A Hollywood star banishes himself to Palm Springs only to be thrust back into the limelight by, of all people, his young "niblings," or niece and nephew. The children, Grant and Maisie, are 6 and 9, respectively, spending the summer with their Uncle Patrick, or GUP as they call him: Gay Uncle Patrick. One of the stars of the beloved TV sitcom The People Upstairs (think Friends), Patrick has for four years marooned himself in the desert, tetchy about his fame, his career, and his unresolved grief over the loss of his partner, Joe, the victim of a drunk driver. "He was so afraid people wouldn't laugh if everyone knew how twisted he looked on the inside," Rowley writes about Patrick. Self-critical but charming, suave yet insecure, Patrick is a memorable character, and it's genuinely thrilling to read screenwriter-turned-novelist Rowley's take on the mechanics of stardom, especially about a star who's no longer young. Grant and Maisie are in Palm Springs because their mother has recently died and their father, Patrick's brother, is near Palm Springs rehabbing from a drug addiction; Patrick becomes the niblings' de-facto parent and therapist for the summer. The tension between Patrick and the kids initially manifests because their uncle doesn't follow the same routines as their parents did, but it becomes clear that the maladjustment stems from a deeper wellspring of emotional turmoil. Patrick, meanwhile, hides his vulnerability and grief behind an armor of wit. He must learn to reveal his feelings and rejoin the world, and the children will help him do so. Although some of the plot is predictable (for example, the relationship between Patrick and young actor Emory), there's true insight here into the psychology of gay men, Hollywood, and parenting. A novel with some real depth beneath all its witty froth. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

It has been several years since Patrick O'Hara left his TV sitcom and retired to Palm Springs. All is peaceful routine for Patrick, who is gay, until his sister-in-law (and bosom friend) dies and his brother checks himself into rehab, leaving Patrick in charge of his nine-year-old niece and six-year-old nephew. Maisie and Grant know their uncle is gay, thus the moniker guncle. In the tradition of Auntie Mame and Travels with My Aunt, this latest from Rowley (Lily and the Octopus) explores the relationships between young and old, grief and acceptance, stagnation and growth--all while challenging the expectations of convention. Under Patrick's unorthodox tutelage, the children are exposed to an entirely new way of looking at life, while Patrick, through the agency of his niece and nephew, finally comes to grips with his own grief. Influenced by comic dialogue that would make Neil Simon jealous, the novel's serious undercurrent of loss gives way, in the end, to a warmth that will make readers smile. VERDICT A funny, gentle tale of family and friends, and a salve for the wounds they often cause.--Michael Russo, Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge

No longer the star of a hit TV series, Patrick O'Hara could not have imagined that his next leading role would be as caretaker of his brother's young children, but when Greg checks into rehab following the death of his wife, Sara, there seems no one better suited to help Maisie and Grant process the loss of their mother than the man who had been her closest friend. Culture shock doesn't begin to address the adjustments the kids must make when they spend the summer away from their Connecticut neighborhood and in Patrick's opulent Palm Springs home. And Maisie and Grant aren't the only ones facing changes. As a single gay man, Patrick had no parenting experience. What he does know, however, is how to give the children room to explore their feelings and offer sage advice as he becomes their dear ol' GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick). Its somewhat dire premise notwithstanding, Rowley's (The Editor, 2019) sensitive and witty exploration of grief and healing soothes with a delectable lightness and cunning charm.

In this heartwarming, hilarious novel from Rowley (The Editor), an erstwhile sitcom star ends up taking care of his niece and nephew. Patrick O'Hara is four years out of the limelight and living in Palm Springs, Calif., when he learns his best friend and sister-in-law, Sara, has died after a long illness. While Patrick is in Connecticut for the funeral, widower Greg confesses he's developed an addiction to painkillers. Patrick agrees to watch over Greg's children, Maise and Grant, nine and six, while Greg spends a few months in rehab. As Patrick navigates his grief and responsibilities for the children, who call him their "Guncle" (or "GUP," for gay uncle Patrick), he contemplates a comeback. Fortunately, he has help from a new agent; the "throuple" of three men next door; and his sister, Clara, despite Clara's skepticism over the value of Patrick's screwball antics for the children. Rowley finds humor and poignancy in the snappy narrative, ordered by a series of "Guncle Rules" ("number five," applying to the adult content in Patrick's apps: "If a gay man hands you his phone, look only at what he's showing you") and deepened by lessons the grief-stricken children learn via Patrick from generations of gay life. Readers will find this delightful and illuminating. Agent: Rob Weisbach, Rob Weisbach Creative Management. (May)