Twenty-One Truths about Love by Matthew Dicks

Do you find yourself as more of a type A person or type B? Are you one to make lists just so you can check off what you’ve completed? If you love lists, you’ve come to the right place.

Thank you St Martin’s Press for my finished copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: 1. Daniel Mayrock loves his wife Jill…more than anything.
2. Dan quit his job and opened a bookshop.
3. Jill is ready to have a baby.
4. Dan is scared; the bookshop isn’t doing well. Financial crisis is imminent.
5. Dan hasn’t told Jill about their financial trouble. He’s ashamed.
6. Then Jill gets pregnant.
This heartfelt story is about the lengths one man will go to and the risks he will take to save his family. But Dan doesn’t just want to save his failing bookstore and his family’s finances—he wants to become someone.
1. Dan wants to do something special.
2. He’s a man who is tired of feeling ordinary.
3. He’s sick of feeling like a failure.
4. Of living in the shadow of his wife’s deceased first husband.
Dan is also an obsessive list maker, and his story unfolds entirely in his lists, which are brimming with Dan’s hilarious sense of humor, unique world-view, and deeply personal thoughts. When read in full, his lists paint a picture of a man struggling to be a man, a man who has reached a point where he’s willing to anything for the love (and soon-to-be new love) of his life. 

So, like I said previously, if you love lists, you’ll love this book because it’s written entirely in lists! I’m really glad I got the chance to read it because I think it’s such an interesting way to tell a story. I literally felt like I understood the characters way more than I ever have in any other book. Reading his lists just catapulted me into his brain and into his heart way deeper than any other book has. I consider that such a unique experience that I’m glad I didn’t miss out on. It wasn’t my favorite story to read and I think it’s because it was a tad disjointed due to reading it in short segments. I wouldn’t pick it up again to read, but I’m glad I got the opportunity to do so.

3.5/5 Stars