some sort of sorcery. Her skill and, I'm guessing, hyper focus perfectionism with dialogue is unmatched. And not just between characters, in head talk also. Sam's self-deprecating panicky anxious sarcastic inner voice is fully developed and supported by the work done on page (see: death grip on toxic relationships and yes, daddy issues).
Of course because her characters are so real, the relationships are just as natural. Before the romance, can we please acknowledge the brilliant tension, frustration, devotion between Sam and her mother, Jennifer! When Jennifer passively, delicately, pointedly attempts to parent her adult child you know it's going to trigger Sam's defenses instead of inspiring action. But behind the shame they both carry—Sam failing an adulting, and Jennifer as a parent—there is love. They just have a midwestern indirect conversation, scripted argument, tone-is-everything way of showing it.
Romance? I'd get here eventually. Sam and Nick start as strangers and fall in love. I highlight that because Sam is at her lowest emotionally when they meet. She's got nothing to brag about but her comic collection and still this man - this sweet, dependable, competent king of a man - falls in love with her. Counting instead the times she's made him laugh. Valuing Sam's care for his daughter. Chasing the possibility of their chemistry. He's not ever trying to fix her. She's not broken. It's support he offers. Nick is always right about wall anchors.
A highlight for me was Kate's use of comic book script storytelling. Often Sam will break from the narrative to describe a situation as if it was a comic book page. She "draws" everyone in her life as their comic character equivalent, herself being Lydia Deets from Beetlejuice, and plays out a flashback or attempts to describe the ridiculousness of her current life. These moments felt like therapy and helped Sam filter stress or process difficult memories. But sometimes, triumphantly, her comic point of view helps put old hurts into rest and it's more about reclaiming the narrative of her life.
Daddy Issues features all the ways Kate Goldbeck is one the most unique voices amongst romance authors. Masterful dialogue. Fully shaped characters. Stories grounded in reality. Sharp comedic timing. And beyond the technical strengths, at its core, there is a very relatable journey of day-to-day survival. It's witty, raw, emotional, and one of the best reads of the year.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House | The Dial Press for the advance digital copy to read and review.
I swear, too, Kate Goldbeck doesn't write characters—she brings them to life. It's not necromancy, but definitely some sort of sorcery. Her skill and, I'm guessing, hyper focus perfectionism with dialogue is unmatched. And not just between characters, in head talk also. Sam's self-deprecating panicky anxious sarcastic inner voice is fully developed and supported by the work done on page (see: death grip on toxic relationships and yes, daddy issues).
Of course because her characters are so real, the relationships are just as natural. Before the romance, can we please acknowledge the brilliant tension, frustration, devotion between Sam and her mother, Jennifer! When Jennifer passively, delicately, pointedly attempts to parent her adult child you know it's going to trigger Sam's defenses instead of inspiring action. But behind the shame they both carry—Sam failing an adulting, and Jennifer as a parent—there is love. They just have a midwestern indirect conversation, scripted argument, tone-is-everything way of showing it.
Romance? I'd get here eventually. Sam and Nick start as strangers and fall in love. I highlight that because Sam is at her lowest emotionally when they meet. She's got nothing to brag about but her comic collection and still this man - this sweet, dependable, competent king of a man - falls in love with her. Counting instead the times she's made him laugh. Valuing Sam's care for his daughter. Chasing the possibility of their chemistry. He's not ever trying to fix her. She's not broken. It's support he offers. Nick is always right about wall anchors.
A highlight for me was Kate's use of comic book script storytelling. Often Sam will break from the narrative to describe a situation as if it was a comic book page. She "draws" everyone in her life as their comic character equivalent, herself being Lydia Deets from Beetlejuice, and plays out a flashback or attempts to describe the ridiculousness of her current life. These moments felt like therapy and helped Sam filter stress or process difficult memories. But sometimes, triumphantly, her comic point of view helps put old hurts into rest and it's more about reclaiming the narrative of her life.
Daddy Issues features all the ways Kate Goldbeck is one the most unique voices amongst romance authors. Masterful dialogue. Fully shaped characters. Stories grounded in reality. Sharp comedic timing. And beyond the technical strengths, at its core, there is a very relatable journey of day-to-day survival. It's witty, raw, emotional, and one of the best reads of the year.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House | The Dial Press for the advance digital copy to read and review.