The Back Up Man

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

They made a pact to marry at thirty.

The problem? Euan's nowhere to be found.

Can Anya track down her back up man . . . ?

Shortly after her 29th birthday, Anya Mackie finds herself single, homeless and jobless. Well-meaning friends and family rally round, but she's soon stuck in a flatshare with Cold Claire and Weird Richard, and babysitting Glasgow's most unappealing twins.

But when Anya stumbles on the pact she made with high school crush, Euan Carrick, where they promised to marry if they were still single at thirty, she thinks it's a lifeline. Until Anya discovers that Euan hasn't been seen for a decade.

Grudgingly accepting the help (and car!) of handsome-but-emotionally-unavailable Jamie Kildare - another blast from Anya's past, with his own mysterious reasons for tracking down their old school pal, the pair set off across the country to find Anya's back-up-man.

In the age of social media and blue ticks, how could Euan have disappeared?
Will he even remember their pact?
And are some things just better left in the past . . . ?

The Back Up Man is a hilariously romantic tale of mishaps and matrimony, love and long shots, foibles and friendship, that may make you text that old school boyfriend of yours . . .

Praise for Phoebe Luckhurst:

'Entertaining, endearing, and truly unique. Found myself wincing and laughing with familiarity' Emma Gannon
'The year's most original rom-com' Elle
'Hilarious' Evening Standard
'Nostalgic, pitch perfect' Cressida McLaughlin
'Funny and compelling from page one' Lucy Vine

©2023 Phoebe Luckhurst (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critics Review

  • An entertaining romcom with a very relatable set-up. Luckhurst is a terrific writer. The Back Up Man goes down like a good cup of tea – you know what to expect, but it doesn’t make it any less warm, comforting or enjoyable

    i

  • A romcom with depth and substance and also, refreshingly, set in Glasgow

    Red

  • Fresh, funny, satisfying – it’s everything I want in a book

    Holly Miller, author of Richard and Judy pick The Sight Of You

  • Phoebe Luckhurst is one of the funniest new novelists out there. Perfect for anyone who has ever attempted to stalk an ex on Facebook (all of us, then)

    Evening Standard

  • I adored The Back Up Man! Phoebe is so funny, with such a brilliant observational eye and a perfect ear for dialogue. An absolute delight

    Emma Hughes

  • A charming romance

    Woman's Own

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