'[Tsiolkas's] most heartfelt novel to date' Financial Times'A love story par excellence...he's simply one of the great writers of our time' Irish Times'Warm and rewarding...it triumphantly succeeds' GuardianIt's been a long time since I've been on a date,' he says, pocketing his own phone.'Please ignore anything I say for at least the first ten minutes.'Ivan's laugh is loud, delighted.'I know, mate, I'm bloody terrified.'Two middle-aged men meet on an internet date. Each has been scarred by a previous relationship; each has his own compelling reasons for giving up on the idea of finding love.But still they both turn up for the dinner, feel the spark and the possibility of something more. How can they take the risk of falling in love again. How can they not?A tender, affecting novel of love, of hope, of forgiveness by one of today's most fearless and truthful interpreters of the human heart, the acclaimed bestselling author of The Slap and Damascus.

Christos Tsiolkas is the author of eight novels, including the international bestseller The Slap, which won Overall Best Book in the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize among other honours.In 2021 he won the Melbourne Prize for Literature for his body of work. Christos is also a playwright, essayist and screen writer. He lives in Melbourne.