Book of the Month: Quite the Pair by Tobias Madden

A Books in the Brewery book club is a free casual event combining great beer with good chat and an Aussie novel. Readers and drinkers are invited to take part in a guided conversation with our resident host.

Subiaco meetings will be held at 6pm on the second Wednesday of the month.

Adult readers of all experience are invited to think and talk about books in a safe and encouraging space. Expect to be discussing books from both award-winning Australian authors and new voices from around the country.

To stay updated on the latest book selection and event details, follow us on Instagram at @booksinthebrewery and join the conversation by subscribing to our Substack newsletter.

Please note, unfortunately meetings at Lums Wine Bar are not currently wheelchair accessible.

About the book: A laugh-out-loud tale of friendship and finding yourself, set against the lively backdrop of New York City—perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton, Madeleine Gray and New Girl.

Two best friends. One apartment. Zero chance of this going to plan.

Austin and Sydney have been best friends since he moved into her shoebox apartment in New York City over a decade ago. Now in their early thirties and living with their long-term partners, their lives are finally on track: Austin is performing on Broadway and Sydney is the VP comma Marketing at a lucrative tech startup. Everything is perfect. They’re so happy. (Right?)

But when both of their relationships implode on the same night, Austin and Sydney realise that things weren’t quite as perfect as they seemed, and that their only option is to move back in together.

The pair make a pact to use their new twelve-month lease to break the cycle of their toxic habits. For Austin, this means not falling in love with every man who so much as looks at him; for Sydney, it means prioritising herself, for possibly the first time in history.

It’s not long, though, before Austin’s resolve starts to crack—a gorgeous children’s book editor has absolutely nothing to do with that—and Sydney slips back into old patterns, letting the shadow of Austin’s presence eclipse her own needs.

The question is: can people truly change? Or are these self-proclaimed soulmates doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over . . . and risk losing each other in the process?

Praise for Quite the Pair:

“A heartfelt and funny look at friendship that’s both modern and timeless. Grab a friend. Quite the Pair makes for the perfect buddy read.” —Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of The Celebrants and The Guncle
"Quite the Pair had me itching to text my best friend 'this is us' just about every other page. Witty, warm, and painfully relatable, Madden's adult fiction debut is so, so good." —Robbie Couch, New York Times bestselling author
"Tobias Madden delivers a stunner of a novel that's as tender as it is unflinchingly honest. Quite the Pair is sharp, chaotic, and full of the kind of love—romantic and otherwise—that sneaks up on you. Austin and Sydney are the kind of friends you root for, yell at, and adore all at the same time ... and I couldn't get enough of them!" —Chip Pons, author of Winging it With You
"If the platonic rom-com exists, this is it. Quite The Pair is a love letter to the intense, beautiful and messy friendships between gay men and straight women: a book about finding yourself, being yourself, and always being each other's person." —Jodi McAlister, romance scholar and author of An Academic Affair

"Wise, warm yet utterly funny, Quite The Pair captures all the messiness and wonders of coming undone in adulthood. This is a laugh-out-loud, hilarious, and tender story about coming of age after you thought you had everything figured out. I loved every minute of being with Austin and Sydney in their New York apartment, watching them grow and sometimes fail to change. A refreshing and wise read that felt like watching an episode of Friends or Sex & The City." —Joshua Hortinela, author of Hate You to Love You

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