Third Wheel

Written by Nick Spalding

Narrated by Will Watt

In this madcap tale from the bestselling author of Dumped, Actually, two’s company for Jake and his bestie Sy. But three? A disaster!

Jake Carlisle is living his best life, thanks to the crazily successful influencer channel he created with his best friend Sy. Reviewing whacky hobbies and adrenaline-fuelled adventures, Sy has pushed Jake into doing more exciting stuff than either ever thought possible. Then disaster strikes.

When newbie Helena joins the team, Sy quickly falls head over heels for her…All of a sudden, with romance blossoming and the business dynamic shifting, Jake is horrified to find himself becoming the dreaded third wheel.

Being the odd one out was not what he signed up for. And he’ll do anything to get his best friend back—even if that involves a little light sabotage, an unhealthy amount of jealousy…and one very unfortunate pair of tartan Speedos.

Will Jake be relegated to the background from now on? Or will he finally learn to stand on his own two feet and succeed at getting his life—along with his friendship—back on track?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Aug 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781799784050

Nick Spalding

Nick Spalding is an author who, try as he might, can’t seem to write anything serious. Before becoming a full-time author, he worked in the communications industry, mainly in media and marketing. As talking rubbish for a living can get tiresome (for anyone other than a politician), he thought he’d have a crack at writing comedy fiction—with a very agreeable level of success so far, it has to be said. Nick has now sold about two million books—including a million books sales with Amazon Publishing alone. This flabbergasts him every single day. Nick lives in the south of England with his lovely (and extremely patient) wife. He’s now in his mid-forties—and is rather annoyed at the universe about it, because it gave him no choice in the matter. He’s also addicted to Thai food, still thinks Batman is just about the coolest thing on earth, and has a dreadful singing voice. Nick’s Twitter: @NickSpalding Nick’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/NickSpalding

Reviews for Third Wheel

[Anne Wrightwell · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

To be honest, I got about half way through then skipped to the last 2 chapters. The beginning was quite funny but Jake was such a doormat that it quickly became irritating. I haven’t read/listened to a bromcom before.

[araskov-539582 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thank you NetGalley and Nick Spalding for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bloody brilliant, isn't it? I laughed so much that my cheeks were sore from the journey. This story follows a young man named Jake who runs a business with his best friend, Sy. They have been nearly inseparable since they were children. Jake's loyalty to his best friend knows no limits. As Sy chooses what activities they should do for each of their business excursions, Jake complacently follows along.

When the dynamic of their friendship changes, inviting in Helena, who becomes not only a co-host to their business, but Sy's girlfriend, it feels like the absolute end of the world to Jake. Enough so, that I wanted to shake him out of his turmoil once or twice. He finds himself feeling constant dread at the shift in dynamic, the awkwardness of being the third wheel, and the unusual activities they now find themselves reviewing for their business.

This story made me reflect on how relationships can sometimes be very one sided in regards to give and take. Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself. Sometimes you have to say no.

Reading the misadventures Jake experiences as he tries to continue through life like everything is totally normal made me laugh, cringe, and nearly cry. This was, for the most part, a highly amusing story about the importance of friendship with an ending fit for a rom com.