Rating: 3 out of 5.

Twelve year old Norman and his best friend Jax are a comedy duo whose 5 year plan is to debut their act at the Edinburgh Fringe comedy festival. Then Jax dies. To overcome his grief and honor Jax, Norman decides he has to perform at the festival himself. The problem is that Jax was the funny one, not Norman. Norman also decides it’s time to meet his father and convinces his mother Sadie to embark on a journey to find his dad and perform at the festival. They are aided by Sadie’s co-worker and they all learn a lot about themselves, and each other, along the way.

The book is well written and the author delves deep into Norman’s grief and Sadie’s feelings of inadequacy. The book is filled with a lot of minor characters that the group meet along the way that add a lot of heart to the book. The book does drag a bit in the middle, but overall, it’s an enjoyable read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin. All opinions are my own.