From the New York Times best-selling author of Ghosts and Everything I Know About Love: a story of heartbreak and friendship and how to survive both

"One of the foremost 'it' writers of our time. . . . Whatever ails you, Alderton can fix it with her intimate wisdom. . . . There is no writer quite like Dolly Alderton working today." —Lisa Taddeo, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Three Women

Andy loves Jen. Jen loved Andy. And he can't work out why she stopped.

Now he is . . .

Without a home

Waiting for his stand-up career to take off

Wondering why everyone else around him seems to have grown up while he wasn't looking

Set adrift on the sea of heartbreak, Andy clings to the idea of solving the puzzle of his ruined relationship. Because if he can find the answer to that, then maybe Jen can find her way back to him. But Andy still has a lot to learn, not least his ex-girlfriend's side of the story . . .

In this sharply funny and exquisitely relatable account of romantic disaster and friendship, Dolly Alderton offers up a love story with two endings, demonstrating once again why she is one of the most exciting writers today and the true voice of a generation.

INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

"Wickedly funny and, at turns, both cynical and sincere, Dolly Alderton's voice feels like your very favourite friend." —Taylor Jenkins Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Carrie Soto Is Back

"Dolly Alderton has always been a sparkling Roman candle of talent. She is funny, smart and explosively engaged in the wonders and weirdness of the world." —Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author of City of Girls

"WONDERFUL. . . . Shot through with Dolly's characteristic emotional intelligence. . . . Very funny. . . . Such a pleasure to read. I devoured it. . . . I award it 13/10 on my QWJ scale (stands for Queasy with Jealousy that I didn't write it)." —Marian Keyes, bestselling author of Grown Ups and Rachel's Holiday

"One of the foremost 'it' writers of our time. . . . Whatever ails you, Alderton can fix it with her intimate wisdom. . . . There is no writer quite like Dolly Alderton working today and very soon the world will know it." —Lisa Taddeo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Three Women

"Have you ever wondered what a lost love was thinking? In this ingeniously constructed and endlessly amusing novel, Dolly Alderton flips the script on everything we think we know about romantic loss, to bring us an unforgettable character on a deeply relatable downward spiral. Wise and relatable and pee-your-pants funny. I cried by page 5. Dolly Alderton is, quite simply, the bard of modern-day love." —Lena Dunham

“Delivers the most delightful aspects of classic romantic comedy—snappy dialogue, realistic relationship dynamics, humorous meet-cutes and misunderstandings—and leaves behind the clichéd gender roles and traditional marriage plot. . . . Alderton excels at portraying nonromantic intimate relationships with tenderness and authenticity.” —The New York Times

"With distinct notes of Helen Fielding, Richard Curtis and Nick Hornby . . . warm and generous. . . . A writer very much in control of her material." —The Guardian

"Brilliantly observed. . . . Beautifully written, pacy and excellent on rejection, friendship and letting go. Fabulous." —Daily Mail

"Genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. . . . whipsmart dialogue and relatable millennial themes (Alderton's forte) mean there's never a dull moment. Despite it being a pleasingly easy read (we tore through it in a single day), Good Material still manages to be thought-provoking and wise." —The Independent

"The male perspective is rarely the focus in romantic comedy, but Dolly Alderton’s new novel corrects the imbalance . . . Relatable, funny and refreshing." —Elle (UK)

"This warm and relatable novel about relationships and heartache will please Alderton’s many fans." —Booklist

"Alderton is excellent at fusing poignant tenderness with wry observations about modern life, and that talent is on full display here. Good Material is a highly enjoyable exploration of the messy, non-binary nature of many break-ups, and how two people can simply make a terrible couple." —Stylist

"A relatable, laugh-out-loud story of a thirtysomething failed comedian struggling with a break-up." —The Sunday Times Style

"I adored it! . . . Dolly is THE comic writer of our generation. This feels like her most ambitious book yet, and it delivers on every single page. She uses humour so brilliantly to underpin the quiet roar of romantic despair—this book is raw, smart and human. This makes me believe Dolly knows everything there is to know about love." —Daisy Buchanan, author of Careering

"[A] book to be devoured, adored, underlined and passed on (but only to the friends you know will give it back). . . .  Alderton explores friendships beautifully, probing the anxieties around being left behind while other friends reach milestones, and the bittersweet pain of seeing a friend's career soar while your own is flailing. . . . Good Material showcases Alderton's knack for rich characterisation and zippy dialogue like never before. It is also not just a shrewd portrayal of lost love, it is genuinely funny—if only more books made you laugh as much as this." —The i News

"Dolly Alderton just gets better and better. Good Material is both heartbreaking and hilarious with an ending that has you holding your breath. With the wit of Nick Hornby and the emotional scalpel of Nora Ephron, Alderton is one of our greats and this is sure to be an absolute classic." —Emma Gannon

"A funny, tender novel about human relationships. By turns laugh-out-loud, eye-roll relatable and 'stop you in your tracks' heart-wrenching. A thoroughly modern romantic masterpiece." —Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina

"Funny, tender and astute on heartbreak" —Daily Mail
 
"Like so many twentysomething women, I have turned to Dolly Alderton's writing for solace. . . . Written from the perspective of someone recently heartbroken, but this time it's a man. . . . The detail is luscious. . . . Radical." —Annie Lord, The Sunday Times

"Alderton entertains with observational quips about thirtysomething life." —The Observer

"This is the greatest. You'll cry and laugh. I read it through the night. And I never, ever avoid sleep." —Claudia Winkleman
 
"Made me laugh while punching me in the gut. Loved this book." —Aisling Bea

"Leaves you heartsore but happier. Irresistible." —Richard E. Grant

"It's so good. I loved it." —Sharon Horgan

"Highly relatable for millennials navigating dating in London, and hugely insightful for those generations wanting to understand them. Packed with sharp observations and wisdom. A triumph." —Sathnam Sanghera

"The bestselling author brings her warmth, emotional intelligence and wry observation to bear on her second novel. . . . Refreshing." —The Bookseller, Editor's Choice

"Laugh-out-loud dialogue on every page. . . . No one has a firmer grasp on the themes she explores. Good material, indeed." —Sunday Express

"Funny, sad and true; a book she has clearly poured her soul into. . . . Cements her status as a fiction heavyweight." —The i News

"If Dolly's memoir Everything I Know About Love summed up being twentysomething then this, her second novel, is a tender and funny love letter to our tumultuous 30s." —Red

"Good Material combines Alderton's wit and eye for detail with a beautiful depth of emotion." —Woman & Home

"All of Alderton's considerable gifts as a writer are on display here: her wit, her ability to capture exchanges that feel real and her skillful characterisation. . . . Alderton's work truly shines when she writes about friendship." —Sunday Independent

"Sharply written and acutely observed. . . . Alderton absolutely nails it. . . . A beautifully nuanced portrayal of modern love that will have you racing to the last page." —Heat

"The author of Everything I Know About Love nails the zeitgeist with a witty, relatable and acutely insightful page-turner about the trails and tribulations of the lovelorn." —Daily Express

"Witty, warm and well-observed." —The Sun, Fabulous

"If there’s any justice, [Good Material] will be the North American breakout for Alderton. . . . She should be a household name." —Zoomer Magazine

"[Good Material is] droll and sharply observant with just the right amount of squishy sentimentality." —The Kit

"Incredibly honest, raw and refreshing. . . . It’s full of heart and emotion." —New York Post