Stephen McCauley

"After a lifetime of taking care of his impossible but irresistible sister and his cherished niece, Tom is finally ready to put himself first. An architect specializing in tiny houses, he finally has an opportunity to build his masterpiece--"his last shot at leaving a footprint on the dying planet." Assuming, that is, he can stick to his resolution to keep the demands of his needy family at bay. Naturally, that's when his phone rings. His niece, Cecily--the...

Patrick O'Neil is a travel agent who never goes anywhere. His closest confidante, Sharon, is chain-smoking her way to singles hell, passing up man after man. His parents, proprietors of a suburban men's store whose fortunes are sagging more visibly than its customers, can't agree how best to interfere in their sons' lives. And his lover, Arthur (a nice golden retriever of a guy to whom Patrick can't quite commit), wants to cement their relationship

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"David Hedges is having an unusual midlife crisis. His boyfriend, Soren, has left him for an older man. His job is exasperating. As his life reaches new lows, his weight reaches new highs. Across the country, Julie Fiske isn't having a much better time herself. Carol, the woman (younger, of course) that Henry, her second husband, left her for, is downright likable--more likeable than Henry was. Her sullen teen daughter adamantly refuses to apply to...

A young woman falls in love with her new roommate even though he's gay and loves her purely as a friend. When she becomes pregnant, she realizes she'd rather raise her child with him rather than with her boyfriend-- a decision that forces the threesome to explore the fine line between love, sex and friendship.