Might just be the best read of the year. An absolutely delightfully spun tale that had me absorbed from the first page. What an incredible debut novel. Cannot wait to see what’s next from Glenn R Miller!1 Julie33 1 follower

Wow, what a fun read!

Doorman Wanted takes us along the journey of Henry Franken, whom we meet shortly after the passing of his very affluent father, who has left him everything. When he goes to sign the paperwork to accept his newly acquired Upper East Side building and penthouse apartment, he sees a sign in the window: Doorman Wanted. None too interested in his family's wealth, he chooses to accept this as a sign to instead apply for the job, and keeps his true identity hidden from the residents and employees.

What transpires is a witty, humorous and well-written story that leads us through life as Franklin Hanratty, a doorman imposter. We are introduced to several quirky, fun and interesting residents along with some wild co-workers.

Throughout his role as doorman, Henry/Franklin meets and befriends a few homeless artists which in turn places him on a quest to provide them with better opportunities in the world of art, and thus life.

Although I feel this book doesn't have a very clear plotline, the way it's written just somehow works. I really d engaging with each individual character, and getting to follow along with their daily adventures. Everyone had very different personalities and I enjoyed getting to know them all.

What I didn't love, was the ending of Wendy's storyline. It was completely fine until she finds out who Franklin truly is, and in my opinion, completely overreacts. (Ok pot, let's call the kettle black, shall we?) But then just basically acts nothing happened? It was strange, and I just didn't get it, I guess.

I also wish there was a bit more of a reaction written amongst the residents when they learned the truth about Franklin/Henry. It seems it was just kind of glazed over a bit, and slightly disappointing.

Overall though, this was an excellent story that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Especially for a debut novel! I would absolutely love to read a sequel, so that we can continue getting to know all the characters and continue on this journey with them. Perhaps a storyline from Charlotte's perspective?

*Thank you to NetGalley, Glenn R. Miller and Koehler Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.* Linda Lefler138 11

This debut novel by Glenn R. Miller was a fantastic, funny read. Henry is suddenly wealthy after his father's death, but impulsively chooses to get a job as doorman of the ritzy Upper East Side condo building while living secretly in the penthouse. It's almost a Being There (Jerzy Kosciusko, 1971) in reverse. The lazy manager condescends to him, but other staff, tenants and passers-by get to know and appreciate him. As time goes on, he enjoys the way people him for himself and falls in love with Wendy, who also lives in the building and buys into his doorman identity. There are touching scenes as Henry gets to know some homeless artists – which leads to him finding a way to help them and a reason to shed his disguise. Wonderful dialogue. Henry has a formal, vocab-forward way of expressing himself, with traces of cheerio pip pip. He mentions PG Wodehouse but that's not exactly the way it is. Long sentences that run on full of clever words. Other characters wise-crack with abandon.
This writer is one to watch! Caroline Rybicki1 review

A clever and refreshingly original storyline, un any I’ve read! Full of wit and empathy, this book will leave you both feeling good and turning the pages.

Henry is a young man whose life changes course when he receives a generous inheritance, including a massive estate, after his father suddenly passes. As he is left to face a lifelong moral struggle with the source of the wealth, he hides in plain sight as the doorman and becomes engrained in the community of the residential building, L’Hermitage. The residents adore him as do the two homeless artists he befriends when he chooses to see them as humans, rather than pests, and offers a cup of coffee. Henry’s kindness and openness to these two will make you question the stereotypes we have around various social classes and will make you want to strip people of all of their qualifiers to see them simply for who they are.

Glenn’s ability to make you feel Henry’s journey will suck you into the world within the covers of the “Doorman Wanted” - truly a gift, a must read! AnneAuthor 11 books280

I am delighted to have been able to read this fascinating, original book! The words that came to mind while reading it were: clever, intelligent, vibrant, witty, good story-telling, inspiring, thoughtful, and important. It's important because it's not just a book about a doorman and all the quirky inhabitants of his building... it's about a man who is finding his own way in the world, who is compassionate about others, and is a creative problem solver.

I admired the author's skill in leading us into the main story line, which is "the doorman's" relationship with two very special homeless artists and how their stories interweave. There's also a little romance which I appreciated. Just the right amount!

I will be looking for more gems of fiction from this author.... keep writing, please!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Lauren Bayne229 1 follower

The central premise was awesome, but it leaned a little too heavily into the "billionaires are good" trope.

The friendship that develops between Henry/Franklin and two unhoused artists, as well as the rapport that he develops with the tenants of the building, is delightful. It features creative problem solving, appreciation of art and the individuality of people, a touch of romance, and a New York that felt true to New York itself. For those looking for a quirky, intelligent, compassionate character learning to grapple with his own adulthood: Henry is the man for you.

The last third of the book is where I kind of felt lost in the "yay rich people" message. In Henry's "big reveal" as the owner of the building, it felt the people Henry was lying to were very quick to accept him and how good/generous he was. It was just a little much for me. C'est la vie. Good book otherwise!arc-reader Julie 223 1 follower

I love fun, quirky, "slice of life" novels and Doorman Wanted is exactly that! The characters were charming and witty, making for an enjoyable relaxing reading experience. The ending left me a bit underwhelmed when Franklin/Henry revealed his true identity, and I was also annoyed by the third act break-up, even though it was short-lived (on page, that is). For those reasons I am rating it 4 stars. Bravo to Glenn R. Miller for a delightful debut!

Thank you to NetGalley and Koehler Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.2024 books-i-own netgalley ...more Sarah Amirani3

I completely loved this book! Made me both laugh and care. It was a delight to inhabit the world of Doorman Wanted; I didn’t want it to end. These characters, major and secondary a, will stay with me for a long time; they are so fully drawn, with memorable voices the author has given each - I feel I’d know them on the street. (I wish I knew them!) The smart story prompts a gentle look at preconceived notions on wealth, identity, age, the unhoused - heck, even what makes a good doorman - while at the same time being laugh-out-loud funny. Highly recommended! Rachel StoneAuthor 1 book46

A wonderful debut!

With eloquent prose and an uplifting tone, Miller paints characters who come to feel old friends and illustrates the power in shedding the identities that have been assigned to us, as a means to uncovering the one to which we truly belong.

I received an advance copy from the publisher, and I'm so glad I did. I'll be reading more from this author. Natalie835 41

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